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:-

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"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.

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We walk among racists

We breed racists in this country. Seriously, we do. How can we not when we have mainstream newspaper like Utusan Malaysia? When we have so-called NGOs like Perkasa? And so on, and so forth.

The most damaging of them all must be where they walk along the corridors of learning, our schools are undeniably crawling with them.

One fine example is illustrated by this gem of a remark:-

“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools. For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that,” Siti Inshah was quoted as saying in at least one police report. (See Tony Pua's take at http://bit.ly/dhZ4Zk )

It either makes you cringe or your blood boil.

Kee Thuan Chye wrote about it here in his article "What will they do about racism now" at http://bit.ly/bxOFFW :-

"If she did what she is said to have done, she should instead be drawn and quartered, like in the good old days. Or have her head put in a cangue – you know, like in the Chinese movies, where the head and hands are locked up within a square wooden contraption.

Or she should be given the Japanese treatment – force-fed water while someone jumps on her bloated tummy, or hung from a tree by her thumbs, and displayed publicly for all to see that this is what happens to racists.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but this must surely be the fantasy of anyone who feels disgusted by any racist act. All the more so if it is committed by someone who is a principal of a school, who should be spreading the message of racial unity instead of – God forbid! – racial hatred."

Tongue-in-cheek I know, but conveying no less the emotion so many of us felt over this issue.

And finally, Mariam Mokhtar puts in her perspective of this shameful behaviour in "A noble profession is disgraced" at http://bit.ly/b0frMB :-

"Her remarks are unacceptable and a disgrace to her profession – the teaching profession.

She should have done the right thing and tendered her resignation. But only after making a public apology and after writing a letter of apology to each of the students in the school.

So what is a letter to each of the 2,200 students? She has done much harm to young, vulnerable and impressionable minds. At the same time, a noble profession has been besmirched, and a nation’s fragile truce between the races, is threatened.

If she will not go willingly, then she ought to be sacked. I have worked in companies where racism is not tolerated and the punishment is instant dismissal.

The head teacher’s insensitive, racist and daft comments uttered at the school assembly, is an insult to the Merdeka day celebrations.

Does this woman know the significance of Merdeka? Is she too young to have studied history at school or too young to know about the struggle to achieve Merdeka? Is she a perfect example of our much maligned BTN system?"

Where do we go from here? Can I accuse the Barisan Nasional government of propagating racism in schools?

From the looks of it, it is so easy to do an inception of this idea into young impressionable minds. Start 'em young, indoctrinate them and take it all the way into universities.

Then it won't take much to convince them that they are indeed under 'siege' when it comes to election time. Percentage wise, they got it all well covered because the minorities are soundly outnumbered.

It's sad. It's depressing. It makes me wonder what it is left in this country that is worth investing my love and affection for.

Mahathir's ugliness

First we have Ahmad Ismail.
Then we have Khir Toyo.
And now, we have Mahathir.

"Openly the Malays have not attacked Chinese racialism as manifested by their practical rejection of the use of the National language, their rejection of the National schools, their Malaysian Malaysia slogan. If they do it would be muted and certainly not as blatant as non-Malay attacks against Malay racialism."

(Excerpt taken from Mahathir Mohamad's blog entry "Malay Unity and Malaysian Unity on 15 September 2008.)

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Dr Mahathir, you have gone overboard with this public statement.

You deserve the highest condemnation for instigating racial disharmony in this country.

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.

Malaysia - still taking baby steps at 50

We are inching closer to a half-century of independence from colonial rule, and if Malaysia is a lady, at 50 years old, we would expect her to have matured gracefully by now.

But of course, just like some people who enjoy mocking womenfolk, Malaysia too suffers from all forms of mockery due to its inability to attain a certain level of social and political "maturity" expected of her.

At 50 years old, she continues to be "protected" and "sheltered" from all forms of threats, both real and perceived, because her children could not be trusted to settle differences amongst themselves in a peaceful and amicable manner.

And because the children could not be trusted, they have learned to distrust each other. Deeply.

50 years is a long time to stay childish. We need to take the painful steps of growing up and growing strong in maturity. We must believe that we can trust each other to safeguard our individual rights to live and co-exist with each other peacefully in the same house.

There can be no real peace and unity if each person is in it only for himself.

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The Cold Within

Six humans trapped by happenstance
in black and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back.
For of the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.

