Adakah suratkhabar Cina membawa agenda? Pasti.
Bukan saya yang kata. Kesimpulan ini dibuat hasil sebuah kajian ilmiah bertajuk ‘The Media and Public Agenda among the Malay and Chinese Communities during the 2008 Malaysian General Elections’ yang dikeluarkan bulan lepas oleh dua orang sarjana tempatan.
Kertas kajian Prof. Syed Arabi Idid bersama Dr Chang Peng Kee disiarkan di Asian Social Science, Jilid 8, No.5 (April 2012) — PDF sini, yang diterbitkan oleh Canadian Center of Science and Education.
Prof. Syed Arabi ialah rektor Universiti Islam Antarabangsa dan juga di Jabatan Komunikasi UIA manakala Dr Chang ialah pensyarah kanan di Pusat Pengajian Media dan Komunikasi, UKM.
Kertas Prof. Syed Arabi dan Dr Chang membincangkan ‘agenda setting‘, iaitu kaedah media massa sengaja membentuk pandangan umum (public opinion) melalui peletakan tumpuan ke atas isu-isu terpilih.
Teori komunikasi massa mengatakan bahawa proses pemilihan dan liputan media ada saling berkait.
Prof. Syed Arabi dan Dr Chang telah memeriksa sebanyak 9,135 rencana berita Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, The Star dan New Straits Times yang menyentuh tentang PRU12. Penyelidikan mereka dijalankan pada tempoh kempen pilihanraya dari 24 Feb hingga 8 Mac 2008.
Dapatan:
“The study found the Chinese media agenda to have a significant rank-order correlation with the Chinese public agenda suggesting the newspapers influence among the Chinese readers on what to think about. Ethnic newspapers therefore could be setting the agenda for the various ethnic groups during elections.”
Methodology yang digunapakai oleh Prof. Syed Arabi dan Dr Chang melibatkan analisa kandungan suratkhabar serta tinjauan pendapat seramai 1,454 orang ramai menyusul tarikh mengundi Mac 2008.
Daripada laporan-laporan berita media cetak yang dikaji, didapati bahawa suratkhabar Cina membuat liputan pilihanraya yang amat intensif (48%) berbanding suratkhabar Melayu (28%) dan suratkhabar Inggeris (24%).
Pecahannya seperti berikut: Sin Chew Daily (27.8%), Nanyang Siang Pau (20.3%), Berita Harian (14.4%), Utusan Malaysia (14.0%), New Straits Times (12.0%), and The Star (11.6%).
Bagi awam, isu ekonomi disebutkan mereka sebagai yang paling mustahak. Jawapan ini diberi oleh responden – yakni individu yang ditemuramah dalam tinjauan pendapat – Melayu, Cina dan juga India. Namun perbincangan ekonomi tidak begitu dititikberatkan oleh mana-mana suratkhabar.
Sebaliknya, bagi suratkhabar Cina, isu paling utama yang diketengahkan ialah personaliti calon serta cara berkempen dan mutu kepimpinannya.
Kajian mendapati gejala penentuan agenda oleh media adalah ketara di kalangan masyarakat Cina — “There is therefore a differential scenario where the agenda-setting function of media only occurred within the Chinese community.”
Di antara kesimpulan kajian:
- “In terms of agenda setting, there was no significant correlation between the media agenda and the public agenda and also between the Malay and the Malay media agenda.”
. - “The findings showed a different case for the Chinese community as the Chinese media agenda was significantly correlated with the Chinese public agenda. This indicates that the Chinese newspapers played its role during the general elections by influencing the Chinese community on what to think about. In other words, this ethnic community took the newspapers as a key channel for political communication during election time and likewise the Chinese newspapers were able to understand the important issues that were felt by their readers.”‘
Intipatinya, masyarakat Cina telah bergantung kepada media sebagai saluran komunikasi politik tatkala musim pilihanraya.
*** *** ***
MCA dibiarkan disepak terajang
Sungguhpun saya tidak membuat kajian sistematik sepertimana kertas yang dipetik di atas, namun tinjauan rambang saya mendapati bahawa suratkhabar The Star pasca-2008 membawa agenda melebihkan DAP dan meminggirkan MCA.
Misalnya, tajuk beritanya hari ini menyebut nama Guan Eng mendahului nama Soi Lek walhal ia boleh diumumkan sebaliknya, iaitu ‘Chua-Lim Debate 2.0 on July 8’. Bagi The Star, Guan Eng ialah nombor satu dan Soi Lek nombor dua.
Pemerhatian yang sama pun dibuat juga oleh blogger-blogger otai Melayu.
The Unspinners memblog:
“Ada banyak bola tanggung terhadap DAP dan khususnya Lim Guan Eng dan Hannah Yeoh tetapi The Star sengaja tidak laporkan. Satu masa dahulu The Unspinners pernah dedahkan Wong Chun Wai sebagai lallang dan seorang yang kuat bermuka-muka. Akhirnya The Star yang kononnya akhbar untuk MCA tetapi berperanan menutup malu DAP.”
Wong Chun Wai ialah seorang Kristian yang “sayangkan kota London” (Anglophile) serta tidak memahami Mandarin lalu terpaksa membaca sarikata terjemahan yang disediakan Astro tatkala menonton siaran perbahasan Soi Lek-Guan Eng tempoh hari.
Chun Wai pernah mengaku: “I come from an English medium school and I am unable to speak or write in Chinese” dalam kolum Starnya ‘On the beat‘ (1 April 2012).
Dr Chua Soi Lek pula bukan Kristian.
Atas dasar sama-sama Kristian dan Anglophile maka liputan The Star cenderong kepada politikus evangelis DAP dan bukannya kepada ketua-ketua MCA yang berpendidikan Cina dan menganuti agama Buddha.
Sebab yang lain ialah The $tar terlalu mengejar keuntungan.
“Media planners and advertisers in Malaysia are largely English speakers,” menurut Rita Sim, pengasas think tank Centre for Strategic Engagement.
Tambah Rita lagi, ada golongan Cina yang
“… not Chinese-educated. They speak English and include a large number of Christians and the Peranakan. They are comfortable reading English or Bahasa Malaysia newspapers and tend to take a Malaysian perspective as opposed to an exclusively Chinese one.”
Golongan Wong Chun Wai beserta kebanyakan pengarang dan wartawan Star begitu serasi dengan evangelis DAP.
Para pengiklan dan perancang strategi media bagi syarikat-syarikat besar ialah jenis Anglophile Bangsar Malaysia dan iklan-iklan mereka di Star disasarkan kepada golongan Malaysian First.
Bos iklan mempunyai pengaruh yang besar. Contohnya tabloid Kosmo! terpaksa memohon maaf apabila membuka pekung di dada arwah Yasmin Ahmad, pengarah filem ‘Sepet’ kesayangan Bangsar Malaysia.
“Kosmo!‘s report touched off a storm of protest from her friends in the media and advertising industry who called for a boycott of Utusan’s publications and that of Chinese daily Kwong Wah Jit Poh (which also published a similar report on the same day) over what they say is “salacious gossip”. (sumber: Sinchew)
Kosmo! tunduk kepada ugutan ia akan dipulau oleh industri iklan dan agensi perhubungan awam (public relations) yang bertekad untuk menutup aib Yasmin. Money talks, lah.
Kes menteri MCA Lee Chee Leong
Yang membela Lee Chee Leong ialah orang Umno, contohnya sebuah blog popular berjudul Pisau.net (tangga #1,130 di Alexa ranking) dan bukannya The Star.
Pisau.net telah memaparkan hujah:
“But I (kata Shen Yee Aun) have to give credit to Lim Guan Eng. In many issues he actually a good public political deceiver and spinner. He is good enough to spin from what is real to fake and what is fake to real. Therefore he should train Hannah Yeoh to be a better political spinner and hopefully in the future Hannah won’t spin so badly …”
Sebuah lagi top blog Melayu (Alexa ranking #690) berjudul Anak Seberang juga mempertahankan Lee Chee Leong.
Anak Seberang memblog:
“Makin dibiarkan makin menjadi. Fitnah dan nista dah jadi sebati dengan darah daging mereka. Apatah lagi tuduhan ini merupakan satu dakwaan yang berat melibatkan pemberian kerakyatan kepada warga asing.”
Satu lagi top blog ‘Politik Harian‘ dikendalikan oleh blogger tersohor Bro Jinggo (Alexa ranking #831 berbanding ranking laman rasmi MCA #8,496) juga mengkhabarkan kemelut Lee Chee Leong yang didakwa difitnah oleh Hannah Yeoh. The Star yang sering mempromo Bangsar Malaysia diam seribu bahasa.
Blogger-blogger Melayu prihatin terhadap tuduhan serius yang dilemparkan terhadap timbalan menteri MCA ini tetapi The Star tidak. Sampai hari ini pun akhbar milik MCA belum lagi membuat apa-apa laporan lanjut tentang siasatan polis ke atas Hannah walhal NST dan Malay Mail ada melapor.
