| Obama's exciting victory and the boredom of 'Ketuanan Melayu' |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Thursday, 06 November 2008 00:30 | |
| Azly Rahman
'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) 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 "Tuntutan 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, '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.
Let us learn from the message of multiculturalism, peace, and reconciliation
Comments (45)  ... written by Motherchell, November 06, 2008 00:47:12 Good to hear from you Azly! We dont seem to have time here for our own citizens .,the Palace of Justice was build to castigate its own people in style . Sodomy!, with the help of the the people in power itself. This is all we have been busy about developing national policy . In fact im boggled why Syed Hamid didnt take Raja Nazrin to task in his own words. Read more about TDM schemes and Munawar's torture.......... http://sjsandteam.wordpress.co...-05112008/ report abuse disagree 1 agree 33 ... written by MasterYoda, November 06, 2008 00:51:35 here is something to laugh about. i got it from an email: What Makes A Malaysian A Malaysian 1. You can name all the players from the the English Premier League, but ask you to name one football player from Malaysia , one name also cannot come out. 2. When StreamyX come, you complain StreamyX too slow. When Maxis Broadband come, you complain Maxis Broadband always disconnects. When WiMax come, you complain Wimax too expensive. In the end, you say StreamyX still the best lah. 3. When toll price increase, you complain. When petrol price increase, you complain. When you go Starbucks buy RM10 coffee, NO COMPLAINTS. 4. When you cannot find parking in a shopping mall and have to walk very far, you complain. When you go inside the shopping mall and there's SALE , run from one end of 1Utama to the other also NO COMPLAINTS. 5. You are always late. And the excuse you give when you're late is always either: (a) traffic jam (b) no transport or (c) cannot find parking. 6. You have a parent who force you to take science stream in high school, study engineering in Uni, then when you graduate, they ask you to forget everything you learnt in Uni and do commerce. 7. You know someone who can specially develop an angmoh accent when speaking to a American / British / Australian. 8. You complain against the government in kopitiam, you talk loud loud. Leave anonymous comments on blogs, you also talk loud loud. Attend ceremah by DAP, you shout loud loud. Then when Opposition organise a protest and ask you to go, you dun wan. Scared later kena tangkap by ISA. 9. Every year on the 30th April, you are one of the people below queueing up last minute to submit your tax return at the IRB. 10. When you pay RM10 for something that costs RM1, you blame the Chinese. 11. When a government service is too slow, you blame the Malays. 12. When a building is not good and collapsed, you blame the Indians. 13. When a Chinese student won a scholarship, you say 'Wah! Very clever hor?' 14. When a Malay student won a scholarship, you say 'Aiya! Of course lah! He Malay mah!' 15. When an angmoh stranger kiss you on the cheek to say hello, you very happy. When a Malaysian guy kiss you on the cheek to say hello, you slap him. report abuse disagree 7 agree 110 ... written by tkahyap, November 06, 2008 01:04:08 hahah..dunno if i should be worried that i satisfy 14 out of the 15 criteria. thanks for brightening up my day. report abuse disagree 1 agree 12 ... written by educationist, November 06, 2008 01:04:47 Can we, as a nation do all that Dr Azly suggests? Yes, we can. But, perhaps , not in our lifetimes[talking about the independence era generation] , not while the UMNOputras still hold power. Yet I believe we are moving in that direction, to paraphrase Obama it'll need to be done brick by brick, block by block. Yes, we can! report abuse disagree 0 agree 28 ... written by Davy McChester, November 06, 2008 01:21:32 It is not going to happen any time in the future as long as "saying and doing " the opposite is the mainstay of these current tyrants,wearing the Ketuanan protective armor. USA elected the best man so did India,both qualified ,and it was merely "being a citizen" ,not because of race and religion .Malaysia's tyrants,please learn something fundamental:All Malaysians want the best people irrespective of race or religion to manage the country. If PKNS Chief Exec appointment is such a controversy,and the Malay state laws saturated with restrictions ,do not expect to cross the in-built barrier for another 50 years. The dynasty phase is on,except that this time you have corrupted "crooks" and possible criminal mind. The worst to come for Malaysia report abuse disagree 0 agree 19 ... written by Spear Bing, November 06, 2008 02:22:02 Dr. Azly called 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......... So succinct and insightful, Dr. Azly has on umpteen occasions