With eight days to go before the National Day proper on August 31 and 24 days before Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region should be celebrating a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians after 18 months of the 1Malaysia slogan and policy proclaimed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak after he became the sixth Prime Minister in April last year.
But every 24 hours is demonstrating the opposite.
There is a sickness in the country as illustrated by several headlines in a matter of a few hours by online media Malaysian Insider yesterday, viz:
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“Perkasa, MPM want Soi Lek arrested under ISA”
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“Pakatan wants to ‘destroy’ constitutional monarchy, claim Malay groups” (a lie)
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“Ibrahim Ali follows Tee, tells those who disagree to get out”
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“Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished”
Before Najib’s proclamation of 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now, it is a comparative rarity for lies, falsehoods and extremist incitement of issues of race and religion to dominate public and political discourse.
But what had been rare is happening with disconcerting frequency as the four Malaysian Insider headlines within three hours yesterday.
Utusan Malaysia illustrates this sickness in the country with its front-page headlines and reports in the past week like:
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“Elak perang besar – Harussani enggan dedah pihak terlibat wujudkan ‘perlembagaan bau’”;
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“Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia”
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“Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong”
Clear cases of sedition are now seen to be committed with impunity, like calls for the closure of Chinese and Tamil primary schools which had been decided by the courts.
On the other hand, there is agitation and escalation of irresponsible rhetoric to classify legitimate and rational public discussion and debate as sedition and if such agitation is allowed, even Najib himself could be charged for sedition for unveiling the New Economic Policy on March 30 which called for an affirmative action programmes “to consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of households” and to be “be based on market-friendly and market-based criteria together taking into consideration the needs and merits of the applicants”.
This sickness in the country is a total mockery and complete negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia to give Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians.
It will render the Merdeka Month celebrations of “1Malaysia Transforming the National’ totally hollow and empty.
The Prime Minister must provide the leadership and set the example to ensure that good sense, reason and rationality is fully restored to public and political discourses and his 1Malaysia policy does not degenerate into a Malaysian sickness which all Malaysians deplore.
#1 by Bigjoe on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 12:16 pm
This country was ‘infected’ the day Mahathir became PM. But the Mahathirist virus did not make the country sick until basically the end of the 1980s. The judicial crises of 1988 marked clearly the manifestation of the disease publicly. By 1997, it was clear disease had taken a heavy toll on the Malaysian citizentry body. Each time it was clear the disease was growing, Mahathir to his credit, managed to find a new drug to hide the symptoms and let the disease continue its merry way.
Today, the disease is all over our every day everywhere and and no new political drug can be found to hide the disease. Eventually there will be no cure for the disease if we don’t take the bitter medicine needed to kill the virus. Even if we take the bitter medicine now, the damage is done. The likes of the above events and issues is here to stay for a long time maybe permanently and all we can do is make the scar is never going to be big.
#2 by k1980 on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:04 pm
This is the only way unmo can break up PR, and winning back the PR-controlled states plus the cherished 2/3 Parliamentary majority.
‘1Malaysia Transforming the Nation’ is a joke that even the Tanjung Rambutan inmates can see through.
‘1Malaysia’ means zero opposition to unmo which is the only party eligible rule the country.
‘Transforming the Nation’ means grabbing back the PR-ruled states.
As for the arrest of Viagra Chua, 91% of the Chinese would applaud that, which should had been done the moment his DVD “The Last Tango in Muar” appeared 2 years ago.
#3 by dcasey on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:10 pm
The joke today in Bolehland is the report which quoted Barisan Nasional Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as saying that the people should support Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and not let the Prime Minister fight a lone battle. Now isn’t this expected if the PM doesn’t walk the talk and close both eyes in letting this “sickness” to spreading with impunity!
#4 by dcasey on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:12 pm
“to spread with impunity” – sorry!!
#5 by frankyapp on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:20 pm
Frankly is the PM testing the tolerance of the non malays by giving impunity to Ibrahim Ali aka perkasa and the editors/reporters of Utusan Malaysia to allowing them to attacking and accusing LGE baselessly in particular and the malaysian chinese in general ? Najib must stop it.He should show fairness to all in a plural society such as Malaysia. I think Najib should site the laws and used the constitution to stop such further nonsense by these people. Please Mr.PM don’t stretch the non malays’s tolerance to breaking point. I’m pretty sure you and all loving malaysians won’t want another major racial riot in the country.
#6 by k1980 on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:25 pm
ChuaSL: Please, please don’t arrest me lah. My words have been taken out of context. I never called for the 30% bumi equity to be removed. I actually meant that the 30% equity needs to be increased to 90%.
#7 by dagen on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:45 pm
PM fighting a lone battle dcasey? Hmmm. Yup. Must hv missed that piece of fantastic news somehow. Wot a significant statement. An important acknowledgement that 1malaysia is being pushed along by only one pair of hands. A lone bull charging in the field eh.
