COMMENT
Perkasa’s giving out of white ‘ang pows’ to the people who attended its Chinese New Year open house, which the right-wing NGO claims was a mistake due to ignorance, exposes the flaw that sometimes characterises Malay-Muslim considerations of the Other.
Not all Malays or Muslims are insensitive towards the customs and beliefs of other races and religions – in fact, some are exemplary in their show of respect – but this instance of Perkasa giving out ang pows in envelopes the colour of which signifies death in Chinese culture is not the first and only illustration of insensitivity.
Another notable example is the serving of beef at functions, even official ones, or at private parties when Hindus are present.
This cannot be due to ignorance, especially if government departments are hosts of such functions. If ignorance is offered as a reason, there will be no end to such pleas. That’s why under the law, ignorance is no excuse.
More importantly, this nation comprising denizens of various races, cultures and religions has been around long enough for everyone to find out and understand what is offensive to the Other, and, having done so, refrain from causing such offence.
Besides, what if it were the other way around, such as if Muslims attended a function hosted by non-Muslims at which non-halal food was also served? If, say, a prominent organisation were to do that, what would be the reaction?
I would hazard that Perkasa, for one, would make a beeline to the nearest police station and make a report against that organisation. And its leader, Ibrahim Ali, would issue a condemnatory statement invoking sedition against the organisation.
If an offence such as Perkasa’s on the Chinese community still occurs, it can mean that the state has failed in educating the people to be sensitive towards the Other, and that for all its declared efforts to bring about harmony, tolerance and understanding among all Malaysians, the state may not be approaching it the right way or even doing the right thing.
Perkasa’s offence can also reinforce the perception that the majority race and the followers of the main religion of this country regard the sensitivities of the minorities too lightly.
…more
White ang pow: The state has failed us
Kee Thuan Chye
Feb 1, 2012 – Malaysiakini
Posts Tagged ‘Racism
Nazri’s most absurd comments
Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz, known for his off-tangent remarks, may have outdone himself with the latest explanation why the BN could not act against Malay rights rabble-rouser, Ibrahim Ali, for making a speech that has been widely condemned as highly seditious.
His words recorded for posterity, Nazri said the BN government could not do so because “we cannot be selective in our prosecution”.
Nazri, who is also the de-facto Law minister, was immediately shot down for his “preposterous” comments.
“This is Nazri at his most absurd. The question is only whether Ibrahim has committed an offence under the law. This, Ibrahim has under Section 298a Penal Code,” PKR vice president N Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.
“Also, I can’t recall any other person calling for a crusade against members of another religion in this country. This is the most extreme statement of this nature that I know of in recent times.”
Nazri had explained that remarks such as Ibrahim’s were not uncommon on Twitter sites and Malaysian blogs. Should the authorities go after Ibrahim, they would also have to crack down on all the others, he said.
“It’s difficult to take action against Ibrahim now with the existence of Twitter and blogs,” Malaysiakini reported the minister as saying.
Not bogeyman but a real threat
The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) is sickened by the racist and anti-Christian rants of Ibrahim Ali, the president of Perkasa.
We are equally sickened by the tepid response from the home minister and the rest of the BN government to his incessant and increasingly rabid provocations.
Most recently, Ibrahim has called for a crusade against Christians. He has said that he is ready to fight, he is prepared to be detained under the Internal Security Act, he is willing to answer to a higher power if he is wrong.
His words clearly indicate that there is nothing holding him back from initiating an attack against Christians or those parties he suspects are backing the unsubstantiated “Christian conspiracy.” This makes him a dangerous threat to Malaysia’s peace, stability and security.
Therefore, it is alarming to note that there has been no action taken against Ibrahim. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has merely said that Ibrahim does not speak for all Malays. He expressly denied that Ibrahim is not an extremist, but said that there were extremists in the Chinese community.
Interlok – Unfit textbook
In a nutshell, Interlok is an unfit and improperly assigned text that negates the Ministry of Education’s own guidelines through its multitude of sensitive and offensive elements.
It makes out the atypical to be the archetype, such as the Chinese selling their daughters. The general public is yet to realise how distorted, if not dangerous, the novel is as a piece of racial propaganda until they read it for themselves.
