(1) Finas’ decision to delay the general release of Tanda Putera will help defuse the racial tensions that are already rising.
The showing of the Tun Razak biopic aka the May 13 Movie in cinemas has been postponed from its scheduled Sept 13 debut although private screenings are unaffected.
Watched some 51,550 times on YouTube, the Tanda Putera trailer was greeted with overwhelming disapproval (screenshot below). Close to 4,000 – of those who voted – had disliked it.
(2) See promo poster below. Note the controversial tagline: “ejekan ‘Melayu balik kampung, Selangor kita punya!’ cetus pergolakkan (sic) 13 Mei”.
Blogger Anak Seberang wrote that “bangsa cina digambarkan pencetus huru hara 13 Mei”. His description tallies with the poster tagline indicating that the movie places the blame on the Chinese for sparking May 13.
However, it’s been reported that 30 percent of the scenes – edited as they were deemed too sensitive – have ended up on the cutting room floor.
(3) I’m unable to comment on the movie content was I was not invited to watch it. (DAPsters please take note: I am NOT in the charmed circle of pro-establishment bloggers).
Nonetheless, if it is true that director Shuhaimi Baba portrays the Chinese as being responsible for igniting the 1969 riots, then I must say that I’d find such a depiction to be contentious.
(4) Also I’m wondering if at all any reporters/established Malaysian film critics of Chinese descent had been invited for the pre-screening or if the preview was an all-Malay affair.
So far, Google search only yields the write-ups by Malay media and Malay bloggers to have watched the film. Among the bloggers: Papagomo (1), Papagomo (2), Papagomo (3), Gerakan Anti PKR (GAP), Medan Info Kita (MIK), Big Dog, and Zulkifli Nordin (also a Datuk and MP for Bandar Baru Kulim).
(5) The main cast of the film are Rusdi Ramli, Zizan Nin, Faezah Elai, Linda Hashim, Chekem Mirza, Hasnul Rahmat, Norman Hakim, Ali Steven Shorthose, Ngasrizal Ngasri, Syed Ahmad Nahar, Fizz Fairuz, Muniff Isa, Sakhee Shamsuddin, Razif Hashim, Nazril Idrus, Ismaizal Yusof, Nur Ashikin Kamal, Kavita Sidhu, Riezman Khuzaimi, Zaefrul Nordin, Kuza, Ida Nerina, Chew Kin Wah, Ahya U Rosli, Zoey Rahman, Alan Yun, Sharifah Shahirah, Ika Nabila (source: Tanda Putra Facebook).
The name list is Malay-Muslim with the sole exceptions of Kavita Sidhu who is co-producer of the movie, Chew Kin Wah and Alan Yun.
Chew is credited under “guest appearance” while Alan seems to have been given a small supporting role. He’s the guy in the car (see photo below) driving through Kampung Baru and set upon by armed Malays.
(6) Blogger ‘Anak Seberang’ reported:
“Dek kerana terlibat dalam filem kontroversi terbaru Shuhaimi Baba, Tanda Putera yang merakamkan peristiwa berdarah 13 Mei, dua pelakon berbangsa cina, Alan Yun dan Douglas Lim kena hentam kaw-kaw terutama di Facebook. Filem terbaru Shuhaimi Baba terbabit dikritik ramai kerana dikatakan memainkan sentiman perkauman serta memutar belitkan fakta sejarah.
“Facebook milik dua pelakon cina yang terlibat dengan filem berkenaan, Alan Yun dan Douglas Lim tak putus-putus dibanjiri dengan spam dan kata-kata kesat.
Mereka digelar ‘Anjing Pengkhianat’ dan ‘penjual maruah bangsa cina’ kerana dikatakan memalukan bangsa cina dengan terlibat dalam filem kontroversi tersebut di mana bangsa cina digambarkan pencetus huru hara 13 Mei.”
Alan Yun is arguably the most unpopular Malaysian Chinese on Facebook at this moment.
As the blogger ‘Anak Seberang’ noted, Alan Yun’s Facebook wall is covered with abusive comments. Many, many of the comments said “shame on you” (the DAP slogan popularized by Kim Guan Eng during Debate 2.0) while others called him a “race traitor”, “sellout” and needless to say, there were the standard insults like “y make yoself a BN running dog”.
(7) Elsewhere, the administrator of the Tanda Putera Facebook complained about the “hate squad gang” busy dropping bombs (see screenshot below). It is interesting that the page admin had observed: “They off duty after 5.30.”
Hmm, so the “hate squad gang” only works office hours? No OT meh?
(8) Skimming through the hate comments, I do not think they are predominantly the work of the Komtar Gestapo. Instead they seem to me to come from your run-of-the-mill Facebooker (a demography that overlaps with Twits). Their anger is understandable if the May 13 movie is presented from only the Malay point of view.
It looks to be so. In addition to Chinese writers being excluded from the preview, the whole pre-publicity exercise has been designed to cater for the Malay crowd and Malay sensibilities only.
(9) To respond to a question by my friend ‘A Voice’ who blogs at Another Brick in Wall on ‘Why delay the release of Tanda Putera‘? and by RockyBru too, re: ‘Why don’t they want us to watch this movie?‘, I believe Finas is doing the responsible thing.
The present climate of heightened politicking can only mean that the barbs traded across the race trenches will escalate and get more dangerously pointed. From the heated responses to Muhyiddin Yassin’s May 13 invocation a few days earlier, I would certainly expect DAP to be all guns blazing over Tanda Putera.
Delaying the screening averts the almost inevitable politicizing of the film as an election ploy for either coalition.
(10) Recall how Interlok and Namewee’s Nasi Lemak neatly split Malaysians along racial lines in our reactions.
The movie showing is better deferred to after the GE. Timing the screening post-election will also allow more justice to be done to the movie itself as hopefully the audience can, by then, view it with a less jaundiced eye (this applies to both sides of the divide).
As it is, Tanda Putera is tainted by the predictable allegations that it is meant to function as a BN vote catcher among the Malays by making the Chinese bogey a prominent talking point.
Related:
Helen Ang 
Helen,
‘Tanda Putera’ is about the lives of Tun Razak Hussein and Tun Dr Ismail Abd Rahman from Mey 1969 to Jan 1976 (when Tun Razak passed away in London). For Tun Dr Ismail, it was till Aug 1973, when he died of massive heart attack at home.
Tun Razak was away for CHOGM meeting in Otawa and his wife, Toh Puan Norasyikin Mohd Seth was in hospital (for a pregnancy miscarriage) when Tun Dr Ismail dies suddenly.
It was about challenges the duo endure, decisions made and personal issues, which include life threatening diseases, which were kept secret even from their own families.
The movie was about how the dealt with issues, amidst the sensitivities of a fragile nation of 13 May racial rots.
An integral part of what the duo endured was the 13 May 1969 racial riots. One cannot talk about the duo and decisions they did during the NOC period without telling the bloody conflict, which started when radicals and extremists incited and instigated for all the wrong reasons.
To simply say ‘Tanda Putera’ is about 13 May 1969 racial riots is completely inaccurate. There are continuous scenes where Tun Razak focused on rural development through out the 5 1/2 years, which include FELDA and the answer to the early 70s inflation, ‘Buku Hijau’.
Majority whom had watched the movie would rather recall the tear jerking scenes when Tun Razak learnt the sudden death of Tun Dr Ismail, when Dr Stewart MacPherson tells Toh Puan Rahah “He probably have days, at the most” and most of all, when the Jalur-Gemilang-drapped-box were taken out from the aft port door of the B707-200 in Subang on the evening of 15 January 1976 to a somber awaiting crowd on tens of thousand mourners.
I hope Malaysians get to watch the same movie that I watched middle of last week.Then, the whole story about the duo could be told, as it happened.
Hi Big Dog,
I’m aware that ‘Tanda Putera’ is about Tun Razak and his deputy, and concur with what you say about how the May 13 riot is a necessary component to tell their story.
Nonetheless since the subject is so emotive, particularly for the Chinese, then those segments are brought to the fore in the Chinese public imagination. Given the widespread and active participation of DAP supporters in our social media network, those scenes will surely become the banner headline.
The ‘pariah’ mention in Interlok was integral to the storyline (logic: if they were Brahmins, they wouldn’t have been sailing to Malaya to work as labourers in the estates) and overall the portrayal of that Indian character by the author Abdullah Hussain was sympathetic.
Yet uproar over the ‘pariah’ word overshadowed other evaluation and discussion of the novel.
As a clue to the potential magnitude of backlash, we can see how Chinese react to any mention of Teoh Beng Hock. That’s one death. May 13 involved thousands of deaths. If TBH is a wound to the Chinese psyche, May 13 was an amputation from which we’ve yet to recover, much less heal.
My family was residing in Setapak, one of the affected areas in 1969. They lived through the riots and were eyewitnesses. They were also traumatized.
Salam
Helen,
I am not sure if it is wise for you to pull in the TBH case to rally support for the Chinese Psyche in the case of the filem “Tanda Putera”, because inherent in that case is also a set of anomalous behaviours and conundrums that leave lots of questions:
-a- Who benefits from his death?
-b- If the perpetrators were who the chinese WOULD LIKE them to be, then why murder an essential witness and a valuable whistleblower?
-c- Why were the DAP alllllwaaaaayyyssss there wherever the family of TBH were around, as if saying “Eyyy, we were always there supporting TBH maaa. Where got we kill one? We always there support family maaa?” Now If you remember Columbo or Muder She Wrote, the guilty party would always be the ones who would be extra helpful in HELPING the police. And, in the hope of public opinion, be swayed in suspicious by their very nature of helpfulness.
-d- Who were the ones last to see him alive? What transpired between TBH and his superior inside the toilet, what was the quarrel about and what was TBH grieving about, stirring his conscience, in the hours preceding his death?
-e- What made Ronnie Lieuw so panicky and so adamant to get the deceased’s handphone, in so much as to break down the mortuary door (using his imaginary special Wakil Rakyat Privileges which actually is not true) to get at said handphone? What was in it, who was the last person he called and what were in the sms messages?
And of course, many more.
Now on to Tanda Putera. You say no Chinese were called to “consult” on the film? Well I tell you what. Did Namewee consult any malay ladies before he blurted out his “Hey Insyiqah, Suck My Banana” before he made his video clip?
And for those goons unwilling to learn history, or deify “sensitivities” as opposed to learning from the past, you’d be better of to tell the Americans not to make any Civil War movies.
Or never to ever, ever make hollywood projects that portray the negroes as former slaves.
Dear Adiputra,
I did not say “no Chinese were called to consult on the film” as you allege.
(i) I wrote that insofar as Google search results go, I only found write-ups mostly carried in the Malay media (with Malay reporter bylines) and the commentary by Malay bloggers. I haven’t come across any as yet by Chinese who were invited to watch the film.
My inference from the above selected preview audience is that the movie publicity campaign is oriented to cater for the Malay crowd. This being so, would I be wrong to also deduce that the filmmaker produced her work along the same Malay orientation?
(ii) From the cast list, it’s clear that the story is about Malay characters and told from a Malay (or nationalist, if you insist) point of view. Which is fine as far as any movie goes.
Except in this case, the Chinese are blamed for igniting May 13. And Kit Siang is depicted in the film (according to blogger accounts) as urinating at the flogpole outside the S’gor MB’s residence. Would these depictions not be considered provocative by the Chinese?
(iii) Namewee gave Afdlin Shauki and Adibah Noor big roles in Nasi Lemak.
(iv) Re: Your comment that I would “be better off to tell the Americans not to make any Civil War movies. Or never to ever, ever make hollywood projects that portray the negroes as former slaves”, are you implying that I’d prefer Shuhaimi Baba not to have made her film?
My article above never indicated such a thing. What I said was that I’m giving credit to Finas’ reticence and decision to delay the screening.
And that in my opinion, the timing of the movie release would be better post-GE in order to curtail both BN and PR exploiting the issue for political ammunition. Percayalah, senjata pasti akan makan tuan.
Helen,
I was seated next to Kulim-Bandar Baru MP in the movie. He told me the account of all incidences leading towards the riot was as per reported, which incl the flag-pole-pissing at Dato’ Harun Idris’s house in Kg Baru.
In fact in Parliament, he raised about this based on the NOC report and eye balled Lim Kit Siang. The Ipoh Timur didn’t even bother to look elsewhere but down, probably admiring his shoes.
Yes. I am sure there would be Malaysian Chinese who would be slighted, if not insulted when they see this movie. But these are true accounts. DAP & Gerakan party workers did do processions all over Kuala Lumpur days before the election and the Govt then was liberal enough to issue the permit.
After getting a 50-50 stand off from the 1969 GE, DAP & Gerakan party members & workers did ride in open-top small trucks across and all over Kg Baru with brooms sticking in front and banners “Sapu Melayu” and “Melayu balk kampung, tanam jagung”.
These are true accounts. One cannot tell what had happened in the past without these accounts included.
The Chinese who will get slighted if not insulted for this movie must also be open enough to tell themselves, these Kg Baru folks under Dato’ Harun wouldn’t have reacted had they were not provoked and insulted.
That is, history. We (All Malaysians; Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabak-Sarawak bumiputera etc) should learn to not make the same mistakes again. The Malaysian Chinese must learn where the lines shouldn’t be crossed. The Malays also should learn not to react when provoked with insults.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appearances count, I’m afraid. If your fellow guests – aside from the film’s own Chinese actors – at the special event were (all) Malay, then the perception is that this is a Malay project. Hence, quite naturally suspicions would arise. — Helen
Then as a Malaysian Chinese, don’t react until you actually watch the movie first. It is only fair.
Fight for the right of the producer, Pesona Pictures, to public screen ‘Tanda Putera’ on 13 Sept and go and attend the first show of the first day of the screening. If you’re not happy, watch again the next day.
Then you put your thoughts based on what you watched.
Give the woman her break! She already did well in ‘Hati Malaya’.
FINAS buat apa delay Tanda Putra. Namewee tak delay2 pun keluar Youtube Negarakuku.
History need to be told again and again to remind the people of the May 13 tragedy so that our future generation will not repeat the mistakes of our fore-father.
The Malays up to May 13 tragedy had been accommodating to the non Malays. The non Malays were given the citizenships right and other rights without they need to fight it. No non Malays need to shed blood for their rights. No protest march like the blacks in America to fight for their human right to live.
The only thing the Malays requested was the privileges given to Malays and their religion Islam. These priveleges was provided in the constitution but was not enforced. Before May 13, there was no NEP policy.
But yet, the DAP was harping on this issue poisoning the non Malays that there were third class citizen because of these privileges even though at that time the economy was controlled by the non Malays and 70% of Division A civil service came from the non Malay community.
In restropective I have to thank DAP for igniting this tragedy. If this tragedy did not happen the Malays will be stay dormant, redha with their ‘Kais pagi makan pagi” lifestyle. May 13 woke them up from their slumber.
Goodoo, you ini sound basi. You say “But yet, the DAP was harping on this issue poisoning the non Malays that there were third class citizen because of these privileges even though at that time the economy was controlled by the non Malays and 70% of Division A civil service came from the non Malay community.
Thinklah, brother, today less than 5% today has a representation of the Non Malay community in your Division A. If the Non Malay was not ready to accommodate and ensure that the Malay to have a fair playground, do you think the 70% can come down to less than 5%?
