Shall we do a Kervokian on UMNO?

Dr Jack 'Death' Kervokian

Sakmongkol has received a comment from a person who calls himself A.Tabib. Sakmongkol thanks him for a very clinical comment. Using his amateurish Sherlock Holmes’s forensic skills, Sakmongkol deduces monsieur A.Tabib is a medical practitioner.

So while on this doctor thing, Sakmongkol is reminded of another doctor. His name is Dr Jack Kervokian. Sakmongkol is pretty sure many have heard about this name. he is famous or infamous, depending on how one looks at it for euthanasia. In terms more understandable to laymen such as Sakmongkol, it means doctor assisted death.

And Dr Kervokian has assisted in terminating the lives of many people who are in extremely vegetative states. No more harapan to live and people around them suffer looking at the patient suffering to such intolerable extent, that they are prompted to ease the patients passing. Indeed the term euthanasia means ‘good death’. Dr kervokian has himself remarked- there’s no crime in dying.

The term euthanasia comes from the Greek words "eu"-meaning good and "thanatos"-meaning death, which combined means “well-death” or "dying well". Hippocrates mentions euthanasia in the Hippocratic oath, which was written between 400 and 300 B.C. The original Oath states: “To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death. Despite this, the ancient Greeks and Romans generally did not believe that life needed to be preserved at any cost and were, in consequence, tolerant of suicide in cases where no relief could be offered to the dying or, in the case of the Stoics and Epicureans, where a person no longer cared for his life

Why is Sakmongkol talking about euthanasia? Because some people say UMNO is in a vegetative state or relying on life support machine. The patient is UMNO represented by the increasingly discredited and disbelieved leadership. Sakmongkol therefore thinks, maybe people, especially the UMNO leadership need to look at political euthanasia. With an open heart as they say.

So allow Sakmongkol to begin the discussion. Before that, Sakmongkol once again would like to thank A . Tabib, whoever he/she is.

Euthanasia can be classified in several ways. It can be conducted voluntarily with consent or without consent/involuntarily. The recent UMNO MKT meeting on the 18^th of September is in fact, a deliberation on political euthanasia. 4 or 5 people wanted to do a Dr kervokian on the UMNO leadership. In particular Pak Lah. No good. Do it on as many terminal politicians.

Sakmongkol has more or less, predicted what would happen. As they say, hindsight is a 2020. Outside the MKT forum, many people and soon they will joined by many more, will be urging Pak lah to stay on. They will reason that UMNO’s current vegetative state is the work of many, not Pak Lah alone.

And so, Pak Lah, Sakmongkol thinks, will not do a voluntary euthanasia. What next?

The UMNO STOICS and EPICUREANS will need to look at involuntary euthanasia. Involuntary euthanasia is conducted where an individual makes a decision for another person incapable of doing so. The decision can be made based on what the incapacitated individual would have wanted, or it could be made on substituted judgment of what the decision maker would want were he or she in the incapacitated person's place, or finally, the decision could be made by assessing objectively whether euthanasia is the most beneficial course of treatment.

The UMNO 5 who spoke on the need to hasten Pak Lah’s exit can be termed as Proxies. Hence, their prognoses can be called euthanasia by proxy. Now, dear readers, euthanasia by proxy consent is highly controversial, especially because multiple proxies may claim the authority to decide for the patient and may or may not have explicit consent from the patient to make that decision. Are these 5 fellows speaking for/on behalf of the UMNO people. ( why do lawyers have this addiction of using and/or thing?- haha).

So, Sakmongkol thinks the only way is to do an euthanasia by means.

Euthanasia may be conducted passively, non-aggressively, and aggressively. Passive euthanasia is the most accepted form, and it is a common practice in most hospitals. Non-aggressive euthanasia entails the withdrawing of life support and is more controversial. Aggressive euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means.

UMNO has the choice to withhold support for Pak Lah such as denying him the required nominations. Or they can send deputations to him persuading him to exit graciously. Sakmongkol thinks, the majority of the MKT are too beholden to Pak Lah to do this. They would rather continue to provide Pak Lah, at least in public, the usual political antibiotics, pain relievers and mild surgery.

Hence the public but after the MKT meeting voices of support for Pak Lah to stand and fight. Then there is the little surgery of giving the other half of the UMNO wrecking crew, the finance ministry. But everyone knows, these actions are but the application of political morphine nullifying good senses. But they also know, in the end these result in death. This is called the principle of double effect( betul ka, doctors?)

Passive euthanasia is the most accepted form, and it is a common practice in most hospitals. Non-aggressive euthanasia entails the withdrawing of life support and is more controversial. Perhaps the UMNO General Assembly in December 2008, is the best forum to administer passive euthanasia.

Then there is the Aggressive euthanasia which entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means. Anwar Ibrahim’s project of seizing power can be classified as aggressive euthanasia. But then, Anwar Ibrahim is not the only one subscribing to this method. Pak Lah should be aware by now. Death has many faces and masks.