implored upon the Malaysians, UMNO Mullahs and non-UMNO Mullahs alike, to come to their senses to rid off the utter delusional and dysfunctional stance on ethnocentric supremacy or dictatorship and congregrate and converge together as a nation for all peoples, for all races, for all religions and beliefs and build the nation to greater heights. It is only this beacon of hope that Malaysians can move forward and take it to the next higher level of achievement in every field of the society. When will we ever learn? report abuse disagree 0 agree 15 ... written by Richy, November 06, 2008 02:34:22 Not only boredom, its sickening 10 steps backward. Its funny when this brainless fellows speak about justice, equality and out of box thinking. Real hypocrisy of Malay supremacy. report abuse disagree 1 agree 14 ... written by MalaysiaBaru, November 06, 2008 02:56:35 Dear Dr Azly Rahman, You are Malaysia's Obama. When Anwar takes over the government and establish a new Malaysia, I hope he appoints you as the Interior Minister. You will be a transformational leader who will unite Malaysians and harness the best of our human capital towards unity and development of the nation. Unlike our current terrorist Interior Minister, Shiit Hamid, whose ONLY job is to destroy the country by promoting racists sentiments and imprisoning those who spoke against racism & discrimination such as RPK, the Sin Chew Reporter and MP Teresa Kok. What a world of difference the two Interior Ministers will be! report abuse disagree 1 agree 51 ... written by SocratesI, November 06, 2008 03:17:54 Come now, Dr. Azly, Malaysia is way ahead of the USA ! Our 1st Prime Minister was half Thai, our Tun Hussein Onn was half Arab, Rosak was the only Malay, with an Indian (Barack Obama is considered black following his father from Kenya) from Kerala (Maha-Shithead should also be classified as an "Indian" under the same conditions as his father came from Kerala India) and this Indian ruled for 22 years ! Then, he was succeeded by a quarter Chinese (from Hainan Island) as PM of Malaysia ! The only difference being that all of them were classified as "Malays" quite hypocritically, especially in Maha-Shithead's case when he should have been classified "Indian". So, Obama winning as President of the USA is not surprising at all ! Malaysia boleh ... especially in hiding the Truth and concealing facts !!! report abuse disagree 3 agree 42 ... written by KotaDamansara73, November 06, 2008 03:23:54 Dr.Azly, It is very rare to find a Malay so progressive in thinking. But your literature is not straight to the point and will only attract people who loves intellectual challenge. As Mahathir has said, some of the Malays voted against UMNO not because they believe in non-discrimination policy and universal value. Those Malays who voted against UMNO because they don't like UMNO. They felt UMNO has not bring them any benefit. If you ask those Mat Rempit, they will tell you this. If you ask those who works in Klang Valley, they will tell you this. The Malays who work in Klang Valley, who works in Tesco, Giant and F&B restaurant knows that those UMNO people who has so strongly voice out about Malay Supremacy are the one who cannot bring any development to the nation. They are also the one who just shout and shout but if given project, that project will fail and run into high cost. The more racist the Malay is, the more worst of him in handling any project given to him. Badawi try to reform UMNO from within, but it fail. He install people like Sharir Samad, Zaid Ibrahim and etc. but all of them failed to bring any meaningful reform. If you want to survive in UMNO, you have to have racist people like Ali Rustam, Khir Toyol and Syed Hamid to be on your side. Otherwise, they will conspire to bring you down. So, the downfall of Badawi is the result of trying to reform UMNO. Anyway, UMNO will get more corrupt and those who believe they can reform from UMNO from within are just pure stupid. Ask Zaid Ibrahim, and he will tell you that. report abuse disagree 1 agree 49 ... written by SocratesI, November 06, 2008 03:33:37 At least in the USA, the measure of a Man is his content and not his "Kulitfication", unlike here in Malaysia where there are still so many in the Unscrupulous Moronic Nazi Org. who just can't prove themselves better than anyone else and so had to resort to "kulification" or skin colour to stand out ... what a bunch of handicapped losers these types of Malays are having to resort to Apartheid and Racism to get ahead !! This sort of discrimination can only make the Malays weaker and weaker, by the day !! report abuse disagree 0 agree 22 ... written by smalluncle, November 06, 2008 06:56:31 No no no. Malaysia is still the MOST democratic. We have leaders that are half, one-third, one-fith, one-tenth, one-hundreth Arad, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian, Taiwanese blood WAY BEFORE Obama. But they don't call themself whatsoever like Obama who