Dear Editor,
Malaysia has become a household word in the past few weeks in The Bahamas, due to Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis comparing the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.
PLP officials, such as Perry Christie, Bradley Roberts, Fred Mitchell and V. Alfred Gray, have all condemned Minnis' statement and have called for an apology.
Even The Nassau Guardian took issue with the FNM leader for his analogy. To date, Minnis has dug in his heels by defiantly refusing to issue an apology. As an objective person, I am of the view that Minnis' Malaysia Airlines flight 370 analogy was untimely and inappropriate. It came off as a bit insensitive. I don't believe, however, that he meant to be malicious towards the family members of the over 200 passengers and crew members of the missing airline. What's more, I can hardly see how the unfortunate gaffe warrants him losing his post as FNM leader or even harming his chances of one day becoming prime minister.
I think the PLP and the newspapers have made a mountain out of a molehill. Politicians have made more egregious blunders and have been graciously forgiven by the Bahamian electorate. I don't think the overwhelming majority of Bahamian voters are holding this issue against Minnis.
Again, the comments were inappropriate. But Bahamians are more concerned about domestic issues, such as the increasing number of murders in Nassau, the unprecedented layoffs in the banking sector, the ongoing mortgage crisis, rising unemployment, unrests in the various unions, etc. If the PLP is going to win in 2017, it will have to address the foregoing issues that are affecting thousands of Bahamians. Replaying Minnis' comments in 2017 will not do the party any good. The party will either succeed or fail on its own merits. I think Christie understands this.
Some Bahamians might take offense at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for bringing the FNM leader's remarks to the attention of the Malaysian ambassador in Cuba via a diplomatic note, who otherwise was not aware of what was said in the first place. In all probability, this move might be seen as Mitchell's way of scoring cheap political brownie points. This might be the PLP's way of protecting the nation's image in the international arena. However, I can hardly see how the remarks of an opposition leader would have been given the time of day by the United States, Chinese and Malaysian governments. The PLP may have overreached in this regard.
- Kevin Evans
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