I am Malay first, says DPM
March 31, 2010
Deputy Prime Minister’s Score: I am Malay First
By FMT staff (www.freemalaysiatoday.com)
Although the scoreline indicates that “Malaysian” won the match, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, however, said as far as he is concerned, he is Malay first.
The UMNO Deputy President said if he called himself Malaysian first, he would be shunned by his own race. However, Muhyiddin also stressed that he is very much Malaysian. “I am Malay first but this doesn’t mean I am not Malaysian,” he told reporters in Parliament.
Muhyiddin was responding to a challenge by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, who asked the Deputy Premier to state which came first for him – being Malaysian or Malay.
Lim does not understand 1Malaysia
According to Muhyiddin, Lim has failed to grasp the true meaning of the government’s “1Malaysia” concept. “How can I say I’m Malaysian first and Malay second?” he asked. “All the Malays would shun me… and it’s not proper.”
Earlier today, Lim said Muhyiddin should resign if he is not prepared to declare that in accordance with 1Malaysia goal, he is Malaysian first and Malay second.
The opposition stalwart was reacting to Muhyiddin’s earlier comments, where he accused Lim of attempting to create fissures between Najib and him. Muhyiddin had taken the Ipoh Timur MP to task for questioning his commitment to the 1Malaysia concept.
He explained that the concept is aimed at fortifying racial unity, and is not a form of assimilation where a person’s indentity is erased and does not reject the special rights of the Malays as claimed by Lim.
‘Malaysian first, Chinese second’
However, Lim, who declared himself Malaysian first and Chinese second, said it is clear that Muhyiddin believes in the maxim that the best defence is offence.
“He completely evaded the three questions which I described as the three acid tests as to whether he really supports Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and has the 1Malaysia DNA,” he added.
The three acid tests for Muhyiddin were:
- Whether he agrees to the establishment of an opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia;
- Is he prepared to declare that the basis of 1Malaysia is ‘ketuanan rakyat’ and not ‘ketuanan Melayu’; and
- Is he prepared to endorse the objective of 1Malaysia as defined by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion or region second.
Lim said he also framed a fourth question as a result of the “evasion and prevarication” by UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin during the exchange in Parliament.
The fourth challege to Muhyddin was: Whether he is prepared to declare that the basis of the Malaysian Constitution is Ketuanan Rakyat and not Ketuanan Melayu?
‘Desperate politician’
Lim lambasted Muhyiddin for going on the offensive to launch a baseless and scurrilous attack against him, “alleging that I had questioned Malay special rights and rejected the differences in identity of the different races and the spirit of the constitution”.
“Muhyiddin must be a very desperate politician that he had to make such a baseless charge, as I had refuted the allegation that I opposed Article 153 of the Constitution.
“Isn’t Muhyiddin’s refusal to make such a declaration the best proof that he does not fully support Najib’s 1Malaysia concept?” he asked.However, Muhyiddin claimed that the “chauvinistic” DAP was rattled by 1Malaysia’s success.
Arguing that there is nothing wrong in leaders fighting for the needs of their race, the deputy premier asked if Lim would state that he is not going to stand up for Chinese rights.
“It does not mean that when we help the Malays, we won’t help the Chinese,” he said. Muhyiddin also took a swipe at DAP’s ‘Middle Malaysia’, challenging Lim to prove that PAS and PKR supported compared to the 1 Malaysia concept which is backed by all BN component parties.
During his first Cabinet meeting after taking over the leadership reins last April, Najib had reportedly urged his ministers to think of all citizens as members of one team rather than people of different races. He also made a plea for all Malaysians to discard their ethnic mentality and think and act as one people.
…if he says he is a malaysian, like lim kit siang reiterated/insist, that we all malays, indians and chinese are,………his ‘ma chais’ in umno may desert him and not endorse him as pm when the opportunity arise….
vflai - March 31, 2010 at 8:08 pm
When I served the government overseas I always refered to myself as Malaysian -Indian when asked. Otherwise I always said that I am a Malaysian.
Thumb Logic - March 31, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Muhyiddin’s one upmanship on Najib. Muhyiddin’s call-card for PERKASA. The fight is on for the UMNO Presidency.
Frank - March 31, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Going by Muhyiddin’s learned logic as a Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia that he will be shunned by his own race ( Malays ) if he declares himself a Malaysian, it is no wonder that Malays shunned Chinese and Indians & Malaysians or for that matter all other races of the world ! It doesn’t matter if a person is good or bad or a rapist or a murderer , as long as you are a Malay , it is good !
with him as Deputy PM , what future has Malaysia got ?
What NEM ? Malaysia Bolih !
thebaDderMen - March 31, 2010 at 8:30 pm
It’s shorty’s right to call himself anything he wants too. Surely we can’t impose our thinking processes or will on anyone else, much less the numero duo. But it’s things like these, that general public opinion is based.
I guess when he meets his Maker, he’ll say: “I am a “Malay Malaysian”. And the Lord God will answer: “Why? How did that happen?!”
Menyalak-er - March 31, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Oh yes, the intelligent Malays know not only where you are from but also where you are heading – down !
With idiots like you as their leaders, the Malays are being led towards the abyss, not away from it !
We do not care, that is your choice, as long as you do not drag Malaysia and other Malaysians down with you as well.
The way you are going, ther ewon’t be a Malaysia left, let alone a Malay race !
ocho-onda - March 31, 2010 at 8:40 pm
That means Lee Chong Wei, who won the All England’s Trophy is Chinese. If he says he is Malaysian , then all Chinese will shun him.
By the Mahathir, Indian first or Malays. You see he was Indian before he became Malay.
Sam01 - March 31, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I wonder what Muhyiddin would say who he is when he meets his 72 virgins.
One more thing, I am curious about what he would say who he is when he meets with overseas Malaysian students.
Here’s one: Muhyiddin at a joint press conference with US President atthe White House, “President Obama, allow me to correct you, I am not a Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, I am a Malay Deputy Prime Minister”.
President Obama:I apologise on behalf of the American people the mistake and I wonder why our US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is not up to speed on such important proctocol.
Muhyiddin:Well, you see, I am the Deputy President of UMNO, that’s a MALAY political party, NOT a Malaysian political party, which is now running the country with other junior partners. ALL my members are Malays including Indian Muslism who prefer to call themselves Malays. If I am referred as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, I will be shunned by the Malay community and that will be the end of my political career. Just like how you refer to China’s President Hu Jin-Tao as CHINESE President Hu Jintao. For that reason, I am a MALAY, not a Malaysian, Deputy Prime Minister .
Frank - March 31, 2010 at 8:52 pm
The Malays or more accurately UMNO wants to play race politics because the Malays make up some 60% of the electorate in Peninsular Malaysia and respond to racial issues more easily than they do ideological ones, and the non-Malays or more accurately DAP wants to move away from issues of race because the non-Malays are in the minority. PAS has always been an anomaly. PKR doesn’t know if it is coming or going.
So what’s new??
Mr Bean - March 31, 2010 at 8:56 pm
“I wonder what Muhyiddin would say who he is when he meets his 72 virgins.” Frank
Maybe: “Tengok! Saya bers*nat stylo Melayu!”
