Monday, July 20, 2009

Bumi Malaysia better concept than Tanah Melayu

I have an idea on how to arrive at a long -term solution to Malaysia's problems in race relations. The idea that this or that race controls the economy is a perception grounded in the mismeasurement of human progress. The British colonials were skillful at giving the people of Malaya this idea; masking the reality of imperialism then and later of dying and diseased British colonialism. One needs to study the political economy of capitalist Malaysia to understand the nature of control and network of interlocking directorates of the race-based political parties to arrive at a sound awareness of the nature of pluralism in post-modern Malaya.

Back to the idea I had, drawn from some comments left in my earlier post.

I think we ought to start renaming this land -- to do justice to the future generations of Malaysians.

Bumi Malaysia is more inclusive and less divisive than Tanah Melayu.

If we now have the concept of OneMalaysia and we will no longer have the 30% quota for Bumiputra, we need to help the next generation re orientate itself into this new and more peaceful concept. Many names can now be changed. Over the decades, we have seen a few name changes.

-Malaysia Airlines is better than Melayu Airlines
-Keretapi Tanah Melayu can be renamed Keretapi Rakyat Malaysia
-Askar Melayu must be called Askar Rakyat Malaysia to attract all races
-Bahasa Malaysia sounds better than the limited and less encompassing concept of Bahasa Melayu
- Sejarah Tanah Melayu can be called Sejarah Bangsa Malaysia
- Sejarah Melayu can be renamed as Kisah Dongengan Elit Zaman Melaka


There are so many possibilities of change in the way we can help truly bridge the gap between the races. If we can new cities Cyberjaya and Putrajaya and have our own Berjaya Times Square, why not engage in yet another level of namechange?

We can start asking the government to look into closing down institutions that breed hatred and constantly monitor other that may be used by political parties to cultivate hatred. We can demand one-race higher education institutions to undergo forced integration and implement a strict policy of affirmative action and meritocracy combined.

Desegregation must begin with our educational and cultural institutions, to pave way for a total dismantling of all race-based political parties that have brought more harm than good to the Malaysian society.

Children must be taught the idea of "bumi manusia" (Earth for Mankind) as a foundation of collaborative living.

These I believe is the beginning of a realization of OneMalaysia.

RELATED VIDEO ON THE LEGEND OF THE SINO-MELAKKANS,
Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat


13 comments:

Samuel Goh Kim Eng said...

NO MORE IGNORANCE & TOLERANCE BUT ACCEPTANCE

We have to move on beyond mere 'labelling'
And work on 'mutual acceptance' not 'tolerance'
Now that we have the obvious public signally
That it's time to get rid of past ignorance

(C)Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 210709
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Tue. 21st July 2009.

Anonymous said...

I think Southwest China would be a better name, or if you dont like China, Southwest Taiwan or Southeast India. Citizenship were given in return for special concessions. No concessions no citizenship. Let us not forget that.

Unknown said...

Every single habitant in this planet earth is indeed part of the big family, we are living in this border less world now and yet, some goons are still living in the XXth century labeling others race A and B and etc. Send them to pluto.

T H E . M A L A Y . P R E S S said...

Sejarah Melayu can be renamed as Kisah Dongengan Elit Zaman Melaka - i like this one!

Tamerlane said...

Dr. Azly, why don’t you change your name then? To maybe Judas Iscariot. Sounds so much better, don’t you think?

Is the going rate still 30 pieces of silver?

Anonymous said...

Dr Azly, you are a Towering Malaysian in a sea of backward thinking people who contnue to fill our younger generation with narrow thinking that divide the people of Malaysia.
The bumi policy have made many umno/bn cronies super rich while the rest gets the crumps off the table!
The ORANG ASLI who are the TRUE BUMIS must also be consulted on the appropriate name of the land.
1 Malaysia is a good idea but first the Police & Other Institutions must not be used as political tools by Government in power.
PAS-Keadilan-Dap should also be included in a Unity type of Government.

Anonymous said...

i somewhat think that we can retain some of the original names of these institutions... keretapi tanah melayu, for example, has a nicer ring to it than what u proposed. that's my personal opinion.

and to do what u suggest now might be a tad too early in our nation's history. many a kampong folk will be oh-so-wary to these changes and it will only play into umno's hands and no doubt only help in their propoganda to the effect that 'melayu' as a race is slowly, but 'surely', being obliterated.

the english language is named as such anywhere else in the world including the us of a. godforbid, the us of a decides to call it the 'american language' :-) in a way, they seemed to have done a pretty good job in bastardizing the english language. don't quote me, i am just watched 'my fair lately' and there was this rex harrison who told us so :-)

bahasa melayu or bahasa malaysia - at the end of the day, it is still our national language. i think the malays don't have a bigger claim over it, if indeed anyone can claim ownership of any languages, than me. i am ethnic chinese by the way.

keep up the good writings, doc!

