We are all at the crossroad now

There are so many reasons to leave but only one to stay.  And that one reason is still strong enough (for now) to keep our hopes and vision alive.

I did believe, after March 8 of the last general election, that we were heading for better times. But of late, I am starting to be fearful of what darkness lies ahead before we could reach the light of dawn. I don't need to repeat what drives my fear here for my fellow Malaysians know what I am talking about.

What is happening to Malaysia? To us, we who know no other home than here, what will happen to us? Why do we, the ones who felt the most despair and sadness at the rot we are seeing can't seem to mount a strong enough defence against the assault that is being waged by the few?

Why can't they, the ones who have continually given their support to a once glorious coalition who brought forth our independence, see that they are now supporting the rot that has set in by remaining blind to the faults of their leaders? Why don't they ever demand better from their so-called leaders?

This is the despair I believe we all feel when we hold that proverbial towel in our hand, conflict in our heart and shouting match in our heads: Shall I throw it in? Now? Hang on a bit? Wait a while more? No, it's hopeless. But .. I can't. Not yet. Not.just.yet.

But we are all standing right in the middle of it now. I hate to have to choose to go where my mind tells me and leave my heart behind the road not taken.

********************

At a crossroads

MD
The Malaysian Insider
May 28, 2011 

MAY 28 — My wife and I met while we were studying overseas. After graduating, I returned to Malaysia while she completed her studies and eventually returned two years later. We started our careers and eventually got married and started our family. It never crossed our minds to settle anywhere else other than Malaysia. In university, I was active in the students’ movement and was determined that when I returned I would make a difference in my country.

That was 20 years ago.

Five years later, my brother decided to migrate. Deep inside I was angry and thought that he was foolish. He was an engineer with two degrees and an MBA, and he was seeking greener pastures? Well, he can leave… but no sir, I will stay and make this place I grew up a better place.


Another 12 years passed, and this time it was my sister’s family who was leaving. What? A family of medical professionals leaving? Even a specialist within their midst who won international awards and accolades for research papers, and they are turning their backs on us here? They earn tonnes more than me and they are worried they cannot afford their children’s education? Why don’t they stay here and together we will change the system and make this a better place? There are already so few of us left here to change the system and THEY ARE LEAVING!!?? Well they can go, but I will stay and soldier on…

Another three years passed; last week my wife downloaded an application form for migration. My hands trembled even as I held the form. Is this finally going to be the path I take? The form states that if I am over 45 I will not qualify! This is my final year!

This is my family’s last call… after this, we will not be welcomed even if we want to go. My heart sank. My wife and I had a heart-to-heart talk. We are middle-class professionals with no big businesses or wealth of any significance to be inherited by our children.

Our next generation will need a strong education foundation to start them off. They are doing well enough in school, not geniuses, but still in the best class and with good prospects for good careers if given a fair chance.
We have heard stories from friends and neighbours of children getting 9As and were asked to do geography when they wanted to be engineers. Were offered history when they wanted to do law. They had to go private. We are resigned to the fact that we will likely have to privately fund our own children’s education.

I looked at my bank account. Have I saved enough to put my children through private education? Not really… maybe partially. Will my children be able to get full A+s to get scholarships? Unlikely. Is my income low enough to be considered poor so that my children will qualify for underprivileged scholarships? I don’t think so. Is my skin “brown” enough for my children to get a “Bumi” quota? Sorry, wrong place.

Today I look into the mirror and I see grey hairs. My vision is beginning to blur. I have to change to a presbyopia specs soon. I switched on the computer and clicked on The Malaysian Insider — I see the face of Ibrahim Ali shouting. I looked out of the window, I see people queuing up in a petrol station nearby. I see Makcik Som selling nasi lemak, just as she has always done for so many years. Twenty years have passed.

I am tired. The prickly durian spirit of yesteryear has been worn down to a smooth watermelon. No longer prickly, no longer pungent. Am I giving up? No! Definitely not. But what about my children? Must they also sacrifice for my cause?

Yes, I have decided to put in my application, to give my children a fair chance. But I will stay, because I have a dream. A 20-year-old dream. I will settle my children overseas and I will return to make that difference that I dreamt of… If I don’t realise that dream at least my children won’t have to dream that same dream for their children. Ibrahim Ali may not like my children, but I do … enough to stop dreaming for a while.

Call me a traitor, pengkhianat, pendatang, pengkhayal or whatever. Maybe I don’t have enough faith in what I am doing. But I will leave for little while and I’ll be back. I am thankful that my great-grandfather came to Malaya for his children. Perhaps my generation will be the last generation here, but I will stay as long as I can.

Recently, I read an article about socialism that gave an analogy of an economics professor and his class. The class insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be too rich or too poor in such a system.

So the professor proposed that they experiment socialism in the class. All grades in their next test would be averaged so that no one would fail and no one would do extremely well.

After the next test, the entire class achieved an average of “B”. The students who studied were a little unhappy while those who did not were elated. By and large everyone accepted the situation because they passed.

As the second test approached, those who had studied previously worked a little less, while those who previously did not study did not see why they should study, afterall they still passed. So by the second test the average results was a “D”. Everyone was unhappy now.

By the third test, the average was an “F”. The scores never increased and everyone started bickering, name-calling and this resulted in animosity towards one another. Classes were disrupted and studies affected.

To their surprise, everyone failed in the next test. The professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that. You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

I believe our country is now at a crossroads. My father’s generation was at point “B” where everyone passed and managed an average score of “B” like in the professor’s class — by and large it was tolerable and everyone accepted the situation.

Today we are probably at an average score “D”. Things are not going that well and our country is not doing as well as it should. We are losing out to our neighbours. A lot of people are unhappy. People are starting to bicker. So where do we move from here? Point “F”?

I still hold on to my 20-year-old dream, so I will stay… but if I turn out to be a daydreamer then at least my children don’t have to live in their father’s daydream.