Do you know why 70% was from the Non Malays? You don’t for your limited knowledge. The Non Malays were able, ready and willing to allow them to progress and enhance them because they saw it as a Malaysian agenda not because they are superior to the Malays. Isn’t that a proof how the Non Malays accepted Malaysia as their nation to live in?
Unfortunately, people like you who love to ignite a fire based on agama are a disgrace. I am sure most sane Malaysian would want Malaysians irrespective of their origin to prosper as Malaysians not one that is based on your ethnicity or agama.
You are so gung ho about May 13, why? Because you want us to fight amongst us and continue the division to ensure that you taken care of. You ini bukan Melayu tapi syaitan that haunts a united Malaysian irrespective of origin. You are no difference from DAP.
Ane.. can’t you argue your facts without insulting others.. I am telling the facts in 1969..
Didn’t you wonder why the status quo changed after 1969? Because the Malay woke up and demanding more. NEP was introduced after 1969 and slowly with the emphasis on education to the Malays, their numbers increased dramatically. You said the non Malays were willing for the Malays to progress because they saw it as a Malaysia agenda. No sir. They were forced too and after the 1969 fiasco they had to accept whatever the government of the day imposed on them.
It was an authoritarian rule then, take it or leave.
I am not gung ho about May 13 and it is not my intention that we fight amongst us. My intention is for us to remember history because we need to learn lesson from it to prevent the history from happening again.
I do hope after this, someone can do a movie on Bintang 3. It is interesting to see how the minority once they got hold of power even though for few weeks got the guts to slaughter thousand of Malays. I lost my uncle during this tragedy.
I think it is a pity if people draw conclusions on a two-hour feature based on a 90-second trailer. At the same time, I think it is also a pity Helen Ang did not get a chance to attend the preview.
The biopic is second of a series, after Hati Malaya re Tunku and Onn Jaafar. Chew Kin Wah played the role of Tun H. S. Lee in that feature film. DAPsters took no interest in that film it seems…
Pendirian A Voice & Rocky Bru mencerminkan perasaan orang Melayu hari ini. Rata-rata merasakan perlu untuk memulang paku buah keras.
Merbahaya! Tak kiralah jika apa yang dipulang dikatakan bersandarkan fakta berbanding apa yang diterima.
Malangnya tiada lagi pilihan lain. Masyarakat Cina nampak sudah hilang kawalan diri. Tindakan kerajaan pula nampak hilang kuasa untuk mengawal keadaan.
Jangan pula kerajaan nanti hilang kuasa atas orang Melayu. Sesal kemudian tak berguna.
Amri, welcome to this blog. Inikan budi malaysians bukan 1malaysian or Malysia first, just malaysians.
You say
Betulkah ini?, why Cina, Melayu, Indian is our difference when humanity is all one.
Do you think what the government dictates holds the dictum for how we should deal with each other? Macam manalah brother? Kan Kita ini semua Malaysians for our humanity not how someone else to dictate how it should be to serve what fits their own agenda? Pilihan itu not because what it should be but what what it is kalau kita ini ikhlas and jujur sesame sendiri untuk masyarakat kami di Malaysia yang menghadapi obstacles to exist and contribute as Malaysians irrespective of our origin.
MINY
“masyarakat kami yang menghadapi obstacles to exist and contribute as Malaysians irrespective of our origin”..
Care to elaborate..Did the Government shackle your freedom to live as Indians in Malaysia, practise your Hindu faith etc. etc.
Ko ni tak abis2 ngan humanity, sedangkan setiap bangsa mempunyai perangai, kelakuan yg berbeza.. ini disebabkan up bringing, agama dan persekitaran (jiran2, taraf kemudahan dan sbg).. just accept that!
I’m with Rocky on this and my position on it is consistent with mine on Interlok. It could be a bad movie, it could be a lousy movie, it could be an inaccurate movie (btw they had Indian drivers, private secretaries and physicians).
I’ve never been a fan of Suhaimi but it doesn’t mean I think her movie should be delayed for political reasons. It happened to a score of movies in the US after 911, but our justification here is preventive and to take care of offending potential sensitivities. Again, like Interlok, Suhaimi will just have to accept in view of the “larger picture”.
How many of the younger generation knew that the tugu negara was really damaged by communists during those turbulent times? All the dislikes and condemnation before they have seen the movie (or read Interlok for that matter), is telling of the herd mentality. Every single one of the self-righteous FB-ers can all hit the roof for all I care.
We’re talking about a herd some members whom actually believe that Tun Razak’s eldest son is guilty of committing ******. The expected polemics around such a movie is C4 grade explosive.
In view of the “larger picture” of our racial tinder box, yes I do believe prudence and precaution at this juncture is better.
“it is consistent with mine on Interlok.”
Nsync, i read your retort to Dave, i could be wrong in interpreting your stance, however i found you were pretty inconsistent and take a opposite view wrt “interlok” and “allah” from purely sentiment and emotion perspective, if i am wrong, my apology in advance.
Dear Hua Yong,
I don’t know, let’s see… Helen thinks Interlok should be withdrawn, I don’t. Helen thinks it is okay for Tanda Putera’s screening should be delayed, I don’t. On the point of Allah in Al-Kitab, we both meet somewhere halfway I think.
Of course, we are not always on opposing ends.
Halen, Do the DAP spammer ‘likes’ the actor who played Comunist Leader, or murder event of IGP and Perak CPO?
Upenya amokan yang berlaku di panggung wayang Aurora Colorado bukanlah yang pertama di dunia.. dah penah jadi kat pawagam capitol pada 1969. Shuhaimi should request stringent security measure during this Tanda Putra shows.
qo1op – boleh tak cerita kepada kami sedikit tentang event pawagam tu? saya dengar2 saja tapi dengar pun, dari ramai punca so memang sahih lah kot. Kalau nak harapkan difilemkan dan RAI Yatim, usah harap cerita-cerita begini diketahui oleh anak-anak muda kita.
Goondoo,
May I offer a different view on this “privillege’ to Malays as may called it. it is not a privillege accorded to malays. It is a provision for Malays IN RETURN to recognising the magnaminity of Malay Rulers on agreeing to en bloc citizenship that change entire basic demography of “tanah Melayu”.
with citizenship granted, the land cant no longer be called “exclusively milik orang Melayu”. It has become a multi racial country.
Mentioning the word “privillege” will lend credence that Constitution tilts in favour of malays. It is not actually. It takes a middle path. Non malays also got “privilleges” through constitution. They were then accorded citizenships again as I repeatedly said in a move unheard of in any other parts of the planet,.
this is the part that many if not almost entirely non malay generations fail to appreciate, for many reasons. Either out of ignorance or sheer hatred against the Malays. Usually the second reason can be found among DAP.
“TANDA PUTERA” is not about blaming Malay or chinese. It is a story about the defining moment in Malaysia.
I used to stay in Kampung Baru during my bacherlorhood. And I used to mingle with “orang tua tua kampung” ussually after Isya or Tarawih prayers. While enjoying cups of coffee, they “regaled’ me with May 13 carnage. These “pakcik pakcik” were mere youth back in 1960s.
They mentioned how insulted Malays were then when some rude Chinese youth urinated in compound of Menteri Besar’s residence in full views of ladies of the house. They mentioned how unruly Chinese mobs over excited with Gerakan and DAP winning Chinese seats shouted “Melayu berambus, balik kampung…” to Malay villagers in Kg Baru.
and not to mention how a Malay motherly actress was killed in a street in Kuala lumpur.
BUT THE PART THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION is that they mentioned KIT SIANG was there. Not one but few pakciks told me that Kit siang was behaving as if he wanted bloods.
Why the euphoria in Chinese community over this movie (as compared to muted Malay response) is that this is the first movie that depicts May 13 so different from what Kit Siang or Dr Kua’s version. The uncomfortable feeling of realising a movie that depicts May 13 so different from Chinese belief.
For decades, May 13 (from Chinese view) is Tun Razak’s making to upstage Tunku. Means Tun razak was to be blamed on this.
Being a Malay, a Muslim already made UMNO or Tunku or Datuk Harun or Tun Razak guilty to Western media. And this view finds acceptance among Chinese community.
Malay attitude of not wanting to talk about this is not due to wanting to evade truth. Rather, it is part of Malay psyche not to “buka cerita lama” or to put Chinese community in “awkward” position over the carnage.
That was the reason given when I asked these “pakciks” why they hate DAP and and at the same time never try to write books or make documentary on May 13.
“cerita yang lama sudahlah . Kami bercerita disini untuk bagi tau budak muda perangai gila Kit siang ni. Supaya anak tak terpedaya dengan orang macam Kit siang. Kalau di arab saudi atau Thailand atau Indonesia, dah lama dia mampus”.
Shamsul,
Thank you for highlighting the ‘priveleges’ of “citizenship” enjoyed by the non Malays. Only in Malaysia they got these priveleges and in other countries they have to fight for these right.
Masalahnya, these people tend to forget these priveleges accorded to them Itulah bila dah tak ada rasa bersyukur, begitulah…
Masa tragedi 1969, saya berada di Kuala Pilah dan rumah kampung saya berada di laluan utama Kuala Pilah- Bahau. Darjah satu ketika itu. Yang saya ingat, satu kampung berkumpul di surau dan pemuda kampung bersiap-sedia untuk mempertahankan kampung sekiranya diserang.
Waktu malam hari, saya terdengar bunyi derap boot-boot askar berjalan menuju ke arah Batu Kikir.
Di waktu siang, saya lihat beberapa lori yang dipandu oleh orang Cina mengangkut keseluruhan harta benda mereka menuju kearah Kuala Pilah. Saya rasa mereka dalam ketakutan sekiranya dalam perjalanan orang-orang Melayu akan menahan mereka.
Dalam tahun 1969, tiada apa yang berlaku di kampung saya dan juga di Kuala Pilah. Tak terdengar pulak rumah atau kedai yang dibakar. Tapi di Padang Lebar dan di Batu Kikir saya terdengar beberapa kes pembunuhan telah berlaku.
Atuk saya pernah tinggalkan pesan sewaktu hidup beliau. Awasilah Bintang 3. Sengsara orang Melayu ketika itu.
I too have heard many stories surrounding the activities of people like Lim Kit Siang, P. Patto and V. David. Specifically, I mean their unruly behaviour THEN. Personally, not just in speeches. Many, many horror stories. I think we should get these pak ciks to narrate to us what REALLY happened.
I totally agree with this. It is not privileged but its a provision in return for the citizenship.
The provision is not because the are Malay but because they are the origin of the country. Same goes to east Malaysia. They are not malay but the provision is for them because they are the origin. That’s why they are called bumiputera.
Bumi-“putera” is an invented word not found in the Constitution. The pribumi are called the “natives of Sabah and Sarawak” (“anak negeri Sabah dan Sarawak”) in Article 153.
Article 160 defines, among others, the words ‘aborigine’, ‘Malay’, ‘ruler’, ‘YDP’. No definition of ‘bumiputera’ is listed in Article 160.
yes Helen, you are right. Pribumi is the word in the constitution. Anyway the provision for pribumi (malays, natives of sabah and sarawak) as mentioned in the constitution is not because of `Malay’ but because of pribumi (origin).
Chewal,
I’m not certain that ‘pribumi’ is. (I haven’t read the entire doc, so I can’t tell you for sure either way).
FedCon said “natives” in ref. to Sabah & S’wak (“anak negeri” in BM version) and Malay, re 153.
Since our country name is Malay-sia, I don’t see why anyone would dispute the (kesinambungan) continued Malay tradition, i.e. earliest Malay govt under raja/sultan, language, customs, etc.
If you say “the provision for pribumi (Malays, natives of Sabah and Sarawak) as mentioned in the constitution is not because of ‘Malay’ but because of pribumi (origin)”, then what about Orang Asli/Asal like the Senoi, Jakun, Temiar etc. in the peninsula?
Chewal said “yes Helen, you are right. Pribumi is the word in the constitution. Anyway the provision for pribumi (malays, natives of sabah and sarawak) as mentioned in the constitution is not because of `Malay’ but because of pribumi (origin).”
Your ignorance of the Malaysian Constitution is embarassing. First you say bumiputera then you say pribumi.
Dont be an ignoramus Chewal. Just google, there is no such word as bumiputera or pribumi in the Constitution. Dont try to talk about things you have not read.
Helen Ang ask,
“then what about Orang Asli/Asal like the Senoi, Jakun, Temiar etc. in the peninsula?” They are not in the Constitution. Simple.
The probable reason is that they were deep in the jungle like the Amazons in Brazil, while the Malays were the natives running and fighting the British in the country. Unlike Sabah and Sarawak, the different natives run each part of the states that they occupied. The Malay Sultanate Brunei was too weak to really control the areas or fight the British despite talk of the land being ceded by Brunei. It would be logical to return Sab/Sar to Brunei.
In the peninsula, it is only when the Malays managed to be independent that they lend a helping hand to the Orang Asli etc.
Just read the Constitution or else you will be just agak-agak and drop the value of the debate.
You two must put yourself in Temenggong Jugah or Sabah leaders. They were fighting the colonial power Britain who were not willing to let their wealth go. Did you think the European give away lands and oil easily?
That is why they turned to the Malays in the Semenanjung for help and fight the British to liberate their country. The Malays Sultanates and civilisation was superior and well advance as proven by Tunku eloquent and equal to the British thinking. Anyone thinking that Europeans colonialists gave away land without bloodshed should only look at Dutch-Indonesia, Phillipine/US/Spain, Vietnam-France, Korea etc see how they fight for independence. All shed blood to drive the European out.
So the Malays got the Peninsula freed from the British without bloodshed. And also got Sabah and Sarawak freed 6 years later. If there was no Malaysia, would Sabah and Sarawak be freed from Britain? Amazing indeed!
Article 153 makes ref. to “the natives of Sabah and S’wak”. The Malay version (the one I accessed online) of the FedCon uses the term “anak negeri” for the word “natives”.
Although I believe “pribumi” can be construed as a fair translation of the word “native” but nonetheless it does not appear in the FedCon.
I’ve long been looking up the origin of the word “bumiputera”.
Finally came across one paper by a well-known academic Johan Saravanamuttu (currently visiting fellow at ISEAS) who said “bumiputera” was coined to incorporate the natives of Sabah & S’wak under 153 when M’sia was formed.
Malaysian in New York,
For once I agreed with you. I agree with your last sentence when you infer that DAP “is like syaitan”.
although I do not agree with your insulting and rude remark (your trademrk) on goondoo.
You still refuse to accept that Malays are upset with relentless attack by DAP on them. Many examples can be quoted here such as “murtad” issue or sheer arrogance in violating islam’s sanctity sush as “allah” issue. Or painting continously institutions as bad (meaning Malays).
Perhaps you are not aware about massive discriminations against Malays in private sector.
Shamsul, sanctity or sanction for how it fits us? Friend, if you as Malay as you can feel such discrimination in the private sector with such political influence, imagine the state of the Malaysian Indians that nurtured and enhanced the Malaysian community in the yesterdayears?
My god child is a Melayu. I don’t preaching on religion when what I can do is humane irrespective of origin as a Malaysian.
Malaysian in New York,
Why is your English Grammar so bad? No, no, I am not ad-homineming anyone here, but your writing is a testimony of the palpalibilty of your entire persona: namely, being in a place which was not originally yours, but refusing to meld with the society that surround you. That sound familiar folks?