admit in public he is black (his look can't lie), they call themself Malay. So, its unfair to have terms like Mamak in Malay Kamus, there's none around. While the Ketuanan is so fearful of the Chinese, with the way our country is being manged, soon our country will be bankrupt and taken over by IMF. Just who are IMF? Orang Putih lah. So, to conclude, Americans of all faith have God in them. In Malaysia we have 2 - Allah and God. So, we are still more superior report abuse disagree 3 agree 13 ... written by Beezee_Beezee, November 06, 2008 07:12:22 This country had practised double standard with the BN in Ruling powers. We should learn from the American people. In simple words there is only one LAW to handled Malaysian. The Individual empowered to admnistered the gormen agency like Home Minister has no right to dumped any Malaysian into ISA. There are provision in the Law to put people to court and justified their act and be sentanced to jail if they abused theie previlages. In this juncture UMNOputras should take a step back and learn from others [Malaysian] who have experience more harmony outside the country. Hopefully PR will bring a new Paradigm to New Malaysia. Hidup Pekatan Rakyat Hidup Malaysia. INSYALLAH. report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 07:28:43 There are many Malays intellectuals out there - Dr. Azly Rahman, Haris Ibrahim, Zaid Ibrahim, Sultan Azlan Shah, the Regent of Perak, the Tengku Makhota of Johor ( his wife, Princess Sophie??), the Sultan of Trengganu (our present agung), the ex Perlis Mufti, RPK, Anwar Ibrahim, Azmin (PKR), the law lecturer (with the pony tail) ... the list is long. If we allow them to rule the country, Malaysia would be so much better off, and give Singapore a run for its money. Who cares about colour! report abuse disagree 2 agree 23 ... written by batsman, November 06, 2008 08:09:32 Aren't some of you putting the cart before the horse? The first black president of US may yet turn out to be worse than Bush. report abuse disagree 30 agree 6 ... written by 2edgedsword, November 06, 2008 08:38:48 Umno must remember that they are not born to rule. Only the Royals in Malaysia are born to rule. The Prime Minister must be elected by the entire raakyat, not from Umno only. report abuse disagree 0 agree 20 ... written by ROBERTNGTG, November 06, 2008 08:49:15 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. MR PM MUST BE TALKING IN HIS SLEEP AGAIN ON OBAMA. WE MIGHT HV TO WAIT A FEW MORE CENTURIES TO DREAM OF OUR VERY OWN OBAMA. THE PERAK SULTAN RECD A MEMO FR HELMI ON MALAY RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES WHEREAS SHIT ALBAR ARRESTED THE HINDRAF 10 WITH KIDS FOR TRYING TO PRESENT ONE TO THE SLEEP WALKING PM. WHO KNOWS?? THE RAKYAT MAY GET ONE COME GE13. report abuse disagree 0 agree 11 ... written by teo siew chin, November 06, 2008 09:54:52 hahahahahah MasterYoda - you saying the people of this country have mastered the art of Complaints?  Batsman - cynical though it may sound, I concur with you. Obama has talked the talk, now let's watch him walk the walk eh? But in all fairness, he has to suffer an assessment of higher standard BECOS he is black, no? There are countries that groom their girl-children from young to become Miss World ... should not parents groom their children to be LEADERS of a nation instead? Our nation needs to have groomed leaders. report abuse disagree 0 agree 2 ... written by joker2008, November 06, 2008 10:40:18 I may be putting the Obamas on a pedestal, but it is so distinctively clear that they became what they are now entirely on their capability, strength of character and determination, in the face of discrimination. Just read this short synopsis ( from Reuteurs ) of Michelle Obama and you can sense the strong moral fibre in her - and the straight talking person she is. Indeed she is right that she should not have felt proud of her country earlier on, as it was ( and perhaps still is, in some ways ) mired with the racial mindset. I think, however, the US now, has shown the rest of the world the better world we can be without racial prejudices. They, and their country, have now deservedly earned the respect and goodwill of many around the world. Our own Rosmah? - she got to where she is on the same set of values and capability? And she's the Chancellor of a University!! ( Unisel ). Ketuanan Melayu? For goodness sake, these folks just do not know shame. Give her a mirror, someone pls! Joker2008 ******************************************************* ******************************************* First Lady? I'm just 'mum in chief' Thu, Nov 06, 2008 Reuters, AFP ATLANTA: Mrs Michelle Obama brings the skills of a corporate lawyer to the White House as First Lady to President-elect Barack Obama, but she says her priority will be her role as 'mum-in-chief' to the couple's two daughters. Mrs Obama, 44, not only the first black First Lady but one of the youngest presidential wives since Jackie Kennedy, was a passionate advocate for her husband's candidacy. Although she admits she happily gives political advice if her husband asks for it, she has played down her influence on her husband in this area. 