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/05/29/at-a-crossroads/

Why, indeed, Malaysia?

I read this and I couldn't have said it better myself.  Makes me sad.  Makes me realize why I have less and less to say about the pathetic situation we have all gotten ourselves into here in Malaysia: malays and non-malays alike.

***************

Why, Malaysia?

By Lisa Ng | Loyar Burok

As we bring #WhyMalaysia week to a close, Lisa Ng writes a heartfelt customer complaint letter to our tanah tumpah darah, our beloved Bolehland, Malaysia.

My dear Malaysia, it doesn’t get more melodramatic than this, does it? “This” being about whether to stick with you till “death do us part” or to walk away, even if for a little while, especially if there is evidence of ill-treatment.

You see, for Christians, marriage is an unbreakable covenant between God and the couple. Some people would call it a “contractual promise” of sorts. Others would say that, however we term it, the general principle of faithfulness applies to Man and Motherland. The only difference is, even Christians are not so cruel that they insist we stick with our hurtful spouse (or even parent in some cases) if our wellbeing is at stake.
That is why my Conscience was clear when my family decided to depart from your bosom to—not necessarily greener—but relatively safer pastures. At least for now.

You may label me a traitor. Or you may accuse me of cowardice. Perhaps you may also venture so far as to call me an unfilial daughter. But loyalty is not a blind man. And I believe that loyalty to you isn’t meant to be at the expense of some measure of fairness owed to me and, more importantly, my dignity as a person. People may not be perfect and neither are governments. But there is a limit to what each person can tolerate. For the physically and/or mentally abused spouse, it could be the 100th punch to the face. For the oppressed Iban or Dayak, perhaps the face of a certain man they’ve seen on posters for a long time. But then, I’m no Iban or Dayak or any of the many indigenous tribes who can rightfully be called Bumiputera. I am, however, a true Malaysian. And while I am not entirely fed-up of the way you’re manipulating me, I am in need of some perspective.

I was born here. In Taman Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan, to be precise. I have a valid birth cert, MyKad, Malaysian passport and even if my Bahasa Malaysia is rusty, I was brought up learning and speaking the language and when I meet a Malay, I salam them. I love your nasi lemak, roti canai, durian, cendol, satay and sayur lodeh. I am also a Malaysian because I’ve rolled with the NEP ever since I was old enough to understand its impact on me and not held any grudge against you or my Malay friends. I know how the political parties in Malaysia were formed because I rote learnt it in high school. Outside the Dewan of my school, I memorised the names of Sultans from the time of Parameswara, through the reins of the Mahmud and Iskandar Shahs, to the era of Disco, all the while sucking on those umbrella-shaped kacang merah ice creams sold unhygienically by the roadside.

During those formative years, there was already a lot of talk about different races in school having different passing marks for their SPM exams. The news was that Kelantan and Terengganu students could pass their Advanced Maths with 30% while the mark to meet for the “others” was 40%. I remember being bothered by this rumour but I don’t recall breaking up friendships with my Malay friends over this.

When I studied in Australia, my lecturers thought I was Malay because my skin is quite tanned and I don’t look typically Chinese. The only reason why I clarified that I was Malaysian Chinese was because it helped me explain the multicultural aspect of Malaysia (and prevent them from asking why I have special concessions on homes whereas my fellow Malaysians don’t). I pay taxes to you. I eat the vegetables your farmers plant. I am comfortable excusing myself when my Malay friends are fasting and I know the difference between Ponggal and Thaipusam.

I’ve even learnt a little bit of Jawi, for goodness sake.

So why do I have to prove to you that I am Malaysian, the way I just did? Because as time goes by, it seems that non-Malays need to, more and more, defend their citizenship to you. You, who BORE us. Citizenship is NOT a favour. Your granting me a Malaysian birth certificate and MyKad may require that I abide by the Federal Constitution and the laws of this country; it’s something I believe in and do. But it does not come with a gag that I have to put on robotically when your policies affect me negatively. After all, your “managers” are working for my vote. And if they’re working for my vote, then they are essentially in the service industry—and I’m not only a daughter of your soil but also your client.

So as the saying goes, this client is NOT happy with the current service. I have honoured our contract. You have not. Instead, you have tried to hoodwink me into settling for less benefits with the promise of living a quality life in peace and harmony. But as it stands, you’re not only NOT delivering on quality life; even the peace and harmony aspects are left fraying on the side.

My ringgit is beginning to take the shape of a pisang rastali. My grocery bill looks like I shopped for Louis Vuitton vegetables and Prada pork.

Meanwhile, my mother had her handbag snatched three times in broad daylight in a span of eight months. And you conteng on my Bible while allowing a self-professed scholar to irresponsibly bullhorn his total ignorance of my religion to a wide audience, by associating Santa Claus with it.

In reality, clients get to complain. Then what ensues is a review of the business contract. Here, my vote has a tendency to get rigged. And if I try to protest, I’ll probably be arrested. If I ask why I am being arrested, you’ll probably tell me I have no permit. If I ask for a permit, you’ll likely say I can’t have one because protests are wrong. Meanwhile, as we speak, a large crowd of Malaysians will be dragging a headless cow in protest against an Indian temple being built in their vicinity.

WHY, INDEED, MALAYSIA?

Does it make me less Malaysian to want more respect? More fairness? More security? Or maybe just the opportunity to live comfortably without needing to convert to Islam? Has it occurred to you that “more”, of late, simply means returning a little closer to “equality”?

Does it make me less Malaysian that I’ve chosen to continue building my life in a different country? I don’t think so. We settle wherever we feel gives us the most value for money; nostalgia and sentiments alone are not enough if one has family. This may sound a little too businesslike, but you know, even businesspeople return home once their work is done.

