nation building

Never before in 63-year history of Malaysia have there been so many negative messages as well as events which run counter to the National Day theme of “Malaysia Prihatin” and the Rukun Negara principles

By Kit

September 01, 2020

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

It was quite a disastrous start for this year’s triple national celebrations – National Day, Malaysia Day and Golden Jubilee of Rukun Negara.

Never before in 63-year history of Malaysia have there been so many negative messages as well as events which run counter to the joint National Day and Malaysia Day theme of “Malaysia Prihatin” and the 50th year commemoration of Rukun Negara principles.

The Yang di Pertuan Agong said Rukun Negara encapsulates Malaysia’s soul, spirit and national unity, but never before has the country been so depressed, disheartened and divided as one event after another demonstrates the uphill battle for the soul of Malaysia against the irreligious and immoral “Malu Apa” campaign – whether the Sheraton Move to usher in a “backdoor” government, the Slim River by-election or the nefarious plot in the durian belt of Pahang to deny justice to the durian farmers and to falsely target them as being opposed to the second Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and country”.

While the Yang di Pertuan Agong stressed that the five principles of Rukun Negara form the formula of how the various races, religions, cultures and languages can overcome differences and diversity to live in peace and harmony, irreligious and immoral voices are getting louder that while corruption is deplorable, one should support a Muslim leader who is corrupt than an non-Muslim leader who is clean, honest and upright.

The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in his 63rd National Day address, said the government would make “Prihatin Rakyat” its main guiding principle in championing the fate and prioritising the welfare of the people.

But neither the Prime Minister nor any of the six Ministers or Deputy Ministers in Pahang have shown any concern or interest for the injustice in the durian belt of Pahang, where there is a nefarious plot to deny the durian farmers their just deserts for their blood, sweat and toil over decades and, even worse, a nefarious plot to target the durian farmers as violating the second Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and country”.

As a quick google search will show that the word “Royal” was one of the names which is prohibited under the direction of the relevant Minister in charge of the Registry of Companies, the immediate question arises why the word “Royal” was allowed to be used by the company involved in the dispute in the durian belt in Pahang.

The Prime Minister has urged all Malaysians to be exemplars of the five Rukun Negara principles, but unfortunately, in the front-line violating the Rukun Negara principles are none other than the Ministers themselves, whether in breaching the Covid-19 SOP or in promoting shariah-compliant lies and falsehoods.

We have probably the first Cabinet in the history of Malaysia with the most number of Ministers who do not fully accept or subscribe to the five Rukun Negara principles.

Is it any wonder that we have one Cabinet Minister who has got over 51,000 Malaysians signing an online petition calling for his resignation as a Minister?

One PAS MP went on a tirade against Christianity and refused to apologise for desecrating the Rukun Negara on the eve of its Golden Jubilee, while a young Bersatu politician violated an important Rukun Negara principle when he called for the closure of vernacular schools – expecting it to be a short-cut to political promotion and fame.

Hence, the avalanche of negative messages for the occasion, never seen in previous National Day/Malaysia Day celebrations.

Author Steve Oh said:

“A celebration of Merdeka is meaningless when the government of the day is seen as corrupt, unjust and dictatorial. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman –‘Bapa Merdeka’- was a strong critic of unfair, unclean and undemocratic governance. He died disillusioned at what happened to his Merdeka dream.

“That legacy of disillusionment like a polluted river still flows across the entire nation, corrupting everything in its path. The endless haze is a stark reminder of a region under the curse of corruption. We reap what we did not sow when the corrupt got their way.

“The image of a towering Musang King durian tree being chopped down symbolises the fall of the people’s livelihood when the unilateral action of the state is deemed unfair. Today it is durian trees, what about tomorrow?”

Columnist Francis Paul Siah wrote:

“Who are those who have been stirring up racial and religious animosity in our midst? My direct answer – the sick politicians who think they belong to a supreme race and those who think they are the chosen ones sent by God to save the nation.

“To save the nation from who? Who else but themselves! Ordinary citizens like you and me, irrespective of our race or creed, do not indulge in racism and bigotry.

“It is unfortunate and sad indeed that just as we are about to celebrate our Hari Merdeka and Malaysia Day, which is about remembering our past and appreciating our freedom, came these prophets of doom who have brought nothing but gloom upon our auspicious and happy occasions.

“What is very worrying is that these self-proclaimed ‘messiahs’ are getting younger and younger and not the usual suspects among the veteran political elite.”