For non-readers of Malay or those less well versed in the language, the analysis below provides a succinct and compelling summary of all that is wrong with Interlok.
Racist ‘Interlok’
Fresh trouble is brewing over the use of “Interlok” in schools, with Chinese groups today condemning the novel’s depiction of Chinese characters as greedy, opium-smoking lechers keen to exploit Malays for profit.
Having weathered a storm of controversy from the Indian community over the novel’s use of the word “pariah”, the Education Ministry now faces Chinese calls to drop the “racist” book from the Form Five Bahasa Malaysia syllabus.
In a statement today, Chinese associations from across Malaysia said the book was not only offensive to Indians but Chinese as well, as it depicted the character Kim Lock as a “miserly opium addict and callous adulterer” and his son, Cing Huat, as “cunning, greedy, unscrupulous and someone who would happily sell his daughters”.
“‘Interlok’ in its totality propagates the ideology of ketuanan Melayu. In our considered opinion, this novel is not only unhealthy but an insidious poison,” the statement said.
DPM insults interfaith committee
Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have attacked Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remarks that the interfaith committee set up by the Cabinet only consisted of “small-fry,” with Lim Kit Siang claiming it was an example of the government’s indecisive policies.
Muhyiddin had said this morning the lack of any legal powers vested in the committee meant it would not have any influence over the nation’s official religion.
In response to this, Lim, the DAP advisor, said that the DPM’s comments were “insulting” and “a put-down on the role of the inter-faith panel” announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
“This shows a big divide between proclamation and reality. When Tsu Koon announced the inter-faith panel, the impression given was that it was a major breakthrough,” said Lim.
The DAP man said that Muhyiddin’s ridiculing of the panel showed yet another sign of flip-flopping from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.
Lim continued by saying the DPM’s statement appeared to damage the 1 Malaysia concept. “On one hand, sweet sounding promises are being made by Najib, but on the ground the actual action speaks otherwise.”
“It is flip-flopping. If Tsu Koon has any dignity left, throw in the towel and resign in protest,” said Lim.
Neither the prime minister nor his deputy appear to understand their own ideology of 1 Malaysia or the Federal Constitution. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin believes he is Malay first and Malaysian second.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak believes this is perfectly fine and in accordance with both the Constitution and 1 Malaysia. These beliefs seem to be misplaced.
Earlier this year, the prime minister announced his 1 Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) to great fanfare. The programme is meant to reform the civil service and our institutions, bringing our public servants in line with the philosophy of 1 Malaysia. I think we can all agree (except perhaps for Perkasa and some other chauvinists of various creeds and colours) that 1 Malaysia, at its core, is a good idea.
Who could be against national unity, after all? The GTP roadmap, available on the government website (http://www.transformation.gov.my/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=&task=doc_download&gid=37&lang=en), elaborates on page 11: “1Malaysia is built upon the foundations of our Federal Constitution, various laws and policies, the Rukun Negara, Vision 2020 and the National Mission.”
It continues: “The goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia … a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second.” The GTP roadmap repeats this unequivocal statement on page 69, and adds: “Such a goal is envisioned both in the Constitution as well as in the aspirations of Vision 2020.”
The government’s public stand is clear and unequivocal: under 1 Malaysia, we ought to be Malaysian first — nothing less. The Prime Minister cannot deny this — after all, he authored the foreword to this public document, and affixed his signature to it!
April 01, 2010 – Straight Talk
PM Najib is forced to go back to the Barisan old script when he was asked to react on his deputy statement that he was “Malay 1st, Malaysian 2nd”.
Najib defended his deputy, “Being a Malay doesn’t mean that you are against 1Malaysia or you don’t think like a Malaysian.” “Similarly, if you are a Malaysian Chinese, it doesn’t mean that you don’t think like a Malaysian or subscribe to the concept of 1Malaysia,” he said.
Najib’s knee-jerk reaction on Muhyiddin’s statement unmasks his own understanding about nation building and the 1Malaysia concept.
The lack of national affinity and shared destiny is the main obstacle for 1Malaysia. It is sad to note that the 1Malaysia founder himself does not share the vision of nationhood and citizenship. If Najib does not trust his own nation building agenda, he should not have misused the name, Malaysia. 1Malaysia is not consistent with Ethnicity 1st, Nationality 2nd.