I will always be a Malaysian. Even if I lose all my rights overnight. You can take away my identity cards too but I will still remain nothing but a Malaysian, because identity lives in the Consciousness of our being. It cannot be taken away once it is encrypted into one’s self-awareness.

I did not want to say Goodbye to you, Malaysia. I still don’t. The day we left in the taxi was an emotional one. Because I didn’t just leave behind corruption, crime and crooked policies. I left behind 37 years of friendship, late nights at the office to support the economy, pot-holes and school songs. I left behind countless national day parades, open houses, pasar malams, mamak stalls and yau char kwei dipped in kopi-o. And yes, I left behind all my hopes and dreams for my child to experience all these things. And more.

However, staying on would be akin to accepting that all is fine and nothing needs to change. Or standing up to challenge all that is wrong. Either situation means death to me. Death to the conscience in the first scenario, and death of freedom in the second. And neither is a position I want to take because, above all things, above being Malaysian or Chinese, I am a mother first. And mothers are supposed to put their families before everything else.
——–

Lisa Ng is a human being. She used to be a copywriter in the advertising industry. But now she just writes. For whatever helps us regain the lost art of “giving a toss” towards things that matter to the human race.

*********************

See also:

(1) http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-bibles-stamped-with-home-ministry-seal/ 
(2) http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/stop-oppressing-the-christians-emmanuel-joseph/

Are they listening?

Much has been written, a lot has been said.

And yet, it seems like no one's paying attention.  We'll see if they end up feeling sorry for themselves after the next GE. 

********************

LET'S GET OUT ACT TOGETHER

Americk Sidhu

I have refrained from saying anything for some time now in the hope that matters would resolve themselves sooner rather than later. But this has not happened and I cannot see anything being done in the near future to rectify the situation. So consider this to be a much-needed prompt to PKR in particular and PR in general.

Please remember your successes in March 2008 were precipitated by the support of 50% of the voting population in this country who invested their future in you based on your promises of a better tomorrow for them and their children and their children’s children.

Much work had to be done prior to the last GE to ensure you had a good opportunity of changing things for the better. Many people sacrificed much to ensure you had a fighting chance and with these sacrifices we gave you the mandate to begin the transformation of this nation.

This is not something you should take lightly. It is a once in a lifetime deal not only for yourselves but for the entire diaspora of Malaysian citizenry, a great many of whom have placed a tremendous amount  of trust in you to steer the Malaysian ship in the right direction and to rid the country of the cancerous malfeasance which  has become endemic within the governing regime.

We want a brighter future and that is why we are all relying on you. That is why we supported your struggle and that is why we placed our trust in you. Do not let us down. You owe it to us to do the right thing and to do it now. We cannot afford to wait any longer to see how things develop (or be swept under the carpet in the hope they would be forgotten). That’s not how things are supposed to work in the new Malaysia we are trying to kick start. Reaction to a problem has to be immediate and decisive.
 
I have often enquired into the reason why Pakatan Rakyat had yet to form a Shadow Cabinet. I consider this fundamental and imperative in any opposition coalition worth its salt. It should have been set up from day one.

We should have had a shadow Foreign Minister, a shadow Finance Minister, Defence Minister, etc., to monitor current government policy and to comment when necessary. We could have shown our political maturity by supporting good policy and hitting back at what we considered to be bad policy, but with our well thought out counter proposals.

Being in the opposition does not mean we have to incessantly hammer the government just to make life difficult for them. This is not a pub brawl. We should be able to use our heads a little and display some political sophistication in commenting intelligently on current government policy whether for or against it.
But we are unable to even begin doing this without a platform upon which we can work.

At present what seems to happen is a mass slinging match every time some Government Minister makes a proposal, the purpose of which is to try and gain political mileage without any proper analysis of the merits of that proposal in a mature and appropriate way. Instead, all we get is a rabblerousing crowd of noisy Parliamentarians who are rewarded for their efforts by being ejected from the House not so infrequently. Admittedly there are times when this has been necessary and I concede that point.

When I questioned the lack of a Shadow Cabinet, this is the response I received:

“Well you know lah…it’s not like in Australia where there is funding for all this shadow stuff….here we have to do it all on our own. And besides, how do you expect us to set up a Shadow Cabinet….who will we place in it? If we place one fella, someone else will make noise and there will be internal fights between the parties and all that. So better we just leave it and sort it out once we get into government”.

My answer to this is very simple. How much does it cost to have a shadow Minister? All he has to do is monitor what is being planned on the other side of the fence and make a stand. If there is no funding just make the best of the situation. It is better than doing nothing at all.

Secondly, if you are unable to reach a consensus as to who is supposed to be a Minister in waiting when you are not yet in government, how on earth do you think this will get any easier once you are?

You have to prove to the people that you really are a “Government in Waiting” and that you will be able to hit the ground running once you take over. This is serious stuff and we need to know you are serious about this whole thing.

Which brings me to the recent PKR party elections?

Evidence has been presented that the polls were rigged. I am still waiting for an explanation from somewhere within the hierarchy. None has been forthcoming. If there was no rigging please come out and say so in no uncertain terms. Keeping quiet and hoping the issue will go away on its own is Barisan Nasional behavior. They have the monopoly on sweeping things under the carpet. This is NOT what the opposition is supposed to be about. Remember this transparency thing being bandied about?

Well the situation appears to be a little opaque at the moment. I for one would like to know whether the voting process was really democratic or was engineered to suit the wishes of those in power. I don’t know the answer. I have heard the accusations but I have not heard the rebuttal. What am I supposed to think?

And because of all this, both PKR and PR have lost one of their most loyal sons upon whom much hope had been placed. There was really no reason for this to have happened. Instead, sour grapes and Trojan horses have permeated the battlefield. This, however, is a battle which never should have begun in the first place if things had been done properly. It is a battle no one will win. What a waste. It is not a question of being a sore loser because Zaid wasn’t losing. From my reading of the situation, he was totally unimpressed with the way things were being done, which ran contrary to the basic principles of fair play; a supposed cornerstone of all that you stood for. Can you blame him? It boils down to a question of principles. Nevertheless I live in hope that bridges may be mended.

