Republic of virtue, 8/08

A Merdeka upside down? PDF Print E-mail
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008 08:35

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Education is the solution. I believe we need a radical overhaul of everything, philosophically speaking. We have the structures in place but we would need to replace the human beings running the system.

Azly Rahman
http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/2008/08/merdeka.html

"Our Nation, Malaysia is dedicated to: Achieving a greater unity for all her people; maintaining a democratic way of life; creating a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably distributed; ensuring a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural tradition, and building a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology.

We, the people of Malaysia, pledge our united efforts to attain these ends, guided by these principles:

• Belief in God

• Loyalty to King and Country

• Upholding the Constitution

• Sovereignty of the Law, and

• Good Behaviour and Morality"

- From the Rukunegara, circa 1970



The words above constructed and proclaimed in 1970, after the bloody riots of May 13, 1969, contain internal contradictions if we are to analyse them today.

As we approach Aug 31, our independence or Merdeka Day, we read the following stories:

- an irate prime minister mulling action against a blogger for flying the Malaysian flag upside-down in cyberspace;

- a by-election campaign in Pematang Pauh in Penang, that shows up the ugliness of smear campaigns focusing on race, religion, and personal issues instead of presenting solutions to national crises;

- an aborted Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam, disrupted by groups claiming to represent the survival and dignity of Malaysian Muslims;

- an angry Vice-Chancellor of an all-bumiputera university threatening to sue the chief minister of Selangor for the latter's suggestion that Universiti Teknologi MARA be opened to non-bumiputera;

- a teacher in Selangor reprimanded and transferred for hurling racial slurs at her Malaysian school-children of Indian origin;

- the continuing and intensified work of the prime minster's propaganda outfit, Biro Tata Negara, in ensuring that the ideology of Ketuanan Melayu remains funneled into the minds of Malay students, educators, and civil servants;

- the continuing refusal of the Ministry of Higher Education to grant freedom to students to gain concepts and skills of political consciousness by its refusal to radically revise the University and University Colleges Act;

- an increasingly cacophonic and toxic relationship between the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative as a consequence of the 22-year rule of the previous Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad;

- a hyper-modernised country trapped in the excesses of nationalism and globalisation at a time when the global food and energy crisis is taking a toll on the economic and political lives of nations.

After 51 years, what do we have?

These are among the snapshot items of Malaysia circa 51 years of Merdeka or independence. The composite image of divide and conquer left by the British colonials continue to be artistically refined into subdivisions of divide and conquer, aided by the propaganda machine of the ruling class.

What can now be seen in Malaysia are images of the little brown brothers becoming the new colonisers and transforming themselves into 'emperors in new clothes'.

If the words of the1970 proclamation are to be our benchmarks of Merdeka, we must ask these questions:

- How have we fostered unity amongst the nation when our government promotes racism thorough racialised policies and by virtue that our politics survive on the institutionalisation of racism?

- How have we maintained a democratic way of life, when our educational, political, and economic institutions do not promote democracy in fear that democratic and multicultural voices of conscience are going to dismantle race-based ideologies?

- How are we to create a just society in which the wealth of the nation is equitably distributed, when the New Economic Policy itself is designed based on the premise that only one race needs to be helped and forever helped, whereas at the onset of Independence, poverty existed amongst Malaysians of all races?

- How are we to promote a liberal approach to diverse culture and tradition when our education system is run by politicians who are championing Ketuanan Melayu alone and ensuring that Malay hegemony rules at all levels and spheres of education, from pre-school to graduate levels?

- How are we to build a progressive society based on science and technology when our understanding of the role of science and society do not clearly reflect our fullest understanding of the issues of scientific knowledge, industrialisation, and dependency?

A failed Malaysia? Across the board, the country is in distress. Education in shambles, polarised, and politicised. The economy is in constant dangerous flux. The judiciary is in deep crisis of confidence. Public safety is of major concern due to declining public confidence in the police, and politics remain ever divided along racial and religious lines.

This is the Malaysian depiction of Dorian Gray, one that shows the image of a "vibrant nation of progress and harmony, racial tolerance and a robust economy" but behind that is actually a deformed Malaysia, a mere continuation of the past's feudal and colonial entity.

