… sementara MCA koma dan The Star tidur.
Walhal peristiwa itu tiada kena-mengena dengannya, Perdana Menteri terpanggil untuk mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa pemberian angpow putih oleh Perkasa tidak harus dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang dipersetujui oleh kerajaan.
Dan walaupun Lim Guan Eng telah mengambil kesempatan mengumpat MCA ekoran tindakan Perkasa itu, The Star yang masih sedap lena membuai yee sang tidak terfikir untuk membuat apa-apa ‘damage control’.
Guan Eng telah dipetik sebagai berkata dalam sidang akhbar:
“We can clearly see that all the racists are now grouping together.”
“We have the Chinese racist, which is MCA, and the Malay racists, Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia.”
“It seems they are all brothers now. Now we know that MCA supports Perkasa.”
“What will MCA say now that its members support the racist Perkasa? What will they say now there is a direct link between MCA and Perkasa?”
“Everyone knows that Perkasa stands for racism and extremism but it seems that another racist – the MCA – is working with Perkasa.”
Jelas orang Cina dihasut oleh Guan Eng supaya membenci MCA melalui tamparan-tamparannya mengaitkan Perkasa dengan parti komponen BN itu.
Star Online hari ini memuatkan satu sahaja rencana berkaitan insiden tersebut, iaitu ‘White packets have nothing to do with govt, says Najib’. Yang rencana satu ini pun diambil dari Bernama.
Tak ada ruangan pojok olah kolumnis Star, tak ada lidah pengarang Star yang menepis atau menyangkal putar-belit Lim Guan Eng terhadap MCA.
Manakala di Malaysiakini, propa giler:
- PAS praised for respecting Chinese culture
- MCA and Perkasa in bed together?
- White ang pow: The state has failed us
- No apology needed, Ibrahim Ali is what he is
- ‘I’ve been made victim of Perkasa CNY open house’
- ‘Racists MCA and Perkasa are brothers’
- Apologise for white ang pow, Perkasa told
- White ang pow: Perkasa pleads ignorance
- Ibrahim, ‘ang pow’ won’t absolve your sins
- Ibrahim Ali dishes out RM10,000 in white ‘ang pow’
Blitzkrieg Malaysiakini menunggang cerita angpow ini tak lain dan tak bukan satu kempen menggembleng undi Cina untuk pihak pembangkang.
Cuba teka BN sudah kehilangan berapa undi angkara eksploitasi DAP ke atas kemarahan meluap-luap masyarakat Cina.
Dan betapa hebatnya calon Umno/MIC akan kena tempias nanti dengan hampir semua undi Cina di kawasan-kawasan mereka beralih kepada Pakatan.
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Memandangkan ada di kalangan anda yang ahli Umno, boleh tak saya tinjau pendapat tentang keberkesanan usaha perhubungan awam (public relations exercise) yang dijalankan Pakatan tatkala masyarakat Cina begitu terkilan dengan Perkasa?
- PAS tarian singa hijau
- Wakil PAS menghulurkan angpow – warna merah jambu – kepada penjual daging babi
- Muka depan Roket mencanangkan Charlie’s Angels jelitawan
Kegiatan PAS digembar-gemburkan sebagai mendapat sambutan yang memberangsangkan daripada masyarakat Cina yang sejuk hati mereka. (Screenshot atas diambil di PAS praised for respecting Chinese culture)
Takpe lah, masih ada hadiah saguhati: Kalau Dr Siti Mariah, Teo Nie Ching dan Nurul Izzah digelar “bold and beeuuutiful”, emak Najib dulu-dulu lawa sakan juga.
- Keluarga Tun Razak
____________________________________________________________________________________
Anda mungkin juga meminati:
Helen Ang 
BN tidur….
Reblogged this on KUkial_Jr@com.
I hope the article below will end this issue, once and for all.
————————-
PETALING JAYA: Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali has expressed regret over the inadvertent distribution of “white” ang pow during its Chinese New Year open house, saying such mistakes could have been avoided if they had known it to be taboo among the Chinese.
He said Perkasa agreed with MCA Youth that it was pertinent to understand the sensitivities of various cultures.
“Now that we understand the sensitivities, we will not repeat the same mistake,” he said Wednesday in response to criticism from various quarters against Perkasa for distributing money in white envelopes on Sunday.