Accepting criticism is part and parcel of politics. Accept it, take it on board, digest it, assimilate it and then act on it in an appropriate manner. Logical and pragmatic thought processes are imperative if you want to out manoeuver the enemy. Strategic planning is absolutely essential and this can only be achieved if it is devoid of emotion, chicanery and unnecessary rhetorical posturing.

Just remember you have all been elected to do one job and one job only. That is to wrest power from the government and to ensure that you run this country as promised. This is what we have entrusted you with. It is a formidable undertaking but certainly achievable with the right frame of mind and proper policies put into place.

Which brings me to the “Peoples’ Declaration” (see link below) painstakingly prepared a number of years ago by some very eminent personalities which I thought had been the blueprint for the entire opposition structure. Why are we not constantly referred to this very important document to remind us where we are heading and why we are heading there? Why has this document never been ratified by the opposition coalition?

Please read its contents. You will understand why it is so important. It is basically the constitution upon which the entire opposition philosophy is supposed to be based and we don’t ever hear of it. This I find very strange indeed. Shouldn’t it be the blueprint for all opposition policy?

So let’s get our act together. There is no time to waste. I know deep down inside you are good people but you have to manifest this constantly in a format easily understandable by the masses. Consistently sound and basic ideals have to be portrayed in a fashion that leaves no doubt in the minds of the populace that what you preach is what you practice.

Please take all of this on board in the spirit in which it is written. Accept the criticism for the purpose it is intended and that is to ensure the right path is adhered to and that the aims and aspirations of all those who support you are maintained and perpetuated for the common purpose of creating a much better Malaysia.

We deserve this so don’t let us down.

Let's talk about Malaysian sensitivities

Jacqueline Ann Surin from The Nut Graph wrote a succint piece "The parade of 'Muslim sensitivities': Where is it taking us?" and this particular paragraph underlined so much how we, the non-Malays and non-Muslims in Malaysia continuously feel like we are the ones under siege:-

"Public space is no longer everyone’s space. It’s theirs — those Malay Muslims who believe that their imagined sensitivities alone give them the right to deny others access and use of public spaces."

The full piece is as follows:-

********************

"The parade of 'Muslim sensitivities': Where is it taking us?"

AND so Perkasa has made the news again. And this time by its own doing, not because a media bent on sensationalism tried to cultivate the Malay nationalist group in order to increase readership

In the latest of Perkasa moves, its Petaling chairperson, Zainal Abidin Ahmad, lodged a police report against a Protestant church in Shah Alam and its pastor for planning to stage a Christian play during Ramadan. “We want the church and pastor to be investigated for sedition and for insulting the Sultan,” Zainal Abidin told The Malaysian Insider on 17 Aug 2010. Zainal Abidin also accused the church of deliberately attempting to preach Christianity to Muslims in Muslim-majority Shah Alam.

We may be lulled into thinking that the issue at hand is limited to a Malay, and hence Muslim, rights group making wild and curious allegations against non-Muslim, non-Malay Malaysians. If only that were the case. Unfortunately, much more is involved. Indeed, what is really at stake is the control of public space and what it means for all of us.

My space, not anyone else’s

What Perkasa’s actions boil down to in Shah Alam is this. It’s saying that because it’s Ramadan and because Shah Alam is a Muslim-majority suburb, no other faith group is allowed to practise freedom of religion, expression or association. If they do, they can be cited for sedition, insulting the Malay ruler, and the crime of proselytising to Muslims.

I suspect that the citations of sedition etc are just a means of asserting control and power. By making out non-Malay non-Muslims to be criminals of the highest order, it becomes that much easier for lesser-thinking members of the public to believe that non-Muslims deserve to have their constitutional rights denied.

We may dismiss Zainal Abidin, and even Perkasa as a whole, as lunatic. That would be a mistake. Because Zainal Abidin and Perkasa are not the only ones who want complete control of public space, and who use a particular version of Islam to exert that control. Additionally, they are not the only players in town who do this at the expense of the rights and freedoms of other citizens.

Let us remember that before Perkasa started making the headlines, the national censors in 2005 banned the movie Babe because it starred a pig, considered haram in Islam, as the lead character. Following that, anecdotes from parents tell us that in some schools, non-Muslims children are told what they can and cannot pack in their lunch boxes in deference to Muslim sensitivities.

We may dismiss Zainal Abidin, and even Perkasa as a whole, as lunatic. That would be a mistake. Because Zainal Abidin and Perkasa are not the only ones who want complete control of public space, and who use a particular version of Islam to exert that control. Additionally, they are not the only players in town who do this at the expense of the rights and freedoms of other citizens.

Let us remember that before Perkasa started making the headlines, the national censors in 2005 banned the movie Babe because it starred a pig, considered haram in Islam, as the lead character. Following that, anecdotes from parents tell us that in some schools, non-Muslims children are told what they can and cannot pack in their lunch boxes in deference to Muslim sensitivities.

How about pigeons? (© grendelkhan | Flickr)

A Malaysian columnist once also told me that the word “pigmentation” was censored from a documentary he had watched presumably because the first syllable was “pig”. And in 2007, I discovered that Guardian pharmacy did not offer Piglet as part of its Winnie the Pooh gift redemption promotion.

Over in Section 6, Petaling Jaya, the local mosque has no qualms blaring the terawih prayers till late at night at decibels that are inconsiderate to the neighbourhood.