The next man looking 'cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.

The third man sat in tattered clothes;
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy, shiftless poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.

And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

The logs held tight in death's stilled hands
Was proof of human sin -
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.

- Anonymous

Celebrating 50 years of shallowness

From the SUN, page 10 (Wed, 16 May 2007):-

Chinese are patriotic and loyal: Najib
Press Digest by Kong See Hoh

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak says he believes the Chinese in the country are patriotic but are not good at showing it.

He said there was no doubting the Chinese's loyalty for the country, but stressed that they must know how to express it, such as by taking part in various government-sponsored activities and celebrations.

... Asked for his comments on the criticisms every now and then by certain politicians, and even ministers, that Chinese are not patriotic, Najib said Barisan Nasional leaders no longer harbour such thinking.

He said he has many Chinese friends and gets along well with the Chinese.

On unity, the deputy prime minister said Malaysians now are more united than they were 50 years ago. There is also more interaction among the races now than before, he said.

He said nowadays, the emphasis is not on the differences among the races because when Malaysians make friends with fellow Malaysians they do not see whether the other party is Malay, Chinese or Indian; rather they look at their character and personalities.

"We look at (other people's) personal qualities, more than (their) skin colour or religious beliefs."

... (Blogger's emphasis in bold.)

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107 days to go before our country celebrates 50 years of Merdeka.

Timely reminder to take the Jalur Gemilang out from the back of the closet, give it a good wash and prepare to wave it before another round of "threats" start coming your way to do your patriotic duty.

It happens every year, and this year is not going to be the exception, more so because some people feel so emotional about the half-century mark.

Frankly, how much does it cost to get the elephant off your backs, huh? I mean, they don't really care if you mean it, just DO it!

And, Najib is trying hard to be politically correct in his speech targetted at the Chinese community.

But he is really telling the truth about how unity is so shallowly defined in the Malaysian context, especially what is demanded of you from the Barisan Nasional government.

When you take the economics and politics out of it, Malaysians are great with each other, just as they are warm and friendly to a non-Malaysian who seeks their hand in friendship.

It only gets ugly when the economic pie is up for grabs.

When elections are round the corner and votes need to be secured by hook or by crook.

When economic and politicial survival of a dominant group necessitates the trumpeting of communal cries for individual agendas not necessarily conducive to national unity in the long run. Heck, some of those demands are even suicidal to the long term survival and competitiveness of their people.

But who cares, right?

Being shallow is not a sin.

Being stupid and incorrigible is nothing to be ashamed of. Being mediocre can get you far in this country that rely on dubious standards to measure achievements and success.

Despite coming close to 50 years of Merdeka, we have not achieved much progress in demanding higher standards for ourselves and our country.

Maybe it is time to activate a National Agenda for all Malaysians to take a good hard look at ourselves and start preparing for something that is truly worth celebrating 50 years from now.

A Racist Joke for Ijok

The heat is really getting intensely hot in Ijok.

I think it has fried the brains of even rational and educated men, turning them into a fine example of Bullshitting Nincompoops.

This joker demonstrated today how logic has flown out the door in his rhetoric for the political masters of the day:-

(The Star, page N8, 25 April 2007)

It's no joke in Ijok
Comment by Wong Chun Wai

(blah blah blah - You can read the full post in the link above)

I just want to highlight 2 things which baffles me in Mr Wong's commentary.

1. ... the people of Ijok should vote for Parthiban, not because he is an Indian or a Malay, but because he is a Malaysian.

2. Likewise, no one should be voting for Khalid because he is a Malay as it would be a seriously unhealthy political trend.

Now I have 2 questions to ask Mr Wong.

1. Are you saying that since Parthiban is a BN candidate, he now wears the "MALAYSIAN" label on his forehead and voters in Ijok should dismiss the fact that he is an Indian, unless they are racists?

2. Are you also saying that since Khalid is an opposition candidate, he should not be viewed as a "MALAYSIAN" and voters in Ijok are racists if they vote for him because he is a Malay?

Either way, this is all about RACE, isn't it?

If the above rhetoric by an editor of a mainstream newspaper in Malaysia is anything to go by, I am bracing myself for the worse when the next general election is announced.

The race card is well and truly alive in BN politics and it's not ever going to go away judging by what we are seeing today.

How sad.

