Happy Birthday, Malaysia (not Malaya). Sorry, I don't even know how old you are.
Here we are on September 16th (Malaysia time), the promised date. Last night, Anwar declared to a 20,000-strong crowd that he "has the numbers" to take over the government. Exactly how that starts to happen is supposed to be revealed today.
In fact, it MUST be revealed, or Anwar's words will turn into a big lie. That's what BN is counting on. But apparently, they're worried enough that they're trying to pull Kedah Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen over to the dark side. So the tug-of-war has begun.
There are high expectations (or dread, depending on which camp you're in) for today. Both the Star Online and Malaysiakini have a stripped-down version of their websites due to high traffic. I just really hope Anwar and friends don't let us down.
Other developments in the past 24 hours:
- The Inspector General of Police released a statement on the ISA arrests, saying they were necessary to prevent racial and religious tensions from spiraling out of control. The statement was totally unconvincing, and instead of reassuring the public, the warning tone seemed to want to sow seeds of fear in people, reminding us yet again of May 13 and Kampung Medan.
- Two "four-eyed" meetings between Badawi and his deputy, Najib, over the past 3 days. Any wonder why the country is going down the tubes when two very flawed leaders listen to no one but themselves? Where are these people's advisers? Those people on the "fourth floor" infamously have their own agenda and seem more like they menghasut the PM instead of giving him sound advice.
- Zaid Ibrahim, the Law Minister, quit. Badawi rejected his resignation, instead telling him to take a 2-week vacation because he might be "tired". Yup, tired of working for an inept boss. Tired of trying to affect reforms in a system resistant to change.
Anwar said he tried to change the system from within too, and the system made him pay. Now, he's trying to change it from without and has made us big promises he'd better fulfill. Let's wait and see if we have something to celebrate.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Did using the ISA backfire?
Historically, when the Malaysian government feels its hold on power is severely threatened, it reacts desperately; by secretly pitting the races against each other. In 1969, Tun Razak's faction stirred up racial sentiment in order to erode Tuanku Abdul Rahman's power. The result: a bloody racial confrontation and the blackest mark in our nation's history.
In 1987, the Malay-versus-Chinese sentiment was allowed to boil over resulting in 3 newspapers being shut down and 119 people detained under ISA. This was the infamous Operasi Lalang. (See Malaysiakini's insightful article where former detainees were interviewed. As an aside, I wish Anwar Ibrahim would apologize for his role during that time. Not everything he's done in his political lifetime is admirable).
Now in 2008, in the aftermath of the worst election result in Barisan Nasional's history, their grip on power ever-more tenuous, history threatens to repeat itself. They found an unwitting spark in Ahmad Ismail and played the Malay-vs-Chinese, Chinese-vs-Islam, most-hated-anti-govt-blogger-vs-Islam cards. How did Malaysians react this time? By coming together peacefully, regardless of race, to protest the ISA. Here is Anil Netto's heart-warming piece on the gathering in Penang last night.
It appears that using the ISA this time may have backfired on the government. More people from within the administration are openly protesting its use: Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, even Information Minister Shabery Cheek.
Then again, we have people have like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, minister in the Prime Minister's department, who wanted more people arrested and asked people to focus on the advantages of having the ISA (NST Online).
We can't jail people for being dumb, and we can't jail people for being racists. Malay ultra-nationalists, these pro-Ketuanan-Melayu types will probably always exist, just like the white supremacists and the KKK do in the States.
What we can do is make it known loud and clear that Malaysians are done with politicians who play the race and religion cards to cling to power. To the people holding candlelight vigils in protest of the ISA, I am with you in spirit.
In 1987, the Malay-versus-Chinese sentiment was allowed to boil over resulting in 3 newspapers being shut down and 119 people detained under ISA. This was the infamous Operasi Lalang. (See Malaysiakini's insightful article where former detainees were interviewed. As an aside, I wish Anwar Ibrahim would apologize for his role during that time. Not everything he's done in his political lifetime is admirable).
Now in 2008, in the aftermath of the worst election result in Barisan Nasional's history, their grip on power ever-more tenuous, history threatens to repeat itself. They found an unwitting spark in Ahmad Ismail and played the Malay-vs-Chinese, Chinese-vs-Islam, most-hated-anti-govt-blogger-vs-Islam cards. How did Malaysians react this time? By coming together peacefully, regardless of race, to protest the ISA. Here is Anil Netto's heart-warming piece on the gathering in Penang last night.
It appears that using the ISA this time may have backfired on the government. More people from within the administration are openly protesting its use: Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, even Information Minister Shabery Cheek.
Then again, we have people have like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, minister in the Prime Minister's department, who wanted more people arrested and asked people to focus on the advantages of having the ISA (NST Online).
We can't jail people for being dumb, and we can't jail people for being racists. Malay ultra-nationalists, these pro-Ketuanan-Melayu types will probably always exist, just like the white supremacists and the KKK do in the States.