'My first job, in all honesty, is going to continue to be 'mum-in-chief',' she said recently referring to daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven. During the campaign, she would give a standard 45 minute stump speech, which she wrote herself and delivered without notes. While other would-be presidential wives traditionally stick to uncontroversial topics, Mrs Obama spoke on education and inequality. Born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, she grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood on the south side of Chicago and went to public school. After winning scholarships to Princeton and Harvard law school, she worked for a law firm and in the Chicago mayor's office. Her most recent job was vice-president of the University of Chicago hospitals, where she earned more than her husband. She is immensely popular with Democrats who warm to the strength and smartness she projects, but in February she stirred controversy with comments she made on the campaign trail. 'For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country,' she told an audience in Wisconsin. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.' Conservatives criticised her as insufficiently patriotic and the dispute angered some black Americans who said they are held to a higher standard of patriotism. Resistance to racial injustice, they said, has often been cast as unpatriotic. Mrs Obama said during the campaign that she had stopped watching TV, stopped reading opinion polls, and 'developed a thick skin' to cope with the accusations and criticism. 'She's also had fewer public appearances than other potential first ladies because she has two small kids and has to balance her parental responsibilities with the hopes of getting her husband elected,' said Prof Leonard Steinhorn, a professor of political communication at American University in Washington. 'She won't be a wilting flower' when she becomes First Lady, he said, but he agreed she would take care to balance her public image with her private life. --REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ******************************************************* ******************* report abuse disagree 1 agree 7 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 11:39:55 written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 07:28:43 There are many Malays intellectuals out there ...... the Tengku Makhota of Johor.... ============================== Hello admin- do you have an emoticon for "cough, cough"? I need to get some codeine phosphate syrup or tablets now ... report abuse disagree 4 agree 5 ... written by ASK4u, November 06, 2008 12:15:01 Oh, how I wish more Malays could read all of Dr Azly's postings here in MT. That will slowly open up their mind that has been poisoned by BTN for so long. Unfortunately, majority (all races included) still lags good grasping of materials written in English language. The catalyst for Change is Knowledge and knowledge comes through listening and reading good materials like this one here. My written BM is horrible. Can someone take the lead and translate all of Dr Azly's work (also YM RPK's, and other good articles here in MT) into BM. Maybe, this is the most important thing we can do now to kick start Dr Azly's call below: "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". report abuse disagree 0 agree 3 ... written by batsman, November 06, 2008 12:17:44 tsc - TQ. Here's some more cynicism for thought.. Just because BO is black makes him a hero for many Chinese? Isn't this placing too much emphasis on race from a different perspective? Lots of heroes here claim to be colour-blind, support meritocracy etc. But to me this is just long on words and short on memory and integrity. If you fight for meritocracy, you must also fight the other aspect of meritocracy i.e. racism and corruption. Problem is, the fight is selective for some people - there is no integrity. They fight as if only Malays are racist and corrupt and Chinese have no such problems. Whenever instances of Chinese racism arise, they close two eyes. Almost all the articles I read here only fight one aspect of racism i.e. Malay racism. Nobody fights Chinese racism. Similarly, all articles on meritocracy hinge upon "Ketuanan Melayu" as a target - nobody talks about Chinese chauvinism. This does not bode good for Malaysia. Ignoring Chinese racism or Ketuanan Cina only prolongs Malaysia' suffering. There will be no solution as long as racism exists - whether Malay or Chinese. report abuse disagree 14 agree 6 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 12:36:08 Obama, Obama, Obama ...  