Pundak

This is one brand new party that has got my toes tingling. I love their battlecry. I love even more their logo. No weighing the pros and cons of corruption, racism and bigotry. No shooting for the moon and the stars. Even the name is catchy, like a song that plays on and on in your head. This is -

PUNDAK

"Merdeka, Seterika, Kathrika"

Pazuzu for PM?

The mask we all wear

Let's face it.

In this country, a thick black line has been drawn between "them" and "us".

It has gotten worse, no thanks to those who have contributed to the gradual erosion of trust and insistence of a greater divide between "them" and "us".

Look at the present generation. Most are a cynical lot. Perhaps they have cynical parents who have seen how the system can destroy their dreams and that of their loved ones and how they can be victimised at the whims and fancies of a bigoted few.

(Prime Minister) Abdullah said history was a good teacher and Malaysians should learn from what had happened in the past in order to move forward. (NST frontpage, 7/12/06)

Really? Does the version of history being taught to our school children these days teaches us anything constructive to national unity & diversity? I beg to differ. Maybe the teaching of constitutional law to our kids would serve a better purpose.

Admitting that race relations were still fragile and brittle, Abdullah urged all Malaysians to mend fences and unite, or the country would face a bleak future.

... "What we want to achieve can only be realised through the efforts of all Malaysians, not just a select race. I do not want only one race to celebrate (Merdeka) because they are the only ones who feel the spirit. All races must celebrate. We must eliminate all negative feelings towards each other. We must unite as Malaysians to take on the world."

Again, look at the real issues which have caused the disunity that is so apparent these days.

Perhaps, "they" who feel that they are the rightful owners of this country and thus bear the true spirit of patriotism as against all the other "pendatangs" should be magnanimous and try to reach out and eliminate all the negativity that has seeped into the hearts & minds of all "the others" who have been repeatedly reminded to pay the price for the right of abode.

The "adopted" child syndrome has pushed many things into the dark recesses of the unspeakable and undebatable. The only channel of expression left is the rejection of things that could further erode their sense of dignity and survival in the harsh face of reality. And the rejection will continue so long as their patriotism to this country is dismissed as irrelevant to the cause of someone else's agenda.

It is now up to the "Tuan" who carries the key to any real meaningful integration efforts to reunite us all as one in this blessed country.

All it takes is the political will to do so. The political will of the true master who rules this country.

Emotional speeches contribute nothing at all to the solving of this problem.

Uneasy bedfellows

How are we all supposed to be united as multi-racial and multi-religious citizens of MALAYSIA after all the unabashed racist opinions being blared publicly from the PWTC during the on-going UMNO General Assembly?

It is hurtful, to say the least. And deeply troubling too.

It also makes one think whether we can count them as real true friends when the going gets tough.

Kerana U, Khairy!

Kerana U, Khairy, MCA and Gerakan have become the laughing stock among the Malaysian Chinese community.

HE refused to eat humble pie,
while THEY could not wipe the pie from their faces!

One small step to better understanding

We don't see this very often, do we?

I mean, public officers actually agreeing that mindfulness of religious sensitivities should apply to everybody, not just Muslims?

Hopefully, we will see more of such positive mindsets in future, extending to many other areas in society so that it becomes a way of life for every Malaysian to accept each others' differences with open hearts and minds.

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From theSUN (page 6, Monday October 2, 2006):-

“Food at public functions should be halal for all”

SUBANG JAYA: Be more mindful and sensitive to the religious beliefs and practices of everyone when you invite them to public functions like buka puasa, Subang Jaya municipal councillor Aftar Singh Sidhu said.

Speaking at the council’s full-board meeting, he said: “This is a sensitive matter, but we should make sure that the food we serve at our public functions are ‘halal’ for everyone.”

So items like beef should be left out as Hindus do not eat beef, Aftar said, suggesting that meats like chicken or mutton be served instead.

Councillor Ariffin Osman then said, “It’s like this - just imagine we are at a function where pork is served next to the other food. Would we want to eat the other food then? We must think about these things.”

New MPSJ president Adnan Mohd Ikshan told those in charge to take note.

Sunday's walkabout DEJA VU

This morning's frontpage headline in the NST grabbed my attention at breakfast: Have I heard this one before? Why does it sound so familiar?

In LARGE fonts, occupying half a page, it read:-

SHAKE-UP

Malaysia's top cop wants to bust the complacency syndrome. Tan Sri Mua Hassan is shaking up things with his "walkabout" style. He's on the move to make sure that the nation's policemen are always on their toes.