Menyalak-er - March 31, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Mooheedin is right he is from a United Malay not a United Malaysia
party. So all this while UMNO is illegal and racist. Najib has been
wrong to introduce 1 MALAYSIA not to understand UMNO is a Malay
organization. What a nation silly leaders . Perhaps APCO do not
understand what is UMNO or they just want our tax payer easy money.
ajajal - March 31, 2010 at 9:10 pm
We are proudly Malaysian. One People and One Nation–Din Merican
Din, unfortunately YOUR Deputy Prime Minister does not agree with you.
YOUR Deputy Prime Minister prefers this sentence:
.
Frank - March 31, 2010 at 9:26 pm
La-di-la, read the comment above again. I did not say the Creator asked, but the stoolie volunteered the info. Why are you reading it ‘serong’?
Menyalak-er - March 31, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Menyalak-er
La-di-la is confused on what you wrote while I am confused of La-di-la’s sex. Someone said “pondan”, but that word is rather crude.. the more polite phrase is teloq in panties
Frank - March 31, 2010 at 9:51 pm
“Muhyiddin was responding to a challenge by DAP veteran LKS who asked the DP to state which came first for him – being Malaysian or Malay”
Mr.LKS Please stop saying such stupid things.
Isa Manteqi - March 31, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Isa, the answer is still relevant. Most will answer with Malaysian first, then race and only if necessary religion (or none) as the case might be.
LKS’s question might smack on ‘entrapment’, but there is a need for real leaders who have a modicum of intelligence to discern the import of the question. Rukun Negara first. This flur cannot be the Malay dPM first and only then claim to be the ‘Malaysian’ dPM. If that is the case why not a Chinese/Indian/Kadazan-Murut/Dayak etc Malaysian dPM? Cancel the dPM post if this is the case! Even though race is who we are, it does not mean what we are… only then can we proudly call ourselves a nation.
Menyalak-er - March 31, 2010 at 10:49 pm
What do naturalised Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Germans, Irish, Hispanics, Cubans, French, Blacks, English etc., citizens called themselves in the USA or UK?
They start with “I am an American…” or “I am British..”
Only here it appears are even DPM’s ashamed to call themselves MALAYSIAN first, to the extent they do not even want to be associated with those in Sarawak and Sabah let alone the Indians, Chinese and others on the mainland!! And there is that owner of an MSM who would rather die than have race removed from his IC!!
What an embarrasment and shame!! 1 M’sia? My ass! Pink-lipped service, that’s all!!
dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human Race
donplaypuyks - March 31, 2010 at 11:05 pm
LKS’s “challenge” is politicking of the worst kind -much like the so-called on-going controversy about the Jews and Israel and that Company (APCO? or whatever).
Some of us still have old fashioned ideas that parliament is about helping govern a country and not scoring political points over each other.
Isa Manteqi - March 31, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Dear YB DPM,
Most people only understand simple English. Malay 1st; Malaysian
2nd, means what it means as simple as that. If one attempt to explain and justify , it is futile This statement taken in relation 1Malaysia will confuse many.
Please YB DPM , bring back this spirit of MALAYSIAN, not to worry , Malays have nothing to fear or lose. The true spirit of this great nation, strong will help the weak.
There are hundreds of thousands of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ceylonese, Sikhs, Portugese, Eurasians, etc , gentlemen and ladies who are in the age group 60′s, 70′s and 80′s would like to see this Blessed country, Malaysia free of racial policy and politics. These group of gentlemen and ladies had given much to the great nation since 1957. I am in my 60′s , I am sure many of us before we depart from world would like to see our blessed country Malaysia as one united Malaysian Malaysia. Please grant our wish, stop promoting racial based society and economy, “They and Us ”
YB DPM, why always UMNO has to bring up Article 153 of the Federal Consititution. Does the Malays always want to fall back on a ” disincentive and handout law” ?
Are the Malays enmasse worry about not able to make a living to live or just UMNO.
This is a great nation, the Almighty God has blessed this nation with abundance of water, good all year round weather and resources. Why worry, all Malaysians will rise to built this nation further to achieve Wawasan 2020.
We will never starve, Many of us, in the 60′s age group had served in private and public sector, we know there are hundreds of thousands acres of idle land scattered throughout the country. which used to be padi planting land, belong to the Malay kampong folks, the Paciks and Maciks no longer able to work on the land.
Meanwhile, we are importing hundreds thousands metric tonnes of rice a year. We can produce enough rice of our own. If only BN government dare to make these idle land available for Malaysian to plant padi.
Try out just one time , say in Johore , in 2011 the goverment will make available 5,000 acres for padi growing to any Malaysian who wants to grow padi, application is based on first come first serve basis, application is opened on such and such date at such and such office. ( Please do not get MCA, MIC or UMNO involved ) I bet you many Chinese, Indians and hardworking Malays, will camped out 3 days or 1 week before the date and the queue will be 1 km long to apply for the land. The Riot Squad may have to be present to maintain order. This is a fact.
Here is another story for you, YB DPM, in the course of work in the past we had vistors from Japan and Taiwan , when we drove them to smaller towns using trunk roads. The vistors, never missed to notice and comment why so much idle land and we do not grow anything. The embrassing part is some of these idle lands have beautifuly constructed irrigation system beside them.
They could still comment that the Government must had spent alot of money constructing the irrigation system.
The pass is passed. We cannot start from the beginning but we can start from TODAY and have a brand NEW ENDING
chinlwu - April 1, 2010 at 12:49 am
Did you also drive them around towns and did they ask you why Malaysians refer to pigeon holes in the wall as their houses??
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 5:23 am
Muhyiddin might not be the smartest Deputy PM Malaysia/ politician never had, but maybe he is honest enough to say what he feels inside him. That in a nutshell is the major problem facing a majority of the Malays , due to a combination of their coconut shell mentality and the wow & awe of the Ketuanan Melayu propaganda. That might also be the Achilles Heel of the Malays
thebaDderMen - April 1, 2010 at 8:18 am
Ethnically, I am a Malay (if a mamak can fit that definition). My nationality is Malaysian. Why can’t we be both. I will not reject my being a Malay since “Malaysian” is a just political construct. For once I think, the Deputy Prime Minister is right. At least he is very frank on this and I respect him for his frankness.
We people in Penang have for generations lived as Malays, Chinese and Indians in harmony. We did not care about our ethnicity. Kit Siang is Chinese and he knows that. He is Chinese first, although in the name of populist politics of the day he is Malaysian first.
Ahmadi Hussein - April 1, 2010 at 8:55 am
Like I said before, such “questions” as LKS has posed are nothing but politicking of the worst kind. They serve no useful purpose in our effort to build a better Malaysia.
People with the experience of LKS should know better…
Isa Manteqi - April 1, 2010 at 9:03 am
There are Irish, German, Italian, Jews, hispanics, middle easterns, east Europeans and Asians etc but they don’t go around identifying themselves as such. About the only time when they are reminded of who they are ethically is when they do their 10-year population census when they are asked to place themselves into the different categories. We just submitted in our Census Report.
It is time Malaysia do away with identity documents stating their race and religion. What relevance does that have?
So Muhyiddin is being honest about it. His IC says he is Malay and not Malaysian. We are reminded of who we are ethnically wherever we go, whatever we do every second of our lives.
It is in the news today that racism is a sickness.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 9:20 am
So you are Malay first. So what’s your point Mr DPM?
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 10:19 am
It is time Malaysia do away with identity documents stating their race and religion. What relevance does that have? Bean.