And let us also remember PAS’s own moves to define what can and cannot be done in the public domain. Everytime PAS Youth calls for a concert ban, what it’s effectively doing is telling all those — Muslims and non-Muslims — whose faith would not be threatened by attending a live concert, that they cannot because PAS says so. Similarly, when Selangor PAS tried to ban the sale of beer in Muslim-majority areas in the state, what the party is saying is that the lifestyle of all non-Muslims must be subservient to those of some Muslims.

And so the proscriptions on public spaces don’t just include what a Protestant church is allowed to do during Ramadan. It also affects the food our children are allowed to consume in schools, the drinks non-Muslims can buy in their neighbourhood, the movies and concerts and words we are allowed to watch and hear, the gifts we can redeem at a pharmacy, and the airwaves in our neighbourhood.

What do these events tell us? They tell us that there is a creeping, even if not concerted, effort by state and non-state players, to determine what is publicly kosher and what is not. It doesn’t matter if nothing in Islam actually prohibits non-Muslims from staging a Christian play during Ramadan, drinking alcohol, eating pork and watching a pig character in the movies.

The bottomline? Public space is no longer everyone’s space. It’s theirs — those Malay Muslims who believe that their imagined sensitivities alone give them the right to deny others access and use of public spaces.

The biggie

The biggie of all proscriptions in the current Malaysian context is of course, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s ban of the words “Allah”, “solat”, “Kaabah” and “Baitullah” among non-Muslims.

Even though Muslims don’t own copyright to these Arabic words, the BN government is asserting that these words belong to Muslims, and Muslims alone. Particularly Malaysian Muslims who apparently are prone to being confused should another faith community use the same words.

Can Malaysia ban non-Muslims from using the Arabic language?

The ban on “Allah” and the three other words is no different from what Perkasa is doing in Shah Alam. A publicly-used word, like publicly-shared spaces, only belongs to Muslims. It’s as if these Muslim state and non-state actors are declaring, “Our space, not anyone else’s. Our word, not anyone else’s.”

And because their demands have no historical, cultural or legal legitimacy, they resort to demonising non-Muslims, accusing them of crimes and ill-intentions. And they use the powers of the state to impose and enforce ownership over “our space” and “our word”.

And so the biggie isn’t that our political landscape is littered more and more with irrational demands and wild allegations from certain Malay Muslim quarters. The biggie is that increasingly, there are more and more concerted attempts by these forces, which include the Umno-led federal government, to take over shared public spaces.

What’s the limit?

Guinea pigs eating (© shimown | Flickr)

After the story on Perkasa’s police report was published, someone on Twitter commented that we can next expect police reports to be lodged against non-Muslims for eating during Ramadan. Indeed, I believe that’s not too far-fetched a scenario if we continue to allow those who try to control the public domain for their own narrow vested and bigoted interests, to continue doing what they do.

Already, non-Muslims are constantly being told to defer to the sensitivities of some Muslims. At the rate Muslim “sensitivities” are paraded about, one would think Muslims lived their lives like exposed nipples, ever excitable. When the truth is, we know that Muslims are thinking, rational human beings who belonged to one of the most historically advanced civilisations.

To be certain, there is a need to be respectful of different customs and belief systems. But “Muslim sensitivities” cannot and must not be the measure by which a non-Muslim citizen is denied the right to eat pork, watch a movie or use “Allah”. If we allowed that to happen, we would be a nation where behaving like an exposed nipple trumps constitutional rights to freedom of religion, assembly association and expression.

Jacqueline Ann Surin is thankful her perception of Islam has been shaped by intelligent, rational, kind and fair-minded Muslims who have been rocks in her life.

The Nut Graph needs your support

Between Supremacy and Inferiority

I want to share a very good read from a fellow Malaysian blogger (hope u don't mind my liberty Fazri!) here.

Please take the time to visit his blog. He is truly an Anak Bangsa Malaysia!

Countdown to 31 August 2008

After more than 50 years, what it means to be the "other"

ALAYSIAN now

Different year, same disappointment.

Where's the love?

*sigh*

********************

This blogger will be taking a short break and would like to thank all who continue to drop by.

Barisan Nasional Government a disgrace

A letter published in the NST today should put our Barisan Nasional Government to shame but we all know that this is what happens when agenda Ketuanan is the order of the day.

WHAT MORE CAN I DO TO IMPRESS?
by T.H.L.
Malacca

I SCORED 11 A1s and an A1 for 1119 English. In the Penilaian Menengah Rendah examinations, I was among the top students at national level. I have consistently been the top student throughout primary and secondary school.

For co-curricular activities, I scored 9.65 out of 10 marks. I held various posts in school, including the president of the Student Council, president of the Math and Science Society, secretary of the Tennis Club, and treasurer of the Scout movement. I have also received the Principal's Award.

At the national level, I led the school team to win the National Science Challenge. Besides that, I am also a King Scout. I was also a school debater. I obtained a Gold Certificate in Olympiad Physics and High Distinction for the National Chemistry Quiz.

I applied to do Matriculation, a Public Services Department award and a place at a local university. However, I have been turned down for everything, including a place in Matriculation.

Despite achieving excellent results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations and excelling in co-curricular activities, I did not receive a single offer. What have I done wrong? What more do they want from me?

********************

Over the past few days in casual conversation, I have heard stories that further reinforces the sad state of affairs in our education system.

Case #1 is of a lady lawyer who has a successful private legal practice in Seremban. Her daughter studied in a local premier girls' school and one day the girl was hauled up to the principal's office and given a stern warning for not wearing a tudung nor baju kurung to school.

The lady lawyer went to see the school principal to protest the matter and insisted that it was not part of the Education Ministry's directive that Muslim girls must don the baju kurung and headscarf to school. What shocked her next is the principal telling her to take her girl out of the school if she refused to abide by the principal's rules.

That must have been the last straw for the lady lawyer because not long thereafter, the family packed up their bags and migrated to New Zealand.