Goodoo, please tell me the facts of 1969. Also eloborate where you got your facts without the typical semua tahu kiasu Melayu yang tak habis temberang sahaja. Don’t just cerita, as we are use to it as Malaysians.
You know sometimes in life, you need to accept your defect not just deflect it because you need to do it. Do you understand?, or you need me to elobarate to make you understand.
Listen I can live with your defects not your cerita that you kena pinjam from everyone else. Sorry if I am being crude, but all you can do is talk nothing happens. So brother don’t take in offence what I state what divulge in your own thoughts what have you done asalkan buntut diri kena jaga like your esteemed politicians
You say “masyarakat kami yang menghadapi obstacles to exist and contribute as Malaysians irrespective of our origin”..Care to elaborate.. Did the Government shackle your freedom to live as Indians in Malaysia, practise your Hindu faith etc. etc. Really!!!, then you kena denfar lagu ini [YouTube].
Don’t pretend to be more than what you can be.
Fakta dari you tube… Hmm..
Balik Malaysia lah Ane… pergi tengok orang bawak kavadi di Batu Caves.. Tahun ni lebih sejuta orang yang hadir.. Kalau betul kerajaan shackle your freedeom, saya rasa mungkin hanya puluhan yang akan hadir kerana yang lain takut mereka ditangkap, dipenjara dan dipaksa untuk menukar agama.
Malaysia bukan Spain waktu Spanish Inquisition dulu. Kalau u pergi Mid Valley, ada satu kuil di tengah-tengah Mid Valley. Kalau surau dan masjid di situ, dah lama kena pindah. Tapi untuk kuil, ada macam satu ‘priveleges’ untuk mereka pulak.
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Urban legend is that the Hindu god absolutely refused to be evicted from His Mid-V temple location and no tractor, bulldozer, etc could accomplish the task. That’s why they had to build the gigantic shopping mall around that little temple. — Helen
Hahaha…c’mon Helen. T’was the god of $$$ that couldn’t be resolved between the developer and the temple..:-) Mid-V was initially fashioned in the appearance of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz but DBKL said no. Mid-V wanted to demolish the temple on the back of it being an illegal structure, again, DBKL said no and requested agreement be reached to re-situate the temple to the satisfactions of the temple committee before any DA would be issued by DBKL. When no agreement between the two was reached, DBKL asked to re-design Mid-V and accommodate the existing temple in the planning of the mall’s geometry.
On top of that, the developer was asked to upgrade the temple so the geographical aesthetics would be consistent between the two. In return, plot ratio of the area was revised in line with the new development. It was an exercise in the spirit of Malaysia. At the end of the day, the developer still makes truck loads of $$$ whilst the temple gets new lease of life for its future devotees.
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I did say the version I heard was an urban legend & it makes a cuter story :D Good feng shui lah, ini Mid-Valley.– Helen
Khairul , you say
I wish that was so easy but as malaysian kita boleh accept kan, see this [YouTube]. Yang jauh sekali tanpa humanity yang memilukan untuk kehendak diri.
The movie is about Tun Razak and Tun Dr. Ismail. The 13th May incident is only 5% of the movie. Why making fuss about it ?
Ane … this is one rude Indian. In my life even though I used to live in an Indian community, tak pernah saya jumpa orang India macam ni.
I have soft heart on the Indians because of the humanity my Indian neighbour showered to our family. My younger sister was looked after by our Indian neighbour when my mother went to work and they did this voluntarily at no charge to us. I can still remember that day when we were without any food to cook, Ama (I called my neighbour Ama and Appa – lebih kurang emak dan bapak) handed over several eggs to my mother. That time , we were very poor indeed.
I bonded very well with Appa, a retired grey haired old man in the 70s always wearing a dhotti. He helped me repaired my bicycles, taught me how to make a kite and fly the kite. When the kite did fly, I can still remember his infectious smile. He must be happy when he see a kid happy. When the kite snapped, together Appa and me walked for few hundreds meters searching the kite among the rubber trees.
I didn’t get kind of treatment even from my father as he was busy working. He was always an angry man, working hard to raise a young family of seven.
I learnt about humanity from this Indian family and when I got the opportunity I will try to reciprocate to other Indians. Humanity will not happen if you hantam other people or you keep on preaching humanity. You need to practise it and others need also to reciprocate…
If you want facts on Mei 1969, please googlelah. They are Mageran Report and I also recommend Jebat Must Die articles on May 13 tragedy, a must read article.
I beg you… Please do not ridicule others if you need to raise your points. We can debate in a civilised manner. I called you Ane (brother) as a mark of respect like I call my Indian neighbour, Appa, Amma and Cinane.
you seem to be more fixated on miny’s race than discussing with his points. hmm
Oi Helen bangAng,
Melayu pakai songkok dalam scene meeting pun lu nak kecoh ka? Itu namanya cinematography lah bodoh. Sama jugak macam scene cina berkungfu sampai terbang ke langit, realistik ke tak? Boloh.
That’s too much la Taring. Dia tanya, you jawab la elok2. Tak salah pun. Even if Helen saje2 nak provok or dia betul2 ikhlas tanya, jawablah elok2. Tak rugi pun.
p/s: Helen, dulu2 memang style orang Melayu pakai songkok. Kebanyakannya pemimpin. Watch P.Ramlee’s movies and you’ll get the picture. Lepas tu senget sikit. Kalau nak tengok contoh terdekat, cari gambar MB Khalid Ibrahim pakai songkok. So like 70s.
And I will definitely watch the movie. It’s about the friendship between Tuns. May 13 was history. and yes, truth hurts and bleeds, but it is Malaysia’s history. Yang I pasti, both races had extremists then. Most of us ada yang lupa, there were Malays that helped Chinese and vice versa during the dark period. So, just move on.
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Thanks. Can understand that songkok is worn for formal occasions but wearing it in the middle of a meeting seems illogical to me. — Helen
May I ask you in what way made it’s illogical to you?
See it this way, songkok is like part of the normal attires for Malays then, and some still is now. And it’s not even religious. I think if you go through pictures in 50s-70s era, you can see they wore songkok as part of style/fashion/trend. I think some teachers/ustazs in school put it on in one PIBG meetings. Even my husband put on songkok/kopiah to work. Mostly on Fridays.
Now it’s funny to discuss over songkok instead of May 13. LOL. =p
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That’s why I asked b’cos I wanted to find out whether in a specific situation like in the photo, people would still be keeping the songkok on their head. (ex)-Reporters are always curious about everything. We’re trained to ask if unsure. — Helen
Helen, Reading thru your comments section, baru I tahu that KimKit Siang was THE URINATOR at the flagpole outside the S’gor MB’s residence. I believe we have found a new nickname for KimKitSiang. I tak sabar nak tengok movie ni sebab these events were never told to us anywhere. Its time we watch & learn from history.
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Scene apparently deleted (edited), and rightly so. — Helen
Aisey, why was the scene deleted??? That would show the Kim family in their true colours …. anyway, the cat is out of the bag. Kim, the urinator and his son the rainbow-nator jangan tunjuk arrogance sangat lah.
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Reputed scene could have been deleted b’cos it was inaccurate. — Helen
i will reserve my final opinion until i have seen the film.
on the other hand, i notice the cast is very predominantly malay with only one or two chinese or indian actors. aside that, chinese n indians are mostly relegated to extras. the movie’s facebook page also has close links to ultra rightwing bloggers like papagomo n parpukari, and only malay bloggers were invited to the screening. what about tony yew or freddie? were they invited?
the movie facebook page also claimed that kit siang urinated on the flagpole n posted a photo with that caption (the photo however shows kit siang being arrested by cops). the photo was removed after lots of negative comments on the factual accuracy.
then again, those opposing the movie should not vilify alan for acting in it. if they dont like the movie, then they need not see it.
the irony is namewee’s new movie ‘hantu gangster’ has a more multi race cast than suhaimi babas new movie. namewee, the man lots of readers here would love to hate.
Since this movie is supposed to portray the relationship between Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dr Ismail and the people who were close to them, the actors were chosen to reflect this. There is no reason why non Malays cannot be chosen for the part but for authenticity purpose, wouldn’t it make sense to cast Malays rather than Chinese or Indians?
Lol… Afdlin Shauki that kononnya befriend Namewee is a Umno member….not to mention Reshmonu in the film who is now called an “Umno dog” for being in the Pilih Malaysia ad
…so namewee by DAP standards or Haris Ibrahim view is hanging out with a prostitute or dogs…. unpure and heathen in Anglo Christian ideology… or is it normal for Namewee to prostitute himself with Umno prostitutes and dogs for Finas funding… it not make Namewee a benchmark against Tanda Putera… Namewee is one confused dude…his films are confusing and meaningless… Tanda Putera is revolutionary in the Malaysian film industry.
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Just a point of clarification. Namewee applied but failed to get Finas funding. — Helen
Dave,
The truth sometimes hurt. If one cares to check the cyberworld, one would find that the response (or rather agitations) come mainly from Chinese with regards to the movie.
May 13 did take place. It was unfortunate as Malays and Chinese were caught in the middle as Kit Siang “in his element” played a fatal political manouvre.
And he conveniently blamed Dato Haron, Tun Razak among others. And many bought the idea.
Coupled with Malay attitude of not opening “old wound”, the Malay bashing version for long dominates Chinese view. The reaction to Tanda Putera is normal and not unexpected. Who love the idea of the so called prominent politicians among them singled out for the carnage.
Even before residing in Kg Baru, I used to listen to “orang orang tua”” conversing on this matter. Way back in 1970s while following my parents to kenduris, I found that May 13 was discussed passionately among Malays folk.
And many singled out Kit Siang. And another name mentioned in Dr Tan Chee Koon. Many did not know that a Malay was killed in Penang and his body mutilated with red paint just days before election.
So, looking at Kit Siang’s son attitude of hostility towards Malays or even any Chinese who allies with UMNO, I am not surprise. His father has consistently slandering Malays. Now his son’s turn of session of fitnah.
That Malay in Penang was a Umno member walking home. He was killed by Chinese members of the communist-infested Parti Buruh. However news of this man’s death was muted by Umno to avoid chain reaction. His death and mutilated body was never reported in the press and resurfaced only years later by the the national archive….
but when two Penang Parti Buruh Chinese members were caught vandalizing and putting subversive posters by police and shot when they attacked the Malay policemen, the DAP charaded a death rally, bringing the bodies from Penang to KL to be paraded on front of the Malays.
Such was the insults thrusted at the Malays of that time who were considered very moderate by Helen standards, considering the Malays then were less Arabized than today…
I dunno why the Chinese Anglo keep saying Malays are insecure. I am not… we are the police, army and we are getting Malay ‘dogs’ (to borrow the DAPster description of Malay soldiers and policemen on 257 8×8 afv, 450 adnans, 48 main battle tanks, a fleet of warships, two subs and 50 fighter planes…
And to think I still read Malaysian Chinese Anglophiles complain they are most the discriminated Christians on Earth… demit … are the dogs waiting for? We can’t lose to the Alawaites or to Myanmar when it comes to discriminating.
Agree that it must be beyond annoying for Malays to be always labelled “easily confused” and “insecure”.
*** *** ***
The Parti Buruh volunteer killed was Lim Soon Seng, 24. See this scene (click) in Tanda Putera.
The crowd is carrying his photo on the placard. The deceased’s funeral street procession took place on 9 May 1969. I hope you were not implying that his death represented “insults thrusted at the Malays of that time” by having his body “paraded on front of the Malays”.
The ‘parade’ was however a political provocation — that I can agree.
Kassim Omar was the Umno election worker killed on 24 Apr 1969 in Jelutong, Penang and his body smeared with red paint.
Lim Soon Seng was a Kepong boy, hence there was no question that his body was brought from Penang to KL for the purpose of parade. His funeral procession passed mainly through the Chinatown area.
The general election was held on May 10. Lim Soon Seng’s funeral procession on the eve of polling day undoubtedly had an impact on the way the Chinese cast their votes.
truth or propaganda?
as we know, tp had to cut the ‘kit siang whizzing on flagpole’ scene as it wasnt factually accurate. they even posted the caption n supposed photo before taking it down.
to me, tanda putera should not have the screening delayed or even banned, even though it looks more propaganda than fact. same reason why i dont support actions to ban communist or nazi propaganda films.
speaking of slandering, and fitnah…
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/22/nation/20120622123629&sec=nation
Malaysian in New York,
If you want to know the truth, then you must be willing to accept the facts.
The first step is to stop viewing others with your ever :jaundiced’ view. And try reduce in abusing ‘humanity”. Oh this word when thrown to a race that created a world record with more than 1 million citizenships granted is really “out of place”.
Try visiting Kg Baru and be friendly and courteous to these “Tok Lebai and Haji’. They may shed something on May 13. something that Kit Siang may not want you to know.
Tunku in another reality could have been like Myanmar, demanding third countries to house the non-British citizens discarded by Britain or leave them at the hands of the UNCHR
…and we have Chinese Malaysian cutting their passports and ended up stateless in Britain, unwanted by Mother Britain, let alone China and have the audacity to protest in front of our embassy demanding their Malaysian citizenship back until now…
it was the generosity of Tunku and his compatriots Tan Cheng Lock that endowed them the dignity of being belonged to a country without considering that they are incompatible with the natives
…even Singapork that try to import China men find the local Chinese at odds with the PRC people…lol..
Goondoo,
Precisely. I purposely said repeatedly about massive citizenships granted en bloc at eve of independence . Sometimes friendly reminder is necessary.
So that we may not lose our perspective. It is not as difficult as we may want to think. I notice every time I mentioned about this act of generosity that is rare or rather unheard in any civilization, the anger among the Chinese friends of mine just ‘subside”. Maybe the reminder make them realise that not only they contribute to making Malaysia as it is today. But the Malays too.
Patut la Kit Siang takut anyone mentioning May 69. He is scared that his past sins are catching up with him!
Just release la. Takut sangat dengan DAP. It’s our right to watch movie!
Methinks that the difference between “Tanda Putera”, “Interlok” & “Nasi Lemak 2.0” is that both the book and movie in the latter did not cost lives whereas the former revolves around real casualities of inter-racial misunderstanding.
Although the main plot revolves around Tun Razak & Tun Dr. Ismail, but as pointed out by you, the promo poster’s tagline outlines the sub-theme of the show, thereby anchoring it to an exact time and situation closer to home and with the possibility of reflecting some current situations. (Many women tell me they dislike watching movies that show rape scenes because “its too close to home”).
Its unlikely that 50,000 views of the trailer with close to 5,000 responses (albeit mostly negative) is any consensus to go by. This means that 45,000 are “neutral” or “no-comments” (until we see it) or maybe “who cares.”
Another interesting point is that nobody on both sides of the political divide is bringing this movie up as a discussion or a hot button issue (except LKS response to DPM which was only carried for a day or two. Again this was in context of the real event, not the movie unlike the Indian reaction to Interlok and obvious comments on Nasi Lemak by certain quarters). Wonder why?
