The Walk of Life

As events unfold over the last few months in 2010, I can't help to have a sense of hopelessness for our nation. Although Change and Reform seems to be the common Key-Phrases of many but the reality on the ground is totally unconvincing.

Our new PM's 1Malaysia Slogan sounds nice but a reality check shows that the Government is Powerless to Implement. It became a hollow statement and many Malaysians are begin to feel disillusioned. In addition our present Government is also Powerless in controlling certain groups from propagating racism, divisive policies and politics. By mere inaction against such groups, one wonders whether the Government is quietly using such groups to promote their own racist agendas.

The impotence and inaction by the Police Force, Anti-Corruption Agency and Judiciary do not augur well and the citizens loose faith in these Institutions that are suppose to defend them but instead help to suppress ordinary citizens, Human Rights Groups and the Opposition. In our local language we call this Wayang Kulit or Shadow Play. The Government gives the impression of having a form of Law and Order but in reality they rule by their own laws or their interpretation of the Laws! Our Constitution has been twisted to suit the Government agendas. Even Religion is being used to threaten and oppress the citizens. What else our Government would not use to size control? Even our Royal Houses are at their beck and call. Bribery and Corruption is the order of the day. Even the Government blatant bribery and corruption used in a recent By Election goes unchecked and no one seems to have the guts to take action against them although we are supposedly have so many watch-dog bodies that are supposedly to observe fair play.

The latest planned huge gathering of an estimated 10,000 to attend a rally titled "Melayu Bangkit" or "Malay Arise" on the significant date of 13th May 2010 in Trenggannu is offensive to many non-Malay citizens simply because of the stigma of May 13th which was a Dark Historical Day in Malaysian History is undeniable. The choice of the date seems to me to carry a threat to non-Malay citizens of a repeat of that sad and ugly incident where many Malaysians lost their lives in a racial riot. Why the Government of the day did not stop such a gathering? While nations of the World use tragic days to express regret, sorrow and a platform to further peace and harmony, we on the other hand exploit such tragic events to further threaten her own citizens!

Further more, many Malaysians had hoped that the support given to the Opposition in the last General Election of 8th March 2008 that caused a less than two-third majority by the ruling Government as a sign of hope that change and reformation is on the way. Two years later, with in-fighting in the Opposition Camp, cross-overs and sabotage by the Government, have caused many to see how difficult it is to effect change and how futile it is. A sense of hopelessness creeps in and only the strong and faithful ones remain positive and pushing forward despite all the set-backs. However not many are made of steel like them.

What I can foresee in the immediate future will be a lost of hope by non-Malay citizens and there will be a sharp increase in migration to Singapore, Australia, New Zeland, Canada, US or UK! Perhaps Myanmar may even look more attractive by some and perhaps easier to apply. Well of course the Economy of Malaysia will take a heavy blow. Direct Foreign Investment which is already on the decline will slide further. As things hots up for the next General Election I expect to see some ISA arrests, strange fabricated charges and Court Cases coming up on Opposition Leaders, unexplained custodial deaths by Police or MACC as a form of ethnic cleansing may hit a high too!

In closing one might ask what must we do or what can we do as ordinary citizens in Malaysia? Well, NOTHING! That's the most painful answer one gets. NOTHING! No human can change these but alas we must not rule out the God Factor! What man is unable to do GOD IS ABLE! For those who believe in God, PRAY! God as a Holy, Righteous Entity will not let evil go unpunished! It's a PROMISE! How and when, I don't really know but Judgement is assured!

So take heart or heed Barisan, Mahathir and gang for all you who claimed to be God fearing, HE will reward you in accordance to the works of your hands. I think it will be something that you fellas least expect! So Happy May 13th Gathering!

Oh yes one last thing, as ordinary citizens of Malaysia, we must vote wisely. vote for a government that can assure all Malaysians Fairness, Justice, Equality in Opportunities, Rule By Law and citizens caring! Imitate the actions by GTPJ and register new voters for the next General Election! Every vote counts and if we are serious of change, reformation, a better Malaysia do your personal best to get the younger ones aware of the importance and responsibility as a loyal,citizen of Malaysia. The future is in our hands or votes!

Personally I find it strange that our own Government do not understand their own citizens and especially those of Chinese ethnicity. Lately there were some disgruntlement by some Government Officials (especially those from UMNO) asking "What The Chinese Want?" Chinese came to Malaya as it was known back then, guess as early as in the 1700s and the Chinese were given citizenship when Malaya gained her Independence from the British. It is now more than 50 years ago but still the present Government do not understand the Chinese.

