The Star
Monday May 19, 2008
Kit Siang: Leaders shouldn’t play racial card
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian leaders including those who have retired should focus on enhancing unity among the nation’s diverse communities and not play up racial issues.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said results of the March 8 polls showed that Malaysians wanted unity instead of being divided by race, religion or political creed.
“We saw voters voting as one, regardless of race and religion. We had Malays, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan voters rising above their ethnic stereotype and voting as Malaysians,” he said.
Lim said that 50 years after the nation’s independence, Malaysians should be more “Malaysian-minded” instead of retreating into their “communal selves.”
The veteran politician was commenting on former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks in Johor on Saturday that Malays stood to lose much in the new political environment where non-Malays were unafraid to make demands.
Dr Mahathir told the crowd of some 1,000 in Johor Baru that if Malays keep quiet they will lose their rights and other races will take over.
Lim said the former prime minister who had introduced the Bangsa Malaysia concept now appeared to be backtracking on his stand.
“We should be talking more about Bangsa Malaysia rather than Malay, Chinese or Indian rights,” he said.
#1 by Jeffrey on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:42 pm
Somebody should advise ex premier that (1) it is seditious to raise discontent and excite disaffection amongst subjects (of whom UMNO members are) against a lawfully constituted and elected government just because it happens to be led by a prime minister one anointed but subsequently regrets and withdraws support. (2) It is also seditious to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia by raising race issues recently even if the ultimate intent is related to (1), to raise discontent and excite disaffection for the purpose of undermining that successor….And yet whatever he says is not seditious but Karpals “legal opinion” on limitations of sovereign’s power within a constitutional monarch framework of parliamentary representative government – fit for an ordinary discussion in a constitutional law class – has been alleged to be seditious, with police reports lodged! What is Malaysia coming to???
#2 by grace on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:43 pm
That desperatw old man thinks that he is mmune from arrest. That is why he is so brave. No one dares touch him .
#3 by Jeffrey on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:45 pm
He is wrong. No one dares touch him for so long as he retains moral authority and legal propriety but if by his own persistent actions he forfeits this authority and propriety, he will be in for a surprise.
#4 by boh-liao on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:53 pm
MM always believes that he is the law and above the law. Perhaps, he has kept thick files on every politician, judge, and top civil servant (as he always proudly declared: Charge me and I’ll spill everything out in the open) and he is used to manipulate people by using the fear factor. He truly believes that what MM wants, MM gets it!
#5 by mendela on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:54 pm
All bloggers said here are very true. Mahathiu is not a real Malay.
To make the real Malays accept him as a Malay, Mahathiu needed to do many tricks to achieve this feat.
One easiest way to gain trust and to make the real Malays to accept him of course is to play to race card, play the Malay Ketuanan, defend Malay’s right like Malays in Malaysia are being marginalized, plays the Islamic card, anti-Israel, anti-Chinese, etc.
But at the end, no matter what tricks you had played, you are still just a mamak, a fake Malay.
#6 by boh-liao on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 6:57 pm
That’s why he cannot tell himself: Be a Malay gentleman, walk away!
#7 by miketan142 on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 7:00 pm
Mahathir is fanning every possible direction to gauge his support in the party and also among the malays masses. He must have been disappointed with the feedbacks so far. There are enough seditious remarks for the police to probe on him.
#8 by citizen86 on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 7:39 pm
mahatir is desperate for support he has never once played the racial card this openly as he is desperate for some support and this only comes after the royal commission enquiry he is probably scared he may end up in jail so he is trying 2 bring in as much support as he can.. i used to respect tun despite everything said and done till today he made this very seditious statement,why rpk and karpal are charged with sedition when the ex pm himself is not only making seditious comments but fuelling racism ……. he forgot that he is a mamak and by acting malay he is basically selling his soul to save himself
#9 by Loh on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 7:41 pm
///Mahathir quits Umno
Ahti Veeranggan | May 19, 08 12:12pm
breaking news updated 6.41pm He says he will only return when his hand-picked successor Abdullah is replaced and wants others to emulate him///—Malaysiakini.
It is a storm in the teacup. Wonder when the son would announce his resignation. The former MB of Kedah who is now nobody has followed and resigned. Is Daim going to resign too?
Now that the founder of New UMNO has resigned, would UMNO now be reverted to old UMNO of 1946? I suppose what is dead cannot be revived. Perhaps PM AAB should now deregister UMNO Bahru, and register UMNO3 as replacement, and ask registration of members. In that manner, he can again follow his old boss’ example to include only those who are loyal to him. PM AAB is lucky that there will be no court case to render UMNO3 illegal and he can be founder of that party, and he can retain his PM post. The party election will now follow a new schedule, three years later.
There are much opportunities following TDM’s decision made on his feet. How lucky can PM AAB be!
#10 by undergrad2 on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 7:43 pm
For a long time now, Mahathir has suffered from bouts of paranoid schizophrenia which explains his narcissistic personality. Now he’s acting like he is the leader of God’s chosen people about to deliver His Ten Commandments to UMNO.
#11 by Loh on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 7:57 pm
Why should all the former Prime Ministers of Malaysia be unhappy? Some have unhappiness imposed by others, and the other created unhappiness himself. Is it kharma or is it greed?
#12 by bra888 on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 8:24 pm
After reading some of the comments in
http://www.chedet.com/2008/05/ketuanan-melayu.html?commentPage=2
I found an interesting argument made to support ‘Ketuanan Melayu’. I can’t quote exactly what that person said because as you can see, there’s just too many comments and I lost track of the comment’s whereabouts.
I bring this argument up not to suggest that I support ‘Ketuanan Melayu’, but to start discussing about certain topics we, the non-bumiputeras, have failed to brought up before.
