I shall not be writing again.
You draw your own conclusions if we do not hear from him.
The text of the letter is reproduced below
_______________________________
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Re : Request for a dialogue
I pray that this letter, too, finds you and your family in good health.
I had written to you earlier, on behalf of some 100 anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia, most of whom are from Penang, to seek a dialogue with you so that you might be appraised of some of their concerns.
Have you had a chance to read the letter?
If you have not seen it, perhaps you want to check with your staff.
Frankly, I was not intending to write to you again, given that many had commented that I was somewhat naïve in hoping that you would take time out to meet with us, let alone read my earlier letter.
However, what I read in the NST online today ( I do not buy any of the mainstream newspapers because I am boycotting them all. Did you know that many of us are now refusing to buy any of the mainstream newspapers because they publish anything but the truth. Did you know that? If you do not, perhaps you want to check with your staff. ) left me feeling that perhaps I should write to you one last time.
NST reports that you said you have big ears, that you hear a lot of things, and your ears burn when you hear them and that it was the government’s duty to listen to problems.
I got excited when I read this.
You are also reported to have said the following:
“Even if they are feelings of uneasiness, feelings of uncertainty, even anger. We have to attend to these problems”.
“There is unity and strength in diversity. This is our strongest asset that will make Malaysia even greater. There is every hope to achieve this vision of a united Malaysia. I am totally committed to this.”
Mr. Prime Minister, you know many will say you are now saying all these nice sounding things because of the recent street rallies, particularly the one by the marginalized and disadvantaged Indians last weekend.
Therefore, now more than ever before, you must be seen to walk your talk!
Do you know that there are marginalized Malaysians of all ethnicities in the country? Do you know that there are Malaysians who still cannot read and write, who do not know wherefrom or when their next meal is coming?
If you do not know this, perhaps you want to check with your staff.
Anyway, you say you are committed to a united Malaysia.
Well, then, it will please you to know that the anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia on whose behalf I wrote you earlier, and I, are very committed to a ‘One People, One Nation’ aspiration.
And we have a workable game plan to make this aspiration a reality.
Do you have a game plan to make your ‘united Malaysia’ a reality?
No?
Well, on this, Mr. Prime Minister, please do not ask your staff.
Meet us in Penang.
Mr. Prime Minister, I shall not write you again in this regard. If I do not hear from you, I shall assume that you do not have the time to see us.
I am, as always, anak Bangsa Malaysia,
Haris Ibrahim
December 2, 2007 at 1:45 pm
It may be lies, blatant lies as The Sunday Star headlines go, but even if in fact it is lies, I cannot imagine that it is a lie or lies that is needed to prompt the Malaysian Prime Minister to respond for the first time. Indeed he even has offered to resign if anyone can prove this lie. But I guess he as well as I know that lies just cannot be proven. And get this, ooh…I am so excited, just trying to type this, he is quoted as fumed “I’m really angry, I rarely get angry, I but this blatant lie cannot be tolerated at all.”
But then again, this takes me to many many years ago when I used to live with rats…you know the big ugly grey kind that run around your kitchen and house? Now to catch that horrid of a pest, we had to bait them. You know the piece of salted fish that you put on the trap? Of course you try all the nice things and tricks that you do to get them off your property and they don’t go? Only then you bait it.
Just like those rats of yesteryears of my life, it would appear that patiance of HINDRAF must also have been tested by this rat as obviously this pest is not known to have responded to all the nice approaches to him and some dose of truth as well. So like the salted fish, if a blatant lie is needed then I guess, Hindraf used it well. Finally we have prove that this rat is not sleeping after all.
He smells the salted fish, finds it to be a trick, and screams high and low about how angry he gets . Why? Because someone finally managed to deceive him out of his hammock snoring away? And now that he is finally out and confronted by that phallic symbol (reporter’s mike) that UMNO leaders are prone to orgasm over so that instead of their brains their backsides do the talking, just see what he says, ” the social problems faced by the Indian community are clear. I have never said no. We support the indians but there are some quarters instigating them and making them feel unhappy with the government”. and ah, yes, he also pledges to look after teh interests and the well-being of the Indian community.