What we can do is make it known loud and clear that Malaysians are done with politicians who play the race and religion cards to cling to power. To the people holding candlelight vigils in protest of the ISA, I am with you in spirit.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
And the Loser of the Day is...
...our Home (Internal Security) Minister, Syed Hamid Albar! (cue canned applause)
He was left to defend the extremely short-sighted moves of detaining the 3 under ISA. From his interviews in theStarOnline and Malaysiakini, it appears that:
1) The police were the ones who decided to arrest the 3. Syed Hamid was merely informed of it. He didn't disagree with it, that's for sure, quote, "The whole thing was started by her (journalist Tan Hoon Cheng)". How are we to believe that the police acted independently when their actions correspond with the biases of the government?
2) ISA was used to detain Tan because they did not think that a journalist would voluntarily go to the police station for questioning. Obviously, the police have trust issues. They don't trust the people, and the people don't trust them. The feeling is mutual.
3) The police's case is weak, perhaps not against Raja Petra, but definitely against Teresa Kok. Special Branch accused her of stirring up racial and religious conflict (again, mind-boggling that Ahmad Ismail is 'exempt' from this), yet the whole masjid issue was not her doing. Khir Toyo is the culprit here, blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
4) Syed Hamid equated Tan's ISA detention with Ahmad Ismail's 3-year suspension, as if one was equal to the other. This is when I have to wonder about goverment mouthpieces. Do they actually believe what they say? Do they practice enough times in front of the mirror to convince themselves first of what they are about to say to the public? Because his logic is just bull.
Referring to point 1), it actually does seem possible that the police acted independently in arresting Tan. If the decision had gone through Badawi, would he nor his advisors not anticipated the fallout? Gerakan and MCA would leave, and Barisan Nasional would be no more. The swiftness of the reversal, or Tan's release, hints that the government quickly tried to stem the damage. Perhaps that's why Tan never made it to Bukit Aman; her police escort got her as far as Ipoh, where she was released at 2:30pm today.
This whole mess is just shameful. Shame on the police, on Syed Hamid, and on Badawi's government.
He was left to defend the extremely short-sighted moves of detaining the 3 under ISA. From his interviews in theStarOnline and Malaysiakini, it appears that:
1) The police were the ones who decided to arrest the 3. Syed Hamid was merely informed of it. He didn't disagree with it, that's for sure, quote, "The whole thing was started by her (journalist Tan Hoon Cheng)". How are we to believe that the police acted independently when their actions correspond with the biases of the government?
2) ISA was used to detain Tan because they did not think that a journalist would voluntarily go to the police station for questioning. Obviously, the police have trust issues. They don't trust the people, and the people don't trust them. The feeling is mutual.
3) The police's case is weak, perhaps not against Raja Petra, but definitely against Teresa Kok. Special Branch accused her of stirring up racial and religious conflict (again, mind-boggling that Ahmad Ismail is 'exempt' from this), yet the whole masjid issue was not her doing. Khir Toyo is the culprit here, blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
4) Syed Hamid equated Tan's ISA detention with Ahmad Ismail's 3-year suspension, as if one was equal to the other. This is when I have to wonder about goverment mouthpieces. Do they actually believe what they say? Do they practice enough times in front of the mirror to convince themselves first of what they are about to say to the public? Because his logic is just bull.
Referring to point 1), it actually does seem possible that the police acted independently in arresting Tan. If the decision had gone through Badawi, would he nor his advisors not anticipated the fallout? Gerakan and MCA would leave, and Barisan Nasional would be no more. The swiftness of the reversal, or Tan's release, hints that the government quickly tried to stem the damage. Perhaps that's why Tan never made it to Bukit Aman; her police escort got her as far as Ipoh, where she was released at 2:30pm today.
This whole mess is just shameful. Shame on the police, on Syed Hamid, and on Badawi's government.
Journalist in ISA for her own safety?
As condemnation poured in and demands for her released continued from the NUJ, MCA and MIC, the government released Sin Chew journalist Tan at 4pm today and offered the dubious excuse that she had been jailed for her own good.
From Malaysiakini:
Speaking from Johor Baru this morning, Syed Hamid justified Tan's detention under the ISA with a rare reason that it was as part of the government's preventive measure ‘to ensure her safety'.
The minister claimed police intelligence have indicated that the journalist's life came under threat after she reported an Umno division leader's allegedly racist remarks.
Why then, did the police have to transfer her from Penang to Bukit Aman? Was she not safe enough in the care of the Penang police? Or was it bureaucracy? It was a "KL case" and therefore had to be processed in KL? Why not just detain her for questioning? Instead of raising the country's ire by charging her under ISA?
Is this a matter of the government realizing its stupidity and letting the journalist go before all these candlelight vigils could take place? Did they get scared when the NUJ said they would use their international connections to highlight this injustice?
As we wait to hear from Tan herself, one can only assume the worst of a government which has lost so much credibility in the eyes of its people.