Case #2 is of a girl who scored 2A+ and 2A- in her STPM exams and yet unable to get any offers from our public universities to study medicine. Disappointed, she sought the help of a local lawyer who wrote to the former deputy Education Minister about her case but the YB must have been too busy to even bother to reply.

Why are we still lamenting about brain drain in our country?

Despite the privileges and quotas yet some Malays are leaving this country and some who have graduated overseas on PSD scholarships refuse to return home. The non-Malays have long given up hope that all they have to do is study hard and the government will help them to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

These are the makings of the Barisan Nasional government that people have voted into power. Hopefully, the day will come soon when all Malaysians will have a second chance to make this country a better place for all of us, whether you are a Melayu or not. And you should bet our hope lies not in BN.

Can PR state governments do this?

I'm just wondering.

About filling up forms which we do all the time when dealing with government departments. If it doesn't concern the Federal government like applications for MyKad or passports, can the five state governments do away with forms that require the rakyat to fill in their race and religion?

Perhaps that will be a good way to slowly change the mindset of people fixated with putting labels on Malaysians.

The Malay, non-Malay cat & mouse game

I read snippets of the speech by Tengku Faris Petra, the crown prince of Kelantan here and it gave me goosebumps.

Tengku Faris: Non-Malays should not seek equality. Kelantan Crown Prince Tengku Faris Petra said today that Malays had been coerced into giving non-Malays citizenship and the latter should therefore not seek equality or special treatment.

He said this during his keynote speech at a forum titled “Malay unity is the core of national unity” organised by the newly formed Barisan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu in Kuala Lumpur today.

Speaking to a crowd of about 1,000 people, Tengku Faris said the Malay rulers would be an umbrella to foster unity among all Malaysians, based on the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara ... Malaysiakini in full - subscription required

I don't have a subscription to Malaysiakini which is why I have shamelessly C&P the above from Seventh Rangers' blog.

I don't know what sort of "special treatment" that the non-Malays are seeking as alluded by Tengku Faris that got his goat. It appears to me that whatever it is, Tengku Faris felt he had a duty to issue a warning to the Malays.

As to equality, does he mean that the non-Malays, despite being Malaysians, should be classified differently from the Malays in terms of their citizenship? Like, maybe, 2nd class? Or, third class? Or pariahs?

So, we are back to the argument that the non-Malays are "kaum pendatang" and shall remain so for ever and ever? To me, this is a standard "sandiwara Ketuanan Melayu" and Tengku Faris is no different from Hishamuddin. You don't need to wave a keris to threaten the non-Malays. Sometimes, words are more powerful when targeted at the right audience. Especially an audience that make up of a race known to run amok when provoked.

Tengku Faris has played up a sensitive issue that continues to divide Malaysians.

If the non-Malays can never be "equal" Malaysians, and not entitled to any kind of treatment which is deemed "special" by whatever vague definition the Malays choose to interpret, then pray tell, where do the non-Malays stand under the Malaysian sun?

For once, why not be specific about what the Malays want and don't want from the non-Malays? Be honest about it. Perhaps then, we non-Malays can make an informed choice, not just for ourselves, but for our children and their future.

We also want to know - are we Malaysians or are we merely non-Malay Malaysians?

A public disgrace called UMNO

Are we all gonna sit back and allow those UMNO sore losers to cause chaos in our country?

They are making a spectacle of themselves. The internal bickering and calls for their own president to step down as Prime Minister - what a shamble!! All those public demonstrations in Penang, Selangor, Perak and Terengganu - what does it say about UMNO?

And now, they are even making a mockery of the Rukunegara. Di manakah kesetiaan mereka kepada Raja dan Negara?

And to MCA, MIC, Gerakan and all the other component parties in Sabah & Sarawak, is this the kind of leadership you guys kow-tow to?

You people are just content to watch from the sidelines while UMNO goes on a rampage.

Shame on you if peace and stability in this country is destroyed because no one dares to stop all this nonsense!

Jom Ubah - Dari Perspektif Seorang Melayu

I confess I didn't ask permission to reproduce this reader's response to Lim Kit Siang's blog entry titled "Time to move on into the unchartered political waters" today so if anyone thinks I ought to remove this post, just let me know in the comments section.

I want to share what musyu99 wrote in Bahasa Malaysia. Please take a moment to read his heartfelt plea:-

YB LKS,

Sekali lagi saya ingin beritahu, saya berbangsa Melayu dan beragama Islam. Minta maaf kerana saya kurang pandai untuk menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris. Walaubagaimanapun saya akan belajar menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris kelak.

Sebelum PRU12 rata-rata orang Melayu mengatakan DAP adalah parti untuk kaum China jika dipandang dari segi corak politiknya dan sokongan. Manakala PAS pula memperjuangkan Islam dan PKR dituduh sebagai panting untuk seorang individu.

Memandangkan majoriti rakyat sudah jelek dengan kepimpinan BN, jadi mereka telah bertekad untuk mengundi parti DAP/PKR/PAS tanpa memperdulikan ideologi parti berkenaan asalkan BN dikalahkan dan di ajar secukupnya. Rata-rata rakyat ini adalah dari kalangan pelbagai kaum yang mengundi parti alternatif bagi menafikan majoriti kepada BN. Jadi, adakah YB berasa kemenangan besar DAP/PKR/PAS ini adalah kerana kredibiliti dan merit masing-masing? Sudah pasti jawapannya tidak.

Sokongan bonus kepada pakatan ini adalah disebabkan kepincangan dari parti BN dan kelemahan pucuk pimpinannya dan rakyat membuat keputusan nekad untuk mengundi parti pakatan ini. PRU12 ini telah mengubah corak politik negara dan sudah pastinya DAP/PKR/PAS perlu juga meroboh mengikut arus semasa. Dengan slogan DAP: JOM UBAH! Oleh itu DAP perlu berubah bagi membela nasib rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum dan agama. Begitu juga PAS dan PKR.