My God - what peasants people can be - that guy is untested and overrated! He's just a freshie in american politics - as yet untainted by the system - and his ascendency was designed right from the start by the shadowy "elite" of America! Do you think he's gonna make decisions on "policy"? No way, Jose - he'll have his political masters who'll be holding his "family jewels", to whom he'll have to kow-tow. Dang, man - Reading "between the lines" in the /american media, I could have told you six months ago that he was gonna be the President, without him announcing his candidacy! As in all Presidential elections, his rise was planned 4yrs ago at the DNC address, when they were still talking about "who's the man with a funny name and big ears"! Yes - he can talk (& think like a "white", despite being "black"), he can write, and is an intellectual. Beyond that, as a politician - so far, he's nothing! He's simply a symbol of hope not just for America but the world, when the Conservatives have screwed up big-time. Period. But at least they know the problem, & have a symbol of hope spreading to spread the message of "The Audacity of Hope", while attempting to overcome racism - what we have here is the opposite. We have an elite that reinforces a racist siege mindset, spreading the message of Despair among the electorate - more so the Malays/ "Bumiputras". A "certain party" today is like "an aged man" with ED, who believes that his problem is due to his aging wife - and so seeks "tongkat ali", urut, jampi/susuk and a new wife. No amount of telling him that his obesity, poor stamina, diabetes, hypertension hypercholesterolemia etc is the problem. To him, a young wife would solve the problem .... and when his wife is unfaithful, he runs amok waving his kris! Best part is, aided by certain "cultural factors", he can convince his "mindless family" (read - his own kind) that his decision is valid - and they applaud him, so that they can eat the pittance he give them. No amount of enlightened opinions from "cultural enemies" can convince him or his family that he's wrong .... Big problem we have in this "kampung household" - soon the guys is gonna have an MI, and the family will mourn his passing, oblivious to the freedom they have achieved .... ============================= Aah batsman - you've got a point there, and I agree with you. And the sentiment is quite obvious - even on MT. It isn't with "Chinese" only - you even get leters upon letters from some who only lament the "persecution of Indians/Malays/Muslims(or other religions)" and what not. Seeing each other as Malaysians as a whole being persecuted, doesn't quite figure in their minds .... However, you must understand that the "unholy alliance" of racists, is what reinforces it so as to play one with the other ..... and all are to blame for sucking up to the siege mindset they propagate. report abuse disagree 6 agree 2 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 12:40:22 Btw - I wonder if some American "Utusan" paper will publish a cerpen called "The Assasination Of O'Bummer" as 'Mr.Mansur White" claims they would tolerate ... report abuse disagree 1 agree 1 ... written by teo siew chin, November 06, 2008 13:03:34 this win has also invoked an awareness of the power of wives - even more so the Power of Women! the missus carries enuf of clout on her own, good for her. As for our nation, what we need is perhaps more brain-food. or more codeine. watever. As for Obama being a hero to the chinese..pls note that the chinese are also considered the minority in the US of A... heck the chinese are minorities everywhere they put their woks outside of china! Call it a genetic flaw if you like but the chinese were never into 'conquering' lands nor even politics...i heard the early coolies left china becos of the politics. And the early chinese sea-farers sought new lands to TRADE and not to take over possession. And Batsman - the chinese do have slinty eyes for a reason report abuse disagree 3 agree 2 ... written by teo siew chin, November 06, 2008 13:08:00 Actually the chinese have a 'white' attitude towards race. The chinese consider themselves the only human race - the rest are 'kwais' or devils. report abuse disagree 11 agree 4 ... written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 15:39:36 written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 11:39:55 written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 07:28:43 There are many Malay intellectuals out there ...... the Tengku Makhota of Johor.... ============================== Hello admin- do you have an emoticon for "cough, cough"? I need to get some codeine phosphate syrup or tablets now ... Hello "cough, cough" ... there are many sons of the present Sultan of Johor. I know about the history of the Johor royal family, as I am from JB. The one I am talking about has a western mother and is married to(if I am not mistaken, the daughter of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak) - they are both Oxford educated. My apologies if my information is wrong ... maybe someone can enlighten us? report abuse