From Malaysiakini:
Speaking from Johor Baru this morning, Syed Hamid justified Tan's detention under the ISA with a rare reason that it was as part of the government's preventive measure ‘to ensure her safety'.
The minister claimed police intelligence have indicated that the journalist's life came under threat after she reported an Umno division leader's allegedly racist remarks.
Why then, did the police have to transfer her from Penang to Bukit Aman? Was she not safe enough in the care of the Penang police? Or was it bureaucracy? It was a "KL case" and therefore had to be processed in KL? Why not just detain her for questioning? Instead of raising the country's ire by charging her under ISA?
Is this a matter of the government realizing its stupidity and letting the journalist go before all these candlelight vigils could take place? Did they get scared when the NUJ said they would use their international connections to highlight this injustice?
As we wait to hear from Tan herself, one can only assume the worst of a government which has lost so much credibility in the eyes of its people.
Friday, September 12, 2008
RPK, Love Him or Hate Him
Waiting to see who will be arrested under ISA today. Since the show-cause letters were sent to 3 news publications, namely The Sun, Sin Chew Daily and Suara Keadilan, expect the editors of or contributors to these publications to be stripped of their freedom next.
Raja Petra was savvy enough to know this was coming. Some of his articles supposedly belittled Islam, and various Islamic groups had filed complaints against him. Most times I agree with his views, and I admire his outspokenness, his tenacity, and his courage.
But one recent article just rubbed me the wrong way. RPK insinuated that the character flaw in Ahmad Ismail was because of his Mamak, or Indian Muslim origins, making the latter prone to Mad Cow Disease. The satirical piece stunk of racism and the comments that followed were even more gleefully derogatory. My family name is most definitely of Mamak origin, I lived in Penang for 20 years, and think Mamak food is a drop of heaven on earth. I don't see what the hell is wrong about being Mamak - is it just the Malays discriminating on the basis of skin color?
The one that probably turned the average Muslim Malay against him was The Tudung Debate. Comments following the piece and on other blogs show that Malays are still very much against questioning Islamic laws and traditions as they know it. They say, if you're not a learned Islamic scholar, you have no business questioning Islam. Basically, you are to follow blindly what you were taught in kelas agama during primary school. Asking questions erodes one's faith. Any wonder then, why Islamic civilization is at such a low level compared to other peoples of the world? Perhaps Islamic terrorism wouldn't even be a phrase if more Muslims had questioned their extremist ulamas. God gave us each a brain so we can think and ponder the rights and wrongs, truths and consequences, to advance ourselves and our societies. But no, Malays are stubborn like that, choosing to obsess over the same old nitpicky issues. As if there is any society where all women wear tudung that is held in high regard and esteem in the world.
Still, our society needs people like Raja Petra. He makes us reflect on ourselves, makes us think of how we can make our society and our country better. His website encourages debate, and while you'll always have people who degenerate into hate-speech and name-calling, you'll also have those who engage in intelligent debate and others who become more open-minded as a result of healthy discussions.
For the sake of our country, he needs to be free.
Raja Petra was savvy enough to know this was coming. Some of his articles supposedly belittled Islam, and various Islamic groups had filed complaints against him. Most times I agree with his views, and I admire his outspokenness, his tenacity, and his courage.
But one recent article just rubbed me the wrong way. RPK insinuated that the character flaw in Ahmad Ismail was because of his Mamak, or Indian Muslim origins, making the latter prone to Mad Cow Disease. The satirical piece stunk of racism and the comments that followed were even more gleefully derogatory. My family name is most definitely of Mamak origin, I lived in Penang for 20 years, and think Mamak food is a drop of heaven on earth. I don't see what the hell is wrong about being Mamak - is it just the Malays discriminating on the basis of skin color?
The one that probably turned the average Muslim Malay against him was The Tudung Debate. Comments following the piece and on other blogs show that Malays are still very much against questioning Islamic laws and traditions as they know it. They say, if you're not a learned Islamic scholar, you have no business questioning Islam. Basically, you are to follow blindly what you were taught in kelas agama during primary school. Asking questions erodes one's faith. Any wonder then, why Islamic civilization is at such a low level compared to other peoples of the world? Perhaps Islamic terrorism wouldn't even be a phrase if more Muslims had questioned their extremist ulamas. God gave us each a brain so we can think and ponder the rights and wrongs, truths and consequences, to advance ourselves and our societies. But no, Malays are stubborn like that, choosing to obsess over the same old nitpicky issues. As if there is any society where all women wear tudung that is held in high regard and esteem in the world.
Still, our society needs people like Raja Petra. He makes us reflect on ourselves, makes us think of how we can make our society and our country better. His website encourages debate, and while you'll always have people who degenerate into hate-speech and name-calling, you'll also have those who engage in intelligent debate and others who become more open-minded as a result of healthy discussions.
For the sake of our country, he needs to be free.
