“The talks are a good early step to resolving unity problems among the Malays of different political views. If that can lead to unity and stability, I’m sure the Chinese and Indian communities will welcome it because stability will lead to the people being able to improve their lives”- National Unity minister, Shafie Afdal, trying to sell the PAS-UMNO reported dialogues as a re-packaged ‘we Malays’, ‘you others’, BN ‘divide and rule’, UMNO ‘ketuanan Melayu’ agenda, as reported by the Star in its report entitled ‘Shafie : When Malays unite, non-Malays also benefit’.
Star might as well have titled this piece ‘Bila Gajah tak lawan, kancil pun ada peluang hidup’ because that is the purport of the title.
Joe Fernandez, in an article entitled ‘Malay unity a redundant battle cry?’ in Malaysiakini today, posed two questions, the answers to which we all know :
‘Unity for whose benefit? Unity against whom?’
Anak Bangsa Malaysia have finally found the courage to say out loud what so many knew for so long but did not dare to say!
In the name of Malay unity and ketuanan Melayu, UMNO has right royally sodomised the Alis’, the Ahmads’ and the Abus’, hijacking the wealth of this nation for their own chosen few.
Not to be outdone, the leaders of all the other component parties of BN have scrambled to pick for themselves the crumbs that UMNO has tossed to them from the banquet table.
UMNO cannot reform and will continue to delude themselves that the problem is not within their own fold, but on the outside. Khir Toyo’s ‘We must first get rid of the politics of hate, slander and revenge among the Malays…’ reported in Malaysiakini sums up their delusion.
We know better.
For many of us, 8th March was about rejecting race-based politics and trying to free our country from lying, robbing politicians.
For many of you and my friends and I, it was about taking the first steps to reclaiming our country from the likes of the Shafie Afdals and the Khir Toyos that continue to plague this country with their last-ditch attempts at giving new life to their divide and rule.
If we took nothing else from the 8th March tsunami, at least take this to heart.
We, the rakyat, wield tremendous power, when we unite.
Not Malays uniting with Malays, Chinese with the Chinese and so on.
Our strength is when we look the racist, ‘divide and rule’ politician squarely in the eye and say, ‘Tak nak. Saya anak Bangsa Malaysia. Dan saya tetap bersatu dengan anak Bangsa Malaysia’
July 23, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I could not agree with you more.
The 2 questions says it all “Unity for whose benefit? Unity against whom?”
We are all Malaysians and that was envisaged by our Bapa Merdeka. Otherwise, in corporate terms – might as well liquidate the company and forma a new one.
July 23, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Echo, bro – Saya anak Bangsa Malaysia!Dan saya tetap bersatu dengan anak Bangsa Malaysia’ – enuf said!
July 23, 2008 at 10:34 pm
YA!!
SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA!!!
Thanks for saying it so eloquently Haris! I love you for this!
July 23, 2008 at 10:38 pm
PAS delude themselves if they think any muzakarah or muqabalah with UMNO will lead to any meaningful outcome. As professed by UMNOs leader recently, unlike the rest of us, their DNA changes with time.
Their DNA appears more serpent like by the day.
July 23, 2008 at 10:53 pm
We cannot always assure the future of our friends; we have a better chance of assuring our future if we remember who our friends are.
While we should never give up our principles, we must also realize that we cannot maintain our principles unless we survive.
Henry Kissinger
July 23, 2008 at 11:00 pm
we need new blood in the political arena, not the same old stupid morons who pretend knowing everything and tuanan here and there, to rule the country no more, or Malaysia will lag behind even a country like Nepal.
One Malaysia, and only one for malaysians.
July 23, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Haris, I echo your sentiments whole heartedly and I believe many Malaysians feel the way you do. 50 years of divide and rule, of us versus them, of my race, your race – enough, enough, enough!! Khir Toyo and his ilks should be charged with sedition each time he spews his vile racist nonsense. He is after all only 1st generation Malaysian. He has enjoyed the largesse and bounty of this country by tapping into the sick racist mentality of UMNO. He has thus no business talking about Malay unity. 8th March is the beginning of rakyat’s claiming back this country for a future that is skin and race blind. Where we are ALL in it together to make Malaysia a better place. Fellow Malaysians, enough is enough. Let’s send this incorrigble racist UMNO to its grave, once and for all, never to return.
July 23, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Shafie Afdal comes from a small village in Semporna. He is not a Malay but a Bajau. To claim he is a Malay he has to forgo his Bajau culture can he do that?. I am very sure Bajau when they group up they will always talk negative of malay they dislike west malaysian malay
He is only trying to stay in place in UMNO .