Broken promises

The colonised have become the colonisers. The state has become a totalitarian entity using the ideological state apparatuses to silence the voices of progressive change. The nationalists have nationalised the wealth of the nation for themselves and perhaps siphoning the nation's wealth internationally.

This is the picture of the broken promise made by those who fought for independence; the vices of the early radical and truly nationalistic Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Sikhs, etc, of the early Merdeka movement.

How then must Malaysians celebrate their 51st Merdeka? By flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down? Or to do better than this – by putting justice in place, by engineering a multicultural jihad against all forms of excesses of abuse of power and to de-toxify the nation entirely, and then next - begin Year Zero of our cultural revolution by using a gentle enterprise called peaceful education?

Education is the solution. I believe we need a radical overhaul of everything, philosophically speaking. We have the structures in place but we would need to replace the human beings running the system.

We have deeply racialised human beings running neutral machines. We have ethnocentric leaders running humane systems. We have allowed imperfection and evolving fascism to run our system.

We have placed capitalists of culture behind our wheels of industrial progress; people who have the dinosaur brain of ketuanan this or that.

We have created these monsters and have unleashed them to run our educational, political, economic, and cultural systems. We have Frankenstein-ised our Merdeka.

We need to re-educate ourselves by reinventing the human beings we can entrust to run our machines. We must abolish the present system and create a new one; just as how we created our new cities – Putrajaya and Cyberjaya – the symbols of our oriental despotism and Asian capitalistic decadence.

We must be aware that class in the broadest and most comprehensive sense of the word is what we are dealing with and through class and cultural analyses, we can arrive at a different path to a new Merdeka.

This Merdeka, the rakyat, armed with wisdom of a new era, must now speak softly but carry a big stick. Our struggle for Merdeka has only just begun.
Comments (24)Add Comment
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written by ahmadneil, August 26, 2008 08:40:26
Long Live Malaysia and may we all cherish our independence.May our GOD bless our nation always.
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written by redtango, August 26, 2008 08:47:41
Spot on Dr Azly.

Malaysia, today, is like living in a big bungalow and driving posh cars but owing tons of money to banks due to enormous housing and car loans... ie appearance is deceiving. What looks good on the outside (to foreigners) is in fact a daily struggle (to locals).

After 51 years of Merdeka, we need to accept the fact that our so called formula of governing our country is totally askew and off course. If we dont accept that we have a problem, the problem can never start to be solved.

Forget the Ketuanan Melayu...
Forget the NEP......
or else we can forget about Malaysia.
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written by kc respect, August 26, 2008 08:54:52
"HELOB AISYALAM" ...... smilies/grin.gif smilies/grin.gif smilies/grin.gif smilies/grin.gif

That's "Malaysia Boleh" upside down before PR takes over.
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written by ROBERTNGTG, August 26, 2008 08:55:10
A Merdeka upside down?

WHEN THE BEEANN/GOMEN DO THINGS UPSIDE DOWN AGAINST THE RAKYAT'S WISHES, ONLY
THEY HV THE RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE, AND THEY WILL RELEASE THE FEROCIOUS DOGS
TO HOUND AND HUNT U DOWN. WE HV TO CHANGE TOTALLY FROM THE VERY TOP DOWN
TO CORRECT ALL THE WRONGS.
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written by Liberace, August 26, 2008 09:03:59
Our Rukunegara is like the Communist Manifesto, full of promises and hope for the weak and downtrodden. Well, we all know what happened to the latter because it's not what you say, it's what's in your heart. 10 years ago when we were still congratulating ourselves over the fact that we had the world's tallest building, a friend of mine from New Zealand gave me his objective observation as an outsider who had lived in Malaysia for a few years. He said Malaysia as he saw it was really a facade. And once you start to dig a little deeper, the skin would start peeling off and you'd see the ugly lumps and bumps that were plastered over.