4RAKYAT

Anonymous said...

i meant 'my fair lady' :-)

4RAKYAT

Anonymous said...

Instead of suggesting on blog... why dont Dr make some effort to ask ordinary malay people on ground level.. see how they respone to your proposal to change everything for a sake of bangsa malayia.. kampung folk, suburban ,worker, middle income malay, NGO's like GMI,ABIM or even malay within PR itself. dont use unreliable/pathetic internet poll. maybe chinese and Indian in this country ready to change their name for a sake of bangsa Malaysia, just like Indonesia.

my 2 cent

T H E . M A L A Y . P R E S S said...

there is no such thing as English...it was Anglish all the way...Anglo Saxon...

There is no such this as Melayu...it was MALAYU all the way...Ma-La-Yu...

Anonymous said...

Jebat might as well have died.

Yet the memory /spirit of his stance still lives on in many hearts.

The People of the Land of Make Believe have never been informed about the Orgins of the Invaders.

Of course i care for the Latter Day Shallow Kids of Umpteen Reality Programmes who dont read enough.

Remember the People of Maya? They still exist living like the Peoples of Inca & Aztec.

Thank the Goths & Visigoths who let them be - after 200 years of looting not many centuries earlier.

Our New History Syllabus should include Chapters on the Fate of the Original People of King Arthur who built the Stonehenge who were genuinely integrated/raped by the continental Romans/Italians + Germans + French + Russians (Vikings). You only get their forefather traces in the DNA of these Islanders.

And about the Original People of Siam: our Sejarah teachers should let our kids know that the northern boundary of Tanah Siam ie the Melayu Islam Kingdom was 50km NORTH of Bangkok - before they were invaded by Bangsa Suku Thai from Burma who also crushed Angkor - the Tais' former Masters.

Then the Reality Boys could learn that Bumipol wont really mind if anyone rename his Thailand back to Glorious Siam bcoz that wont give anyone back any pile of soil.

I am sure we can all collaborate with the Queen of The British Isles to rename The United Kingdom of Great Britons into some German/Russian name which is in her blood.

Here Ah Bengs can also keep shouting to convince their Communist associates to change the name of their China Ma's Land.

But dont kid yourself.

Even The Ancestors of the Hans had successfully chased out the Orang Asli of China to Island of Taiwan & the Mountains of Tibet

& today they still claim Tibet as part of China citing Heritage ties - having been converted to Buddhists after been preached by Tibetans disciples.

That was before these Champions were later colonised by Monggolians Mings & Manchurians Chings & the Japanese Ninjas for more than 500 years - despite 10 : 1 ratios in their favour.

Lets also have the Hindraf champions agree with the Harijans of Tamil Nadu not to call their Appaland India.

Soon lets have The United Government be: 1World.

Anonymous said...

Malaysian never studied philosopshy. So thats why our mind cannot cut through the race barrier. Look carefully that "consciousness has no self". Our consciousness have no colour , no body, no words , it is just self awareness and that all.It is so simple!!! Why are we grasping on race.Race is a concept created by ourselves as a delusion of a permanent existence.

Nehemiah said...

Many intellectuals are puzzled by the state of affairs of Malaysia. Your idea to rebrand Malaysia by a change in names is good but we need to probe deeper into the human heart and mind.

If our leaders are rational and sensible people, it would never be in their interest to take advantage of citizens (half of whom voted for them) under NORMAL circumstances.

There is a political economic theory that says that under certain unique circumstances, even rational people will behave against their long-term interests.

I think the real reason is because by 2012, these leaders intuitively know that the world will be a different landscape (including the real possibility they will be voted out) so it is rational for them to take as much advantage, financial and political power, now in order to intimidate, demoralise and indoctrinate the people into passivity and acceptance of the current politicial situation.

This is my view as I strongly believe the public servant-in-charge of Malaysia now residing in Putra Jaya is actually rational. But whether he is rational for himself, his party or for the rakyat is the billion dollar issue which Malaysia needs to probe and resolve.

Go to www.asianeconomies.blogspot.com for more discussion of this political mystery.

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