July 23, 2008 at 11:54 pm
SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA YANG TAK KENAL RACES! Dah BLIND la…
Just the darn BN haven’t go BLIND With the race…
July 24, 2008 at 1:25 am
I’m with you on that mate. And I’d be with them contestants of Miss Universe if they stop their lame slogan of love and world peace and start promoting Bangsa Manusia instead.
But realistically speaking, apart from agreeing to be one in forums and blogs like this, what is the common denominator that can unite us all? How do we go about achieving this togetherness after all those years of enduring the divide and rule? How do we go about erasing all the suspicions, if any? How do we educate our young when they don’t even mix?
Life was less complex then in the late 70s and early 80s when I grew up. Everybody was comfy with each other, race was just a word in our ICs then. Most of us anyways.
But now? Can we really be comfy with each other? Can we be buddies? Can we respect each other as what we are? And in whose court is the ball now?
If it’s in mine, I would at least try.
July 24, 2008 at 2:00 am
Saya memang anak Malaysia. Way to go, Haris. A lovely piece, and so eloquently written. No anger, just the plain and simple fact that this is how it is, and that we will accept nothing less.
July 24, 2008 at 4:33 am
Thanks for this Haris. It’s good to know that we’re not alone in our thinking.
I wrote something on my blog yesterday that ended like this:
“There can be no national unity if we talk of Malay-unity, or Chinese-unity, or Indian-unity or [race/religion]-unity. Because this nation is not monolithic. It is not made up of one race, one religion, one kind of people. We hail our diversity, we USE our diversity to attract tourists from other countries. We call ourselves “Truly Asia” not without a reason. We are many. We are so many. For us to be one, we have to find common ground. And that ground is that all of us are Malaysians.”
July 24, 2008 at 4:34 am
Dear Haris,
Our Forefathers & the “Malayan Independence” groups also had their Trials & Tribulations…& had to be UNITED in their struggles to achieve “ONE GOAL”…
The Independence of Malaya from the British Colonial administration – Merdeka.
Tunku our Bapa Merdeka together with his first cabinet were established, honest, sincere “Noble” individuals of multi-race & multi religion who had worked & struggled to give Malaya, then Malaysia including all of us “Democracy, Justice & Freedom”…until Tunku was “Betrayed” by the Elite Nationalist Ketetuanan group (maybe some are still alive !)
Sadly, the the Powers-that-be (our OWN kind “Divided us again & Ruled” !) have screwed this great nation, its assets & all of us for almost three decades…
We are now at the crossroads…& YOU have a CHOICE…Do we all want to allow the Powers-that-be continue to destroy this great nation, our nation’s assets including our Children & Grandchildrens’ Future…OR…
We UNITE & FOCUS on the main issue TOGETHER to support our “Defenders of TRUTH, JUSTICE & FREEDOM…
For the BETTERMENT of our great nation, its assets, its Downtrodden rayaat & our Children & Grandchildrens’ Future !
Yes, I have a dream….that soon we will Overcome…to See…!
Malaysia for Malaysians…where EVERY Malaysian citizen can dream about, be given a chance to work hard towards it…to ACHIEVE their “Malaysian Dreams!” Insha Allah.
July 24, 2008 at 6:51 am
“The Ali(s), the Ahmad(s) and the Abu(s)…”
Waaah! Bro, that’s only malays in the ‘A’ index and they haven’t begun with the ‘B’ section yet.
Btw since when did 3 million plus UMNO members with their anointed and perpetually unelected leaders speak on behalf of ALL malays? In fact, a ’sincere’ UMNO member should make a report (police, SD, whatever) to the ROS stating that not having an ‘election’ for the top two posts in UMNO by December ‘08 makes a mockery of GE12.
Meanwhile, if the adage of ‘Strength in Diversity’ is to be believed and encouraged for the good of this nation, the National Unity minister is derelicting the purpose of his ‘national’ duties. But if you consider him vying for a VP post within the UMNO heirachy, then his ‘plea’ becomes apparent.
Malaysia declared independence from colonial rule 50(44?) years ago. When can its people be truly independent in mindset and united in purpose if not now.
Therefore, when Malaysians declare themselves as Bangsa Malaysia, UMNO’s current divisive strategy collapses.
The Tsunami continues.
July 24, 2008 at 7:20 am
Aren’t all of us that are born and bred in Malaysia called Anak and Bangsa Malaysia?
July 24, 2008 at 7:34 am
Hmm, interesting.
So..