ISA: The Weapon of the Weak
Friday, Sept 12th
1:10pm : Raja Petra arrested under ISA, less than a day after access to his Malaysia-Today site was restored by the government. They found a more effective way to shut the guy up.
8:40pm : Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who broke the story on Ahmad Ismail, was arrested under ISA. Apparently the government followed Azhar Ibrahim's "advice" to "shoot the journalist", just not literally.
11:20pm : DAP's Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh, assemblywoman for Kinrara, arrested under ISA. This is the lady who won her seat by the biggest margin - 37,000 votes - in the March 8th elections. She's also allegedly wanted the mosques in her area to "tone down" the azan recently, a charge she denies.
Will Ahmad Ismail be next? So the government can say they are being "fair"? Ahmad Ismail is the real cancer, promising to visit UMNO branches nationwide to spread his cause.
I think perhaps Lim Guan Eng should go into hiding. Those 5 PKR reps away in Taiwan are probably the safest for the moment.
So how boneheaded was this latest move by the government? The most "loyal" component in the BN, the MCA, was swift in its condemnation.
From Malaysiakini:
Meanwhile in an immediate reaction, MCA Youth legal bureau Gan Ping Sieu also condemned the use of ISA against Tan.
"The journalist concerned should be called for questioning and not be arrested," he said.
He criticised the government for its double standards, adding that the arrest was a setback for democracy.
He added that the MCA Youth legal bureau was prepared to set up a team of lawyers to provide legal assistance to Tan.
Now, we know the Youth wings of a party are always more outspoken than the "Senior" wings, but what will the Ong brothers and Ong Tee Keat (deputy minister, and contender for the MCA president post) say now? Interestingly, a visit to Ong Tee Keat's website reveals that 90% of the visitors polled say MCA should leave BN (266 for; 30 against). My, my, my.
Can that really be far behind now? Gerakan's leaving. MCA better jump off the sinking ship as well.
There is no better evidence of how weak Badawi's government is when it resorts to the most iron-fisted, unjust tool that it has. I await the disintegration of the once-mighty Barisan Nasional.
1:10pm : Raja Petra arrested under ISA, less than a day after access to his Malaysia-Today site was restored by the government. They found a more effective way to shut the guy up.
8:40pm : Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who broke the story on Ahmad Ismail, was arrested under ISA. Apparently the government followed Azhar Ibrahim's "advice" to "shoot the journalist", just not literally.
11:20pm : DAP's Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh, assemblywoman for Kinrara, arrested under ISA. This is the lady who won her seat by the biggest margin - 37,000 votes - in the March 8th elections. She's also allegedly wanted the mosques in her area to "tone down" the azan recently, a charge she denies.
Will Ahmad Ismail be next? So the government can say they are being "fair"? Ahmad Ismail is the real cancer, promising to visit UMNO branches nationwide to spread his cause.
I think perhaps Lim Guan Eng should go into hiding. Those 5 PKR reps away in Taiwan are probably the safest for the moment.
So how boneheaded was this latest move by the government? The most "loyal" component in the BN, the MCA, was swift in its condemnation.
From Malaysiakini:
Meanwhile in an immediate reaction, MCA Youth legal bureau Gan Ping Sieu also condemned the use of ISA against Tan.
"The journalist concerned should be called for questioning and not be arrested," he said.
He criticised the government for its double standards, adding that the arrest was a setback for democracy.
He added that the MCA Youth legal bureau was prepared to set up a team of lawyers to provide legal assistance to Tan.
Now, we know the Youth wings of a party are always more outspoken than the "Senior" wings, but what will the Ong brothers and Ong Tee Keat (deputy minister, and contender for the MCA president post) say now? Interestingly, a visit to Ong Tee Keat's website reveals that 90% of the visitors polled say MCA should leave BN (266 for; 30 against). My, my, my.
Can that really be far behind now? Gerakan's leaving. MCA better jump off the sinking ship as well.
There is no better evidence of how weak Badawi's government is when it resorts to the most iron-fisted, unjust tool that it has. I await the disintegration of the once-mighty Barisan Nasional.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
And the Punishment for Being a Degenerate Racist is...
So Ahmad Ismail was called up to Putrajaya to explain himself, and thereafter, PM Badawi promised to take "stern action" against the man.
Wanita Gerakan wanted Ahmad Ismail jailed under ISA.
Charging him under the Sedition Act has been bandied about by various groups.
Ultimately, I was persuaded that if I am against the use of neither one on ordinary citizens, then I must be against the use of them on blatant racists as well.
Did Badawi and his UMNO Supreme Council have the answer?
Nope. Yet again, disappoint they did.
They took away Ahmad Ismail's position, barred him from holding any post within UMNO for three years and took away his right to vote for party leaders. Whoop-dee-doo.
If there had been some kind of riot, it would have been his fault. Not the journalists who reported what he'd said, not Dr Koh or any miffed Chinese leader as he'd claimed, but Ahmad Ismail's alone. The responsibility would have been all his, and guess what, he would've been defiant and arrogant to the last.