Anyway, that person’s argument in his comment was that they (Malay) believe that they deserve better as they believe that it was their ancestors that fought for independence with their sweat and blood.
He/she give examples by referring to the history books, indicating or claiming that none of the Chinese or Indians were involve in bringing independence to the country. He/she also give examples claiming that it was the Malays who fought during wars to protect this nation therefore deserves better while no involvements from the Chinese or Indians were mentioned during wars.
Now, looking back at that argument, I realize that it seems to be a good argument as I have difficulty recalling those Chinese or Indians who fought for independence. There’s no specific Chinese or Indian heroes in Malaysia mentioned in the history books.
I bring up this issue, believing that it is possible that there could be some Chinese or Indian leaders, but were forgotten somewhere along the journey in history.
I refuse to believe that there would be none. Because of this, I suspect that it is possible that ’someone’ is ‘moderating’ the history books such that less and less Chinese or Indian heroes will be remembered and will be lost forever for the sake of the pride of the Malay civilization.
During my time when I’m studying history in my primary school and secondary secondary school, I grow tired of learning the exact same history from primary school to the end of my secondary school.
I noticed that the history books are biased in a way that they purposely discussed the golden age in the Islamic world and the dark ages in Europe when I was in form 4. That was the only world history that I’ve learnt during my secondary school.
I believe that little attention was purposely made towards non-bumiputera heroes of this country. It is possible that the efforts done by Lim Kit Siang himself could be forgotten by Malaysia history. This is when our forgotten history haunts the present people.
This brings to the issue that the opposition party should consider moderating the history books as well. The black community in the US has their own history, it’s time to bring ours back to the history books (if it exists).
#13 by pulau_sibu on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 8:42 pm
Quit-UMNO card. Let’s see who else will quit UMNO following Mahathir’s decision.
Will MCA members do the same thing?
#14 by cancan on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 10:28 pm
We dot not need fire for our already burning fire
Link: http://www.kingsmary.blogspot.com/
#15 by yhsiew on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 10:35 pm
Power-play between Tun M and PL must not drag innocent rakyat into fires!
#16 by chai on Monday, 19 May 2008 - 11:55 pm
Tun mahathir is a best actor in the world……….
#17 by dawsheng on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 12:09 am
Mahathir is the man who sold the world……
#18 by AhPek on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 12:41 am
This is the mamak back at the game he does best…playing the racial card to advance his self interest.Remember how he goes about projecting an image that he is more Malay than the Malays,thus escalating his climb up the political ladder that even his sacking from UMNO by Tunku did not hurt his political career path.However his resulting 22 years rule did untold damage to Malaysia…the judiciary is made compliant,the media is rendered subservient,massive corruption running rampnat and wasteful expenditure of public funds on mega projects.Now he is back again resorting to racism to go for yet another agenda of his …to deflect a possible impending investigation into his involvement in the Lingam saga.
#19 by taxpayersince1990 on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 12:44 am
MM’s tactic to challenge AAB. To test who is more powerful. It’s also to waste taxpayers money – filing a charge & prove him guilty, later become a martyr!! What a waste of time. We already have unresolved cases for decades & not enough of PP. The gov should put him & all his cronies in ISA, say 5 years & confiscate all their assets & return the assets back to public. Fast & quick. Lets not waste time & money & valuable resources into this stupidity. The truths is so clear & crystal. The world is going forward & facing competion & achieving development, while Malaysians are going backword!!! Lets not waste time with these rots… use the sedition act, ISA, etc… taste them their own medicines!!
#20 by Ayoh on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 3:30 am
Only a crowd of 1000? He’s lost it. Any DAP or PKR speaker can attract more.
#21 by sotong on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 7:42 am
At his age and in his prersent health condition…..he got nothing to loose and as usual, is preapred to risk and gamble the lives and future of the people and country with narrow, divisive and damaging politics.
#22 by k1980 on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 8:04 am
He is so powerless today that the monkey who pepper-sprayed him in Kota Baru 2 years ago is still not charged!
#23 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - 10:04 am
/// There is no love loss between Singapore and Malaysia because of the separation in 1965. TDM has to brainwash Malaysians into hating Singapore because without Singapore giving the stark example of how a non-corrupted government could make economic development and improve the way of lives of its people, TDM could have claimed and fooled a lot more people that his administration was exemplary. For personal reason TDM has tried his best to beggar Malaysia’s neighbor. The ban on the sale of sand to prevent Singapore to grow, the limit to non-security risk use of airspace, and the crooked bridge intended not only to spite Singapore, but to lay the foundation for confrontation between the two countries. ///
Loh – spot on. Hope that Malaysians in general and Malays in particular will shed their blinkers and see Mahathiu for what he is.
DWN WTH UMN
#24 by bernadette on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 - 5:59 am
maha-thiu?? don’t be so vulgar!
#25 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 - 5:03 pm
Bernadette, that was a typo – should have used my left forefinger (for “r”) instead of my right forefinger (for “u”).
What were you thinking of?
;)
#26 by melurian on Thursday, 22 May 2008 - 9:29 pm
come on, tdm is malay and that’s fact:
1) he spoke bm as his mother tongue, he cannot speak tamil lar…
2) he’s muslim
3) he fought for malay cause and placed malay interest above malaysians, that makes him more malay and other malay…
#27 by ktteokt on Thursday, 22 May 2008 - 10:39 pm
Melurian, that only makes him an “ARTIFICIAL” Malay – Melayu Tiruan!
#28 by MGR1940 on Thursday, 22 May 2008 - 11:29 pm
Melurian, come on,is Kaka Abdul Kadir a malay:
1) he spoke bm as his mother tongue, hr cannot speak malalam lar…
2) he’s muslim
3) he fights for malay cause place malay intrest above malaysians
does that make him more malay than other malay?