| STOP FIGHTING, let's celebrate ... |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Thursday, 18 September 2008 12:30 | |
| Our politicians have been giving us the wrong interpretation of what language, culture, and human liberation actually means. Even our most progressive educators have fallen prey to these shackling arguments that have chained us to the 'stop' sign of the crossing that will bring us to this world of imagination and possibilities. Our politicians are not linguists. Azly Rahman This is not good for our next 50 years. We might as well let the Japanese robot ASIMOV, created by Honda, become our Prime Minister making decisions through a sophisticated data-crunching capabilities on race relations and come up with sober data-driven policies. Perhaps ASIMOV can do a better job than all our component political parties combined. Programmed properly, robots don't fall asleep on the job nor vomit racial slurs on the streets -- after overdosing oneself on nasi kandar. But robots are robots. Cybertroopers can initiate bot attack and there goes our mechatronic androdic androgynous Prime Minister. We will then need to replace ASIMOV through by-elections and circuitry cross-overs of a different sort. Marx too warned us of technological determinism an how we may surrender ourselves to technology and become George Orwell's Winston in the novel 1984. Forget ASIMOV for now. There are problems living in a technopoly anyway. Technology shapes consciousness and those who owns the means of technological production controls consciousness and dictate the nature of economic condition the masses will be designed into. Forget ASIMOV. Our language problematique I have been reflecting upon the language problematique as it relates to the debate on Malaysian vernacular schools. I arrived at a few thoughts. Like the difference between truth with a small 't' and truth with a capital T, the same goes with 'culture' and 'Culture'. Frequently, dialogues on Malaysian culture revolve around our attempt to move from the small to the big 'c'. We argue endlessly over which Malaysian culture is more superior or which should be made official, or whose language should form the basis of our educational policy, or even whether it is suitable to officially have interfaith dialogue (a form of dialogue rooted in language and culture). When I was in Sekolah Temenggong Abdul Rahman primary school in Johor Bahru, there were mantras in the still unsophisticated media that conditioned us to value the beauty of cultures. Two of that I can still remember are Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa and Muhibbah. If I recall, part of the lyrics of Muhibbah goes like this: Muhibbah, muhibbah Itu lah amalan kita semua Muhibbah, muhibbah, Sejak sedari zaman purba kala Tunaikan lah ikrar Satu nusa satu bangsa merdeka Satu …[can't remember this] … satu suara Dalam Malaysia jaya What revolutionary lyrics on the need to homogenise the nation! As a child roaming around Kampung Melayu Majidee in my worn-out Japanese slippers, I would hum the lyrics. It was like a mantra. What a powerful mind conditioner! In that song, I think the most revolutionary claim was that national unity has existed since time immemorial (sejak zaman purba kala) Many decades later, every time I teach World History and Foundations of Western Civilisation here in the United States and delve into the discussion of the civilisations of the Ancients - the Sumerians, the Greeks, the Romans among these - I contemplate not only on the ethical and peaceful themes that exist in those civilisations despite their warmongering tendencies, but also engage my students in the discussion of cultural synthesis in the 'globalised' ancient world. For some time in the past, my research interest was on the kingdom of Srivijaya and the transcultural flow of the Hindu-Buddhist doctrine of work, play, and worship amongst the cultures of Southeast Asia. How interesting to note that words like anugeraha, dosa, pahala, durjana, sembahyang, puja, mentera, takhta, singahsana, putra, jaya, warna, panca indera, budhi, bakhti, dharma, ashrama, shakti, sengsara, pujangga, seloka, tapa and many others the Malays use to define themselves spiritually and to describe practices of self-discipline are borrowed from the Hindu-Buddhist tradition. These were borrowed through the transmission of the texts of the ancient Javanese traditions that are transmitted through the oral tradition of among others, the indigenised plays of Ramayana and Mahabharatha. How beautiful are the cultures! How equally beautiful if we were preserve them through the celebration of human languages. How important the role of schooling and education in the building of the ethical foundations of civilisation. What would our world be like if all our teachers take the effort to understand how important the first language is to the child in his/her early years of school? What would it be like to celebrate the child's gift of language and to continue to help him/her develop it so that the child's interest may be further sparked to learn other languages? It is equally important