A picture comparing Dato Geethanjali G and Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan is circulating on Facebook. It’s like comparing a cherry with a durian. This article will dissect on how preposterous the comparison is.
Here’s the picture and it’s so wrong on so many levels.
Ambiga Sreenevasan fights for all Malaysians – she fights for a clean government, it doesn’t matter if it’s PR or BN. She wants fair and free elections for all Malaysians. Geethanjali G on the other hand perpetuates divide and racial politics and I opine that she does not have half the caliber Ambiga has.
The latter has international recognition and rose up slowly, unlike Dato Geethanjali G who seemed to buy her way through success and public recognition and riding on her husband’s success much like how Rosmah rides on our PM’s position. Ambiga never supported Anwar Ibrahim – she merely said the jailing of Anwar is a travesty of justice on the basis of if such an influential man suffered such a fate, imagine ordinary Malaysians. Geethanjali G on the other hand is content on buttering Ah Jib Gor and Kak Ros in dubious press meets – they seem enacted. These acts rub off as sucking up for ulterior motives.
Ambiga never supported Anwar the way Geethanjali G supports Najib Razak so this comparison is fallacious. Please don’t pit 2 women of different mission and vision against each other. Ambiga and Geethanjali G are on different platforms and have starkly different motives. One is service minded, the other is selfish minded.
The achievements of Ambiga Sreenevasan Ji as opposed to Geethanjali G
Where do I start? Okay first of all, Geethanjali G ode vayasu Ambiga Sreenevasan Ji ode anubavam. Geethanjali G baru setahun jagung.
Ambiga is a lawyer who was the president of the Malaysian Bar Council from 2007 – 2009. She is not just a lawyer but an internationally renowned human rights activist and advocate. She was the head prefect in the Convent Bukit Nanas high school and the second woman bar council president. Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama know who Ambiga is and she was accorded the US International Women of Courage Award in 2009 besides the many international accolades she was honoured with. You can read about them in the Wikipedia page dedicated to Madam Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan. Ambiga is not only respected (which she earned without sucking up to anyone) in Malaysia but is respected the world over for leading the Bersih NGO. Currently, she’s in the executive committee of Women’s Aid Organization while fighting for the rights of the Orang Asli. This is only the tip of the iceberg – naa sonne ellamey oru paathi than.
Now for Geethanjali G. She started as a compere in Astro Vaanavil then became a DJ in THR Raaga. She then married a certain Dato and then suddenly became Dato herself and suddenly became the president of MyWomen. Geethanjali G also became an overnight social activist, Malaysian Indian artistes rep, entrepreneur, professional speaker, media personality and advocate of women empowerment in economic and political participation. These are the only achievements of Geethanjali G. Naa mothama solliyachu.
The PR SOP of Ambiga Sreenevasan Ji and Geethanjali G
This is the most fun part of this article so get ready to be in stitches:
Publicity
Madam Ambiga Sreenevasan, despite her illustrious track record, did not open a Facebook page to blow her trumpet of her litany of positions and accomplishments. She only has Wikipedia. Madam Geethanjali G has a Facebook page with the cover photo listing all her positions and a self proclamation of her being on par with the late Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher. On her Facebook page, there are a surplus of narcissistic tenets – she posting lots of pics of herself going places and meeting people. Those pics try very hard to seem to be taken unbeknownst to Geethanjali G but when they’re all and sundry to see on her Facebook page, it speaks of the contrary.
Press meets
The press seeks out Madam Ambiga Sreenevasan, hounding her like vultures that spotted a meaty carrion which has much to give. Ambiga talks casually and she sounds genuine in every press meet with listeners clinging to her words like they’re the Gospel truth. Geethanjali G’s press meets seem orchestrated and oblique to the ruling coalition. And the way she speaks is very contrived. She tries hard to utter bombastic words and jargons to make herself look intelligent. Good effort though on her part. Her vocabulary is quite good – due credit.
Public recognition
Ambiga Sreenevevasan has Wikipedia and attention goes to her unsolicited. She quietly works behind the scenes and stands out due in public due to that. Ambiga stands on her two feet – she didn’t rely on anyone to come this far. Geethanjali G on the other hand does extensive self sponsored public promotion to gain public recognition. She takes shelter under her husband’s success and rode on that to make her own success.
Ambiga madam engge, Geethanjali G engge?
