By Azly Rahman
How must we re-educate those who protested in such a style against the relocation of a Hindu temple? What gross deficiencies in our educational system contributed to the creation of beings that displayed such hatred?
What then must we do to reverse the evolution of hate groups sponsored by those who wish to sustain the dying ideology of ethnic politics?
These are the difficult questions Malaysian children will inherit. In the cow-head protest there were children involved; those tender young minds who will hopefully understand what respect for race, ethnicity, and religion means. Hopefully they will be strong enough to release themselves from the shackles of hatred, after 52 years of Malaysia’s independence.
We must blame the continuing survival of communal politics for the creation of hate-based groups. Because our Independence is an illusion and Malaysia is an imagined community that is thriving on rhetoric and slogans, we have a fragile system of in-breeding of hyper-modernised politics of hate.
Because the insatiable urge for wealth and power necessitates the maintenance of ‘politics of divide-and conquer and rule through racial annihilations’, we are heading towards a brink of destruction. We will see more ‘cow-head’ antics orchestrated form time to time in order for organized chaos to reign.
We must blame the contradictions and the hypocrisy in the translation of our national educational philosophy for the display of the cow-head politics we are witnessing.
Though the philosophy, mission, and vision of our educational system is elegantly worded and loudly trumpeted, we have hidden hands orchestrating the game of divide and rule and segregation. Underneath the canopy of the elegance of the rhetoric lie structural violence; a base and superstructure of politics of race that has come to a breaking point.
The way Malaysians school their children – from pre-kindergarten to post-graduate levels – is characterised by the insistence that race-politics must be propagated by all means necessary. Narratives on what Malaysia is – drawn from kampong folks to retired professors – oftentimes reflect the same theme: maintain race-politics and let this or that race dominates.
We must blame the mainstream media as agents of race-based and racist socialisation for shaping race and class consciousness in a Malaysia badly in need of a way out of racial intolerance; a path charted wrongly for the sake of glorifying greed over virtue, wants over needs, and indoctrination over education guised in the name of blind patriotism.
The media as an extension of the state now has life of its own profiting from the manufacture of chaos and the production of conflict. In time of economic troubles when the masses are suffering while the elite are still conspicuously consuming, the media will have a ball of a time translating repressed emotion into a reason to project mass anger against this or that race.
The British colonials did a wonderful job in perception management – divide and conquer the natives and create perceptions of this or that superiority amongst them so that they will not see the bigger picture. Hitler did a good job at this too. Stir up emotions during that time of economic depression, tell repeated lies, and create an enemy of the state, and next get those millions of young Germans to join the Nazi party.
‘Indoctrinated nation’
We must also blame ourselves for not educating our children enough in matters of racial and religious tolerance. We have failed to tell our children that the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Kadazan, Iban, and hybridised groups they see in their classrooms and in the neighborhood are fellow-Malaysians and part of what our country has evolved into.
How could our children be taught to hate this or that group when their teachers – the managers and transmitters of virtue – are of this or that race?
The cow-head politics we saw in Selangor last week is a grim picture of how our educational institution is failing to create a citizenry that celebrates diversity and willing to learn about each other’s religious belief. In essence, we have become an ‘indoctrinated’ rather than an educated nation, a furious 52-year- old rather than a forgiving one ready to meet its Maker.
As a nation we are drowning in dangerous waters; from a flash flood we created. Bahtera Merdeka is sinking. How do we save ourselves? How do we evolve out of this cow-head politics we are witnessing.
Again, we must turn to education and the radical restructuring of it. Education as a gentle profession and a powerful enterprise for social and personal progress must be restructured. Its philosophy must be recaptured.
But what philosophical orientation must we embrace? Social reconstructionism and education for spiritual capitalism perhaps. For too long we have been trumpeting ‘human capital’, ‘educational for national development’, ‘education for nation-building’ and all those fancy words we blindly borrow from the pages of work of modernisation theorists and post-industrialist theorists.
These have become meaningless. We are living with the contradictions of the manifestations of these words that have been translated into policies.
What we need is not a better educational philosophy that will make our children more sophisticated racist and aspiring robber barons. We have a generation of these already. What we need is a philosophy sound enough to create a powerful generation that will care for fellow human beings and ones that understands that the Earth’s resources are enough for one’s need and not for one’s greed, as Gandhi said.
Ah, we have made a wrong turn in history. But education is still about hope and love. Evolve we must – from cow headed to level-headed education.
#1 by OrangRojak on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 1:31 pm
“The British colonials”
WTF? Is this ‘2009 Malaysian Year of Blaming the White Man’? This is the second article I’ve read today, and possibly the 4th or 5th article this week. All by different authors! All blaming ‘The White Man’ for their own failures! What do they teach you in Malaysian schools? Blame someone else to avoid having to admit faults?
You will never, ever be able to bring about meaningful change until you accept that you are responsible for the way things currently are – good or bad.
That’s the end of today’s lesson.
#2 by k1980 on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 1:34 pm
Look inside today’s Sejarah textbooks and there is no mention of any religion except Islam. The young are being and has been indoctrinated to view the other religions are useless and obsolete compared to their mighty religion. They fail to realise that today’s Sejarah lessons in schools are turning them into cows.
#3 by k1980 on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 1:50 pm
Don’t play play with religion
No thanks to the history books used by schools, today’s students have never heard of the Thirty Years’ War which lasted from 1618 to 1648, involving most of the countries of western Europe. At first it was primarily based on religious tensions between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Later, it was influenced by other issues, including the dynastic rivalries of German princes and the determination of certain powers, notably Sweden and France, to curb the power of the Holy Roman Empire.
