| A Malay view of 'Ketuanan Melayu' |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Thursday, 07 February 2008 11:53 | |
| 'O people! Your God is one and your forefather (Adam) is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a black person and a black person is not better than a red person, except in piety. Indeed the noblest among you is the one who is deeply conscious of God.' - a saying of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ 'Malaysia - to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian. This is the doubt that hangs over many minds, and ... [once] emotions are set in motion, and men pitted against men along these unspoken lines, you will have the kind of warfare that will split the nation from top to bottom and undo Malaysia.' - Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore Instead of defining Ketuanan Melayu as 'Malay superiority' which is quite meaningless, philologically inaccurate, and philosophically arrogant, I think the word 'dictatorship' is closer in meaning. As you read this piece, please refrain from value judgment and from bring trapped in the prison-house of language pertaining to the word 'dictatorship'. To dictate connotes to tell, which connotes to narrate. To narrate means to weave a story based on an ideology. To ideologise means to encapsulate. To encapsulate means to be trap. Dictatorship, here might also mean an entrapment. Instead of acknowledging one's freedom to rule, one is acknowledging being in an entrapment - and to rule out of that condition. This is a form of false consciousness. Words, as a literary theorist Raymond Williams might say, must also be contextualised/situated within the economic condition they emerge in. Marx's famous dictum that human beings' existence is defined by the economic condition they are in and that this condition is already predetermined. This is a deterministic view of human history. I first read heard the phrase Ketuanan Melayu in the mid-1980s from a book by one Malik Munip. I was reading his work, at the same time reading Lim Kit Siang's 'Malaysia in the dangerous 80s', to get a sense of the argument. I was an undergraduate reading Literature, Education and International Politics. I also heard that Malay students were discouraged from reading Kit Siang's work and encouraged to read 'Ketuanan Melayu'. I love banned books and books that others tell me not to read. There is a sense of intellectual challenge to be able to read banned books. I read Mahathir Mohamad's 'The Malay Dilemma' and Syed Husin Ali's 'Malays: Their Problems and their Future' and Syed Hussein Alatas' 'The Myth of the Lazy Native' at the same time. Again, to get a sense of balance. I read Malaysian official publications on economic outlook, juxtaposing them with a close reading of analyses on the political-economy of the Malaysian capitalist state. I read the work of Freud and Marx to see where some of the major authors of the Frankfurt School of Social Research are going with their arguments on totalitarianism. I read the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata to see where the arguments on race superiority lie and what the fate of humankind will be. The idea of social dominance and racial superiority might all be primarily about economics, if we are to read the history of the development of ideologies of superiority. But my question is - who has the right to claim that this or that land belongs to this or that group of people. At what point does culture and citizenship meet and negotiate the issue of egalitarianism? When does 'the truth of one's culture' reach its limit and the question of 'the truth of citizenship' dominate? This is a very complex question Malaysians must answer after 50 years of Independence. We must open up the dialogue on this issue. Lyrical propaganda Let us look at how the idea of ketuanan Melayu is disseminated to the young. One way is through indoctrination camps in which songs are used. Over the decades, perhaps millions of Malay students like me were taught the dangerous propaganda song, 'WARISAN/Anak Kecil Main Api'(A Child Plays with Fire). One verse concerns the power of the Malays: … kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa yang akan menentukan bangsa hasil mengalir, ke tangan yang lain pribumi merintih sendiri… My loose translation of this 1980s propaganda song by the Biro Tata Negara reads: … political power is what we are only left with one that will determine the fate of our nation wealth of this nation flows into the hands of others sons and daughters of the soil suffer in solace... I do not think we have a clear understanding of what the lyrics mean. I doubt if the songwriter even understand what a 'people's history of Malaya' means. It is a song based on racist intents; its lyrics penned by one who does not have a good grasp of the political-economy of Malaysian history, let alone the latest advances in the field of psychology of consciousness. The training programes that encapsulate the theme of this song are meant to instill fear of the Malays, not of others but of themselves, and to project hatred onto other ethnic groups without realising who the enemy of the Malays really are. Using relaxation techniques to bring the brain waves in the alpha and state (conducive for suggestive and subliminal messages), trainees were put under 'half-asleep' conditions to get the ketuanan Melayu message to colonise the consciousness. The technique pioneered by Russian brain scientists Barzakov and Lozanov in the1970s, called 'suggestopedia', is used to instill the deep sense of fear for oneself and hatred of others. History is a complex syntagmatic pattern of interplay between technology, ideology, culture, inscription and institutionalisation not easily reduced to simplistic lyrics as such sung to the tune of pre-war German-nationalistic-sounding compositions. History is about the complex evolution of the ruling class which owns the technologies of control. As Marx would say, at every epoch it is the history of those who own the means of production that will be written and rewritten. The winners write history, the losers write poetry or study anthropology, some would lament. Back to the lyrics. After 50 years of independence, who is suffering in Malaysia? Who has become wealthy? Who has evolved into robber barons? What has become of our judiciary system, our universities, our city streets, our sense of public safety and security, our schools, our youth, and our entire socio-economic arrangements at the eve of the 12th general election. How has the idea of ketuanan Melayu contributed to this state of affairs? Language of power and ideology is at play in those lyrics. The definition of 'bumiputera' is at play. It has become a problematic word in this age of deconstructionism; an age wherein as the poet WB Yeats said, "the centre cannot hold". Rock musicians will recall the Scorpions' famous song 'Winds of Change' to serenade the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the breakdown of the Soviet Empire. We have to face the 'wrath' of the word. Put an end to Ketuanan Melayu For Muslims in Malaysia, this saying by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is familiar: 'Your descent is nothing to be proud of. Nor does it bring you superiority. O people! All of you are the children of Adam. You are like equal wheat grains in a bowl ... No one has any superiority over anyone else, except in religion and heedfulness. In order to consider someone a wicked person, it suffices that he humiliates other people, is mean with money, bad-tempered and exceeds the limits…' I would say that ketuanan Melayu is a dangerous concept that is threatening race relations. It is an arrogant interpretation of selective history; of a history that is largely benefiting those who profits from the ideology. Those promoting this concept are not well-versed in the matters of philosophy of history. I do not think thinking Malays these days subscribe to the idea of 'Malay dominance and dictatorship'. If there is a ketuanan of one race, then the rest are 'slaves' and 'serfs' and 'sub-citizens', if we are to analyse it from the point of view of 'Master-Slave' narrative? As a Malay wishing to see the withering of and an end to the concept of ketuanan Melayu and the birth of a new consciousness that will respect the dignity of all races and the humility of all ethnic groups, I call upon Malaysians to continue to be critical of any attempt by any race to project their own sense of false superiority that would only breed dangerous ethnocentrism bordering on xenophobia. We should work together to deconstruct all forms of race-based political arrangement and work towards establishing a new order based on a more egalitarian economic design that takes into consideration the basic needs and dignity of all races. We should teach our schoolchildren how to deconstruct such sense of racial superiority, through the teaching of not only tolerance but social egalitarianism - via peace education strategies. We will have a lot to gain for generations to come. Comments (63)  ... written by NRR, February 07, 2008 13:18:22 This battle is a long one and I doubt we will see the end of 'ketuanan melayu' in our lifetime. The reason is simple. You have to get rid of the brain washing in the courses conducted by the 'Bureau Tata Negara'(BTN), The Agama classes and such like. BTN has ingrained this in all the civil servants who are now working and how do you change this over a million civil servants? Even today the PM said that "Malaysia did not belong to any one individual or community but belongs to all of us together as the citizens of Malaysia" But the PM has not said a single word against all those Parliamentarians who at every opportunity scream 'get out of Malaysia or kaum pendatang' to all the other citizens of Malaysia. Now you see how difficult it is to get rid of this 'ketuanan melayu' syndrome? report abuse disagree 3 agree 88 ... written by krising1, February 