It's time to stop blaming the British. At the very least, they left us better off than most of our neighbours. As long as we have someone to blame, we will never move on. We'll always be trapped in a victim mentality, i.e., we're not responsible for our failure and someone must be made to pay for our pain. Isn't that what the NEP is all about?
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written by wakeupcall, August 26, 2008 09:08:08
Our nation has been trying very hard to achieve national integration and after 51 years of hard work, the ruling party now resorts to racial politics which is so obvious in this Permatang Pauh by-election. See how irresponsible the BN-UMNO government is. Down with UMNO & BN.
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written by Tom n Jerry, August 26, 2008 09:22:43
It is imperative to have a radical overhaul of the education system if PR comes to power;we need leaders of tomorrow who areconscientious,tolerant,wise & diligent;not a bunch of spoon-fed chameleons who rape,plunder ,rob our nation leaving only skeleton behind! smilies/angry.gif
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written by penangboi, August 26, 2008 09:23:24
Politics is inherently a selfish indulgence.

Dr Azly's analysis of the whole situation is bulls-eye. I believe that most people appreciate what is espoused here, and understand the issues at hand. It's plain logic that what is clung on by those in power is just so very wrong.

But the key phrase here is 'those in power'. These politicians who are in power need to stay in power. I do not believe for an instance that these people do not recognise the folly of the policies they promote. Do they have a choice if their main objective is to remain in the position of power? To achieve this end, they need to utilise issues like race and religion. They need to bend the rules and corrupt the judiciary to tip the playing field to their advantage.

In such an environment, high ideals like those championed by Dr Azly have no place to exist. Power is a very dangerous drug. It takes away a person's sense of decency and corrupts absolutely of all sense of fairness and humanity.

I share the same vision as our beloved RPK who has my utmost respect. We are not about bringing the government down by replacing it with DSAI/PR. By voting in PR is only the beginning of the first step of creating a more responsible government where true check and balance can thrive. As RPK said, if PR was eventually in the seat of power and started to misbehave, then we would do the right thing and boot them out as well.

But let's give them a chance to prove that they can deliver and do a good job. For the status quo is just not an acceptable choice anymore. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is clearly manifested in our country after 51 years of unchanged rule.
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written by cubi76, August 26, 2008 09:27:38
Indeed. Education & knowledge is the only way to enlighten ourselves and solution to eliminate poverty.

After 50 years, our children in Sabah and Sarawak still walk miles and miles to go to school. After 50 years, local universities are turned into racist factories.

After 50 years, our universities expanded rapidly and absorbing more and more students; but at the same time, from being one of the top uni in asia at one time, only to find themselves out of top 300 league that is not worth even looking at. the irony is, the educationist could still find the lame excuses for this apparent failure.

After 50 years, there are more and more non-Malay parents have no other choices but to fork out life saving to send children to study overseas... only to find out later that departure also means another Malaysian being abondoned by his/her beloved motherland... another national orphan who will settle down in foreign land in search of better life... to become another overseas Malaysian who has to chew tasteless fish&chips and misses nasi lemak and satay ayam back home.

After 50 years... we still have dream...

I suddenly feel that Dr Azly and RPK are like... the bridge over troubled waters...
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written by truthbespoken, August 26, 2008 09:53:44
Dr Asly,

You have just hit the nail on the head on the problem plaguing the country!

There is no doubt that it starts with the poor education system. And it is with the people creating the policies and manning the administration.

Many people know what the actual problems are here without further elaboration.

Let's say even if we are so fortunate to have drastic changes to the system now, it will still take another generation or so, perhaps another 20 to 30 years, before the positive effects of the changes are felt. What more if these changes have not even be initiated now! The waiting time will be too long!

What a pity! I have no choice but to continue to feel pessimistic for the younger generations. The political will of the current leaders to correct the wrongs in our education system is really wanting! But I still hope someone will be brave enough to do the job in the not too distant future. God bless Malaysia!
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written by teo siew chin, August 26, 2008 09:55:48
"...Education is the solution..."
---------------------------

Is our system of education questionable?
Do we need to educate the educators?
Have the great educators left our shores
or left the system?

This is a rich nation, we can afford the best education money can buy.
So buy it! And buy it now before we have another batch of 80k unemployed graduates.
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written by Eskay Lim, August 26, 2008 10:45:21
Politicians in Bolehland have been playing the "Blame Game" for years, blaming everyone else when something goes wrong.
After 50 years of blaming, Malaysians are really tired.
It's time they look themselves in the mirror,
Only then will they know who to blame for all the country's malfeasance.
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written by smpadayachi, August 26, 2008 11:06:05
What a beautiful piece Dr. Azly Rahman to give a gainful momentum on the eve, to decide where Malaysia is going to be in the future. Here you're in country that is about make history for an African American gentleman to sit in the White House, and for the Democratic convention that is taking place, and with precision here in Malaysia history is about to take it's own course for a man who is saying this is true.. Merdeka that everyone is waiting for the last 51 years.

