By Helen Ang
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Lingamspeak: “It looks like me and it sounds like me” but it’s really the Phantom of the Opera.
Malaysia Boleh is giving a new twist to Orwell’s Doublespeak in our SiL-FiL double jeopardy act. And it’s beginning to be difficult to distinguish between Senior and Junior who speak alike on illegality and unlawfulness. I reckon we just ought to look out for the big ears to indicate Papa.
On Nov 6, 2007 in the run-up to the Bersih rally, Khairy Jamaluddin said: “This is an illegal gathering by an illegal organisation. The authorities, particularly the police, must apprehend those who organise this gathering.”
The PM’s son-in-law also said Umno Youth could easily muster equal numbers to face-off those of 10-Eleven but this was not the proper way. “That is not the way taught by Hishammuddin.”
KJ further added: “It’s bad enough that they gather and cause inconvenience to the public. If we face them, it would cause a confrontation that can cause chaos.”
On Feb 16, 2008, Bernama reported this: “Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today condemned the action of an unlawful organisation in organising an illegal assembly in Kuala Lumpur today, saying it was an attempt to raise fear in the people and disrupt the general election.”
KJ’s father-in-law said BN leaders rejected all forms of such action [Hindraf protests] which did not bring any benefit, and that BN always did things in ways acceptable to the people.
On Feb 16, Bernama reported Deputy Minister of Higher Education Ong Tee Keat as saying children in Malaysia need to be inculcated with values on international peace and understanding. On this day, the Indians who turned out in peace had not been greeted with understanding, so what does that tell their little ones?
I would hope the Indian children, primed for Roses Day, do not read mainstream media (MSM). For MSM is saying that what their parents in Hindraf have done “is to manipulate their community, disgrace their country, and tell such vile lies that even the most cynical of Malaysians would never believe.” (NST, Feb 17).
I shall leave you to ponder on three op-eds by MSM writers who look Indian or whose name sound Indian but then again, this is Bolehland.
- 1ST HONORABLE MENTION:
In ‘Hindraf bane upon the nation’ (NST, Dec 12, 2007), Chandra Muzaffar writes: “If Hindus are facing annihilation, how does one explain the glaring fact that in the state of Selangor, on a per capita basis, there are more Hindu temples than mosques and surau put together?”
# Is Chandra counting the little shrines under trees and altars lodged in crevices? Obviously he didn’t calculate the temples versus mosques facts on the ground on a per square foot basis.
- 2ND HONORABLE MENTION:
In ‘Led astray by Hindraf leaders’ (NST, Feb 17, 2008), Marc Lourdes writes: “And it is even more abhorrent and abominable if those manipulating the masses are those who have, despite the persecution they claim, received the opportunities that allowed them to become lawyers.”
# Doubtless the Hindraf leaders completed their law studies on Mara and PSD or Petronas scholarships.
- 3RD HONORABLE MENTION:
In ‘Change must come from within ourselves’ (The Star, Nov 26, 2007), Joseph Raj writes: “Some will argue that the [Indian] community, which makes up about 8% of the population, has a decent, even an enviable, share of the economic pie in Malaysia.”
# Is Raj referring to the enviable slices belonging to Ananda Krishnan, G. Gnanalingam and Tony Fernandes (to borrow three names cited by Marc Lourdes) or to the decent pie crumbs of labourers and estate workers?
WHEN DOVES CRY This is what the government sounds like: “The average Indian Malaysian household income in 2004 was RM3,456.”
# If they all received RM3,456 per month, who would support Hindraf?
They look like MSM but they sound like BN. If you’re willing to boycott BN, shouldn’t you do the same with MSM?
The People's Parliament 
kaki ayam
February 18, 2008
Bloody hell…so the Indian next door is earning more than me!!!
As a Chinese, i will not accept this fact. Malaysians Indians are suppose to be poor and uneducated. They are suppose to be gangsters and drink cheap alcohol in the middle of the day…
BN is upsetting the status quo…..BN is doing such a good job uplifting the Indians!…i will vote the opposition this time around, this cannot be happening …..
temenggong
February 18, 2008
Who is talking of annihilation? Hindraf is talking of marginalisation as well as temple demolitions. This is Chandra’s classic deflection. What has numbers got to do with anything. The govt’s duty is just to provide the land when requested, something talked about in the Reid Commission’s findings, a problem that was forseen in 1956, in view of the many unregistered temples on private and public lands then.
As regards the writers Marx Lourdes and Joseph Raj, their names is a giveaway as to their persuasion and agenda.