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I distinctly remember when our current Prime Minister took over the hot seat, the first thing he did was also some sort of "walkabout" to the immigration department.

It certainly got things moving in double quick time after that "surprise" visit. And he followed up on the success of it with a promise to do more "ground" checks from time to time.

And then, predictably after a very short while, I think he got tired of walking on the ground, preferring instead a more glamorous jetsetting lifestyle of preaching to an overseas audience.

So, what happened afterwards was that "the mice came out to play" while the cat was away.

And it has been one grand party ever since he abdicated his responsibility to clean up his own backyard as promised in his election manifesto, hence the little and Big NAPOLEANS that we see scrambling to grab whatever they can get their greasy hands on while the going is still good. (Bet they too heard the rumour that it's not going to last, so better make haste while the sun still shines, or rather while their boss is still in power.)

While some people are busy looting, we also witness the warlords coming out to stir some excitement on the ground by whipping up some long-buried racial sentiments ahead of the race for pole position in the coming elections. These people of course, are doing all they can to ensure their political survival, never mind if they need to sacrifice national unity and harmony in order to achieve their selfish ambitions.

*(What's national unity & harmony anyway but another pretty slogan?)

So this new IGP's first task is really nothing new in Malaysia.

Almost every top brass getting their first taste of power do the same standard routine. And routinely too, they do not last very long, I'm afraid. The trouble with every top brass is that they too will fall into the "complacency syndrome" given enough time to warm their seats. The frailty of human nature, perhaps?

But I guess it must be a Malaysian culture - this "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" syndrome that we all fall prey to so often and never really feel embarrassed to admit that we always like to "cakap tak serupa bikin" in the long run.

We all know, and we all have come to accept that this is the way Malaysians do things. Seperti biasalah. It's just all in a day's work. Besok sudah lupa.

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It has been heavily rumoured that the General Election is going to happen sooner than we think.

A few things crossed my mind.

Shouldn't we all take this opportunity in the next General Election to voice our collective disapproval of racism in our multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious country?

Like - reject communal politics?

Reject parties where memberships are only open to ONE particular race?

Parties like these are the ones who almost always stir up communal and racist feelings without any shame and in the process create hatred and distrust amongst our otherwise rational and peace-loving rakyat.

We have all seen how ugly such racist talks can be. We have all been embarrassed by it. So, why should we allow it anymore? It is time to say a BIG NO!!

And, the only way we can send a message that politics of race is NOT GOOD for our society anymore, even dangerous and harmful to our well-being and peace, is to NOT VOTE for parties that promote such values.

If we reject racism, we must reject such political parties. By NOT VOTING for them in the general election. By only voting for parties that are multi-national and multi-religious. That would be a great message to our future leader who is supposed to be the leader FOR ALL. That would be one way of heading in the right direction for the future good of this country.

And another thought came into my mind.

Multi-level marketing, or the pyramid system.

If one person can convince three others that we can have better governance by changing the system that has proven again and again to be so disadvantageous to the disadvantaged in our society - can you imagine how powerful this force can be?

One important vote plus three more plus nine more plus twenty seven ...

Do we want to convince people that a fair and equitable society can only benefit EVERYONE and not just the chosen few by voting for A CHANGE?

Can we use the multi-level marketing system to generate the momentum and desire necessary to achieve something which has never been achieved before in the history of Malaysia, in a peaceful and democratic manner?

I hope to see more people rise to the challenge of displaying our patriotism and love for this country. Let us all reject what is morally wrong and bad for every citizen, regardless of your race, religion or status in society.

We must learn not to tolerate anymore.

Instead, mutual genuine acceptance and respect for the rights and dignity of each individual should be a way of life for all of us in Malaysia, from the young to the old.

Then, truly then, can we say we are united as Malaysians and we need never be forced to display our Jalur Gemilang proudly each and every day of our lives.

A good government will gradually help us to learn to love our neighbours, not just tolerate them.

Happy Merdeka 49 - Happy 1st Anniversary to me!

One year later, here I am talking about the upcoming "Hari Kemerdekaan ke-49" celebrations on 31 August 2006.

Oh, before I go on, happy 1st anniversary to myself on anakmerdeka.blogspot.com!