07, 2008 13:39:56 Dr Azly, Things will change. History will remember Hindraf rally as the day when things began to change. The winds of change are here. I am not a pendatang and I will stand up for that right to be equal, peacefully if I can, and forcefully if necessary. report abuse disagree 5 agree 68 ... written by Jan, February 07, 2008 13:44:42 The Chinese, Indians and other minorities in Malaysia now know how the blacks must have felt when they were discriminated by the whites. I have dealt with many bumiputras in my lifetime and the feeling I get is they (especially politicians/govt bureaucrats)feel more superior than me just like how the whiteman must have behaved in those days. This feeling is very strong in the 90s although it's less so these days. These superior people must have thought their status is god given and behave as though the whole world owes them a living. For this I must blame TDM and his race driven agenda. I consider the Malays to be at one time the most hospitable and gentle race in the world only to be spoilt by this old man and his party. report abuse disagree 3 agree 125 ... written by MsLim, February 07, 2008 14:49:03 Dear Dr. Azly Just 2 simple words to describe this piece of work "SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL" report abuse disagree 4 agree 44 ... written by Flex Tan, February 07, 2008 18:48:14 ABOUT TIME MALAYSIAN HISTORY BE RE-WRITTEN ..... report abuse disagree 2 agree 24 ... written by ez24get, February 07, 2008 23:50:25 I don't think there is any "ketuanan melayu" being practised in Malaysia per se. It would be more accurate to use the term "ketuanan melayu UMNO" because we see the UMNO malays becoming tuans in the award of lucrative contracts, appointment as the heads and CEOsof judiciaries, government departments, petronas, toll concessionaires, national news media, universities, govt linked companies, police, tentera, etc. Ketuanan melayu UMNO is evident in all of the above areas; these UMNO malays exerted their "ketuanans" over the ordinary malaysians which also included the majority of ordinary malays like fishermen, farmers, low rank government servants, factory workers, small business entreprenuers, etc. It's is a minority of politically well connected of malays having ketuanan over the majority of malaysians. The ordinary malay folks never claimed "ketuanan" over their neighbours and business associates of other races. It's only the few politically connected UMNO malays like Zakaria, one-eye-jack, kris rattler and the like who are actually practising "ketuanan melayu" for their own benefits. These people only coined the word "ketuanan melayu" to justify their hold on power and amassing of huge amount of wealth for themselves! It's a real irony that in "ketuanan melayu" the majority of ordinary malays forming the larger 65% population of malaysia are in fact the biggest losers! report abuse disagree 3 agree 71 ... written by DontPlayGod, February 07, 2008 23:50:27 UMNO is the only party in this whole world that preaches racism as its core political ideology. With this, of course, also comes race discrimination which has been practised officially for the past 50 years. And they are proud of it. At their annual General Assembly, they always talk about their ketuanan and all races are their slaves and 2nd class citizens. The non-Malays are supposed to be grateful that they are even allowed to stay in this country. Don't talk of rights, etc. Is this what Islam teaches? And openly, UMNO members talk of racist superiority and the keris are drawn to remind the Chinese and other non-Malays to better shut up and be grateful for what they have. Now, nearing Election time, AAB goes round telling the non-Malays that there is equality, and all the races have a right to a place under the Malaysian sun. AAB was once head of the BTN, the UMNO body that teaches "ketuan Melayu", and teaches the malays to hate the non-Malays. AAB, you fool nobody. report abuse disagree 0 agree 65 ... written by PASOK, February 08, 2008 08:19:01 The ideology of Ketuhanan Melayu should not be taken lightly. It exists and is flourishing. It is a powerful ideology that draws on many of the concepts of national socialism (Nazism). The belief that race comes first and the intensive cultivation of the love of their race are the cornerstone of both. Nazism may be more developed as an ideology but ketuhanan melayu is learning quickly and catching up fast. Just as the concept of Aryan "divinity" reached the zenith of its political expression in Hitler, Mahathir was the leading exponent of Malay "divinity" from the beginning of his political career. I believe that there is little difference in the core values of Hitler and Mahathir - only they existed in different times, place and circumstance. Mahathir's "Malay Dilemma" is the Malay version of Hitlers "Mein Kampf (My Struggle)" - similar titles aren't they. Both works, written before the political ascendency of their authors, lament the decline, humiliation and victim-hood of the Race. Mahathir succeeded in injecting his core belief in Malay divinity into the UMNO party as the solution to these perceived humiliations. Brushing democracy aside violently in 1969, Mahathir and other elements of the extreme right in UMNO, replaced democratic institutions and the democratic direction of the nation with their fledgling concept of Ketuhanan Melayu. All policies and core values of Malaysia thereafter have become subject to this ideology. The vision of the "Towering Malay" so closely resembles the Nazi vision of the "Aryan Superman". Other features of the Nazi Fascist state; the "Supremacy of the Race", the planned economy, the mass based political party, hatred of Jews, the total censorship of media, the crushing of labour movements, the support of the elites, the police actions on political opponents and many other features - are all here in Malaysia and becoming entrenched as the political "norms." But Ideologi Ketuhanan Melayu is still only semi developed. Mahathir did not complete the job. And the current leader seems to have lost the higher plot - hence the rumblings from the far right again. Hishamuddin's thrust of the keris was a direct challenge to all the enemies of the Ketuhanan Melayu ideology. So let us not under-estimate this ideology. Inspired by both Nazism and Fascism this is a dangerous and violent opponent. Let us continue to work together to thwart it at its roots and in the intellectual plane. In the end we may have to meet force with force so for those who are inclined to action as well as words, please join comrades on the ground. qmx report abuse disagree 0 agree 68 ... written by Cash Money, February 08, 2008 18:03:52 Dear Dr Azly "Ketuanan Melayu" to me means upholding the malay culture and its rich heritage. However this term has been hijacked to greater hights since Razak's time in a very suttle way, until Mahathir came along to rubber stamp it, to a superior form in the name of (jaga maruah orang melayu). In alot of sense Mahathir manage to hide his dual identity by claiming to be the champions of the Malays while avoiding the subject of,is he really a (melayu tulin). This is where the dilemma creeped in for Mahathir,he is not a (melayu tulin) based on his heritage. All Mahathir could do was play the violin during the general assembly that (melayu mudah lupa) and shead crocodile tears, for his ideology came to a stand still and he could not change the culture and heritage that did not belong to him at all. This is also where the clash of ideology comes to a stand still because for a true malay deep down strongly believes that, ketuanan melayu truely means upholding the malay culture and its rich heritage that does not believe in (saya sikit atas daripada anda). The malay culture and its rich heritage in its true form respects and acknowledges (saudara mara yang lain yang datang dan bertempur dengan kita untuk satu bangsa dan negara).Remember the japanese,british occupation and the demise of the communist movement, this could not have happen without the teaming up with other races. There is still hope and the true melayu's can still uphold ketuanan melayu in its original form, that never to lose its rich culture and heritage to(ajaran sesat). Remember reading one of Samad Saids book where he mentions about the burning of(kimian)myrrh in one house and how the aroma is blown thru the next house, how tolerent we were regardless if it was Maniam who was burning the (Kimian)Myrrh and it was blowing into Ali's house and ending up in Ah Chongs house. Yet someone is trying to stop schools from reading these literature's to enhance separation. Prehaps Pasok is right we may all end up meeting force with force to bring the status co to where everyone is equal and none above the rule of law. report abuse disagree 10 agree 18 ... written by cruzeiro, February 08, 2008 18:34:55 Nice piece, Doc! The ideas of Mahathirism that took root during the time of post-5.13 under Razak(which is nothing short of greedy, self-serving, megalomaniacal, repressive and racist social reconstruction), has to be purged from the hearts of the gentle and genuine Malays. As a result, today, "we" live in fear of the truth, in the shadow of 5.13. The "Organisation" that propagates these dangerous ideas, may prove to be the "Achilles heel" of all Malaysians (and Malays particularly) in the long run. Until this is done, there is no guarantee that Malaysia and specifically the Malays would be headed for repression, chaos and Fascism - albeit, under the guise of "Islamic rule". As a matter of fact, you already see the initial fruits of the indoctrination in some of the comments, letters and blogs that have been controversial on Malaysia Today. These proponents of fascism are already a force to be reckoned with in the political hierarchy, within and without the system. The only difference is that there has yet to be any extreme force or persecution. The workings and influence of Fascism in Malaysia and the minds