Hello Bro. Bean,
tean - April 1, 2010 at 10:36 am
For once I think, the Deputy Prime Minister is right. At least he is very frank on this and I respect him for his frankness.- Ahmadi Hussein
For God sake, he is a Deputy Prime Minister. You don’t make such press statements or statements in Parliament.
Being frank does not make him right. There are do’s and don’ts when you are holding such a high office.
Well, you and I, kucing kurap in the scheme of things, can say we are Malay or Chinese first.
Muhyiddin has just shown he does NOT have the calibre or an intelligence of a leader. He is what Romans would call, an ordinary plebeian, slightly better off than the kampung folks materially but with an outlook worst than the more respectable pak cik and mak cik.
Muhyiddin’s rise to power is accidental. It so happens the senile old man wanted someone who is weak to be the deputy to Najib so that his son Mukhriz will be seen as the pretender to the UMNO leadership, while Najib, as the senile old man knows, muddles through his term with help of talismans and air-tawar given by Tok bomohs employed by Rosmah.
Mahathir engages in his post-retirement politcs for a very selfish reason. It has nothing to do with his concern by the future of the Malays. He had already admitted at the UMNO Assembly just before he retired that he had failed to remove the crutches of the Malays. He returns back to meddle in our national and UMNO politics to position Mukhriz so that the Mahathir Mamak dynasty carries as the Razak-Onn dynasty had been since 1957.
The only stumbling block to the senile old man’s selfish scheme is the dark horse in UMNO, ie Khairy Jamaluddin.
Just watch when Mahathir makes his move to ENSURE Mukhriz gets the UMNO Chief post.
The only way the Malays can get out of this dynastic monopoly of UMNO is to make sure that Mukhriz does not get the UMNO Youth Chief position in the next UMNO election.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 10:38 am
Guys,
It does not really matter what we want to call someone as long as we don’t offend anyone.
If we want to describe someone by their ethnicity, in America, Shrek (if he is naturalised) is a Malay or Asian American, like Obama is Afro American while in the U.K., Jimmy Choo , Ungku Abdul Aziz and RPK are British Malaysians.
Having said that, in every other country, whether one is a natural born or naturalized citizen , one is a national of that country, eg, American, British, Australian, Irish, etc – period.
It is sad that in Malaysia we still identify and look at ourselves by our race .
The issue with Muhyiddin is that he shot himself in his foot, when he categorically stated that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, which is not exactly what Najib’s One Malaysia is all about, is it ?
ocho-onda - April 1, 2010 at 10:48 am
My feeling is that deep down inside the majority of Malays in this country, they consider themselves first and foremost Malays, then only Malaysian, unlike most non-Malays who are more interested in getting rid of this racial-discrimination tag we have been suffering as a result, over these 3-4 generations under NEP. If a Malaysian Chinese were to call himself ‘Chinese first, then Malaysian’, he would have asked to leave this country. To this regard, it is true that the Malays, be they in UMNO, PAS or PKR, are still under this ‘siege mentality’ of their own racial identity.
barry - April 1, 2010 at 10:48 am
Friends,
What is wrong being Malays, Chinese and Indians?. In my case, I am a hybrid of sorts because my late mom is first generation Muslim convert of Tamil parents from Ceylon/Sri Lanka, my paternal grandfather is half-Chinese, and my dad is half Malay and quarter Chinese and quarter Indian, and I grew up as a Malay and a Muslim, and am proud of my race and religion.
I will not apologise for my ethnic origins. But it makes no difference to me. Before that I am Malayan and now I am Malaysian (after 1963). I consider myself a Malay first and at last as that is my identity. But I am also a Malaysian (but how do we define “Malaysian”?). I have no problems with Frank, Tean and others.
Although I have great respect for Lim Kit Siang, I do not think he should have made this a political issue. It is a no brainer. He is free to call himself Malaysian first, Chinese second. But he himself cannot give me a satisfactory definition of the word “Malaysian”.–Din Merican
dinobeano - April 1, 2010 at 11:52 am
Din,
Nobody is questioning your ehtnic origins, but it DOES make a difference (big difference) if you are a Chinese here in Malaysia, and if you dare to declare that you are first and foremost a Chinese, then a Malaysian – try that, and you will soon find yourself being chased out like a dog, by the Malays! What LKS did was merely to point out the sheer hypocrisy of this 1-Malaysia concept which is supposed to encourage the unity and the pre-eminence of the Malaysian race, not the pre-eminence of the Malay race. What is so difficult about the accepting the definition of ‘Malaysian’ to you, Din? Malaysian is about being loyal to the country, serving and doing what is best for the country regardless of RACE and religion.
barry - April 1, 2010 at 12:06 pm
I consider myself a Malay first and at last as that is my identity. But I am also a Malaysian (but how do we define “Malaysian”?). I have no problems with Frank, Tean and others.- Din
It is such attitude that is the cause of the current malaise of our Malaysian society.
To have a Deputy Prime Minister and a respected blogger like yourself to declare your race FIRT and nationality SECOND, means this country is going to the dogs faster than I had envisaged.
As Mr. Bean rightly said and asked , we are being made aware of our race everyday, so what is the point?
For a multiracial country like Malaysia, it does not serve any positive purpose except for political mileage.
Din, your attitude on this issue is very disappointing coming from someone who articulated laudable feel-good rhetorics. Perhaps you have been too influenced by the political views of people like Sakmongkol AK47 in your personal interaction with him recently.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I am inclined to believe that this latest comment by Muhyiddin is part of the overall strategy of UMNO to bring back the politics of race into the national political environment.
UMNO’s raison d’etre is to focus on race ie Malay-centric issues like Muhyiddin’s latest declaration, and that is the only way to win votes for the coming election or byelection from the Malay heartland.
Making race MORE important than nationality ie Malaysian.
It also jives in with Perkasa coming into the fore-front of Malay politics.
And Din, a mixed race Malay bought into the race-based propaganda of UMNO to come and tell us here that HE IS A MALAY FIRST.
There is paradigm shift in attitude of Din after he left PKR late last year. And the shift is towards UMNO’s race-based politics.
I got to say, UMNO is doing well to bring race back to win the next GE and something tells me that Din would now prefer UMNO -BN to win govt rather than PR.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Most probably there is less than 5 % of Malays who can transcend race in their outlook and, as from today, I am sure for now, Din is NOT one of them.
A frogging of attitude to the dark side of Malaysian politics. Really sad!!!
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 12:32 pm
This posting by “romerz” says it all on the bastardization of Malaysian politics arising from Muhyiddin’s declaration…..(and similar declaration followed by Din on his blog). Perhaps, Muhyiddin might give serious thought to making Din, an ambassador soon.
CLICK HERE: True patriotism – 1st or last, what does it matter?
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 12:45 pm
If you want to know everything that is bad with “I am a Malay FIRST” attitude, go and read this worth-while lastest article by Sakmongkol AK47, “The promises of NEM-1″. Another recommended reading on the NEM and how the “I am Malay First” attitude will distort the NEM’s admirable objectives.
Look, as I have said before, I may disagree with Sakmongkol AK47′s too frequent polemics on Malay-centric issues which sometimes border on the ridiculous, but when he discusses and makes his point on other national issues like NEM etc, I cannot disagree with him. He makes plenty of sense in what he says if he writes forgetting that he is an UMNO man.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Mr. Bean,
” pigeon holes in the walls as their house ”
Since you asked, the answer is yes. The question in this case was not from the Japanese or Taiwanese, but from Germans and Americans.