So great was the devastation brought about by the war that estimates put the reduction of population in the German states at about 15% to 30%. (wikipedia)
#4 by Loh on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 1:57 pm
///How must we re-educate those who protested in such a style against the relocation of a Hindu temple? What gross deficiencies in our educational system contributed to the creation of beings that displayed such hatred?///– Azly Rahman
If the suggestion that what happened in the country is due to the people going through the education system in the country, right through the university level, then think again. The person who defended the cow-head procession is a lawyer trained in United Kingdom. If the university education in UK has not made him internalised his understanding that in the modern world, men are born equal, and entitled to equal opportunity, can we suggest that the education system in the United Kingdom is at fault? Is Kerismuddin justified to consider Malaysia remains in the dark ages, even before the English peasants’ revolt of 1381?
However one wants to distort Malaysian history, the fact remains that Malaya was British colony until we gain independence in 1957. The parties that presented the case for independence agreed to the so-called social contract in the form of the constitution of Malaya, which was later adapted as Constitution of Malaysia when other ‘nation states’ joined to from Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Under the Malayan constitution in force in 1957 Independence Day, Article 153 which provided for the quota system as affirmative actions for Malays was subject to review after 15 years. The caveat in the form of review shows that the quota system was included based on needs, not on rights, and it could be subject to means test. It was however considered that since the majority of those in need were Malays, Malays were offered the special assistance. The assistance given to Malaysia in Peninsular Malaysia was extended to natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
Article 153 was to be reviewed in1972, but it was overtaken by events in 1969. NEP was implemented in 1970 for twenty years, according to the late Tun Razak. Malaysians would have perceived that after 20 years of NEP, it would end along with Article 153, which justified the amendment to that article and the removal of the provision for a review.
Razak did not live to honour his promise. His brother-in-law Hussein Onn was kicked out by Mahathir in July 1981.
Mahathir should have ended NEP in 1990, along with the removal of article 153. As an Indian-turned-Malay, and having to declare that he has 100% Malay blood running in his veins, he cared for his continued tenure as PM rather than the good of the nation. His Oscar winning acting with crocodile tears for the hurts he was supposed to have felt for not being able to change the mindset of Malays to forgo crutches was a bluff which he revealed himself in his recent posting. See http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/09/dasar-ekonomi-baru.html.
TDM has confirmed that the twin objectives of NEP have been achieved. Yet he took those was wanted discontinuation of NEP to task. For TDM NEP has become a birth right for Malays, and Malays now refer to all 1.4 billion Muslims in the world so long as they come to Malaysia. The NEWMalays would have the status of bumiputras over non-Muslims in the country though some non-Muslims have their ancestors arrived here during the Malacca sultanate.
UMNO have moulded the mindset of Malays to think and dream that it was their birthright to enjoy preferential NEP treatment, forever. UMNO used NEP to justify May 13, and since 1990, they have been using Ketuanan Melayu to justify NEP. Since Islam is the sufficient condition to be classified as Malays, UMNO have made their followers to place the Islamic religion above all others. One of the methods to elevate oneself is to depress others. The cow-head incident was an event to honour Ketuanan Melayu and downgrade the Hindu temple.
The problems facing the countries, be it the double standards adopted by the police, the MACC or even the judiciary are the ramifications of Ketuanan Melayu. The staff of government agencies have internalised the belief that it was their responsibility to ensure Ketuanan Melayu remains, and for that UMNO should remain in power. It is politics and more so the race-based political parties which make the citizens polarised along racial lines. It is the bloated political organizations such as UMNO comprising 2-3 million members, and the way top leaders are ‘elected’ or arranged that makes corruption in government indestructible.
As for education, if the core values taught in civic classes, or even religious teaching of fairness, equality, authority versus responsibility, efforts and commensurate rewards are not practiced in the society, what goods are education to them?
Yes the education system in the country is a mess. But that is another issue.
#5 by johnnypok on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 2:54 pm
This kind of mentality, plus their bad culture, is a perfect recipe for a rotten nation. Goodbye 2020.
#6 by a g on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 3:36 pm
Dear OrangRojak,
Yeah, it’s all Mat Salleh’s fault!!!
Remamber just a few years ago…you guys even thought that we lived in trees!!!
You bunch of ignorant idiots!!!
Now, the cow-head episode demonstrates to you clearly that we, actually, live in CAVES!!! (remember, NOT TREES!!!)
We are cave-people, and we are also head-hunters!!!
#7 by OrangRojak on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 3:46 pm
Now that I’ve calmed down a bit… I think playing up the Shah Alam protest as ‘sacrilege’ could (not without the realm of possibility) be beneficial in the short term, but is likely counter-productive in the long term. ‘Sacrilege’ is what Farish Noor was writing about recently (I read it on LKS blog) – certain vital subjects of discussion that are forever ‘off limits’ to most people, forever preventing amicable, productive discussion.
We cannot reach a consensus on what is ‘sacrilege’ about the Shah Alam protest, only take sides. That’s why I prefer to think of it as ‘stupidly insulting’ or ‘criminal intimidation’. ‘Stupidly insulting’ should never be against any law, but it is an idea that may garner support from people of any affiliation. ‘Criminal intimidation’ is also something I’m happy to defer the judgment of which to a credible court.
I don’t think increasing the intensity with which children are educated in an ever-increasing array of ‘sensitive issues’ is the right solution. We just need to be given the freedom to call a dangerous idiot a dangerous idiot, and a reliable court in which to test them against reasonable boundaries for acceptable behaviour.
#8 by Evenmind on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 3:54 pm
How can the future generation be levelly educated when we have pea sized bird brained education ministers with the like of of the present education minister and the ex education minister (Kerismuddin )who said that the demonstraters were not wrong doing what they were doing??
I think the cows in Malaysia are definately smarter than the education ministers that i’ve mentioned, that’s why they were violating that poor defenseless dead animal to vent out thier frustration , I wonder what they did to the rest of the carcass, maybe they practised necrophilia on it, dumbheads
#9 by johnnypok on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 4:58 pm
We still have uncivilsed people on this planet?
#10 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 5:01 pm
Nobody really pays any attention to KTK. He is that geek in your class that keep hanging around and won’t go away although no one likes him. You don’t want to be meanie so you let him hang around but everyone think he is freaking joke reallly..