DAP/PKR/PAS perlu menjelaskan kepada ahli-ahli mereka betapa perlunya untuk mendapat sokongan rakyat dari berbagai kaum dan agama. Bukan sekadar seronok dan bangga untuk melihat kejatuhan BN. Perjuangan politik adalah bertujuan untuk semua rakyat Malaysia. Yang sudi mendengar rintihan rakyat. Yang sanggup duduk semeja dengan parti yang mempunyai ideologi lain berbincang, bermuafakat bagi kesejahteraan rakyat. Kita perlu ubah suasana politik perkauman dan eksterimis. JOM UBAH!

Alangkah bangganya sebagai rakyat Malaysia yang berbagai kaum kita dapat hidup dalam keadaan harmoni dan hormat-menghormati antara satu sama lain tanpa sebarang perasaan prejudis. Dalam para terakhir artikel YB ... “It is time to move on into the new uncharted Malaysian political waters”... Angin perubahan telah dapat dilihat di negara ini dan kemahuan rakyat seluruhnya dapat dirasai. Terima kasih kerana YB dan penyokong DAP dapat menerima angin perubahan ini. Kita faham ini akan memakan sedikit masa untuk menjelaskan kepada akar umbi. Namun realitinya jika persefahaman dibentuk, pakatan ini akan dapat terus maju untuk membentuk satu bangsa Malaysia.

Perlu diingat bahawa pihak lawan sentiasa mencari peluang untuk melemahkan pakatan ini. Perkara-perkara kecil sekalipun boleh di ulas menjadi besar seolah-olah pakatan ini gagal. Sebagai penyokong kepada pakatan ini, saya yakin pemimpin-pemimpin PKR/DAP/PAS akan dapat bersatu hati menyelesaikan masalah yang timbul secara bersama dengan lebih bijak. Akhir kata ... JOM UBAH!!!!

Saya setuju!!!

Wear something yellow on Saturdays

I was looking forward to this.

BERSIH organizers have started urging Malaysians nationwide to wear "something yellow" every Saturday as a protest against the government for turning a deaf ear to calls for reform.

"It can be a yellow cap, a yellow shirt, a yellow ribbon ... just anything in yellow ..."

I rummaged through my wardrobe and checked at least 10 items in varying shades of yellow or a combination of colours with yellow being rather prominent.

And I suddenly feel like I need a pair of yellow sandals. Maybe a nice lemon coloured tote. And some cute accessories in yellow to dangle from my handphone and carry-alls.

I'm feeling bright and breezy already just thinking about it. Heheh ... this shopaholic is really going to enjoy doing this!

Why is BN against free and fair elections in Malaysia?

Despite the tear gas, chemical-laced water cannons, baton-wielding FRU personnel and police arrests, in the end the crowd behaved admirably and the Memorandum was peacefully delivered to His Majesty.

It certainly puts to shame our Prime Minister who tried but ultimately failed to invoke fear in the hearts of the rakyat who are no longer besotted by Mr Clean.

What's so clean about a person who does not seem to want free and fair elections in Malaysia?

What's so clean about a government that has thoroughly snuffed out freedom of speech and expression in this country? Did any of us rely on our mainstream newspapers for information on this mammoth peaceful gathering?

And now, we'll just have to wait and see.

Hopefully, something good will come out of this effort to stop the rot that is steadily destroying this country.

In the meantime, I think I'd buy a few more yellow shirts to wear while I wait.

When it sucks to be The Other Malaysian

Another sad example of why it sucks to be The Other Malaysian in Bolehland.

A grandfather wrote a letter to theSUN today (at page 20, theSUN 26 October 2007) expressing his frustrations on how our system does not recognize and nurture the talents of Malaysians who does not belong to the “privileged group”.

You know, and I know, what I’m talking about here.

This sort of frustration is something that has long been tolerated by The Other Malaysians presumably because we don’t want any “trouble” of the bloody kind by people who have a tendency to run amok at the slightest hint of protest.

Now, I didn’t create this impression that certain groups of Malaysians are prone to run amok – actually a prominent politician declared that this is actually a trait that runs deep in the blood of his people. We shall just take his word for it since Malaysians are always expected to believe what our politicians tell us to be true.

Anyway, you can read the grandpa’s story at the end of this rant.

It is so easy to substitute the frustration of the old man on the lack of recognition for his grandchildren’s sporting talents to one written by, say another grandma, on the subject of her grandchild’s inability to gain admittance into a local university to study medicine despite being more than qualified to do so. Or another to … well, you fill in the blanks.

I’m sure you can find countless examples where many Other Malaysians have been frustrated in their efforts to serve the nation and be appreciated, recognized and justly rewarded for it. Sometimes, we give the impression that we don't have that many smart and clever Malaysians around who could do a really good job in the civil service and manage our public funds in such a way that we get real value for our taxpayers' money.

Instead, we continue with our old ways because the protection needs to go on. And on.

So, why should any of us be surprised that Malaysia finds it hard to retain key people and in the process, is slowly losing competency in our workforce because talent continues to take flight?

I'm not surprised because I fully understand how it feels to be The Other Malaysian in instances like this. I can feel the frustration of the old man. If you are also one Other Malaysian, you probably know that feeling too.

I don't expect there will be much meaningful changes in the system during my lifetime. Simply because I see a crop of future leaders of my generation fighting for the same kind of protection to go on endlessly. Presumably for political survival reasons.

Besides, most Other Malaysians have adapted well to the system anyway. If we must, we probably would do what the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong used to say, "Mana ada lubang, masuk!".

Even if that "lubang" is far away from our shores.

********************

Desearving athletes ignored by aid givers

I REFER to the very interesting article by Terence Fernandez in the company of sports legends (Down to Earth, Oct 18).