disagree 1 agree 2 ... written by The dragonheart, November 06, 2008 15:52:11 WHAT Dr AZLY SHOULD DO IS TO COME BACK TO MALAYSIA AN BE A POLITICIAN. E ANYBODY CAN WRITE ANYTHING, BUT CAN HE CHANGE THE MINDSET THE ALL THE RACES IN MALAYSIA. WHY JUST ASKING THE MALAYS TO LET GO OF WHAT THEY INHERITED TO BE MALAYSIAN? CAN THE CHINESE AND INDIAN DO THE SAME? I DOUBT. ONLY LAW CAN DO THAT BUT STILL THERE WILL BE RESISTANCE.. LOOK AT IN THIS MT, LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE IN HERE HATE THE OTHER RACE AND THE WORDS THEY USED... JUST CHANGE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WANT TO CHANGE OTHERS... ONCE YOU HAVE CHANGE, THEN TRY INFLUENCE THE PERSON VERY NEXT TO YOU..THEN UR FAMILY..THEN YOUR COMMUNITY... DO TALK FROM OVERSEAS WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THE LOCALS STAND ON THEIR OWN ROCKS... DO TALK ABOUT ACADEMIC, THEORIES OR THESIS... IT WILL NOT WORK.. COME BACK AND BE A REAL MAN AND BE PATRIOTIC...FIGHT AND CHANGE THE SYSTEM!!! KALAU KAIL PANJANG SEJENGKAL JANGAN LAUT YANG LUAS NAK DI DUGA...BALIK DULU DAN PERJUANGKAN APA YANG DIKATA...KALAU SETAKAT NAK MENULIS TEORI, BUDAK SEKOLAH PON BOLEH... report abuse disagree 15 agree 4 ... written by ASK4u, November 06, 2008 17:50:23 Some of you guys/gals are missing the point here. Whether Obama is better than Bush or otherwise is not the issue here. The point is, there has been a paradigm shift in the minds of Americans especially the 'whites'. Though, you may still find the worst of racist still relishing in America, nevertheless the majority of the 'whites' have abandon those attitudes. Otherwise, Obama wouldn't have won the Presidency. written by The dragonheart, November 06, 2008 15:52:11 WHAT Dr AZLY SHOULD DO IS TO COME BACK TO MALAYSIA AN BE A POLITICIAN Its a brilliant suggestion you have there but the only problem is that the good doctor might be accused of being a traitor to his race and asked to apologize. Worst still, he might be ISAed. report abuse disagree 0 agree 9 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 18:57:20 written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 15:39:36 I know about the history of the Johor royal family, as I am from JB. ========================= Good for you, mate! But TMJ - oh puhleeze, man. ... I need to take a double dose of Coughen syrup! report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 19:00:32 Btw - you seek "enlightenment"? Less said, the better. But just go to the streets of JB or any of the superbike clubs and ask around - you'll get your answers, buddy! report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by ylcc, November 06, 2008 19:36:09 Mr.Cruzeiro, I do not know what you have against the Royalty of Johor. That is your problem. My question is "Are we talking about the same prince"? I admit I am not very familiar with the titles (Tengku Makhota, Crown Prince,et), but you are probably talking about the other son who is hot-tempered, and who is in contention for the throne with the one I am talking about. And please be a bit more civilized with your language! report abuse disagree 2 agree 2 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 21:23:54 Azly, I know you're from Majidee - just cut me some slack here okay..... hey ylcc, What your beef with my language? Dei - I can be crude when I want, and I know the standards on this blog! Did I call you Mr. cough cough? Shame on you for bragging that you "know about some history", and then admit ignorance of titles accorded to the people you speak of! This is the problem of "some people" - they are quick to point a finger, but don't take responsibility for what they write! I did not say anything abusive about any royalty, for you to presume that I have "something against" them. All I intended to say is that I disagree with your opinion that TMJ (and you don't even know him despite being a Johorean) can be classified an an "intellectual" - unless of course HRH Sultan has made TBJ the new TMJ. If there was a change in the last 5 yrs, which I wasn't aware of, I apologize. If you got the person wrong - it isn't my problem. Jeez, man - talk about being "holier than thou"!! report abuse disagree 5 agree 2 ... written by cruzeiro, November 06, 2008 21:33:33 http://rockybru.com.my/2007/04...johor.html report abuse disagree 2 agree 2 ... written by crayon, November 07, 2008 11:22:02 if only our leaders can be even HALF the man Obama is, our country wont be in such a sorry state right now. And, try entering US soil and say some racist remarks (like some of our politicians did) and you can be sure to kiss your sorry political career goodbye! only in malaysia do we tolerate blatant racist remarks and discrimination, even from politicians!!! report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by renoir, November 08, 2008 13:07:11 batsman wrote: >Isn't this placing too much emphasis on race from a different perspective?]] True. Thurgood Marshall, the first black