I would not be able to explain what the Chinese want, but reproduced below, is an article by Mr. Kee Thuan Chye, which expalins very effectively this issue. I am glad for the Internet for without which such articles will not be published by the main media in Malaysia.

COMMENT Every time the Barisan Nasional gets less than the expected support from Chinese voters at an election, the question invariably pops up among the petty-minded: Why are the Chinese ungrateful?

So now, after the Hulu Selangor by-election, it’s not surprising to read in Utusan Malaysia a piece that asks: “Orang Cina Malaysia, apa lagi yang anda mahu?” (Chinese of Malaysia, what more do you want?)

Normally, something intentionally provocative and propagandistic as this doesn’t deserve to be honoured with a reply. But even though I’m fed up of such disruptive and ethnocentric polemics, this time I feel obliged to reply – partly because the article has also been published, in an English translation, in the Straits Times of Singapore.

I wish to emphasise here that I am replying not as a Chinese Malaysian but, simply, as a Malaysian.

Let me say at the outset that the Chinese have got nothing more than what any citizen should get. So to ask “what more” it is they want, is misguided. A correct question would be “What do the Chinese want?”

All our lives, we Chinese have held to the belief that no one owes us a living. We have to work for it. Most of us have got where we are by the sweat of our brow, not by handouts or the policies of the government.

We have come to expect nothing – not awards, not accolades, not gifts from official sources. (Let’s not lump in Datukships, that’s a different ball game.) We know that no Chinese who writes in the Chinese language will ever be bestowed the title of Sasterawan Negara, unlike in Singapore where the literatures of all the main language streams are recognised and honoured with the Cultural Medallion, etc.

We have learned we can’t expect the government to grant us scholarships. Some will get those, but countless others won’t. We’ve learned to live with that and to work extra hard in order to support our children to attain higher education – because education is very important to us. We experience a lot of daily pressure to achieve that. Unfortunately, not many non-Chinese realise or understand that. In fact, many Chinese had no choice but to emigrate for the sake of their children’s further education. Or to accept scholarships from abroad, many from Singapore, which has inevitably led to a brain drain.

The writer of the Utusan article says the Chinese “account for most of the students” enrolled in “the best private colleges in Malaysia”. Even so, the Chinese still have to pay a lot of money to have their children study in these colleges. And to earn that money, the parents have to work very hard. The money does not fall from the sky.

The writer goes on to add: “The Malays can gain admission into only government-owned colleges of ordinary reputation.” That is utter nonsense. Some of these colleges are meant for the cream of the Malay crop of students and are endowed with the best facilities. They are given elite treatment.

The writer also fails to acknowledge that the Chinese are barred from being admitted to some of these colleges. As a result, the Chinese are forced to pay more money to go to private colleges. Furthermore, the Malays are also welcome to enrol in the private colleges, and many of them do. It’s, after all, a free enterprise.

Plain and simple reason

The writer claims that the Chinese live “in the lap of luxury” and lead lives that are “more than ordinary” whereas the Malays in Singapore, their minority-race counterparts there, lead “ordinary lives”. Such sweeping statements sound inane especially when they are not backed up by definitions of “lap of luxury” and “ordinary lives”. They sound hysterical, if not hilarious as well, when they are not backed up by evidence. It’s surprising that a national daily like Utusan Malaysia would publish something as idiosyncratic as that. And the Straits Times too.

The writer quotes from a survey that said eight of the 10 richest people in Malaysia are Chinese. Well, if these people are where they are, it must have also come from hard work and prudent business sense. Is that something to be faulted?

If the writer had said that some of them achieved greater wealth through being given crony privileges and lucrative contracts by the government, there might be a point, but even then, it would still take hard work and business acumen to secure success. Certainly, Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who is one of the 10, would take exception if it were said that he has not worked hard and lacks business savvy.

Most important, it should be noted that the eight Chinese tycoons mentioned in the survey represent but a minuscule percentage of the wider Chinese Malaysian population. To extrapolate that because eight Chinese are filthy rich, the rest of the Chinese must therefore live in the lap of luxury and lead more than ordinary lives would be a mockery of the truth. The writer has obviously not met the vast numbers of very poor Chinese.