We cannot blame Muhyiddin for his lack of national identity because nation building was not featured in the Barisan rule over the last 5 decades. Barisan is an antithesis to 1Malaysia and nation building. The most important element in a nation building project is to outlaw racial discrimination. Barisan is the epitome of racism and racially based politics.
Najib cannot remain coy and silent on the demands, attacks and allegations made against the Chinese community, in particularly, by Perkasa.
Interestingly, a politician such as Ibrahim Ali needed racism to resurrect his career. Of course he is enjoying the media limelight at the moment. At the Aljazeera interview, he lambasted “If these people say that they are second-class citizens, don’t talk s**t! Don’t talk s**t! I repeat three times, don’t talk s**t!”
Not so Perkasa
APRIL 2 2010 – Malaysian Insider
APRIL 2 — Perkasa is an interesting NGO. Their raison d’être appears to be predicated on the following:
- the right of Bumiputeras to own 67 per cent the nation’s economic wealth because they form the majority;
- the ISA as being integral to 1 Malaysia;
- the word Allah is exclusive to Muslims.
We must salute Perkasa for having the gumption to be pig-headed (or katak puru-headed if you wish) on issues such as the above.
They are certainly being made at a time when the climate appears cold to their views, with the government talking of the New Economic Model, the ISA possibly being amended and the High Court allowing the Herald to use the word Allah in their publications. Still, climate change doesn’t determine the answer to the RM64,000 question — is Perkasa objectively justified in championing those issues? Let’s deal with each of their stand in turn.
Perkasa’s national economic policy proposal makes for fascinating reading. In effect, they are suggesting that a community is entitled to the national economic pie purely on the basis of their numbers within the nation and without any qualifications.
The problem is that their proposal seems irreconcilable with what the Reid Commission had to say on the issue and wherein they noted that:
“… We found that there are now four matters with regard to which the special position of the Malays is recognised and safeguarded:
1. … Malay reservations of land …
2. … admission to the public services …
3. … permits or licenses for the operation of certain businesses …
4. … scholarships, bursaries and other forms of aid for educational purposes …”
“We found little opposition in any quarter to the continuance of the present system for a time, but there was great opposition in some quarters to any increase of the present preferences and to their being continued for any prolonged period.”
and then recommended that:
“… with the integration of the various communities into a common nationality which we trust will gradually come about, the need for these preferences will gradually disappear. Our recommendations are made on the footing that the Malays should be assured that the present position will continue for a substantial period, but that in due course the present preferences should be reduced and should ultimately cease so that there should then be no discrimination between races and communities.
“We recommend that after 15 years there should be a review of the whole matter …”
In other words, the special position could exist but in a qualified way depending on the subject matter — such as land, education, etc. — and always for a finite term.
Notice what’s missing? Population as a basis to extend or enhance special position is nowhere to be found. So much for that.
…read more (Malaysian Insider)
Muhyiddin mirrors Umno’s dilemma
The shocking and defiant statement made recently by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that he identified himself more with his race than his nationality reveals the difficulties that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) faces.
He was responding to opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang’s challenge to him to state whether he was Malay first or Malaysian first.
First, Muhyiddin was making a public statement with both eyes on his own effective audience, which was not the imaginary Malaysian, but the imaginary Malay. This is clear from his fearful caveat that if he said he was Malaysian first and Malay second, “All the Malays will shun me … and it’s not proper”. He was hinting that his statement was not an honest one; just a politically expedient one.
Here lies the crux of the matter. Many leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) have for decades been appealing to their own low opinion of what the Malay ground feels.
This perception is kept alive partly by Umno’s need to convince the Malay community that it is basically a helpless lot that needs eternal party protection, and partly by the gap that has opened up between the Umno leadership and the changing Malay community.
The notion that the Malays are in danger of disappearing is the bogeyman that Umno’s leadership seems to have trouble discarding. Despite — perhaps because of — the fact that young Malay voters are showing increasing support for opposition Malay-led parties that avoid mention of racial exclusivism, some leaders in Umno are moving to fill the vacuum opening up at the other end.