Malays should not talk about Malay unity, Indian should not talk about Indian unity, Chinese should not talk about Chinese unity. You are suggesting we should only talk about Malaysian Unity. Haris, you are begining to sound more like UMNO people aighh.. telling people what should and not to be done. I certaintly did not sign up for this after the last general election. It’s like what PAS/PKR is saying about Islam Hadhari. There is nothing wrong with IH, only thing that is wrong as far as i’m concern is how it is being implemented. Is right to condemn about IH, Is is right to condemn about Malay unity,
Haris.. you tell me.
You Said : For many of us, 8th March was about rejecting race-based politics and trying to free our country from lying, robbing politicians.
You are right,(but not at the expense of losing our right) otherwise you will end up, sounding exactly like an UMNO member.
July 24, 2008 at 9:03 am
Well-put, Haris.
It’s sad when we, as a country, are so pre-occupied with race all the time. Even when filling in a simple form, we are asked to state our race and there will usually be only 4 options to choose from: “Malay”, “Chinese”, “Indian”, “Others” (I think labeling people as “Others” is downright insulting, btw). Normally, there will be a column for you to state what religion you are too: “Muslim”, “Christian”, “Buddhist”, “Hindu”, “Others”. I usually leave those columns blank. I mean, what has that got to do with anything? If I am opening a bank account, why would you want to know what religion I am?
Ok, so I went off on a tangent with my rants. But what I want to say is this: We are taught in school to “tolerate” each other. Well, I think toleration, has a negative connotation because it means putting up with something that you don’t approve of.
After so many decades of living together, shouldn’t we be accepting each other instead of merely tolerating each other?
Yes, we are different to a certain extent – different beliefs, different cultural practices, different types of food – but, despite our differences, we all share the same aspirations for this country we call home.
July 24, 2008 at 9:04 am
Haris hit it on the head the problem with this ‘Malay Unity’ talk – it pressume that the problem is just between the Malays. The truth is the last time UMNO & PAS got together, there was a clear external factor – the threat of the non-Malay dominance. This is no longer the case. The dynamics is different. A bigger threat is this invinsible force call globalization and these huge unfamiliar countries like India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia.
The global forces makes Bangsa Malaysia unity much more sensible than Malay unity.
July 24, 2008 at 9:29 am
Haris,
You said it loud and clear for every right thinking Malaysian who wants his nation to grow and prosper in peace and harmony. And if you are repetitive and even dogmatic about it, I fully understand and appreciate where you are coming from. Your ideals and goals are open and transparent, not couched in doublespeak and twisted facts. Anak Bangsa Malaysia for me without apologies as well.
July 24, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hi Haris, it’s me again! I wrote my comment at 2 a.m., mengantuk lah, and I see I left out ‘bangsa’. I think it was a Freudian slip: cos I hate that word!
If you can find the time to squeeze me in, please visit my blog. In my post today, I explain why I think ‘bangsa’ is a four-letter word!
Cheers,
Pat
July 24, 2008 at 9:48 am
PAS did well in the last elections due to the large support given by the ‘rakyat consisting of malays, chinese and indians. They could not have succeeded without our help. To now talk of malay unity behind our back shows lack of decorum and bad faith.
It will serve PAS well to remember that they will have to stick with PR now that they have committed on ‘ketuanan rakyat’ and not otherwise..
July 24, 2008 at 9:53 am
There is nothing wrong in malay unity. It only differs in political inclination, To the umno clowns all malays must vote for umno than only there is malay unity. How absurd if the malays vote for PAS and PKR there is no unity??
Malay is a Malay whether they vote of PAS, PKR or umno they are still malay united.
You cannot blame umno because they have shit in their brains
July 24, 2008 at 10:09 am
Haris, believe it or not most of my malays friend are sick of this issue being brought up by amno; no wonder pakatan got great respond, amno is working like a headless chicken.
July 24, 2008 at 10:25 am
Is it any wonder that NS camps are run BN-style? Only your own race can represent and take care of your interests? First label and divide, and then try to unite? Isn’t it an exercise in futility and frustration? Khir Toyo’s dream realized in the Hell that is NS?: http://sleepyheadsonly.wordpress.com/
July 24, 2008 at 10:40 am
Dear bro,
I will appreciate it very much, if you allow me to leave the comment below. I had written a similar one at DSAI blog yesterday but looks like they have started practicing censorship.
My comment is that my family and I had voted for change by crossing for Pakatan Rakyat partners (PAS and PKR) at my place at last election. So I am very concerned when PKR starts admitting UMNO has-beens into the coalition. As was announced yesterday. I cannot see how these UMNO has-beens are going to enhance the Pakatan. Why are the UMNO has-beens only now moving into Pakatan? I question the motives of these has-beens.
We voted for change and I am now concern.