of Malays are still quite subtle and at its infancy. How it evolves and will appear at maturity is anybody's guess .... report abuse disagree 0 agree 13 ... written by cruzeiro, February 08, 2008 19:18:56 Until this is done, there is no guarantee that Malaysia and specifically the Malays would be headed for repression, ...... ================ Typo Until this is done, there is no guarantee that Malaysia (and specifically the Malays) would not be headed for repression, ...... report abuse disagree 4 agree 5 ... written by cruzeiro, February 09, 2008 17:10:07 Religious Politics - Seeds of Fascism? http://cruzinthots.blogspot.co...scism.html report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Rozlan, February 09, 2008 18:09:00 sadly speaking no such things as ketuanan melayu anymore.UMNo used such phrases to attracted supports for their own self interests.what we have are ketuanan UMNO and UMNOPUTRAs..I hope everybody should keep tab with the latest developments  report abuse disagree 3 agree 8 ... written by joeawk, February 09, 2008 19:52:51 The malays have been mentally and emotionally trapped by UMNO and to deprogramme the malays, we have to bring out mahatir and skin him in front of the malays to tell the malays that they have indeed been enslaved by UMNO. But, who can do that? Only the malays can and they have the chance to do that by NOT voting for UMNO. report abuse disagree 1 agree 10 ... written by TWOG, February 09, 2008 23:22:26 /// 'Malaysia - to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian. This is the doubt that hangs over many minds, and ... [once] emotions are set in motion, and men pitted against men along these unspoken lines, you will have the kind of warfare that will split the nation from top to bottom and undo Malaysia.' - Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore /// Just look at the profundity of this statement. Just marvel at the “over-the-horizon” ken of this great statesman. This was spoken in the Malaysian Parliament in 1965, and 43 years later, it is coming back to haunt Malaysians… report abuse disagree 0 agree 50 ... written by tukjanggut, February 10, 2008 01:46:17 I don’t think so this fellow knows what he is talking. In reality the real racist in this country are the non Malays. It has been so during the British time and they are still doing it now silently. Just look at Singapore, China and India how they treat their 'non bumis'. Only fools and those apologetic Malays are blind to see the real situation here. If it is not for the special protection given by the government the conditions of the Malays today will never be any better then what they are today. It is not that the Malays are incapable or unqualified but treachery, unfairness and racism practised by the non Malays will prevail. Looking at the condition of the Malays in the 60s, and 70s will make you understand. The Malays today had reached greater heights compare to their conditions in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and these are the result of the special protection given by the previous government. The Malays owe them a great debt. What the malays need now is a strong leader that can really protect their interest and looks into their affairs with utmost dedication and sincerity. report abuse disagree 41 agree 3 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, February 10, 2008 03:47:25 Good arguments, folks. Brilliant analyses as well. We have also maintained the ethics of arguing, much needed in our "republic". "Tukjanggut"'s point above is well taken and need to be constructed, reconstructed, and deconstructed further -- as what we have been doing with all arguments. I'd like all of us to read an opinion on the Malays sent to me via email. Please provide a logical, reasoned, unemotional, point by point analysis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The New Malay Dilemma By former Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Mahathir Mohamed on [the] Malays remain behind others despite privileges. The Malays are among the few people whose race is legally defined. Thus, the Malaysian Constitution states that a Malay is one who habitually speaks Malay, professes the religion of Islam and practises Malay customs. There is nothing said about the definitive culture of the Malays. It follows that changes in culture do not make a Malay person a non-Malay. Culture is made up largely of the value systems accepted, even if not actually practiced by a people or a race. Observations have shown that the culture of a people determines whether they are successful or they fail... Europeans, Asians, Africans and American Indians can all be successful and can all fail. It is, therefore, not the race or ethnicity which determines success. It is the culture. When I wrote The Malay Dilemma in the late 60s, I had assumed that all the Malays lacked the opportunities to develop and become successful. They lacked opportunities for educating themselves, opportunities to earn enough to go into business, opportunities to train in the required vocation, opportunities to obtain the necessary funding, licences and premises. If these opportunities could be made available to them, then they would succeed... But today, the attitude has changed. Getting scholarships and places in the universities at home and abroad is considered a matter of right and is not valued any more. Indeed, those who get these educational opportunities for some unknown reason seem to dislike the very people who created these opportunities. Worse still, they don't seem to appreciate the opportunities that they get. (to be continued) report abuse disagree 2 agree 8 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, February 10, 2008 03:48:59 They become more interested in other things, politics in particular, to the detriment of their studies. In business, the vast majority regarded the opportunities given them as something to be exploited for the quickest return... They learn nothing about business and become even less capable at doing business and earning an income from their activities. They become mere sleeping partners and at times not even that. Having sold, they no longer have anything to do with the business. They would go to the government for more licences, permits, shares, etc... Why has this thing happened? The answer lies in the culture of the Malays. They are laid-back and prone to take the easy way out. And the easy way out is to sell off whatever they get and ask for more. This is their culture. Working hard, taking risks and being patient is not a part of their culture. It should be remembered that in the past the Malays were not prepared to take up the jobs created by the colonial powers in their effort to exploit the country. Because the Malays were not prepared to work in rubber estates and the mines, the Indians and Chinese were brought in. At one time, the migrants outnumbered the Malays. Had they continued to outnumber the Malays, independent Malaya would be like independent Singapore. But the Malays have apparently learnt nothing from the near loss of their country in the past. Today, they are still unwilling to work and foreign workers are again flooding the country. And because they are not equipping themselves with the necessary education and skills, they have continued to depend on others. Their political dominance will protect them for a time. But that dominance is fading very fast as they quarrel among themselves and breaks up into small ineffective groups. Their numerical superiority means less today than at the time of independence... The Malays, together with the other Bumiputeras, make up 60 per cent of the country's population. But in terms of their political clout, it is now much less than 60 per cent. They are now more dependent on non-Malay support, both the government party and the opposition. Economically, of course, they have less than half the 30-per-cent share that has been allocated to them. If we discount the non-Malay contribution to the nation's economy, Malaysia would be not much better than some of the African developing countries. To succeed, the Malays must change their culture. They must look towards work as a reward in itself. They must regard what they achieve through work as the true reward. There should be some financial reward but this must not outweigh the satisfaction obtained from the result of their work... Changing culture is far more difficult than changing the policies of government. It is easy enough to propose affirmative action but it is not easy to implement it. The recipients must have the right attitude if the results are going to be obtained... Unfortunately, their view is that their crutches are symbols of their superior status in the country. The sad thing is that they are not even using the crutches properly. As a result, they gain nothing or very little from the availability of these aids... So what is the new Malay dilemma? Their old dilemma was whether they should distort the picture a little in order to help themselves. The new dilemma is whether they should or should not do away with the crutches that they have got used to, which in fact they have become proud of. There is a minority of Malays who are confident enough to think of doing away with the crutches, albeit gradually. But they are a very small minority. Their numbers are not going to increase any time soon. They are generally regarded as traitors to the Malay race... There will be a host of protests over this generalisation about Malay attitudes. We read almost every day about blind Malay people and other handicapped Malays graduating with university degrees or driving cars or doing all kinds of work. This does not prove that the generalisation that I make is wrong. These are exceptions. They only prove that if the right attitude or culture is adopted, even the handicapped can succeed. The dilemma faced by those few who want to build a strong, resilient and independent Malay race without crutches is that they