Sebuah lagi blog Melayu Nadi Rakyat melaporkan,
“On 16-04-2012 at 3pm, leaders of MCA Kelana Jaya went to USJ8 Police Station to make a police report on Hannah Yeoh’s misleading blog, twitter & press statement. Her mischievous act with intention to tarnish MCA Kelana Jaya reputation”.
Memang betul nama MCA dijatuhkan oleh Hannah Yeoh bukan sahaja di Twitter malah di blog dan melalui kenyataan akhbarnya juga.
Kenyataan akhbar Hannah berbunyi:
“… how is it possible that MCA can be defamed? In my opinion, one can only defame MCA if MCA has a good reputation to start with. MCA today is not worthy to be defamed. Instead of providing an explanation as to why the Deputy Home Minister was soliciting for foreigners and permanent residents at a MCA program, MCA has inexplicably made this to be an issue of defamation.”
Di media baru yang pro-pembangkang pula, YB Kampar MCA itu digambarkan sebagai seorang “pembuli besar”. Setakat ini, timbalan menteri tersebut belum lagi diberi ruang oleh The Star untuk menjawab tuduhan Hannah bahawa beliau menghalalkan PATI ketika program MCA dijalankan untuk tujuan menambah jumlah undi.
Untuk butir-butir latar, baca ‘Kenapa menteri ini belum lagi membersihkan namanya?‘ dan ‘Menteri yang tercemar ini akan memudaratkan kempen Najib’.
MCA bakal dilanda ‘backlash’ Melayu
Blogosfera Melayu yang pro-kerajaan menganggap Umno sudah banyak bertolak-ansur dengan MCA.
Dalam PRU yang lepas, MCA menang 15 kerusi Parlimen di mana 9 kerusinya terletak di kawasan majoriti pemilih Melayu. Daripada 15 orang lawan yang dikalahkan calon MCA, 8 orang yang ditewaskan adalah berbangsa Melayu. Ini bermakna MCA menang atas sokongan undi Melayu kerana sekiranya lawan itu Cina-DAP, peluang tipis untuk MCA menang.
Tujuh daripada 15 kerusi parlimen MCA terletak di Johor, kubu Umno!
Bukan sahaja pemilih Melayu memberikan talian hayat kepada parti Cina itu malah terpaksa juga blogger-blogger Umno Melayulah mempertahankan maruah MCA yang diserang bertalu-talu oleh DAP dan DAPsters.
Dalam pada itu, jentera media MCA sendiri masih terang-terang mempromosi personality cult DAP di samping menutup sebelah mata apakala MCA difitnah.
Orang Melayu memegang kepada adab bahawa dalam hubungan dengan kawan, buatlah apa yang PATUT.
Umno dan MCA sudah lama menjalin hubungan persahabatan. Atas ikatan ini, sesetengah blogger Melayu yang berhati lembut bersedia untuk membela MCA walaupun ada suara-suara lain yang mendesak supaya MCA jangan diletakkan bertanding di kawasan Melayu lagi.
Meskipun begitu, dalam sanubari blogger-blogger ini pasti juga timbul pertanyaan: Adakah ianya berpatutan untuk The Star terus berdegil dengan sikapnya macam gunting dalam lipatan? Adakah ianya berpatutan ‘agenda setting’ The Star mempromosi Malaysian First dari 1Malaysia?
The $tar yang tamak haloba lebih suka menghibur hati pembacanya yang Anglophile dan Kristian, iaitu demografi yang menjadi pasarannya. (Baca bagaimana bagi Bangsar Malaysia ‘Their mother tongue is English’)
Sebab The Star begitu mirip Selangor Times, maka suratkhabar itu tidak tahu-menahu sensitiviti Melayu. Angkara kejahilan The Star yang mirip Selangor Times itu maka tercetusnya kontroversi gambar tatu kalimah ‘Allah’ tertera pada tubuh penyanyi Erykah Badu, dan kontroversi akhbar itu mengesyorkan hidangan babi dalam sisipan ‘Ramadan Delight’nya.
Akan tetapi The Star selamba sahaja dan langsung tidak berusaha menangani DAPsterisme. (Baca ‘Politik perang salib DAP‘)
MCA kelihatan tidak ikhlas dalam hubungan dengan sekutu-sekutunya kerana hanya mahukan apa yang menguntungkan dirinya – meraih keuntungan dari jualan harian dan pengiklanan di Star – tetapi enggan memikul tanggungjawab (not pulling its weight) berkempen untuk BN.
Jika perangai $tar dianggap tidak berpatutan, buat apa pemilih Melayu mahu membalas MCA dengan jasa dan budi?
Helen Ang 
Another portal that is always reporting against the Malaysian government is Yahoo! Malaysia. Most of their news are anti-govt and biased towards the Opposition. Isn’t the Malaysian govt aware of this?
The government is aware of this but, too bad, the government is way too accommodating nowadays.
The ‘Star” has and always been a pro-opposition rag as events in 1987 attest. Caught with its pants down back then and much of its nest of fork tongued snakes decimated, the Star reverted to subtle ways of continuing its rich tradition of treachery.
There is a correlation between the state of the opposition and the Star’s spinning. When things are economically hunky dory and the opposition is comatose or silent as a dormouse, the Star will toe the line biding its time for the reversal of fortunes before it bares its fangs. But even in those moments of weakness, treachery is woven into its reporting ever so subtly that only the discerning who imbibe its milk of amity will sense its poison-laced potency.
A pathological hatred of everything Malay and Islam is the the driving force hence the deliberate insults and lukewarm apologies. but the underlying issue is not merely the Star, it is the weltanschung of the ethnicity itself vis-a-vis to the Other. The notion that this virulent anti-Malay/Islam stance is a recent phenomenon fueled by Anglicized Christian Chingkies is a fallacy.
Granted its historicity can be traced back to the pre-independence era is undeniable whence Straits Settlement Chingkie Anglophiles were trenchant in their anti-Ketuanan in the late 1940s and early 1950s (examine the Penang Secessionist Movement of 1948-1951).
(And yes, our political gadfly Nurul Izzah Anwar is factually wrong in once naively attributing Ketuanan to Abdullah Ahmad for it was an ever-present socio-cultural construct in the Malay psyche that predates the British, but thats another story).
The point I am keen to stress here is that the Anti-Malay/Islam sentiments amongst the Chingks were never confined to the Anglicized segment of their population only. It suffuses the entire ethnic and is founded on the ancient paradigm of Chingk superiority over the non-Chingk, predicated on the Sons of Heaven- Barbarian myth, based on the Han-Non Han dichotomy. I am sorry to upset your sensitivities in that regard Helen of Troy but the reality is that this supremacist notion is a visceral, primeval, instinctive force of nature that throbs in every Chingk. It is a cultural meme woven into the Chingk psyche which is as hereditary as a physical gene embedded in a man’s ancestry. It is something each and every Chingk is born with, the curse which once removed frees him form his ancient bondage to embrace a common humanity.
The Chingk is the ultimate uber-racist vermin of the East in our midst. That explains why the divide between a non-Christian and Christian chingk is easily bridged for they share a common heritage, a disease of the soul very few are able to surmount. That explains Prof Syed Arabi’s and Dr Chang’s findings above. That explains why despite them being vilified as idolaters or pagans, Taoist/Buddhist Chingks can reach beyond their humiliation to embrace their Christo brethrens. That explains why 5% of Christo Chingks can hold sway over the remaining 95% and lead them by the nose into the “Promised Land”.
It is NOT religion that is the glue, it is that ancient bond of RACIST SUPREMACY. The Chingks know it in their bones that the enemy is weak, divided, complacent. It is the moment they have been waiting for to seize political hegemony.
Malays caught in a thrall of obduracy, rebellion and insurgency are always wont to lose their bearings. They think they are enlightened heroes when they will be cursed in future as blinded cowards. They forget easily the lessons of history in their molly-coddled prosperity even as they rush to embrace the illusion dangled by the Chingk Siren. Warnings like mine are the rantings of a madman, empty bluster invoking needless fear, an archaic racist against modern humanity but they know not, for beyond their dismissive invective lie their collective perdition.Things will come to pass but the survivors will be strong and replenish my race. Insyallah, may the enlightened Malays survive the impending tribulation and in the Almighty do we repose our faith that it will be so.
Warrior 231
P/s; Not only Yahoo! but Google too!
I hate to say it but your opinion resonates with me although I sincerely wish it did not. A relative opined a somewhat similar sentiment yesterday, that the party is irrelevant because the Chinese are all the same, that DAP will say what MCA dare not and vice versa for the good of the Chinese race and nothing else. Basically, Chinese racial unity is what the Melayu celik dream about ie Malay unity, for PAS and UMNO to come together and hold strong. This is what Islam commands anyhow.
Everything you wrote I agree with. I have been following you on other blogs, too. I saw you were ‘voted’ to be banned from one blog. I know you must’ve left an indelible mark.
Your observations are 100% correct. In all the time i have known the Chinese in Malaysia, I have nearly always been proven correct that they hold racist tendencies. The Star is but a manifestation of that racism.