Haris, watch out for these kinds of writers, who on directives, have infiltrated the media, blogosphere, as well as the NGOs to propagate their persuasions.
Helen, its good you caught it. No doubt about 50% of Indians are middle class and upper, and have done well in the professions and a variety of businesses, inspite of the magnitude of the marginalisation from both sides; the public as well as the private sector.
But this obscures, distorts and MASKS the problem of the other 50% who live in small towns, estates and urban poor in squatters and low cost homes. They are in a vicious economic cycle that they can’t get off, simply due to the racism in the country.
yh
February 18, 2008
another msm boycott day tom on tues. way to go, haris. rigthly put, no nbuy no lies. hit them hardest at the rigth place, which is their pockets.
Umar Rentaka
February 18, 2008
Please write using a better font and darker shade. It’s so difficult to read your blog Sir.
ps.nathan
February 18, 2008
Hey Haris, Do we really have MSM (main stream media) in this country?…What we have is MSL…main stream liars!
marah
February 18, 2008
what a rubbish by MSM
john
February 18, 2008
Gee I didn’t know Indians on average earn more than me.
We need a Chindraf to correct this.
Free Malaysia
February 18, 2008
Our newspapers are good for wrapping nasi lemak.
Raja
February 18, 2008
Granted that there are many Indians who are doctors, lawyers, Engineers etc. But rest assured the majority of these professionals were educated by the blood, sweat and tears of their families who sacrificed everything they had to educate them so that they do not end up like their parents, living in labour lines. They have gone hungry, had scant entertainment and or holidays but never received any handouts like the MB of Selangor said yesterday. So people like Chandra Muzaffar should look deeply into issues before commenting. Also everyone should be weary of politicians quoting statistics. Figures can be presented creatively to support the arguments of the speaker. This is very common with Malaysian politicians.
comeonlah
February 18, 2008
Ayiah….How can the indians be so much better off.Maybe i should vote for the opposition this time round.That will teach the BN not to neglect the other races like the malays and esp the chinese.
cruzeiro
February 18, 2008
Geez!
Hindraf’s grouses are definitely legitimate – but why do we still have to play the same ol’ tune of race & religious politics?
After losing so much, these guys wanna keep playing and dancing the same tune?
Someone wrote in Malaysia Today, that they want a change in the system, but don’t want to change the leaders – what is that supposed to mean, for gottsakes!!!!
…. when will people start fighting for the Marginalized, instead of “marginalized” Malays, Chinese, Indians or Alaskans . Among many Tamils/ Hindus, there is another game Caste politics – will they grow out of it and move on?
When will Malaysians grow up and playing the race game in line with the “social contract”?
sinniah
February 18, 2008
Harris,
These writere and so-called journalist have never seen the poorer side of any society leave alone the Indians. I am a Christian, see how the MSM or Mainstream Liars use the Indian Christians to write about the poor Hindus.
Divide and Rule again at its best….
To these writers, please do what Christ preached..
Helen Ang
February 18, 2008
Raja,
You are right that “the majority of these {Indian] professionals were educated by the blood, sweat and tears of their families”. Or they pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps.
Had the Hindraf leaders indeed “received the opportunities that allowed them to become lawyers” in this country, as alleged by Marc Lourdes in the NST op-ed?
V. GANABATHIRAU, described by Tony Pua
“Gana never manage to have the privilege of completing his education at one go. After finishing Form 5, he had to take up various odd jobs to help support himself and his family.
That however, did not prevent him from investing his earnings and taking up part-time courses to pursue his ambition of becoming an officer of the court. His dream came true in his late twenties when he graduated with a law degree from the University of London external programme.”
P. WAYTHAMOORTHY in Wikipedia citation
Moorthy stated that he was denied entry into a local university despite having all the requirements purely because he was an Indian. This information was supposed to have appeared in the Hindraf site policewatch.com which I cannot access on streamyx.
P. UTHAYAKUMAR, in an interview with Malaysiakini
Q. Is it true you got your law degree in United Kingdom through MIC-owned Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) loan?
A. Certainly not. My mother sold a house in Brown Garden in Penang for RM91,500. MIED gave me a subsidy of 10 percent which is about RM12,000 – it was given to me by MIC (for) which I was thankful. But upon completion of my studies, I paid it back in full.
My note: Would MIED have helped the child of a DAP supporter or a non-MIC member? How can it be characterised that there are fair and open opportunities for all Indian Malaysians in education?
M. MANOHARAN is apparently an economics graduate turned lawyer, so he would have taken up law as a mature student.
I’m making more enquiries but in the meantime, anyone who knows the background of the Hindraf lawyers please enlighten us.