Ibrahim also expressed regret that none of the Chinese guests and members of the media who were present that day had alerted Perkasa leaders that it was a taboo to give “white” ang pow during festive occasion.
He said Perkasa also took note of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s comment on the matter.
“It is a lesson for Perkasa to be more careful not to touch on the sensitivities of other races.
“And we also expect others to respect the sensitivities of the Muslims and Malays,” he added.
Source: The Star on-line.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/1/nation/20120201201314&sec=nation
Nope, chapter not yet closed.
The MCA guy who was at the function & ostensibly did not inform Ibrahim Ali will be drawn & quartered by the Chinese opposition & their supporters. LGE has already made out that b’cos this one MCA man was there, the whole party is to be held responsible for collusion with Perkasa.
They will keep harping on the topic as long as there is political mileage to be drawn. CSL’s sex tape was 5 years ago but till today, whenever he makes a sensible point of argument, the Pakatan supporters still retort by attacking his morals.
org cina masih dgn isu angpau putih… tp melayu tgh panas dgn isu anwar-israel… sebagaimana org cina bkn kisah sgt dgn negara yahudi mcm tu lh juga org melayu memndang sepi isu angpau putih..
klu ade pun melayu yg beriya-iya simpati pd isu ni, tu hanyalah golongan politic oportunist…
org politik mmg kena pandai berlakon!!!
apa pun, aku harap lpas ni ibrahim ali lebih peka dgn sensiviti org lain!!! helen,awk nk PERKASA buat apa supaya awk boleh tidur lena tanpa mimpi ngeri angpau putih?? hehe..
Perbuatan Perkasa – yang rata-rata masyarakat Cina percaya memang disengajakan – telah menghina golongan yang tua, yang uzur, yang terpinggir dan yang kurang pendedahan (Ah Por-Ah Por itu tidak mengenali siapa itu Ibrahim Ali ketika ditemuramah wartawan).
Kalau presiden Perkasa yang seorang Datuk, seorang MP dan seorang berada (kira ada harta kalau dibandingkan dengan jemputan-jemputannya yang merupakan penghuni rumah warga tua) telah menyampaikan sampul mengisyaratkan maut kepada tetamunya yang fakir miskin, adakah perbuatannya – yang dilakukan di depan media nasional lagi – boleh dianggap berhemah?
Inikah contoh budi bahasa dan budaya beradab orang Melayu yang harus diteladani?
Sebenarnya saya tak mengkehendaki Perkasa berbuat apa-apa. Mereka hanya akan berputar-belit lagi dan apapun IA sudah memohon maaf (namun saya menjangka tidak lama lagi dia pasti akan mengulangi penghinaannya terhadap orang Cina).
Saya lebih berharap orang Melayu akan menjauhkan diri daripada kumpulan tersebut dan rela menegur (daripada mempertahankan) ketuanya.
Saya salin tampal (di bawah) beberapa petikan yang disedut dari rencana ‘White ang pow: The state has failed us‘ yang ditulis sepupu saya Kee Thuan Chye.
QUOTE:
UNQUOTE
1. Pelik. angpow putih bersamaan non-halal food.
2. “the state exhibits extreme care for the sensitivities of the majority race and the followers of the main religion”. That is why we are called a democratic country. the majority over the minority.
3. namun saya menjangka tidak lama lagi dia pasti akan mengulangi penghinaannya terhadap orang Cina. mmm.. anda mudah streotyping seperti juga parti pembangkang.
4. perkasa, bukan parti politik walaupun ramai ahlinya adalah juga ahli umno. tuduhan ini iatu undi BN maka undi perkasa dan perkasa adalah satu parti yg boleh mempengaruhi mandat BN juga merupakan sterotyping.
5. Perkasa sudah berkata “maaf”. Jgn lah di tambah lagi keitdakpuasan itu terus menerus. Mungkin kah ibrahim ali kene sembah kowtim dalam TV3?
6. masing masing ada membuat salah, mungkin besar dan mungkin kecil.