When I worked in Thailand, I again encountered the same form of racism from the Chinese. They believe they are at the top of the racial hierarchy in SE Asia.
When I recently spoke to a dark-skinned American who visited Thailand recently, she too confirmed the racism of the Chinese there. Her American passport did little to help her get the respect she deserved.
I pointed out to Helen months ago that the pork picture debacle in the Star was NOT by accident but by design. My instinct told me it was an INTENTIONAL ACT by the chinese editors to offend Malays. Helen had a very different opinion and shot me down back then. I still haven’t heard her backtrack on that issue. Her assumption back then was to support the chinese, while reinforcing the chauvinist chinese stereotype.
Let’s bullet some inherent characteristics of the Chinese that are known.
a.Worship of Money
b.Belief in racial hierarchy, where they stand above Malays
c.Belief in inherent physical superiority (eg skin color, differences in sweat glands, hair texture, body shape)
d.Willingness to merge with White society, culture and religion
e. Belief in the default correctness of their people over others
f.Against miscegenation with the lower, brown/black races
Remember, our host joked with her Malay friends that it wasn’t that she would ‘masuk Melayu’, it was that her ex-BF, a Malay, wanted to ‘masuk Cina’. Whether that’s a crude sexual innuendo is one thing, but the metaphor obviously points to the ex-BF’s self hate and her apathy towards joining the Malay/Bumi people.
Apathy is the best we can hope from the Chinese. The alternative is what we see now among DAPsters –unbridled hatred.
I am reminded of an incident when I worked in a MNC where the IT team was 100% controlled by the Chinese. I tried to send an innocuous email about a page long, but the email was rejected. There were no swear words in the email, but the rejection by the server was obviously NOT a ‘Microsoft issue.’
So, I tried to do an experiment. I cut up my email into sections to see what was the offending part. After several trials, I found out that ONE word caused the email to bounce back. The word was: UMNO.
Obviously, the Chinese IT staff had surreptitiously programmed that word to be rejected. That incident happened in 2004.
The Chinese people have been planning for so long! Finally it has come to a head. Now I won’t be surprised of some DAPster Chinese IT department openly ban words like UMNO. Try it out! See if you can send words like UMNO using your company email!
Geez! You ah …
To address this dispute that you’re raising again:
You’re speaking based on your “instinct”. I’m telling you from my experience working in The Star five years full-time and an additional two years part-time.
1. There is little editorial oversight exercised on pullouts such as Supplements (i.e. money-making advertorials for occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, CNY, etc.) ‘Ramadan Delights’ is in concept a promotional write-up for hotels and eateries offering, say, buka puasa buffets, or other things to do with Raya dining.
The senior editors would normally keep an eye on the front-page content and hot-button political issues whereas Sports, Fashion, Entertainment, Movies, Food and other non-current news sections are not scrutinized as they’re deemed innocuous.
2. I heard that the copyeditor who did the piggy page was a relatively new staff & Sabahan. I do not know (didn’t ask) what ethnicity he is. Generally, the Borneans are more laissez faire about religious sensitivities compared to us peninsulans. I’m inclined to believe he genuinely overlooked the implication, i.e. it didn’t even cross his mind that it could be sensitive.
3. The Supplements editor at that time was Chinese. But why ever in world would he intentionally cause offence when it led to his suspension or could have cost him his job?
4. However, if the copyeditor and the editor had either one or both of them been Malay-Muslim, the pork ribs photo might have been be checked at the gatekeeping.
5. Two Chinese editors were suspended over the publication of the Erykah Badu tattoo photo. Hence my comparison with the Selangor Times set-up.
6. I do not imply that The Star is anti-Malay. I’m saying that the paper is gung-ho Bangsar Malaysia — the kind of folks who adore Marina Mahathir & Yasmin Ahmad and live in Sepet LalaLand like Chung Hosanna. These are the same cliques who would cheer Irshad Manji & since IM is LGBT, this posturing (support for Muslim liberals) might cause religious offence to some conservative Malays.
7. In other conflicts and controversies, expect The Star to take the side of – for example – DUMC against Jais. These stances adopted by the paper do not put it in the good books of some of the Malay bloggers that I read.
Second clarification
You write:
No, I did not joke with my Malay “friends”. It was said in the presence of his family — Tok, Toki, Che, Mama, Ummi and the rest of the clan.
Like the Sabahan copyeditor of the piggy dish photo, it never crossed my mind that ‘masuk Cina’ (presumably ‘masuk Melayu’ too) is “a crude sexual innuendo”. Only now that you bring it up…
Well, hahaha. I’ve been listening to the song Black Velvet for umpteen years & recently I came across a YouTube comment saying that it makes a darn good stripper song. (That’s a thought)
I doubt that the ex-BF has any “self hate” like you allege but he has put his kids in Chinese school.
About Helen’s “apathy towards joining the Malay/Bumi people”, I do not subscribe to assimilation.
The point of the anecdote is to encourage people to think out of the box. Why must it be that in Malaysia, the uni-direction is invariably ‘masuk Melayu’? I didn’t take Tamil tuition with the intention of ‘masuk India’. Just cross-fertilize — no sexual innuendo either, ok.
My instinct has allowed me to see through DAP’s fake movement (anti-racism, Malaysia First) before you started your blog.
1. The supplement is the training section for future Star editors. They get to experiment with language, style and topics that can give a slant on the service or food outlet they are reviewing. In many cases , I have seen their writing skew in favour of Chinese owned businesses or practical issues that concern mainly the Chinese community. I think only a small minority of the articles or reviews cater for the Malay readers. It’s through these seemingly innocuous sections of the Star where the DAPsters hone their skills to put a ‘spin’ on things.
2. I helped build a plant in Sarawak. I know how the East Malaysians are like. Many still need development to come to them; I don’t expect them to go to seek development because they don’t yet have the concept of what progress means. Do you honestly think that an indigenous sabahan can reach copyeditor level in theStar, no matter how talented he/she may be? They have a lot of generational baggage to carry before they can even reach the level of peninsular malays, let alone the Chinese.
3. It’s most likely because the copyeditor knew he would only get a slap on the wrist that he allowed such racial insensitivity —much like how Ibrahim Ali can give out white ang pows and then get away with a little bad press and just a ‘sorry’.
Tell me, do your sources tell you the staff from the Star was suspended with or without pay? Or if he lost his job, did he land on his feet by getting a job offer from the Selangor times?? It’s about time you put your journalistic skills to work and investigate how theStar disciplines its staff.
4. I have worked at Chinese dominated organisations. Malays or non-chinese would have a hard time to climb to high positions. If they do get a senior or managerial position, it’s primarily a token position (see T. Aziz) to show to the government how ‘fair’ they are. As soon as they complete that government contract, you can expect the malay or non-chinese slowly pushed out.
5. Again, what was the suspension like for the Chinese editors on the Erykah badu thing? Was it suspension with pay? Did they get racial/cultural sensitivity training?
6. You should imply that the Star is anti-Malay. I have known that for years! Bangsar Malaysians have always hated the Malay population. The only ones they tolerate are the Marina’s and the Yasmin’s, who are ex-malay (married to a ‘white’ race), apologists or chinese in disguise as malay (zairil). I was deeply embedded in the Bangsar scene, and I knew very well their hatred of the Malays. I am now embedded with American, British and even Filipino expats in the UAE. They have strong disdain towards Arabs and Indians. Same dynamics at play in the Mid East.
7. I am not surprised the Star would support DUMC or Nizar on his criticism of the car registration issue. The Star is predictable in its Chinese chauvinism and anti-Malay slant. There is a reason why Dr.M targeted them back during Ops Lalang.
Helen, the commenters reserve the right to question if you are holding back your criticism against the Star because you fear it would jeopardize your future employment prospects with them. On the other hand, if you think that ship has sailed, then we would want you to expose the Star for what it really is! !
“2. I helped build a plant in Sarawak. I know how the East Malaysians are like. Many still need development to come to them; I don’t expect them to go to seek development because they don’t yet have the concept of what progress means. Do you honestly think that an indigenous sabahan can reach copyeditor level in theStar, no matter how talented he/she may be? They have a lot of generational baggage to carry before they can even reach the level of peninsular malays, let alone the Chinese.”
overseasbumi… I for sure, know you’re not just a malay chauvanist and a bigot against chinese malaysians, but also against East Malaysians too. and i wonder what u think of indians..
yuo blame the Star for imaginary attacks on the malay race, but blatant attacks on other communities by the likes of Utusan go unnoticed by the likes of you.
Why do you compare thestar with utusan, Dave? They are both rags not worth reading except for taking a pulse of the divisive nature of our racial politics.
Dave, I don’t really care for the indian community that doesn’t look inward to see its own faults. The problems with the Indians are ingrained in their culture and religion. The caste system itself needs to be looked at, but I would let you examine it yourself. I needn’t comment. I know how your people are sensitive when it comes to that issue.