#11 by ekompute on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 5:33 pm
Without the British, there will be no Malaysia today. Malaysia is the Kuwait of Indonesia, so to speak. Except for the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia which would probably be part of Thailand, the bulk of Malaysia today would be part of the Dutch East Indies that is today called Indonesia, had it not been for the British.
52 years down the road, the Westminster parliamentary system of government, the legal system, the education system, and the administrative system, amongst many others, that we inherited from the British are now as run down as those of Indonesia, LOL. Fortunately, the infrastructures are still there…. the railway system, the major trunk roads, and what have you. And the ringgit would probably be at most 10 times better than the rupiah, and that is no consolation, given that USD$1 = 10,023 rupiah.
Who introduced rubber to Malaysia? Who introduced oil palm to Malaysia? And what does Malaysia depend on as a major income generator, 52 years down the road? Even UMNO still uses the English acronym in preference to its Malay acronym for reasons best known to itself.
#12 by monsterballssgoh on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 5:43 pm
There is nothing new written by Azly Rahman.
There are plenty of fact written….blaming this and that…with no direct clear… blaming UMNO..the one and only culprit…for what we are today.
I wish Azly should have concluded….changing the government is the only solution.
I wonder if Teoh Beng Hock was his son…what will he write then.
I wonder if Kugan or even the Mongolian lady were his closet friends….what will he be writing.
I wonder if he is a Chinese or an Indian…will be write the same way?
Nice to be colourless and shout out..”We are Malaysians”…but until and unless Azly declare he will vote for change of government….his message is worthless to freedon fighters.
#13 by taiking on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 6:12 pm
Wot exactly has the brits (yes past countrymen and women of orangrojak) done to us apart from the obvious – i.e. colonisation.
Divide and rule was then a convenient and effective way to organise and govern a diverse grouping of people. There is nothing bad or good about it; nor is there anything right or wrong with that practice. It was appropriate then given the prevailing circumstances of the time. Since it was appropriate, perhaps one could venture to say that it must also be correct but with the prevailing circumstances qualification in place.
We all know that circumstances will change just like time and tide. Changes may render certain accepted or even customary practice inappropriate or outright obsolete. In which case those who are responsible must respond by adapting the current practice to suit any new parameter that may have brought on by the change.
This is where the umno gobermen has failed miserably. For example, nep is sorely out of date. Yet it is being pursued with renewed energy. Race politics is hopelessly unworkable today. Yet it is still the mainstay of umno politics. In short, blame umno and not the brits.
#14 by Onlooker Politics on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 8:25 pm
OrangRojak :
“The British colonials”
After 52 years from the date of achieving Independence, many Malaysian secondary school students still study the History textbooks which literally put blame on the Bristish for the political polarisations of multi ethnic groups in Malaysia! Fifty two years consist of more than 2 generations. What have the two generations of Malaysian leaders done so far to transform Malaysia into a much better unity nation from the politically polarised nation created by the British during the colonial rule?
Shouldn’t our historians put in much more effort to rewrite the History textbooks in order to tell the youngsters of Malaysia that Umnoputras, indeed, are the culprits who have brought the Malaysian nation to the present sorry state of racist hatred, religious intolerance, political divisiveness and national disunity by extending the British legacy of “Divide and Rule Government Economic Policy” through the implementation of New Economic Policy?
#15 by OrangRojak on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 8:36 pm
taiking – ‘divide’ – what is your justification for writing that? Did the British teach you all different languages with mutually unintelligible scripts? Were you previously united when you couldn’t actually communicate?
I seriously doubt blaming the British for Malaysia’s problems is a a good start to solving them. I’m not defending the British – of that time nor this – we have our own well-publicised problems. If the British were so keen on dividing you all, why does the document of the Reid Commission’s deliberations on the Constitution record their reluctance to add racist provisions to the Constitution? It also says your (then) Rulers were against the idea of racist provisions. So who were the racists who wanted them? I think the question is a waste of time (unless you’re a historian) except to consider that perhaps even this cultural artefact – that what God put together the British pulled apart – may not be as concrete as frequent repetition would make us think.
Malaysia was the poster child of tropical development for a long time, wasn’t it? And then it all went wrong. But the British were long gone by that time. I’m reminded of the elderly relative who always blames the dog for the occasional odour of intestinal gas in the room, and the grand-daughter who says “but granny, the dog died years ago”.
#16 by katdog on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 8:56 pm
The only thing that can save Malaysia is a revolution. No, not necessarily an armed revolution. But a revolution among its people and the way they think.
Time and time, i see people blasting PR for not doing enough for the Indian communities. For betraying the Malay ‘fight’. For not taking care of businesses (for the Chinese businessmen).
The rakyat must realize that such selfish short sighted goals will only doom Malaysia further. So what if UMNO-BN can bring more development than PR in the next 5 years? See what has happened to the country after 30 years of ‘development’?
The people must wake up and understand that at this point in time it’s not about the Indian community, about Malay rights or about more pro business policies etc. It’s about UMNO and the fact that they cannot be allowed to ruin the country further.
Unless all the races of Malaysia are willing to sacrifice their Indian community needs, their Malay special rights and their chinese pro business policies, UMNO-BN will continue to rule.
Unless people are willing to put the country first before their own selfish communal needs, UMNO-BN will still be in power come GE-13.
#17 by Onlooker Politics on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 9:32 pm
//I’m reminded of the elderly relative who always blames the dog for the occasional odour of intestinal gas in the room, and the grand-daughter who says “but granny, the dog died years ago”.// (OrangRojak)
OrangRojak,
But in Malaysia, the author who wrote the History textbooks which I read during 1960s and 1970s also died years ago! Till this day, no one textbook writer seems to have the guts to do a revision in the History textbooks on the portion which attibuting all blames on the British Colonials for the unseeming national disunity problems resulted from the “Divide and Rule National Economic Policy” but the new version of the Divide and Rule Policy indeed carries a name which is seemed to be nice to Malay Malaysians but terribly-notorious to non-Malay Malaysians, namely “New Economic Policy”!