Those ” pigeon holes” along Jalan Loke Yew , Jalan Tun Razak,Jalan Cheras and Kerinchi are really eyesore.
There are too much “underhand dealings ” between the building approving Authorities and developers( with MCA or UMNO politicians backing). As simple as that, no more such buildings in the city limits, not even condons more than 10 stories.
Let us stop these ” blood sucking profiteering developers” , get rid of the ” pigeon hole ” living image. Malaysian does not have to live like people in Hong Kong or Singapore. How is it that all these companys , MK Land, IOI, even EON , etc holding hundreds or thousands of acres of lands in their LANDBANK.
chinlwu - April 1, 2010 at 1:20 pm
“…How is it that all these companies , MK Land, IOI, even EON , etc holding hundreds or thousands of acres of lands in their LANDBANK?”…” – chinlwu
Simple. The people in these companies profited from the “I AM A MALAY FIRST” policy of UMNO, made publicly known by Muhyiddin and supported by Din. Din will no problems with those “pigeon-hole’ buildings, after all, they are in consonance with the “I AM A MALAY FIRST” economic policy.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 1:24 pm
oops!!
Din will HAVE no problems with those “pigeon-hole’ buildings, after all, they are in consonance with the “I AM A MALAY FIRST” economic policy.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 1:25 pm
A sharp line has been drawn on the sand before the sand is sold to Singapore. That is:
UMNO: I am a MALAY FIRST
PAS: I am a MUSLIM FIRST
DAP: I am a MALAYSIAN FIRST
MCA: I am a Towkay FIRST
MIC: I am a HINDU FIRST
PKR: WHAT AM I ?
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Frank,
Frankly (no pun intended), with the kind of deep-rooted racial/racist thinking the Malays have in their minds, I am beginning to lose all hopes that this country will ever be united, for we have a majority people group here who are still so deeply entrenched in their inferiority complex that they need to desperate cling on their Malay race (whatever the hell is a ‘Malay race’ is really a question no one can answer because there simply isn’t such a race) first and foremost, then as Malaysians. While I may be too late to leave this country, I shall definitely allow my children the freedom to decide where they wish to call home, with good education. I really hate to say this, but I am more than ever convinced that Malays are still the biggest racists in this country.
barry - April 1, 2010 at 2:13 pm
PKR: WHAT AM I ?
Tian Chua and Syed Husian will be declaring soon:
PKR: I am MALCHINDU FIRST!!!
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Well, judging from the Malay leadership as is of PKR, it should be “I am Malay first, then Malaysian”. I am pretty sure it’s the same thing with PAS, only “I am Muslim Malay first, then Malaysian” – no damn different to to me.
barry - April 1, 2010 at 2:21 pm
“…but I am more than ever convinced that Malays are still the biggest racists in this country….- barry
I beg to disagree with you strongly on this. I know for a fact and know first hand, Malays are NOT racist.
The political institutions set up by UMNO have cast the Malays to look racists in the eyes of the nonMalays.
Malays as individuals don’t discriminate racially when you compare that to white society ie US, UK and Australia or in Europe. In these countries, the institutions don’t discriminate you but the people are.
In Malaysia, the reverse happens, the Malays as a community DON’T discriminate, but the public institutions do. And that is because of the race-based political parties have ruled the country since 1957.
UMNO leaders for their own selfish reasons have created an climate of fear of the others among the Malay heartland and highlights their sense of insecurity, I call it racial insecurity, and UMNO keeps pumping up the feelings of “inferiority complex” among the Malays so that a distorted economic policy favouring the UMNOputras are persevered since the last 3-4 decades.
I know many Chinese friends who have Malay family friends that they would not think twice putting their lives and that of their family in the hands of their Malay friends.
UMNO is racist. That I agree. But for the Malay community, they are NOT racist. I can vouch for that and I dare speak on behalf of many nonMalays too who have interacted with Malays at the personal and family level.
Your anger at UMNO should not be transferred to the Malay community.
It is like we should not condemn the Jewish people for the evil of the Zionists.
Similary, if the stupid and opportunistic MCA Chinese are lap dogs to UMNO, it does not mean that all Chinese are lap dogs to the pariah UMNO Malays.
I totally disagree with your misplaced perception of the Malay community in the country.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Barry,
Every person is a latent racist. It depends on the environment in which he/she is in that will depend whether that latency will emerge from the individual.
I think the Chinese and Indian are equally as racist as Malay, or for that matter, a Jew, a Japanese or a Brit.
Try to go to Japan and see how they treat a foreigner. Or go to China if you happen to be an African. See how the whites and Indians living in Africa treat the local Africans.Then you will how racists they can be.
In Malaysia, the different races would have lived in a more harmonious and peaceful environment if we can abolish political parties whose objectives are to cater to the needs and wants of each RACE ie UMNO, MCA, MIC and those little indigenous-based parties in Sabah and Sarawak.
I do agree, under present political climate in the country setup by UMNO, there is little future for your children if they want to succeed based on their merits and capability.
Migration would be an option for your children.I would not discourage you on this. This option was taken by 350,000 Malaysians who left the shores to work overseas, more than half have tertiary education.
If the Govt of the day ie the country, does not appreciate your children’s talents and skills and does not give two hoots about looking after the best interests of your children, I say, let them go and serve the interests of other countries. I have no problem with that, especially if we have a DPM and a respected blogger who believe in ” I AM A MALAY FIRST” concept that will eventually translate to “I AM A MALAY FIRST” ECONOMIC POLICY ie NEM.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Ordinary Malays have been entitled to special & exclusive benefits in the RMbillions provided by the Gomen since Independence in 1957 because they are Malay & not for anything else. Obviously the name Malay has a Premium attached to it and a real Malay or a Pseudo Malay or Mamak would be a blady fool not to openly declare it, as long as UMNO is in power. It has become an in-built knee-jerk reflex action ! Each & every Malay ( including blady pretenders/ psedos/crooks/conmen ) in Malaysia would want to tell everybody he is a Malay, Muhyiddin included. So what else is new guys and gals ?
thebaDderMen - April 1, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Obviously the name Malay has a Premium attached to it and a real Malay or a Pseudo Malay or Mamak would be a blady fool not to openly declare it, as long as UMNO is in power..-thebaDderMen
thebaDderMen,
Profoundly stated. Even “5%” celup-Malay would declare he is a “Malay FIRST”.
I know of friends whose fathers are pure Indian Muslims and mothers are Chinese converts, who go round ostentatiously presenting, behaving and broadcasting they are Malay. They are right with the compliments of the Federal Constitution. And with a mixed colour of black and yellow, they are brown-colored and of course Malay looking, but they have NOT got one Malay gene or even one drop of Malay blood.
They are MORE MALAY than the ethnic Malay ( ie the Indo-Malay- Polynesian racial stock) and they are the most vocal in defending MALAY RIGHTS ( read Mahathir and his mamak cohorts) and shouting the loudest , ” I am a MALAY FIRST”.
Why do they do that? Think of NEP and now NEM, the special privileges of being Malay, the scholarships, the 10% discount in buying houses, the closed contracts, the AP permits, the step-up promotion in Govt service, the discount and priority in joing social and golf clubs, the doors opened for your children to get scholarships to go overseas to study, and if you join UMNO, well, you are on the road to being an instant millionnaire.
So it is darn stupid of the “pseudo” or “celup” Malays if they do not make an effort to publicly broadcast they are “MALAY FIRST”.
