The recent “pendatang” furore is not only proof of failure of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia policy, but the 57 years of UMNO/BN Malaysian nation-building.
Apart from Sabah, which is a special case by itself, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, are local-born and 100% Malaysians – a figure which can be as high as over 95 per cent for Malaysians in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
Whether the ancestors of Malays, Chinese or Indians are immigrants, there can be no cause or justification for any Malaysian to describe another Malaysians from different ethnicity as “pendatang”, especially when the term is loaded in a very derogatory, pejorative and even abusive sense.
This is in fact questioning the citizenship rights of Malaysians, which is entrenched as one of the four “sensitive” rights in the Malaysian Constitution in 197i, whereby it becomes an automatic sedition offence to call for the withdrawal of a Malaysian’s citizenship.
Since the 70s, there is a National Unity Department in the Prime Minister’s Department, but all the tens and even hundreds millions of ringgit of budget expenditures for over four decades for this department in the PM’s Office had been a total waste and loss when 57 years after Merdeka, extremists are hurling the “pendatang” label at ordinary, loyal and patriotic Malaysians in the latest upsurge of hate speech in the country.
The Prime Minister has reiterated his call for a Global Movement of Moderates in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, and Malaysia has just been elected to be a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Calling loyal, patriotic Malaysians born, bred and who will die in Malaysia as “pendatang” must be condemned as a form of extremism which Najib had denounced in the United Nations and international forms since becoming Prime Minister.
I call on Najib and his Cabinet to seriously review the failure not only his 1Malaysia policy but UMNO/BN nation-building policies of the past 57 years since Merdeka, to the extent there there are now Malaysians who are so extremist and intolerant as to have no compunction or scruples to label other Malaysians who are equally local-born as “pendatangs”.
(Media Conference Statement after Deepavali Hindu temple visits in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 22nd October 2014 at 12 noon)
#1 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 22 October 2014 - 7:59 pm
Its not just a failure. Its absolute prove that BN IS A LIE itself, it has been for DECADES, – the so called multi-racial COALITION is simply a unequal partners of convenience and opportunism out to exploit the country and the Rakyat. Its “national”ism is limited ONLY If the lords and vassals profits.
That they can let out their bickering out in the open is because they are a lie. The true feelings completely at odds with each other, only together and supressed because of desperation for power and wealth.
#2 by boh-liao on Thursday, 23 October 2014 - 1:21 am
WHAT failure?
Dis word is not in UmnoB’s vocab
Just C how AhCheatKor praised ex-CM of S’wak
Where got failure 1?
#3 by worldpress on Thursday, 23 October 2014 - 8:33 am
Chinese and Malay stayed in Calcutta 200 years ago
Chinese were in Malaya nearly 190-200 years and they were greatest economic contributors the pioneer open up inland jungle and boost economic production fortunate
1887-8
The Governor draws a salary of ;^4,ooo a year, with free quarters at Government House, and various allowances and perquisites ; the Colonial Secretary is paid ;^ 1,600, with free quarters; the Treasurer ;^r,ooo, the Surveyor-General gets ;^l,200 a year besides his pay as Colonel of Royal Engineers,
the Commissioner of Lands ;{^i,ooo, the Harbour Master .1^700, the Postmaster-General ;^700, the Chief Justice ;^2,ooo, the Puisne Judge ;^ 1,400, the Registrar ^C/oo, the Attorney-General
;^i,300, the Police Magistrates from ;^6oo to ;^8oo, the Bishop ;({^ioo! the Colonial Chaplain ;^6oo, the Inspector of Schools ;^700, the principal Medical Officer ;^8oo, the Inspector-General of Police ;^8oo, European policemen ;^8o and free quarters with rations, the Superintendent of Prisons ;{^8oo, with free quarters ; and the superintendent of the Botanic Gardens ;^400, with free quarters and ;^70 travelling expenses. I don’t think the salaries
pail to these leading officials can be considered excessive, taking into account the responsible work they have to do and the blazing climate in which they have to do it. At Penang and Malacca the Resident Councillor gets ;£” 1,000 a year and free
quarters, and the Resident at Perah, who is to all intents and purposes the actual governor of the country, receives ;^3,ooo a year.
The total population of the three towns of Singapore, Penang and Malacca is 424,000, of which 174,000 are Chinese, 174,000 Malays, and 3,400, including military, are Europeans.
#4 by boh-liao on Friday, 24 October 2014 - 3:20 pm
Certainly there R many M’sian families whose ancestors WERE IN Malaya, North Borneo, n Sarawak long b4 AhCheatKor’s (n also many Perkosa’s kaki’s) ancestors came here [Their ancestors might still b wandering around elsewhere at dat time]