Since Finas is not under the jurisdiction of the opposition, is there a possibilty that the powers that be are asking for the plug to be pulled for the September screening? September… hmmmm… anything interesting going on then? The show should go on… then maybe the real voting “like” or “dislike” will make a difference (ie. for us to judge previous and current political protagonist dating back to this incident, post incident etc and what Malaysians want for the future. More interestingly is how will a younger set of Malays response especially to PKR/PAS and their pakatan with DAP or UMNO and their future tied with MCA).
However, like some comments made on other recent postings, the incident also brought out the best in many (from each community).
With Interlok, the Indians – be they Hindu, Christian or even Muslim – rallied under one banner in their opposition. The MIC Indians, the Hindraf Indians were united in this. (Some DAP Indians were displaying the ‘basket of crabs’ syndrome tho’.)
With Tanda Putera, how can we avoid standing on our respective side of the racial fault line?
As to the function of the movie, again the racial fault lines. From Harian Metro‘s columnist: “… berharap Tanda Putera akan jadi filem rujukan buat mereka yang belajar dan mengajar sejarah kerana ia ada banyak fakta benar yang diboleh digali secara visual”.
If the Malay media goes into gear, then the Pakatan alternative and social media will turn it into a drag race.
The pollies have been talking about it. The Pakatan responses to Dr Kua’s proposal of a Truth & Reconciliation has been varied.
Dave,
After that “Suck My Banana” fiasco aimed at the malay Gurubesar, everything else Namewee does/say thereafter are nothing more than some face-saving PR exercises. If you want, we can call it a spiritual flagellation aimed at penancing a tortured soul nourished for so long by racial hatred and prejudice.
The multi-race cast was there to help out Namewee: to cushion this self penancing, to give a sense of … forgiveness… of acceptance. Heretofore any mention of Afdlin Shauki or some other malay artist’s involvement with Namewee’s seemingly “OneMalaysia” video clips or movies, should be taken with a pinch of salt with my words above hovering above your consciences.
Namewee’s “suck my banana” outburst was a culmination of this hatred, rearing its ugly face through the light and sound shows of a video clip. Multiply this culmination by a million-fold to a group of people who had just only in less than a decade before been granted Citizenships by the very people they were parading against, and we have something called May 13.
Perhaps the censure of this movie is an ongoing agenda to hide this history from being told to younger generations, no?
Marking Bagpie
mb,
or maybe namewee knows that there is more to malaysia than just the black n white polemic of malay or chinese. something which suhaimi baba can learn from. as for that banana song, namewee made it in response to a school principal who made some racist statements against some pupils. if you want to get what the siti inshah banana song is about…
[Namewee video]
I’d like the movie to air, sooner rather than later since I’m rather curious.
Based on what I’ve read from the GSC synopsis (http://www.gsc.com.my/Movie/MovieContents.aspx?search=2012.937.tandaputera.1125) however it does appear as though there is a distinct bias.
Most notable is how they’ve tied the IGP and Perak CPO assassinations (both carried out by the Communists) to the attempted assassination on DSP Kulasingam (carried out by Botak Chin and gang).
Here’s what I want to know: What link is there between the two? The only thing that Botak Chin’s gang somewhat shares in common with the Communists is that they are both (mostly) of Chinese descent.
And yet according to the synopsis both are being lumped under the ‘subversive elements’ that rallied against Razak.
So what’s the story here? The director keeps saying there is no racial slant to the movie, but linking these two otherwise unrelated events seems to say otherwise.
Funny funny funny. So just because the two perpetrators share the same ethnicity, their accusers stand to be guilty of racism?
Botak Chin’s crimes were against a nation: terrorizing peace and putting the police force to task. He didn’t single out any race in his crime spree: dia rompak kedai emas cina, dia tembak polis melayu, dia bunuh the peaceful indians. Isn’t that subversive enough? The al-Ma’unah fiasco was called much worse: subversive elements PLUS committing a crime against the Yang Pertuan Agong. And suddenly nobody takes into account of the perpretators’ ethnicity, just because it doesn’t fit into your wishful allegations of racism?
How much more myopic can we get?
A crime is a crime. It could be done in 1969, it could be done in 1979. It could be the murder of a Police Chief, it could just be rompakan mak cik tua di ATM machine. But this pointing finger of racism at any slightest attempt to put reality from being broadcasted (where that reality casts a bad light upon a people who do not want to be portrayed as anything other than right and true) has gone a bit too far.
I can understand Lim Kit Siang now “admiring his shoes” at allegations that put him peeing on Selangor’s flagpole on May 13 had put him in overdrive mode and sending cyberminions all over the net to dampen the situation, but making Botak Chin or the communists or either one of them appear less guilty just because they are chinese is NOT going to fare well. And about that flagpole peeing, some say it’s true and some say it’s inaccurate. To those who say it is not accurate, which part, pray tell?
Size of things, perhaps?
Suman
Did you even read the link? The synopsis specifically links:
1. ‘Subversive detractors’ galvanized into action by Razak’s successful visit to China
2. Lumps together all three police killings as if they were carried out by the same group of people
Botak Chin was a gangster and robber. Yes he was a disruptive, destructive, murderous guy, but he was not a political figure in the least and no where in history has any link been made with him attempting to bring down the government or social order.
Subversive? Don’t think so.
It is a historically inaccurate to say that Botak Chin and gang gunned down DSP Kulasingam because they were ‘galvanized into action’ by Razak’s successful visit to China. It had absolutely nothing to do with Razak.
They gunned him down because he was the police officer assigned to stop the gang.
Also I didn’t say the director was racist mind you, I said there appears to be a racial slant to the movie. How else can you explain a glaring historical inaccuracy like this after the director says that she and her team spent ‘over a year carrying out research to make sure that all the facts were correct’?
-Vish
actually vish has a point here.
for a movie to portray itself as historical fact, but claims the attempted assasination was done by communists, when it was actually done by botak chin, is a gross error.
it would be like saying martin luther king was killed by the symbionese liberation army, a pro-socialist crime organization.
It seems Malays and non-Malays have poor knowledge of the events in 60s which were dangerous times. I’d recommend reading the biography of Tun Dr Ismail the reluctant politician which is a treasure trove of details….
The scene of Tun Razak demanding the soldiers to break the marble at Masjid Negara for his mausoleum is one event recorded in the biography and I am eager to see how close the events in Tanda Putera relates with the biography…rather than watch how bad the Chinese are in that film..
And I want too see how close it is with the biography that i read about 2 years ago.. I always wish that someone make films about the Merdeka, Singapore secession and even 13th May..
I am actually grateful that someone of starting it..regardless whether it is accurate or not.. it will hopefully break the cycle of hantu films in the Malay movie market… even Chile has a film glorifying Pinochet despite protest by anti-Pinochet or in fact almost the whole of Chile that hates Pinochet…
Tanda Putera will not be the most politically incorrect film for sure.. it will be revolutionary and make Malaysians face the past…
I agree with forrestcat about the book on Tun Dr. Ismail. The doc kept a diary and his views are known, in public and in private. Ooi tried to imply that our history would be very different if he did not pass away at such a relatively young age. I don’t quite agree. However progressive Tun Dr. Ismail was, his views on the NEP and the need for a time limit wasn’t shared by the Malay elites and the masses in general.
His view on the matter in 1970 (pg. 225):
“I regard the Special Position of the Malays as a handicap given to the Malays with the consent of all the other races who have become citizens of this country so as to enable the Malays to compete on equal footing for equal opportunities in this country. That and that alone is the ONLY aim of the Special Position of the Malays. But unfortunately the Malays themselves have tended to give the impression conciously or unconciously that the Special Position of the Malays is a sign that the Malays are placed superior to the other races in the country. The BIGGEST mistake that the Malays made of course was to coin the term “Bumiputra” because this term tended to convey an entirely different meaning to what was intended for the Special Position of the Malays. By coining “Bumiputra” the non-Malays suspected the Malays of wanting to classify themselves as fist-class citizens while they were relegated to second-class.”
– Tun Dr. Ismail in Ooi’s (2006) The Reluctant Politician.
What I find interesting in the book was the frequent reference to correspondence between Tun and the Kuok brothers, his high school friends from EC. Tanda Putera will hopefully reignite the people’s interest in the legacy of both our statesmen.
Salam dek Helen,
Kita pernah sentuh peristiwa 13 Mei di blog ini satu masa dulu. Dek Helen percaya kepada versi Dr Kua. Pak Ard percaya pada versi Pak Ard sendiri, dan kita akhiri dengan menghormati pandangan masing-masing.
Dalam sesetengah hal, Melayu agak lambat bertindakbalas, lebih kepada memerhatikan kesan dan akibat. Ini kadang-kala diambil kesempatan dengan melampau. Cara kerajaan sekarang juga dilihat begitu.
Apabila ada pergeseran kaum, peristiwa 13 Mei diungkit. Ianya berulangkali berlaku. Setiap kali diungkit versinya berbeza-beza. Sampailah terbitnya tulisan Dr Kua pada tahun 2007. Cuba perhatikan tahap bantahan terhadap tulisan itu. Mungkin ada yang menyangka jika tiada bantahan ianya diterima begitu saja. Ada pihak yang salah kerana membiarkan ianya begitu tanpa ditangani dengan jelas. Betul atau tidak tulisan itu.
Bolehkah Pak Ard katakan Tanda Putera ini rentetan dari versi-versi yang berbeza sebelum ini tentang kejadian 13 Mei itu?
Kita masih belum jauh. Peristiwa itu berlaku 43 tahun dahulu. Mereka yang mengharungi peristiwa itu masih hidup dan kuat ingatannya. Gambar-gambar yang ada pun masih jelas.
Pada pandangan Pak Ard, filem itu sepatutnya menumpu kepada peristiwa 13 Mei dan cerita Tun Razak dan Tun Dr Ismail sebagai sampingan sahaja, bukan sebaliknya.
Masa sudah sampai untuk pihak berwajip melihat kecenderungan mengubah sejarah mengikut kepentingan sendiri. Sejarah perlu dikekal sebagai fakta sejarah samada pahit atau manis.
Tanda Putera patut ditayangkan. Mungkin kali ini kita akan dapat lihat 1Malaysia ke pawagam menontonnya, tidak seperti kebiasaan di mana filem berbahasa Melayu ditonton oleh orang Melayu sahaja walaupun diterbitkan oleh penerbit Cina. Itu pun kalau tak ada CD cetak rompak, jika ada orang kita akan beli Tanda Putera di pasar malam saja. Sekian.
Saya rasa penting di sini untuk mengingatkan bahawa peristiwa hitam itu bukan satu beban sejarah orang Melayu atau orang Cina di Malaysia.
13 Mei merupakan satu pengajaran kepada semua rakyat jelata, tanpa mengira ras dan bangsa. Rusuhan kaum berlaku kerana semangat kekitaan itu tiada, kita masih disempadani warna kulit dan fahaman berasaskan ras. Saya bersetuju dengan Pakard bahawa lebih banyak pengolahan dan pendedahan diperlukan, lebih baik daripada peristiwa itu diselubungi tuduhan melulu.
Dear Helen and friends,
I would have to agree with Helen on this one. Delaying the release is the most sensible thing to do. If indeed the DAPsters’ fears are founded, that the Chinese are portrayed in an unfavorable way (which may albeit be accurate), it is not worth risking the peace we have in this country just for a few more Malay votes for DAP (if there are any left) to swing in the opposite direction.
We criticize DAP for not considering the peace in their frantic bid for Putrajaya. It would be hypocritcal to not criticize BN as well.
I don’t believe in censorship, the film should be shown without the cuts. But delaying it is prudent. Tensions are running rather high and it will just take a few stupid people to burn what we have now.
I sincerely hope PAS will dump Pakatan. DAP are just too irrational and dangerous to be a viable option.
Iqraq,
For decades DAP feeds on “silence” on Malay side by implicating Tun Razak, Dato Harun on May 13 carnage.
Being a Malay myself, I understand how Malay thinks. To them certain things are best left unsaid. To them, time will heal the wound.
And they are right in some ways. Unfortunately, they are the only one thinking like that. In hallmark “generosity’ UMNO as ‘the political” party much maligned over May 13 does not even want to bring DAP to its knees.
DAP goes overdrive feeding Chinese on how evil Tun Razak was. When I was studying in Kelana Jaya way back 25 years ago, a Chinese shopkeeper was telling my American professor on Tun Razak “orchestrated” May 13.
I asked him bluntly whether he wanted to tell the very same professor about ‘penyapu’ shown to Malays rights in their homeland, Kg Baru. He immediately stopped talking and become very evasive.
Delaying the screening will only result in opposite of what we all claim to tell the truth. Is it really upsetting the Chinese? Really? Or it is is upsetting Kit Siang ?
Are we going to let Kit Siang AGAIN to dictate what we should watch or what we should not watch. Are Chinese really ‘lembik” that they are not willing to face reality on May 13 or all this uproar comes solely from those leaning towards DAP only?
And only Chinese have sensitivities. Others do not have?
If Dr Kua can publish nonsense on May 13 and nobody get burnt to death because of that, are we saying May 13 going to happen again by allowing the movie to be screened on scheduled time frame?
Sometimes, the enemy is invisible. It is within us. Unless we are able to rise and facing the true colour of useless politician in persons like Kit Siang or Guan Eng, then stop complaining.
In nutshell, all of us are to valuable to be sacrificed for the interest of useless politicians whose words out of their mouth often bring tragedy to humankind.
Shamshul,
Renungi lah apakah matlamat sebenar yang hendak dicapai.
If you say that you want KGE’s true colours to be exposed, I’m with you. However will the approach that you advocate bring about the outcome we desire?
Let’s take the example of TBH. In a posting a while earlier, I quoted Joceline Tan’s analysis that
I also added my 2sen that TBH’s funeral was politicized (the DAP central committee read out a speech), and the press photographers were clambering over TBH’s altar during the religious rites so that they could take pictures of Kim and his DAP senior colleagues who attended the ceremony.
I believe that both Joceline’s and my own commentary on the exploitation of TBH’s death expressed reasonable views. But in our present climate, is being reasonable able to be accepted?
An example of blog reader response (Sshsn’s here):
Quote:
“Right. You [Helen] are fat, butt fuck ugly and insidious to stupid minds. Thats what you are. Nothing more than a female doggy to your bosses. Your articles are completely incoherent and the best thing that will happen to you Hell is that if someone buys a bottle of shampoo for you. Teoh Being Hock died. Unlike you. He actually died a day before he was due to get married. So fuck off with your bullshit will you?”
Unquote
TBH is one death. May 13 was a massacre.
Even though Sshsn was immensely rude, I can understand his response.
If Finas were to release the film as scheduled, I can easily anticipate the Chinese response. And in this matter, the Chinese will be united like how the Indians were united over Interlok.
The above sentence answers your question: “Are Chinese really ‘lembik’ that they are not willing to face reality on May 13 or all this uproar comes solely from those leaning towards DAP only?”
The uproar will not be coming solely from those leaning towards DAP only. It will cross political lines, like how Chinese transcend political loyalties on the issue of SRJK (C).
If this May 13 movie is allowed to become a vehicle for Malays to push the version that Chinese are responsible for igniting the riots, then the ‘pulang paku buah keras’ will be an endless tit-for-tat.
The majority of the May 13 dead were Chinese. Fact. Therefore, you will need to do a lot of convincing if you want to persuade the Chinese on the idea that (to quote your words) it is “they [who] are not willing to face reality on May 13”.