Wouldn’t you?
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 3:15 pm
I really don’t think this about rascism per se. Many can’t differentiate between nationalism and race. Their language abilities, both in syntax and context are limited.There is a serious underlying identity crisis of what this country is, as Din mentioned. That is because we have paid lip service to the Rukun-negara and never fully understood the implications.
Give a thought to how the natives of East Malaysia feel, not only the large ‘minority’ of non-Malays in the Peninsula.
What disgusts so many of us, is that numero duo who happens to be the EDUCATION minister has no inkling of that definition. He’s myopic and blur when it comes to the concept of Nationhood. Jibbo is getting no where trying to put the fire out – so now he can declare himself as The Malay PM and his Malay dPM. So be it.
Be-End has shot themselves again. 1Malaise, as i said.
Menyalak-er - April 1, 2010 at 3:36 pm
If a Malaysian Chinaman should dare call himself ‘Chinese first, then Malaysian’ in Parliament, he will most definitely be chased out by not only the UMNO monkeys, but quietly, or silently elegant, Malay MPs (in PKR and PAS) will agree that this Chinapek has no right to stay in this country. Is this not true?
barry - April 1, 2010 at 3:50 pm
If a Malaysian Chinaman should dare call himself ‘Chinese first, then Malaysian’ in Parliament, he will most definitely be chased out - barry
That is absolutely true.
Malaysian politics is ALL ABOUT RACE.
Don’t blame BN or UMNO.
Blame your friends, neighbours, workmates and relatives who voted for UMNO, MCA and MIC and GERAKAN in the last 40 years ie 8 general elections.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Frank
The popularity of this particular post as seen from the no of exciting comments bear testimony to the tour de force of the impact of Racial DNA, notwithstanding that many don’t really understand what it means.
Nonetheless, Islam categorically states that all men are brothers which makes us all of us of one race.
Whenever there is an Unending Debate on which race is superior , you know there is something sinister to cover up and which has nothing to do with race.
thebaDderMen - April 1, 2010 at 6:13 pm
The reason is simple. He’s a Malay first because he wants to pander to the Umno warlords. And a Malaysian second ‘cos that’s his boss’s requirement. He thinks he’s smart.
Tok Cik - April 1, 2010 at 7:14 pm
For me I Ringgit first. Race is an identity , People in Indonesia claim “orang Indo” that is their pride for Nationalisma. 1 Malaysia is just to fool us. It is only just shout by BN just to be equal to what PR wanted. They have other agenda that is RM first people later.
ajajal - April 1, 2010 at 7:28 pm
” I say, let them go and serve the interests of other countries.” Frank
This here is Frank playing Moses. “Let my people go!” telling the evil pharaoh. Except that in this case the pharaoh wants these people to go.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Mr Bean
Thanks for giving me the role of Moses. I am honored.
Many Jews, Christians and Muslims will be envious. I will try and see whether I can part the waters at the Johore-Singapore Causeway so more of my suppressed people can cross over.
I will try to do that parting of the sea on Good Friday. Good time to do that and get some advice from Jesus before he gets crucified. After Easter Sunday when Jesus awakes, I can’t meet Him as I will be going for a short holiday and Jesus has to go up to Heaven on a cloud on the following Monday.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Let us stop these ” blood sucking profiteering developers” , get rid of the ” pigeon hole ” living image. Malaysian does not have to live like people in Hong Kong or Singapore. How is it that all these companys , MK Land, IOI, even EON , etc holding hundreds or thousands of acres of lands in their LANDBANK.
chinlwu – April 1, 2010 at 1:20 pm
For a very long time now, property developers have been acting in collusion with vested interests in the government including politicians to ensure the appearance of a shortage in land suitable for development. They are then free to price properties way above their real values. They tell us land is short and does not come cheap, cement is not cheap, steel bars from Malayawata Steel (majority-owned by foreign interests) are expensive notwithstanding they only make up some 5% of the total construction cost etc. Over the years Malaysians end up having this hole-in-the-wall existence and some even mortgaging their retirement savings just to have a piece of the Malaysian dream which vested interests tell them they must not miss.
This collusion between big business and government ensures exorbitant profits made through property development. Politicians and bureaucrats line their pockets each time a license is issued.
How does property developers come to own huge land banks? Simple. They work in tandem with UMNO politicians. Government or public land is alienated to them for development ‘if the price is right’. Their continued patronage ensures that their land bank is replenished.
To some developers with special interests and right connections, financing is made available at special rates. Wasn’t it Anwar Ibrahim who allowed Mustafa Kamal (MK Land) to tap into the EPF?
Linked houses, cordoned off by link fences and doors and windows with iron grilles and iron gates i.e. what Malaysians today call their homes, is the result of the collusion between big business and government. Small wonder Malaysians have a siege mentality.
Small wonder people like Tok Cik takes to the back seat of his Cooper S for a bit of fresh air.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 8:55 pm
“I will try and see whether I can part the waters at the Johore-Singapore Causeway so more of my suppressed people can cross over.” Frank
There is no need for ‘Moses’ to part the Johor Straits today. The evil pharaoh with pink lips would gladly supply sampans so ‘Moses’ and his people could cross – for a small fee, of course. What do you think the NEP is all about??
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Harry Lee will not be too happy to see so many boat people heading his way and may take a leaf out of the Mahathir Playbook, “Shoo, Shoo or else I shoot’ to Vietnamese boat people then. That will of course generate controversy. Harry Lee can then deny. Isn’t that what politicians do all the time?? Deny.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 9:14 pm
The Alliance that was formed at Independence played a vital role in the subsequent peace and stability of our country. This fact must not be overlooked especially by those voices that now say that race has no place in Malaysia. The reverse is true.
If UMNO have hijacked the system for their own benefit we ought to reform UMNO and not ditch the Alliance. Race will continue to play an important part in our lives for a very long time yet.
Malaysia has already demonstrated that the different races can live harmoniously. Remove the greedy politicians and we shall once again be at peace.
LKS’s challenge to the DPM was misguided.
Isa Manteqi - April 1, 2010 at 10:18 pm
It’s not about these phony racists being proud of their race. They can go shove their foolish pride up their lazy arses for all I care !
It’s all about economics ,my friends. The same reason why that grandson of Mamak Tongkang was an Indian before he decided to become a “Malay” and the same reason why every Pakeha (whitey) in New Zealand claims to be Maori even if they only have a drop of Maori blood in them so they can have access to all the affirmative rights and privileges that go with it .
That is why we have to get rid of the N.E.P to make all the Slum lords and the rest of the rent seeking bastards irrelevant .
Without N.E.P , we won’t have idiotic leaders like Muhyiddin trumpeting about being Malay first and Malaysian second because race will no longer be an issue then .
ocho-onda - April 1, 2010 at 10:21 pm
And I am as pessimistic as ever that UMNO/BN are genuinely sincere in wanting to change the status quo. They will do anything to perpetuate their strangle hold of the country.