I finally made it - crossed the first year hurdle despite some apprehension and doubt about whether I want to continue putting in time and effort to maintain this self-serving rant-filled platform. Looks like I still got some steam to let off before I call it a day. :-)

Coming back to this topic, I am rather ambivalent about my feelings towards this 49th Merdeka. I guess I'm feeling this way because I don't see the country moving forward in any meaningful way in terms of how we are progressing as a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural society.

The past year has seen an attempt to disengage noble efforts to create the space for meaningful dialogue and understanding between muslims and non-muslims in a non-confrontational manner in this blessed country.

Looks like we are still unable to break down barriers formed by a stubborn section of our society bent on maintaining certain status quo. I can only presume that the fear to engage stems from the misguided notion that it would invariably erode their current status of having the "upper hand" in playing the religious card whenever the need arises during times of political upheaval.

Sisters in Islam wrote a succinct letter published in The SUN on 16 August 2006 (@ p18):-

Don't suppress dialogue

"SISTERS in Islam regrets that the organisers of the 5th International Malaysian Studies Conference held at UPM recently felt pressured to cancel the panel on Religion, Interfaith and National Unity.

We share Prof. Datuk Abdul Rahman Embong, President of the Malaysian Social Science Association (PSSM)'s valid concern that certain developments of late are taking a toll on academic freedom, and have grave implications on the free flow of ideas and academic discourses.

This emerging trend in suppressing the right to openly discuss matters concerning the public is disheartening, especially as it is being imposed on those who are merely peacefully practising their constitutional rights - freedom of speech, assembly and association (Article 10) and freedom of religion (Article 11). This is in contrast to the continued, unfettered dissemination of wrongful information and malicious rumours, as well as the formation of groups by those who intend to silence such open discussions."

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There's not much anyone can do about this without serious political will from those who wield the power to look beyond the selfish motives of a few who are too short-sighted to see further into the future for the common good of all.

These people fail to realise the need to discard certain mentalities in order to survive in an increasingly modern and technologically-advanced world that simply would not respect narrow-minded agendas.

I have a thought: is it conceivable that in the year 2020, Malaysia can still practise open discrimination in the form of race-based quotas and privileges without being seen as political and social pariahs in the eyes of the world community? That's another mere 14 years to go, during which time, we will probably see advances in science & technology making giant leaps forward, while we are still stuck in some black & white cinematic mode.

I'm going to forget about how I feel on this day because someone might just accuse me of harping on eternally unpatriotic feelings whenever the subject of unity in the context of Bangsa Malaysia crops up.

Regardless of what the Information Minister says, I'd like to believe that it is precisely my love for this country and my patriotism that inspired me to start this blog and drives me to continue writing even though I sometimes get a bit sick and tired of local goings-on. The time spent doing this is more meaningful to me as a Malaysian than mere waving of the Jalur Gemilang once a year.

And before I forget, thanks to KJ for the timely Merdeka reminder - racism is thriving under the Youth banner. I can expect to continue with my forced patriotic duty as the bogeyman for the survival of UMNO. *sigh*

There I go again.

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan ke-49 to all my fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters, and especially to all my blog friends. I wish you peace and happiness until we celebrate our 50th milestone next year.

And err ... I'll wave the flag here and hope Zam appreciates it!

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An afterthought:

In line with a brand new season and in celebrating the spirit of this year's Merdeka, I think I want to cut down on my frussing and fussing. So, Howsy my senseintroverted friend, it's semua OK! now. Even if people continue to cakap tak serupa bikin. Even with the DDC. Especially with the DDC, it's OK to just close-one-eye to THAT one! (*runs to da korner... with Helen*)

Cheers everybody!

'Tis the season for mucho machoness

Less than six days to our 49th National Day celebrations.

And UMNO Youth chief has sounded the spirited cry for "Ketuanan Melayu" or maybe it should be rightly re-phrased as "Ketuanan UMNO".

The STAR at page N4 today:-

Hisham: No need for formal meeting

PUTRAJAYA: There is no need for Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin to explain his remarks at a Barisan Nasional Youth supreme council meeting, said Barisan Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said a formal meeting was not necessary as the issue had been resolved following Khairy’s explanation that his comments on the Chinese community had been misinterpreted.

“Umno Youth leaders have already met with youth leaders from Barisan component parties on several occasions to explain (Khairy’s remarks) after the issue was first raised,” said Hishammuddin, who is also Umno Youth chief and Education Minister.