I take this opportunity to say thank you Dr. Rahman, and may god bless you with all your wonderful notion to see humanity, compassion, and of course democracy do survive in Malaysia. This is the place we all call our home, not matter where we are at the moment. The place we all are doing our very best to see Anwar Ibrahim becomes the next Prime Minister of Malaysia. The behind the scene people, the unsung heroes & heroine, and many more foot soldiers who're paying their countless effort to see he wins..once again thank you.

We pray, and sincerely wish we woke up tomorrow to see Mr. Ibrahim is the clear winner, with the 3P's comes in effect...Permatang Pauh, Parliament and Putra Jaya. The democrats in the United States wants to see a sea of change with the current administration, and here in Malaysia, the average Malaysian of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and our folks from Sarawak & Sabah all want to see a change in their lives, and a great hope to see the future in Mr. Ibrahim eyes. On that note..Valga Makkal Sakthi, Hidup Anwar and Long Live Anwar.
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written by cruzeiro, August 26, 2008 11:16:22
Our Rukunegara is like the Communist Manifesto, ...
..........................................................................

Yep - and Malaysia is like the Animal Farm,
with "Old Major" and the swine gang running the show,
By those who despise intellectuals (a trend started by Mahathir)
with a cluelessly "redefined" Constitution ....
======================================================= ==


Of course the "Intellectual talk" of people like Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Machiavelli, Descarte, Kant, Nietzsche, Voltaire, Ravi Zacharias, Azly Rahman, RPK, and Haris Ibrahim (even the intellectual side of Anwar Ibrahim), would be too much gibberish to the Class F contractor (that's why they are Class F - Duh!) and many a man on the street.
In fact even many "educated" people I know cannot stomach such things - they prefer things simple ......

However, many a "gutter" politician don't know or rather- resent, the role of intellectuals in nation building - for fear of losing some of the limelight, or capacity to influence public opinion - maybe simply due to an inferiority complex.
Don't these politicians know that it is not the job of intellectuals to suck-up to politicians or the establishment?
That they, are the foundations upon which the philosophy of the "pillars of state & nationhood" is built. They provide for discussions/ dissent through civilized debate of ideas.
That it is not their job to make themselves understood by the masses at the Kopi-tiam.

Theirs, is a job that provides avenue for expression of ideas, that can challenge the people to rise above the differences - which result in petty squabbles, fights, wars politicians and unthinking masses are prone to.
It is definitely not their job to explain high-flung ideas of philosophical ideals, ethics, aesthetics and morality to the masses at ceramahs - that part is to be fulfilled by the politicians, who are representatives of the people.
It is their job to guide the politicians towards understanding their role in society.
It is their job to educate the politicians who can communicate with the masses through simple language as is the function of "the arts".

Politicians who despise, ridicule and persecute intellectuals set the stage for a corrupt regime that cannot put up with dissent. Their strength lies in their ability to use the instruments of state to suppress the intellectuals, and effectively silence dissent - not justice and righteousness..........

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

People, Politics & Philosophy - Bridging The Gap
http://cruzinthots.blogspot.co...g-gap.html
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written by takbolehtahan, August 26, 2008 11:41:24
Umno is the embodiment of evil, failure and racism and everything that went wrong in this country. They have adopted the tyrannical and ugly practices shunned by other countries ... apartheid, the caste system, dictatorship, barbarianism. The only way to progress is the complete annihilation of Umno and BN.

Bring in Anwar Ibrahim for a new Malaysia, new beginnign and a new hope.
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written by densemy, August 26, 2008 12:38:28
I'm not sure where you got the idea from that it was the English who are responsible for the divide and rule concept in Malaysia. As I read it, because there was little or no democracy under the British Raj there was no need to divide and rule. They ruled by royal invitation. And they virtually had to force independence on Malaysia... so much for your much vaunted "struggle for democracy".

DnR is a Mahathirism... just another aspect of his total hatred of the Brits. He hated them so much that he demolished all the institutions that the Brits bequeathed you.. education, the judiciary, the police, honesty truth and ethics

But. yours is a good analyis of where Malaysia has gone wrong.