Retired journalist Philip Rodrigues wrote:

“When Tunku proclaimed independence to the 20,000 crowd at Stadium Merdeka on that ‘greatest day’ in the country’s history, he passionately hoped that the peninsula, now freed from the chain of colonialism, would be a ‘beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world’.

“Today, the world is no better than in Tunku’s time. It is not only disturbed and distracted but torn by internecine political conflicts, senseless wars, religious strife. And the light that shone from our new nation grew ever dimmer with the passage of time.”

I take comfort from Alwi Jantan’s poem: “Rejoice My Beloved Country” when Malaysians was given a second chance to rebuild Malaysia in the flush of the people’s unexpected victory in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018:

REJOICE MY BELOVED COUNTRY

Rejoice o rejoice, victory is ours. Let’s rebuild our beloved country. The pride of our founding fathers, For the benefit of all and sundry.

Let’s cleanse the administration Of the corrupt and greedy. Let’s rid of racial discrimination And religious bigotry.

Let’s reestablish good governance And remanage the economy. Let’s reinforce law and order maintenance And an independent judiciary.

Let there be freedom again Of expression and assembly. Only then will we regain The fruits of our victory.

It behoves on all Malaysians to ask whether they have lost the opportunity to rebuild Malaysia, and if not, what they have to do to save Malaysia so that we can all be proud of being Malaysians once again.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tueday, 1st September 2020)

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Tidak pernah lagi dalam 63 tahun sejarah negara kita di mana terdapat sangat banyak mesej-mesej negatif yang bertentangan dengan semangat tema “Malaysia Prihatin” sambutan Hari Kebangsaan dan prinsip-prinsip Rukun Negara

Sambutan bertiga keraian Hari Kebangsaan, Hari Malaysia, dan Jubli Emas Rukun Negara tahun dimulakan dengan permulaan yang agak buruk.

Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Dipertuan Agong telah mengatakan yang Rukun Negara merangkumi jiwa, semangat, dan perpaduan negara. Tetapi tidak pernah lagi dalam sejarah 63 tahun negara kita, kita berada di dalam satu situasi di mana kita berasa murung, kecewa, dan tidak bersatu padu selepas pelbagai kejadian menunjukkan perjuangan untuk memastikan semangat Malaysia ini menang dalam melawan kempen buruk “Malu Apa” ini tidaklah mudah — baik sama ada Langkah Sheraton yang telah membentuk kerajaan “pintu belakang”, Pilihan Raya Kecil Slim, ataupun rancangan buruk di kawasan kebun durian di Pahang yang cuba menafikan keadilan kepada para pekebun durian dan cuba untuk menggambarkan mereka seakan-akan menentang prinsip kedua Rukun Negara, Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara.

Sementara Yang Dipertuan Agong menekankan yang kelima-lima prinsip Rukun Negara ini membentuk satu formula untuk membolehkan pelbagai kaum, agama, budaya, dan bahasa untuk mengatasi perbezaan di antara satu sama lain untuk hidup bersama dalam keadaan yang aman dan harmoni, terdapat suara-suara sumbang yang berlawanan dengan ajaran agama dan moral yang kini semakin kuat yang cuba mengatakan walaupun perbuatan rasuah itu buruk dan perlu dijauhi, seorang pemimpin beragama Islam yang terlibat dengan rasuah perlu disokong berbanding dengan pemimpin bukan Islam yang bersih dan jujur.

Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dalam perutusan Hari Kebangsaan ke-63 beliau mengatakan yang kerajaan akan menjadikan “Prihatin Rakyat” sebagai panduan utama kerajaan dalam menjaga dan mengutamakan hal ehwal kebajikan rakyat.

Namun begitu, tidak ada sesiapa pun, baik Perdana Menteri sendiri ataupun mana-mana daripada enam orang menteri atau timbalan menteri beliau yang telah menunjukkan yang mereka peduli terhadap ketidakadilan yang dihadapi di kawasan kebun durian di Pahang, di mana terdapat satu rancangan jahat yang mencuba untuk menafikan para pekebun durian ini daripada menikmati hasil titik peluh mereka selama berdekad dan lebih teruk lagi, satu cubaan untuk menggambarkan pekebun-pekebun ini sebagai golongan yang melawan prinsip Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara.

Dengan satu carian pantas di laman web Google, kita dapat mengetahui perkataan “Royal” adalah salah satu perkataan yang tidak dibenarkan untuk digunakan dalam nama sesebuah syarikat di bawah arahan Menteri yang bertanggungjawab menjaga Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia. Persoalan yang kini timbul adalah, kenapa penggunaan perkataan “Royal” ini dibenarkan oleh syarikat yang terlibat dalam pertikaian di kebun durian di Pahang ini.