for our politicians to also send this message of celebration so that we may design schools around this idea of multi-vocalities. Culture and imagination Imagine a scenario in Malaysian classrooms where primary school children learn the meaning of the word 'peace' and muhibbah in many different languages: Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Jawa, Siam, Bugis, Bawean, Bangladeshi, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Tamil, Urdu, Tagalog, Hebrew, Arabic, Senoi, Jakun, Iban, and Kadazan-dusun. Imagine the children, in weekly language word-study circles, explaining to each other the meaning of the word in their own language. Imagine the children learning Language Arts and Social Studies exploring the interdisciplinary theme of the language they use at home. Imagine in Maths classes, students exploring without prejudice the different Mathematics as produced by different cultures -- from India, China, Egypt, Sumeria, Arab, Greek, etc. Imagine them translating proverbs from their native language into English, and next illustrating them and next doing class presentations. Imagine at the end of the year, the children and their parents proudly dressed up in their cultural outfits, singing songs in their native language without being laughed at, sharing food - in a cultural celebration night. Imagine secondary school students doing their final school project on the meaning of their cultural practices and the relationship to their ethical belief system and how each may teach them to profess universal values of peace and social justice among different races. Imagine all of them doing a project that analyses the themes of famous cross-cultural movies and using this vehicle to learn the concepts of cultural preservation and continuity. Imagine, at the community college and university level, when they have had enough exposure and appreciation to linguistic and cultural diversity, Malaysians forming cross-cultural dialogue clubs, engaging in multiple literacies and multiple voices forum, interfaith circles of learning, transcultural network of friends and other innovations in multi-cultural social imaginations - so that we may not need communalism anymore as a basis for our national political design. Imagine, we then have graduate students forming something called 'Malaysian Transcultural Social Democratic Futuristics' political study groups to dismantle all existing parties that have served their time. Imagine our road signs in ALL languages including in the language of the newly-arrived immigrants. What an exploration in a newer human design we may embark upon to create a society based on a transcultural radical-multiculturalist utopianism. It would be a good experiment we may embark upon for the next 50 years so that we may redefine the meaning of 'progress and development', rethink the solution to corruption, and reconfigure the existing and incoming newer Malaysians. But let us go back to the present Malaysian classroom. Imagine how the classroom, although confined by the four walls, is a world in itself in which children learn to construct the meaning of the world they live in. Imagine, like the ex-Beatle John Lennon once said, "… a brotherhood of Man". Like Lennon, I do not think we are all dreamers. I do not think we're the only ones. This is the day we ought to start joining this dialogue to start thinking of the enabling dimensions of our culture. We have been waiting at the crossroad of this debate too long that we have not been able to do the 'border-crossing'. Our politicians have been giving us the wrong interpretation of what language, culture, and human liberation actually means. Even our most progressive educators have fallen prey to these shackling arguments that have chained us to the 'stop' sign of the crossing that will bring us to this world of imagination and possibilities. Our politicians are not linguists. We must learn to explore and develop our interest in other languages to make our world a more creative and more enriched place, culturally and linguistically. Malaysia is the such fertile area of such exploration. Cultural trap Our current squabble over what official language to use in primary schools has philosophical solutions. We think it is a political problem with political solutions. We are wrong. We are looking at it the wrong way. Albert Einstein once said the problem cannot be solved if it originates from the same plane from which it arises. We have to find the light at the end of the tunnel. We have to rethink what cultural dominance mean. Can one value be allowed to define other values? Can one culture be allowed to dominate? There is no dominance of one value over others; if one feels that there ought to be, then the definition must be an arrogant and outdated one. Cultural absolutism itself is subjective; all cultures want to define their culture as the absolute - the absolute truth. This has been the problem of humanity since time immemorial; sejak zaman purba kala. To acknowledge one's culture as being superior to others' is like acknowledging that one's race is superior to others. There is no