It is obvious that they are playing to win , playing good cop, bad cop – on one hand there is One Malaysia and on the other, there is PERKASA .
ocho-onda - April 1, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Worse still, we have that piece of paper we call the Malaysian Constitution which states categorically what is Malay and more importantly it translates to mean that losing the Malay identity means losing not just the racial identity but all the privileges as well !
ocho-onda - April 1, 2010 at 10:50 pm
An obscure clause on ‘definitions’ at the back of the Federal Constitution 1957 has been used not only to limit the so-called ‘privileges’ meant to provide equal opportunities for a period of time to the underprivileged and to a politically defined category but also as a tool to keep them in bondage and to justify their persecution.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Article 160 deals with ‘Interpretations’ and 160(2) is not meant for purposes they have been used for.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Harry Lee will not be too happy to see so many boat people heading his way</em- Mr Bean
Harry Lee welcomes boat people from across the Causeway carrying with them with 10 A1s and offer scholarships anytim and those Ph.Ds with immediate permanent residence.
Harry Lee welcoms UMNO politicians as 1-week tourists to do shopping if they carry brown bags of $$$ from their bribe collections.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 11:45 pm
To add to our scant knowledge on the teloq masin, it may please Frank to know that one Chinese friend of mine long ago, educated me on the making of one peculiar kind of teloq masin. That which is made by dipping it into horse urine.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 11:47 pm
The Chinese are stingy when it comes to sharing their trade secrets. They have earned the right to be because they don’t have the NEP working for them.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 11:52 pm
The Alliance that was formed at Independence played a vital role in the subsequent peace and stability of our country.
- Isa Manteqi
The Alliance is a coalition of race-based parties. You cannot ditch UMNO without ditching the Alliance. It is an evil Alliance and after 50 years, it would have past its use-by date if not for the voters for keeping the UMNO-BN in power till today.
You cannot credit the peaceful racial harmony to the Alliance. The credit should be given the Malay, Chinese and Indian etc communities for able to tolerate the racist excesses of of this UMNO-led Govt, except for the brief period in 1969.
I think you are stepping back into the 50s-60s thinking just like Muhyiddin is.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Moses never had to face UMNO’s policy of attrition. The pharaoh’s policy is a simple one of retention.
Mr Bean - April 1, 2010 at 11:55 pm
The Chinese are stingy when it comes to sharing their trade secrets- Mr. Bean
Not true. They share their secrets with the Triads.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Moses’s people were enslaved by the Pharoah like the economic enslavement of the nonMalays by UMNO.
Frank - April 1, 2010 at 11:58 pm
The Alliance relied on an ad hoc formula put together on the fly as we say. And it worked.
Despite cries that the old formula no longer worked and has outlived its usefulness, Pakatan has put together more of the same and claims it works. At least for them.
Mr Bean - April 2, 2010 at 12:00 am
Moses’s people were enslaved by the Pharoah like the economic enslavement of the nonMalays by UMNO.
Frank – April 1, 2010 at 11:58 pm
That is correct. Moses was right in asking the pharaoh to ‘let his people go’. Because the pharaoh didn’t want to let them go. In the case of Malaysia, the Malaysian pharaoh wants them to go.
So you’re not splitting hairs when you speak of parting or splitting the sea of Johor Straits open. You’re just splitting the wrong hair.
Mr Bean - April 2, 2010 at 12:09 am
In the case of Malaysia, the Malaysian pharaoh wants them to go.-Mr Bean
Yes, that’s true. Otherwise unemployment rate of local university graduates will reach 40%.
Malaysian pharaohs are happy to let 10A1s go away, less academic competition otherwise the passing mark in universities will have to be made lower than the current 30 passing mark for most subjects.
I had a conversation with a 70-old pak cik while waiting for collecting our medicine at the general hospital and he said that many young Malay graduates (some from his kampung) have no job and they are now selling fruits along the roadsides and some became fishmongers, and also set up car washing outfits. He said it was bad policy for the current bureaucrats who want to extend their retirement age to 58 and to 60 while these young people from Universities are jobless.
Meanwhile the children of UMNOputras who returned from overseas are getting lucrative job offers in RTM, Govt and in GLCs.
Frank - April 2, 2010 at 12:26 am
Pakatan has put together more of the same and claims it works.- Mr Bean
You are partly right. The political parties do not have as their official mandate to service needs on a race basis. Technically they are NOT race based parties. That is at least one step forward from the old coalition of race based parties under the Alliance/BN
Frank - April 2, 2010 at 12:31 am
“Technically they are NOT race based parties.” Frank
In the end a duck is a duck only when it looks like one, sounds like one and walks like one.
Mr Bean - April 2, 2010 at 12:48 am
Is Pakatan a duck or a turkey in need of a royal pardon??
Mr Bean - April 2, 2010 at 12:58 am
turkey? Thanks giving already!!
danildaud - April 2, 2010 at 2:05 am
Pakatan is a dead duck.
Mr Bean - April 2, 2010 at 3:37 am
“…It (the Alliance) is an evil Alliance…” Frank
Frank,
You are quite correct about stepping back into the Fifties. I note from the numerous blogs that many yearn for those days when ours was a much better country, thanks in no small measure to the Alliance. And I, for one,think that it IS still possible to go back to what we had.
If one or more members in the Alliance are now “evil”, we can put this right through the ballot box- all part of the country evolving politically. We were once rightly a showcase of racial harmony. We still are but with a rotten set of politicians. Ditch the politicians by all means but there is no need to get rid of the original system.
Isa Manteqi - April 2, 2010 at 9:24 am
Au contraire, La-di-la, I am proud to be Malaysian first, then a Chinese. Actually, I am now not proud of being a Malaysian (we are the laughing stock of the world, in case you haven’t noticed) and I am not really proud of the many bad things the Chinese are famous for. But definitely, I pick being a proud Malaysian first, then Chinese.
barry - April 2, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Isa Manteqi
The senile old man who ruled for 22 years totally destroyed the fabric of the Alliance and whatever there is on mutual trust and respect of the component parties. As a result you have Hishamuddin threatening MCA leaders and condoning UMNO members leading the protest of the infamous cowhead meant to insult the Indians (Hindus).
Any alliance of political parties based on race is never tenable. The seeds of destruction of the nation is inbuilt in such make-up.
The countries in the African continent could not move forward because the political parties set up after independence from the colonialists are based on tribal affiliations.
If not for our natural resources and the bedrock of old Chinese and Indian culture of tolerance and the Malay’s Islamic tolerance of others, Malaysia would have been a failed nation state worse than those African countries. Zimbabwe was one an economically thriving nation in the 70s and 80s until Mahathir’s good friend Robert Mugabe started his race-based politics to drive out the white residents.
So is the case of Zambia which in the 60s and 70s had their currency the kwacha stronger than the USD and was the world’s biggest copper exporter until President Kaunda started playing tribal politics, with massive corruption and cronyism in his party which led to the country becoming Africa’s beggar by the late 1980s.
If we continue this race based politics in the 21st century and having our Govt leaders promoting declarations like ” I AM MALAY FIRST AND MALAYSIAN SECOND” while other countries are moving ahead as nation-states, Malaysia will be a failed nation state.
More so when we have a below-par civil service employing bureaucrats fed with BTN’s racist ideology, GLCs operating of “I AM MALAY FIRST” ECONOMIC POLICIES in their corporate culture, and our tertiary institutions manned by kangkung professors and factory-like production of of half-baked graduates.
When our agriculture is an important sector, to date we do not have any higher institution of learning devoted to agriculture after the senile old man agreed to convert our Agriculture University (University Pertanian) to become Prince University ( University Putra Malaysia) producing graduates trained in cafeteria-menu list of expertise .
If the country’s smart asses, especially the Malay intelligentsia doesn’t wake up the Malay heartland to force the country to take a corner in the next 5-10 years, we will have our graduates going overseas as housemaids and waiters.