#8 by sheriff singh on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 1:49 pm
PERKASA is, as everyone knows, an UMNO Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
It was set up to by-pass the other component parties of BN so that UMNO appears to be ‘a good boy’ while it quietly works to undermine them all.
1Malaysia !!! People Frus !!! Performance No !!!!
#9 by k1980 on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 2:23 pm
’1Malaysia Transforming the Nation’
Yes, the nation has indeed transformed under Jib’s ’1Malaysia’.
Nowhere in its history has racism been so forthright, corruption so widespread, public unease so deep and the various communities been so distrustful of each other. All this transformation within just a few years!
#10 by Godfather on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 2:35 pm
Chua Soi Lek’s grovelling in the face of the Perkasa onslaught was sooooooooo predictable. “Don’t be so hard on me lah….I was only making a suggestion, and you can always disagree with my suggestion.”
Shameful on the porn king. Who doesn’t know that you hold your position at the whim and fancy of UMNO ?
#11 by HJ Angus on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 6:16 pm
So far UMNO has not distanced itself from PERKASA and that by itself implies that UMNO tacitly supports the rantings and demands of PERKASA.
I believe that the majority of Malaysians are moderates and upset at the noises made by an extremist NGO.
If Najib wants to have any chance of winning his own mandate in the next elections, he really needs the support of UMNO Youth as that will enable him to take firm action against the war-lords who are really undermining his 1Malaysia policies.
At the moment it seems the government is quick to start probes for the Opposition but drags its feet when its own leaders are concerned.
#12 by yhsiew on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 6:30 pm
Perkasa and MPM are UMNO’s “kakitangan” although UMNO strongly deny it.
#13 by dcasey on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 6:55 pm
Yes Hj Angus, majority of Malaysians of all races are not only moderates but also mighty proud of their country. Malaysians have already gotten used to the 1Muhibbah spirit even before Najib came in with his “foreigned spun” 1Malaysia rhetoric. However curiously enough, it is the 1UMNO band of thieves and robbers who are trying hard to sink this motherland of ours, by using bankrupted antics like playing with racial fire, spreading racial sickness and even doing a racial strangulation on the rakyat. These are the real actual traitors of Malaysia and all right thinking Malaysians should stand up and make ourselves perfectly clear that enough is enough.
#14 by undertaker888 on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 8:47 pm
The sickness is caused by umno virus. It is spread by perkosa. host carriers are mca and mic. Feeds on vices, corruptions. Incubated by mamak forr 22 years. expected life expectancy is not beyond ge13.
#15 by vsp on Monday, 23 August 2010 - 11:35 pm
I have said before and I am saying now again: Najib’s scandalous past has put himself under ransom to many crooks who knew which skeletons to be dragged out of the cupboard. These include the French, the Singaporean, Mahathir, the AG, the IGP, MACC and the warlords in his own party.
#16 by k1980 on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 - 9:55 am
From MalaysianChronicle website—
Umno/BN is now desperate and they have to put into motion all the power that they are holding now to ensure that Pakatan Rakyat does not reach Putrajaya. Right or wrong, legal or illegal, peace or chaos, it does not matter anymore as long as they can hold on to power.
When Najib took over as the Prime Minister, he quickly put in place a new platform to arouse voters sentiment on his sincerity to bring all the various races and religions together under his slogan “1 Malaysia, People First Performance Now”. On the surface, it seems to work but when he tried to get it off the ground and implement in stages his various programmes, all hell broke loose, not from the public but his own party leaders, members and some of their friendly Malay NGOs.
And when they lost the Sibu Parliamentary seat in a by election, the real fear in them of losing out in the 13th GE started to show in the open. All nice talks, empty promises, throwing goodies here and there, slogans and rhetoric which used to work before are now scorned by the public.
So, what are they going to do, to stop the advance of Pakatan Rakyat into Putrajaya? The last and most powerful tool is none other than using the race and religion cards.
They allowed their controlled media to stir all kinds of racial and religious issues while banning any pro-opposition books and newsletters that are detrimental to Umno/BN. Even DJs and editors of radio and TV stations were not spared for voicing against the wrong-doings of the ruling government. They let loose the Malay NGOs, like Perkasa, and their own members to twist and turn anything that PR leaders says or implement in the PR controlled States into racial and religious issues.
They are still the best in turning nothing into something or placing false accusations just to create frustration for PR leaders in the hope that they will retaliate in the wrong way and that is where the ISA will come into play. Two examples were the banner in Johor showing the picture of the Sultan and the name of Lim Guan Eng replacing the King in mosque sermon. They further their evil agenda with moves to allow teachers into politics whereby the practice of racism in schools by teachers and principal themselves have become entrenched.