I suppose what pisses me off about this man is not only is he a blatant racist, but that I was "associated" with him in a previous life. I had the "priviledge" to be around him during all those UMNO activities I participated in during my schooldays. I'm sure I'd had to tunduk salam to him dozens of times. I'm disgusted to think that I actually had to show respect to this man!!!
His type of Ketua UMNO is exactly what made my disdain for the party grow. After SPM, I refused to be a member, even though my family had been living the UMNO life for at least 5 years by that time. What I mean by the UMNO life is spending weekends playing the organ in talent shows, joining in Hari Keluarga races and games at Youth Park, entering essay competitions, and the like. All good community-building stuff. But like I've said in my earlier posts, my father refused to play the money politics game, which meant he could only rise so far up the ranks. That's probably why we're not living in a penthouse on Gurney Drive right now, like some of those other Ketua Bahagians.
So, what punishment is appropriate?
1. Throw him out of the party. UMNO has no b***s to do this. Sad.
2. Take away his Datukship. The title Datuk is supposed to be bestowed on people who deserve respect in our society, not the ones who are unable to restrain themselves and subsequently incite racial tensions.
3. Sentence him to community service... in a Chinese, or at least non-Malay facility. When I was a Ranger (Girl Scout), our troop went to a nursing home where we were supposed to help the residents and staff. I ended up feeding porridge to a bedridden Chinese man who was probably approaching 100. I'm sure they can find a janitorial position for our man. If not, I'd settle for him picking up trash along the highway.
Now what to do about his konco-konco (associates), most infamous of all being this Azhar Ibrahim, Penang UMNO secretary, who advocated "shooting" the journalist? Malaysiakini says that a police report has been filed against him for criminal intimidation, which could land one in jail for 7 years. He, and the fellow caught on tape ripping up Dr Koh's picture should be suspended as well, along with ALL the Ketua Bahagian UMNO Pulau Pinang who came out in support of Ahmad Ismail.
Badawi and Najib say racism is not what UMNO is about, but they do not prove it (well, actually, they CANnot). With Najib's history of kissing the keris, who really believes this guy, anyway? He says and does what's right for the audience of the moment (he never met this Saiful guy before... oh wait, he did). I feel that Malaysians in general, me included, want so hard to believe in Badawi's leadership. Time and again, we hope he will STAND UP AND BE A LEADER. Time and again, we are disappointed.
Wanita Gerakan wanted Ahmad Ismail jailed under ISA.
Charging him under the Sedition Act has been bandied about by various groups.
Ultimately, I was persuaded that if I am against the use of neither one on ordinary citizens, then I must be against the use of them on blatant racists as well.
Did Badawi and his UMNO Supreme Council have the answer?
Nope. Yet again, disappoint they did.
They took away Ahmad Ismail's position, barred him from holding any post within UMNO for three years and took away his right to vote for party leaders. Whoop-dee-doo.
If there had been some kind of riot, it would have been his fault. Not the journalists who reported what he'd said, not Dr Koh or any miffed Chinese leader as he'd claimed, but Ahmad Ismail's alone. The responsibility would have been all his, and guess what, he would've been defiant and arrogant to the last.
I suppose what pisses me off about this man is not only is he a blatant racist, but that I was "associated" with him in a previous life. I had the "priviledge" to be around him during all those UMNO activities I participated in during my schooldays. I'm sure I'd had to tunduk salam to him dozens of times. I'm disgusted to think that I actually had to show respect to this man!!!
His type of Ketua UMNO is exactly what made my disdain for the party grow. After SPM, I refused to be a member, even though my family had been living the UMNO life for at least 5 years by that time. What I mean by the UMNO life is spending weekends playing the organ in talent shows, joining in Hari Keluarga races and games at Youth Park, entering essay competitions, and the like. All good community-building stuff. But like I've said in my earlier posts, my father refused to play the money politics game, which meant he could only rise so far up the ranks. That's probably why we're not living in a penthouse on Gurney Drive right now, like some of those other Ketua Bahagians.
So, what punishment is appropriate?
1. Throw him out of the party. UMNO has no b***s to do this. Sad.
2. Take away his Datukship. The title Datuk is supposed to be bestowed on people who deserve respect in our society, not the ones who are unable to restrain themselves and subsequently incite racial tensions.
3. Sentence him to community service... in a Chinese, or at least non-Malay facility. When I was a Ranger (Girl Scout), our troop went to a nursing home where we were supposed to help the residents and staff. I ended up feeding porridge to a bedridden Chinese man who was probably approaching 100. I'm sure they can find a janitorial position for our man. If not, I'd settle for him picking up trash along the highway.