Frank - April 2, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Only failures compare themselves with failures. Winners compare themselves with other winners and will aspire to do even better.
And two wrongs will not make a right.
Just because our neighbour has committed a wrong does not give us the right to do the same, whether it is racism or whatever – that is plain stupidity. It is as good as saying you can’t tell what is right and what is wrong !
ocho-onda - April 2, 2010 at 7:10 pm
“The countries in the African continent could not move forward because the political parties set up … are based on tribal affiliations” Frank
This is putting the cart before the horse. Many of the problems faced by African countries emerging from their colonial experience are due to their countries being created WITHOUT consideration of tribal realities.
Here in Malaysia, at least in the Peninsular part, we are fortunately not tribal based. We would also NOT have had such a big racial problem if only we had stuck to the essence of our original Alliance whose essential message was “going forward with consensus and conciliation”
It has failed not because the original assumptions were flawed but because a few have managed to manipulate the system for their own interests instead of the country’s.
Race will continue to be a large factor in our attempt to solve our difficulties but will become a problem only if we let it.
Isa Manteqi - April 2, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Isa Manteqi
The colonialists adopted the same divide and rule in Africa and they did in Malaya (then) and other parts of Asia.
There is no difference between the African experience and in Asia. Look what did the Brits do when they sat down with the Siamese to partition off the Patani Sultanate into two, part of it became Southern Thailand and the other half became Kelantan. A similar situation exists for the countries in Indo-China. Hmong community were divided across national boundaries.
The colonialists ruled with an iron hand to hold the different African tribes together within the artificial boundaries they created.
Malaya was what it is because of the colonialists. It is a fait accompli for the natives after independence. Malaysia and almost all of the African countries are the products of colonialism. You cannot say Malaysia is not.
I was working in Africa for some years before and I saw first hand how tribal politics was and still being used to maintain power by demogogues in the name of democracy which led to eventual disintegration of the society. Do you know how many tribes are there in Zimbabwe, Belgian Congo, in Nigeria or in Kenya or Tanzania.
See what happened to the genocide of Rwanda, the slaughtering of Tutsis and Tutus. It is racial politics. We had a smaller version in May 1969 of the racial war of Rwanda.
It is arrogant for Malaysians to think our colonial history is different from those of the African countries or that of other Asian countries. Only difference is we made better use of our indepedence.
Frank - April 2, 2010 at 9:43 pm
“…we made better use of our independence”
In other words we succeeded DESPITE our differences while many others failed BECAUSE of them.
That is why Malaysia is still a showcase to the world, despite its politicians.
Isa Manteqi - April 2, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Isa Manteqi
“WE” is not the ALLIANCE. It is the populace.
Malaysia WAS a showcase. NOT NOW, after the church bombing and the cowhead protest, the caning of Muslim women and the outright discrimination based on race.
It does not mean that we did not have a TUTSI-TUTU tribal war like Rwanda that we are such a great model of racial harmony.
Our racial harmony hinges not on mutual respect and give-and-take compromise but based on very fragile racial tolerance.
Why are more non Malays deserting the country in droves with their talent and expertise. Is it because they are traitors despite the country’s effort to look after their best interest.
I think you have an unrealistic praise of the country beyond the realities on the ground. Is it based on armchair analysis???
Frank - April 2, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Mah Yu Ting – fatt sun king
This fellow is a frog first/swine/rat
What a farce?
please shut the fark up!
CSI - April 2, 2010 at 10:40 pm
I thought as followers of Muhammad S.A.W, Muhyiddin should have said I’m a muslim first?
Didi - April 2, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Muhyiddin = Mah Yu Ting??
Same as:
Hang Tuah = Hang Too Ah and Hang Jebat = Hang Jee Fatt ( CLICK HERE TO READ MORE on Masjid Cina: Pembongkaran Kecinaan Seorang Hang Tuah -Ibnu Hasyim )
Muhyiddin is a Chinese in disguise ? NO??
Frank - April 3, 2010 at 12:35 am
Our peace, stability and a large degree of tolerance and acceptance are reason enough to praise this country of ours. Whether it is stated from an armchair or from the rooftops is immaterial. I sometimes feel many of us do not appreciate how fortunate we are to be living here. Lots of rot to be sorted out, yes, but still a wonderful place to be living in.
Isa Manteqi - April 3, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Isa Manteqi
There is nothing wrong with the country. Nobody is complaining about the country and the flag.
It is as Mr Bean’s grand uncle the late Tunku said, “Ours is a land of milk and honey” and we don’t have to suffer earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes and hurricanes severe droughts or lack of water”.
Somebody did mention we must different between Malaysia and the Govt of Malaysia.
I believe those who were born in this land and would shed his/her blood for the country and the flag.
But I don’t think I would shed my blood supporting for the racist and corrupt policies of this present UMNO-led Govt. No siree!
Condemning the Govt and its polices does not mean we are condemning the country. You miss the point or you have been too simplistic in gauging what are said on this blog or other blogs.
Just place yourself to a young mind with 10A1 or straight A students not given a scholarship or a field of study of his/her choice without a good reason except he/she did not fit into the NEP profile. The first thing is he/she will be asking why is this country discriminating him/her as though he/she is an alien.
The country is shaped by how our leaders rule this country. Americans got the bad name because of George W.Bush’s foreign policies. Yet many feel Americans on main-street is a decent fellow.
From where you sit, yes, it would appear every is rosy and peachy in the country. Yeah, so are those millionnaires wallowing in their wealth in the Klang Valley with their children studying overseas.
What is rotten is the current Govt of Malaysia.
Frank - April 3, 2010 at 8:07 pm
oops!!
Somebody did mention we must DIFFERENTIATE between Malaysia and the Govt of Malaysia.
Frank - April 3, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Like I said, there is a lot of rot to be sorted out. The question is, how do we go about it? Slow and steady or one big WHAM??
Remember, we do have a lot to lose…
Isa Manteqi - April 3, 2010 at 10:56 pm
There is nothing wrong with this country!
THE ONLY THING WRONG IS WE HAVE A STUPID GOVERNMENT THAT IS RUN ON UMNO AND BN TERMS!
THE RAKYAT IS NOT OUT TO KILL, POISON,MAIM AND MURDER EACH OTHER.
ONLY UMNO AND PERKASA IS ASKING THE MALAYS TO DO SO, IN THE NAME OF PROTECTING THE MALAY RIGHTS & INTEREST ( THE INTEREST OF UMNOPUTRA’s TO BE EXACT, ITS CRONIES AND NEPOTISM IS TO CONTINUE)
SO FOLKS LETS KICK THEM SCUMBAGS OUT OF THIS COUNTRY & ALSO OUT OF THIS PLANET!
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR WAR MONGERS, POTENTIAL KILLERS AND MURDERERS !
CSI - April 4, 2010 at 7:06 am
Remember, we do have a lot to lose…- Isa Manteqi
Isa,
You should pose that point to UMNO,Najib’s team and Muhyiddin and the senile old man.
More importantly, do you really think those pariah UMNO Malay leaders and those supporters of Perkasa, really care ???
If UMNO does not care, by the way they run this country, and the voters who vote UMNO-BN don’t, why should we, ie the rest care?