“We do not need to publicise it any more. There is also no need to call for an emergency meeting of the Barisan supreme council to discuss it further.”

Hishammuddin also said Penang Umno Youth need not wait for a study to be done before meeting with Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

“This is a good opportunity for the youth leaders to put forward their views and to stand up for those who believe in them,” he said in reference to newspaper reports that Penang Malays were lagging behind.

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Get the message??

UMNO Youth is flexing its muscles ahead of a serious battle within their own closed doors.

Time to show who's the Boss. Time to make your demands loud and clear. What better way than to sound the bogeyman alarm and make the meek squeek?

Have we really achieved "Merdeka" against racism in this country?

A load of sh*t from JAIS

Get a hold on this load of sh*t thrown around by JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department) here:-

Sneaky Buddhists, Scary Buddhists!

JAIS belakang pusing on proselytization accusation

Is this scary or what??

I still love you, Malaysia

I hope that this will never happen to me or my kids, ... leaving Malaysia because I had to.

Not such a good start to 2006

We are hardly a week into the new year and already I am not too optimistic about the direction Malaysia is taking in handling its internal affairs, specifically issues pertaining to national unity.

First off is the cold water poured on the local media with the Internal Security Ministry issuing two show-cause letters to the China Press demanding an explanation to its report and erroneous identification of the victim of the ear-squat incident as a Chinese national. As a result of this and possibly because of the threat posed to the popular vernacular newspaper under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, its two top editors have since had their posts redesignated. Mr Chong Choong Nam, the editor-in-chief is now the personal assistant to the Nanyang group chairman while Mr Ng Siew Peng the executive editor-in-chief is now special projects manager.

This is a very strong message being sent out by our government underlining its intolerance towards journalists and editors who wish to exercise unbridled press freedom in this country without being mindful of the ruling party's sensitivities. I guess our newsmen can look forward to a pretty unexciting year, now that they have been nicely cowed into towing the official and acceptable line of responsible reporting in this country.

Issue number 2 that has got me upset is the bulldozing by Penang developer Motif Era Sdn Bhd on SJK(C) Sin Chung right in front of the teachers and pupils who had their lessons rudely interrupted yesterday morning only to witness with their own eyes the subsequent demolition of their school canteen and toilet. And this shameful incident happened in our Prime Minister's constituency.

Sheer decency, compassion and moral priorities for the good of our society have been abandoned in the interests of economic gains of the individual and corporate entity. In dismissing the school's application to stop the demolition, the Butterworth sessions court judge had inadvertently encouraged the ugly mindset of ruthless greed and selfishness overriding actions which could ultimately benefit society as a whole. The actions of those who have contributed to the destruction of a school for our kids is downright ugly. And all this ugliness is displayed for the whole country to see in the mere pursuit of a few quick ringgit.

This third ugly incident involved yet another demolition exercise on Wednesday, as reported in The Sun today. If not for the fact that this act reminded me of the Taliban government, it would have been laughable.

Consider this. It took a full force of 300 men from the police, General Operations Force, fire and rescue department, water board, TNB, Jasin district council and PWD officials to pull down a Chinese temple and destroy a 20m-long reclining Buddha statue located inside a privately-owned orchard. And these guys had to sneak in at dawn with 4 bulldozers and backhoes and 20 lorries, before taking 5 hours to complete the ugly job.

I'm sad because it shows that in this country you are not allowed to exercise religious freedom to carry out acts to fulfil your religious vows in your own private space and enclosure, even though you may be doing it without causing any obstruction or untoward inconvenience to your neighbours and the public.

Remember Ayah Pin? Can you identify what these two incidents have in common? No, its not the one where the whole government machinery came out in full force to show that they mean business and that they have the means to do their business.

These three separate incidents brought to my mind the lyrics to the current popular song on air, CRAZY by Simple Plan:-

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody going to save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on, tell me what's going on,
If you open your eyes, you'll see something is wrong ...

Yes, I am wondering what is wrong with our society, our people and the way our lives are being governed by the ruling party. The above events does not augur well for all of us peaceful and civilised folks here in Malaysia, and coming so soon after the Moorthy case and the Islamic Family Law uproar, I am feeling troubled. And for this, I am giving the thumbs down to our Prime Minister and his concept of Islam Hadhari. I do not see how his version of the religion has done us any good at all. The actions we have seen thus far speak for themselves.