Thanks Dr M, and thanks Islam, you have torn apart what once was a beautiful country with enough wealth for everyone to have prospered
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written by cruzeiro, August 26, 2008 14:52:59
They ruled by royal invitation. And they virtually had to force independence on Malaysia...
===========================================

Precisely!
Unlike India, Malaya didn't have much natural resources to speak of, except towards the sunset years of the Brit Empire.
The "Gold-mine" that Malaya was, was none other than its strategic location - trade and military.
Malaya's Independence was won on the beaches of Normandy during WW2, with the blood of Allied forces - as a result of a deal between Roosevelt & Churchill.

However, "divide and rule", they did - not just the different communities, but also among the Sultanates.

Actually, they simply preserved the status quo with ease (just as under Umno rule today) - non of the local leaders had a vision for a united Nation-state.
The Brits did though, when forced to abandon the empire - which was translated into the farce of "Malayan Union", which was never meant to be.
It was a "joke" that was pulled on the people - why would they want to create a "crown colony" after so long, when they knew they were leaving anyway?
Doesn't make sense, does it?!

Conclusion: It was meant to be nothing but an Umno battle-cry, while the leftists were snuffed out using emergency laws.

The Malay/Malayan "leftist" who were truly anti-Brit were wiped out by the Brits, with the creation of the Frankenstein called Umno which worked with the Brits.
All these hoopla about Umno's "struggle for Independence" is nothing but hogwash!
The "struggle" glorified by Umno, is nothing but childplay, compared to what Subash Chandra Bose, Nehru and Gandhi had to put up with!
They could've held on to Malaya/ Sabah/Sarawak effortlessly had they not agreed to American demands.
Little surprise that Jalur Gemilang resembles the Star Spangled Banner!

The alliance was nothing more than a Brit creation, meant to take care of their interests - as they had no choice but to give up their stranglehold on trade routes to the east, as a trade-off for American military aid.

Mahathir's "hatred" for Brits was simply a drama he created, so as to whip up "natianalistic/racist" sentiments in the name of "patriotism"
- just so that he could hoodwink the masses who surrendered their rights to him, while he turned Kleptocracy into an art form!
=========================================

Jalur Gemilang or Stars and Stripes?
http://cruzinthots.blogspot.co...ripes.html
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written by Vasily, August 27, 2008 00:01:39
Malaya's Independence was won on the beaches of Normandy during WW2, with the blood of Allied forces - as a result of a deal between Roosevelt & Churchill.
_______________________________________________________ ______________________
Agree with the rest bro..
Not really agree with you on this one!!...Normandy just icing on the cake...3 battles that turn the tide of WWII is...Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of El-Alamin and Battle of Midway...Don't forget the blood of another ally....Red Army... and Roosevelt is the hinge factor between Churchill and uncle Joe....be fair bro, cold war was over!!
Peace bro!!
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written by skc, August 27, 2008 16:12:37
Great article, Yes where else should we all be but in Malaysia. The situation demands champions, come one and all, now is the time to make your own stamp on history. "What is life without a cause to die for"
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written by skc, August 27, 2008 16:18:04
For sheep's we do not want to be. Without a cause, life is just waiting for death. Without a cause there will be no improvement. Without a cause there will be no dreams. Without a cause we are just selfish animals. Without a cause where is the honor ? Without a cause, why then do we stay alive ?
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written by Cyber DNA, August 27, 2008 23:22:20
Dr Azly.

TRY LOOKING UP THE HISTORY OF THE POLITICS NIGERIA......AFTER THEIR INDEPENDENCE. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MALAYSIA IS A MIRROR REFLECTION!

THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE MALAYSIA IS HEADING.
ITS SO SAD!
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written by froggy, August 28, 2008 10:02:20
Khairy Jamaludin’s CV - Desperately Seeking New Employment

http://thedandelions.wordpress...a-new-job/
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written by binkah1, August 28, 2008 19:17:27
Yes, we rakyat must wake up and demand for change. After 51 years of being rob, it is time we stand up and be counted.
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written by jchew, August 30, 2008 04:31:55
Logo merdeka is 100% tiru simbol taiwan! Tetapi katanya cuma 50%! Typical!
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