As for me being a Malay chauvinist– that’s laughable. I don’t defend the Malays, but I don’t like it when they are attacked. There are so many problems with their attitudes towards progress and modernity. They are still caught between reconciling old traditions and the popular religion promoted by the so-called religious experts. At the same time, they are confronted by the challenges of modern day life and their interaction with the Western world.
I have alluded many times how I can rip into Malay culture and obsession with religion, but choose to hold back. There are many among the Malays/Bumi who claim they are ‘Muslim first, Malaysian second, and Malay third’. I too was one drawn into such thinking until I had to pull myself out of that rut and find employment and residency outside of Malaysia.
Being Muslim, Malaysian and Malay are 3 separate things– religion, nationality and race. By conflating these three concepts, Malays have been extremely confused to the point of being easily manipulated by the new Bangsar Malaysians, and their DAP acolytes.
Looks at today’s Star online (ok, for me today is still 30 May).
Nizar under investigation
Nizar, Pakatan and PAS are godsent for the chinese. Nizar is speaking what the Chinese have always had in their hearts, but were too afraid to say.
The Malaysian Insider blocked their comment section when the the WWW1 plate story broke. Now, probably after consulting their chingkie lawyers, they have let loose their rabid dogs to comment and defend Nizar, who has not commented against a PERSON, but has commented against a MALAY INSTITUTION.
Nizar’s image is put on the online FRONT PAGE, with full Malay songkok headgear and baju melayu. Obvious the symbolism is: Malay vs Malay!! I am sure the DAPsters are loving every word of this story.
I so wish Nizar could be locked up using lèse-majesté, as in thailand. This guy used to boast that he made RM40,000 a month in salary! What did he do with that money?
Wazir, you are definitely not ranting, but you make it sound as though the Chinese is the cancer of human history. I can’t speak for the whole world but I can speak for Chinese amongst Malaysians.
There is still some level of apathy in Malaysian Chinese although we get irritated in job ads where it says Chinese preferred or Bumi preferred. This is economics that we have allowed it to mushroom without concern for natural welfare for sake of humanity. Whose fault is this whether it is a Malay, Chinese or Indian?
A sweeping statement on Malaysian Chinese is not justified as the Chinese in M’sia could be all that you claim but there is a tinge of humanity amongst them as they are imbibed by the culture, practice of the Malays & Indians. Ignorance and prejudice does not do any good, but bred hatred.
Like what Confucious say “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” There is always hope when unity is our goal for the well being of a fellow human. The action step is not broooding about it but what can we do on our individual basis?
WHat the Chinese thinks about themselves is neither here nor there. The Malays think highly of themselves, so does the Arab, so does the Jews and so on.. you get the idea. This is called self image which is good to be positive.
What is important that we preserve our turf. That the Malays do not lose their homeland to migrants.
Please raised your level of thoughts. The Japanese think highly of their emperor too. The Japanese look down on the Korean and Chinese that is why they conquer them. What is important who wins!
IT may be necessary for each race to carry a positive image of themselves. If the Chinese know of their stereotype in western imagery as the evil Fu Manchu they would seeth with anger. Bruce Lee etc all fought against self negativity vis a vis western image.
What you think is not important. Its when you fight and go to war and who kill who the most that matters.
Osama thought of himself as the world savior attacking the US. But the Obama soldiers shot him in the eye. At least he died thinking he is great.
So let the chinese in DAP or MCA think themselves as great or whatever as long they swore loyalty to the Malay Agung as in the rukun negara.
They need it to after the years of humiliating dulang washing and hard work from their humble beginning. Just so you know how to keep them in their place.
what
Dear Wazir,
I cannot pretend to speak for the Chinese, but I can add my remarks to your observations.
The Chinese, whether in Malaysia or in anywhere else, carry with them a false civilisational pride. It is such a powerful force that not even organized religion (Buddhism or Christianity) can neutralize its potency. That explains the Chinese’s ability to syncretize religious and non-religious beliefs.
It is the same false delusion of Chineseness that fuels the arrogance and supremacy of the fictatious Han Chinese. It is like taking pride for the first man to discover fire – if he was Chinese, you will not hear the end of it, just like gunpowder, paper money and silk.
So what we need to do is to strip the Chinese of their collectivity – putting the emphasis where it belong, the individual. The Chinese Malaysians flip on their communal mode when they need each other to press home an agenda, and they will revert to their individualistic, opportunity-seeking behaviour next. That is why while donors to vernacular Chinese schools are aplenty, you will find the donors’ name everywhere. It is difficult to find a Chinese doing something for nothing.
The Chinese Malaysians are not anti-Malaysia. That’s silly, they just want to pull the strings like any other group who aspire to power. I see it as a good sign that there are non-Malays who want to be the Prime Minister, even if for a technical debate on the matter. It means they want to run the country, and to run a democratic country, you cannot do it by winning the 25% Chinese votes alone.
I don’t suppose the Malays love for the Chinese is in anyway exceeded by the Chinese’s love for the Malays (except in interracial marriages, :P). No love lost, kata-kan. This is the challenge here, how can the country find a pivot to keep everything together, so that when we march, we do not feel that we are marching to one communal’s tune or another.
So don’t worry too much about the son of heaven and barbarian cow doo-doo, forming ethnic reactionary lines will only harden such positions, and that’s why your path will lead to collision. I reckon I belong to the few people who don’t believe in communal solutions to communal politics, but reality being what it is, most people have not been able to evaluate matters on its own merit, but instead only thinking along ethnic faultlines.
“It is the same false delusion of Chineseness that fuels the arrogance and supremacy of the fictatious Han Chinese. It is like taking pride for the first man to discover fire – if he was Chinese, you will not hear the end of it, just like gunpowder, paper money and silk.”
how different is that from the arabs [and by a degree of pseudo-separation brought about by sharing a religion, the malays when talking abt “islamic” achievements], who appear to be forever resting on their laurels of “being enlightened when europe was still in the dark ages” — how they were first at this knowledge and that, yet achieving nothing much since then? at least the chinese, as a race, i.e. including their diaspora, haven’t been exactly standing still. so please give their chuffedness a bit of slack lah!
otherwise, i’m with you that communal solutions are not the answer to communal politics. and about the chinese-msians. i don’t think they love the country any less than other msians. perhaps with the exception of some DAPsters — i think they secretly want to revive a new nation based on the old strait-settlement. ; )
I agree with you mekyam about how everyone does it, this insane civilisational pride, but the Chinese and their 3000 (or 5000) baggage of dynastic history is woven into their collective consciouness – macam bank awam untuk dipergunakan oleh sesetengah orang Cina to fuel their collective superiority and snobbishness. It makes the Chinese more self centered than others, which is also why suicide is more common among them. Pros and cons, comes with the territory.
I think everyone needs to feel good about their own people, fair enough. But such feats are not meant to demonstrate some faulty hereditary primacy. It is about how our forefathers innovated and made good of their surroundings. We should all learn to emulate to be the best in whatever we do.
But I digress, it is like how Minny said it in The Help, we only get to criticize our own folk because we earned the right to it. Coming from another ethnic group, it will be called slander, prejudice, etc.
I think the average Chinese know how racist they are, but my position is that as long as their racism does not translate into any actual policies and actual action, so be it. I mean, I cannot control the insane hatred of some against a certain boyband (now defunct), but as long as others are free to go about with their business, we only need to keep these people out of the corridors of power.
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re: “I think the average Chinese know how racist they are”, do you really think DAPsters possess this self-awareness? If no, are they un-average Chinese? Are there more average Chinese or more un-average Chinese? — Helen
Hahahaha…. you know Helen, the word average Chinese conjures in my mind the likes of Zorro, no, not the masked Spanish vigilante, and Patrick.
I think the younger generation will be horrified at the crude racism of the older generations. I mean, people are so much more sensitive and politically correct nowadays (for better or for worse), and interracial marriages are certainly a big equalizer. Everytime I see a restoran masakan cina Islam, I smile at the greatest manifest unity in this country – our food.
I would love to cut the DAPsters some slack. Most of them are just anglophile idealists, banding together a semi-literate crowd to replicate the Alliance/BN formula by cooperating with PKR and PAS. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so go figure.
The MCA is irrelevant. Why is UMNO still allowing the MCA to contest in Malay majority seats ? Why ? Because UMNO still remembers the old MCA, the MCA that fought alongside it to obtain independence from the British. But that was over half a century ago. UMNO has got to realize that this MCA it is now dealing with is a completely different animal. It is more concerned with making money (through The Star and its various media outlets) than being a political partner. If UMNO were to contest only in Malay majority seats or seats with considerable Malays, it would never need the MCA and still be in a comfortable position, in a partnership with the parties from Sabah and Sarawak, with help from the Indians. UMNO, the Malays, the Natives of Sabah and Sarawak, the Indians, we need to wake up, and wake up fast. MCA is irrelevant.
Totally. BN needs to go for the best possible candidate to win and not because of parties quota.
Let MCA fight DAP at places where a bigger chinese votes available. Im being realistic here. If MCA wants to prove that the Chinese are with them, fight at DAP areas.