Are we serious about unity in Malaysia?

It is indeed a blessing that we have been able to slip quietly and uneventfully into the new year after all that had happened in 2005. The heavy rainfall that soaked KL and the Greater Klang Valley on the last day of 2005 is to me a wonderful expression from the heavens in sending off the not so pleasant year with a good wash-off and thorough clearing of the spirits and minds, hopefully in preparation of a better year ahead.

Scanning through the major English dailies yesterday, I find that there is a common thread of hope among the local folks and prominent personalities being interviewed. Almost everyone wished for Malaysians of all races to unite and help each other to overcome the resurgence of fear and uneasiness brought about by a perceived wider rift and distrust among us, such feelings intensified no less by thoughtless politicians and bureaucrats who do not seem to understand nor appreciate the fine line of sensitivity in matters which are universally important to the individual and society as a whole.

Take for instance the subject of religion. If you think your religion is the only one that matters and that you demand others to respect your beliefs and your right to practise and participate in rituals in accordance to your faith, would it not be logical to your sensible mind that you should also accord the same respect to other individuals who choose to believe and put their faith in a different religion from yours?

And if other different religions are willing to look for similarities within their faiths and work together to highlight common truths and goodness for the sake of humanity, what good will it do you to refuse to acknowledge the positive effect on national unity that can only come out of it but instead insist on a non-negotiable rule all the time?

No one can seriously ignore the fact that after 48 years of Merdeka, our country is actually veering towards uncertain horizons. So much damage has been wrought on our multi-racial and multi-religious society as a result of misguided policies being allowed to go out of hand for over 3 decades that it is now very hard to ignore, much less deny that we have a serious problem going on here in presumably peaceful Malaysia.

The young generation, specifically those below the age of 20 and those still cocooned in local universities and colleges, are all wrapped up in themselves and within their own race groups, not the least interested in what is going on in other communities, less so in trying to widen their circle of friends outside of their own race. How could that have happened, if not for the failure of our education system as well as that of misguided policies in not realizing the importance of a multi-racial component in every aspect of our lives, particularly in civil services where the people of all races comes most in contact with.

And what about the other important group of people, those who are parents of school-going kids? I suppose a large section of this group, those aged 40 and above, would have witnessed first-hand the transition from the vibrant spirit of muhibbah which they experienced during their school days in the early 1970s and 1980s to the sad reality of segregation they see as a part of their children's lives now.

If a survey were to be done on the population of students in Chinese and Indian vernacular schools in the 1970s as compared to the 1990s, I'm quite sure that there was a quantum leap many times over, after taking into account the ratio of population increase during that period. And how many of these parents were the product of national schools back in the 1970s? And how many of these parents actually enjoyed having friends and teachers from different race and backgrounds and then why are they turning their backs on the national school system now, making the choice of vernacular education for their own kids?

Is this all about race? Or is it more to do with inequality or the perception of it that strikes fear and insecurity among those who feel that they will be a victim of circumstances if they do not take control by plainly not putting themselves into a situation where they may easily be subjected to negative forces of the mighty majority.

Racial politics has always been and shall always be an unavoidable fact of life in Malaysia. Why? Because we have deep-rooted cultural links to our past just like all the other civilisations in this world, the Europeans, the Americans, the Africans, etc. Surely we do not demand that they too must discard their cultural roots so that we can all be a united "Earth" race.

And the other fact that makes race such an unavoidable issue in Malaysia is also because our race is predominantly defined by our religions as well. In general, when we talk of the Malays, we associate them with Islam, the Indians with Hinduism and the Chinese with Buddhism and Christianity. Okay, don't nitpick on this generalisation because I know Christianity is widely practised by the Indians and other races and that there are also many other religions of importance such as Sikhism, but to go into fine details would make me go off-topic and long-winded.

People, including politicians, often make the mistaken observation that racial politics as it has been played out like a long-drawn soap opera in Malaysia is the real reason behind the serious problem of disunity in our country. The concept of Bangsa Malaysia is of course, very attractive in that among other things, we no longer have to fill up forms where we have to mark out whether we are "Melayu, Cina, India atau lain-lain". But would that solve the growing divide, assuming that all other factors governing our country remain pretty much the same?