Public appearance
Ambiga Sreenevasan is a public figure and an iconoclast who mingles with the public as a unit of public instead of maintaining some kind of superstar status. She banters with ordinary folks, and poses for selfies and photos with them. She is disarming, remotely pretentious and has no airs. On the contrary, Geethanjali G maintains a superstar and untouchable status somewhat like Rosmah. Geethanjali G is the epitome of the phrase ‘orang kaya baru’- flaunting her new found riches. She goes almost everywhere in a Bentley, in the security of her bodyguard. Geethanjali G plays golf, she’s pictured in a helicopter dressed in a power suit, rubs shoulders with real royalty, Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan, fashion icon Jimmy Choo and is on selfies basis with Umno royalty. And she is referred to as the Iron Lady by her supporters and that she’s an unrivaled young public icon in Malaysia. Appo, Khairy Jamaluddin, Nurul Izzah, Nicol David, Lee Chong Wei lam thakkali thokka? But Geethanjali G doesn’t have a Wikipedia page as due credit. So much for one of the most powerful women in Malaysia. Heck, even sex blogger Alvin Tan has a Wikipedia page. Due to that kind of needless self proclaiming show off is the second reason why many Malaysian Indians dislike Geethanjali G. The first reason is because she bootlicks the thoroughly corrupt and self serving Najib. There are Malaysians whose next meal not being on their hands and Geethanjali G calls herself a social activist while acting like a socialite.
Public reception
Ambiga has deferential respect, not only in Malaysia but worldwide. She has received recognition as one of the bravest women in the world on par with Taslima Nasrin and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Ambiga Sreenevasan is a member of the reputed Gray’s Inn. Ambiga is admired and respected and she is slightly feared by those who aren’t happy with her. Geethanjali G is an entertainer turned politician. Her blustering and lavish ways earned her the ire of many. That ire culminated in memes made about Geethanjali G. The whole social media is either laughing at Geethanjali G, making a mockery of her or pachai pachaiyai thupperan her. Many hold her as the Indian version of Rosmah.
Public hatred
This meme is circulating in Facebook
When the retired army Malay fellows did the ‘butt dance’ in front of Ambiga Sreenevasan’s house in order to humiliate her, she served them energy drinks and initiated conversation with them. Geethanjali G uses her loyalist minions, a certain Jing Cha mama (Kash Villainz) to indirectly support her and rebuke the public hatred directed at her. On her Facebook page, Geethanjali G blocks anyone who questions her. She has blocked me, since.
Conclusion
Well, it is the keen interest of a good chunk of Malaysian Indians in Indian entertainment be it local or from India is what has culminated in this state. We take what artistes say so seriously, they have started to think they are fit to lead. For many of us, Rajini, Vijay and all the names in between are thalaiva, thalapathy and thala. So, people like Geethanjali G think, “Hey, if they, actors and entertainers are hailed as leaders by a good number of Malaysians Indians, I can be one too and rise up by buttering politicians that are in power even though I don’t have leadership qualities.” Then, we wonder why we don’t have capable leaders when we make all the wrong choices. Then, we bemoan our pathetic state. I won’t blame Geethanjali G at all. She’s smart in a twisted way and an opportunist – she knows what makes most Malaysian Indians tick and is taking full advantage of that. I blame those of you who took what Kash Villainz said about Geethanjali G, defending her, so seriously and demand a public apology. I don’t know why that type of solidarity doesn’t manifest when Tamil schools beg for help. Many Indian were hailed to be heroes because they made videos demanding Kash Villainz to apologize. And, good lord, Indians and their obsession with apologies which are oru paisaku pirojinam ille. It’s as though that apology would make all the problems that plague the Malaysian Indians disappear. After the fellow apologized then everyone who were detracting him suddenly became church father, mannippom marappom. Anthe apology le theeye vekke!! If Najib asks for forgiveness for siphoning millions from 1MDB into his account, these Indians will forgive and vote for him. That’s what happened when GE 13 was around the corner – Najib made a MOU for Hindraf blueprint and droves of Indians trusted the devil that basically denied the existence of Indians for 50 odd years. Najib nalla senjan le? Padan muka.
Either Malaysian Indians grow a backbone, not be so sentimental and learn from the past or continue having people in power araikeraning molega on our heads for good. Also cultivate correct priorities and choose role models other than actors and artiste celebrities if our community ever wants to progress. Dah berbuih mulut aku cakap perkara ni kat setiap artikel aku!
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