are most likely to end up becoming unpopular and losing the ability to influence the changes in the culture and the value system which are necessary. It seems that they should not try and yet they know that without the cultural changes, the Malays are going to fail. By Mahathir Mohamad ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Is "culture" the culprit? What is "culture" then? Must the Malays undergo "cultural revolution" as in China during Mao Zedong? Must is begin with the rewriting of the history of the Malays? report abuse disagree 2 agree 10 ... written by Cash Money, February 10, 2008 08:30:39 No culture is not the culprit but modernity is,Mahathir you have tried to catch up with the rest of developed nations using the look east policy etc but the people you entrusted to acomplish these efforts were looking after themselves and your cronies. Attitude is not something you could buy of the shelf and run it down someones throat, one needs to practice and lead by example. I am afraid you cannot undo what you have started Mahathir ,it will forever be your legacy of malays you failed yesterday, today and tommorow. You should have taken your mothers advise (bila sudah cukup makan selera kena berhenti) but you choose to stay on for 22 years. report abuse disagree 0 agree 13 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 10:18:02  @ ***** kutty....man,he should look at himself and his kids...all of them 1/2past6 incompetent dunggus but have millions in thier banks...this "ketuanan melayu" is someting like err.."u hindu saya hindu,saya cina ,lu cina,u muslim saya muslim.. kita jaga kita punya bangsa saja ya" report abuse disagree 4 agree 4 ... written by harrbm, February 10, 2008 10:25:47 Ketuanan Melayu? Many aspects and angles to discuss this. In singapore, the "muslim malays" are no more in control. (i think). In Malaysia, non-UMNO parties have not done their job satisfactorily. To this day, i dont know why MIC, MCA and other "non-bumi" parties were still been voted-in. Were they voted-in by "malays" ? I wonder. The non-malay should whacked their MIC/MCA ect. ect. The Malays are the boss of the this land. Then who is the subject? no prize for correct answers. report abuse disagree 15 agree 2 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 10:25:59 ..but the partti United_Moron and co have used ketuanan melayu 2 rape this country,2 oppress their own bangsa...aah janji ada lui dan kuasa,semua boleh bikin.. "vincent aah..mari mari mari..aah say kasi lu kontrk,berapa $$$ u blh kasi sama say aa?but not 2 worry..this diserder/aberration gerenti wont last one.. report abuse disagree 3 agree 3 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 10:46:49 History will remember Hindraf rally as the day when things began to change ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- alo krising1.....u masih tidur kah?..u dunno aah wat has been happening to this coutry since 1998?man,this ketuanan yindoo oso mesti disepak keluar!!..singh,let me tel ya straight up!!!hindraf didnt buka mata orang india!!the brutality of the pdrm,gassing n firin the marchers on 25/11 is the 'thing" that shook up and made an impact on indians...and indians now know wat append on 10/11,and they oso tau dat pdrm memang anjing,tangkap tembak semua bangsa!! on 25/11 @ nite ,i was surprised 2 c,many hindraf rally marchers entering cybercafes,searching for clips that showed pdrm firing @ them..'etha paree..look look at dat guy throwing the cannister"..hehe..and wat the ganapitraos,uthayakumars were doin?..kasi lecture,plus hiding in hotel maya..one talivar pulak telog langsung tadak..decided to be in jail,n now ada di overseas spreading "malay mulsim r ethnic clansing hindus..gordon brown is gonna fight 4 us,karunanidhi is pro hindraf,hindu dharma & nationalists, fully support us,queen alijaabeth is gonna give every hindu $1million..wooohoooo!!!  report abuse disagree 10 agree 2 ... written by CPY, February 10, 2008 11:55:57 written by tukjanggut, February 10, 2008 | 01:46:17 I don’t think so this fellow knows what he is talking. In reality the real racist in this country are the non Malays. It has been so during the British time and they are still doing it now silently. Just look at Singapore, China and India how they treat their 'non bumis'. Only fools and those apologetic Malays are blind to see the real situation here. If it is not for the special protection given by the government the conditions of the Malays today will never be any better then what they are today. It is not that the Malays are incapable or unqualified but treachery, unfairness and racism practised by the non Malays will prevail. Looking at the condition of the Malays in the 60s, and 70s will make you understand. The Malays today had reached greater heights compare to their conditions in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and these are the result of the special protection given by the previous government. The Malays owe them a great debt. What the malays need now is a strong leader that can really protect their interest and looks into their affairs with utmost dedication and sincerity. Dei, Tukjanggut, in China da minorities r more priviledged than the han chinese(including the koren and russian) report abuse disagree 12 agree 13 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 13:39:04 its important to see" the "soul" quality of a statement,expression or movement..harap harap the mod squad tak deletelah apa yg akan "diturunkan"..hehe  'itu anak haram b@rua but0h samy wolu misti mati punya!!itu pulti kacang betui betui p00kima!! Ini kali ini p00kima barisan kita tindang keluar..ini waythamoorthy pun kudi jugak..elijahbeth mari sini juai kok0i kah " "Ooh,PAS,Keadilan ciramah caya misti turun !!e tu Mat Sabu(PAS) mari kalu hati lagi seronok ..." e2 dua quotes aah caya pun kawan india ciakap ..ini hari kita semua pi tenggok ceramah PAS?Keadilan!!!Woohooo!!!  report abuse disagree 6 agree 0 ... written by harrbm, February 10, 2008 13:52:02 to SUV ... but the MORONIC CORRUPT ASSO. and MORONIC INDI CON-GRESS IS THE PILLARS OF THE UNITED_MORON. SO HOW? u dig it? report abuse disagree 2 agree 0 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 14:33:22 united moron n co..u digg? report abuse disagree 2 agree 0 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 14:38:12 Sejak bila MIC jadi pillars of UMNO or even barisan? UMNO uses it just for "lakonan" only..nak tunjuk malaysia ini tolerant etc etc.. report abuse disagree 2 agree 3 ... written by SUV, February 10, 2008 14:40:13 in a way,the ruling elites r all the same..they use thier authority,power to exploit people...ada power ada lui,ada lui ada power. report abuse disagree 2 agree 1 ... written by harrbm, February 10, 2008 19:11:19 to SUV are u saying that MIC and its followers are only paid actors? berlakon? good acting then, i must say. i pray all indians, chinese, chidians, chibaians and non-melayu to carry on the acts. afterall there's always the United Morons to be blamed. BN = BARISAN NASIONAL= UNITY = UNITED PICTURES by the way, my best friend is Sundrammoorthy. he is angry with u. report abuse disagree 6 agree 1 ... written by educationist, February 10, 2008 19:40:25 What an enlightened view this is! But it will not see the light of the day beyond the blogs. The UMNOputras have too much vested interets to ensure the 'ketuanan Melayu' principle is used in their aresenal to have a firm grip of power. The PM says he's surprised there are parents who slogged to send their parents overseas yet do not encouraged them to come back. Well , this is one reason and it is not new, it's just that the UMNOputras just pretend not to know. report abuse disagree 1 agree 2 ... written by TWOG, February 10, 2008 23:09:15 /// written by tukjanggut, February 10, 2008 | 01:46:17 I don’t think so this fellow knows what he is talking. In reality the real racist in this country are the non Malays. It has been so during the British time and they are still doing it now silently. Just look at Singapore, China and India how they treat their 'non bumis'. /// tukjanggut, yes, look at Singapore and see how they treat their "non-bumis". The average Malay in Singapore is any time better than the average Malay in Malaysia. And the Indians, the even smaller minority and "non-bumi" are doing even better. Despite their small population base, they are over-represented in all segments of Singapore. Heck, event their President is Indian, their DPM is Indian, their Finance Minister is Indian, the police, the army, commandos, air force pilots - lots of Indian. report abuse disagree 3 agree 47 ... written by Rozlan, February 11, 2008 09:19:00 Dr Azly quoted:-To succeed, the Malays must change their culture. They must look towards work as a reward in itself. They must regard what they achieve through work as the true reward. There should be some financial reward but this must not outweigh the satisfaction obtained from the result of their work...  