Now what to do about his konco-konco (associates), most infamous of all being this Azhar Ibrahim, Penang UMNO secretary, who advocated "shooting" the journalist? Malaysiakini says that a police report has been filed against him for criminal intimidation, which could land one in jail for 7 years. He, and the fellow caught on tape ripping up Dr Koh's picture should be suspended as well, along with ALL the Ketua Bahagian UMNO Pulau Pinang who came out in support of Ahmad Ismail.
Badawi and Najib say racism is not what UMNO is about, but they do not prove it (well, actually, they CANnot). With Najib's history of kissing the keris, who really believes this guy, anyway? He says and does what's right for the audience of the moment (he never met this Saiful guy before... oh wait, he did). I feel that Malaysians in general, me included, want so hard to believe in Badawi's leadership. Time and again, we hope he will STAND UP AND BE A LEADER. Time and again, we are disappointed.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Opening a Can of Worms
As if Ahmad Ismail's stance was not disturbing enough, more of his types are crawling out of the woodwork.
From Malaysiakini's report:
Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim has stood by his call for the Sin Chew reporter in question to “be shot” should a May 13-type racial riot breaks out. Contacted today, Azhar reiterated firmly that, “the journalist deserved to be shot if her article causes another May 13".
This kind of racial hostility makes me shudder. It is truly scary. If I were the journalist in question, I'd be hiring a lawyer and filing a police report against Azhar's threatening statements right now. Heck, I'd even consider uprooting my family to an undisclosed location and hiring bodyguards. And while I'm at the police station filing that report, I'd file one for sedition too:
3(e) to promote feelings of ill will or hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia
How do you deal with people like this? Lock them up in jail and throw away the key? Will they be all "rehabilitated" when they see the light of day years later? Everyone has discriminatory tendencies. We assign groups of people certain traits because its easier and more economical for our brains to process vast amounts of information by classification. However, when we attach negative emotions of aggression and hostility towards people based on race, then that is racism. And that is wrong.
What then is the "cure"? One would assume the more you interact with people of different races, the more open-minded you will be. Ahmad Ismail and Azhar live in Chinese-majority Penang island, not in the Malay heartland. Clearly, exposure is not enough to cure small-mindedness.
I don't have the answer but the culprit is easy to see: the government's entrenched affirmative action policies. All these years of protecting the Malays' "special rights" has bred a younger generation that does not know how to effectively get along with other races and an older generation that is paranoid and fearful of societal change.
Wouldn't it be the greatest irony if the affirmative action policy set in place after May 13, 1969 to reduce racial disparity was the root cause of another racial riot 40 years later? Nauzubillah, God forbid.
From Malaysiakini's report:
Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim has stood by his call for the Sin Chew reporter in question to “be shot” should a May 13-type racial riot breaks out. Contacted today, Azhar reiterated firmly that, “the journalist deserved to be shot if her article causes another May 13".
This kind of racial hostility makes me shudder. It is truly scary. If I were the journalist in question, I'd be hiring a lawyer and filing a police report against Azhar's threatening statements right now. Heck, I'd even consider uprooting my family to an undisclosed location and hiring bodyguards. And while I'm at the police station filing that report, I'd file one for sedition too:
3(e) to promote feelings of ill will or hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia
How do you deal with people like this? Lock them up in jail and throw away the key? Will they be all "rehabilitated" when they see the light of day years later? Everyone has discriminatory tendencies. We assign groups of people certain traits because its easier and more economical for our brains to process vast amounts of information by classification. However, when we attach negative emotions of aggression and hostility towards people based on race, then that is racism. And that is wrong.
What then is the "cure"? One would assume the more you interact with people of different races, the more open-minded you will be. Ahmad Ismail and Azhar live in Chinese-majority Penang island, not in the Malay heartland. Clearly, exposure is not enough to cure small-mindedness.
I don't have the answer but the culprit is easy to see: the government's entrenched affirmative action policies. All these years of protecting the Malays' "special rights" has bred a younger generation that does not know how to effectively get along with other races and an older generation that is paranoid and fearful of societal change.
Wouldn't it be the greatest irony if the affirmative action policy set in place after May 13, 1969 to reduce racial disparity was the root cause of another racial riot 40 years later? Nauzubillah, God forbid.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Racist Malays
On August 26th, Anwar Ibrahim won the Permatang Pauh by-election and became the Opposition Leader in Parliament.
During the course of the 3-week campaign, UMNO brought out dirty, disgusting tactics to try to bring Anwar down, but the most effective was the racial card: a vote for Anwar is a vote for the Chinese to take over and abolish Malay rights.
One man has since come under much controversy for what he said during a campaign rally. Ahmad Ismail, head of UMNO's Bukit Bendera division, and a household name during my teen years, said that "the Chinese are squatters living in this country" (Cina kaum "penumpang" di negara ini) -although I have yet to find the exact words he used besides "penumpang." He allegedly said, they should thus not expect to get rights equal to the Malays.
Update Sept 6 3:43pm: The Star has this report on what the Chinese journalists actually heard, quote, "Ahmad said 'Chinese were only immigrants (Orang Cina cuma tumpang di sini) and it was impossible for them to achieve equal rights among races'."