Dear Shamsul and Helen,
“Sometimes, the enemy is invisible. It is within us. Unless we are able to rise and facing the true colour of useless politician in persons like Kit Siang or Guan Eng, then stop complaining.”
I do agree and I am not saying that we shouldn’t face up to Kit Siang and Guan Eng. However, as we have seen, they are remarkably irresponsible and willing to risk peace for their own mad ambitions. I am not willing to be that irresponsible because the consequences are not worth it.
When you drive a car and someone else is hogging two lanes, we don’t just maintain our course because we are in the right and he is wrong because the consequences are not acceptable. Instead maybe we can flash our headlights or honk at him.
I do not want to stoop to their selfish and irresponsible level. That’s all. If we truly love this country, we will stop and think what the best thing to do is, not just in the long-term but in the short-term as well.
Show the movie in full with no cuts. Get everyone to see it. After all if Kua can have his time of day, Tanda Putera should as well. But pick a less explosive time. There are plenty of disgruntled and short-fused people out there. People can say we are ‘lembik’ if they want. Let them. But this is a test of our love for this country.
Helen;
Why the Chinese gullible enough to accept DAP hook , line and sinker… the truth about LKS must be told so that ordinary Chinese do not suffer the same fate as their fore fathers.. Once the Malay masses run amuck, there is no point crying over a split milk.
I have just finished reading an article titled “Perang Senapang dan Parang”.. It happened in Padang Lebar and Batu Kikir, few weeks after the Japanese surrender in 1945. The Bintang 3 were armed with guns but the Malays were only armed with traditional weapons and their faith.The Malays were only responding to the Bintang 3 atrocities See .http://malaycivilization.ukm.my/idc/groups/portal_aperpatih/documents/ukmpd/adat_00702.pdf
During the Bintang 3 era, I lost my uncle, a simple kampung man. Until now his body was not found. According to my late father, a group of Bintang 3 men came to the house and grabbed him in the afternoon.
Re: “Why the Chinese gullible enough to accept DAP hook, line and sinker?”
It is zeitgeist (the spirit of the times).
I think it’s better to address the present and future (KGE), rather than the past (LKS). Lim Sr is not exploiting the state machinery, his son is. Lim Sr is not acquiring new, unprecedented influence, his son is the one hobnobbing with BFFs and foreign media.
Despite LKS’s many years in politics and his admittedly autocratic ways, he did not pour resources into building a personality cult like his son is doing.
LKS’s politics is the politics of the past. I do not recall DAP being ever this deceitful or manipulative as since the evangelicals took over.
It’s real scary how Chinese youngsters are being brainwashed (photo).
Helen,
Many thanks for reply. Again I understand your concern that the movie will likely going to rattle thE CHinese community.
The movie is not about Malay or Chinese bashing. It was about trial and tribulation of Tun Razak and his then deputy, Tun Dr ismail. The former rose into premiership at height of uncertainty due to turmoil of May 13.
For the Chinese, May 13 was portrayed as Tun razak’s upstaging Tunku and Malay insecurity. I am sick and tired of these insinuation. Malays being muslims are constantly reminded that Allah SWT can “bequeth” power or more importantly take away power faster than split seconds.
Painful as it is, there was no call for example to topple Selangor Govt by UMNO the way Anwar did tell the world about Sept 16. So, rest assured Malays are able to take the “defeat” gracefully.
TANDA PUTERA, if purposely delayed will only result in one thing: heighten curiosity coupled with ability of so called DAPsters to insist for the delay.
Who grant them power to insist on delay. Do not be mistaken that entire chinese community is up against the movie. Curious maybe. Upset sometimes yes. But they I believe may want to see the movie. Who “is ” this Kit Siang that the Malays for decades associated with carnage of May 13.
Again it is just a movie. It is produced and director by commercial director, not by FINAS. It has nothing to do with UMNO or Malay community at large.
My hope is very simple. That everyone if has the chance watch it. No force here. Make your own choice.
But God’s sake do not be “caged” by your own accord just to please some useless politicians in our midst.
Helen,
You mentioned how scary it as on Chinese youth being brainwashed.
Then I believe may 13 can be “shock theraphy”. Although i doubt how much influence it can make.
Last night I attended Tarawih prayer. In between the prayers, there was a small talk (by an ustaz).
He lambasted Utusan Malaysia for reporting on one PAS man for divorcing his wife simply for the wife to attend Dr Hassan’s ceramah. Here is one fine example of abusing surau for political benefit.
He admonished the ex-wife for “derhaka” to the husband. The advice is sound but on wrong person. He should advise the husband to be patient and accept reality that he cant control his wife political belief.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PAS uses masjid for politicking; DAP uses church AND attempting to infiltrate masjid. See recent photo (this Ramadan). — Helen
I’ve always thought that the chinese use May 13 like the jews use the holocaust. Or they plan to use it in such a manner.
Like the jews, the chinese of malaysia want:
-to paint themselves as being persecuted.
-to raise the specter of genocide and argue they deserve ‘reparations’. I wouldn’t be surprised if an enterprising chinese ‘human rights’ lawyer had already made a submission to an international court/body to have the event internationally re-classified as ‘genocide supported by a government’
-to seek pity from overseas chinese (though I suspect mainland chinese would find the whole thing hilarious given how they suffered many orders of magnitude worse)
-to seek pity from foreigners ( this is quite typical of the foreign malaysian chinese I’ve met)
-to make the May 13 subject a taboo subject, so that any discussion/depiction of that event will be considered ‘racist’ or ‘low-class’, thereby restricting discussion / dissent
-to finally introduce a term on par with ‘antisemitism’ (maybe anti-sinoism?) that can be used to strike down any criticism obliquely related to their community
You wrote: “I’ve always thought that the chinese use …” I notice that you usually think very cynically of Chinese. Reflect on this. I know you’re honest enough to self-evaluate honestly.
is it the chinese who are using may 13, or is it the ring wing pro barisan crowd? almost every issue we see the pro bn people harping on the issue n using the may 13 card at every opportunity…
– “if the chinese/indian/non malay dont vote bn, then may 13 will happen”
– “bersih 1.0/2.0/3.0 will spark another may 13 if government doesnt take action”
– “the chinese school issue must be stopped to prevent another racial unrest”
– “the protest against lynas will spark another race riot” (i was at the penang lynas rally n there was this perkasa moron walking around threatening a race riot when it was an environmental issue)
Some anti-zionist supporters of Palestine also pre-emptively use the Holocaust (TM) to argue that their criticism will always be struck down before any real debate occurs.
Any traumatic event, if framed and spun correctly, can be used to promote an objective or narrative.
Hel, 9/11 can be used by hardline islamists to signify a ‘win’ for radical Islam, or it can be used by neo-cons to claim it was a watershed event that led to the ‘loss’ for radical Islam in places like Afghanistan, Somalia and north Pakistan.
Therefore your argument is moot. The May13 shadow will always exist, and it can and will be used by anyone who wants to make a political point on either side of the political divide.
The fact is right now, May 13 is being used to delay the release of a potentially enlightening and box-office record breaking Malay movie made by a Malay person.
OB,
If you want to compare the Holocaust ‘industry’ (term coined by a controversial academic-writer) and May 13 viz. your claim:
then you should checklist the components:
(1) Germany pays reparations to Israel for her persecution of Jews and to compensate for Jewish property stolen by the Nazis.
Are the Chinese paid reparations by the govt (??) for May 13 and similar property damage (shops, cars burned, etc)?
(2) There are relief groups (NGOs) disbursing pensions to Jewish survivors and such.
Are the Chinese paid compensation by anyone for May 13?
(3) There are dedicated Jewish organizations like the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity to document the Holocaust, to combat anti-Semitism.
Do the Chinese have any sort of organized body to look into the atrocities of May 13, locate the site of mass graves, to combat the Chinese every now and again (c.f. Jakarta riots) being made bogeyman, etc?
(4) There are memorials, Holocaust Museums, even in Berlin
Do the Chinese have one in Chinatown or Kg Baru?
(5) There’s the International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27) commemorated by the UN, Holocaust memorial days in Europe incl. Germany, in USA & Canada as well as a fixed national ‘holiday’ in Israel called Yom Hashoah.
Do the Chinese have May 13 memorial days?
(6) Aside from the Nuremberg Trials for German war criminals, the Jews had their own extra-judicial Nazi hunters.
Do the Chinese have vigilante groups to hunt down the ringleaders of May 13? Anyone brought to trial for May 13? (Harus Idris’ court conviction in 1976 was on corruption charges)
(7) There are the Holocaust books, the Holocaust tours.
Are the Chinese giving guided tours through the May 13 hotspots in KL? Can you name any Chinese who’s written a May 13 book besides Dr Kua?
Err OB, how did you conceive of your brilliant parallel, again? Like I said earlier, the Chinese get under your skin, don’t we?
You didn’t read what I wrote: “Or they [chinese] plan to use it [holocaust] in such a manner [to further .”
Seeing how you are very well-versed on the holocaust industry and how the jews of the world use it to their advantage, I think you have thought of this issue before me.
I am just trying to make others aware of it.
As I wrote also in the other posting, if a very cunning HR lawyer were to convince the ICC or other international body that may 13 was a ‘genocide’, and if any Malay government were to apologize for May 13, then it would instantly demonstrate culpability.
Armenians are trying to get Turkish to admit culpability in the armenian genocide. Palestinian are trying to get Israel (esp Ariel Sharon) to admit culpability in the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Japan is still trying to get US to apologize for the mass killings caused by atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The african americans were trying to get their 40 acres and a mule (btw, that was an actually a written order, but was subsequently revoked), but some are still asking for reparations.
There are many people who have been wronged in this world. May 13 was just a small, minute anomaly in our history.
The chinese want to make themselves seem deserving special treatment on this May 13 issue, when they have been giving themselves special treatment through favorable business and economic practices for decades and continue to do so.
And, the chinese have not acknowledged the chinese culpability in the communist insurgencies of the past…
Puhleez-lah OB. You have a warped mind and you’re projecting your warpedness onto other people which they don’t have (remember your “masuk Cina” jibe?)
You write: “Seeing how you are very well-versed on the holocaust industry and how the jews of the world use it to their advantage, I think you have thought of this issue before me.”
Have you forgotten that I have a day job and that I work in research. You brought up a topic, so I looked it up lah. Unlike some readers who simply spout but refuse to do any homework.
Previously, you commented:
So ya lah. I’m just a journalist who makes certain topics accessible to the general public and I write ‘popular politics’ lor.
As for your saying, “The chinese want to make themselves seem deserving special treatment on this May 13 issue” … I don’t think your statement will go down well with Chinese.
Suman Sumbing commented in a related posting:
That was very insightful in understanding another community by him.
You could learn from Suman. After all, you’ve got a lot of smarts. Didn’t I say earlier, it’s a case of Chinese getting under your skin, isn’t it, that obscures your judgment and makes you drop your periodic bombshells accusing my race of scheming this and that?
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/may-13-more-accurately-genocidal-than-racial-riots-ct-wong/
The holocaust was mentioned in that article about May 13. Of course the degree to which the comparison can be made is not 100% accurate, but the same principles can be applied, which is to take advantage of a tragedy for personal or communal gain.
In this case, the gain for the chinese in malaysia would be to see the delay of Shuhaimi Baba film, which you have already labelled the ‘may-13’ film.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
May 13 will overshadow SB’s film just like “pariah” overshadowed ‘Interlok’. We’re in a climate where ABU is threatening to take to the streets. — Helen
ob, i think i have to disagree with u on this, most chinese know very little about 513, including me, i don’t know why, main reason is perhaps chinese media rarely write anything about 513. what u wrote is more relevant to chinese school issue, because we were one that went thru the system and our kids now doing the same. i personally read 513 mostly from malaysia today. .
I think May 13th is no holocaust, but it doesn’t mean that because it wasn’t as grand as other murders and killings, we should just sweep it under the carpet.
I will tell you what’s the death toll estimated in the NOC verbatim:
“One hundred and two persons thought to be non-Muslims were identified and individually buried with identifications over the graves, in Sungai Buloh on 18th, 20th, 21st and 22nd May. There was no means of telling their faiths. Eighteen persons who could be identified as Muslims, irrespective of racial origin, were buried in Gombak on 18th May.” (p. 68-69)
Malays may have nursed anger over taunts and insults and shame of the rampage, but the deaths were mostly on the non-Malays. If anyone bothered to look at the statistics from page 88 onwards of the NOC report, 25 (10) Malays, 13 (6) Indians, 143 (35) Chinese, 15 (1) Others were killed (in brackets killed by gunshots) between 13th May to 31st July. The total deaths, 196 (52), by state – 1 in Penang, 11(3) in Perak, 172(48) in Selangor, 4 in NS and 7(1) in Malacca. Some speculated the high number of Chinese deaths was caused by triad/communist mobilisation, and all I can say is that sure, why not, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and speculation, but the fact remains.
That’s why when Kuok askes Tun Dr. Ismail who suffered the most in the incident, it was obvious what his answer was. That’s the price of communal politics at its extremes. Many of those dead, Malay, Chinese or Indian, are innocent civilians caught in the middle of inter-racial anger – blind, raging and deadly. I repeat, some delight in promising a repeat performance, others live in a denial of a possibility of it ever happening again.
I shall refrain from commenting on this particular commentary because I find it emotionally charged amongst majority of the commentors. It is very difficult to rationalize when one is in such as state. I would like to make an observation though, it would been wise for the producer to have taken the trouble to engage individual historians or experts on this sensitive topic (meaning not just from the government) but also make some proper research in making this movie.
You know there is a whole pile of declassified records on this in Kew Gardens on the actual event. Whether this movie intends to create a racial conflict, a unity or trying to portray the truth, I guess it is left to one’s own imagination as and how one decides to decipher having lived in Malaysia since then.
Either way, I don’t think this movie is going to influence me as I live in 2012 and I like my Malaysians irrespective of the origin whom I have grown up without any prejudice except when politicians toy around their mind with race, religion and origin as an agenda.
Oversea Bumi,
May 13 cant be compared with the so called “holocaust’. funny is it not? Jews are not the only victims of Holocaust. But only they are “sympathised” for Holocaust.
As for the movie “tanda putera’ it does create unease especially among some section of chinese community. The response in Malay community is rather muted. What Shuhaimi Baba directed had long being known by the Malays.
Only when what perceived by Malays goes beyond casual conversation to something more permanent then it creates a momentum in Chinese community.
HELEN,
I notice you are a little bit agitated over this. Take it easy my august lady. It is just a movie.
But you may not like this view. Considerable section of Malay community has already come to conclusion that IN GENERAL they believe Chinese community is not satisfied with whatever Govt or UMNO offers unless they take over the country.
Or simply said, they do not trust Chinese anymore, be it from MCA or of course the nemesis, DAP.
You must understand the Malay mentality. Certain things are best left unsaid. It means that as long as the Govt is dominated by Malays( meaning UMNO) they will respect the rights of non Malay community as insisted even by Prophet.
But all of them do not trust the Chinese to accord them with same respect should the Chinese rule the country. How I come to this conclusion?This is what all malays whom I ask told me across political divide.
Of course they would not tell you as it is very unpleasant. Just as Chinese community has concluded nothing good can come out of UMNO as it is a Malay based party, similarly Malays also feel it is pointless to cater to chinese mind boggling extra sensitivities when they do not even show a little bit of appreciation AT ALL.