Thanks bro
July 24, 2008 at 11:35 am
After 50 years, they are still talking about Malays uniting with Malays, Chinese unite with Chinese and Indians with themselves. When will we ever shed this mentality and begin to unselfishly think of uniting all Malaysians as one. When can we begin to regard ourselves as Malaysians ?
And I thought they wanted us to send our children to NS, to so-called unite the races and do away with prejudices. It just doesn’t make any sense at all. If we are to heed their call for Malays to unite with Malays, Chinese to unite with Chinese and Indians to unite with Indians, then we really should have separate NS camps for each individual race. Isn’t it?
All the talk about promoting unity amongst races is merely an outward show, with no real intention to see the races unite. In fact I think it would be a real threat to the ruling government, if the races should truly unite and put away all prejudices. So after 50 years, it’s still each for it’s own. So sad, so very sad for Malaysia, having leaders who do not love the country as much as their own political survival.
July 24, 2008 at 11:43 am
Thanks Bro,
I salute Bangsa Malaysia. Makkal Sakti , Makkal Sakti, Makkal Sakti
July 24, 2008 at 11:45 am
Everywhere I look nowadays I see a lot of malay bashing. Hmm interesting!
July 24, 2008 at 1:08 pm
@warrior2
It’s not Malay bashing. The core of the problem that we face right now is that there are three main schools of thought regarding Malaysia, and the Malays. There are other opinions, but the following are the three main ones, in my humble opinion:
1. The Malays have “special rights” in Tanah Melayu (now Malaysia) as the indigenous race. These special rights include preferential treatment in matters of education, land, political mastership (not mastery) and the agreement of all the other (immigrant) races of the sovereignty and primacy of the Malays; and Islam as the one true religion. For this school of thought, justness and fairness are two separate things. For example, if all races are treated equally in a fair manner, then it is not just for the Malays, who have primacy on this land. This special rights is accorded to the Malays in perpetuity. Forever and ever.
2. The Malays have a “special position” in Malaysia, where they are accorded preferential treatment in areas of education, land, business, and such due to the economic disparity when compared to the other races (though, in this case, it’s really just compared to the Chinese; with the Indians and Dan Lain-lain seemingly marginalised either way, sadly). This special position was made to enable the Malays as the indigenous race to catch up with the rest so that it would hopefully reduce the potential for civil strife and racial tension. It is expected that somewhere down the line, the special position, and with it the “Bumiputera” preferences be deprecated and eventually done away with. For this school of thought, fairness and justness would be very complementary.
3. Malaysia is for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, colour or creed. Therefore, there should be equal access to education, land, politics, business, ekcetera to all races who are Malaysian. Fairness and justness becomes synonymous.
The 2nd school of thought is to pave the way for reaching the 3rd. The 1st school of thought is considered archaic, racist and/or fascist by those holding to the 2nd and 3rd.
The 2nd and 3rd school of thought is considered blasphemous, liberalistic, hedonistic, secularistic by those holding on to the 1st.
Some think that the 3rd school of thought should be now.
YMMV.
July 24, 2008 at 1:29 pm
All I hear from these UMNO fellas is Malay Malay Malay, Melayu Melayu Melayu – and think that the public is stupid to buy into their so-called cordial talks with PAS. Everyone knows that they just want POWER and definitely not to promote Malay/Muslim unity! We see through you UMNO! You are really living in their OWN world!
Has the election results not opened their eyes – that the rakyat is concerned about issues, truth, justice! One thing they’ve learnt since March 8th is to blog. Good for them. One thing though, their blogs wreak of more crap – like KTs – ergh! And what is this Shafie fella talking about.
Each time I read the Star or watch the news, it makes my blood boil and my hair stand on ends! Lies lies lies, denials and rot-talking.
And, it feels so rotten that you just have to watch them talk – and there’s nothing you can do about it.
MCA/MIC are just puppets.
UMNO – out!
July 24, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Hi warrior!
Contrary to you, eveywhere I look I see a lot of UMNO – & NOT malay – bashing!
UMNO is NOT the be-it-all or the end-it-all of the Malays.
Ditto to MIC, MCA, PAS (& even DAP) for uniting their parties by race &/or religion
Parties drawn on such lines propagate their ideologies on Win-Lose situations.
A Progressive Nation can ONLY be built on Trust and Respect that ALL Citizens get the same deal.
I don’t like the word Tolerance either
Respectful yes
Mindful yes
Non-judgemental yes
UMNO divides us
MIC divides us
MCA divides us
PAS divides us
We should move on now that we are 50 years into independence.