It aint about sympathy vote anymore, its about winning. It aint fair to give MCA comfortable seats just so they can win and they have reps in the cabinet. They need to understand that they must perform to win.
Strategy or Sympathy?
Do you have anything constructive to say at all? Anything? Really? None?
Why do you keep hanging around in my blog? You’re displaying classic Benci Tapi Rindu symptoms. And why do your erratic alphabets morph from fed(up) to ed, from Sshsn to dbdn? Identity crisis, ke?
Sister Helen, just ignore this DAP troll. Better still, don’t post what he says. The GE is near, he’s doing the rounds again, Helen, your blog is not the only blog he’s trolling around. Next he’ll go to Jebat, then Rocky, the lists go on and on.
ini orang suka sunat nama dia, mau masuk melayu ka? .
ED will soon be known as D uhhhhh.
ed so comel… Anwar sure suka…
If you will excuse a crude remark, it seems to me that “bananas” will be the downfall of MCA…
MCA is already bananas even without the yellow-outside, white-inside, Chinese. Well, you have to pay the price when you behaved like towkays for the last how many decades, making people to kowtow to you for whatever.
Between that time, the DAP projects itself as the champion of the hard-core poor Chinese, and Chinese who fear losing their Chinese cultural roots and education.
Then in the last twenty years or so, DAP focused on bringing the Western educated Chinese into their fold, professionals so to say, people can speak the mat salleh tongue, so to speak. These are the real ‘bananas’ now in DAP and they are the ones who will turn DAP into some kind of Chinese-but-not-Chinese Malaysians. These are the ‘bananas’ who will be the downfall of DAP.
Speaking of downfall, I think when you look at it objectively, if Pakatan wins the GE, it will be the downfall of all Malays. Anwar, with his buddies in Washington, will surely bring disaster to Malaysia. Think of the kinds of Changes he will implement. Neo-Liberalism being one of them. Opening the economy to foreign capital, allowing unrestricted access for foreign corporations, you name them.
But who’s going to sink first and sink fast ? The Malays of course. The Chinese, sensing disaster, will certainly flee to other countries. The Indians ? They are already doomed anyway, so they are not going to complain too much. Remember, if you are highly mobile, you have nothing to worry about. After all, if you ask the Chinese if they vote wrongly, they will just say “Okay, wrong decision. never mind, we have plan B, and we will initiate plan B.
The Turkeys voting for Thanksgiving (the misguided Malays you saw during Bersih), they have already voted for Thanksgiving and they are not even aware of it. Mind you, there are countless Malays who are misguided and their numbers are rising, and they will tell you that they are not misguided. They will tell you that they are bringing about a new Malaysia by supporting The Messiah and His Gifts (Anwar and His Motlet Crew).
The Malays would never fall in Malaysia by sheer number alone. It is the stability of Malaysia that is at stake. Just watch what is happening in Penang. The Malays just cannot take a kafir ruling them. It is imperative for them to fight unbelievers, pagan or idol worshippers or else their iman is considered nipis.
The Malays need a sincere and brave Malay leader not the makan gaji type like Muhyiddin or Pak Lah or Hisham. Some one with vision and the ideas on how to achieve them.
Not someone who set low KPI , 30% in 2020 so that he will never fail. It is the trick they do with ISO. Set standards that are so low that you will be cemerlang every year.
By any standard, UMNO leaders have failed the Malays. Chinese and Indians are controlling 80% of the economy after 55 years of independence.
They are back to the same trick. 30% in 2020!, 30% in 2020! Why are they so happy? Because their families owned the bulk of the 30%…hehe.
Tak ada telor ke? Wealth must be share fairly. 70% by 2015. Thats is fair. How to do it? Now thats a good achievable KPI…
Sheer numbers alone will not save the Malays. The fact that after over 40 years of the NEP and the Malays’ share of the economic pie is less than 30% only goes to show that without economic power, you’re toast. In this age of globalization, real power resides in economics. To make matters worst for Malaysia, most of the wealth residing here are liquid, meaning that they move rapidly across the borders and if an ill wind blows, these wealth will flee rapidly. What next ? Once the wealth have move on, Malaysia will just be a near empty shell.
Dear Achievable KPI,
Otak tertinggal kat rumah ke? Ke hang ni socialist atau communist? I totally agree that wealth must be shared fairly – by all Malaysians. We must redistribute wealth from the ones who have a lot of them to those who have none. And that, my friend, has nothing to do with whether your are Malay, Chinese or Indian.
Keep repeating the stupid remark that the Chinese and Indians controlling 80% of the economy after 55 years of Independence. I am not too sure where this magic number came from, but humans are known to believe in things they want to believe, that’s why politicians can still contest in elections.
Helen,
What MCA overlooks is the law of human nature whereby there is a limit to anyone’s generosity. MCA angers UMNO and Malays by saying that it fared badly in the last election due to bad image of UMNO.
Actually the opposite is the truth. Had not for alliance with UMNO, MCA is for museum only. It is the alliance with UMNO that secures Malay votes that resulted in many MCA candidates elected.
That is the reason why the cry for UMNO to field Malay candidates in malay areas is getting stronger. Why on earth Nizar won in Pasir Panjang or one PKR guy won in Teluk Kemang or Khalid in Bandar tun Razak. As the Malays are upset that MCA simply refuses to face DAP .
MCA simply refuses to tell the Chinese that the way forward is alliance with Malays, not confrontational method prescribed by DAP.
Why on earth Dr azmi Sharom can write in STAR but Dr ridhuan Tee not invited to write there in STAR? Many of my Chinese friends were dumbfounded when I told them STAR does not portray the sentiments of malay community.
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Shamshul,
Some of the actions taken by Umno hurt MCA, like Hisham’s keris-kissing act for 3 years running which reminded Chinese of the 1987 Umno Youth assembly (where UY also threatened to burn down the iconic Chinese Assembly Hall). He reluctantly half-apologized after the tsunami. The live telecast of the Umno general assembly which allowed the whole of M’sia for the first time to hear what Umno delegates have been saying about the nons. The retraction within 24 hours of the memo sent by 10 non-Muslim cabinet ministers (Ong Ka Ting the most senior) to Dollah on Islamic state showing that MCA was emasculated & impotent & that all the rest of the ministers from the other parties kowtow to the Umno prez.
Helen
Helen,
Yeah why MCA kowtow to UMNO prez… beccause they are only Towkays concern with making money. If they are in DAP they would not get gambling licenses or contracts.
But is UMNO getting anything back by making a few chinese billionaires? It seems not. We dont even know if these billionaires bother to vote in election or whether they are in Malaysia.
So it is a lose-lose situation for UMNO and Malays. Giving all those licenses to a few Chinese while the majority of resentful chinese voted for DAP.
Either way MCA as a party of Towkays have outlived its usefulness. Simply because the Chinese with more education dont nee the Towkays anymore or Chinese Association.
So wealth distribution is an issue even bigger among Chinese. That is why China is a communist country too many greedy chinese. ..hehe. Maybe we can learn somehting here.
Shamsul, who are you waging the war against and what is the war that are you waging? I have given you ample example with facts in the prior articles what the situation was in 1957 and now. You know who made the sacrifies to ensure that that the Malay could gain a level playing ground amongst those Non Malays who had dominated in their contribution to the progress of the country.
Whether you have an agenda or not is not my issue, but please do enlighten me how we the regular Joe/Jane have made it difficult for you to maintain the Malay elite hegemony along with the Non Malays because in your light it appears that no matter how much the Non Malay acommodates, it is never enough. Who are you battling for?
The semua tahu political parties or something that is transparent amongst us along the line of what Malaysia can be when we recognize and reconcile amongst each other? Nothing personal between you and me if the genuine intention is forthcoming for Malaysians rather than playing the pied piper as and when it fits the agenda.
Brother Shamsul, I am on the roll. You branded me and made me to be the dishwashing apek in China town in New York who face possible deportation. Who I am what I am is not the problem, but your hypnosis does matter.
Seriously my fellow Malaysian, what have you done besides how it serves you well? Seriously do you think just because you come aboard now and talk will make the change that we desire when all these was in existence for our whims and fancies while it had served you?
You, me, and those who have the luxury to comment in Helen’s blog are no different, we talk and yak and nothing happens because if that was the case, we won’t be here as we always stumble on the truth but of u pick yourselves and move along for how it fits your own agenda rather than what the community deserves.
It costs Helen to provide you “the luxury to comment in this blog”, y’know.
I’m willing to bear the expense of the broadband monthly fee and utility bills (computer runs on electricity, I need to boil water for my coffee fix). And the time and energy which I could otherwise be using to walk my dog in the park.
However there are all the psycho attacks on me.
Here’s what Jos Tan wrote in her latest column on Tunku Aziz’s exit.
Here’s the other thing about DAPsters:
Joceline’s column was aggregated in Malaysia Today. The usual torrent of vile abuse greeting any article bearing her byline is par for the course.