But, hey, Mr Prime minister, did not the Hindraf guys send you some nice letter earlier on? Sure we all did not hear you say no. Neither did we hear you say yes. But we did see you snoring away when you could have been saying either yes or no.
Just because you hear Samy Velu grovel does not mean you are hearing the Indians are you? And it was only as recent as a few weeks ago that a 100 year old temple or shrine was damaged together with their dieties.
Of course you scoundrels come back with the lame excuse of illegal, not their land and so on. But hey, 100 years ago what legallity was there? Was it not part of the employment benefits extended to them that they could build their shrines and temples? did not the land owners or managers knowingly permit the construction of these shrines and temples then so that they would stay and work their estates?
And all of a sudden when these estates are not as rewarding as a development project, you rid these people of their homes, their lives and their hopes manifested in the well used temples despite them having left the immediate vicinity. Hey, something is just so wrong with all this.
Working in estates was not just employment. It had to be and it was a way of life for those brought in to work so that not only them but their generations to follow would continue to provide the labour needed to sustain the estates. Isn’t it unique that as employers only estates tend to provide homes, schools, land for worship and toddy shops for their workers? But whether you liked it or not, that was home. It was secure and one could see themselves living in the comforts of that world into infinity.
But now you got Indonesians and Bangladeshis and Myanmarese to work here without them having to set root. So these Malaysian Indians become expandable and are only useful as voters voting MIC or BN.
Well, Badawi, that Star headline carried a lie. A lie that you would us all believe. But sorry mate. Try that another time on another occassion on somebody else. I just canot see you responding to Haris’ letter because it is just too nice to even cause you to winch in your slumber! Actually it even sounds like a lullaby that will take you into deeper sleep!
Hush a by baby on the tree top……
December 2, 2007 at 4:15 pm
PUT them to Court??
===================
What are the jobs of those Ministers on Top?
What AG reports are a good check of their job!
PM at least has to press for Ministers’ Reports
including some 20 corporations
under Ministry of Finance made no account reports!!!
Give PM and the Ministers
a mandamus injunction to report
so they can prove how well they work!
Otherwise put them on Penal Codes!
and out of Government scroll!
If Court a place to hope?
RM10 each, a fund and a vote
to get crooks broke
the rest to straighten up
violation of Human Rights attacks!
TO PROVE LAW WORKS OR BROKE!!
Hindraf and People Parliament to act??
December 2, 2007 at 4:27 pm
By the way, STOP calling Him Pak Lah!!
It is a Honor that he had never work for it!!
Pak Lah is one who value and will take in good horse with a meaning of recruiting good people to work.
Anyone to be traced?
The first criteria of being a good leader
is to recruit good one to work
with the basic wisdoms of knowing obligations
and others’ rights
and no lies!!
December 2, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Haris, can we make this a petition? I want to join too to add my Name and IC no. in to the letter. If he want use ISA on me because of this letter, I don’t mind as I am very frustrated of him already.
December 2, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Those days when we write to government department the letters usually returned with a nice rubber stamp, i.e. “Gunakan Bahasa Kebangsaan untuk segala..”
Maybe that’s why he didn’t reply. Tak paham atau tak nak paham.
December 2, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Bro Haris,
Another great piece for the undeserving. Not to worry, he will get to read it. In fact, he read all your letters and everybody-elses’ memorandums. But this incompetent and worst PM that Malaysia ever had, does things his own way, ie, DELEGATION. Thats why we hear voices from all corners, no matter how absurd they may be. To Badawi, so long as there is a voice out there, work has been done. His infamous “Don’t work for me, but work with me” means that he doesn’t want you or me to work or decide for him, but to work with his way, or the highway. Well, Badawi, I am now a registered voter, and I have decided to vote against you, and so are 187 of my new voters friends. Hold on to your pants man.
December 2, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Goodluck!! I emailed the entire cabinet a few times and never got any responses. Most of the emails were returned because their inbox was full.
big ears my ass!