Perkasa sepatutnya tak payah la buat makan2 atau bagi sampul duit utk org cina…Perkasa NGO bukan parti politik nak pancing undi..Perkasa NGO utk pribumi bukan NGO untuk org cina….walau apapun Perkasa buat rasanya ramai org cina tak suka Perkasa sbb NGO Pribumi…kalau buat baik org akan kata perkasa buat buat baik, tapi kalau x buat baik lagi la org mengata hehe….. tapi pelik pulak mana mai ramai org cina yg dok makan2 kat situ? depa kena tipu ka dengan Perkasa…
(1) Ramai yang bertanggapan Perkasa adalah salah satu sayap tak rasmi Umno tetapi tidak semestinya Perkasa bersama kelompok Najib (sebaliknya ia dinaungi Dr M).
(2) Selama ini, track record Perkasa ialah kerja-kerja menggertak kaum Cina — tanggapan umum ialah gerak-gempur Umno di-outsource kepada Perkasa.
(3) NGO-NGO lain misalannya Aliran, CAP, SAM, Suaram tidak meraikan dengan jamuan makan & memberi angpow pihak-pihak yang lazimnya dikritik mereka.
Contohnya: Suaram mengkritik polis, SAM mengkritik syarikat balak, CAP mengkritik pengkilang makanan, Aliran mengkritik Umno — adakah NGO-NGO ini mengadakan majlis “berbaik-baik” supaya boleh ditunjukkan kepada umum yang mereka bukan anti-polis, anti-syarikat balak, anti-pengkilang, anti-Umno?
Maka Perkasa bersandiwara ini lebih berciri badan politik daripada NGO.
(4) “ramai org cina tak suka Perkasa sbb NGO Pribumi”
Perkasa ialah gerakan Melayu fahaman ultra kanan. Tak pernah saya dengar pun mereka membela hak-hak orang Asli, Jakun, Temiar, Senoi, dll atau orang Iban, Murut, Bidayuh, Kadazan, Bajau, Bidayuh dll
Ramai orang Cina tak suka Perkasa kerana tindakan-tindakannya yang biadab & pelampau. Saya baca ada komen-komen di portal online yang menggelar Perkasa ibarat Ku Klux Klan.
(5) “kalau buat baik org akan kata perkasa buat buat baik, tapi kalau x buat baik lagi la org mengata”
Kalau Perkasa tidak bersikap pelampau sejak dari mulanya & selama ini, pasti ia tidak akan perlu mengadakan public relations exercise kononnya untuk membaik pulih imejnya dan cuba mengambil hati golongan yang dibulinya.
Contoh kita ambil CAP (Consumer Assoc. of Penang) — “kalau buat baik (adakan jamuan CNY) org akan kata [CAP] buat buat baik, tapi kalau x buat baik lagi la org mengata”. Ayat ini tidak ada releven kepada CAP atau NGo-NGO lain; ia hanya releven kepada Perkasa kerana sifat & naluri Perkasa itu.
Alasan yang diberi Perkasa untuk mengadakan majlis makan itu ialah supaya menunujukkan mereka “bukan-rasis”. (Bukan saya yang kata tetapi pemimpin-pemimpin mereka.) Lagi kuat ia menafikan, lagi orang percaya yang tuduhan itu berasas.
(6) Kalau suatu majlis Hari Terbuka sambutan perayaan kemeriahan, sesiapa dari kalangan orangramai pun boleh datang secara sukarela.
Perkasa ini macam buat “rent a crowd”. Penghuni-penghuni Rumah Orang Tua, Rumah Kanak-kanak Terencat Akal (ikut laporan media) dibawa secara berkumpulan ke majlis.
Agaknya kanak-kanak terencat akal tidak mengenali siapa itu Ibrahim Ali.