#18 by GilaPolitic on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 9:51 pm
Today Malaysia is 52 years old nation after we celebrated the slow Merdeka Day. Look and sound alike Malaysia is a failed Vision 2020 nation. Yet we read and see how stupid the cow head Malay protestors are playing racist and religious issue.
The 1Malaysia dreamer, Najib and its UMNO lead BN regime should seriously study and read the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2009-2010 released today said :-
1. Malaysia’s global competitiveness ranking dropped 3 positions to 24. Singapore has replaced Malaysia in third ranking in the world.
Why ? The PKFZ scandal of RM12.5 billion, UMNO money politics, abuse of power and many corrupted BN goons, injustice by MACC and failed police force to fight crimes are taken into consideration to down grade Malaysia’a global competitiveness ranking.
2. “SECURITY” was of particular concern in Malaysia with its ranking dropped 25 levels to 85th. Malaysia is worst crime nation as compared with other ASEAN nations today.
Why ? Foreign tourists and investors will shy away if the crime rates are too high! A tremendous security downgraded of 60 levels look like Malaysia is non safe heaven nation now. Najib should revise his security KPI to reduce nation crime by 60% instead of reducing 20% street crimes only.
What a laughing stock and bad omen is haunting Najib regime ? quoted by a Western Arabian Investor after reading the Malaysia report in Singapore recently.
Are UMNO & BN cow heads are proud with results stated the report mentioned above ?
What a great 1Malaysia shame after 52 years Merdeka ?
#19 by imranj78 on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 9:59 pm
Talking about divide and conquer, the way our education system itself is set up promotes such mindset into our children. I am a firm believer that there should only be ONE education system, there should not be any `Bumi’ only schools, there should not be any Chinese schools, Tamil schools etc etc. Only ONE school system shall prevail. Only then can the racial divide be broken! We can talk to kingdom come but if our children are split into different school streams, integration would only be a distant dream! Unfortunately we have too many racial bigots among all races that are too selfish in maintaining their own school streams!!
#20 by a g on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 10:25 pm
In Penang and Malacca, you can find spots where mosques, churches and temples (yes, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist and Buddist) built adjacent to each other (literally at a stone’s throw’s distance) and these places of worship have since coexisted peacefully for generations, and…they were built during…none other than the bloody divide-and-rule/divide-and-conquer colonial times! Yap, pre-merdeka time!
So much for the theory of “inter-racial /religious acrimony being caused by divide-and rule/divide-and-conquer policies”! This is nothing but a convenient scapegoat!
So OrangRojak you might just shed your whiteman’s burden…
#21 by johnnypok on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 10:27 pm
If you are born stupid, no amount of “spoon-fed” or NEP can help …. survival of the fittest prevail!
#22 by monsterballssgoh on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 11:09 pm
First thing first…imranj78.
Lets vote…change of government..amend the Constitution to free people to choose any religion they want…educate Malaysians to be proud as Malaysians…and stop thinking in terms of race and religion…and yes…you are right…cut out all the shits of racialist schools and group all into one kind…the Malaysian schools..with one system…correcting history books to be truthful..and implementing what type of teaching methods most suitable to bring Malaysians up as truly smart citizens..without bringing the education standard down…to protect the Malays.
Doing that…it will only hurt the Malays more.
You tend to ignore…..UMNO is the rot cause of divide to rule…race and religion politics.
UMNO is killing the Malay unity…encouraging MCA and MIC doing same thing to their races.
Most evil of all..started by Mahathir… using money to buy up souls.. loyalties..and the country….becoming a band of robbers..thieves…to behave like Kings and rule forever.
You are such a smart man…..imranj78…why can’t you focus on the root cause and write your views based on the said…root cause.
#23 by monsterballssgoh on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 11:10 pm
First thing first…imranj78.
Lets vote…change of government..amend the Constitution to free people to choose any religion they want…educate Malaysians to be proud as Malaysians…and stop thinking in terms of race and religion…and yes…you are right…cut out all the craps of racialist schools and group all into one kind…the Malaysian schools..with one system…correcting history books to be truthful..and implementing what type of teaching methods most suitable to bring Malaysians up as truly smart citizens..without bringing the education standard down…to protect the Malays.
Doing that…it will only hurt the Malays more.
You tend to ignore…..UMNO is the rot cause of divide to rule…race and religion politics.
UMNO is killing the Malay unity…encouraging MCA and MIC doing same thing to their races.
Most evil of all..started by Mahathir… using money to buy up souls.. loyalties..and the country….becoming a band of robbers..thieves…to behave like Kings and rule forever.
You are such a smart man…..imranj78…why can’t you focus on the root cause and write your views based on the said…root cause.
#24 by imranj78 on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 11:23 pm
First things first monsterballssgoh,
Do you think that when PR is voted in power (if ever) that the changes will be so drastic? Tell that to PAS especially your idea of letting choose whatever religion they want (specifically for Muslims)!! Wake up from your idealistic, utopian view of PR.
Malays need no protection, especially from people like you who self profess of being a person of non-racial inclination but in fact utter stereotypical phrases such as `bringing the education standard down to protect the Malays’! Have it ever occurred to you that the education standard came down for other reasons unrelated to racial issues!
There is no single root cause to this problem. Trying to blame BN and UMNO as the root cause of all our problems is not only wrong, but an over simplification of the issue. Again, don’t fall into PR’s convenient excuse of blaming everything to BN! PR are a also a bunch of politicians and they will do whatever it takes to gain political mileage and try to divert attention from their own weaknesses.
#25 by monsterballssgoh on Tuesday, 8 September 2009 - 11:47 pm
You can twist all you want… imranj78.
I try to talk to a racialist like you…with sense and sensibility.
You are applying…it takes two to clap a hand….ignoring the absolute power and double standards ..buying up few corrupt police and judges…to….be a band of thieves and robbers…are UMNO’s ways of government..to bring us backward and disunity us..to divide and rule.
