Received this in the mail a little while ago. The document is dated 8th January, 2008.
Don’t know who the author is, but I think this article is timely.
It addresses several concerns directed to me by e-mail from readers.
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Most non-Muslims, when you ask them about PAS, probably fear them more than they fear the evil BN. That fear is not entirely misplaced, because of PAS’ previously stated ambitions to make this country into an Islamic state. But I would say, non-Muslims should fear the BN more, especially since BN is no longer an equal coalition, but one that is led by UMNO and UMNO Youth, followed by “dan lain lain”. In a bid to out-Islam the PAS, we have got UMNO politicians releasing statements to try to show the Kelantanese voters that they are also very strong in Islam. In the near term, non-Muslims should certainly fear BN more since BN has all the power, and PAS has limited power.
First, UMNO politicians claim that this country is an Islamic country, just to win some votes.
Then, Badawi introduces Islam Hadhari, which honestly, could probably have just come out from a Pendidikan Moral textbook.
Recently, Najib promises Kelantan that the government will build many many mosques, and will turn Kelantan into an Islamic civilization hub. How that will help Kelantan, he didn’t say. And whatever an Islamic civilization hub really means, I don’t know either.
Right now, it seems like in UMNO’s zealousness to prove their Islamic credentials and win back control of Kelantan, the interests of non-Muslims in this country has been ignored or sidelined. So if it came down to it during the elections, if it’s BN vs. PAS for the parliamentary seat, how would you vote?
Perhaps this letter from Richard Teo, taken from Lim Kit Siang’s blog can open up some eyes.
Yes the tide is turning in Kelantan but certainly not in favour of BN but for PAS. As a Kelantanese I can safely tell Najib the true current political situation in Kelantan. How could Zubaidah Abu Bakar speculate in the 6th Jan.2008 NST that “there are many in Kelantan who want to see a change of government”?
This is farthest from the truth. The Malay psyche in Kelantan is vastly different from the psyche of Malays from the other states. The Malays in Kelantan are astute when it comes to politics. That explains why it is the only Malay state where the opposition party other than UMNO has ruled for a substantial period since Merdeka.
During BN’s tenure, pork sellers in the Chinese market were harrassed daily . They were confined to a small inconspicous space where pork could be sold hidden from public view. There was conditional and restricted time when pork could be sold. When PAS took over the government in 1990, they improved the Chinese market and pork was sold without any restrictions . In short they were not harrassed.
Again, during BN’s tenure, Chinese could not buy houses built on Malay reservation land . Since most of the land come under the purview of Malay reservation, most Kelantanese Chinese could not own a home. But all these changed when PAS came to power.
Under the able DUN of Kota Bharu, Dato Annuar Tan, 30% of houses built on Malay reservation land were allocated for sale to the Kelantan Chinese.
Any doubts where the Chinese loyalty lies can easily be dispelled by visiting the Chinese enclave in Jalan Kebun Sultan. Ask any Chinese business community there and they will brazenly tell you that they will vote for PAS. Yes the Chinese votes in Kelantan are solidly behind PAS.
It is also a fact that the Chinese miniority’s vote in Kelantan are insignificant and confined to only few seats where their votes are crucial for victory or loss. But in a state where a lot of seats are won and lost by a handful of votes this becomes immensely important where in the final analysis the fate of the government could merely depend on the margin of one or two seats.
The Malays in Kelantan were generous in giving Pak Lah a resounding victory in 2004. But this was partly due to PAS over-zealous Islamic reforms which persuaded the Malays to vote for Pak Lah’s Islam Hadhari. Further they were captivated by Pak Lah’s assurance of tackling corruption which was beginning to be rampant in all branches of the government. But alas, Pak Lah was a disappointment. Instead he took it as an opportunity for his relatives and family to plunder the nation’s wealth by giving contracts to his son and son-in law.
There is a saying among the Malays in Kelantan that UMNO can fool the Malays in the other states with their rhetoric of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ but they cannot fool the Malays in Kelantan . They are aware that BN has introduced many programmes and development projects.
According to Datuk Annuar Musa “RM2 billion worth of projects are flowing into the state”. But the local malays will ask you who are the beneficiaries of these projects? Yes, its the UMNO cronies and the UMNO connected politicians who will secure all the major contracts.