The feeling is real in Malay community. Simply said they already given up hope on genuine “alliance’with the chinese. They are nice to chinese simply because that is demanded by Islam itself. But they do not trust the Chinese.
And that is my view also. No offense but the goodwill is almost lost.
The unease with Tanda Putera comes b’cos we (Chinese) were not taken into the loop.
A parallel situation would be if Namewee made a May 13 movie from the Chinese POV but his film launch & pre-publicity promo catered only to Chinese press, Chinese bloggers & invited Chinese guests.
And then all these Chinese gang up and quarrel with any Malay critic who had not been given any opportunity to preview the movie by vehemently insisting that Namewee made a great movie (just take their word for it).
No offense with regard to your views. In fact, I hope that more Chinese would read your feedback with an open mind and greater objectivity. The more we know what the Other really thinks, the more accurately we can appraise the situation.
That’s why I revealed that in the case of reacting to May 13, the Chinese would transcend political and religious lines, same as how we’re united on the Chinese education issue.
Helen ,
as goes the saying, the truth hurts.
Your last paragraph is not surprising me or the Malays or UMNO. Only it is not said openly.
Malays have come to the point that they conclude that genuine friendship with Chinese is no longer possible. All of them whom I asked said i am dreaming to expect the chinese to accord respect the way we care about whatever interests, whim or legitimate should they come into power. Not that I foresee that to happen yet.
Chinese now is regarded as “jews” . No offense for their attitude of wanting everything for themselves but expect others to give everything.
In case of Namawee, whatever comes from his brain is already expected. It must be bad things about Malay/Islam.
It is up to Chinese to think. Malays or UMNO have accord sensitivities to them until we realise better not to expect anything from your community.
Malays have given up hope on this. We realise to your community we must be bad as we are Malays.
What truth?
Trust the Chinese? To do what? Not to change Malaysia into a communist state? What are you smoking Shamshul? What kind of friendship are you envisioning between the Malays and the Chinese in this country?
shamsul,
since when were you appointed spokesperson for the malays?
i dont go around saying the ‘chinese want this’ the ‘chinese want that’…
I hate Nsync,
I dream of genuine partnership between the 2 largest communities. I believe the malays have done more than their shares. It is time the chinese shows genuine desire for united malaysia.
I like the word “partnership”. So, your idea of a partnership is for the non-Malays to be eternally grateful for “generosity” of the Malays and put them on a pedestal of special positions? I thought the special position was a handicap, not an exultation.
What we lacked was a spirit of give and take. Apparently, you think the non-Malays gave nothing, and the Malays gave everything. The Malays gave the non-Malays the NEP, the civil service quota, the scholarship quota, the IPTA quota, the APs, the taxi permits and licenses, the public work contracts, special housing discounts, PNB, MARA and FELDA. How ungrateful the non-Malays are for all the things the Malays have done for them since 1957!
helen, aside from the tanda putera trailer, another pro government video got strongly redlined on youtube.
may b the sentiment toward pro government propaganda is more than just racial?
[YouTube]
I hate Nsyc,
Now what is the word that we often use to those people( like you) that love to assume so much?
I never mention about special position. You did.
What i mention that in general Malay community feel that Chinese are not willing to compromise but only talk about their interests. They lament that this country is polarised yet they are so vocal about not wanting a single school system.
I mentioned the word ‘generosity” as Malay community is much maligned nowadays. The fact remains. En bloc citizenship is a rarity. Sorry. The unique phenomenon that no other country are willing to do. For that, some appreciation should be recognised. Appreciation is not feeling “beholden” to Malays. Rather appreciate the magnaminity and respect that the malays also have aspirations just like the chinese.
DAVE
I never appoint myself as a Malay spokeperson the way PAS appoints itself as God’s representative on this planet or DAP claims to represent Chinese.
I only said what generally Malays feel. Of course they would not say that out loud before Chinese friends. But the feeling is real. Whether you like it or not, the feeling is real.
That does mean I am blaming non Malay for whatever predicaments Malay are facing. Not at all.
If you do not believe, ask any malay whether they think they would enjoy the way Chinese enjoy their rights under Malay (UMNO’s rule).
Dear Shamshul,
That’s why I enjoy slapping some facts into your head. For over 40 years the NEP in place, we have people like you who says that the non-Malays “are not willing to compromise”. WHAT KIND OF SINGLE SCHOOL SYSTEM DO YOU WANT?
I have tackled this misdirected focus on SSS by Malay ultras like yourself. I would happily do it again.
You have nothing else other than some accusations of collective discrimination against the Malays in the private sector and “Chinese” schools? You know the difference between State affirmative policies and the free market?
If the govt is sincere for peace, it should not let that film to be on air, otherwise it speaks a simple reason why it is shown.. i.e. to imply fear on everyone both the malays and non-malays alike.. but govt has forgotten that was history and those who started it have regretted the lives lost..
and also at present time, rakyat are richer and more well-off, thanks to the NEP policy (implemented after that historical day) whereby the malays are made to have better buying power while the chinese also benefitted from that strong reaction.. therefore the rakyat of all races will not want another May 13th bloodshed tragic day!
Gan,
As i said the truth hurts. Irony is it not. We often say nasty things that Govt does not want the rakyat to know what exactly happened on May 13.
But when there is a movie on life of Tun Razak (of which he took office after the carnage) we are unable to face it.
It is not about instilling fear. For decades I heard people accusing Govt (meaning UMNO) warning should it feels threaten. I beg to differ. advice is given before situation is out of hand. No point in advising if everything had already been burnt down.
The truth was that a procession went out of hand from Jinjang and it passed through Kg Baru with mad people spitting on malay folks and showing off “penyapu’. That is the truth.
This is not the blame game. This is real. If you still refuse to believe me, try going to Kg Baru and talked to all these “lebai” and haji. you may hear some names like so familiar from Lim Dyynasty mentioned.
The movie is not about blaming chinese. This movie is about friendship between Tun Razak and one time opponent, Tun DR Ismail who later was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister at the trying time for Malaysia.
Whatever said and done about them or Malaysia, do remember it is a unique phenomenon of races able to unite albeit on superficial level. Do remember that this is a country that a minority can count on Malay (meaning UMNO) to win a seat and later appointed as a Minister.
Do remember that the country although officially known as a Muslim ruled country has more temples than surau and mosques put together in Selangor when the population of Muslim is 4 times than that of Hindus.
so, show some appreciation. No need to “jaga” hati extremist within your community that really want Chinese to collide with malays just to perpetuate their political interest.
That is so “jurassic’
Shamshul,
“more temples than [there are] surau and mosques put together in Selangor”
The count must be on those small Hindu shrines under the trees and the 2ft x 3ft tokongs in rock crevices where the Chinese pray for 4-ekor numbers.
The mosques in S’gor (particularly in Shah Alam), on the other hand, are splendid buildings while suraus are mandated in every housing project.
You repeated an urban legend about the supposed proliferation of temples that Ridhuan Tee likes to peddle. That’s the trouble that Chinese see with new converts is their to need to show that they’re the more committed champions of Islam even than those born Muslim for umpteen generations.
These converts in their zealotry are harmful, esp. Ridhuan who’s a religious frog having jumped from his traditional Chinese belief upbringing to Christianity and now landing in Islam.
As a Muslim you may say that in Islam after all the trials and errors, Ridhuan has finally found the one true one.
I would suggest that he’s brought his past Christian evangelism – i.e. the Christianity that banished the Muslims from Spain, that destroyed too many native civilizations across the globe, that’s spreading like a virus in East Asia (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore City Harvest, and aiming at China) – to the Islam of the laidback Malays.
Haven’t you noticed that the ex-Christian Ridhuan is more strident than 99% of Malay Muslims?
Shamsul, I must say I am disappointed with your BTN mentality. Did you in 1950 & 1960, 67% of the contribution was from the plantation ie the Indians. This is a fact not typical cerita.
You want to talk about incidents, then what happened with the Kg Medan issue in 2001 where the Indians were slaughtered and you talk about the makeshift shacks that the Indians had established to thank their GOD. Look at the history friend, how it came about and why it existed.
Today or shall I say after 1970 you have hundreds of government aided agencies like FELDA, FELCRA, RISDA, MARA, FAMA, KESEDAR, DARA, KEDA, PERDA, KEJORA, KETENGAH etc to enhance the Malay Muslim community while the rest took it on good faith to raise the Malay community and today you turn around and run your BTN agenda against the Non Malay as you think you don’t need us anymore.
I am not talking politics like how you love to do here but on a day to basis amongst Malaysia today.
Talk with some sense and don’t just run down the Non Malays, as they have always accommodated the needs of the Malays but what can we do if they Malays themselves are so gung ho on the politics of the day rather than to act in moderation as and when the needs arises if it concerns the Non-Malays socio economic development that seems lopsided especially when you look at the poor and marginalized irrespective of the origin.
Please don’t come with an argument that there are also poor Malays. Friend, why should there be poor Malay when there is humpty agencies to assist them politically and financially as the government as a blank cheque for them. Whose fault is it?
Shamsul you can only show appreciation when both the hands clap for humanity to sustain in Malaysia amongst each other, not one that is based on the BTN, BN or PR propaganda.
Sheesh!!! I am utterly disappointed that as a Malaysian brethren you could speak with such disdain on the contribution of the Non Malay community in Malaysia.
You see Shamsul, look at calvin sankaran, who needed to change his name to suit his American friends who could not pronounce his name. Today he has assimilated as a Malaysian like how he says “It is the same with the Indians on Interlok. I have read the book and all of children in my extended family found nothing offensive in it”.
You see the Malaysian Indian like calvin sankaran feels nothing wrong in it because as a Non Malay, he would accommodate to ensure prosperity and peace rather than chaos to continue to live in Malaysia.
Yes it could be an assumption, but what the hell aren’t we all full of it? Unfortunately, not everyone is like Calvin Sankaran and his extended family who would readily accept their status quo in Malaysia with an Interlok novel as their choice even when it has been withdrawn from the syllabus.
Unfortunately, Calvin Sankaran does not represent the Malaysian Indian community, so how? Would prefer to deal with someone who is principled and steadfast or someone who would assuage their own position according to their own personal need?
No, it is not a trick question, but to understand whether the aspiration is to justify or call it as it is if our intention revolves beyond us individually for the sake of the community irrespective of the community if it is humane enough for us to deal with.
MiNY,
Just because I am using a Christian name doesn’t mean I am any less Malaysian or Indian. And just because I do not see any issues with Interlok I do not have any principles. And having principles alone is not a virtue by itself. Even Hitler has very strong principles too.
Perhaps you did not read what I had stated. I had said I had read the book and in general it has good intentions. Of course there are those who rather close their eyes to the truth as truth is often painful and unpalatable. The reality of caste system is real and there is no point hide behind rhetorics and emotional talk.
You see a lot of Indians (and Chinese) who so bold in demanding their rights turn into a meek mouse the moment the leave Malaysia. I have Malaysians in Australia, the UK or the US who instantly assimilate themselves into the Western culture. They change the way they speak or behave. But when they are in Malaysia, they refuse to adjust themselves even to be respectful of other races and cultures.
To give an example, I had known an Indian friend who was a strong opponent of the NEP and Malay special rights. He only sent his kids to Tamil schools and was very religious and strictly followed cultural traditions. He was always complaining about being discriminated against. He was then posted to the US and he moved his family with him. When I visited him in the US, he had changed within a year. He no longer used traditional clothes or use “vibhuti” on his head. The kids wore western clothes and spoke only in English and went to the American schools.
When I questioned him, he said he had to change to adapt to the American culture otherwise he won’t be respected. When I asked him why he accepted his situation in the US, he said he had to follow the culture to be accepted. So when I asked him why he didn’t do so it Malaysia, he refused to answer my questions.
Helen,
Let’s say hypothetically that Namawee or some other Malaysian Chinese directs a movie on May 13 from the other side’s perspective, ie, blaming UMNO and the Malays while portraying the Chinese as the victims. What would be the reaction of the Chinese ?
Would they and the Chinese politicians / leaders like LGE, LKS, Teresa Kok, Hannah Yeoh, Dr Kua and others will play the Bangsa Malaysian and call for a ban on the movie or support the film by reverting to freedom of expression or human rights and claim the movie as the true history of the nation ?
It goes without saying that DAPsters would support the movie overwhelmingly and most likely even start a FB page to call for the movie to be aired. Newsportals like MK and MI will claim that the BN govt is trying to suppress the truth and censor the freedom of speech.
Actually this is not merely a hypothetical scenario of the would be reaction. We have seen the Chinese response to Dr Kua’s book claiming May 13 was engineered by UMNO (which was a bestseller for weeks in MPH) and Namawee’s provocative videos.
Yet when they are placed in the other side of the fence, the Chinese suddenly lose all their passion for idealism and democratic principles and scream victimization and BN’s brainwashing.
In case of Tanda Putera, I don’t think the decision to involve any Chinese reporters or bloggers is intentional since most local Chinese look down upon Malay movies.
I suspect that the Chinese will refuse to accept Tanda Putera no matter how fairly or accurately it depicts the May 13th event just like how easily they accepted Dr Kua’s version of the Malays and UMNO being the instigator and aggressor and the Chinese being the victims.
It is the same with the Indians on Interlok. I have read the book and all of children in my extended family found nothing offensive in it. Yet many Indians just refused to accept the facts and reality and won’t see beyond their narrow beliefs.
Having said that, my personal view is that in matters of race and religion all parties need to be sensitive and respectful. I would have preferred the producers engaged some respected Malaysian Chinese from NGOs, newspapers and other organization to review and provide their feedback.
But my frustration is that the Pakatan loving Chinese have a peculiar complex in which they detest the use of race and religion when it involves them but see nothing wrong at all when they use it themselves to portray them as victims or use it to blame others.
Calvin,
(1) Tanda Putera is not just any ‘ordinary’ Malay movie like Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam, say, but politically loaded. The engagement with Chinese media pre-publicity should have been done despite the traditional indifference of Chinese viewers to recent Malay movies.
(2) Re: Interlok. Timing and context makes a difference to public reaction.
Since the novel is mandatory exam text, then the students taking SPM would feel pressured to answer the test questions (should biased questions be asked) in a way that is deemed “politically correct” to the examiners. And since BM language is a compulsory pass paper, this adds to the pressure on the students to provide the “right” answers as might be expected by the examiners.
Added to the equation is how Malay teachers would handle its teaching in schools. I say Malay b’cos the paper is BM II (makes sense that the majority of the teachers would be Malay) and not Math or Physics where you might have a greater number of non-Malays teaching these subjects.
As to whether there was a political agenda to the inclusion of Interlok in year 2011, I suspect there was. More or less the same motivations that prompted Muhyiddin to make History a compulsory SPM pass. The revised & edited student edition of the novel distributed to central district schools was copyrighted to DBP in 2010. It even has the 1Malaysia logo on the book cover.
Therefore, Interlok was not always in the syllabus. It was introduced in 2011 when all this Bangsa Malaysia flap was taking place. That’s why I want Firsters to leave well alone instead of harassing Muhyiddin endlessly.
Interlok was to teach a lesson to Chinese and Indians that we’re pendatang and a compulsory SPM paper makes for a captive audience. B’cos of the mulut bisa si DAPster, schoolchildren are made to suffer.