Such sinful low down worms have supporters like you….sleep with in the holy month of RAMADAN.
It is true UMNO can never change…so are you and all sickening racialists ba…trds.
PR WILL come into power…as change of government is the wishes of vast majority Malaysians. Nothing UMNO do can change it.
You can dream on …UMNO will rule forever.
Hundreds of reasons…why UMNO must be voted out……no need to talk to a goon like you.
#26 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 12:28 am
imranj78 – I agree with you on the subject of a single national school system.
When my little Malaysians can continue believing as adults that they are the same kind of Malaysians as any other Malaysian, then I’ll gladly put them through a single Malaysian school system.
Until then, I’m stuck with asking my kids “jiang shen me?” and wondering which country is the best country for them to be foreigners in, given that their home country doesn’t appear to offer them any hope of ever being the same kind of citizen as any other Malaysian.
I’m not sure why monsterball is so abusive – he seems to be angry about something unrelated to your comment.
#27 by monsterballssgoh on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 2:51 am
UMNO members have learn the art to pick a subject like schools…putting out suggestions that no one should disagree.
However they continue to ignore the root cause…and that is….UMNO is the one to make everyone fight for their rights and race.
Then….they will pick another subject…to prove people are part of the root cause..ignoring people have no choice…..but to play the game to survive.
They will even go to the extreme to say..if you cannot read and write Bahasa well….you are not a Malaysian…to a 70 year old man.who actually can read and write reasonably well…..but that’s not enough…again ignoring their parents cannot read and write at all.
They keep putting out half truths and accusing others…for the purpose to get readers to think like them…..how logical…how sensible…but in fact…are liars..like Najib.
Best is corruptions…saying it takes two hands to clap..how true…yet ignoring no bribery…….things cannot be done..and I am not saying traffic police. I am saying businesses were crippled without bribing to get license or import permits..of special items or ingredients..for their factories. They loose thousands everyday…if things needed are not approved…with one year OK…next year…no deal….unless you bribe them
Even downright renewal of factory license can suddenly be terminated with all sorts of reasons….unless you bribe them too.
OrangRojak is not sure….why I am abusive. Maybe he is not a businessman…but a wage earner.
Bosses think far apart from wagers earners……but are united to change the government for both suffered under UMNO dictatorship .one way or another…with their double standard governance.
OrangRojak needs to feel for the poor and helpless seriously to identify Imrangj78 is an UMNO racialist….trying to be too smart..to put out one subject after another..avoiding the root cause.
Anyone can be lured to agree with the “agree to disagree” discussion…with cunning pro UMNO writers.
I try not to suspect and be open minded…but you can smell an UMNO racialist from a mile…once he open his mouth again.
I am judging and sizing up imranj78…..and OrangRojak…can defend him..as much as he likes.
Talk root cause with all the subjects…trace back history …then we can talk again.
I love to battle imranj78…how great is Mahathir as PM for 22 years.
I dare him to start the ball rolling.
#28 by monsterballssgoh on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 2:57 am
hi imaraj78..I said UMNO bringing down the standard of education down to protect the Malays…not me…wanting it to be so.
Can you read english well?
If you want to read half truth…talk half truth…talk to others..not to me…..but I will be watching your comments and battle you..if you try to poison minds.
#29 by isahbiazhar on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 6:34 am
I remember my good friend, armed with a first class honours degree in Bahasa Melayu being sent to a rural secondary school with form six classes to teach BM.Earlier the principal had briefed the students that a non Malay teacher had been sent by the ministry to teach their mother tongue.There were protest by the students as to the ability to teach them in that language.My good friend had no inkling that he will not be accepted by the students.The first day he could see that the students had no confidence in him.After the initial introduction and seeing very clearly that the colour and his religion had a bearing in them, he started to write in Jawi and to those well versed in Arabic he wrote in Arabic alongside.There was commotion in the class before those handicapped had to protest.He had won them over.He was well received after that. He thanked himself for having studied Jawi and Arabic in the university.This incident clearly showed to him that without the presence of non Malays in school the whole system becomes racialistic and religous oriented.He left the country for good and works in a well known university having realised that this country will never be united because of religion and race.
#30 by imranj78 on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 8:22 am
monsterballssgoh,
Now I can understand where your `id’ comes from as it seems that you are a monstrous liar and spinner. Or perhaps you got up on the wrong side of the bed? Where in the heck did you get the notion that I am racist? ( by the way there is no such word as a racialist). Where the heck did you get the notion that I am an UMNO goon? Just because I disagree with you that makes me an UMNO goon? Come on, get out of your silo mentality and don’t let PR brainwash you that only they are angels!
If you want to make and argument, please make it a smart one with quality points. For example, you call me a racialist (racist) but please tell me SPECIFICALLY where did I write that indicated I was such a person?
Irrational and incoherent chatter with no substance carries no weight nor credibility monsterballssgoh.
#31 by ekompute on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 9:14 am
Agree, agree… but with so many incredible courts in Malaysia, how do we know which one is credible and which one is incredible? LOL.
#32 by a g on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 9:40 am
Dear imranj78,
FYI, ‘racialist’ as a word does indeed exist in the English language and it has a slightly different meaning from the word ‘racist’–both, however, are often used interchangeably.
My pointing it out is to clarify things and shouldn’t be viewed as an act to discredit you or any of your opinions ya.
#33 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 10:00 am
nice spot a g. English is my mother tongue (actually it isn’t, but my mother tongue is disappearing!) but I tend to dismiss words that don’t at first sight appear to add anything as frippery. I would also have guessed that the word ‘racialism’ is not valid, and would have been wrong.
Racialism is ‘considering race though not necessarily in a hierarchy’:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racialism
The article isn’t very clear. I get the feeling that ‘racialism’ may not be pejorative in contemporary use, while ‘racism’ almost(?) certainly is. One is clearly a slippery slope leading to the other, so I imagine practitioners of racialism must have to tread carefully.
We live and learn!