Agreed.isnt this is what Islam is all about??hard work and after that leave it to AlMighty Allah.All prophets were a self employed .In fact most of them However as long malaysian muslims put their future in UMNO hands,nothing change.In facts UMNO is the main culprit who suppressed malay enterpreneuship spirit through their croniysm and unfair dealing..The malays should free themselves from UMNO... report abuse disagree 1 agree 7 ... written by densemy, February 11, 2008 12:21:49 "Why has this thing happened? The answer lies in the culture of the Malays. They are laid-back and prone to take the easy way out. And the easy way out is to sell off whatever they get and ask for more. This is their culture." I dont believe that statement... it is far too simplistic. It ignores many fact about modern day Malays who are more or less educated and who have been offered plenty of opportunities. Basically there are two components that make up a person's nature... his genetic makeup and the environment in which he was raised. There is no evidence to suggest that Malays are genetically inferior to any other group of people. In fact the degree of interbreeding would suggest that they could be a superior group of people when compared to a race of people who have interbred for the last 5000 years. Then what about environment? The most significant factor common to all Malays is Islam and its difficult not to conclude that many of the Malay problems aren't derived from their religion. The fatalism of Islam and the level of indoctrination both limit the Malay's ability to think for themselves and be responsible for their own fate Add to that a system of child raising that is based on overprotection and an obsession with discipline and a school system that can best be described as paralysingly boring. The end result is a group of people, who cant think, who dont want to think, who dont want to plan for the future and who dont believe that hard work is the answer to success report abuse disagree 2 agree 6 ... written by RasuahMinister, February 11, 2008 12:37:24 The only thing we know and very sure about Ketuanan Melayu is, Prophet Mohammad is not a Bumiputra . We the Non-Bumiptras, are on the same boat with Prophet Mohammad. report abuse disagree 2 agree 26 ... written by tukjanggut, February 11, 2008 14:13:21 written by CPY, February 10, 2008 | 11:55:57 "Dei, Tukjanggut, in China da minorities r more priviledged than the han chinese(including the koren and russian)" I don’t think so you know what is happening in China, if u think they are better, then go and migrate there since this country is not anymore appealing to you. Here is the Amnesty International reports about the treatment perpetrated by China towards its minorities muslims. “Beijing’s crimes against the Muslims in East Turkestan are well documented. It is the only region of China where political prisoners are known to have been executed in recent years. The Western critics of China’s ‘undemocratic policies’ have been obsessed with Beijing’s suppression of other political dissent and curtailment of freedom of speech, although all that is mild in comparison with the Muslims’ plight under Beijing. Tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims are still being held in prisons and subjected to various forms of torture. In addition, the regime openly practises mass trials and executions. Last October it passed on 12 Muslims sentences ranging from five years’ imprisonment to death after a brief ‘public sentencing meeting’; two of the defendants were executed immediately. Another well-known case is that of Rebiya Kadeer, a Muslim businesswoman, who was hailed by the government as a model citizen shortly before she was arrested and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after a secret trial in March last year. Her ‘crime’ was to send copies of publicly available newspapers to her husband, a former political prisoner living abroad….” This is only a miniscule of many more great atrocities done by the Chinese Govt in China towards its minorities muslims. Now use your brain and compare to how the Chinese here are being treated by the muslim and be grateful. written by TWOG, February 10, 2008 | 23:09:15 “tukjanggut, yes, look at Singapore and see how they treat their "non-bumis". The average Malay in Singapore is any time better than the average Malay in Malaysia. And the Indians, the even smaller minority and "non-bumi" are doing even better. Despite their small population base, they are over-represented in all segments of Singapore. Heck, event their President is Indian, their DPM is Indian, their Finance Minister is Indian, the police, the army, commandos, air force pilots - lots of Indian.” Rather why don’t you say lets look at how they treat their “bumis”. The highest rank a malay can achieved in Singapore Police is the rank of a sergeant or maybe one or two as Inspector, compare to Malaysia we have Indians and Chinese as Commissioner. In the Air force there’s no malay pilot. In the Army we have never heard of a Malay Maj or even Colonel. How many malays Director in Singapore civil service? The Malays are reduced to only doing clerical jobs. How many malays MP in Singapore? How many Malays Minister and Minister of State in Singapore? There are about 13.9% Malays in Singapore compare to the 8% Indians here in Malaysia. But the position given to the Indians here in the Cabinet and the Gov offices surpasses those of that were given to the Malays in Singapore. The opportunities and treatments that were given to the Chinese here in Malaysia in all aspect despite the existing of “Ketuanan Melayu” and “Bumi Status” is still overwhelming compare to what the Malays in Singapore received from the Chinese Govt in Singapore. They Malays there are actually and systematically marginalized. The Malays are robbed of their lands to give way for development. When I was in Singapore many years ago LKY made a statement saying that the Malays are a real treat to the Singapore Govt and as such they should not be given the opportunity to hold strategic post and higher rank in the Army. Compare this to how the Malays here treated the Chinese is skyhigh. I am affirming again that Malays are not racists and ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and ‘Bumi Status’ even though it sounds a bit racist but in actuality it is not about race. report abuse disagree 16 agree 2 ... written by TWOG, February 11, 2008 15:30:14 /// written by tukjanggut, February 10, 2008 | 01:46:17 Just look at Singapore, China and India how they treat their 'non bumis'. /// /// written by tukjanggut, February 11, 2008 | 14:13:21 Rather why don’t you say lets look at how they treat their “bumis”. /// I said no such thing. You are the one who said look at how they treat their "non bumis" (see the first quote). When I proved that Singapore treated its "non-bumis" very well, you changed your mind. Now, you want to look at how their treat their "bumis" (see the second quote). Make up your mind - which is which? Or are you always shifting your goal posts once you lose an argument? Why should the rest of the world care about bumi or non-bumi? Are bumis to be pampered and NEP-ed for life? Are Malays really the bumis of Malaysia? Shouldn't that title be bestowed on the Orang Asli? How does Malaysia treat its real bumis? The sakai, the negritos, the Ibans, etc? Shouldn't a civilised country be measured by how it treats is minorities, rather than the vague concept of "bumi"? As you can see, the Indians are even more of a minority in Singapore, but they are doing very well. And thank you, they don't need the tongkat of NEP. As long as you keep insisting on "bumi" being given preferential treatment for life, you will never progress. report abuse disagree 1 agree 44 ... written by Cash Money, February 11, 2008 15:36:55 Well done Tukjanggut you nailed it with the word "given". Do you believe in rewarding someone on merit? I don't think so because in your (kamus)dictionary the word merit does not exist. report abuse disagree 0 agree 23 ... written by Raymond, February 11, 2008 16:41:12 What will changeour present plight.. a nuclear fallout.. world wide diesease.. big time disaster.. aboslute economic failure.. severe climatic changes... millions die.. A new world order... perhaps a hegemony of nations. Ketuanan Melayu in a global scale is a JOKE. It WONT LAST forever.. one or two more generations.. if they dont change their mindset, then ALL MALAYSIAN is doomed. report abuse disagree 0 agree 4 ... written by Rhan, February 11, 2008 17:31:03 KL crime against Muslim are well documemted too. Some tuan just can't differentiate minotity and terrorist! XinJiang is part of China, unless China say get lost like what Malaysia tell Singapore, otherwise please shut up and don't howl like a Western dog. report abuse disagree 1 agree 3 ... written by tukjanggut, February 11, 2008 18:09:11 Is this not what you wrote “tukjanggut, yes, look at Singapore and see how they treat their "non-bumis". In your reply you claim that the average Malays in Singapore are better than those in Malaysia, in supporting that the Chinese Govt there in Singapore are fair you tell us about the achievements and the opputinities given to the minorities Indians in Singapore I quote u here “tukjanggut, yes, look at Singapore and see how they treat their "non-bumis". The average Malay in Singapore is any time better than the average Malay in Malaysia. And the Indians, the even smaller minority and "non-bumi" are doing even better. Despite their small population base, they are over-represented in all segments of Singapore. Heck, event their President is Indian, their DPM is Indian, their Finance Minister is Indian, the police, the army, commandos, air force pilots - lots of Indian.” So I am asking you where are the Malays, why cant we find a malay in those place you mentioned. That is why I put a suggestion to you “Rather why don’t you say lets look at how they treat their “bumis” meaning here the malays. I assume you to be a Malaysian and Bumis here is synonym with malays. If you are still confuse here is my statement which is referring to yours aboved. Rather why don’t you say lets look at how they treat their “bumis”. The highest rank a malay can achieved in Singapore Police is the rank of a sergeant or maybe one or two as Inspector, compare to Malaysia we have Indians and Chinese as Commissioner. In the Air force there’s no malay pilot. In the Army we have never heard of a Malay Maj or even Colonel. How many malays Director in Singapore civil service? The Malays are reduced to only doing clerical jobs. How many malays MP in Singapore? How many Malays Minister and Minister of State in Singapore? There are about 13.9% Malays in Singapore compare to the 8% Indians here in Malaysia. But the position given to the Indians here in the Cabinet and the Gov offices surpasses those of that were given to the Malays in Singapore. The opportunities and treatments that were given to the Chinese here in Malaysia in all aspect