(3) It is an article of faith among Chinese that we are the victims of May 13. The ratio of Malay dead to Chinese dead (these are according to the official figures, the real death toll is much higher) is 16:84.
Since it was mostly Chinese blood that flowed on the streets, then needless to say, we see ourselves as the victims.
I can agree that being shown the broom is provocation. Note that the DAPsters provoke me incessantly too.
But retaliation to the point of bloodletting on an entire community is not a proportionate or commensurate response. That’s why violence must be avoided even inasmuch as force deserves to be met with force.
I agree with you on point (1) as it is the right approach. As for point (2), I am not sure of the political angle though you could be right.
You see many of my family members are teachers (including my wife) in national schools but I did not hear such accusations. From what I read,Interlok seems to have a noble agenda and whatever offense it caused was not intentional. Personally I did not see any offense but I agreed that some people might find some words objectionable.
However the word “pariah” ( BTW I am Tamil educated) is not a taboo word in the language per se and there is a caste of Indians bearing that name. Much of what Interlok said was true though it might not be what the local Indian community wants to hear (much like Australia being a nation of convicts).
I wouldn’t exactly consider Hindraf as reasonable and logical in their stance while other NGOs fighting the issue were political. FYI Tasleem is a Pakatan supporter vying for a seat under DAP in the next GE and you can see him in every demo against BN under the banner of different NGO.
I can sympathise with the Chinese community on their sensitivity to May 13 incident and their losses which far exceed the Malays. But my real issue is the hypocrisy of Chinese community. The community cannot go around claiming they detest race and religion (or May 13 incidents) being promote hate against them but be the first to use race/religion to portray themselves as victims. Look at their response to Namawee’s videos, Dr Kua’s books, the use of Christian churches to demonize Malays/UMNO.
As I said,I believe that there should be more consultations on sensitive issues than abuse freedom of expression to say whatever you want to say against your opponents which can be destructive in country such as ours. However, if you listen to DAP leaders and our alternative media, Malaysians have matured and any issues can be discussed openly and without censorship. But all their love for freedom of expression disappears the moment someone else use the same principles to say something negative about them.
Am aware of Tasleem’s agenda.
Great that you’re Tamil educated. Pls gimme some tips! How did they teach you in primary school?
Can you pls write out how I should memorize? Like for Roman alphabets, we chant — aay, bee, see…
The difficulty I find is that the same phoneme but different intonation (like ‘nah’) comes in different places in the order.
Interesting choice of words Helen,”That’s why violence must be avoided even inasmuch as force deserves to be met with force.” Interesting
I can tell you that Tamil is one of the hardest languages to learn, much tougher than Mandarin (which I did learn on my own as well). It is not so difficult in learning to speak but to pronounce it correctly is extremely hard, in fact most Tamils don’t pronunce it correctly either, tending to take shortcuts grammatically and prounciation wise.
You will be surprised to learn that most Tamil programs from India have very poor Tamil speakers too. Sometimes it can be very grating to sit through these. In fact Astro Vaanavil & RTM have better speakers.
You might be interested to know that Samy Vellu started off as a RTM newsleader and a stage actor. He’s was and still is one of the best Tamil speakers in the world. None of the current crop of MIC leaders or the Pakatan leaders past and present can hold a candle to him.
Learning Tamil ? You must be very brave indeed. Actually I would suggest that you learn conversation Tamil rather than grammar which is very confusing and hard to learn. It requires a very flexible tongue.
Hahaha. I like the writing practice. Agree that Tamil is very difficult (you forgot to remind me to coordinate speech with head nodding). The newsreaders speak too fast for me to catch (mukkia seithi thalaipukkal :) — teacher taught this phrase.
That the language has such complex grammar reflects on the depth of Indian civilization which I wish that more Malaysians would realise rather than dismissing Tamil schools as dilapidated shacks in the rubber estate.
Yes indeed Tamil is such a complex and rich language.
Learning Tamil from news is harder as they tend to use correct grammar and complex sentences structure. You better off learning from some talk show where they speak conversational Tamil which is easier to understand. In any case no one speaks like they way they do in the news (very formalised), this is where Tamil is very different from other languages.
As for head nodding, I can give you a tip there. The way to differentiate a local and India Indian is to note the head nodding. The India Indian will nod left to right while the local ones nod up-down.
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Up-down sounds easier. Left-right might gesture ‘No’ when lips say ‘Yes’. — Helen
100% with Calvin.
Here’s what I know about pariah. It came from the word “paravu” = to spread. In Malayalam (which uses Sanskrit and Old Tamil words) we say, “para” for “say”. So, it must have been the label for folks who “spread the news” from royal court or something. In that case, they were the early media. Hah! Media the paraiah.
Anyway, my take on Interlock back then:
http://grouchydays.blogspot.com/2011/01/interlocked-action.html
Rakesh…enjoyed reading your blog and I entirely concur with your views. Those who oppose Interlok are living in denial.
As for the origin of the word “Pariah” (or Parayar in Tamil), there are several differing views and a source of dispute among scholars.
BTW, I was rather surprised to see your father’s name is exactly same as mine !
You mean my grandpa’s name. Dad’s is Premakumaran (son of T.P Shankaran Nair). Thanks for reading Calvin. Head over to my brother’s blog: http://balankumarpremakumaran.blogspot.com/, you will find another bloke you can agree with. Thanks again (sorry Helen for using your blog site to promote those sites).
As pointed out by Helen,
“Interlok was to teach a lesson to Chinese and Indians that we’re pendatang and a compulsory SPM paper makes for a captive audience. B’cos of the mulut bisa si DAPster, schoolchildren are made to suffer:”
Its to register in the minds of our kids ‘ Hey you are from low class background, dont make noise, you dont deserve any rights other than what we give you”
Shahraman,
INTERLOK as its English version means interlocking which is in original Malay “bersimpul”.
It means our fates are together. I read the novel and I do not see anything offensive. “Pariah” was a reflection of an Indian who feels that in this land he will not be looked down the way he suffered in India. I read the novel and I must vouch it is a good one. The writer does not insult Hindus in any way.
The real issue is someone protested and this made the Govt looked bad for no reason. Nobody is saying Chinese and indians should be reminded again and again that their forefathers were “pendatang”.
But in all honesty, quite a number of politicitian have “pendatang” mentality.
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Shamshul,
The protest was so strong, widespread and sustained that the govt backed down despite the displeasure of the Malay & language/literary groups.
Helen
Helen,
What you expect the govt to do? They took the only available way that is to amend some words.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Govt has withdrawn the book from syllabus. Indian votes a factor in decision as MIC president (not Education Minister) first announced the decision. — Helen
Malaysian in NewYork,
Please do not make an issue with Calvin Sankaran’s name. I mean you do not have to insinuate him by inferring that the first name is necessary for benefits of his American friend.
And I do not run down non malays. I was just narrating what these Hajis and Lebais told me what happened that triggered May 13. They were witnesses on this tragedy.
Of course, you find it as “insulting” as it is so different from what you want to believe. But I guess it would not be insulting if Shuhaimi Baba depicted badly on Tun Razak or Malay leaders. I mean they must be bad as they are Malays.
“… Malays are so gung ho on politics…” Hmmmnnn. That you levelled to a race that allows Chinese politicians to win in Malay area.
The truth is you are unable to accept that Malays just like any other races have good traits too. We still think for others. The only mistake they made (from your view) is that they also think for Malay aspiration. And of course that is wrong to you.
Shamsul, i think u should brush up your history, u said a minority (meaning non-malay) depend on malay (umno) to gain a seat to be a minister. do u know the non-malays ministers are from BN’s coalition to represent the races concerned?
U should not be too biased in saying that the non-malays must be grateful for whatever given to us. we are proud to say we can prosper leaps and bounds without too much help from government compared to you malays despite most sugarcoated goodies, e.g.discount for buying houses, special loans with low interest rate n many2 more benefits only for bumiputras, yet after many years since 1969 when NEP was implemented, malays still belum achieve whatever they are supposed to achieve, can u please tell me why?
And also do u think without the non-malays striving so hard (together of cos wth the malays) to make the country what it is today, u malays can enjoy the endless NEP for so long? Do u think foreign investments would have come in and help the economy grow so well if not for the non-malays hardworking attiude? So to say that we depend on malays for a place here is totally wrong.. a good example is Indonesia, when the govt chased the rich chinese out of the country, indonesia became a mess for many years.. that shows to prove chinese minority there too helped prosper the country when they were there, but poverty striked when they left, wch of cos resulted foreign investments followed them too.
Gan,
Why dont you read carefully what I wrote? I never deny contribution by Chinese. I am critical, not paranoid.
What I stress is that if Malays are so “gung ho” about politics the way practised by Lim Dynasty, why on earth UMNO asks its member to support say MCA in Malay majority areas. Of course no Malays are stupid enough to believe otherwise is possible. So give some credit when it is due.
It means that they (much maligned Malay community) still thinks about others. And good trait is not limited to one race only. Just like there are hardworking Chinese, there are also hardworking Malay or Indians.
As for Indonesia, it was in a mess for decades even before Chinese was chased out. Foreign investment does not stopped just the absence of Chinese. No investor would want to put in money if the host country is not stable. There are many reasons for FDI.
I also would like to ask question: Why on earth after 54 years of independence that non-Malays still insist on separate school system that separate us literally AND at the same time lamenting why Malays are suspicious of them.
I believe no prize should be given for answering that accurately.
Shamsul,i myself never been to a chinese school, so i am sorry to answer your question.
One thing i like to say is that, we are all happy living in this country and even tho chinese are not bumiputras, at least 3 generations are already rooted here.
So to keep on stressing on malay supremacy over the non-malays is just causing stress for yourself, why not we just continue making this nation a happy place to live in harmoniously.
No man is an island.., one day, who knows, you or your saudara may be helped by a chinese in a life n death situation, and thats the time u will realise we are interdependant on each other.. and living in Love n Peace is the ultimate choice for everyone under this multiracial malaysian sun.
Thank you for your time reading this.
God bless u and all.
the crux is “chinese”, chinese school is smokescreen. btw, i am from chinese school, but it make no difference if u understand how they operate and manoeuvre.
Shamsul, sorry, i mean i m unable to answer your question.
Gan,
Since when I am stressing the supremacy of the Malays over Chinese? What make you think I believe in that. I am amply reminded by no less Quran that a race does not connotes supremacy over others.
I never deny there are good Chinese the way there are good Europeans or good Arabs. The opposite also is true.
What I am saying that all of us must stop cheating ourselves. If we want to be truly united, the most logical step is through youngsters. Through one school concept.
Meaning we do not have to reinvent the wheel. Just follow the rest of the world with one school concept.
And you are unable to answer why the resistence on one school system. So do not get upset when Malays in general view Chinese with suspicion and vice versa.
Because we do not “know” each other. Why? Because we insist on separate way. Why?
Because it is easier for useless politicians whoever they are to control us by creating imaginery separation in our mind.
Shamsul,
Why u keep harping on a negative attitude towards the minority non malays asking for more rights when most rights malays have, are being enjoyed by the rich malays who are getting richer but poor malays even tho not getting poorer are not getting richer?
Of cos u may say, never mind thy are still your race but how u feel if the rich children are enjoying the fathers wealth happily but poor malays’ children suffering due to their fathers struggling to make ends meet? Will poor malays like this type of uneven wealth forever? Is it not time for a change of government for a better future?
Gan, you are getting political. We don’t need any change if we can accept and ensure that Malaysians prosper per se without the added baggage of origin with our semua tahu attitude. This does not need to be 1Malaysian or Malaysia first but just Malaysians.
You will never need an agenda if truth and humanity is pursued when you are ready to cleanse yourself as a community for the other. The government whether BN/PR makes no difference if the people are unhappy? The fault lies on us individually because we are caught up with a brainwashed though the mind process rather than how we can be humane enough to deal with it. You don’t politics for this but just your conviction for the reality.
THe comments are all about races,,my race,,,your race,,,,why cant we talk about good governance…transparency….well being of the people and the nation in general?
Shamsul Annuar and Helen, i like to hear your comments on the recent ‘controversial’ award of Project by the government and the arrest of Rafizi.
Read Dr Syed Alwi’s comment on why “It’s really quite impossible to secularise or forget race & religion in Malaysia.” He is, I believe, a Singapore physicist.
Under the Sedition Act 3(f), it is seditious:
Article 152 is titled ‘National Language’ which is bahasa Melayu.
Article 153 is titled ‘Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc, for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak’
Article 181 is titled ‘Saving for Rulers’ sovereignty, etc’
The national language is BM which is the native tongue of the Malay RACE.
1(b) of 152 also provides that “nothing in this Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or of any State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language any other community in the Federation”.
In the course of the SRJK(C) polemics, MCA invoked the Sedition Act to assert that it is seditious to question the right of the Federal Govt or of any State Govt to use and allow for the study of hanyu which is the language of the Chinese RACE.
Clause (1) of 153 provides for the “special position” of the Malay RACE and that of the Sabah-Sarawak natives, i.e. the Iban RACE, the Kadazan RACE etc.
Clause (1) of 181 preserves the sovereignty of the Rulers. The Rulers sit in the Majlis Raja-Raja Melayu. Our monarchy system has always been called sistem Raja-Raja Melayu; they’ve never been called Raja-Raja Malaysia. See, http://www.arkib.gov.my/1048?p_p_id=56_INSTANCE_6Cfa&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-3&p_p_col_count=1&page=1
Therefore the factor of Race is inbuilt in our FedCon as well as in our laws (the Sedition Act for example is Act 15).
When we’re discussing issues like the preservation of vernacular schools, how can we escape from the holistic framework (the race nails that keep our precarious house of cards from tumbling down)?
When the DAPsters parrot the Firster chant that they’re “Chinese second” as if they’re so superiorly “above and beyond” petty racialism while Malays, Hindraf and other people are conversely racists, how many people reading this blog actually believe them?
Try telling the online mob that the DAP-led Penang state does not practice “good governance” (see Penang Forum grouses — ‘Forum wants answers to Penang’s ills‘) or that the Pakatan states lack “transparency” – what with all their gag orders and threats to sue – and the DAPsters will surely go berserk.
Therefore, the doublespeak on politically correct language (“good governance”, “transparency”, “accountability”) and the Christian hardsell of “we’re all one race, brothers and sisters, lurve, lurve, lurve” is a pretty pretense wrapping the in-denial political expediency.
The lovey-dovey touchy-feely vocabulary, while it may be successful in fishing and collecting Twits, does not address core issues.
Gan,
It is actually very simple. If we want to pretend, we can. But the truth is that only one school system will be able to unite us.
It is an irony those who speak about unity is the most vocal about this matter. Yet they chide and question whether we are Malaysian first or Malay first.
I am not saying forget your identity. By all mean learn Tamil or Mandarin but under one roof.
The very foundation of this country is ability of various races to live together. It is an amazing story. why let useless politicians dictate and separate us?
No need to be pretentious about race. Everywhere is it important. Accept reality there may not be Malay PM in singapore. Nothing wrong about that as the sentiment of majority must be accepted. Obama becomes President as he carries the image of WASP. Forget White House if he is a Muslim.
Similarly it is not coincidence that Malaysian PM is a Malay.