They tried to use a milder form of intimidation, instigation and falsehood through the MACC and police, but it seems not to be working, so they have to drag in the Sultan and King to arouse Malay sentiment, misinterpretation of articles from the Constitution, NEP, ketuanan Melayu and all things that are related to race and religion.
The old script that they used in 1987 just before Operasi Lallang ‘87 was the quarrel between MCA and Umno, which is the same as what is happening now.
#17 by dagen on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 - 11:35 am
Ibrahim bin perkasa has a secret evil deal with pascal savage to turn the entire country into a large prison cell – the largest in the history of the world. Soon everyone here will be imprisoned and be made to serve him as slaves.
Pascal having had his plans to do something similar, in England earlier on, foiled by Mr English this time round appears to be running uphill again. Like that patriotic Mr English, Mr Raja Petra Kamarudin would not allow that to happen and he would do all he can to stop that evil plan.
If successful, Ibrahim bin perkasa would become DULI YANG PALING MAHA MULIA, or DY-Paling-MM in short.
… another piece of makes-no-sense news predicted by Dagen for Utusan tommorrow.
#18 by MederkaBeb on Thursday, 26 August 2010 - 3:39 pm
With all due respect to your opinion, I do
do agree with that the state of politics
in Malaysia has gone to the dogs.
However from a neutral point of view, we
rakyats are equally responsible towards
the propogation of racism . Each and
everyone of us is guilty of harbouring
racist sentiments one way or another. In
the spirit of nationalism , let us take a
look
* Existence of Vernicular Schools
=====================
As it is , children rarely have the chance to
mix with people of other races. Sending
them to vernecular-type schools further
intensifies their isolation. Bigotry and
racism is somewhat prevelant (don’t be
a hypocrite and tell me it’s not) albeit at
varying degrees. Did you not one time or
other consider your own superior (education, culture or linguistically) ? If not why send your kids to
vernecular schools ? Of course there were
isolated cases where people of a different
race were sent to vernacular schools, but in
comparison , the numbers are insignificant
* Race/ Religion-Based Politics
===================
If voter mentality was more mature, we
wouldn’t have politics carved around
racism . The main reason UMNO, MCA,
MIC and to some extent the opposition
parties ( YES, in some sad ways DAP is
guilty too ) exists is because people
tend to carry a herd mentality, the fear
of their own cultural identity and rights
being eroded. Of course, there is nothing
wrong with it , just that at the extreme we
tend to thinks ourselves as Malay, Chinese
or Indian first… everything else comes
secondary….
* Is he Chinese.. Indian or Malay ?
======================
Really , What difference does it make ?
Is he a much nicer person just because
he is of so … and so race ?
How many times have we caught ourselves
offguard asking this question ? Or rather,
along these lines .. Is he a Muslim /
Christian ? Truth to be told.. DOES IT
REALLY MATTER ? We are all Malaysians first
* Pre-conceived notions of a certain race
===========================
Aiya, Chinese … selfish and compulsive
gambler. Malay lazy one. Indians drunkard
Half a century after Indepence racist
prejudice is still deeply entrenched. But you
say, ” Aiya, this is true ma… ” It may be
true to certain quarters, but isn’t it time we
stop denigrating a race solely based on only
a small fraction of people ? In all fairness, my
Malay colleagues are one of the more
hardworking people you’ll ever find
* Sticking to only one group of friends
=========================
From the outset, we are a harmonious
nation. We glorify the fact that we are
a tolerant multi-cultural society. We gather
at each other’s open houses and exchange
gifts. REALLY ? How many of you truly have
close friends from people culturally different
from you? The majority of our schools and
workplace are breeding ground for
segregation, with often homogenous
groups hanging out together. Interaction
(with other races) is confined to the usual courteous chit chat ,greetings and even
occasional banter. Beyond that, it’s rare to have inter-racial groups that
really bond
* Of inter-racial couples
================
Granted we are more tolerant than we
were before. In fact we have made great
and progressive strides in this area.
The issue remains a taboo to most
Chinese however …..
Again , no one is disputing the fact that
a certain race-based party is fanning the
flames of religious bigotry in this country
with their narrow-minded politics.
But the gist is, aren’t we guilty of some
racism here and there ? Doesn’t the man
in the mirror tell you more than anyone ?
Here’s a toast to One Malaysia, anyone ?
* http://bearwife.blogspot.com/ *
#19 by johnnypok on Friday, 27 August 2010 - 12:29 am
They are low-class, low-mentality people, with no shame, uncivilised, un-cultured, poor up-bringing, stupid, not smart, lazy, bad habits, very fast to assimilate western culture, drug-addicts, holding phds (but stupid), un-employable even at home, how to compete outside home, waiting to be spoon-fed, and forever depend on tongkat to move around. Like this how to qualify for the World Cup?