The crux of the writer’s article is that the Chinese are not grateful to the government by not voting for Barisan Nasional at the Hulu Selangor by-election. But this demonstrates the thinking of either a simple mind or a closed one.

Why did the Chinese by and large not vote for BN? Because it’s corrupt. Plain and simple. Let’s call a spade a spade. And BN showed how corrupt it was during the campaign by throwing bribes to the electorate, including promising RM3 million to the Chinese school in Rasa.

The Chinese were not alone in seeing this corruption. The figures are unofficial but one could assume that at least 40 per cent of Malays and 45 per cent of Indians who voted against BN in that by-election also had their eyes open.

So, what’s wrong with not supporting a government that is corrupt? If the government is corrupt, do we continue to support it?

To answer the question then, what do the Chinese want? They want a government that is not corrupt; that can govern well and proves to have done so; that tells the truth rather than lies; that follows the rule of law; that upholds rather than abuses the country’s sacred institutions. BN does not fit that description, so the Chinese don’t vote for it. This is not what only the Chinese want. It is something every sensible Malaysian, regardless of race, wants. Is that something that is too difficult to understand?

Some people think that the government is to be equated with the country, and therefore if someone does not support the government, they are being disloyal to the country. This is a complete fallacy. BN is not Malaysia. It is merely a political coalition that is the government of the day. Rejecting BN is not rejecting the country.

A sense of belonging

Let’s be clear about this important distinction. In America, the people sometimes vote for the Democrats and sometimes for the Republicans. Voting against the one that is in government at the time is not considered disloyalty to the country.

By the same token, voting against Umno is also voting against a party, not against a race. And if the Chinese or whoever criticise Umno, they are criticising the party; they are not criticising Malays. It just happens that Umno’s leaders are Malay.

It is time all Malaysians realised this so that we can once and for all dispel the confusion. Let us no more confuse country with government. We can love our country and at the same time hate the government. It is perfectly all right.

I should add here what the Chinese don’t want. We don’t want to be insulted, to be called pendatang, or told to be grateful for our citizenship. We have been loyal citizens; we duly and dutifully pay taxes; we respect the country’s constitution and its institutions. Our forefathers came to this country generations ago and helped it to prosper. We are continuing to contribute to the country's growth and development.

Would anyone like to be disparaged, made to feel unwelcome, unwanted? For the benefit of the writer of the Utusan article, what MCA president Chua Soi Lek means when he says the MCA needs to be more vocal is that it needs to speak up whenever the Chinese community is disparaged. For too long, the MCA has not spoken up strongly enough when Umno politicians and associates like Ahmad Ismail, Nasir Safar, Ahmad Noh and others before them insulted the Chinese and made them feel like they don’t belong. That’s why the Chinese have largely rejected the MCA.

You see, the Chinese, like all human beings, want self-respect. And a sense of belonging in this country they call home. That is all the Chinese want, and have always wanted. Nothing more.

I consider the deadliest cancer found among human beings is "Denial". Slowly but surely denial will transpose the belief system within a person into unreality. The vision one has of the outside world will be a Lie and what greater harm can one do to oneself when we begin to have myopic and tainted views on people and issues. Worst still to lie to oneself!

Hatred will fester in the heart giving rise to anger and eventually violence will be manifested. He or she will be trapped within himself and until and unless, this person is willing to admit and repent of this cancer / sin, then the self-destruction will perpetuate till death; physical and spiritual death. In such condition, your prayers to God will not be heard let alone answered. Perhaps that's why God seems to be so far away and silent?

Keeping tab on our local political on-goings seem to indicate this Cancer found in our BN Government. Have you noticed how many times when certain crime, corruption, injustice were being exposed, the first thing you would hear would either be some justification or some denial statements coming out from them. some of these even sounded so ridiculous, incredible and devoid of decency and simple logic.

If we match these symptoms of Denial with our current state of Malaysia as a country as compared to our neighbours or the world, didn't you noticed the decline in almost every yard-sticks that were used for comparison?

These are signs of decay! The cancer is spreading and eventually leading to the death of a Nation. People of Malaysia must "Bankit" to borrow a word from the 'Keuanan' proponents and if we really care and are concerned about the good of our Nation. No, I don't mean using violent means but as a dutiful, responsible citizen of this country, we must show our displeasure using our votes in the next General Election. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword as the Good Lord said.