(7) “depa kena tipu ka dengan Perkasa” [kerana hadir]
Saya rasa ya & penipuan ini menggambarkan niat sebenarnya Perkasa mengelolakan jamuan tersebut.
perkasa disifatkan pelampau sbb membela hak melayu….yg digertak tu dituju kepada yg mencabar hak melayu saja…kalau ada cina yang tak cabar hak melayu buat apa nak terasa hati dgn perkasa….kalau semua cina tak suka dgn perkasa maknanya kaum cina mmg tak suka dgn pengiktirafan hak melayu kat Tanah Melayu ni la yg nak dipertahankan oleh perkasa
Helen selalu jarang nak beremosional macamni dalam posting tapi kali ni nampak sgt emosinya hehe…marah betul dgn perkasa hehe…
walauapapun saya berpendapat perkasa x payahla nak buat makan2 untuk CNY sbb nampak macam parti politik pulak…
Hi Helen,
…yang kepala babi di lempar ke masjid tu,kerja siapa pula ye? kut kut orang melayu sendiri ke ? tapi tak tahu lah pas bagi pas kat orang lain atau polan-polan yang ada simpan kaki-kaki gangster tu…
cuba siasat sikit, beri ulasan, boleh tak ?
cina dan melayu ini sama-sama ‘di sakitkan’ agar kita bergaduh semula…orait je…
putih ke, coklat ke, hitam ke, biru ke, kopi susu ke, kita kan orang Malaysia?
Yang bukan orang Malaysia ialah yang warna kelabu tahi anjing tuuu….
Helen,
Rata2 bukan mempertahankan IA. Tetapi lebih kepada tindakan IA bukan menggambarkan semua orang Melayu atau pun orang pro-UMNO. Kebanyakan orang Melayu UMNO pun jelik dengan IA. Yang baik kita terima, yg tak baik, kita tentang jugak. Jgn lupa isu Nga cakp hitam metallic pada Zambry. Walaupun tiada kaitan dengan agama dan adat, tetapi menampakkan tindakan kurang sensitif terhadap kaum2 lain. Tapi kalau Helen perasan, tiada pemimpin BN yg berkasar sgt mcm sesetengah pemimpin PR. Utusan Melayu dilihat seperti memutar belit kenyataan, sama halnya dgn kebanyakan akhbar pro-PR. Sebelum ni bukan main lagi tidak mahu any ‘gutter politic’, tapi siapa yg lebih keji dengan mainan kata2/ Hishamudin tu sampai sekarang dikatakan menteri amaran sebab lembut sangat. So adakah PR akan puas hati kalau HIshamudin menunjukkan sifat autokratik dalam menangani isu2 negara? in this case, perlukah MCA guna tajuk mcm Helen juga supaya nampak jantan?Nanti ckp tiada kebebasan bersuara pula. Adakah kita lebih suka politician di negara kita menunjukkan kebodohan melampau sehingga tiada tolak ansur? Asik guna ayat keji yg dibalas keji? Memang nmpak mcm lembut, so what’s wrong with being lembut? Perkasa dah mintak maaf sama mcm Nga mintak maaf. boleh percaya atau tidak, tu belakang kira antara dia dengan tuhan la plak sama ada ikhlas atau tidak kan? Seperti Helen jangka, mungkin ada perkara yg nmpak seperti memperli masyarakat cina dari Perkasa, tapi tidak kurang juga dengan DAP atau Hindraf etc.
(1) “IA bukan menggambarkan semua orang Melayu”.
Betul IA menggambarkan hanya minoriti yang teramat kecil orang Melayu.
Melihat kepada sejarah Nazi, orang kebanyakan Jerman pun tidak berperangai macam pegawai tinggi SS.
Dan seperti juga kebanyakan orang Melayu Umno yang jelek dengan IA (saya percaya Darlyn cakap & saya sendiri pun tahu ia begitu), orang Jerman pun jelek dengan Nazi.
Tetapi Nazi yang minoriti kecil di kalangan orang Jerman & yang tidak direstui orang German yang waras masih tetap menjahamankan kaum mereka sendiri.
(2) “Memang [MCA] nmpak mcm lembut, so what’s wrong with being lembut?”
Kalau segala tindakan-tindakan Nazi dari awal tidak disambut dengan kelembutan, gerakan Nazi itu mampu dipatah sewaktu rebungnya.
Melihat kepada pengajaran sejarah, sepatutnya Nazi itu perlu ditentang dengan tegas dari awal.
“Kalau segala tindakan-tindakan Nazi dari awal tidak disambut dengan kelembutan, gerakan Nazi itu mampu dipatah sewaktu rebungnya”
Now I get it why most Malaysian citizens takut—respect dengan Tun Dr. M during his era. Saya pun respect Tun Dr. M.