despite the existing of “Ketuanan Melayu” and “Bumi Status” is still overwhelming compare to what the Malays in Singapore received from the Chinese Govt in Singapore. They Malays there are actually and systematically marginalized. The Malays are robbed of their lands to give way for development. When I was in Singapore many years ago LKY made a statement saying that the Malays are a real treat to the Singapore Govt and as such they should not be given the opportunity to hold strategic post and higher rank in the Army. Compare this to how the Malays here treated the Chinese is skyhigh. I am affirming again that Malays are not racists and ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and ‘Bumi Status’ even though it sounds a bit racist but in actuality it is not about race. I hope this will enlightened you and get you out of your confussion and made you a wise person. report abuse disagree 20 agree 0 ... written by tukjanggut, February 11, 2008 18:13:41 Hey Rhan, a Muslim businesswoman, who was hailed by the government as a model citizen shortly before she was arrested and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after a secret trial in March last year. Her ‘crime’ was to send copies of publicly available newspapers to her husband, a former political prisoner living abroad….” Is this an act of terrorism? . Grow up please! report abuse disagree 10 agree 3 ... written by tukjanggut, February 11, 2008 18:32:20 Dear Cash Money , Maybe the choice of words I used is wrong, but again Is there any country in the world today practices the concept of meritocracy. None I can tell you. Some where along the line decisions are made base on race, ideology, religion and profit. report abuse disagree 9 agree 0 ... written by Rhan, February 11, 2008 19:37:18 Tuan Janggut, Wang Dan is not a minority, Fang LiZi is not either. Therefore you are right, Rebiya Kadeer may not be a terrorist, Bush is not either. Maybe Anwar Ibrahim is one? report abuse disagree 0 agree 2 ... written by TWOG, February 11, 2008 21:03:46 /// In the Air force there’s no malay pilot. In the Army we have never heard of a Malay Maj or even Colonel. How many malays Director in Singapore civil service? /// Of course there are Malay pilots in the Singapore Air Force. Of course there are Majors and Colonels in the Singapore Army. Go find out before you tell the world of your bigotry and ignorance. report abuse disagree 1 agree 38 ... written by zonefinder, February 12, 2008 08:58:03 Takjanggut, pursue of excellence has never been about race. It's about ability and effort. Singapore has already advance beyond racism and fully embraced meritocracy to compete as a First World nation in the Global community. It is only the ignorant and foolish who continue to think that the world owes them a living. Wake up before you are left behind as well! report abuse disagree 1 agree 32 ... written by charcoy feng, February 12, 2008 12:30:06 Please refer to this link for the actual facts and history. I'm banking on the reliability of the source.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketuanan_Melayu report abuse disagree 1 agree 2 ... written by tukjanggut, February 12, 2008 13:27:28 zonefinder wrote ///“Takjanggut, pursue of excellence has never been about race. It's about ability and effort. Singapore has already advance beyond racism and fully embraced meritocracy to compete as a First World nation in the Global community. It is only the ignorant and foolish who continue to think that the world owes them a living. Wake up before you are left behind as well! “/// What meritocrasy? If there is, it is only selective. They promote other races and deprived the Malays and then display to the world that they are beyond racism. To start with, here is an article from the Far Eastern Economic Review 1998, , "In February 1987, Lee's son commented further on the status of the Malays in an open forum on why Malays do not hold sensitive positions in the armed forces. Explaining that there are no Malay fighter pilots, for example, because their religion might conflict with their duty to Singapore, he provoked a backlash of criticism from the Muslim community in addition to Singapore's Muslim neighbours." And then again in 1998 In a forum LKY said; "If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine gun unit, that's a very tricky business. "We've got to know his background. I'm saying these things because they are real, and if I didn't think that, and I think even if today the Prime Minister doesn't think carefully about this, we could have a tragedy." I am asking you, is this not racist? And again what meritocracy you are talking about?, Even the first world countries are racist but in their relativity(please read PRK Law of Relativity) they didn’t see it as being racist but when it happens to other country they will make a big hue and call it racist and unjust. This is what happening in this world today and Singapore is not excluded. All this talking,(the above statements by Father & Son Private Limited) is in reality not about Singapore survival, but it is about the surviving of Chinese rules in Singapore. It is totally race motivated in the disguise of security. Only fools and the ignorant like you are blind to see this. Please wake up and stop dreaming. report abuse disagree 15 agree 1 ... written by zonefinder, February 12, 2008 18:42:07 Tuan Tanggut, Granted they were insensitive ( nobody say that the Lees were diplomatic folks) they were been forthright and calling a spade a spade instead of making politician talk which speaks a lot for their integrity. Taking away the racial and religious bias which blind most of us esp those who are infatuated with teachings that inspire its followers to commit acts of violence against non-believers and where waging war against infidels and apostates is the central feature of their faith, would one in all honesty, rely on these folks with such religious bends to safeguard your backyard? Do all Muslims in these part of the world harbour such beliefs? No. Some? Absolutely..especially in times of war..So, what would you do if you were the Commander in Chief? On the point of family ties, it is merely stating the obvious. It would take a cold blooded killer and a sadist at that, not to hesitate when given the order to raze your family kampong to the ground no matter how strong the justification. Why tests the chap's conviction, religious or otherwise? A military job is tough as it is. Bottom line is whether the candidate has what it takes to do the job. That's meritocracy. Sorry if it sounds so simple. report abuse disagree 2 agree 24 ... written by Spear Bing, February 13, 2008 00:03:11 Oh my God, tukjanggut, you still carry that 20 year old statement by the S'pore PM in your cellular memory cells as a weaponry to justify your perceived 'racism practice'. This reminds me of the Imam who was counter-arguing with that well known Arabic lady.... (Sultan Daha?) over the Al-Zeera TV, quoting the holocaust and the Nazis ethnic cleansing atrocities. Tukjanggut, spare your delusion and dysfunctional mindset, lighten your emotional baggages by throwing them into the South China Sea for if you still continue to live your life and identify your political beliefs with the past, you will only progress one step forward but retrogress 10 steps backwards. Human sufferings occur because of these delusional past memories. On the level of practical reality, as Zonefinder has succintly pointed out, at least the Singapore PM( father and son ) were sober,candid and blunt enough to reveal their reservations over the behaviours of the Malays who are placed in sensitive job functions. As a whole, the Malays in Singapore are doing much better than the Malays in Malaysia, in terms of their mindset, personality and character wise. As one Malay's son who commented that the Malays girls here are not "human" when they saw the Singapore girls at the KLCC wearing normal 'human' dresses and clothes. The Imams and Ulamaks in Malaysia must quickly go for a refresher course and debunk the Arabic way of life. Malaysia smacks right in the centre of Equatorial zone with hot weather all year round and these attire worn by the Muslim female gender is certainly not suitable. In religious learning, you need to inculcate SUBSTANCE rather than FORM. Wake up brother! we are now living in the post-modern era. report abuse disagree 3 agree 30 ... written by TWOG, February 13, 2008 11:35:58 /// "In February 1987, Lee's son commented further on the status of the Malays in an open forum on why Malays do not hold sensitive positions in the armed forces. Explaining that there are no Malay fighter pilots, for example, because their religion might conflict with their duty to Singapore, he provoked a backlash of criticism from the Muslim community in addition to Singapore's Muslim neighbours." And then again in 1998 In a forum LKY said; "If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine gun unit, that's a very tricky business. "We've got to know his background. I'm saying these things because they are real, and if I didn't think that, and I think even if today the Prime Minister doesn't think carefully about this, we could have a tragedy." I am asking you, is this not racist? /// No, tukjanggut, it is not really racist. It's got to do more with religion than race. The problem is that Islam do not quite fit into neat geographic and national boundaries. The concept of Ummah means that religious ties are much stronger than patriotic ties. Witness how the Muslims in SEA reacted to the Danish cartoons. Witness how Malays in Malaysia are forever condemning Israel and Jews although they have never ever kill any Malaysian. Why??? The scores of people arrested in Singapore for terrorist links are all Muslims, and some are Indian Muslims. So, it has got to do more with religion than race. (Yes, yes, you may say that this is discriminating or racial profiling, but the fact speak for itself.) Until Singapore can be sure that