#34 by BoycottLocalPapers on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 11:24 am
The source of this hatred for others (i.e. non-Muslims) originated from suraus. I used to live near suraus and mosques and I can hear the preacher of hate preached hatred towards non-Muslims especially Jews. I experienced the same thing in national school. No wonder many Chinese did not want to send their parents to national school.
I thought these preachers of hate were PAS people and I used to wonder how could UMNO government could be so stupid to allow these preachers of hate preached in suraus and mosques. But now I know why.
PAS MP like Khalid Samad who said that he is willing to lose his post in the next coming election for doing the right thing gives me some hope for this hopeless country.
By the way, UMNO Youth leader wanted us to hate Jews and boycott Jewish products but little did he realized that the creator of the Internet, Leonard Kleinrock is a Jew. Perhaps UMNO Youth leader could start boycotting by not using the Internet. He should lead by example.
October 29, 2009 will be the Internet 40th birthday. Thank you Leonard Kleinrock!
#35 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 11:40 am
Since independence main ruling political parties (UMNO/MCA/MIC) are communal based.
So politicians look out for and advance the interests of their ethnic respective ethnic constituencies to be popular and get votes.
How one can fight for the interests of one’s ethnic group and yet balance and advance the interests of all ethnic groups beats me! It is a contradiction in terms. That they claim they can do so successfully is hogwash.
Since UMNO is the main dominant party in control, Malay interests are exponentially advanced, “Ketuanan” ideology structured around the nebulous “Social Contract” evolved to what it is at present, not less helped by Article 153 (Special Privileges) in the Federal Constitution.
Soon racist ideology takes hold, and a racist architecture is erected which pervades governance, civil service, education, and even sectors of the economy… threatening to tear asunder Malaysian multi-racial society and the inter-racial harmony that must subsist for such a society to survive, let alone prosper.
The writer Azly Rahman acknowledges this when he says, “we must blame the continuing survival of communal politics for the creation of hate-based groups”….
People learn to be racialist under such a racist system that has evolved.
The cow head protesters are testimony of what a group of people, given the incitement, could become under such a system.
Ordinary people given the incitement and provocation can easily make the transition to become racialist. They have learned and inherited this from 52 years of communal politics.
One can blame the educational system.
However it is trite that its “philosophy, mission, and vision” are influenced by such a racist system.
The root cause is therefore the ethnocentric and communal structure of our politics and political parties – rather than the educational system, a product of such a political system – that influences and turn racialist, and for some racist as well, the mindset of politicians, and by extension the mindsets of substantial portions of the rakyat/people!
TDM said: “It is no good blaming the politicians for perpetuating racial schism. Some of them who tried to ignore racial loyalties simply failed politically… For various reasons the races preferred to stay separated…. Those who reject racialism simply lost popular support. But those who embrace racialism won”. – see paragraphs 13 and 14 of TDM’s take in his Chedet’s blog on subject “Malay Unity and Malaysian Unity”.
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/09/malay-unity-and-malaysian-unit.html
His “successful” political career of 22 years proves it.
#36 by Loh on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 12:28 pm
Sorry, off-topic
From chedet.co.cc
NEW CURRENCY NEEDED, SAYS UN – BLOOMBERG
By
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
on September 9, 2009 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)
///1. For a long time now Malaysians have been questioning why we must use the United States’ Dollar for international trade, why we cannot use a dinar or any other currency. But Malaysians are not supposed to know anything about money, about finance. So nobody listens.
2. Now it is the United Nations which is saying that its member countries should agree on the creation of a global reserve bank to issue a new currency and to monitor the national exchange rates of its members, according to Bloomberg reporting on the Geneva-based UN Conference on Trade and Development.
3. The report said that China, Brazil and Russia this year called for a replacement of the Dollar as the main reserve currency after the financial crisis sparked by the collapse of the mortgage market led to the worst global recession since World War II.
4. The United States as the whole world knows is existing on unlimited loans by the rest of the world. US Dollar bonds are bought by every country in the belief that they would represent their reserves. Such bonds seem to be available all the time, unlike bonds issued by other countries which are for specific amounts.
5. If the US Dollar is not used for trade payments and loans, then there would be no demand for it. Obviously this would cause the US Dollar to be devalued. When it is devalued all the countries holding Dollar bonds would lose their reserves very substantially. So the countries with huge Dollar reserves would resist any move that would reduce the value of their reserves.
6. The US itself would resist as devaluation of the US Dollar would make it a very poor country. It cannot then remain the imperial power that it is now.///– TDM
It would be nice to have the cake and eat it; if one can choose to assign the value of one’s currency base on one’s wishes, rather than the wishes of the stakeholders.
///7. If the US Dollar is not to be used for trade and reserves, what currency should replace it? The Euro and the Yen seems suitable but it is doubtful if either Europe or Japan would want their currencies to be used the way we use the Dollar now.///– TDM
If the currency used as reserve by the world offers the opportunity to the country to avail itself of unlimited loans from the rest of the world as claimed by TDM, then Japan or Europe should jump in joy when their currencies are chosen. Clearly there are more to it than was explained above.
///8. The suggestion that a new currency be issued by a new global reserve bank is very attractive. Some people would like to use gold dinars.
9. The actual name of the currency is not important but backing by gold is important. If the new currency is used only for trade settlements (just as the US Dollar is now used) the proposal would be quite feasible.///– TDM
Currency backed by gold is like using gold to trade. The countries that have the gold mines would be rich, just like the countries having oil. Oil gets consumed and burnt off, but gold remains as reserve currency, and a measure of wealth. The imperialists would become ever more powerful to occupy land with gold deposits. That might make war decision simpler.
If currency has to be backed by gold, and since the GDP of the world would grow faster than total gold output in the world, the price of gold will rise faster than the price of goods and services. But because the currency is backed and tied to gold, for example a gram of gold equals RM 100 ringgit now, in a few year time, that RM 100 would buy more goods because the value of gold have arisen, and so there would be deflation when goods are sold and exchanged with paper currency. Accordingly there would be less economic activities because money cannot be created without the backing of physical gold.