I know what you mean about Dr M’s role in keeping the lid on but I suppose it’s just the natural life cycle — in infancy, we have the authoritarian figure to tightly control the situation & potential race riots were contained.
Now we’re in the rebellious teenage years & the race rhetoric has reached a level never seen during his 22 years’ iron grip. If we get past our adolescence, we can be adults but still not necessarily yet mature.
Nonetheless, we have to leave the Dr M leadership type behind & move on despite the loud hiccups (& farting). For everything there is a time & a season. Cheers.
Yes, you are quite right Helen. I thik Najib is working hard to make everything more lenient and soft, and listen to rakyat more. If Mahathir took 22 years to balance and make everything as equal as more than half of bumiputera in Malaysia dah sama kaya and sama miskin with other races, than Najib maybe needs at least half of Tun M’s time fullfill all rakyat’s need. Dulu gov is building the country, investments etc etc, sekarang dah stabil so boleh la soft skit. Jika terlalu drastik tanpa perancangan boleh merosakkan ekonomi dan perpaduan yg kita ada. Sebab Malaysia is not like German. Agama pun lain2, mcm2. Semua pihak kita nak jaga sebab orang Malaysia ni super sensitif. Dan di Malaysia ada byk kaum dan etnik berlainan yg mempunyai tuntutan berbeza. Seperti pembangkang, kerajaan juga mesti melaksana semua tuntutan mengikut perlembagaan. Tidak boleh aci petik sahaja.
Tapi saya tidak nafikan pembangkang pun ada kebaikan juga utk ‘check and balance’. Maybe what we need is something fresher and ideal than before without replacing it.
This is melayu tulen. Look at the speech of Dr Ahmad, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVymm_gG5c&feature=youtu.be
Siapa yg rasis sebenarnya……helen….pikir pikirlah
________________________________________________________________________________
I’m not blind to the Chinese faults. That’s why I’m in the very small minority not wildly cheering DAP. But on the other hand, the state structure of institutionalized racism is complex. We’ll patiently unravel it one thread at time. Stay tuned. — Helen
saya tak baca pun kisah ‘ang pow’ nie jadi ape kesudahan nye, yang menerima marah ke ??? kalau marah pulang saje balek….. kalau tak berterima kasih.
Perkasa pula kalau mereka ikhlas minta maaf maka akan selesailah segala masalah tapi saya baca di sini kenapa pula ade pihak yang tak puas hati dan pekara in di perbesarkan …..hemm hairan.
Kita hidup dalam negara yang berbilang kaum, berlainan adat dan ugama kesilapan seperti ini akan terus berlaku tapi kita sebagai rakyat negara ini kita harus serta mesti terus boleh berbincang dan bermaafan..
jadi sekali lagi helen sapa.yang rasis….?
The damage been done! More votes for Pakatan at PRU13…
Why Perkasa always creating issues that caused BN to lose non-malay votes…is out of my comprehension???
Any COMMENT???
Nampaknya setiap kali buat hal, BN sudah kerugian undi dari penggundi atas pagar..menggapa perlu Perkasa melakukan hal hal yang menggeramkan hati bukan-malayu, adalah di luar kefahaman saya.
Perkasa diwujudkan undi menarik undi Melayu kepada BN/UMNO..
tetapi tindak tanduk mereka jelas menguntungkan Pakatan!!!
Ada komen atau pendapat yang bernas???
KAK HELEN,
Hassan Ali buat kecoh isu republik, bila you nak buat ulasan PANAS tentang isu ini!!!
You must be a fool to think so.There is no republik only malaysian issues kalau kita boleh tinjau masalah yang timbul dan ada kesedaran dan maklum hak asasi cannot be temberang sahaja kalau kita boleh accept Malaysia for Malaysians untuk semua bukan hanya sepuak sahaja.Grow uplah bro/sis.
Folks,
I admit I do admire Helen’s guts and style. I enjoying reading her articles even when I disagree with some of them.
Some of you obviously disagree strongly with her for taking Perkasa to cleaners for this “ang pow” faux pas. While I understand your reasons, you need to consider that Helen is no hypocrite like the reporters in the alternative media.
Helen has been consistent in her principles. She whacks the sandiwara of the tudung clad, Chinese politicians just like she drop kicks the hypocrisy of DAP’s playing up of Christian fears. As such, I can accept that she find Perkasa’s faux pas as an insult to the Chinese traditions.