Yeah, these racist Ketuanan proponents may threaten us with May 13th, burned places of worship etc but remember, fear not the things that kills the body but rather those that cause us to loose our souls! What is the point in defending God so passionately when the simplest call to Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself is thrown to the winds? When the true Spirit of God is absent, it will be replaced with religious forms and human vigor and the log in their own eyes they see not but the speck in a brother's eyes we amplify!

Please, fellow Malaysians, especially the younger ones who are eligible to vote please REGISTER YOURSELVES AS VOTERS! not so much as your right but more so for your own future and those after you! We love our Nation and this alone drives us to stand-up and say NO to Racisim, Religious Intolerance, Corruption, Injustice and Lawlessness! Whatever the BN may offer you, money, power and even sex it's not worth it.

Year Of The Tiger this is! Brings to mind a well known Chinese Saying that "a tiger, fierce as it is, will not eat her young" Usually the continuation after such an opening statement goes something like "therefore a crook will not harm his own children".

So what has this got to do with this post? To start with I want to say "A Tiger, fierce as it is, will not eat her young so how come our Government steals and robs from her own citizens"! I guess what ferocious animal will not do, humans are capable of doing. This alone makes "human-beings" to be most dangerous living mammal on earth!

What more if a Government elected by the citizens begin to lie, steal, murder and rob her own citizens? What then must the citizens do? Obviously, to throw them out in the next General Election. As a citizen of Malaysia I am getting rather angry and totally disappointed with our current Barisan Government. I think more than 50% of the population are, basing on the results of the last GE. It seems like denying Barisan short of the two-third majority is not the way. Perhaps the people of Malaysia just wanted to give Barisan a wake-up call but obviously instead of humbling themselves and listen to the heart cry of her citizens it does the exact opposite!

Perhaps out of desperation to cling to power they use whatever force and powers under their control to unjustly silence critics, police arrests, harassment and dissensions. Provoking the anger of the people more and their show of arrogance in so many high profile legal cases. On top of all these are the usual 'denials' that come out so ever readily in response to any accusations or exposures before they even want to weigh and reflect before opening their mouths to speak arrogance, and utter nonsense and justifications that make them look more moronic!

Well, as the saying goes, give the monkey long enough rope and it will hang itself is coming to be true for Barisan. I foresee in the next GE the trouncing will be more severe if not totally wipe off the political landscape in Malaysia which to me is an exceptionally good thing for the people and the nation on the whole.

Not that we, the citizens are not loyal or love this nation any less but it is just the opposite. We sincerely, truly love this nation too much to allow racists and bigots in government positions to bring this rich and beautiful country to the brink of destruction. We must "Bangkit" and vote what is good for the people's future rather than stick to archaic cultural values that can no longer be sustainable for a new world order of globalization where many countries are getting out of archaic tools such as race, religion and tribal policies.

In conclusion I pray and hope that each and every loyal citizens insists to have a say in how we want to see Malaysia should be in the near future. Forget about race, useless cultural values and party alignment be the decisive factor but rather the general good for all Malaysians be the basis in our voting in the next GE! Happy Hew Year and May The Tiger devoured all the ugliness of race and religious intolerance, corruption, injustice and resignations of self-serving politicians in our beloved Malaysia!

I do have many readers or followers from the US and of course UK and other European countries. I am sure many of them find it difficult to understand the issue of certain Islamic Groups and I dare even to venture, the ruling Government or UMNO more specifically are keen to force the Christians to stop using the word "Allah" in their religious services.

Even we Malaysians, especially those who live in Peninsular Malaysia and even some Christians here do not fully understand the issues at hand. Our brothers and sisters in East Malaysia ( States of Sarawak and Sabah) will be badly affected by this ban.

I come across a very good article by Jakarta Post on some comments by Azmi Sharom of University of Malaya on how the crux of the problem facing plurality in Malaysia" are the twin issues of race and religion. I reproduce here for my foreign visitors and perhaps this article can bring some clarity in our current Malaysian internal affairs concerning race, and religion intertwined in our history.

"And its roots are found in the very constitution of Malaysia, which, in Azmi's words, "was and is a strange creature that combines liberal democratic ideals and what can only be described as racially based preferential treatment".

The Malaysian constitution stipulates that "Islam is the religion of the federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the federation."

Prior to Malaysia's independence in 1957, it was the Alliance Party (later Barisan Nasional) - consisting of the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) and the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) - that had suggested the inclusion of this article.