its armed forces know where the loyalty of its soldiers and pilots lie, it would be foolish to tempt fate. And you have people like you who are fighting for the cause of Malays in other country when your own country is in deep shit. Having said that, those were the realities 20 years ago. Singapore and Singaporean Malays have progressed since then. There are now Malay pilots in the Singapore Air Force. There were Malay Lieutenant Colonels in the Singapore Armed Forces 20 years ago. More so now, let alone Majors. And you can find them in all branches of the armed forces, commandoes, guards etc. Singapore has moved on, in case you are still stuck in the time-warp of 2 decades ago. But what about Malaysia??? The first Finance Minister was Chinese. What happened since Tun Tan Siew Sin retired? Will there ever be a Chinese of Indian Finance Minister? FYI, the Finance Minister in Singapore is an Indian. The fact is Singapore does not believe in filling racial quotas. When a lesser qualified person is not appointed, it is so easy to cry discrimination or racist policy. Your problem, Janggut, is that you believe Malays are entitled to be placed in high places, whether qualified or not, because they are Bumi. Period. With this kind of attitude, no amount of debate will be fruitful. Singapore does not discriminate against its minorities. In fact, the Indians are even more of a minority in Singapore, and yet they are over-represented in all fields. The truth is - Singapore promotes based on performance. Anyway, Malaysia can always keep its NEP at its peril. With globalisation, Malaysia will soon be by-passed. Who in the right mind wants to invest in a country where you have to give up part of your company??? And employ Bumi directors just to sit there and collect directors' fees??? No thank you, I will rather go to China, India, Indonesia or Vietnam. report abuse disagree 1 agree 43 ... written by Jan, February 13, 2008 12:46:48 Spore have to be meritocratic as it lacks the natural resources like Msia. Not only are they meritocratic they have to keep changing and reinventing themselves to suit the needs of a globalised world whereas in Msia not only are we NOT meritocratic most of our govt's policies are in favor of the majority race whether they deserve it or not. As a result the people are forever fighting each other over how much share each race should have. That's why problems like Hindraf appears. The energy and time wasted fighting each other could have been channeled to developing this country instead. Does it surprise anybody why Malaysia is falling further behind Singapore? Even Thailand and Vietnam are fast catching up with us while we are still quarreling among ourselves. In conclusion Ketuanaan Melayu is a racist concept and policies like the NEP which is attributed to it has proven to be detrimental not only to country but to the Malays themselves. To people like Tok Janggut open your eyes wide and see the truth, this world is not about race alone it's about improving ourselves and competing with others on a level playing field. report abuse disagree 0 agree 15 ... written by TWOG, February 14, 2008 08:24:20 tukjanggut, take a good look at the article below written by a Malay. I don't know him, and I don't know whether he is Malaysian, Singaporean, Bruneian, Indonesian or Martian. But I suggest you remove your racial blinkers and read each paragraph carefully. You can only reach two conclusions. 1) Ahmad Mustapha is talking nonsense and a traitor to the Malay race. Or 2) Ahmad Mustapha is talking a lot of sense and UMNO is the real traitor. You decide. * * * * * * * At 84, the fire still burns! By Ahmad Mustapha Singapore’s Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore’s founding father, has always been very direct in his comments. This was the man who outsmarted the communists in Singapore (with the innocent help of Malaya then and the willing help of the British) and who later outwitted the British and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres. Singapore practices corrupt-free meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one of the most unwieldy cabinets. Not only that, brain- wise it was below par not even good for the kampong. With that kind of composition, one that is very brainy, naturally Singapore , with no natural resources could outstrip Malaysia in every aspect of development. Malaysia , on the other hand, was too much preoccupied with its Malayness and the illusory ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and was also more interested in useless mega iconic development rather than real social and economic development. Whenever Kuan Yew utters anything that deemed to be a slight on Malaysia, voices were raised admonishing him. Malaysia would never dare to face reality. That Singapore had shown that it could survive was a slap on those who believed that Singapore would fold up once it left Malaysia. Therefore it was natural that these doomsayers would try to rationalise their utterances to be in their favour to combat on whatever Kuan Yew commented. Its political jealousy. Singapore achieved its development status without any fanfare . But here in Malaysia, a development that was deceptive was proclaimed as having achieved development status. It was trumpeted as an achievement that befits first world status. This was self delusion. Malaysians are led to believe into a make believe world, a dream world. The leaders who themselves tend to believe in their own fabricated world did not realise the people were not taken in by this kind of illusion. Lee Kuan Yew believed in calling a spade a spade. I was there in Singapore when the People’s Action Party won the elections in 1959. He was forthright in his briefing to party members as to what was expected of them and what Singapore would face in the future. Ideologically, I did not agree with him. We in the University of Malaya Socialist Club had a different interpretation of socialist reconstruction. But he was a pragmatist and wanted to bring development and welfare to the Singaporeans. Well! He succeeded . Malaysia was so much embroiled in racial politics and due to the fear of losing political power, all actions taken by the main party in power was never targeted towards bringing wealth to all. Wealth was distributed to the chosen few only . They were the cronies and the backers of the party leadership to perpetuate their own selfish ends. Seeing the efficiency and the progress achieved by Singapore caused the Malaysian leadership to suffer from an inferiority complex. That Malaysia should suffer from this complex was of its own making. In a recent interview, Kuan Yew said that Malaysia could have done better if only it treated its minority Chinese and Indian population fairly. Instead they were completely marginalised and many of the best brains left the country in droves. He added that Singapore was a standing indictment to what Malaysia could have done differently. He just hit the nail right there on the head. report abuse disagree 2 agree 51 ... written by TWOG, February 14, 2008 08:24:56 Continued -- part 2 Malaysia recently celebrated its 50th year of independence with a bagful of uncertainties. The racial divide has become more acute. The number of Malay graduates unemployed is on the increase. And this aspect can be very explosive. But its sad to see that no positive actions have been taken to address these social ills. Various excuses were given by Malaysian leaders why Singapore had far outstripped Malaysia in all aspects of social and economic advancement :- Singapore was small, they rationalised and therefore easy to manage. Singapore was not a state but merely an island. There was one other aspect that Malaysia practises and that is to politicise all aspects of life. All government organs and machinery were ‘UMNO-ised’. This was to ensure that the party will remain in power. Thus there was this misconception by the instruments of government as to what national interest is and what UMNO vested interest is. UMNO vested interest only benefited a few and not the whole nation. But due to the UMNO-isation of the various instruments of government, the country under the present administration had equated UMNO vested interest as being that of national interest. Thus development became an avenue of making money and not for the benefit of the people. The fight against corruption took a back seat. Transparency was put on hold. And the instruments of government took it to be of national interest to cater to the vested interest of UMNO. Enforcement of various enactments and laws was selective. Thus a ‘palace’ in Kelang, APs cronies and close-one-eye umno MPs could exist without proper procedure. Corruption infested all govt departments, the worst is the police and lately even in the judiciary. Singapore did not politicise its instruments of government. If ever policisation took place, it was guided by national interest. To be efficient and to be the best in the region was of paramount importance. Thus all the elements like corruption, lackadaisical attitude towards work and other black elements, which would retard such an aim, were eliminated. Singapore naturally had placed the right priority in it’s pursuit to achieve what is best for its people. This is the major difference between these two independent countries. Malaysia in its various attempts to cover up its failures embarked on several diversions. It wanted its citizens to be proud that the country had the tallest twin-tower in the world, although the structure was designed and built by foreigners. Its now a white-elephant wasting away in the glow of the sun and the moon. It achieved in sending a man into space at an exorbitant price. For what purpose? These are what the Malays of old would say “menang sorak” (hollow victories). It should be realised that administering a country can be likened to managing a corporate entity. If the management is efficient and dedicated and know what they are doing, the company will prosper. The reverse will be if the management is poor and bad the company will go bust. There are five countries around this region. There is Malaysia, and then Indonesia. To the east there is the Philippines and then there is that small enclave called the Sultanate of Brunei. All these four countries have abundance of natural resources but none can lay claim to have used all these resources to benefit the people. Poverty was rampant and independence had not brought in any significant benefits to the people. But tiny Singapore without any resources at all managed to bring development to its citizens. It had one of the best public MRT transport systems and airlines in the world and it is a very clean city state. Their universities, health care, ports are among the best in the world. It is impossible to compare what Singapore has achieved to what all these four countries had so far achieved. It was actually poor management and corruption, and nothing more. Everything is done for the vested interest of the few. Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and the Sultanate of Brunei need good management teams. They would not be able to do this on their own steam. I would advise that they call on Kuan Yew to show them what good governance is. Why look East to Japan when the answers are all there just next door across the causeway. —————————————————— ————————– report abuse disagree 2 agree 52 ... written by zonefinder, February 14, 2008 10:30:18 These are excellent and illuminating articles. We should learn to respect and find ways to emulate rather than be blinded by racial prejudice and bias. Like Raja Petra pointed out in his earlier articles, the Indians are starting to voice out to be heard while the Chinese have already done so much earlier by migrating in droves. I can assure you that this is happening in ever-increasing rate. Only the ignorant and those with racial blinkers do not see the potential repercussions. They only see less competition and less kacau in their headlong pursue for Ketuanan Melayu. It was just a month ago when I hosted a party to bid farewell to 2 families migrating to Australia. Many of the younger generation ( non-Malays) are also opting to stay in their host countries after graduation. All this brain drain is happening against the background of ever increasing inflow of migrates from Indonesia who are unqualified and jobless. It is basic Team Dynamics 101. To raise the performance level of a team, one need to populate the majority with high performers to pull the rest up. Conversely, if majority are low performers, even the high performers will get sucked down and team suffers. What more when the high performers quit and leave! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Problem is our leaders prefer to wave the kris and threaten bloodshed to promote Ketuanan Melayu over its non-Malay citizenry. Soon our Melayu bros will be lording over a banana republic. report abuse disagree 0 agree 26 ... written by ahmadbadrul40, February 16, 2008 03:45:45 Dr. Azly Rahman, Interesting article that you have posted about Mahathir's new Malay dilemma. Mahathir knows the problem, but don't know how to solve it. He was the guy that implement this NEP in a distortion manner. Mahathir is the one, together with Daim monopolize most of the goverment tenders and projects. They chose a few Malays, who they think is good and give them the projects without any competition. So, what the fark is Mahathir complaining about. He wanted to build Malaysia country fast. He wanted results fast. And this is what he gets. A few Malays get their Mercedez Benz and the majority of them become Mat Rempit. Mahathir has always have the typical Malay mentality. Success means owning big and luxurious things. Building the biggest building and owning the biggest car. That is the typical Malay mentality. What was he thinking, when he allows UEM, Renong and many more other Bumi GLCs company to monopolize most of the goverment project. Mahathir did not allow the Malays to compete among themselves. If you don't want the Malays to compete with the outsiders, you need them to compete among themselves fairly. But it didn't happen. So the due process did not happen, and the day you see a true genuine Malay entreprenuer is not going to happen anytime soon. How did Mahathir came to power? He did it through manipulation of judges and destroying the independence of civil institution. So, Mahathir has no credibility in talking about meritocracy and the Malay dillema. He was a dictator that implemented these nepotism and cronyism NEP policies. It was Anwar who brings Malaysia, the awareness of this words, "nepotism" and "cronyism". After Anwar got sack, he single handedly market the word "nepotism" and "cronyism" to the Malays and to all Malaysians. And from there onwards, most Malaysia were using this words daily in describing all the goverment deals. report abuse disagree 1 agree 9 ... written by Uncorruptible, February 17, 2008 14:34:51 UMNO rapes the people The 65% of the population are Malays translates into some 90% of the State and Parliamentary seats. Unless someone or something can enlighten them, they will continue to vote for the decadent BN for some imaginary and unreasoned fears. Religion is impotent in this matter and it is difficult to understand why a people who will get very very upset if you say their religion is bad, will happily accept and vote for a corrupt and decadent government which swears to continue to be corrupt and decadent while raping them at the same time. report abuse disagree 0 agree 5 ... written by SOS, February 22, 2008 06:52:23 Unfortunately, their view is that their crutches are symbols of their superior status in the country. The sad thing is that they are not even using the crutches properly. As a result, they gain nothing or very little from the availability of these aids... The sad fact is, after sometime the cruthes that they claim as their birth rights were not enough. For they need Golden Crutches to match their new aquired status. Alas!! Even that are not enough coz' as the golden crutches are so damn heavy!! So, they now demand that they be given a motorise Golden Wheelchair as well. Now, that they can carry their golden crutches everywhere to show off. Obviously very proud of themselves for such achievement in such record time. Well, please remind them in a tactful manner, be as gentle as possible, that unless they make the playing field level, they are bound to trip sooner or later carrying such load with their silly motorise wheelchair. My guess is... sooner than they think... or do they ever think at all??? report abuse disagree 1 agree 1 ... written by cheekhiaw, February 24, 2008 16:53:47 Knowing the problem is half the solution, they say. Mahathir knowing half the solution is the whole problem. Quack doctor, I say. xxx report abuse disagree 2 agree 1 ... written by sonofman0, February 29, 2008 22:34:00 Thank you Dr Azly for a very enlightening article. I have my own theory about the success of UMNO. UMNO has created a ZONE OF COMFORT for most of the Malays, especially those Malays who reside in the rural areas. The degree of comfort varies but the basic comfort is consistent. The ZONE OF COMFORT is the main mathematical set. Within this set lies the sub-sets of religion, race, culture, education, emotional responses, etc. Those who control the strings of these subsets have become very adept at it over the decades. Mostly, it is a matter of timing. For example, during the UMNO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, they never fail to pluck the strings of religion, race and emotional responses. They however, manage to contain the emotional responses within the confines of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY. They are not particulaly interested in what those outside the ZONE OF COMFORT say or do. But if they have to they know how to strum the strings to control those outside the ZONE OF COMFORT. They have ingeniously created an outer ring which contains an important but not vital collection of sub-sets: the other BN component parties. The main function of these parties is to cushion the ZONE OF COMFORT against undesirable shocks and circumstances. As long as UMNO can maintain this ZONE OF COMFORT, there will be no need for the Malays in this zone to seek change. Very simple and effective. Simplicity usually is. I think I have summed it all up nicely. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by lim1974, March 06, 2008 14:59:53 I support "Ketuanan Melayu".....see what happened to Singapore....We the Malays give it to other races....now, still they want equal treatment and so on and so forth.....same thing will happen to P. Pinang....come on guys....even in USA, there no such thing as equal treatment....the Asian and the Blacks still discriminated by the whites over there.........even in China....just try and open your business there or live there.......then you'll see.....lol...lol report abuse disagree 4 agree 0 Write comment This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment. You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet. |
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"its the job of the Goverment. You see in the 50s the goverment use all kind of propagandas and tools to make the American hate the Communist states. And when some of the countries became friends the make the American people like them. So now they have to use the same method to make the white people to like the black people" I can't remember the exact wordings but it goes something like above.
This is what the UMNO led goverment has been doing since last 50 yrs. Unless they change their way of split n govern the people, the feeling of superiority like 'ketuanan Melayu', 'master race' or Bumiputra will be there in most of the people's mind. And ofcourse in these ugly politician's mind.
Now we know they wont change the way they govern, so WE have to change them. VOTE THEM OUT.