Nonetheless one MT reader’s kiasu comment against Joceline merits attention. It is by CKL, May 30, 2012 15:01:58
Revert to the Tunku Aziz nail on the DAP coffin. The DAPsters think they can create all sorts of stories and get away with it. It really takes “utter madness” to come up with some of the wildest accusations that they simply throw.
And their cavalier attitude after vicious attempts to drag a person’s reputation through mud is something to behold.
Tunku Aziz resigned on May 14. Jos’ article appeared May 30. It’s only been a fortnight. But the DAPster mocks: “People already move on – to next issue.”
After all the mud that they’ve thrown at TA, DAPsters can so quickly snoot “Tak habis habis cerita (lagi?)” when he talks to the media to defend himself. After 2 weeks, they airily snoot, “Old news. Come on, people, let’s move on to the next topic.”
With nary a twinge of conscience for the trail of destruction that they’ve wrought on a man’s good name… they move on to the next target.
After 2 weeks they say move on from Tunku Aziz but after 5 years they’re still throwing stones at Chua Soi Lek for that one episode.
And if anyone protests against this never-ending vilification of CSL, we’re told, “Aiyah, Malaysia got bigger and more important issues than a ****star.”
See how they’ve got the art of putar alam down pat?
So MiNY,
For you to enjoy the luxury of commenting in my blog, this blog owner has to tango with the pit of vipers on a daily basis and not knowing what form their next outrageous strike will take. Please don’t think that all this, including the rape threat doesn’t exact a toll on me.
Some of you might wonder how much effort it takes for me to produce the postings that you read. It actually takes more emotional effort to maintain decorum by refraining from using those four-letter words on the character assassins which they fully deserve.
Even TA at his ripe old age is described as “simmering with anger” at their sick behaviour.
Helen, I am sorry that that you need to put up with this crap for how it is meant to be when you sepak for what it is.
I am ready, able and willing to support you and call upon the Malaysians when someone like you needs the support amongst us to support an Malaysian agenda. What does it take?, Me alone or the rest who will support you for a Malaysian Agenda or be the pied piper for how it serves their own agenda is not the concern but the something you have in your heart when it calls for it. I am game for it are you without any expectation.
Helen? you know I alone can run the whole agenda but what good is it without participation with the semua tahu Malaysians as and when it fits their agenda. Why should I when someone like me in the Apek character in New York be concerned when Malaysians in Malaysia itself is not concerned unless and until it fits their own agenda?
Dear Miny,
Adakah ini satu forum untuk setiap orang menyatakan pendapat mereka atau forum hanya untuk satu pendapat yang lain mesti terima….??
Biarlah setiap insan disini bebas dengan pandangan mereka tanpa di tuduh atau di persoalankan.
I enjoy the free flow of ideologies and ideas i ve read here it’s refreshing and who knows where it might lead. It could even change me from one that could be describe as a ultra Malay ,to a liberal Malay.
So Let it flow….for that TQ HELEN
Dear NadZree, apa yang kena terima hanya hakikat yang kita sedia terima dan guna sebagai alasan. Hakikat in bukan apa yang kita terima atau alasan tapi apa membentuk keperikamusian sesama kita bila kita boleh accept it for what is the truth and reality tanpa menbentuk apa yang bagus hanya apa yang saya pikir and if that was it, you and me would not be wasting out time in Helen’s blog. I don’t think you matter but what what have you done for others to matter.
Helen,
I beg to dffer. I often watched the last day of UMNO assembly. Hishamuddin did not threaten the Chinese with the keris or implied to do so.
He was emotional . yes.. But he did not threaten the Chinese. The problem with UMNIO is that sometimes it simply does not know how to respond to slander.
It should screen back what Hishamudin said for all to see. As a Malay, I know very well the reason Hishamudin apologized. Being a typical Malay, he wanted a closure. So he apologized eventhough he made no mistake at all.
But by apologizing, unfortunately he as if saying what they said about his waving of keris is right.
If this is the way we think, can DAP refute me for saying that it is racist especially after calling Dr zambri “illegitimate” and black..
Malaysian In New york,
Everybody knows DAP is the king when it comes to “branding” others especially UMNO. I do not “brand’ you. rather i differ with you on many issues.
I do not wage war against any race or religion the way DAP does.
“habislah negara ini jika UMNO juga berperangai macam DAP tindas orang sana sini”. one Malay friend told me
One thing about the Malays, despite their many weaknesses and shortcoming which are quite glaring, they are magnanimous and charitable. They do not make an issue when DAP politician called a Malay MB AS “BASTARD”.
They do not go out reminding the Chinese community what DAP and Kit Siang did on May 13, 1969. Maybe you would vomit if you listen to those who witnessed the carnage.
Many of my friends were red faces when i told them what Kit Siang did on May 13. All these while they only thought Tun Razak triggered the carnage after listening to nonsense from DAP.
As Malays sometimes do not say things as they do not want to hurt the feeling of Chinese, some extremist from Chinese community goes on slandering Tun Razak on May 13.
HELEN,
to the Malays, independence is meaningless if they are ruled by Chinese( the way they perceived PR).
For that reason alone, PAS is unable to rebut any question on its role in PR. Some Malays forget that PAS does not enjoy the position that UMNO holds in BN.
And I say it here. UMNO or Malays are not embarassed by the fact that UMNO dominates BN . As I explained earlier, UMNO dominates BN simply because it has the lion share of Malay votes, the largest group of voters.
I am not saying that UMNO is perfect. I am not denying that Malays also have many problems because they trust 100% useless politicians like Mohd Sabu . Or Malays face unenviable positions due to allowing Nik aziz to play God.
But I do not agree UMNO should be vilified for holding a supreme position in BN the way DAP in PR.
Shamsul, get your bearings right, as Malaysian. As you have spoken is politcal nothing that concerns Malaysians. To be Malaysian you have to think like Malaysian, How do you know how to be Malaysian when race, religion is the the equation ? That is irrespective of of the origin but to do the right thingy for Malaysians. Is this too much to digest for how you choose to be a Malaysian irrespective of the origin but rather how it fits the agenda?
Second that Shamsul. Some good and rational points highlighted by you
.
Keris is just symbolic of one’s dignity, origin,bravado and pride.
UMNO’s logo has two keris symbol right?
PDRM and ATM’s logo also has keris
As well as Selangor, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan and Malaysia’s logo.
But the gentleman, just for the sake of closure has apologised.
And Malaysian perhaps can be finally be Malaysian devoid of any race barrier and culture if we all begin to speak one “common” Bahasa Malaysia language, starting within the family first and then the school(ie no more vernacular one). And they are some politician who crawls in conversing Bahasa Malaysia or English for that matter.
“And Malaysian perhaps can be finally be Malaysian devoid of any race barrier and culture if we all begin to speak one “common” Bahasa Malaysia language, starting within the family first and then the school(ie no more vernacular one). And they are some politician who crawls in conversing Bahasa Malaysia or English for that matter.”
…and how about treating all Malaysians as equally, huh?
dave@1/6/12, just a humble a bit on your retort
Unity , the basis of all peace, should begin with sincerity in the heart and cannot be held ransom by equality or any other factor.
Ie how can standard 1A pupil(or their overzealous parents) tell the teachers to spend less time and resources for the weaker pupils in 1F? Just like the old version dacing, a kedai runcit apek have to put more weight on the other side of the scale to find a balance to find the weight of the goods purchased.
On an unrelated issue, reminds of the recent PAS’ request for some “bonus gift action” first , before unity talks can begin.
This Hsihamuddin is a stupid malay arsehole apologising to the Chinese. There in lies the problem for the Malays and with UMNO. When the Government wanted to reduce illegal immigrants, the Chinese Towkays can go to Hishamuddin and told him to stop it.
Our business will suffer. We cannot make money. How lah. so you must allow illegal workers. so Hishamuddin stop the Government machinery. Get the idea. The Chinese control Hishamuddin.
This guy is a nincompoop, He looks like Tunku smiling or smirking being the happiest home minister in the world while the Malay seeth with anger.
More than 3 million foreign workers, 2 million illegal let in by the UMNO Government. who does this illegal Indons, Myanmar etc work for? 90% for the Chinese own factories my friend say the Star.
And when the Chinese become rich with the poor labour they exploited they buy Malay land and become richer developers. And who help to build their housing and restaurants, furniture empire? the poor workers from slum dog mumbai.
Mustapa Mohamed cannot even win in Kelantan, a Malay state because he has done nothing but bring in 14,000 yes 14k for the Chinese furniture factories making billions.
ANd he is so proud…and yet Kelantanese wont even vote for him….now we know why. He is busy making the Chinese rich..
Now UMNO is considering brinig in more foreign cheap labour so that chinese can become richer when what is need is higher technology and higher minimum wage so that locals Malays are employed and Chinese dont exploit workers from poor countries to work in our forests that they destroy for oil palm profit.
If the Chinese want to use Indian labourers they should relocate to Mumbai or such instead of bring social problems here. Money has blinded Mustapa Maohamed. I hope he will be blind indeed..