December 2, 2007 at 11:26 pm
eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, mouth that do not speak.
he has big ears but unfortunately he is near deaf. he has big eyes, but he is near blind. he has big mouth, and he does talk hell of a lot. indeed, been talking and talking for the past 4 years. expect him to talk and talk for another 4 years unless GOD decides otherwise.
move on, haris. your energy is needed for other more important and pressing issues.
god bless you, haris.
December 3, 2007 at 2:43 am
Uthayakumar accusing the Government of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Indians here is very serious. i try to find it in my heart & soul whether we are capable of this, ABSOLUTELY NOT! It’s is not in our genes, culture or in our blood, we may run amok here & there once in a while but not ethnic cleansing! DEFINiTELY NOT.
December 3, 2007 at 10:48 am
Thanks Haris for writting this letter on behalf of everyone. I know PM said he has big ears, my only worry is whom he listened to and I am very sure it’s not us. Maybe, need to do some wax candling.
December 3, 2007 at 10:55 am
Hi Bros Haris, saffron sunday was a success and I strongly believe we are gaining momentum.Do let others steal our dream of bangsa malaysia at least for the future generation.As we sow the seeds we will also reap the benefit. My family, friends and I will support you and your team what action you take to acheive the Bangsa Malaysia dream. Don’t worry the PM will wake up from his deep sleep and will read all letters.
nanda
Hi Nanda,
It was good to meet you and the family.
We did not have much time to talk at length.
Please do stay in touch. There is much we need to do for the country.
December 3, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Thanks for posting the letter on behalf of ordinary Malaysians. I doubt he will reply. From the finality of your tone I think you do too.
December 3, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Dear Haris,
I emailed you last week regarding the idea of ‘counter public’ . If you are unable to assist, could you please respond ‘No’ so I can redirect my enquiry and purpose?
Many thanks.
Sorry, Wan,
Could you send the e-mail again, please
December 3, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Haris
Sorry to be a bit of a wet blanket. But did not Sunday’s Star headline that Prime Minister Badawi only responds to blatant lies and even then only if he is sufficiently angry?
After all has he ever responded to any nice letters that you or anyone else have sent? Maybe it was Uthayakumar’s intention to test what it is that would prompt the Prime minister to respond. And did he not say it in so many words?
Paul,
Point taken.
Will chnage my letter writing style.
And content.
December 4, 2007 at 6:50 am
Haris,
I have resent the mail. Would really appreciate your response.
thanks.
December 4, 2007 at 10:35 am
Haris,
Just because you get my point does not mean we make unsubstatiated accusations or allegations. But then this prime minister needs to be riled up. Now for the third day running he is responding to the accusation of “ethnic cleansing”. And yet not a word on all the other truths that have been brought to his attention in the nicest way possible.
December 4, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Hahahaha,
Badawi the dirty rat. That was a funny one Paul. I was actually picturing an angry rat jumping and fussing in front of the trap (like those rats from Ratatouille).I had a good laugh. I remember those traps. Once you’ve caught the rat, you pour hot water and kill it. My dad used to do it when i was little. But now i think it’s a cruel thing to do.
Anyway it is not uncommon in Malaysia for those who walk the corridors of power to remain elegantly silent when they are questioned. You and i know that once you’re in position you are above questioning and so you don’t owe anyone an explanation. It’s the “do as i say” law of Malaysia that was started by TDM during his reign and you know what happened to those who questioned him. Abdullah is pushing his luck by trying to do the same.
As for ethnic cleansing, i spoke to some one who told me “what was happening here was organized ethnic cleansing where the Malaysian government was slowly but surely phasing out the Indians in Malaysia by gradually decreasing their opportunities in getting proper jobs,education and also by slowly decreasing the number of places of worship”. Any comments anyone?
cheers
drsaravananr,
My 2 sen.
Avoid the phrase ‘ethnic cleansing’. It already bears a certain connotation which, in my view, does not as yet apply to our Malaysian circumstance.
Stick to ‘marginalisation’, ‘deprivation’, and ‘disadvantaged’ and other such like.
It does not allow the authorities to distract us from addressing the real concerns by going off on a rampage about ‘unjust, malicious, false accusations’ as we see happening now.
Let us draw lessons from the ’secular’ vs ‘Islamic state’ polemics.