biological basis to racial superiority. Race/culture is a construct; it exists in the mind. Race can translate into social domination. Cultural relativism is currently being rigorously explored the world over through disciplines such as Ethnic and Multi-cultural Studies. This is a promising field that might reduce bigotry based on race, religion or skin colour. Relativism simply means there is no absolute. It is time we embrace this notion that things are relative. We may even open up minds to exploring transcultural philosophies and have less fights over which race is more intelligent that the other. Let me propose the following notion of language and culture. Language is culture is philosophy is reality is the totality of one's existence shaped by the economic conditions that are shaped by dominant others. As makers of our own history and masters of our own destiny, with the aid of divine intervention, we ought to learn how to explore the inter-relationship between power and language. As existential beings we are going through, as stated by Harvard psychologist Robert Kegan, stages of "evolving selfs". We ought to ask: in what way is language used to indoctrinate and oppress us and in what way must we continue to be aware of this and remain conscious and free? As thinking, feeling, and dignified beings in this sea of humanity, how do we recognise whose language is trying to colonise and oppress ours? How is structural, or unseen violence, defining the way we communicate? As 'novice linguistic archaeologists', how do we excavate language in its cultural field so that we may then discover the 'ethics of authenticity' and ultimately stand in awe facing the core of its philosophy? These are tough questions. Let me illustrate the beauty of this archaeological exploration. Imagine our university students, in a class called 'Cross-Cultural Perspectives' exploring the grand narratives of the major cultural traditions to understand how language and culture flows. Cultural flow To celebrate and help preserve the diversity of languages, we need to first understand how language and culture get transmitted. I present an 'Essentialist' perspective; one that sees culture being passed down from one generation to the next. According to this perspective, the core culture would remain intact, passed down as highly coded information. The level of creativity in interpretation of the values of the core elements may be guarded by the senior members of the society in order for cultural tradition to remain preserved. The major texts are called grand narratives. Let us further illustrate what grand narratives are used for. The cultural flow and the transmission of traditions might be in the case of the teachings of the great books of world's religious and philosophical traditions such as Ramayana, Mahabharatha, the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita to the Hindus, the I Ching, Tao Te Ching, and the Analects from Chinese philosophers to generations of Chinese, or the Al Quran and the Hadith and Al Ghazalli's Ihya al-Ulumuddin, or the Granth Sahib, or the Lotus Sutras, or the Old and New Testament passed down to Christians. All these represent knowledge/information designed to be passed down from generation to generation through a variety of media such as parables, drama, music, shadow plays, Japanese kabuki theatre and Noh drama. Although the grand narratives above contain universal messages of human liberation, they 'speak' originally to distinct cultural groups. In the texts transmitted, the antagonists and protagonists, the crisis, conflict, climax, conclusions and moral lessons utilise specific cultural settings within their respective milieu. Thus for example the Hindu texts are rich in magnificent imagery of ancient India, the Chinese grand narratives are written with pastoral ancient Chinese civilisations as backdrop, the Al Quran is revealed in the beauteous land of rolling hills of Arabic desert beauty, and the Bible are stories or parables set in the serene ancient land of Israel. Herein lies the foundation of Malaysia's cross-cultural civilisations. Add the grand narratives of the indigenous peoples to the list, and we have a beautiful tapestry of linguistic and cultural diversity. How beautiful the study of language and culture can be. It is even more beautiful to a child learning about the authenticity of the human self in his/her mother tongue. Why then do we need to make political statements accusing this and that group of being linguistic and cultural chauvinists? Cultural contradictions I am now humming the government-propaganda song Muhibbah. The last few verses I can still remember are: Marilah kita berganding tangan Hapuskan lah jurang perbezaan Many decades hence, we have the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer.We have the upper class few smiling broader and many in the middle class becoming quieter. We have few schools getting the most sophisticated computers, while the rest get crumbs of the Information Age. We have children getting all As and being recognised for memorising and regurgitating more and more