Should currency be backed by gold, or should it be backed by the confidence of the holders towards the authority which issues currency notes backed by productivity and creativity?
///10. Whatever, the world needs to discuss this proposal seriously. As the report says, a new currency would help to protect the emerging market from “confidence game” of financial speculation. And Malaysia falls into the category of emerging markets.
11. Maybe Malaysia might embolden itself to champion this proposal. Maybe!///– TDM
It would be truism that Malaysian ringgit will never be made a reserve currency. So, whatever advantages reserve currency would accrue to the country concerned, only those who are in position would care about. Russia, China and India might be interested to have a say on international financial system, or even participate in the creation of a world currency. Obviously the currency cannot be backed by gold or for that matter any commodity at all. Malaysia should champion human rights and equality for a better world, and for that it should first settle its own internal affairs to live up to the expectation as a member of the world communities, and a member of the United Nations.
#37 by Lee HS on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 12:36 pm
Education in Malaysia is rotting. Just imagine a passing mark of 15% for physics is considered good enough. What can you expect out of Malaysian educational system?
UMNO Malaysia is very proud and trumpeted that Malaysia had sent a Malaysian Dr to outer space. Even a monkey had been sent to outer space long long ago.
God does not make a mistake in creating so many races and religions. Greeds, hatred, ignorance, ego and hypocricy of humans do. Especially those who feels inferior to others and trying to project an image problem.
As long as civilisation in Malaysia is lacking, teaching hatred and discrimination in our educational system prevail, Malaysia has no hope.
When our Malaysian natural resources run out, the real problem will surface. We cannot take soil to survive.
#38 by k1980 on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 12:57 pm
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/12630-exmied-chief-takes-her-fight-ird
Why is the macc not investigating the charges against the sami?
#39 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 12:59 pm
Malaysia is like a big family with many sons (Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban etc) and grand children, if any one is having problem (poor or in need) , the rest should help out one another, it is more blessed to give than to receive!!! This is only true if the head of the family i.e. govt of the day is sincere & without favouritism. If the head of the family is in favour of the elder son and his family, the rest of the children will know and will feel rejected. Bottom line is that the govt of the day should be fair to all and help out those in needs!!!
TDM’s recipe of “success” on playing race and religion is similar to feeding children with ganja!!! He will say all the children are happy with ganja, so it must be good for them!!! Just let all the children sleep and he and his gang can take all the money out from the house!!!
#40 by jamalmalikslumdog on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:08 pm
One would expect the Prime Minister of the day to stand tall to declare that the stomping on the cow’s head, a symbol of Hindus belief, is an insult that has gone beyond normal protest.
But no. It was muted silence to be followed by an idiot who has now orchestrated the guilty to include members from PAS and PKR.
What a joke of a nation !
#41 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:10 pm
The emerging of UN was fortold. We are going to have UN currency, UN this and UN that sooner than later!!! We are at the end time!!! Time to reflect!!!
#42 by a g on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:11 pm
Deep down in TDM’s psyche, there has been an entrenched, incorrigible phobia–that one day not too far into the future, the Malay race may get either neutralised, internationalised or, worse still, sinicised.
This phobia has been reflected or manifested in his words, in speeches and in writings, and they spread around and they also mutate like viruses. And sadly, and unfortunately for us, one of the new viruses that it often time mutate into, is the virus of “hatred”.
#43 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:20 pm
There’s some kind of eternal truth in that arrangement of words that I’m struggling to explain.
#44 by vsp on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:20 pm
The fact is that there was more cooperation and understanding among the races during the British colonial era than it is in the UMNO fascist era today.
If it weren’t for the British “idiots” that evicted the Dutch, Malaysia would today be a mere province of Indonesia.
If it weren’t for the “stupid” English we would be like the Achenese fighting a civil war against Java, the capital of Indonesia.
#45 by katdog on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 1:58 pm
“ONE school system shall prevail. Only then can the racial divide be broken!” -imranj78
“There is no single root cause to this problem. Trying to blame … as the root cause of all our problems is not only wrong, but an over simplification of the issue” -imranj78
These are two interesting contradictary statements.
Having ONE school system might help a bit, but the fact remains that the problem is not a simple one and there effectively is no single root cause. Because the problem of racial divide has now pervaded ALL levels of our society, not just in schools.
If the teachers and parents continue to live in a world where race is prioritized when it comes to rewards and job promotions do you think they will be able to magically carry out the upbringing of our young in an unbiased and racially blind way? Just mashing children of different races together isn’t going to do shit if once they leave school they are immediately faced with racial bias when it comes to scholarships and universtiy entry.
Before talking about one school system, please talk about these first:
– streamline university entry requirements into a single system. No more backdoor entries for the UMNOputras.
– change the system of awards for scholarship to be purely merit based. No more racial quotas wether for Malays or non-Malays
– racial quotas for student populations removed.
– All PUBLICLY funded universities must abolish any rules requiring race as a basis for entry (e.g. UiTM).
– ANY position to a public office must have any requirements for race abolished as well. (as public positions funded by Malaysian taxpayers should never be ‘reserved’ for only persons of a certain race)
– Abolish special discounts for home purchase for bumi’s. Instead the discount should be offered to anyone earning less than a certain amount etc.
– Abolish any requirements for use of only bumi contractors by all government agancies or GLC’s.
When ALL this things can be done without the UMNOputra’s dragging a cow head through the streets and screaming that they have been violated, THEN we can talk about ONE school system.
#46 by vsp on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 2:25 pm
Oops, Jakarta and not Java
#47 by Lee HS on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 2:43 pm
I believe after 52 years of BN/UMNO government, the amount of corruption money left the country and parked at foreign banks amount to billions. This amount of money is not productive to the Malaysian economy. It will only generate more economic benefit to the depository countries rather than Malaysia.
So who are the traitors of Malay and Malaysia in general?