The paragraph about Nicol David doing the right thing to train in Amsterdam to avoid "interference from these monkeys", prompts me to bring up a similar matter.

My grandsons have brought fame to the country through their sport.

To protect them from future repercussions, I shall not reveal more, only to say that they have won several international championships and have even made it into the record books.

While we are thankful with the partial scholarship from a government-linked company, I must say that there has been no aid from the government or youth and sports ministry.

The parents have used all their savings and had to borrow money to make the annual trips abroad for the family, so that the boys can compete.

A friend observed that their treatment is different from that of other athletes. My son would have been given a Datukship and a bungalow for producing world champions while my grandsons would be greeted with the kompang upon their return to KLIA.

We are not asking for all these riches and rewards, but the silence and disinterest of sports officials are deafening indeed. The lack of financial and professional support is disheartening to both parents and athletes.

How are we supposed to groom them to greater heights?

How do we ensure a cogent sports development programme when sports administrators pick and choose whom they want to help?

Sad grandfather
via e-mail
(published in theSUN on Friday, 26 October 2007)

********************

Just one feeling - LIKE THEY CARE ...

The will to remain unchanged

I was reading about this and am struck by a simple and plain truth about what is deeply wrong with our handling of important agencies in this country resulting in tragic consequences that continue to happen again and again.

As in the effort to weed out corruption that is yielding no real tangible results other than generating pages and pages of news columns to remind us that it is still rampant in this country - exactly how are we to expect that things will truly change for goodness sake?

We can all will some things to change for the better in this country but will anything change at all if the people who will make the changes possible will not do so?

At the end of the day it matters not that the will is there, Pak Lah, but they just won't!

And what can YOU do about it?

Selamat Hari Malaysia

Hari Kebangsaan ke-50 was celebrated with much pomp and pageantry but beneath all that, a certain kind of sad nostalgia was palpably felt among us all.

Almost everyone is trying to find a good reason to glorify the achievements that have come our way 50 years after having negotiated our independence from the British.

But are we trying too hard to convince ourselves that we are still on the right track towards becoming the sort of people and country that would make Malaysia truly a place where perhaps a piece of heaven on earth can be found?

Why are we not celebrating Hari Malaysia on a grander scale?

Sebagai seorang anak Malaysia, saya seharusnya berbangsa Malaysia dan berkaum Malaysia, bukan?

So, Hari Malaysia should have been a true celebration of what it means to be a Malaysian. Not a Melayu, Cina, India, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun atau lain-lain?

Let us bring more meaning to this special day instead of treating it as just another historical date when Sabahans and Sarawakians officially join us as Malaysians.

SELAMAT HARI MALAYSIA daripada seorang anak Malaysia!

CSR the Malaysian way

I haven't been reading a lot of blogs and online news lately due to various reasons.

But I want to make a side comment on something that has ruffled not a few feathers concerning the government's requirement for PLCs to show their commitment to corporate social responsibility ala Ketuanan Melayu as succinctly put by Aisehman in his blog entry titled "Bursa Melayu."

This is one of those things that we should really be ashamed of. But the shameful part is that some people JUST DON'T. Or rather, the people who came up with this idea don't.

Greed is like cancer. It grows and grows out of control until it dies along with the host it feeds on.

And this is nothing but SHEER GREED.

We don't tear our hairs out that our government do not practise good CSR in terms of employing more non-Malays into middle and top management positions in the public sector.

So, when our government start defining CSR as extending the handout policies to the private sector, something truly sad is happening to our society. To what it means to be a Malaysian.

I just feel so ashamed.

The new Malay dilemma

A quote to behold:-

"... a Prince Charming beside a toad will never lose his regal bearing. A toad beside a prince however, will make its warts all the more revolting to behold, and its croaking unbearably grating."

M. Bakri Musa and Din Merican in "What has Oxford done?" (Malaysia Today, 20 Aug 2007)



********************

If only the toad is not a real threat to us all ...

A poser for the future

I'm asking myself this question today:-

"Do I want to live in an Islamic country where Islamic laws is the supreme law of the country? How will this affect the future of my kids?"

I think both my husband and I need to give this some serious thought.

Baffling Malaysian attitudes

Reading this post reminded me of 2 incidents which happened more than 2 years ago.

My niece and a group of her school friends were doing their rounds around my neighbourhood collecting donations for their school's Red Crescent Society.

I invited them in for a drink as it was a very hot day. Among her friends were one Indian girl and a Malay girl. As I served them orange juice and some biscuits, I noticed that the Malay girl did not touch her drink nor help herself to the biscuits.

While the girls chatted happily amongst themselves, the Malay girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat all the while. I asked her if she's tired from walking around in the hot sun and she shook her head. I invited her to have her drink but she just smiled and told me she had her water bottle with her. By the time the girls left the house, her glass remain untouched.

It was then that I wondered whether I should have stocked some canned drinks in my house for special guests.

The other incident happened when the proprietor of a furniture shop, a Malay lady, accompanied her workers to deliver some teak furniture which I ordered.

As she stood outside my house, we engaged in small talk and she complimented me on my nice garden while the men unloaded the furniture. She wondered aloud that the interior of my house must be equally beautiful and cheerfully asked if she could take some pictures.

She proceeded to follow her workers into the house when all of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks near the front door. I invited her in but she gave me an embarrassed smile as she replied, "Tak apalah. Saya tunggu di sini saja." (Translation: "It's okay, I'll just wait outside.")

I noticed that she was feeling uncomfortable which made me felt a tad confused and uncomfortable too. As I supervised the workers, I wondered if the rather large wooden carving of a smiling Buddha sitting near the front door had anything to do with her discomfort.

Do you think I am being too sensitive about their behaviour in both instances?

After I read the letter published in Mr Lim's post, I wonder if all of us non-Muslims must walk on our toes in dealing with the heightened sensitivities of our fellow Malaysians.