It was, obviously, a shrewd political maneuver by UMNO to gain support from the Islamic groups, and blessed by its two partners.

Such a move, however, did not make Malaysia an Islamic state. The Alliance assured the Reid Commission, responsible for drafting the Malaysian constitution, that "The observance of this principle . shall not imply that the state is not a secular state."

UMNO was aware that without the support of the two other parties, it was in no position to singularly represent the diverse Malayan federation and the multiracial and pluralistic Malaysian society.

The Reid Commission was further assured by the trio that, "Making Islam the official religion of the federation is primarily for ceremonial purposes, for instance to enable prayers to be offered in the Islamic way on official occasions, such as the installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong *King*, Merdeka Day *Independence Day* and similar occasions."

Tunku Abdul Rahman, one of the founding fathers of the Malaysian state, was more blunt in saying that, "I would like to make it clear that this country is not an Islamic state, as it is generally understood; we merely provide that Islam shall be the official religion of the state."

The Malay rulers were a step ahead in asking the commission to ensure that "in an independent Malaya all nationals should be accorded equal rights, privileges and opportunities, and there must not be discrimination on grounds of race and creed". They were not in favor of any special preferential treatment for the Bumiputra, or the indigenous Malays.

The Alliance, however, saw the large chunk of indigenous Malays as its potential vote-bank, and was eager to impress them by appearing as a hero. Thus, special quotas for entry into the civil service, public scholarships and public education were proposed.

The commission was left with no choice but to accept the proposal, granting the King of Malaysia responsibility for safeguarding the special position of the indigenous peoples.

The provisions, however, were temporary in nature. The Reid Commission suggested that 15 years after independence, such provisions should be reconsidered, and that the "legislature should then determine either to retain or to reduce any quota or to discontinue it entirely".

Tun Dr. Ismail, one of the nation's founding fathers, likened the special privileges of the Malays to a golf handicap, only to be used until the time comes that such a crutch is no longer needed (The Reluctant Politician).

The article was, thus, due for review in 1972. Unfortunately, this never happened. During the 1969 elections, thanks to the ambitious politicians playing with the religious and racial sentiments of the masses to gain votes, the foundation of the Malaysian state suffered its first crack. The riots of May 13 that year were the outcome of broken promises and broken hearts.

Less than 15 years after its independence, Malaysian society was already divided between the indigenous and the non-indigenous. Malaysia was no longer united. Insensitive to this, the Malaysian government introduced economic and development policies that widened the gap, rather than build bridges.

To worsen the situation, following a wrong trait of nationalism, being Malay became identical with being a Muslim. Azmi cites the success of the Iranian revolution for the "growing Islamization of Malaysia", resulting in the "personal changes, in dress, manner of speech and shifting value systems".

But that was not the only reason. The 1980s and 1990s were also the decades of petrodollar supremacy. Money from Saudi Arabia and other affluent Middle Eastern countries flowed in freely, causing more division and more harm to Malaysian society.

The situation was such that non-Muslim Malaysians were compelled to reinstate their pre-independence identities. They were, once again, Chinese or Indian. For they would not be considered Malays if they were not Muslim.

Meanwhile, the Islamic parties gained ground, which made then prime minister Mahathir Mohammad feel threatened. In a desperate attempt to secure his position, he brought Anwar Ibrahim, popular among Malaysia's Islamists, into his fold. That way, the shrewd senior politician thought, UMNO would have their support.

The rapport between the two leaders, however, did not last long. Anwar's popularity also became the cause of his downfall, when Mahathir finally sacked him in 1998.

Without Anwar on his side, and still eager for the support of Islamist groups, Mahathir made another major political blunder in 2001: he declared Malaysia an Islamic state. His opponents knew it was a political gimmick. However, as Lim Kit Siang, a veteran opposition leader believes, it "opened the way for the Islamists".

That was the final blow to the promises made by the nation's founding fathers and rulers. In a country where political parties have always been race- and community-based, the blow caused almost irreparable damage.

Malaysia, our neighbor, our younger brother, begins this year with attacks on churches. Shameful. It tarnishes the image of peace-loving Malays. What is the solution? Remain Malay. Follow the religion of your heart, but keep to your own culture. Shun the Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese identities, norms, lifestyles, cultures and values - you are Malay. We are siblings. Your problems, your pains, are our problems and our pains. God protect you!