We have a beautiful country, rich in resources, very talented people, people from different cultures and who bring the good things from their different cultures, who could really enrich our nation in more ways than one and better than our neighbours , unaffected by severe natural disasters (except for an occassional monsoon floods), and we inherited the current international language of knowledge and information, ie English, from our colonial master, our tertiary institutions used to be highly regard in the Asia Pacific region, and we immediately after independence, had a fairly solid administrative structure with a good civil service.
After 52 years of UMN-led rule, what happened. Take a simple example: Look what happened to the command of the English language of the local graduates (no better than those countries colonised by Dutch and Portuguese or French). Why the massive brain drain of talents to service other countries?
Ask yourself that instead of living in an artificial construct in your mind of a rosy and peachy nation without wanting to face the harsh realities on the ground.
We all love this beautiful country. We criticise those those running this country for leading the path of ruining this great country of ours because we love this country more.
Frank - April 4, 2010 at 12:55 pm
The question is, how do we go about it? Slow and steady or one big WHAM??- Isa Manteqi
Allow me to answer.
It has to be one bi WHAM!!
The UMNO-led govt was given UNBROKEN rule of 53 years,they did not succeed.
The nation under the 53 years of UMNO-led BN rule, became more divided, community harmony and tolerance became more fragile, an economy so severely distorted to compete on the global stage, the inability to make the major community ie Malays to be economically competitive without the large injection of financial and material support of taxpayers’ money.
With the world becoming smaller economically, borders becoming more transparent, smaller nations now rising up the ladder eg Cambodia for example, Indonesia, and the rise of regional powers close to us, India and China, I don’t think we can wait for another 50 years to change the ways the Govt should do things.
The country needs to wake up with a loud ringing alarm clock not with those slow snooze wakeup calls. It has to be now!!!
Frank - April 4, 2010 at 1:11 pm
OK. So we decide on the one big WHAM method. Kick out BN. And I suppose bring in PR. Does anybody really believe that after what has transpired since 2008, the present PR is fit to govern?
AAH… I can hear some say. But we should give them a chance. Agreed – but that chance is best given by limiting them to state governments (plus about the same number of Parliamentary seats as at present) for the next few years. This will be ample opportunity for them to prove themselves. If they do, voters will certainly prefer them to anyone else.
In the meantime how do we get BN and especially UMNO to change their stripes? This is a difficult one I admit, But I feel that the kick they received in the tsunami will slowly sink into their heads especially as most of them now realise that sufficient number of Malaysians have woken up and will not hesitate to kick them out if they persist in their corrupt ways.
This will keep the country stable and steady; give PR a chance to evolve AND (hopefully) force UMNO to reform.
The WHAM method carries the danger of falling out of the pan and into the fire.
Isa Manteqi - April 4, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Agreed – but that chance is best given by limiting them to state governments (plus about the same number of Parliamentary seats as at present) for the next few years. – Isa Manteqi
It is like asking a woman to be half-pregnant!!!!!
Frank - April 4, 2010 at 4:52 pm
I am one of those who wish that PR had lived up to their grandiose pre-2008 promises. But whichever way one looks at it, they are nowhere near ready for Putrajaya. Hence a few more years in strong opposition will not harm them or the country.
It has taken almost three decades to get to our present sorry state. A little (but only a little) time will not hurt that much. Quick fix solutions will not do the trick.
Isa Manteqi - April 4, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I am one of those who wish that PR had lived up to their grandiose pre-2008 promises.
Isa, on this point, I am in full agreement with you.
Frank - April 4, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I am one of those who wish that PR had lived up to their grandiose pre-2008 promises.
Isa, on this point, I am in full agreement with you.
Frank – April 4, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Guys,
But we need to question ourselves why and take stock of the situation and PR themselves, has to make an honest assessment of their gains and losses in terms of their performance in the way they had managed their states.
PR is so lucky that they have a honey moon period, Singapore did not as PAP was thrown into the deep end of the pool and it was either swim or drown and they succeeded only because they presevered , remained focused on their objectives and believed in themselves but most importantly, they had the strong suport and cooperation of the people to pull through because they did not have a choice – failing is not an option !
We should put ourselves in the same shoes the Singaporeans were in. We do not have a choice, we have to give PR a chance to form the next government to make the 2 Party system works and for the sakes of our PR themselves and the nation, PR had better prepare themselves for the challenging tasks ahead of them to set their markers down to run the show – failure is not an option !
ocho-onda - April 4, 2010 at 10:22 pm
ocho-onda : To make the 2-party system a reality it is not necessary for PR to govern the country. Running a few states, say for a three to five year period would do just as well. The crucial thing here is that had PR members behaved as a responsible party, willing to put their ideologies aside for the nation’s sake, I would agree with you about giving them the keys to Putrajaya.
But in two years, all we have witnessed is a bunch of opportunists, party hoppers and the like. And there is a big question mark about Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership qualities. Despite all this I feel they SHOULD be given a chance but not yet at federal level.
Like PR, BN too should be given a chance to reform. Some may say they are beyond reform but I believe that the hammering they received in 2008 will soon sink in, followed by a new realisation that for the long term interest of the country they have no choice but to listen to the voters. Too optimistic a view of BN perhaps, but worth a try.
Isa Manteqi - April 5, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Too optimistic a view of BN perhaps, but worth a try.
Isa Manteqi – April 5, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I hope you are right, Isa but then again, you can easily say the same about my willingness to give PR a chance .
At the end of the day, what really matters is that at the next GE, both BN and PR will have to prove that they have delivered what they have set out or promised to achieve – PR will be judged on how they have managed the States in their control and BN will be judged on how the country has been managed and most importantly, how successful it is in enforcing the policies that it has implemented to carry out drastic reforms, to remove the systemic rot in its administrative system .
Like I said, may the best team win.
ocho-onda - April 6, 2010 at 12:46 am
Can somebody explain to me how can DJ Dave son be considered a malay? DJ Dave is an indian who converted to Islam so how did his son becomes malay??
Didi - April 6, 2010 at 6:19 am
DJ Dave is an indian who converted to Islam so how did his son becomes malay??
I think he married a Malay woman.
Go read the Federal Constitution on the definition of a Malay.
Oh, by the way, you should spend MORE time reading the Federal Constitution because your future living in Malaysia depends on it!!!
Frank - April 6, 2010 at 10:36 am
ocho-onda – Another way would be for BN and PR to run the country as a loose coalition instead of constantly being at each other’s throat. This is especially true if we end up with a hung parliament.
I have never really understood why it is that a ruling party and the opposition spend so much time opposing each other. Watch the UK Parliament in action to see what I mean. Reports there say people are sick of politicians. No wonder.
Isa Manteqi - April 6, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Another way would be for BN and PR to run the country as a loose coalition instead of constantly being at each other’s throat. This is especially true if we end up with a hung parliament.
– Isa Manteqi – April 6, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Bad idea. All loose coalitions will end up as solid coalitions which is what we are trying to avoid if we want to create an effective two party system where both parties will be able to keep each other on their toes where by if they lose the ball, they will be voted out of the game.
Monopoly of any sort is bad.
ocho-onda - April 6, 2010 at 7:17 pm
ocho-onda : At this stage our discussion is speculative and the question of some sort of power-sharing arrangement will only arise in the event of a hung parliament. My point is that if this should happen, the two sides should put aside their political (even ideological) differences for the sake of stability and work together instead of at constant odds with each other.
It will require a massive dose of maturity on both sides – which is not apparent at present.
We all know that it will require only a small swing for a hung parliament.
Isa Manteqi - April 6, 2010 at 10:12 pm