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In search of baldy

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej never ceases to amaze us with the aliases he offers for the potential nemesis mentioned during his weekend show programme - from the "invisible hands" which try to sabotage him, to the "balding jerk" he introduced this week.



Samak didn't actually name names, but he accused "this balding jerk", who apparently works in media circles, of trying to sabotage the elected government.

Such a harsh accusation made quite a few columnists at local papers come out to defend themselves. Some denied that they were the "balding jerk" presented by Samak, while others pointed out that their hairlines were still intact.

Now, let's see what some newspapers said in reaction to Samak's comments  during his May 11 programme.

First of all, a translation of the word to avoid confusion. "Ai Hua Terk" does not mean a completely bald male. But it means a male whose hairline is receding. 

Samran Rodpetch, a columnist of Manager, came out to defend himself that he's not a baldy, even though he conceded that he couldn't help but check if his hairline was visible after Samak's remark.

Then, he listed all the "usual suspects" in media circles based on the position of their hairlines.

Sonthi Limthongkul, the big boss of Manager, may not fit the bill because he has a crew-cut hairstyle. The Nation's Suthichai Yoon is completely bald, so he does not fit in the category.

Then, Samran also listed the potential candidates including a former prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, who recently had a verbal exchange with Samak. But we cannot exactly describe Chuan as "baldy."

Or was Samak thinking about Manchester City's Sven-Goran Eriksson, who recently had a spat with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra? Eriksson's receding hairline can fairly be described as advanced.

Sorry readers: we don't have a clear answer to reveal the identity of the balding one. We're also wondering if this balding person - like the invisible hands - may be another imaginary character existing only in the beautiful mind of Samak.

Thai Post however addressed the issue in a more serious vein. It called for Samak to take responsibility for what he said. "The prime minister cannot deny that if he lets this accusation go unverified, society will have difficulty in trusting and believing what he says in the future."

Thai Post said that the premier repeatedly said the "balding jerk" had conspired to invent malicious plots to create the right atmosphere for a coup to take place. Therefore, the paper said, if it is the case, the PM should take legal action to punish the elusive "balding jerk" to make an example of him.

"The calls for the identity of the "balding jerk" to be revealed will also expose the prime minister's credibility. Earlier, Thai Post said that Samak's comment that two banks were on the edge of collapse had unnecessarily disrupted the financial market.

Now, if the "balding jerk" really exists and Samak fails to take action against him, Samak should be blamed for failing to take action against someone who tried to sabotage his work.


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