OK, having said that I would also like to put some things in perspective about Perkasa and their treatment by our so called alternative media.
Let me make it clear that Ibrahim Ali is not someone I wanna “friend” with or “like” in my Facebook account. However, I would like to put things into perspective.
Many people do not know that Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali are important players today not because of media such as Utusan but because of the huge coverage given by the alternative media. It is the strategy of Pakatan (and by extension the alternative media) to paint Perkasa as a bogeyman to non Muslims / Non Malays by giving prominence to all their actions and statements. The 2nd strategy is to link Perkasa to UMNO/BN so to categorise them in the same “racist” category.
In fact the rise of Malay pressure groups like Perkasa is the direct result of non Malay and non Muslim pressure groups that rose to prominence and been aggressive ever since Pak Lah gone soft after Tun M’s rule. Groups like DJZ, NECF, CCM, Hindraf,etc had been on a war path and some of the Malay/Muslim felt that UMNO did not respond strong enough to protect the Malay interests.
Many people are unaware of the fact that Ibrahim Ali was considered as a Malay ultra and was expelled from UMNO for his strong views. In fact he was even jailed under ISA for these beliefs. Eventually PAS accepted him into their fold just UMNO rejects being recruited into DAP. These facts are glossed over by our “brave” and ” truthful” alternative media.
Another lie is that UMNO outsources extreme views to Perkasa. Of course this is yet another accusation that is commonly bandied by PR leaders. Why would UMNO do that and how would it benefit the party ? In fact UMNO has more to lose than gain with Perkasa. No doubt there are some UMNO members who subscribe to Perkasa views. In fact Namawee and some other Chinese and Christian right wingers also happened to be supporters and leaders of DAP. Using the same logic, it would also mean that DAP is a racist, right wing party.
UMNO has stated their stance on controversial issues very clearly, for example “Allah issue”, etc. They need not hide under the skirts of a third party.
Perkasa obviously been stung by allegations of racism and probably wanted to change the image to be more ethically tolerant. This is no different from PAS doing the Green Lion Dance or handing out ang pows or setting up PAS supporters
club or DAP recruiting Malays for elections.
Out alternative media tend to blow things up when it comes to Perkasa while the same faux pas by PR-friendly NGOs get glossed over or not reported.
Let me give one example. While our alternative media thinks Ibrahim Ali has insulted the Chinese but when Hindraf gatecrashed into Pak Lah’s Hari Raya Open House carrying banners and shouting slogans and refusing to accept salam, it was reported as “making their voice heard and freedom of assembly”. Can you imagine if LGE CNY Open House is similarly interrupted by Perkasa. Mkini would have declared that Perkasa had declared war on the Chinese.
Mr.Calvin Sankaran,thanks you save me a lot of typing, i subcribe almost in total on your view on the issue. i was mulling to write my toughts on the matter, but you posting is spot on.
I may have more to add ,but i leave it for Helen to answer first ,your posting here. Again Bravo.
By the way NTV7 morning show short interview with Tan Sri Professor Emeritus Khoo , this morning was very insightful to our nation problems and squable especially his last answer……..
A MUST READ THIS ONE, SOME WILL LAUGH , SOME WILL CRY AND SOME WILL CURSE
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/46990-prostitutes-can-kill-you
WHICH ONE WILL YOU BE?
Helen can comment on this or not??????
RPK wrote … “the millions of Malaysians of Chinese ethnicity who are up in arms about Ibrahim Ali …” “are the kay poh (nosey parkers) who masuk campur in something that does not even involve them.”
May I say the same about the DUMC uproar?
“the millions of Malaysians of Malay ethnicity who are up in arms about the [DUMC dinner] …” “are the kay poh (nosey parkers) who masuk campur in something that does not even involve them.”
“They are not those who attended the [DUMC] function”, what.
Why are other Chinese complaining when they’re not the ones given the white envelopes?
Why were other Malays complaining? If the Malays who went to DUMC did so of their own free will – same argument as the Chinese old folks going to the Perkasa open house – & the Malays tucking into thanksgiving dinner at DUMC did not themselves complain, then why you all complain?