On August 28th, the controversy broke. Chinese DAP leaders demanded Ahmad retract his statement. Our most affable, ineffective Prime Minister Badawi responded that he would "advise" Ahmad not to 'repeat such statements' and that Ahmad had not meant what he'd said. The furore continued and on September 3rd, our scandal-tainted Deputy PM Najib issued an apology on behalf of Ahmad Ismail. All that while, the latter was "unreachable"; no journalist, friend, nor the mighty PM himself could get in touch with him. In the meantime, more Chinese leaders, this time including those from MCA and Gerakan, namely Dr Koh himself, were demanding a retraction from Ahmad. Police reports were filed for his seditious statements.
While the country assumed he was cowering under his bed in fear, Ahmad Ismail finally resurfaced a week later, saying that he had been in Thailand leading a sepak takraw team in a tournament. Can he really be that BLUR as to not know the controversy he had sparked in his own home country, not so many miles away? Does he not speak to his family, who must surely read newspaper headlines or watch the news on TV? This man has been in active politics for some 20 years... surely he is not as disconnected as that from the Malaysian political scene?
So when he finally opens his mouth and makes his first statement to the press, people (and no, I'm not including pro-ketuanan-Melayu folks, obviously) start to hate him even more. His defense is, he was speaking in the context of the Chinese being immigrants in Malaya back in the day, and since that was based in fact, there was no need for him to apologize. To make matters exponentially worse, the whole of UMNO Penang, which is really shit in my book these past months (please excuse the language; fasting begins in an hour... *wink*), comes out in full support of their Malay hero Ahmad Ismail. The sheer arrogance and insensitivity of these people are wholly sickening and depressing.
Do they not see that Malaysia would not be what it is today without the Chinese and the Indians? These claims that they are so proud of: Malaysia's economic growth, tallest twin towers, blah blah, would they have happened if our society had been solely Malay? Perhaps, but FACT is, they didn't. You can't cut out sections of our social fabric without having the entire structure fall apart. We are what we are - an amalgam of Indian, Malay, Chinese, Asli, Kadazan, and many many more. I for one, am bloody proud of my Indian, Malay, Chinese, dan lain-lain heritage.
Sadly, because of people like Ahmad Ismail and the pro-ketuanan-Melayu types, the Malaysian social fabric is not strong. Decades of affirmative action policies have successfully divided our society to the point of being Malay versus non-Malay (if there are Chinese vs Indian tensions, I'm not aware of it). Ketuanan-Melayu Malays are paranoid that their NON-God-given rights will be taken away: no more discounts on housing, easy passes to higher education (of which I was a beneficiary), high-yield savings accounts, and so on. They are afraid that the land that they own will be possessed by the Chinese. To which I say, it's your own stupid fault if you sell off your land and cry about who owns it later.
Many years ago, way before Merdeka, my family owned huge chunks of land in Penang. We were the elite Malays, even had a road named after us. Wealth does not equal wisdom, however, and the sons of the rich were too wrapped up in drinking, gambling, and women to care that money was going down the drain. I was at the wake of one of those foolish men, when he died penniless in a small kampung house. My great-grandfather had lived to be almost 100; I wonder if he'd spent many days rueing the stupidity of his youth.
In present day Penang, the squatter houses in Tanjung Tokong have been a sore point for the Malay community for years. Many were demolished in the 80's to make way for the sake of pembangunan. The government built tall apartment buildings to accommodate the displaced residents, with the pretext that it would be a better way of living. Some of those squatter houses still stand, wooden houses built haphazardly on concrete homes which would be called basements here in the States. Some of my parents' closest friends live here and I know how humble their living spaces are. They have lived on this footprint of land for years, in this relatively prosperous nation named after their race, and they are loathe to give it up for ownership of a small apartment in the sky.
I feel for them. They are some of the most kind-hearted people I've ever met. Generous, even in poverty. I also feel for my parents' maid, a wonderful Indian lady who had lived in a squatter home with her family for decades before it was demolished this past year. She is probably around 60, strong as an ox, works at least 3 different jobs, yet lives in poverty. How can anyone say that they deserve more than her?
Whatever reservations people have about Anwar's PKR, their agenda to put the poor ahead of Malay interests is the absolute right thing to do. Malaysians are at the turning point where more of us are starting to see that race divisions hurt us and stunt our growth. Racists no matter of what stripe have to grow up and break out of their protectionist shell. We are maturing as a society, and it is high time we come together to build a true Bangsa Malaysia.
During the course of the 3-week campaign, UMNO brought out dirty, disgusting tactics to try to bring Anwar down, but the most effective was the racial card: a vote for Anwar is a vote for the Chinese to take over and abolish Malay rights.