Anarchy
February 18, 2008
Before we all go to the grand idea of boycotting the MSM, like I have been for years, we must first do the following;
1. Find a coffee shop that buys MSM, there, wait for your turn to read and save some money lah
2. if your regular coffee joint does not have MSM, solicit them to buy lah, then you will have a copy of MSM to read.
for Sun Tze in his art of war says : “know your enemy as you know yourself”
Anarchist translation is “know the shits, then you’d know which bull it came from”
deny BN and the bull stops.
Mujeong Dong
February 18, 2008
Hallo kaki ayam,
There are also many chinese who are gangstars, apprently the most dangerous ones, and they are also poor and uneducated ( cannot speak english or malay ) and drink cheap alcohol during the day.Look at some of the liquor shops in your neighbourhood la, tai lo!
The Chinese gangstars are far more dangerous than the Indian ones, because they sell drugs, kidnap, shoot, rob, collect protection money, run gambling and prostitutions and kill on a large scale.Wonder why many of them were arrested under the emergency ordinance.Wonder why are almost all the underground kings are chinese.I am seriously against any racist comment, but this comment is dedicated especially to your racist remarks, kaki ayam.I have many wonderful Chinese friends which I love and this is not meant for any of them or any other Chinese.Pardon me.
Mr Bojangles
February 19, 2008
Poor Mujeong Dong. Found it so hard to pick up kaki ayam’s sarcasm.
Hope he will not be similarly detracted by any saccharine coated promises made by the local BN representative during his pre-election, once-in-a-five year visitation to his constituency.
As for Chandra Muzaffar. He has been known, like the proverbial lallang, to swing unashamedly whichever way the wind blows with his pseudo-intellectual comments.
And, for the rest of us, lets make this an historic GE, one where we could say that we finally wised up, that we’ve seen enough greed, cronyism, and stealing from the people, and decided that politicians should work for us, not we work for them, or they for themselves.
That we want a government that is accountable, transparent, just, and has a total abhorrence for corruption. Otherwise we will become a failed state if we aren’t already one, in the same league as any third world, tin-pot, banana republic.
darshan
February 19, 2008
Marxs and joseph raj,,,
You 2 asses need some soul seaching to do. Hasnt you conscience pricked you as yet.
The world would be a better place, without people like you arse
If truth, integrating, ethics and proff responsibilties..means nothings to you,,,than society’s pest you are..
Paul Warren
February 19, 2008
It is strange how when you see a successful Indian, maybe he or she has a professional qualification, is a lawyer, doctor, accountant or engineer, it must be that it is thanks to the government or MIC in particular that he has made it. What hogwash!
parameswara
February 19, 2008
Dear Haris Abdullah, Helen and readers,
As an update about the background of the so called “Hindraf 5”.
To my knowledge. R Kengadharan the eldest son of a postal worker and housewife, completed his law studies on the meagre proceeds of a single storey house that was hocked to a financial institution to procure a study loan. Having returned from his studies, he not only paid off the loan but educated his siblings through the same house and earning from his law practice.
This is similar occurence in most families – mine included. A only substantial piece of owned property is collateralized to procure loans and the eldest child utilizes the loan first and the rest take their turns after – with the elder child being responsible to the younger siblings education. Two generations have utilised this system having been precluded from the largese of MIC and the pemerintah’s handouts.
au
February 19, 2008
Maybe 5 year old girl with rose has been trained by Al-Queda as bomber. So police must arrest her first before she gets within 200 metres of the PM. Just kidding.There are many M’sian who needs help but unfortunately not getting them.
Who wants to be a gangster if he can cari makan in lawful manner? Ask any UMNO businessman how difficult it is to get a contract without giving kickbacks. Likely the answer is he won’t get it unless he is in the upper league of UMNO. Hence we can imagine how difficult it is for non-UMNO busimessman to get a contract. The HINDRAF problem will go away by itself if everyone (all M’sians) can find a decent meal to feed his family. To BN – pls do just that and it will solve your HINDRAF problem and don’t just help UMNO, MCA and MIC only. Many people are not members of UMNO, MCA and MIC.
VJ
February 20, 2008
4 blatant mistakes by PakLah that provoked Indians :
– failed to respond to any of Hindraf’s petition/memo
(isn’t this part of the so called proper channel?)
– refused to meet up Hindraf leaders for a talk to suppress disputes
– detention of Hindraf5 under ISA without any basis/evidence
– brutal police action to disperse peaceful Nov25 & Feb16 gathering .
Probably PakLah too tired and sleepy to attend these issues …… happy dreams of grabbing 2/3 majority…