Same line of logic, cah ah?
“You call Ibrahim Ali a frog, a political prostitute, a racist, and whatnot. Then you go to his Chinese New Year open house. Then he gives you money in a white envelope and you take it. Then you scream and shout.”
You call mainstream a #%!#, @#$%, and whatatnot. Then you go interviewed by them. Then they gives you @#$% in their @#$% reporting and you take it. Then you scream and shout.
Helen, can you clarify something for me, please? Is the concept of ang pow a cultural thing, or is it a religious thing? If it is a culture or custom, then to compare to the DUMC incident is incorrect. But if it a religious thing, then we get it.
Btw, There are just some things that are completely off limits for the malays, especially issues to do with Islam. In the case of DUMC, it can’t be seen as other malays being kay poh or menyibok pasal hal org lain. It is the concept of ‘muslim brotherhood or sisterhood’, whereby all muslims menjaga each other, and tidak bersekongkol melakukan kemungkaran. So, menjadi tanggungjawab setiap org islam utk menegur atau memperbetulkan kemungkaran yang jelas berlaku, apatah lagi di depan mata. Thus, the interference by JAIS etc.
What i find intesting though is how the pro opposition media is milking the white ang pow incident for all its worth and yet no outcry over the kepala babi infront of THREE mosques now. Very telling…
Could it be that all the incidents – the pig heads left outside mosques, the white angpow, the disruption of the Jln Kebun forum or whenever any opportunities present themselves – are designed to deliberately create racial tensions?
As for cultural or religious, I don’t want to tell you the wrong thing (inaccurate) by speaking off the cuff (without doing deeper research into your question myself) as I’m no Chinese cultural or religious authority.
Perhaps we could turn the question around & you can draw on your own understanding.
What would the general reaction be if a Muslim dikapankan dengan kain merah?
Ang Pow is custom and cultural, nothing much to do with religion. Most Chinese are superstitious but not religious, and basically Chinese are cultural inclined, therefore the claim “But if it a religious thing, then we get it” doesn’t hold true to Chinese, in this aspect, we are very different. The white Ang Pow is a very serious insult among the Chinese because it is a cursing of dying, but I personally don’t expect a non Chinese to be familiar with our custom, and I believe most Chinese would agree with me. However the non Chinese in this whole episode is IA, and it is perfectly valid for many to question his motive.
Catty,
The beliefs of the Chinese here blur between Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism & other traditional practices but could all still come under the general rublic of religion.
Take qing ming when Chinese make a pilgrimage to the graves of our ancestors, clean the tombstones & offer prayers.
It is a tradition of remembrance. Some people characterise qing ming as “ancestor worship” (in form). In substance, we could also just see it as a formalized occasion to remind us of our roots or where we came from.
Malays are bin or binti according to your father, but Chinese take our surnames from our great-great-great (many x) grandfather & for some, even our personal names from the clan & the generation (cousins have the same middle name). So there’s a difference in stress between cultures, i.e. what to each is important — you may not have a special day in Islamic calendar to remember your great grandfather.
Confucious teachings also emphasize filial piety.
Those who visit the graves to offer libations & light joss sticks can be considered as carrying out a religious ritual.
Another example: A Taoist who prays to several deities may introduce himself as a Buddhist, whereas Buddhism strictly speaking is the teachings of the Gautama who lived in the Indian sub-continent.
A famous Hollywood Buddhist is Richard Gere. Uma Thurman’s father (white guy) was a Tibetan monk & Steve Jobs is often credited as a Buddhist too.
But they would not be carrying out some of the rituals that the so-called Buddhists (M’sian-Chinese who are really a mix of Taoist & other beliefs) here practise.
Unlike Islam & Christianity which are highly organized & structured religions, some other spiritual beliefs are not. The Orang Asli have been animists. Or some are pagans. However they would hold their practises seriously as religion.
So for Chinese, what is custom & superstition – to those who believe in these customs & superstitions – is seriously religion in their minds.
Respect is showing deference to what other people hold dear. (An example: Say you love your cat very much. It dies. Someone reacts by saying, “Aiyah, it’s just a cat lah, get another one lor.)
If the Chinese old folks are superstitious about the white envelope, then I think we should respect this. I’m not a superstitious person but I’m outraged at the disrespect all the same.