Perdana Menteri telah menggesa semua rakyat untuk menjadi tauladan yang baik yang mengamalkan kelima-lima prinsip Rukun Negara ini, namun amat malang sekali apa bila barisan hadapan penghina Rukun Negara ini terdiri daripada kalangan Menteri Kabinet sendiri, sama ada dengan mengingkari SOP kuarantin Covid-19 ataupun dengan mengeluarkan “penipuan patuh syariah”.

Adakah mengejutkan apabila kita mempunyai seorang Menteri Kabinet yang mencatatkan rekod apabila lebih daripada 51,000 rakyat Malaysia telah menandatangani petisyen menuntut beliau meletak jawatan?

Seorang Ahli Parlimen PAS telah mengeluarkan kritikan tidak berasas terhadap agama Kristian dan kemudiannya enggan untuk memohon maaf di atas perbuatan beliau yang menghina Rukun Negara di ambang sambutan Jubli Emasnya itu, dan pada masa yang sama, seorang ahli politik muda Bersatu pula telah mencabuli prinsip Rukun Negara apabila beliau menyeru supaya sekolah vernakular dimansuhkan — dengan harapan seruan beliau ini boleh menjadi satu jalan pintas untuk mendapatkan pangkat dan populariti politik.

Lalu datanglah pelbagai mesej-mesej negatif sebagai tindak balas, satu perkara yang tidak pernah dilihat dalam sambutan Hari Kebangsaan/Hari Malaysia sebelum ini.

Penulis Steve Oh di dalam artikel beliau[1] di MalaysiaKini menulis:

“Sambutan hari Merdeka hilang maknanya apabila kerajaan hari ini dilihat sebagai korup, tidak adil, dan diktatorial. Arwah Tunku Abdul Rahman — Bapa Merdeka — sendiri merupakan seorang yang amat kritikal terhadap pentadbiran yang tidak adil, tidak bersih, dan tidak demokratik. Beliau meninggalkan kita dalam keadaan kecewa, melihat apa yang telah terjadi terhadap impian Merdeka beliau.

“Legasi kekecewaan tersebut, ibarat sebatang sungai yang tercemar, masih mengalir di seluruh negara, mencemarkan segala benda yang berada di laluannya. Kabus berpanjangan ini adalah peringatan kepada satu kawasan yang telah disumpah dengan korupsi. Kita menuai hasil yang bukan ditanam kita, apabila meraka yang korup berjaya.

“Imej pokok durian Musang King yang tinggi ditebang ini menjadi simbol kejatuhan punca pendapatan rakyat dalam melawan tindakan sehala kerajaan yang dilihat sebagai tidak adil. Hari ini, pokok durian, bagaimana dengan esok?”

Selain Steve Oh, Francis Paul Siah[2] dan wartawan bersara Philip Rodrigues[3] juga menyumbangkan pandangan mereka mengenai kejadian yang berlaku dalam tempoh beberapa hari yang lepas ini.

Hati saya berasa tenang membaca semula puisi Alwi Jantan: “Rejoice My Beloved Country” yang dipena semasa rakyat Malaysia berjaya menenangi peluang kedua untuk membina semula negara dengan kemenangan yang tidak dijangka dalam Piihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018:

REJOICE MY BELOVED COUNTRY

Rejoice o rejoice, victory is ours. Let’s rebuild our beloved country. The pride of our founding fathers, For the benefit of all and sundry.

Let’s cleanse the administration Of the corrupt and greedy. Let’s rid of racial discrimination And religious bigotry.

Let’s reestablish good governance And remanage the economy. Let’s reinforce law and order maintenance And an independent judiciary.

Let there be freedom again Of expression and assembly. Only then will we regain The fruits of our victory.

Amat berpatutan untuk semua rakyat Malaysia, untuk tanya diri sendiri sama ada peluang untuk membina semula negara ini telah hilang, dan jika tidak, apakah yang perlu dilakukan untuk mendapatkannya semula, supaya kita semua dapat bangga menjadi rakyat Malaysia.

(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Selasa 1 September 2020)

[1] Steve Oh, “Merdeka means liberation”, MalaysiaKini, 31 August 2020; https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/540731

[2] Francis Paul Siah, “Prophets of doom bring gloom upon our auspicious dates”, MalaysiaKini, 31 August 2020, https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/540777

[3] Philip Rodrigues, “63 years later down the road – whither goes Malaysia?”, MalaysiaKini, 31 August 2020; https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/540734