July 24, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Well said Haris,
Regarding Toyol’s ‘ I have a dream ‘…. I would like to tell him most anak bangsa Malaysia have a dream too ie we hope he will return all the official documents that he smuggled out of state offices post GE !
And while he is at it …”Dear Toyol we dream that you return all the rakyat’s money that you have looted !”
July 24, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Hi Haris
Relax,no need to get so worked up over such old and expired racist remarks.If UMNO is still so defiant in calling for Malay unity in its dying breath,let it.UMNO is like an old man who is dying slowly and painfully from cancer that is spreading to all parts of it’s body.
The result from the March 8th tsunami shows that unity among various races at the ballot box is the winning formula to kick out the devils.So let us just stay united and continue with this formula to take back our beloved country from the clutches of the evil BN and buried them for good.
Do not be despair,Haris,your call for us to be united as anak anak bangsa Malaysia remained firm in our hearts and minds,more so now than ever.We will not fall apart over an old trick!
May God bless Malaysia and anak anak bangsa Malaysia!!
July 24, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I an an indian, Im proud to be one, I voted for PAS but today i read that they dont value my Vote.
Whats happening now ? AAB bought into pas, AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh What a ****** up feeling i have !
I think that they can talk, but not at the expense of ordinary folks like the thousands who voted for them. Is it a new model of B******K. ? Come next election, i know what to do, My friends whom i convinced to vote PAS ,are ****ing me up.
UNITY between muslims , i can buy it, Cant the idiot hadi see that he is been taken so that BN remains in power. I thought HADI wants BN out.
Whats happening, A DPM POST ?
July 24, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hmm interesting.. to see Dude Cerosky and Warrior2 respectively begin and end their comments with….. hmm interesting.
—————————————————–
Anywayz, I do hope Haris will further enlighten us on his concept of Bangsa Malaysia, perhaps with another posting, after more inputs from TPP readers. Will it be similar to DAP’s Malaysian Malaysia or will it be more holistic without the burden of religiosity?
If there is one unifying factor which binds the diversity amongst us, shouldn’t it be a national language? And if so, why do I find more and more non-malays unable to communicate in Bahasa Malaysia, even in its rudimentary form. Is this the result of a defective national education system or the continued existence of ALL types of vernacular schools which invariably polarises future generations, if not the present.
Last week, at the NPC, I attended an event in honor of a veteran journo cum TV anchorwoman from Indonesia who presented her views on media freedom. She spoke predominantly in Bahasa Indonesia with less emphasis for English except when trying to explain her salient points. It struck me that Indons are always proud to vocalise their thoughts and ideas in their national language which seemingly is not the norm here among ‘liberated’ Malaysians.
Perhaps, we ahould ask ourselves what it is we’re prepared to lose in order to have our rights.
July 24, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I have been writing about this in my blog since a while back. I suppose UMNO is geting desperate. Why is it that they are so predictable? And now after the Ulamaks had this meeting with Nik Aziz, it would seem like he too has been mulled into accepting these muzakarah or muzabala or what ever shit you want to call it? just because they use Arabic terminology to convince themselves, does nto change the fact that they are sodomising the voters.
July 24, 2008 at 5:47 pm
My conclusion is Semua kalah, Semua Rugi in my blog at
http://ongohing.wordpress.com/
July 24, 2008 at 6:46 pm
hi bro
i think is time for more time to engage with the PAS leaders to ask them what the hell do they want?
if they want to islamise and screw the voters, they should say it out loud before election and we will vote them out. this is not a right thing for PAS to do so , shouting and championing about islam and malay unity. have they forgotten there are many non-malays/muslim who have voted them so that they can discard race based and extremism politics?
i am of the opinion Hadi Awang and the deputy are very suspicious. maybe they are more interested in power and rule and money more than they take care of the citizens.
i am very sick of some PAS leaders who are snaky …
July 24, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Hi Haris,
Totally agree with shar101, so we have bred 2 generations of No-speaka Enggerlis, pasar Malayu, Chinapek with no dialect etc. Monolingual cretins!
Everything is wrong in the so-called Educational System, which is being used as a “divide and rule” device.
This is not education – this is mere literacy of ethnic based communities living in proximity, without any shred of empathy for others.
For a start, in rebirth of a new race called “Bangsa Malaysia” let us re-educate the younger generation.
Let us cast out this rotten system of neoFeudalism before its too late.
All we have now is hope and faith; and we must distinguish the forest from the trees, and sacrifice something to gain all…
Cheers to “all”.
July 24, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Shar101
I attended the wedding of a Chinese Indon here in Malaysia. It was an all Chinese affair. the groom’s father is a friend of mine and he is based here in KL. Bride was Malaysian Chinese. So all Chinese affair with guests from among the grooms relatives from Indon.