The People of the Book can be downright obnoxious in their disrespect for adherents of the non-Abrahamic faiths.
For instance (true stories), born-again Chinese Christians (evangelists) may have no qualms about telling off the traditional Chinese religionists & demanding that they get rid of altars. It’s a religious superiority complex that consigns any belief other than in the one God to be deviancy (etc, etc, etc)
Or as we’ve seen in late 2007, the temple demolitions that prompted the 25 Nov Hindraf rally where enforcement officers were smashing Hindu idols. I don’t pray to Hindu gods but I understand that Indians were upset. I’d attended a Hindraf gathering in Nov 2007 & an Indian man (adult) told me that he cried when shown the video of how the idols were destroyed & treated like a piece of rubbish.
We have to realise that not everyone subscribes to the idea of monotheism. If you have the time, you might like to read this (below). It is Chief Seattle’s peroration in 1855 to the white man who stole the native American land.
Excerpts:
“Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine!” — full speech can be read here.
书政兄弟，迷信暗示不狂热 (less fanatical).
Helen,
I agree with your explanation. Often, people of the Book are quite insensitive to the belief of others, esp. those that are not practicing monotheism. I think this stems from their absolute belief that they are in the right path, and often, this will make them blind to their own shortcomings and lead them to become insensitive to other people’s beliefs and practices. Respecting other people’s beliefs do not mean you believe in them too, it just means that you respect their rights to practice what they believe.
I think in the case of the white pow, the reason why the malays do not see it as such a big deal is because many see it as a cultural thing. But i think if they were to see that for the chinese, cultural practices are important and as equal to religious practices, then they may begin to understand.
In the case of the Hindu temple, i tend to see both sides of the arguments. Any structure, be it a house, a place of worship, etc needs to be approved before it can be built, otherwise it is considered an illegal structure. I believe that if a place of worship has to be demolished because it is an illegal structure, then the process of demolishing it or bringing down the structure should be done by the people of that faith.
Majority of the problems that we have in malaysia can be solved easily if all of us are willing to compromise like before. But too many are influenced by the so called western values and thinkers that things are a little bit whacko now. I am married to a westerner. Before my spouse came here, he was spouting about his beliefs and value systems (equal rights, human rights etc) and he disapproved of the way malaysia did things. But once he stayed here (more than 10 years now), he has taken back all the things that he said before and realised that the westeners have NO IDEA on what living in a multi-cultural and multi-religious soceity takes.
I think our country needs to grow or evolve. Before, we needed the DEB to help the majority poor malays to improve their life. We have succeeded to an extent that there are more middle income malays now than in the 70s. So now, a new policy should be in place to help ALL needy people regardless of race. People who live in the kampungs or bandar who do not get many advantages should be helped regardless of their race. And doing this does not mean that the malays would loose their rights. It just means that they are willing to compromise in order to help others who need it more
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Catty,
Such reassuring views from you after the rounds of hostility that have come from some of the others. Only one thing about “places of worship demolished because illegal structures”.
I’ve heard oral history about the “idol cleansing” done in Kerling but haven’t researched the subject (am not old enough to know about it real-time when it happened) but I’ve been informed that it was a deliberate targetting of old & historic Hindu temples — the purpose to erase history. Like how they don’t teach about Lembah Bujang (only 2 paragraphs) in our history books or another example, the levelling of the Babri Mosque.
Helen
“Or as we’ve seen in late 2007, the temple demolitions that prompted the 25 Nov Hindraf rally where enforcement officers were smashing Hindu idols. I don’t pray to Hindu gods but I understand that Indians were upset. I’d attended a Hindraf gathering in Nov 2007 & an Indian man (adult) told me that he cried when shown the video of how the idols were destroyed & treated like a piece of rubbish. ”
helen, was the temple demolish with the approval of the temple trustees?, let see if you can get the true answer.As a professional researcher of your caliber, finding this should be a simple matter.
This demolish temple was a “modal” used by Hindraf as rallying point.
Let’s what is your investigative conclusion on the temple issue.
In the statement above, i.e. ” I think in the case of the white pow, “, i meant “I think in the case of the white ANG pow, “. I apologise for the typo.