US Supreme Court judge - and a VERY good one - when asked what he thought of Clarence Thomas, the black judge selected for the Supreme Court, said: "A black snake is still a snake." Oftentimes, a minority "leader" could be worse, in terms of racist behavior, than someone from the majority as he has to prove TO THE MAJORITY that he's color-blind. That often means a black judge could act more "white" than a white judge, just as a mamak PM has to act more "Malay" than a Malay PM. In short, he often practises reverse discrimination (selling out his own minority constituency). By contrast, when the "leader" has only his small constituency to think about, he could be straightforwardly racist - he could pose as a hero to his own people, something we see so often in Malaysia, regardless of political parties or ethnic background. > Problem is, the fight is selective for some people - there is no integrity. They fight as if only Malays are racist and corrupt and Chinese have no such problems.]] That's largely true of "some people." Remember though, to differentiate proactive behavior from reactive behavior. From the 60s to the early 80s, American sociology textbooks often defined racism in terms of the power to inflict harm - racism has to be combined with power to be genuinely racist. Put it another way, it's quite normal for people to be more comfortable with their own group, and even to harbor some unflattering notions of other, outside groups. Most of the time, such notions are harmless, though morally repugnant - such as "Chinese are greedy," "Malays are lazy," or "Indians are unreliable," etc. However, when policies are enforced on the basis of such stereotypes, that's when trouble starts and that's when racism becames more than an abstraction. So racism has to be combined with power in order to be considered racism, or at least the kind of racism that urgently needs our attention. This definition of racism was slowly chipped away from the Reagan era onwards, when white racism began to be excused because, after all, "blacks often called caucasians "whities" or that white police officers were labeled as pigs by innercity blacks, etc, etc. Thus "racist" sentiments of a disenfranchized people were equated with the overpowering racism of a privileged majority. This equation had the effect of excusing the malignant neglect of black areas, and of ACTIVE discrimination against blacks and other minorities such as the location of pollutive industries near their homes, the lack of funding for innercity schools, the glass ceilings that blacks face in corporations, etc. It can be said then, that in most cases, racist sentiments by minorities - whether in the US or elsewhere - are caused by a sense of powerlessness. They're a REACTION to active racism, the kind of racism that comes with the political power to inflict harm on other ethnic groups. Remove active racism and gradually reactive racism would subside and disappear to a large degree. LChuah report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by James, November 08, 2008 21:26:13 Your words of wisdom should be spread like the wind to all corners of the country. There is a palpable change in the air as more young Malaysians experienced the goodness of humanity and see through the dastardly deeds of the selfish who spreads death and ill will to the ill informed. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND TRUTH AND HONESTY WILL PREVAIL as witnessed by the March 2008 election results. The success of BARRACK OBAMA to be the most powerful man in the world in a white man's world indeed gives rise to optimism. Hail the righteous. report abuse disagree 0 agree 3 ... written by Caramel, November 08, 2008 22:44:28 I hope that wise Malay like yourself, RJP,Harris Ibrahim and even the commenter Ahmaedneil and many others will also write in Bahasa Malaysia so that more Malays will gain from your wisdom and hence be free from the shackles of racism ,injustice, corruption etc etc.Hopefully, by your continuing effort , the evil politicians will no longer divide the Malays from the non Malays. report abuse disagree 0 agree 3 ... written by Surich, November 09, 2008 20:39:58 I like this song Setia SETIA DEMI NEGARA YANG TERCINTA DICURAHKAN BAKTI PENUH SETIA DEMI RAJA YANG DISANJUNG TINGGI KESETIAAN TAK BERBELAH BAGI KEPADA PEMIMPIN KEPADA RAKYAT KHIDMAT DIBERI PENUH TAAT SAMA BERKERJA SAMA BERUSAHA SEDIA BERKHIDMAT UNTUK SEMUA RELA BERKORBAN APA SAJA AMANAH BANGSA TETAP DIJAGA KAMI BERIKRAR PENUH SETIA UNTUK AGAMA BANGSA DAN NEGARA Well, when Muslim/Malay sings this part he will think of Islam, Malay, and then Malaysia For a Chinese, it will be Buddhism/Taoism, Chinese and then Malaysia, For an Indian, it will be Hinduism, Indian and then Malaysia. This Loyalty song is teaching us to put Malaysia LAST when we should put Malaysia FIRST. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by skc, November 12, 2008 11:01:50 Dear Dr Azly, To dismantle this race-based, not only in Politics, it is across all forms of social norm now in Malaysia. Not only must you get the Malay to change, you also need all the rest to change as well, all of us has been affected by this "'Ketuanan Melayu' aka NEP". Changes means adopting something we do not normally do or think, in Malaysia now everyone is also "ketuanan (whatever race)" as can be seen by the separation of eating shops, leaving in different parts of town, Jobs in whatever Company you work for - Government has Top Malays - Chinese has mostly Chinese and Indian company has mostly Indian now, even while waiting at a bus station you can see clearly now different race do not mix at all. Umno is without a doubt the main problem, but I believed that this has outgrown Umno, it is now a very big monster. I will be more then willing to help anyway I can, but my hopes are not high. At least I believe I can see this better then most Malaysian. The trick is to see it in yourself first of all, how has the NEP affect you and can you forget and forgive ? report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by panca, November 12, 2008 18:41:30 Dr Azly, We certainly need those in the education sector specifically those of the teaching profession both academic or religious, be always responsible in instilling in the student good values. It's high time to stop poisoning young minds. They should be nurtured into good nature individuals, respected and with more open-mindedness, Malaysians. The racial and religious division among the Rakyat is serious and will continue to dog the social fabric of this nation until and unless we are sincere to play our individual role to be responsible Malaysian, to restore this humanistic value that starts from our own home. Everyone of US Malaysian. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by kclim2, November 15, 2008 22:39:52 MCA clowns wake up now. Ong Tee Keat pull MCA out of BN and join Pakatan, Learn from Americans change! Long live Barrack Obama report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by redzuank, November 18, 2008 14:56:10 Presiden Amerika, sebagaimana Perdana Menteri Malaysia juga, ia datang dan pergi. Namun sistemnya tetap sama selama mana ideologi yang dianutnya adalah sama. Kita hendaklah tidak menilai seseorang itu dengan warna kulit luarnya, tetapi kita mesti menilai apa yang ada di dalam pemikirannya yang dizahirkan melalui lisannya dan perbuatnnya. Kita mungkin merasakan atau mengharap bahawa yang warga Amerika yang berkulit hitam lebih baik dari yang berkulit putih, kerana telah sekian lama mereka yang berkulit hitam ditindas oleh mereka yang berkulit putih. Namun, warna kulit hakikatnya tidak mencerminkan apa-apa. Akidah dan pemikiranlah yang menjadi ukuran. Apa yang jelas setakat ini adalah, bakal Presiden kulit hitam ini telah pun mengisytiharkan ‘kesudiannya’ untuk memperluaskan perang di Afghanistan, yang bermaksud memerangi umat Islam, saudara kita yang berada di Afghanistan. Dia juga secara terang-terangan menyokong kekejaman pencerobohan Israel ke atas Palestin. Dengan kata lain, segala malapetaka yang dibawa oleh pemimpin kuffar penganut Ideologi Kapitalis ke atas umat Islam sebelum ini nampaknya disokong dan bakal diteruskan oleh Obama. Walaupun misi Obama ingin membawa keamanan kepada dunia, kita mesti ingat bahawa George W Bush dulupun menyatakan perkara yang sama, sehinggalah ke saat-saat akhir kekuasaannya kini, Bush masih mengatakan bahawa dia ingin membawa keamanan kepada dunia. Dan kita semua jelas, bahawa ‘keamanan’ yang dimaksudkan oleh Bush adalah dengan membunuh dan memerangi semua umat Islam yang tidak menyokongnya. Hanya dengan pembunuhan ke atas golongan umat Islam yang ingin menerapkan Islam yang dilabelnya sebagai teroris, barulah dunia akan mengecapi keamanan, inilah tafsiran ‘keamanan’ bagi Bush. Bagaimana pula bagi Obama? So my point is simple: As long as U are Muslim U can be a Prime Minister of Malaysia regardless of ur race (Malay, Chinese, India, Kadazan, Bidayuh etc.) Thats what Muslim supposed to do. Not by creating Race-based politic. Some said Tun Dr M is not Malay (Mamak or India or something). People seem not really to care to voted for him before. Why? Because he is Muslim. Because majority is Muslim. In Malaysia when someone converted to Islam he/she will get special treatment by Muslim Authority and qualify to apply certain loan wihout have to paid back. And again this 'Ketuanan Melayu' must not necessary. It must be change to 'Ketuanan Islam'. What would you say Dr Azly? report abuse disagree 2 agree 2 ... written by redzuank, November 18, 2008 14:58:07 http://redssays.blogspot.com report abuse disagree 1 agree 1 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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Obama no carry any swords, guns to defend his own blacks during his early days unlike some ppl we know. Authority doesnt come from shouting slogans and raising keris.
Dung man has lots to learn.