We seem to learn new things each day or are forced to learn new things. This new posting is case in point. So with a little search: “It refers to the prevailing ideology of newsgathering and reporting that emphasizes eyewitness accounts of events, corroboration of facts with multiple sources and balance of viewpoints. It also implies an institutional role for journalists as a fourth estate, a body that exists apart from government and large interest groups.” Wikipedia on “Objectivity (journalism)”.
It adds: “Media critics such as Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky (1988) have described a propaganda model that they use to show how in practice such a notion of objectivity ends up heavily favoring the viewpoint of government and powerful corporations.” Please also see “propaganda model” under Wikipedia.
(I do not subscribe that any view taken by any individual or institution is tabula rasa or with a clean slate. Nothing happens or is said in a vacuum but carries its related baggage especially newspapers & the electronic media).
So, this means that newspapers are not just seeking to be profitable by carrying the news or to be sensational, educate etc but may carry other agendas. Therefore, its not surprising to understand Rupert Murdoch’s predicaments today with other media barons. See Bujai – http://justread-whatever.blogspot.com/2012/05/murdoch-press-and-media-prima.html
Coming back to the newspaper in question: The Star. Barring the analysis of articles carried on daily basis, let’s look at the issues.
Marina Mahathir laments that editors of The Star are curtailing her articles. http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com/#!/2012/04/my-record-breaking-run-continues.html If one reads the kind of things said about her & her husband in blogs, it will be shocking. The only saving grace is that her parents are still alive, otherwise the vehement will know no boundaries.
We read Joceline Tan & Baradan Kuppusamy to be enlighten of the political intrigues happening but once they are posted on Malaysia Today, they are vilified by hundred of PR cybertroopers especially Joceline. Even Helen has highlighted the ilks of “Suara Keadilan Malaysia” against her & Joceline (we shall not repeat the innuendos & slurs not befitting a sane & educated audience).
RPK prides himself to be hated by both sides. I think The Star will equally earn this distinction.
So, I’m equally intrigued and confused. PR cybertroopers shout “boycott” and hail obscentities on the likes of Joceline, Baradan whilst pro-BN supporter calls the paper a “fifth column”. If it was not for the fact that local politics is quickly tumbling on a slippery slope of open media channels, I would have just sat down, had my coffee & take this all in with a humourous laugh.
We are beginning to find it hard to differentiate between fact and friction and it looks like we are beginning to believe even in our own spinning (not in reference to any individual but across board).
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Tok,
I’ve said this before. Star is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. When I was a staff, I was told by the company driver(s) that a rush copy of the paper is delivered to the house of the MCA president (at that time, Ling Liong Sik) in the early hours of the morning. There are of course orders from the top to the senior editors.
However, what the hands-on staff do on the daily, operational basis is another matter. The conventional wisdom is that 90% of Chinese are pro-opposition. How does this translate in The Star or are the staff mere robots without personal feelings?
Helen
Dear Helen. Alas!! See you have added insight to the workings of a newspaper. The Star was an independent tabloid until purchased by MCA. Especially in Msia, there are no longer any independent tabloids neither in the electronic media. Murdoch has also been accused of influencing US & British politics favouring his stand. This is the point Noam Chomsky is making on the “propaganda model” or levels of propaganda.
First, rightly so.. if the paper is own by MCA, then it should follow the party-line (based on the Chomsky argument) and stop acting its neutral. If underlinks act out of line, then they should be brought into line. If the editor is both Chinese & Christian, taking a more softer view that its coalition partners in matters related to this religion than its partners, then action should be immediate. Will this satisfy us? The Star is now as thick as the Yellow Pages so much so anything can pass through the editors (including insensitive adverts & pictures since they spend more time looking at the written word). Again, sub-editors & dept heads have their roles to play, no excuses made nor taken.
Second, MiNY states in Malaysia, stupid people advertise vacancies based on race. In many Western countries (not just US & UK but especially more so in Scandinavian countries) there is an equality law restricting employment based on race, gender or age. Maybe we need to learn more and emulate progressive countries?
Third, I like your use of “conventional wisdom” that 90% of Chinese are “perceived” to be pro-opposition. However, has the Chinese voting base not switched from ruling party to opposition countless of times and back over the last 50 years? Maybe Overseas Bumi’s 6 point comment about Chinese be correct(comment #5)? Rice bowl voters? The US and Philippines seems to think along the same path about China…. (but is it really about race & cultural war or just plain old fighting about money and oil?).
My argument is that we are falling into a realm of absurbity ad infinitium. Nothing can be said in Malaysian political discourse without having been accused of having a hidden agenda. Even The Star that is overtly suppose to have loyalities to its political master (where it should be playing a “Fourth Estate” role) is not spared. Maybe, there is one fact we can all subscibe to and we are starting to believe & live it out: the British categorization of the three main races in Malaysia. At least the British still sip their tea & eat biscuits while we kill each other.
When will this madness end?
Dear Helen. In my first comment made several weeks ago, I said “I liked you, then not so much but now…” (no not love :-) – its too emotive and loaded). But admire is a better word.
Your responses today is precisely what I mean… you speak & write Malay (BM) par excellence. Your thoughts are well organized & researched. Your presentation may take a certain focus not concurrent with mine but still respected.
However, I’ve seen how you can be villified by the same people you are trying to reach in your views in the lingo that even can communicate to a larger readership base. Similarly RPK had a meltdown several months ago after reviewing comment after comment until he came out with an article that all Chinese are born of whores!! (as if they forgot he was Malay!!).
I’ve not seen so many hotbutton issues raised in one day in one posting (besides Malaysia Today). MiNY, you can’t quote Confucius because he is also Chinese. The Star can’t highlight Nizar’s biadapness because The Star is tricky – mahu Melayu lawan sama Melayu.
Although we talk so much about his highness LGE, some give DAP more credit than is due. DAP holds the same primer position in PR as UMNO in BN? Facts being facts, DAP & PAS are riding the tailcoats of Anwar (not even PKR). If it wasn’t for him, DAP will still be planning Tanjung V, VI, VII and DAP will be shooting rockets at PAS while the latter will be vilifing the former. DAP can’t even keep their party together. Furthermore, 50 years of alleged rottenness in just 5 years!
Its more Anwar against UMNO while the rest are opportunists.
This does not absolve DAP from its overt racist remarks & biadapness. Furthermore, let us not be fooled by Karpal’s old man dreams of a non-Malay PM. Counting the Malay seats will tell anyone that this will never happen and if one argues that the “all powerful” DAP can pull it off, we should ask whether PAS will allow this.
In summary, we are starting to believe in our own spinning out of concern and fears etc… What is illogical is starting to look like sound & rational thinking and the best part is, we fall for these “half truths” spun by political puppeteers. I’m not sure about you but I’m tired of political posturing and want Malaysia to enter the next level of growth & progress.
Tok Rojak, you hit it correct with “Its more Anwar against UMNO while the rest are opportunists”.
Maybe its more towards Anwar’s lustful greed for power.
Another thing : Can Mr Karpal’s raising the issue of non Malay PM is more of a diversion tactic than anything else. Nothing happens without a reason.
Lets see what is going on which they may not want the crowd to focus on- maybe its Azmin’s cigar or unexplained wealth case.
LGE’s bump?
Helen,
Unfair to blame STAR or vernacular alone . what MCA is going to do about STAR? The last time I checked, MCA owns STAR. Nobody is expecting editor to STAR to flatter UMNO or Najib. But certainly it is plain stupid to hire an editor and let the newspaper be almost entirely unsympathetic to MCA.
As long as MCA tolerates this, then eventually MCA itself will pay the price. Meaning do not expect the Malays or UMNO to pay for it.
Even now, UMNO generosity seems no limit. MCA still enjoys same representation in Cabinet despite suffers badly in election. But for how long this spirit is going on ?
Malaysian in New York
“to be like Malaysian you have to think like Malaysian”. Rest assured vast majority of Malays already for 55 years think like that. If not for that kind of thinking, UMNO would have no problem in closing vernacular schools 5 decades ago.
BUT your question is genuine. ONLY YOU ASKED THE WRONG PERSON. The right group of people whom you should ask is those people( mainly chinese) who act, dream as if they are in Mainland China.
You should ask them how long they want to be “separated” from others especially Malays/
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Thanks Shamshul. I hope someone from MCA reads your advice & passes it on to the decision makers. — Helen
Tok Rojak,
There is no need for Malays to be upset with Karpal’s statement that non Malay can be the Prime Minister.
Even if Karpal does not say that openly, any Malay who is willing to think will realise that gaining political power is the uppermost DAP all this while.
The only party that stands between DAP and power is UMNO. Hence, the vilification on UMNO goes unstopped for decades.
Dear Shamsul. God forbid we have a non-Malay PM (maybe in all fairness an East Malaysian DPM should be an option). Most importantly, is we have a capable leader to lead with a strong team behind him/her. This leader must be visionary, all inclusive in policy making and inrehensible (ie. above scandals & corruption) with the welfare of Malays and Malaysians in mind.