facts, while some get many Fs and drop out earlier in the new Malaysian rat race. We have more intensified problems with national integration, while the children's multi-cultural needs are being neglected in the few crucial formative years of their language and cognitive development. We have more and more smart and tall buildings, but we continue to produce fewer and fewer people who can say Stop! to material progress and to focus more on human intellectual development and racial tolerance, and prioritise basic needs over insatiable wants. We have more and more arguments over the possibility of interfaith commissions with a few initiative to help explore and encourage meaningful religious dialogues. We have more and more leaders screaming, shouting, and scheming for democracy, but we have fewer and fewer people understanding why we must create even newer and better alternatives to this. Constructive paths Let us then think of newer ways to resolve the contradictions of homogeneity and heterogeneity, between the need to think as one and the necessity of respecting voices of the many. Let us, politicians and educators alike, construct newer ways of ending squabbles and start exploring newer pastures in language and culture, building from the promising existing condition. Politicians and educators, let us: - Learn the complexity of language and nation-building. - Look at language as a gift not a Trojan horse. - Stop making statements on language and schooling that confuse and anger people. - Seek advice from the progressive and humanistic linguists. - Help the media highlight the beauty of human expressions through the languages. - Collaborate with the new radical multi-culturalism that is emerging through the new voices. - Stop making references to this and that superiority in language. - Seek avenues for problem-solving in education that will help children enrich and explore their inner world through the language they grow up in; as a preparation to learn other languages. -Teach students to rigorously master the English language - Learn to deconstruct the meaning of language and symbolic power. Educators, let us: - Educate ourselves on the beauty of all languages. - Look at the child as a 'teacher' who will teach us his/her language. - Help children preserve their native language. - Teach them to take pride in the language of their inner world. - Enrich our children through cross-cultural perspectives of teaching. - Draw out the ethical and social dimensions of language and thoughts. - Perceive and conceive it as a chariot to intellectual and cognitive development. - Use it to combat linguistic and social dominance. - Teach peaceful conflict resolution through language. - Design trans-disciplinary connections in classroom learning. Let us help our children develop all the possibilities of cultural imagination through the celebration and nurturance of the language they speak; to see the differences as anugeraha and not as a path to our nation's future sengsara. Let us also be reminded by the sage Mahatma Gandhi who once said: "I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." -- MY URGENT APPEAL TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT : FREE RAJA PETRA KAMARUDDIN, TERESA KOK, HINDRAF 5, AND ALL THE ISA DETAINEES. ABOLISH ISA AND ALL OTHER DEPLORABLE AND INTOLERABLE ACTS
Comments (33)  ... written by Tompios, September 18, 2008 13:01:39 Dear Dr. Azly, Thank you to make your paper more readable. I could not reach the stage of your words that you used to use previously. Today, I really can enjoy your messages. Thank you for understanding people like me (lack of IQ general stage). report abuse disagree 1 agree 33 ... written by RitchieLow, September 18, 2008 13:02:52 Ever wonder how our politicians are perverted in their logic ? If our UPSR results in Science and Maths is bad, blame it on English as it is the medium used to teach, and not on the teachers teaching the subjects, their own mastery of English for one and being knowledgeable in the subjects they purport to be able to teach. There was a report once that our teachers in the National schools are not even qualified to be teachers. http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/12842/84/ has the gist of it. report abuse disagree 1 agree 31 ... written by ahmadneil, September 18, 2008 13:05:25 By the time I finished reading I'm out of breath.Tooooo Long. report abuse disagree 11 agree 24 ... written by expat70, September 18, 2008 13:16:39 Well written. Thank you Dr. Azly. In fact you should be our Education Minister. God Bless a Good Man report abuse disagree 1 agree 50 ... written by cheekhiaw, September 18, 2008 13:17:06 If that article is too long, here is a short approximation: Think and learn from Isaac Asimov. Think and learn from the Japanese engineers that have no qualms with naming their robot after that man. Think and learn from Gandhi. Think and learn from whatever, whoever, where ever, whenever, however you can. Even from thieves, liars and murderers. From the good we learn what to do, from the bad we learn what not to do.. report abuse disagree 1 agree 38 ... written by FFT, September 18, 2008 13:19:42 written by ahmadneil, September 18, 2008 13:05:25 Dear Ahmadneil, The reason Malaysia is in the state it is in today is primarily because there are too many Malaysians like you who make that comment....reading and being able to digest commentaries and opinion pieces such as Dr. Azly's are one of the biggest contributing factors to why Malaysians are led up the path like a bunch of lembus under the BN and UMNO hegemony. report abuse disagree 6 agree 35 ... written by CariJalan, September 18, 2008 13:22:21 I think the lyrics had these also "Satu bang...sa..sa..tu negara, Malaysia kita berjaya". report abuse disagree 0 agree 9 ... written by lakshy, September 18, 2008 13:37:50 CJ, Thats a different song, Malaysia Kita sudah berjaya Aman makmur bahagia ..... Azly, the Johor State anthem also hass words to the effect "rakyat dipimpini bersama lagi dengan mereka bersatu hati ...... report abuse disagree 0 agree 4 ... written by lakshy, September 18, 2008 13:45:14 I like Azly's title. Lets stop fighting and lets celebrate. We are all basically the same, whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, non-malay Bumiputra, others etc. We are all Mlaysian. And if we all work towards what is good for Malaysia, we will ALL prosper. We are all brothers and we are all on basically the same journey/quest report abuse disagree 2 agree 22 ... written by tmf, September 18, 2008 13:46:51 "These days Malaysians fight over everything -- over roads signs, race, and religion....." Dear Dr.Azly, are we? Allow me to share what I have seen on last Sunday: Teresa Kok was taken away on Friday [12/9/08]. Two self- proclaimed Muslim Groups were at the Sentul Police Station making report against Teresa on Sunday [14/9/08]morning around 11am. At the scene, by the road side, some gangster-looking youngsters with yellow head-band were holding some banners accusing Teresa of " menghina Islam." I stopped my car and asked one of them what was it all about. Me: Dik, apa dah jadi? He: Ada Orang menghina Islam. Me: Siapa? He: Tak tahu! (The banner he was holding reads: Teresa Kok Menghina Islam) Me: Lalu you marah siapa? He: Tak marah siapa, cari makan saja! Me: Tapi Teresa KOK sudah ditangkap ISA. He: Siapa Teresa KOK? Me: .......... report abuse disagree 1 agree 76 ... written by Newkidonblog, September 18, 2008 13:51:12 MY URGENT APPEAL TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT : Hi Doc Don't be so sad! Another way of analyzing the recent arrests could be that Pak Lah is trying to cool things down. UMNO is instigating and trying to start a fire. We know we still have some mad cuckoos inside (not forgetting the ONE on standby outside)playing with racial and religious sentiments. Let's hope RPK will have enough fats to burn and last the pace. While GOD can do so much, the rest depends on our beloved DS ANwar Ibrahim and most probably Pak Lah too! We didn't start the fire! Mamak is trying very hard to do it! report abuse disagree 0 agree 14 ... written by soberman, September 18, 2008 13:53:18 FFT, you're damn right about Ahmadneil's comment. That's why most Malaysian are narrow minded and can be easily influenced by BN shits. report abuse disagree 0 agree 17 ... written by Umno Slayer, September 18, 2008 14:03:49 FFT Right on! I m pretty much with you on that!Lembu just like to hear the good things! report abuse disagree 1 agree 10 ... written by Cinakelate, September 18, 2008 16:03:07 Dr Azly, I can only say this, BEAUTIFUL! report abuse disagree 1 agree 10 ... written by ahmadneil, September 18, 2008 16:21:08 Thanks guys,sometimes you have to be in the opposite to know how much down votes you can get.From amount of down votes I get I think this is a minority.The silent majority are with me.YA! report abuse disagree 10 agree 7 ... written by cwy, September 18, 2008 17:11:13 å¥½æ–‡ç« ！ Good Article! Penulisan Cemerlang! I'm of Chinese origin. Can other Malysians furnish what other languages belonging to all the ethnic groups in our country? report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by renoir, September 18, 2008 17:55:50 >Satu …[can't remember this] … satu suara Dalam Malaysia jaya]] I think it's: Satu loghat, dan satu suara Dalam Malaysia jaya -------------------------------------- I sang with some college kids at the Stadium Merdeka a song with the verses "Kami-lah pembela nusa dan bangsa/Kami belia berjasa..." or something like that. Very catchy tunes and all of us had that innocent air of unity. Very few questions were asked then. As I implied in my previous posting, there's a difference between NATION and STATE. My definition of nation involves a spontaneous social organism that binds all of us. The nearest approximation for this definition would be "gemeinschaft" but without its attendant features of regulatory and homogenous tendencies. A State, by contrast, often despises freewill and acts like a puppeteer pulling the rakyat around like senseless marionettes. Nation encourages us to share our humanity, whereas state differentiates us in order to better control us. Nation pulsates with life, while