If the masses in Malaysia are blind to this phenomenon, let us see how long can Malaysian economy last.
#48 by Onlooker Politics on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 2:53 pm
“There’s some kind of eternal truth in that arrangement of words that I’m struggling to explain.” (OrangRojak)
OrangRojak,
In Malaysia there was a typical example of a Customer Relations Officer by the name of Dato Nara. He held a position of Executive Director in charge of Public Relations in a Bursar Malaysia quoted company, the Magnum Corp.
Perhaps you should try to find out more about this guy.
Prostitution caused a lot of problems — not only to the middle man who worked as the Public Relations Officer but also to its popular patrons from Umno! Please go to read the Malaysians newspapers dated July and August 1998!
Remember: please beware that the sperm left on the mattress after patronizing prostitute can be used by the Police as an evidence to testify against someone for committing the crime of sodomy!
#49 by iamkkk on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 3:14 pm
If it so difficult to treat all races equally ? No manner what measures have been taken, if there is no equal treatment, there is no 1-Malaysia.
Why top students of Chinese or Indian not entitle to scholarship ? Why they are not shortlisted to local U ? Many other injustified treatment to be described.
Please to remember, other races also contribute to the development of this country. We are all tax-payers !!
#50 by k1980 on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 4:46 pm
iamkkk, you must realise that in bolehland, tax-payers are inferior to tax-takers. The tax-payers giveth and tax-takers taketh away.
#51 by Onlooker Politics on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 8:26 pm
//This phobia has been reflected or manifested in his words, in speeches and in writings, and they spread around and they also mutate like viruses. And sadly, and unfortunately for us, one of the new viruses that it often time mutate into, is the virus of “hatred”.// (by commentator a g referring to TDM)
TDM’s is always filled with hatred on LKY, on George Soros, on Bill Clinton’s Deputy President Al Gore because he put the blame of his own failure in preventing the Ringgit sharp devaluation on these people and held them responsible for the launching of currency attack in South-East Asia during July 1997 – August 1998. His hatred actually was bred from his ego-centric psyche problem. He simply could not admit his own failure in stopping the currency devaluation on Ringgit during his tenure as the Prime Minister of Malaysia! I don’t think TDM will put the interest of Malay Malaysians as his top priority. He is rhetoric on the strong US Dollar issue simply because he wants empathy from his fellow Malay supporters. However, the strong support which TDM received from his Malay hardcore supporters would never be able to cover his failure in checking the advance of currency attack by some currency traders during 1998. TDM should put the blame on his being too slow in action when dealing with the speculators’ self-fulfilling speculative attacks on Malaysia’s stock exchange market running along with huge amount of forward selling of Ringgit in the international currency market during 1997-1998. His mischievous suspicion and distrustful personal character also caused him his great failure and this could be proven by his sending a concerned Malaysian emailer who warned him about the danger of currency attack to the ISA detention during August-September 1998.
#52 by monsterballssgoh on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 10:00 pm
You forgot he used a booklet “50 reasons why Anwar cannot be PM”..framed Anwar..and put him into 6 years jail….released and proven not guilty.
You forgot he sacked 4 Deputy PMs….with no fear….as he already had all on the take..claiming him as the Messiah of UMNO.
You totally forgot he too RM1.2 billion tax payers money to save his son…with no fear…as by that time….he was a Dictator.
I see you put out a message to establish yourself..agreeable with us…hating Mahathir…where no one can ever dare to write anything good about him anymore…certainly not any MCA members too..out here to promote BN .to win votes for them..in such superb mils mannered ways.
Can you identify them….Onlooker Politics?
#53 by monsterballssgoh on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 10:04 pm
Ah yes….You forgot he was a 100% racialist …taught others how to divide and rule…using Islam to fight PAS…and was identified as the evil reincarnate by a learned Judge.
How forgetful you can be….Onlooker Politics.
#54 by Onlooker Politics on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 - 11:19 pm
monsterballssgoh,
I only want to focus on the International Currency Problem, as mentioned by TDM in his recent blog page!
TDM always likes to posturize himself as a Messiah of the fallen international financial system. Therefore he likes to promote the adoption of the system of Gold Dinar to replace the commonly used international currency such as the US Dollar. However, the financial experts can easily find that TDM only has some superficial understanding about the proper functioning of the international financial debt clearance system! He failed to understand that the Gold Standard had been abandoned by Americans long long time ago because of its failure to serve its function effectively when everybody started to keep gold under their pillow and be afraid to invest because of universal deflation problem in the lacklustre economy as a result of lack of incentive to spend and invest!
In fact, TDM knows nothing much about international financial system and he seldom mentions anything about the functioning of Special Drawing Rights in the role of international debt settlements. Most financial experts would not bother to comment on TDM’s proposal because his proposal was only the sophomore year’s level of business education!
#55 by monsterballssgoh on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:52 am
OK..accepted.
#56 by trublumsian on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:17 am
my 1/2 cent oberservation on a slow day..
monsterballs, do u always speak cryptic or is it how u use english? it’s fine by me though cos i think u make good sense, well, most of the time. maybe u can drop the “..o..” dots a little? :)
imranj, fyi, “racialist” IS a legit word, same as “racist”. now, u r perceived as an umno goon because u routinely defend the totally indefensible. pr is no saint, that much we made out, but neither does it come close to being the lesser of 2 evils. these guys r new n inexperienced, thanks to the perpetual bullying to the sidelines by umno, but they generally hv a record of putting the country first. umno on the contrary have long used up all it’s benefit of doubts. with it’s record, u’r better off staying clear or risk being viewed as one of them losers. n not in ur life will there be 1 school system. to the non-malays u’ll hv a tough time convincing them the malays hv just the mental capacity to not slow down em highflyers. to umno, good luck taking away the golden goose!
#57 by Loh on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 9:14 am
///Most financial experts would not bother to comment on TDM’s proposal because his proposal was only the sophomore year’s level of business education!///– Onlooker Politics
His admirers consider that he should get a Nobel prize in economics!