When my friend, the father of the groom, finally spoke, it was in English to all of us. Then turning his attention to his relatives and friends from Indon he happily spoke in Indonesian. Not Chinese and not English.
You think that is at all possible in Malaysia ata Chinese or an Indian wedding?
July 24, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I believe the leaders of the opposition coalition should get a firm grip on their members.
Let there be a clear manifesto and vision by these leaders, and let there be no dissenters amongst members, that way members and spokespersons are not out of party line.
Unite Bangsa Malaysia!
July 24, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Why is there a Minister of/for National Unity? Or a minister of/for women? What is the purpose?
Should every minister/department not be about “national unity”? And should all areas of human interaction not be about both men and women and so equally open to both men and women?
Why the need to segregate more often than to integrate?
Once one really understands the concept of abm and interacts in the spirit of abm, one will realise that an abm is also an ABD* and an ABM* and so there will be no need to bother about anything else, such as in what language we speak to each other, or what attire we choose to wear or which religion we profess to follow or……because when we look at each other, we will simply see “ourselves”.
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon
*ABD = Anak Bangsa Dunia
*ABM = Anak Bangsa Manusia
July 24, 2008 at 9:20 pm
hello harris, on a different note i read that pas wants to protest some indonesian dangdut concert in malaysia, well with their unity talks between umno and pas maybe our pm can enlighten the pas clowns on his recent pilgrimage to turkey and what he has learnt of the turkish culture, here is an example, hmm wonder whether the would now want to spout relegeous verse and pantuns to the turks, maybe have a protest?
and to the liberal minded watch and enjoy a rich cultural show from turkey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrccdoATRWs
any takers for kursus sambil belajar from govt bodies/ngos/jabatans/maybe jais, cultural exchange programs, we can bring our roti chanai skills, or how to make so-do-mee rebus with two telur, by chef botak and chef dung de bung.
July 24, 2008 at 9:23 pm
PW,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Can’t rest the case just yet coz there’s a whole lotta ‘national reconciliations’ to be done among ourselves.
However, let me add this..
At my 2nd(!) wedding, the MC (my malay uncle-in-law on me dad’s side) made his salutations partly in chinese including an old baba pantun uttered entirely in its original form (can’t recall which dialect) which impressed my in-laws tremendously. Ya lah, married chinese therefore must be fair to all mah. Couldn’t get approval for single malts though. Hehe!
Yes, some things are indeed possible and if Malaysians truly recognise the quinessentialness of who we are in this world for having the right ingredients to create a progressive cosmopolitan society, we can then re-learn to begin that journey together.
P.S. Re PAS – Go read http://www.malaysiawaves.com/ and get another perspective.
P.P.S. And folks, don’t ask me whether I’m still married. I ain’t telling.
July 24, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Errr.. you too, Menyalak-er. Thank you, I mean.
July 24, 2008 at 10:36 pm
as long as there is umno and bn there is no bangsa Malaysia.
the only time i’m a bangsa Malaysia is when i travelled abroad using a Malaysia passport.
July 24, 2008 at 11:09 pm
BN politicians are famous for 2 things:-
1) Talking about Malay Unity in the name of race and religion to win the crucial support of Malays.
2) Talking about Bangsa Malaysia, Malaysian Unity regardless of race and religion to win the support of non-Malays. For this purpose the PM himself will declare he is the PM for all.
The purpose is to sodomize Malays as well as Non-Malays.
July 24, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Hi Haris,
Read in YB Wee Choo Keong’s blog @ http://weechookeong.wordpress.com/
that Zaid Ibrahim is resigning. Please confirm.
Thanks.
tsuchong,
Just spoke to Zaid.
Says he hasn’t given up.
July 25, 2008 at 12:16 am
All Chinese newspaper day and night talking about Malaysian Cabaret Association.
So boring because nothing is relevant.
July 25, 2008 at 12:21 am
No Courage， No Unity!
July 25, 2008 at 2:36 am
.
Can you find out if he(nasa. isa) was involved and collaborated with unmo in the framing of the “sodomy” accusation against AI?
The sodomy accusation and the talks btw pas and unmo is no coincidence. It was made in such that it was to coincide and that would make it a reasonable reason for pas to withdraw from PKR and join bn.
Pas has better come clear on this as the people who supported them have the right to know.
People should be aware of the “SNAKE” pas has been exhibiting recently unless publicly debunk.
.
July 25, 2008 at 7:05 am
It is not like we do not use BM in our daily lives. I use it everyday, mixing it with English or Chinese at times (if I know how to speak Tamil like my mom, then I will mix it in my daily use too). This is what being Malaysian about – using diversity to communicate our ideas and thoughts.