state prefers to make us zombies. The world is full of rational states but lacking in nations because states possess the deadly organized power that often suppresses and stifles the vitality, the creativity, and the humanity that give rise to nations. It's most ironical that nations could become states, but states - with its totalitarian tendencies - seldom transform into nations without titanic struggles. LChuah report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by Ben, September 18, 2008 18:32:26 Azly, your republic is in another world; a pseudo utopia almost like you. You are in another state looking into Malaysia. What do you see? When the gomen have taken away my pen, they deny me my right to freedom of speech which includes dissent. When they incarcerate innocent Malaysians, they take away my fellowship and respect. When the warlords plunder and steal from the nation's treasury, they take away the future of this nation and her children. What is there to celebrate? When our education system is so bad that students are correcting some teachers who have been given the responsibility to teach but instead is being taught, we have lost hope. Whatever the excuses the gomen may give, we are in despair and desperate to revamp the education system for the sake of our children's future. And you say let the children teach? All the cultural mumbo jombo cannot and will not remove the dividers of this nation. Only the love that is in every Malaysian is the answer. With love we are willing to be patient and forgiving. Otherwise, how can we move on and progress? With the love of God and justice, this nation will prosper. While smart Malaysians will lead to a civilized nation, love will be the uniting factor. Just as we are united in our love for RPK, Teresa and other ISA detainees. We will unite and destroy this monster called ISA and free our brethren. Fight we will, fight we must, its God's will, that we are just. When we have done that, we will celebrate! report abuse disagree 1 agree 7 ... written by cruzeiro, September 18, 2008 20:41:01 Azly, You say celebrate. BUmno says, "let's fight!" Nice piece, Doc! and Ahmad neil, go grab your beer, and declare that you're no more a "whatever you are now"! report abuse disagree 5 agree 2 ... written by cruzeiro, September 18, 2008 20:43:09 BTW Doc, When do you plan to return and celebrate? report abuse disagree 0 agree 4 ... written by businessman, September 18, 2008 21:49:49 By refering what posted by tmf At the scene, by the road side, some gangster-looking youngsters with yellow head-band were holding some banners accusing Teresa of " menghina Islam." I stopped my car and asked one of them what was it all about. Me: Dik, apa dah jadi? He: Ada Orang menghina Islam. Me: Siapa? He: Tak tahu! (The banner he was holding reads: Teresa Kok Menghina Islam) Me: Lalu you marah siapa? He: Tak marah siapa, cari makan saja! Me: Tapi Teresa KOK sudah ditangkap ISA. He: Siapa Teresa KOK? Me: .......... Do you guys get any hints how 513 happened last time? report abuse disagree 0 agree 4 ... written by Alice, September 18, 2008 22:00:15 Awwwwwww great piece. You should be Education Minister .After all you were a Malaysian. Come back and save Malaysia! Tired of the half past six ministers in the country. Despise Albar! Not a human. A pure devil. God free RAJA PETRA! report abuse disagree 1 agree 3 ... written by Hakim Joe, September 18, 2008 23:00:17 Dr Azly, Frankly speaking I much prefer Arthur C. Clarke and Larry Niven but that's besides the point here. Anyway, you did say that Malaysians fight over almost everything? Well, let's just say that nobody was picking a fight at that precise juncture of time when RPK and Teresa were apprehended, and nobody is even attempting to pick a fight after all this while whilst they remain remanded without trial. Do I pinpoint a fault in your logic? Hardly so... Malaysians have always been scared to fight. The reasons for not participating in any fights are directly attributable to the interpretation of the Law by the people of the party that is in power. How many of us dare to risk going onto the streets to fight for our civil liberties? The Federal Constitution may guarantee us our bill of rights on the one hand but ACT-82 of our Malaysian Law repeals these rights. Sounds like Double Jeopardy but who is going to correct those applying this law? For those in absolute power, their intrinsic commands become law (whether this is legal or not is debatable). Their position is not to learn (from their mistakes) but to subjugate the people. Alternately, the people must adapt to these "leaders" requirements. Adapt or be ostracized - not unlike the Big Brother Syndrome. "We Are Watching You." Well, I hope that you right in your statement that "Malaysians fight over everything". Maybe the word "Democracy" means something. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by cruzeiro, September 18, 2008 23:20:27 Hakim, Maybe it would be better of you said that "Malaysians fight over the most inconsequential things." They are very good at "wayang kulit" .... When it comes to the real deal - their humanity - they always chicken out, and let "the wise leaders" oppress them happily. Ask TDM - he'll tell you ... report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Hakim Joe, September 19, 2008 00:52:56 cruzeiro, Exactly my point. We fight over the most inconsequential things. We do also fight for our rights but that condition depends entirely if we can get away with it. Since the application of ACT-82 together with MCMC monitoring our net usage, this has become harder and harder, hence the detentions of the bloggers. Meanwhile, knowing this fact, Malaysians shy away from fighting the real menace. As for the ppl responsible for our well-being, their interpretation of "well-being" is to maintain the status quo (in addition to enriching themselves) so that THEIR well-being is being taken cared of simultaneously. This has been the precedent for the past half century. "To-do-as-they-please" requires a subjugation of the Malaysian mentality and this is performed exclusively by the PDRM using the notorious ISA, and it is done to perfection. So....how do we arise from this dilemma? report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Diz, September 19, 2008 01:47:20 Dr Azly, I want to know if Malaysian politicians are a bunch of 'unts' with a small or a capital C! report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by skc, September 19, 2008 10:25:47 Dear FFT, soberman & Umno Slayer, You people might have a better command of english, but boy, you sure have miss out on the spirit of the article all together. What a waste of your time reading it, go do something useful for once and stop all this moronic remark. report abuse disagree 0 agree 2 ... written by tmf, September 19, 2008 10:35:26 Dear Businessman The mystery behind May 13 1969 has been gradually unveiled over the years, more authoritative first person accounts can be found in books such as The Unmaking Of Malaysia and especially Tun Doctor Ismail personal notes as revealed in The Reluctant Politician. Most accounts described the riots as a tragic consequence of internal power struggle within UMNO. I was not thinking about May 13 on that hilarious Sunday, it only prompted me to think that there must be at least three or four factions within the Peninsular UMNO, each trying to neutralize the others so as to command the support of the 60 plus Peninsular UMNO MPs left in the present Parliament. The leaders and supporters of each and every faction cautiously plot and plan all sorts of sinister traps for all their other adversaries, but each not daring to make the first move, fearing that that will leave even the last man standing badly wounded. There is a very tense Mexican Stand-off within UMNO as RPK put it sometime ago. Given the present untenable situation within UMNO, when dealing with external “enemy”, different faction within UMNO has different scripts, some on racial issues, some on religious issue and some on character assassination. The difficult part is in the execution of such script, as when one faction execute certain script, the other factions may sabotage or at least try to dissociate themselves from such script, hoping that the faction executing the script will fumble and be neutralized without their own hands being tainted by blood. As such, all those sinister scripts written are often clumsily executed without proper direction and hence I suspect that what I saw on that hilarious Sunday around Sentul Police Station was just one of those scripts being acted out by silly casts with uncoordinated confusing sequence. No, there is really no tension among our ordinary peace loving Malaysian and definitely no one is interested in fighting each other. That kind of fight is only confined to bankrupt politicians. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by teo siew chin, September 19, 2008 10:48:10 definitely no one is interested in fighting each other. That kind of fight is only confined to bankrupt politicians." ---------------------------------------- these politicians are the "leaders of the gang" and "some gangster-looking youngsters" are their street-fighters? report abuse disagree 0 agree 2 ... written by Saint, September 22, 2008 09:14:34 Dear Dr. Azly, Thanks, did not have to read twice this time. Fat hopes; unless some one like you becomes the Education minister, and retains it for the next 30 years. But let us still dream about it..... report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by echos, September 29, 2008 14:09:09 anybody ever wonder why they took teresa kok n also the journalist? just to calm u down cos their target is rpk! when ppl are just about to fight the isa hard, they release these few ppl to calm u down but their mission has accomplished. rpk is still inside and nobody makes a noise already.. they're happy cos they thought they've won the fight, teresa and the journalist were released. report abuse disagree 0 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. |
See how Mahathir , with this threat of May 13, has managed to "muster" the support of the non Malays to keep him in power when the Malays revolted against him.