Oops, my slip is showing
New Straits Times (Columns)
12 Sep 2006
Syed Nadzri

THIS appears to be a season of verbal boo-boos. And, as we have discovered, words and expressions do have a wicked way of rolling back in a furious backlash.

California Governor Arnold Schwazenegger is the latest to find that out when he had to apologise publicly on Friday for describing Hispanics, including California’s Latino assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, as "hot".

"I mean Cuban, Puerto Rican, they are all very hot," he was reported to have said in a casual conversation that was audiotaped. "They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

"Hot" can be interpreted in many ways. But although Garcia herself was not particularly offended, the celebrity governor made the apology nonetheless, especially when told that his opponents were set to make a political capital out of it.

This episode only serves to show the power of expressions and the folly of the slip of the tongue. Or how the ill-timed use of certain words such as "shoot" and even "sister" could prove to be embarrassing blunders.

Here are some other examples:

• This is still fresh in our memory as it occurred less than five months ago: Rantau Panjang Pas MP Abdul Fatah Harun told the Dewan Rakyat that divorced women were gatal (lecherous), and that this was the reason for the large number of failed marriages. What followed was a barrage of criticisms including from his own ranks.

• In April 2003, a television station had to officially apologise to the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister over the remark jakun (an aboriginal tribe) made by one of its presenters during a music award presentation ceremony. The ministry’s parliamentary secretary, Chia Kwang Chye, said the presenter unintentionally called his fellow presenter jakun based on his lackadaisical attire and had never meant to insult any ethnic group.

• Three years years ago, Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara was in hot water for his remarks that are derogatory to women by saying that an "old hag" was the most harmful thing ever created by human civilisation and that it was futile as well as criminal for women to continue living after they had lost their reproductive ability. He was taken to court by a group of 119 housewives and working women, their ages ranging from 20 to 70.

• In 2002, there was an uproar against Pas spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat following his statements reportedly saying that God could also act like a samseng (thug). Several police reports were made and enough for his opponents to make political capital out of this.

• Singapore’s Young People’s Action Party deputy chairman Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also drew loud protests from across the Causeway four years ago by saying Malaysian journalists were like "wild animals".

The remark, made when he hosted a lunch to a visiting Umno Youth delegation, was later said to have been made in jest.

• In March 2004, the Speaker of the South Australian state parliament told off some unruly MPs by saying they had "more balls than brains" and this sparked angry protests, notably by women legislators, including Opposition frontbencher Joan Hall who fired back: "I find it utterly offensive to be accused of having more balls than brains and I ask you to withdraw."

• Not too long after the 2004 general election, Nik Aziz charged that the election was rigged and labelled Umno assemblymen as "immoral". He said they must resign en bloc as their salaries and allowances were haram because they cheated in the election. Umno sent an official protest note in response.

But notice that no matter how serious the backlash, most of the slip-ups get forgotten over time.