Again, I state my views about DAP. Just 15 years ago, they were still shouting obscenities in parliment. They are not the old DAP we knew. They can’t even control the internal workings of the party let alone a country. Warlord fractionalism is more apparent in DAP that any other PR party. “Some” success has gone to their heads. PKR isn’t far away from DAP except the head keeps his friends closer & enemies even closer.
Given a choice, I would like to see more choices for voters.
Tok rojak,
It is actually a non issue. The blame is on the malays for being hypocrites. On one side, they chastised karpal on his remark. On the other side of the coin, they ( a number) tolerate nonsense and even support DAP.
Issues that recently surface are simply because the malays are divided with one side sacrificing the interest of Malays just to earn Chinese votes. The classic case is thew name of “allah”.
It is not a linguistic issue. Rather,, it is about the foundation of Islam. sharing the name with christianity will only result one thing in future: Sharing of one concept of God with Christianity. PAS is aware about it. But in the name of ‘habuan di dunia” , it is willing to sacrifice the religion.
When Malays are UMNO objected, it is easy for DAP to say that UMNO just wants to scare the Malays. Even PAS has no problem about it. Ordinary chinese will be taken for it.
So, who are to blame. The malays itself. Instead of PAS explaining to non Malays( it seems to have so much free time ceramah day in day out) that the name represents what Muslims perceived the nature of God dissimilar to that christianity, PAS goes on chiding UMNO .
THerefore, many non Muslims feel UMNO is not genuine in this matter. Quite a number of them are surprise when I explained to them. Only they realise that Muslims view are genuine.
So, is it so diificult to exlain to non muslims? If I who hold no power at all in any political party can explain in my limited capacity, why not PAS .
As for MCA, as long asw it wants to behave like “gunting dalam lipatan” in its relationship with UMNO( by keeping silent on DAP slander) , then it must pay the price; that the deserved place is a museum.
Remember the saying “nobody is indispensable”.
“The findings showed a different case for the Chinese community as the Chinese media agenda was significantly correlated with the Chinese public agenda. This indicates that the Chinese newspapers played its role during the general elections by influencing the Chinese community on what to think about. In other words, this ethnic community took the newspapers as a key channel for political communication during election time and likewise the Chinese newspapers were able to understand the important issues that were felt by their readers.”‘
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Helen, I dont get it. The study you quoted above mentions chinese media, yet you attack the english media the Star. no mention of the chinese language media like sinchew or oriental daily. i think when you have the agenda to hit the star, any unrelated fact will work, hopefully. just like with hannah…
i suppose you are looking to create some vacancy so you can get a post there, no? >:)
Dave,
Correct, according to the study, Chinese media in the lead up to 8/3 shaped the community’s perception.
So now we’re looking at the four years since 2008. Would you say that S’gor Times with its 90% Chinese but no Malay staff, bilingual but no BM paper, all Chinese DAP-Chinese PKR but little Umno coverage, similarly functions as a ‘Chinese’ media?
As to how far The Star is Chinese, hey, it’s supposedly owned by M’C’A. But who is it covertly acting for & why is its overt slant (little coverage of MCA, heavy coverage of DAP) so skewed?
You’re not curious about the wayang, meh?
I wonder what is the circulation of the selangor times? certainly not more than the declining NST, much less the sinchew.
almost everything in the star paper praises najib, mca, michael chong, and how BN is great, and all that. anything about pakatan that is not neg news is merely there as a sidenote, to give the impression to readers that its impartial, as to avoid a same fate now hitting the NST.
but then, any little news about pakatan that isn’t neg is used to prove the assumption that star is secretly against mca. even non issues like the title “Lim-Chua Debate 2.0” is used to prop up a straw man (a wayang).
I’m not curious about your wayang. I just find it amusing
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Hardly any negative news about Pakatan in ‘The Star’. If there were, I’d find it amusing to read. It ain’t there. — Helen
PS. You & that ‘ed’/Sshsn fella like Laurel & Hardy lah. You come here to be amused & he comes here to be bored.
Dave, you say “I’m not curious about your wayang. I just find it amusing”. I am sure you are not our famous DJ Dave, just another Dave. Your amusement is only how it serves you as and when it fits you, but nonetheless I would like to see what you have actually contributed for your fellow Malaysians besides questioning everything and anything that only satisfies your own need.
Let Helen be about a wayang or amusing in your terminology but you Dave, what do you actually do besides slipping in and out without any direction.
At least with Helen we know where she stands and how she feels about an issue, but where are you or how are you relevant unless of course you are DJ Dave and contributed like Alleycats to the Malay songs that Malaysian cherish.
I am sure your are aware, M’sian are tired of politicians and their mementos, so if you have something valid to say, say it rather than playing the riddle. Naturally I don’t expect you to understand this because you are what you are, ‘I am the Lord and Master who can be a lalang whenever I chose it to be as and when it fits the agenda’.
why the Chinese are angry ? UMNO beats up people, then screams “help, help, I’m a victim”. UMNO steals money from the rakyat, then says “Not me”. UMNO gives citizenships to the thousands of Indons, and Filipinos in Sabah, then says “bukan saya bikin”. UMNO beats up the Bersih participations, then screams “Bersih caused the violence.”
Who are the rapists, the incestous people ? Who are the mat rempits ? Who are the people holding out their hands for goodies ? The Chinese are too proud to hold out their hands. They roll up their sleeves and work. Go back to work, all of you Melayu apologists. Get some dignity.
Godfather
Dear Godfather,
I don’t know about you, but I think there is some confusion here. UMNO the party is a convenient scapegoat for the police, government, corrupted politicians with long past sell by dates and Malay-bashers. You mean to tell me that the massage parlours, ah longs, pirated vcd & dvd sellers and pimps are someone else?
The last time any Chinese in this country roll up their sleeves to work is long in the past. Now, all Malaysians want is work that requires no manual labour.
I am nobody’s apologist, especially not for misguided sinocentric idiots.
Of course the massage parlours, ah longs, pirated DVDs and pimps are all mushrooming because of the culture of “strike while the iron is hot” culture of the powers to be.
I don’t which tempurung you have been under. The Chinese are the ones driving the economy, and without the chinese, people like you will still be squatting under your rambutan tree smoking your cheroots.
Not too sure though, first I don’t smoke, second, I don’t own no rambutan tree.
The only thing the Chinese Malaysians are driving is their inflated sense of self importance and ego.
Just ignore this so called “Godfather”. He is a typical oxymoron, who only sees what he wants to see and hears what he wants to hear. As my friend always say you can’t even spell the word “C”orrupt without the letter C in the beginning. If you get what I mean. I have deal with his kind my entire life, they thought that can buy everybody with money, but when the odd does not favor their way, they start to cry foul. What they call “RASUAH” among the Malays is “Entertainment Allowance” among them. Very often than not they are the type who label the Police as “Corrupt” but conveniently forget that they are “The Biggest Party” in the equation.
Godfather, without Malay’s sacrifice to share this land and its wealth, you think Chinese in this country can make money peacefully? Maybe you and your entire family would still living somewhere in rural China, begging for food or doing odd jobs??? It’s painful and hard to admit some historical facts that Chinese are not originated from Tanah Melayu.
Actually we Malay don’t care unless if other people start first, insulting us… you can ‘so-called drive the economy’ because the intervention of British, by smuggling Chinese immigrants to become part of Tanah Melayu rakyat… and we Malay are tolerate enough to let you. You think you and your ancestors can come by yourselves without any help from British??? Think again. And now, you still begging for help from the Westerns hahaha so pathetic. At least, we Malay we receive tongkat from our own government…
Too much BTN and now you see the effect. Balik, balik!!! race, religion. aaiyoh give up lah.
Miny,
U been away to long…but that’s the politik at home today. You can preach all u want about humanity and etc. but HAKIKAT itu lah dia.
Kerana ini lah mainan PoliTIKUS dinegara ini dibantu oleh NGO NGO yang konon nya bebas.
What a naive creature you are, MiNY. If true you are in NuYork, surely you have not escaped the on-going Obama v. Romney ‘back in chains’ or abortion v. pro-life timeless saga comes election year. What do you call those if not racial and religious sentiments?
In M’sia, race and religion talks are in-your-face whereas in US of America, much like any other countries that proclaim in prescribing to ‘true’ democracy, they pussyfoot on these issues. Scratch the surface, we are all the same. At least in M’sia, we are honest about it and not pretending to be a leader on humanity but at the same time has no qualm in bombing others and erecting walls to deter hispanics from entering.
Malay Princess:
Yes, you receive tongkat from our government, who gets the tongkat from money paid by the chinese….you think without the chinese and Indians paying taxes, the government can afford tongkats ? You’d still be squatting under the rambutan tree…..
Godfather: You mean the Malays don’t pay taxes?
Truth be told – malay provides the resources and BN set-up policies which enable malay, chinese, indians and others to earn income which then recover in taxes. Mind you, main source of ‘tongkats’ is from Petronas (pale in comparison to corporate tax paid by VT, YTL, AK combined.) Who created Petronas? Ding, ding, ding..it’s BN, led by – UMNO. Not too shabby, eh..:-)