Racial politics need not necessarily be bad and evil in this country, if the politicians who run the respective parties are always mindful of the need to be sensitive to the feelings of all other communities, and to avoid being confrontational and hostile when demanding that the needs of their own community should be looked into by the government. It is politicians who practise ugly politics that put a bad name and bad taste to the term "racial" politics.

Perhaps it is time to look at the problem of racial politics in this country not so much as an ugly way of doing business by our ruling party but more as a problem of ugly politicians who, no matter what form of politics they take, will always secure their position by manipulating the sensitivities of their own communities for personal political and economic gains. Do we need these ugly politicians in our society? Why do we still tolerate them?

The other important factor that is causing much disunity among our people is also the over-emphasis on matters relating to the importance of religion in this country. Our government has unwisely allowed religion to be so elevated to such a high level of importance that it has now come to pass where it dictates much of our lives and society here in Malaysia.

We now witness, to our dismay, the steady erosion of constitutional rights to religious freedom in this country. The latest uproar over M. Moorthy's case is just one of many that makes us question the exact power Islamic laws and Syariah courts have over our lives, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and whether it is about justice or the exercise of religious might overriding all other powers, constitutional or otherwise.

Have we forgotten that bloody wars and battles have been fought for countless years in countless countries over matters related to differences in religious beliefs and religious righteousness? What are our people here in Malaysia thinking, knowing full well that we are made up of multi-religious citizens, playing the dangerous game of religious one-upmanship? Are we so arrogant to believe that we can continue to antagonize smaller communities without suffering dire consequences? Do some sections of our community truly think that when push comes to shove, that others will take it quietly, lying down?

I'm not hinting at the potential for bloodshed in this country among our people over arguments about religious rights and freedom. It can be equally devastating if we suffer economic repercussions from within and without the country due to perceived Taliban-like rule of law taking over the governing of our country and its people. And everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, will suffer for it.

In his New Year's message, Tun Hanif Omar said, "We must not forget our national motto, emblazoned on our national crest, 'BERSATU TEGUH, BERCERAI ROBOH'. ... Racial ego and chauvinism should bow down to humanism." And DAP's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's wish for 2006 is for: "A nationhood that is based on national unity and identity, not on race and religion...". Even the MIC president's message is worth repeating here, "The spirit of tolerance towards religion and culture of each race is important to ensure the nation's well-being and economic growth."

So, as we gear up for the challenges of 2006 and the future of our country and our children, are we equally prepared to look hard at the question that is facing us in trying to find the missing link that can help us mend the cracked and split trust and genuine sense of brotherhood among all the races that make up the unique country that is Malaysia?

How can we convince everyone, young and old, Malays and non-Malays, Muslims and non-Muslims that we must truly "BERSATU TEGUH" if we do not wish to end up "BERCERAI ROBOH"?

And, which is more dangerous and threatening to the fragile fabric of unity and peace in Malaysia: politics of race or politics of religion?

Open up the "tudung" discussion

I read the open letter by Sisters in Islam published in The Sun today (p.18 Feature & Letters titled "Don't enforce dress code on women undergraduates"), giving yet another perspective on the controversial "tudung" issue. This letter follows another commentary also published in The Sun on the same issue here.

The SIS letter was most impressive given that it was a non-judgmental opinion on this issue from the point of view of a Muslim women's rights group. These days, issues touching on the sensitivities of Malay Muslims and their Islamic practices in Malaysia has been much politicised and it is very refreshing to read that there are Muslims out there who are honest enough to declare that "... the climate of discussion on Islam in this country has left non-Muslim minorities with very few options. Many non-Muslim Malaysians therefore defer to the coercive will of the Muslim majority, while those who challenge this coercive will usually face varying levels of ostracism and public humiliation."

How very true and how very brave of SIS to raise the deep concerns of the minority communities in Malaysia. The fact of the matter is that although Malaysia is a secular country, non-Muslims are sometimes made to feel like they are increasingly under siege from the overzealous religionists bent on pushing forward their own personal agendas in the name of Islam. It is now considered politically incorrect for the minorities to complain publicly anymore. And it would be political suicide for any member of BN component parties representing the minority groups to raise a similar protest in public.

Thank you for being brave, Sisters in Islam, and for being good sisters to all your fellow Malaysians, irrespective of their race or religion. You deserve my highest respect for promoting the teachings of Islam on a platform of moderation and compassion.