Of late, the sprinkling of Indians are also behind PAS not due to Hindraf’s effort but because of the awareness that it was under PAS rule that a prominent land in Jalan Hamzah was approved for the Hindus to build a temple when the same approval was rejected by BN four times before.
Because of centuries of close proximity of Kelantan to Thailand and the close rapport between the Chinese and the Kelantanese Malays, the local Malays are not only intelligent and well-versed in commerce but they are very conversant with local and federal politics. This perhaps explain why UMNO with their brand of politics can never fool the Kelantan Malays.
In the coming general election BN will not only lose in Kelantan it will lose as badly as in 1990. This is not only a fact, it is a promise.
So how? Can BN count on your vote? Or would you take a chance on PAS, to deny BN the chance to ruin this country further?
Klaw
February 18, 2008
I penned the first 6 paragraphs, but the rest of the meat in the article is purely Richard Teo’s via Lim Kit Siang’s blog.
Klaw,
Brilliant and timely piece.
just n free
February 18, 2008
Looks like PAS is the lesser of the 2 evils.
As a Chinese, if I have to choose between PAS and BN, I would give my vote to PAS.
5 years ago, it was different but now BN is going ballistic in religious affairs – fanatical even.
Following the letter of the law and not the spirit of it wreaks havoc at the end of the day.
SV Singam
February 18, 2008
just n free said…
“Following the letter of the law and not the spirit”
Following the letter of what law?
Ask a real expert on the Syariah… I believe what is being done here has nothing to do with Islam!
SV,
I am no expert in Syariah, but I agree with you.
yh
February 18, 2008
just and free. am with you. first time, i will be voting for a candidate from PAS if he/she stands in titiwangsa.
shar101
February 19, 2008
For added reading, there’s another at –
http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
entitled “Kelantan Politics and the Kelantan Chinese”.
Meanwhile, on local TV, the rakyat are constantly ‘bombarded’ with edited video clips of all the rallies that has occurred since last year with one very notable missing event.
That’s right, folks. The KJ-led demo on Condi Rice was NOT shown. I presume it wasn’t important enough for public viewing.
Malaysian Unplug
February 19, 2008
Dear Mr. Haris
On your query, the article you referred was inspired by an earlier article posted by Richard Teo on 7th January at LimKitSiang blog (http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/07/najib-you-are-wrong/) and it came from “Malaysians Say the Darndest Thing” Blog at http://www.darnmalaysia.com/2008/01/08/a-chinese-in-kelantan-speaks-out/.
We had also took the liberty to repost as excerpts (reformated, as we usually do, with additional information and links) , the article by Richard Teo at http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-kelantanese-chinese-and-indians.html. We also felt the article by Richard Teo merits wider readership.
Regards
Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored
temenggong
February 19, 2008
And Pas has the Indians votes too wherever they stand.
This article is excellent and must be translated into chinese, so that it reaches the wider chinese audience.
The Indians and Malays have made their choices. This election now depends on the chinese, on how they swing.
KCCK
February 19, 2008
BN is getting too much already. Just because they are the majority, they think they own this country, which is why no one should question the privileges given to a certain race. It is their people who humiliate the non-Malays in office to show that they are in power. If they were the minority, i’m sure they’d learn to be more humble.
It’s time teach them a lesson
lipan
February 20, 2008
lotsa bull
man
February 20, 2008
Chinese community in Kelantan satisfied with PAS
Harryna
February 21, 2008
BN has gone too far. They have to learn a marvellous lesson. The time has come to quit all these issues. People had already realized the truth. It has nothing to do to what they had promised.. How many times promising, do they really fulfilled them? The time has come to change.
ron
February 23, 2008
I am kelantan chinese too….and I’m totally agree with the passage above!
Sayang Malaysia
June 21, 2013
We should be kind to all the different races in this country but I feel somehow that PAS and Nik Aziz have gone overboard in generosity to the Chinese in Kelantan. I dont understand why he gave so much land to the Chinese. 1000 acres of land was given to a Chinese school while at the same time we hear of Muslim schools in very sad state and the teachers were given below poverty salary. The Chinese population in Kelantan is at most 5% but 30% of Malay reserve land is allocated to the Chinese. In Kelantan the Chinese choose PAS over BN because they will always side the winner. It is a good business sense.