One man has since come under much controversy for what he said during a campaign rally. Ahmad Ismail, head of UMNO's Bukit Bendera division, and a household name during my teen years, said that "the Chinese are squatters living in this country" (Cina kaum "penumpang" di negara ini) -although I have yet to find the exact words he used besides "penumpang." He allegedly said, they should thus not expect to get rights equal to the Malays.
Update Sept 6 3:43pm: The Star has this report on what the Chinese journalists actually heard, quote, "Ahmad said 'Chinese were only immigrants (Orang Cina cuma tumpang di sini) and it was impossible for them to achieve equal rights among races'."
On August 28th, the controversy broke. Chinese DAP leaders demanded Ahmad retract his statement. Our most affable, ineffective Prime Minister Badawi responded that he would "advise" Ahmad not to 'repeat such statements' and that Ahmad had not meant what he'd said. The furore continued and on September 3rd, our scandal-tainted Deputy PM Najib issued an apology on behalf of Ahmad Ismail. All that while, the latter was "unreachable"; no journalist, friend, nor the mighty PM himself could get in touch with him. In the meantime, more Chinese leaders, this time including those from MCA and Gerakan, namely Dr Koh himself, were demanding a retraction from Ahmad. Police reports were filed for his seditious statements.
While the country assumed he was cowering under his bed in fear, Ahmad Ismail finally resurfaced a week later, saying that he had been in Thailand leading a sepak takraw team in a tournament. Can he really be that BLUR as to not know the controversy he had sparked in his own home country, not so many miles away? Does he not speak to his family, who must surely read newspaper headlines or watch the news on TV? This man has been in active politics for some 20 years... surely he is not as disconnected as that from the Malaysian political scene?
So when he finally opens his mouth and makes his first statement to the press, people (and no, I'm not including pro-ketuanan-Melayu folks, obviously) start to hate him even more. His defense is, he was speaking in the context of the Chinese being immigrants in Malaya back in the day, and since that was based in fact, there was no need for him to apologize. To make matters exponentially worse, the whole of UMNO Penang, which is really shit in my book these past months (please excuse the language; fasting begins in an hour... *wink*), comes out in full support of their Malay hero Ahmad Ismail. The sheer arrogance and insensitivity of these people are wholly sickening and depressing.
Do they not see that Malaysia would not be what it is today without the Chinese and the Indians? These claims that they are so proud of: Malaysia's economic growth, tallest twin towers, blah blah, would they have happened if our society had been solely Malay? Perhaps, but FACT is, they didn't. You can't cut out sections of our social fabric without having the entire structure fall apart. We are what we are - an amalgam of Indian, Malay, Chinese, Asli, Kadazan, and many many more. I for one, am bloody proud of my Indian, Malay, Chinese, dan lain-lain heritage.
Sadly, because of people like Ahmad Ismail and the pro-ketuanan-Melayu types, the Malaysian social fabric is not strong. Decades of affirmative action policies have successfully divided our society to the point of being Malay versus non-Malay (if there are Chinese vs Indian tensions, I'm not aware of it). Ketuanan-Melayu Malays are paranoid that their NON-God-given rights will be taken away: no more discounts on housing, easy passes to higher education (of which I was a beneficiary), high-yield savings accounts, and so on. They are afraid that the land that they own will be possessed by the Chinese. To which I say, it's your own stupid fault if you sell off your land and cry about who owns it later.
Many years ago, way before Merdeka, my family owned huge chunks of land in Penang. We were the elite Malays, even had a road named after us. Wealth does not equal wisdom, however, and the sons of the rich were too wrapped up in drinking, gambling, and women to care that money was going down the drain. I was at the wake of one of those foolish men, when he died penniless in a small kampung house. My great-grandfather had lived to be almost 100; I wonder if he'd spent many days rueing the stupidity of his youth.
In present day Penang, the squatter houses in Tanjung Tokong have been a sore point for the Malay community for years. Many were demolished in the 80's to make way for the sake of pembangunan. The government built tall apartment buildings to accommodate the displaced residents, with the pretext that it would be a better way of living. Some of those squatter houses still stand, wooden houses built haphazardly on concrete homes which would be called basements here in the States. Some of my parents' closest friends live here and I know how humble their living spaces are. They have lived on this footprint of land for years, in this relatively prosperous nation named after their race, and they are loathe to give it up for ownership of a small apartment in the sky.
I feel for them. They are some of the most kind-hearted people I've ever met. Generous, even in poverty. I also feel for my parents' maid, a wonderful Indian lady who had lived in a squatter home with her family for decades before it was demolished this past year. She is probably around 60, strong as an ox, works at least 3 different jobs, yet lives in poverty. How can anyone say that they deserve more than her?
Whatever reservations people have about Anwar's PKR, their agenda to put the poor ahead of Malay interests is the absolute right thing to do. Malaysians are at the turning point where more of us are starting to see that race divisions hurt us and stunt our growth. Racists no matter of what stripe have to grow up and break out of their protectionist shell. We are maturing as a society, and it is high time we come together to build a true Bangsa Malaysia.
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