It is sad that after 50 years of running the government, BN still lack the depth in knowing what the citizens of Malaysia wants and needs. We all want to be equal as Malaysian not third or fourth class citizens.
If they are able to learn anything from reading the papers, they should know that Singapore is gaining more talented and able people with everyone that Malaysia rejects.
July 25, 2008 at 9:51 am
Allow me to ‘plagiarise’ this post I got from Malaysia Today, below. I count myself ‘lucky’ that my mother was born here in Malaysia and has lived all her 80 years here and no where else. My father passed away in 1974, leaving her with 11 of us siblings in debt. Thank God she was chased out of the country because of her skin colour! Thank God she wasn’t born outside Malaysia! Mind you, the government offered us zero sen but discrimination upon discrimination when it came to our education; but that’s alright, because we have learned to become tough. I studied part-time and got my little post-secondary education to start working. Life is hard when you are not Malay here, and we are told that the ‘ketuanan Melayu’ is good for us non-Malays, by non other than the running dogs of MCA.
John Lee, The Malaysian Insider
I was not planning to write about Malay unity this week, but after a little talk I just had with my father, I’ve decided it’s imperative to underscore yet again the very real effect so-called “Malay unity” has on Malaysian society.
Malay unity as it is presently understood is fundamentally undemocratic, and fundamentally a threat to Malaysian unity. The notion that it is not just okay but morally right to prefer one Malaysian over another because of his or her racial identity undermines everything that the concept of a Malaysian stands for; it justifies racism, communalism and separatism.
In the first place, I cannot see why anyone would believe that the Malay community or Malays as individuals stand to gain from uniting behind one political party or one ideology. Malays are not a single-minded, homogeneous lot, any more than the Chinese or Indians are. To ask a Malay to subjugate his own individual beliefs to the tyranny of the Malay majority is ridiculous, and completely undermines the democratic right of individual Malaysians, Malay or not, to freedom of thought and expression.
If a few Malay strongmen believe they can really subjugate their fellow Malays and fellow Malaysians to the yoke of one single ideology, one single belief system, they will have to face the consequences sooner or later. We know what single-party and single-ideology countries turn out like; even the few successes like China are forced to tolerate differing viewpoints, if not differing political parties.
You cannot force a man to believe something he does not have his heart in; there is no reason to think a Malay will stop thinking and stop believing in something simply for the sake of “Malay unity”.
But enough of this focus on the Malays; this is just one side of the delicate equation as far as national unity and social cohesion are concerned. I want to relate something personal, something that affects untold numbers of Malaysian families, including my own. Many Malays often wonder why non-Malays are so reluctant to offer this country their loyalty; hardly any are ever actually serious in their wonderment.
My mother is not a Malaysian. She is a Filipino, although with a partial Chinese heritage. My parents met while they were pursuing their post-graduate studies in Thailand. They tied the knot two decades ago; they have brought into the world and raised four children, all of them Malaysian citizens. Over a decade ago, my parents made the conscious decision to bring their three children back to Malaysia, and have their fourth born there, because they wanted us to know our roots. My mother has lived in this country for 12 years, and spent close to 19 years of her life raising Malaysian citizens; she has learnt the national language, made Malaysian friends, and settled herself here. If this is not the loyalty asked of Malaysian citizens, I don’t know what loyalty you expect from us.
For the past 12 years, my family has made an annual pilgrimage to the Immigration Department, because my mother is not entitled to reside in Malaysia. Every year, my parents swear before a Commissioner of Oaths that they are still legally married, and on this basis, they renew my mother’s “social visit pass” at the Immigration Department. A social visit pass, for the mother of four Malaysian citizens, the daughter-in-law of another two Malaysians, the wife of yet another Malaysian, and friend of many more!
A long, long time ago — so long I cannot remember, but about a decade or so — my mother applied to the Immigration Department for a permanent resident visa. My parents personally put all the necessary paperwork together, and my mother invested a lot of her time — time which could have been spent looking after her four young Malaysian children, or contributing to the Malaysian economy — in learning the Malay language. To this date, the Immigration Department has never even acknowledged receipt of her application.
My parents initially followed up on the application, but were told by the officers to await an official letter from the Department. They waited. And waited. Ten years on, they are still waiting.
Last year, my mother applied for a Canadian tourist visa. The process went without a hitch, until we came to picking up her passport. A Canadian embassy officer appeared and enquired about her “social visit pass”. My mother confirmed that yes, in spite of everything, this wife and mother of Malaysians has yet to be allowed to stay in Malaysia. The officer shrugged his shoulders, as if he were used to seeing this sort of thing, and replied, “Okay, just checking!”
On the drive home, my father reflected on the ludicrousness of it all. If he were to die, if they were to be divorced, my mother would have no right to stay in Malaysia, no right to be the mother of Malaysians. A decade on, my family was still waiting.
Fed up with it all, my father decided that if his wife could not have a home here, he would make sure she and our family could have a home elsewhere. Two years ago, he applied for permanent residency in New Zealand. Today, before any of us have even set foot in New Zealand, the Kiwi government has welcomed us and given us the right to stay and reside in New Zealand for as long as we like, without any preconditions. We have no prior ties to New Zealand, and they welcome us with open arms; my mother has a rich 20-year history with Malaysia, and to this day, her request to stay here has yet to even be acknowledged.
This story is alas far too common; years ago, my father was warned by an acquaintance that his wife had waited in vain for 10 years for her permanent residency to come through. Earlier yesterday, he decided to check with the Immigration Department, just to see if they had ever done anything about my mother’s application.
He got the same brush-off of a reply: “Tunggu suratlah!” As he left the office, he overheard a Mat Salleh woman berating a young officer, in fluent Malay: “My husband is dead already, what should I do now? I have been living in this country longer than you have been alive!” Not far off, an Indonesian construction worker was conspicuously brandishing his approved application for a work permit, entitling him to reside here.
This sort of thing is no bureaucratic accident; this is intentional racism. This is the product of “Malay unity”. What good is this talk of how Pak Lah is selling us out to the Singaporeans by giving them cheap sand, when right under our noses, the government is selling our citizenship birthrights out to any old Indonesian, while denying Malaysians the right to live in peace with their spouses, their families? When you endorse this idea that the end of Malay unity justifies the means, this is the result.
I don’t begrudge legal Indonesian immigrants their right to live and work here; they are doing a job nobody else wants to, and they are often unfairly scapegoated by a Malaysian society not willing to examine its own fractures and divisions. But I have lived for years with the shame of being a citizen whose own country will not even let his mother stay, in spite of everything she has done for her Malaysian family.
It’s easy to mock people like us for saying things like “I will never die for this country”; it’s hard to accept that this country has never given people like us a reason to die for it. When my family migrates to New Zealand, they will not be looking back wistfully; they will be looking forward to a future where my mother is not forever in legal jeopardy, forever at risk of separation from us. The last thing on their minds will be a country obsessed with small-minded “Malay unity”, obsessed with worshipping its keris-waving heroes while ignoring the countless non-Malays who gave their lives in apparent vain for a country which will not recognise the ideal behind their sacrifice.
John Lee is a second-year student of economics at Dartmouth College in the United States. He has been thinking aloud since 2005 at http://www.infernalramblings.com.
July 25, 2008 at 2:03 pm
@ gier
Thanks for the summary. Also, I believe that the ‘Malaysia for Malaysians’ line of thought is what caused Singapore to break away from Malaysia. I think Singapore is doing fine with this… Malaysia is still facing problems with Ketuanan Melayu and everything else that UMNO is championing.
July 25, 2008 at 4:21 pm
May I ask is there an enemy or enemies in Malaysia that Malays must unite against? Is the enemy the non-Malays? Islam is anti-racism. Why do we have a Muslim Prime Minister that speaks and breaths racism??
If I do not celebrate Merdeka this year and the year after and the year after, please do not blame me.
July 27, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Not much to say,
Malaysia for Malaysian.
Any race will change their DNA become Malay- as long they are muslim.This the reality of UMNO rule.
ANAK PENDATANG PUN BOLIH JADI bekas Menteri Besar – BUT …… **** THE SPIDER THIS RACIST KHIR TOYO.
Rajraman.STILL DREAMING IN MY NIGHTMARE TO BE MALAYSIAN PUTERA.
July 28, 2008 at 5:57 am
candleman.
Thats the only favourite words i used when i am very very angry and you censor it.(sometimes i use as a joke also with few friends who knows me well)
Can you please put it back,I only can appeal because PP also have Speaker known as Haris Ibrahim.
rajraman.Not “revert” hiding behind religion to curse people.
September 14, 2008 at 6:12 am
Bangsa Malaysia = Hypocrite
Show nice face in person, write rubbish in the net, say yes to equality, practice inequality in business, employment, education, and everything else, say yes to unity then go separate ways in entertainment, education, language and everything else, say no to NEP, say yes to “Mandarin” only candidate and pay pittance to bumi workers with the same qualification, bangsa Malaysia? My FOOT!!!!
- The Me