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Would you be willing to open up residential schools, MRSMs and matriculation colleges to all races so that the 1School lives up to its concept? — Helen
Helen,
Malays will not be suspicious if there is no “Mandarin is preferred” in private sector and Chinese stop lamenting that they are 2nd class citizens (meaning unfairly treated by Malays).
Or if Chinese is willing to respect Bahasa Melayu and accord its prominents in “papan tanda’. Or some private developer stop saying “rumah sudah dijual” to Malay buyers just so keep the rows of houses to Chinese only. Or the Chinese can ensure that all their children are proficient in Bahasa Melayu.
Even now, Malays already dismantle many of their rights without Chinese giving up at all. Liberalization of public sector is one example.
yup…helen,
100% agree by this so called moronic Malay, wiil the Chinese do likewise? ataupun kau punya kita kongsi tapi yang aku punya, aku punyalah…
dah biasa dengan gameplan orang China…
MsianinNYork,
Conviction for relity? The reality here is the present govt n cronies are sucking up the rakyat wealth and bankrupting the country. If this isnt stopped we will be like syria, turkey n etc..
we kept telling ourselves the same as u thinking, ala we are happy per se for many years, but the longer it drags, the more money are siphoned off through issues like cows staying condos so to speak and many more unspeakable truths.
We have been consoling urselves, better to trust the old devil than the new angel! but the old devil never change for the better and getting worse after every election where more worms are found in the cans.. we the rakyat is actually in a dilemma, what have you to say about this?
Gan, you say “The reality here is the present govt and cronies are sucking up the rakyat wealth and bankrupting the country”. Really!!! Hasn’t this been happening for the last 55 years?
Then you say “We have been consoling ourselves, better to trust the old devil than the new angel! but the old devil never change for the better and getting worse after every election where more worms are found in the cans.. we the rakyat is actually in a dilemma, what have you to say about this?
Now I agree with what you said, yet what does this all boil down to? Old devil new devil will always be a devil if the motivation is $$$$. Who and how the devil is made out to be is left to us as the public to have the conviction in our doings rather than getting caught for what is politically right and cakap like we know it all. This does not need a rocket scientist to decide but rather is this fair or just.
Let’s look at this [YouTube]. So how Gan?, where is your better devil in this equation?
Devil is a self derived notion when the public lives without conviction for his/her own individual reality without a concern for the community. Eergh!!!, waiting for Shamsul and likewise to justify it is okay, let’s screw the century old Pendatang, as once you one and you will always be one minus the modern day Indon, Bangla, Pakistanis, Afghan to ensure the modern Malaysia to prosper for the Malay Muslims.
Aha…negative aura again… I have been hearing so much noise about Malaysia as if nothing is good about Malaysia. In 1957 i heard the skeptics predicted this country will break into pieces, there was threat from communist and there was also threat of racial clashes…but somehow this motherland survive and prosper. Kudos to our elders Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and V Sambanthan in spite of racial and religious difference managed to come out a compromising formula. In other countries, I am sure they will cut each other throat.
In 1998, this country was also attacked by foreign speculator. Bigger countries like Thailand n Indonesia succumbed to the IMF demand and humbly they had to beg for money. This country faced two threat, one from the foreign speculator and another from Anwar Ibrahim. Many skeptics predicted that this country will go bankrupt, but yet this motherland survived and prosper.
Yes the motherland had survived again.. surprise isn’t?? this good for nothing naysayers.
My advice to you… if you don’t like the country so much… just do something honourable… apply to withdraw your citizenship. Please also invite your children, your aunties, your relatives to join you. I am sure the grass is greener over there.
I am sure the space vacant left by you and your relatives can be filled with people that valued the Malaysian citizenship. I am sure if Malaysia offer the citizenships, hundreds of thousand will apply.
Sham, i personally feel its never possible having a PM other than a malay becos lets admit it, malays is majority here n also it is in the constitution.. DAP’s dream of tat is just shiok sendiri feeling, wch PKR will never agree ala DAP is in that coalition.
Gan,
Perhaps you are not aware that as per Muslim belief, ‘power can be taken away faster than split seconds’
It is a Quranic verse, reminding Muslims that “Allah SWT can grant power to anyone he likes and takes it away faster than split second”.
As such, anyone can be the Prime Minister.
Constitution is just a piece of paper. Should malays lose power (and they themselves to be blamed) then whatever their aspirations or what they cherish) will go to the drain.
The first thing to go is the institution of Raja raja.
Shamsul, as long as malays are the majority in this country, logically nothing of that sort will ever happen.
Some people are using this ‘malay will lose power’ issue to get more sympathetic votes. That’s it.
shamsul, majority of the opposition seats are held by malays. even if pakatan wins, majority of pakatan controlled seat will still be held by malays.
the royal institution will be safe, so long as the royals don’t misbehave or become tyrant. that was what happened in france, nepal, n indonesia. the royalty fell not because of the citizens movement, but because the royalty became greedy n detached from the citizens.
remember, umno n utusan in the 80s were campaigning to discredit the royals.
‘remember, umno n utusan in the 80s were campaigning to discredit the royals.’
Not an accurate statement, I think. ‘Twas mid-90’s when UMNO, in particular Dr. M was vocal on the House of Royalties due to a case where a royal was not acting royally in slapping a hockey coach (his name escapes me – Loper or Gomez).
Shamsul, thanks for telling the power of the Allah.
But if the present govt lose power, they wont take it lying down.
You see, even before the GE, theres a a scare warning of the repetition of the historic May 13 event, through passing the blame baton to DAP requesting the latter to make sure it wont happen.. but actually what that means is your guess as well as mine.
Any proof Bro? BN has lost before in Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Perak, Kedah and also Selangor. Any one died? Any chaos? Any riots?
The only chaos happened in 1969. This was not because BN (formerly call Perikatan) lost (it was hung government in Selangor) but because some non-Malays becoming arrogant, biadap and had tried to chase the Malays out of KL. The Malays of course retaliated back. It had happened before.. please google.
Perang Batu Kikir (1945), Lukut Massacre (1834) and Bau Chinese Rebellion (1857) and tried to understand the circumstances why the Malays had to retaliated back. The Malays were then reacting to the Chinese.
Wiseman Chong,
Goondoo is right. UMNO takes the defeat calmly. As an example, no chaos took place in Selangor or Perak after 2008 election. And in May 13, whose procession that ventured into Kg Baru with huge “penyapu” and who screamed “melayu pergi mampus. KL kita punya”. Did you see any malay go berserk and chase non Malays say in JOhor for continously winning the state for more than 5 decades?
The one who can not accept the result is Anwar Ibrahim. He refused to accept the result that BN still win in Federal level. and DAP happily tagged along.
So, who actually who can not accept the result. BN or PR?
As for advice on May 13, do you want people at each throat then will you offer advice. What is so wrong about advising people about sensitivities of other races. What is so wrong in advising people to tone down?
Do you think people do not have sensitivities? What would Muslim feel when a group of extremists burnt a replica of horse right on their face in Shah Alam 2 years ago?
After that May13 bad incident, i am sure many regretted for the lives lost and no one in their right minds would want to see a repeat of that. We should forgive and forget and continue living harmoniously. Lets hope if BN wins better in the coming GE, corruption will be wiped off and the rakyat will be able to enjoy more wealth of the country together happily.
Wiseman, even with the battering BN got in the last election, they still didnt learn any lesson, corruption is still there right from the top man, and you are hoping that ‘BN wins, corruption will be wiped off” Dream on!
The sad part is now corrupted people are walking among us, unashamedly in the open,, they fear nothing , not the people nor the laws,,,
In response to comment #103, Calvin , you say,
Calvin, what can I do if you indulge with such unprincipled friends and use them as an example. Is it my fault or the ability to recognize the surrounding is what you create without compromising the truth and reality for another?
I am not actually concerned with your friends because, I have been out of the country for considerable number of years and have seen the semua tahu Malaysians who live abroad and preach everything to fit their own agenda without moving a muscle.
I am more concerned with Malaysian like you, who talk like you know it all but nothing happens yet giving examples of some stupid Malaysian like you friends who have done nothing but to ensure their own survival. Talk sense Calvin, not gibberish. Your example actually personifies with whom you are associated, the typical semua tahu community for their own individual need.
Shah,
Yeah u are right..everyone is hoping for BN to keep up to its promise to transform especially from corruption, but they never learn their lesson after the 12th GE, with lagi more corrupted incidences dug out through the help of the opposition, esp the fiasco of buying condos for cows, so to speak.
Before every GE they made empty promises to be broken. Of late they got the guts to come out with the slogan “JANJI DITETAPI” meaning promises fulfulled.. their fulfilled promises are only those money splashing events as shown in the video clips, but the most important item, i.e. corruption is still walking tall endlessly.. the latest
e.g. Is the arrest of an opposition man when he raked up the NFC issue.. this 11th hour to the 13th GE wrong move will swing more votes away from BN because the rakyat view it as an encouragement to corruption.. BeEnd will never change unless it is taught a bad lesson in the coming GE hopefully!
Fearful rakyat may worry that 513 will rear its ugly head again should the opposition wins. BN has lately warned DAP about it happening again.. We must not be unduly worried or fearful of that happening because there is a great difference in scenerio now and in the 1969 GE.. At that time DAP was solo without any backing from other opposition parties.. so the riots was mainly between the chinese and malays.
But now DAP is within the folds of Pakatan Rakyat(PR), a multiracial party.. So how can DAP ever think of repeating May 13th in this coming 13thGE if PR wins, knowing very well the malays supporters now are divided btwn BN and PR.
A good reminder is after 308 when PR wins more states, nothing like 513 happened, right? Therefore BN’s fear warning asking assurance from DAP is actually totally uncalled for, it may be just a fear tactic for rakyat not to vote for opposition PR..
true. before ge12, i recall hearing from some pro bn people about how may 13 will happen if bn loses votes. turns out 5 states fell, bn lost 2/3rds majority, but no racial unrest.
same thing with bersih 2.0 n 3.0.
today with modern communication things can be verified quickly to check rumors. not like last time when the people in power had near total monopolies on media n communication.
Wiseman Chong,
From what I see the malays are leaning back towards UMNO. the biggest casualty is PAS as it is seen as renouncing its principle to please DAP.
There is no such thing as BN’s fear warning. Advising people not to play with others sensivities is a responsible move.
Many of my Chinese friends are surprise when I told them how upset Muslims are with insistence of few pastors to use “allah”. They thought UMNO purposely brought that to be an issue. The otherwise is the truth. Muslims urge UMNO to speak up as they realise they cant depend on PAS on this matter.
Sham,
Lets hope BN is sincere in a way asking DAP for an assurance that 513 wont be repeated.
Regarding the ALLAH issue,if i am not mistaken the pastors were insisting that since christians and muslims share the same God,(God of Abraham) so Allah or God is the same Almighty.. I donno how far its true, it seems the Middle-East muslim countries also admit that God and Allah is the same person.. correct me if I am wrong.
Wiseman,
Christian worships Jesus while Muslims worships Allah. In Arabic, allah is general name for God.
in Malay, the word for God is “tuhan”. sharing the same name will result in violation of the very foundation of Islam.
In future, there will be pastors who will say “samalah ugama kia. Nama Tuhan pun sama’. saying that alone for muslims will amount to ‘syirik” the biggest sin in Islam. “perkara yang boleh mengelirukan akhirnya akan merngelirukan”.
as for DAP, it is all about Lim Dynasty. chinese interest is mere pawn in order to get power. I stand by what I said and I meant what I said.
MNY,
Well replied.
Gdoo should learn history why Msia didnt collapse despite many thought it would? why Msia can prosper to what it is today? what will happen if the non malays especially the Chinese leave here n of cos followed by foreign Investors who was and still here due to whom? how the govt can let the NEP continue since it became law in 1969 without the prosperity from the big joined up efforts of wch community whose never tiring attitude helped pulled in vast investments? I leave those questions to him to ponder.
There’s a saying, leave the dog who bark at the wrong tree, meaning no point waste our time with it.
Gan, Goondoo is Malaysian like you and me. I don’t blame him for his insecurity that is bulit around what is political and expedient to achieve the monetary gain that seems to be goal of all these political parties and our kiasu community. Let’s have more faith amongst us Malaysian irrespective of our origin for we can be Malaysians without the monetary factor but rather a humane approach towards it as and when it warrants.
Gan,
Malaysia nearly collapsed from the communist emergency. At that time, majority of the Chinese were communist or communist symphathisers. When the nation called for national service, how many Chinese did volunteered??
Malaysia prospered after 1969 because it was ruled by BN. BN provide the stability and formulate the right policy. They encourage foreign investment and diversified our economy from too dependent from commodity based economy. In spite of NEP introduced in the 70s the non Malays were not ignored. We also didn’t do like the Zimbabweans did by robbing the non Malay assets in order to balance the economy. No one was killed and no one was robbed.
UMNO elders advised us to choose non Malays candidates in Malay majority areas and together they compromise a proven power sharing scheme via negotiation. It spite of some shortcomings, it worked.
Christians use God in English and in BM is Tuhan as mentioned in BM Bibles. In East Malaysia, Allah can be used in the Bibles but there’s a clause specially printed on the top cover of such bibles that it’s only for use only by Christians. Pls excuse me if I’m wrong.
the word ‘allah’ is used by bumi christian, especially for orang asli, n sabah n sarawak. they have been using the name for hundreds of years.
why now all of a sudden, some religious zealots in government want to come up with this ruling?
what is next? banning christian material in bahasa?
Goodoo,
In reference to your comment #134. I love this part:
What are we talking about is fairness and justice irrespective of the origin and not how easily you deflect it because you are so mabuk with your political agenda with Melayu lawan Cina. Don’t you think we don’t know this? Is this the solution for people like you when the Non-Malays voice their grievances?
Then you say “I am sure the space vacant left by you and your relatives can be filled with people that valued the Malaysian citizenship”.
Is that how your percept the whole thingy, the Non-Malays are now sucked oranges, so kena buang and make space to be filled with Indon, Bangla, Pakistanis, Afghan. Aiseh man!!! What do you intend to create in Malaysia, one based on the religion and politics of the day or one should be humane enough for others to live together amongst your kinship?
Don’t argue just for the sake or arguing when you don’t have the conviction to face the reality of the aggrieved ones.
Miny:
Did I say this or did I insinuate something like this or is it you are trying to put words into my mouth? Did I pointed out any race in last posting in 134?? Or is it the case of “siapa yang makan cili akan terasa pedasnya”?
I have been hearing so much whining from ingrates; Some said that their religion were discriminated but yet churches and temples grow, some said that they were marginalised but yet the economy were controlled by them and they live in posh bungalow and drive a Mercedes. Some said their education were denied but yet they had vernacular schools, the only country in the world that allow such thing.
To make things simple whoever you are, Chinese, Indians or Malays who did not value the citizenship and how the country had grown in spite of our racial, religious and economic difference.. just do the honourable.. withdraw the citizenship.. I am sure there are thousands of people ( can be Japanese, Koreans, Arabs, Banglas, Indons, Chinese, Sri Lankan, Burmese etc ) will be thankful for the opportunities to replace you.
If you still value the citizenship, stop whining but work together to make Malaysia better just like our forefathers did (Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V Sambanthan). When Malaysia faced crisis don’t be like eunuch, and be the first to pack your bag and take the first flight out.
When the motherland require your national service like facing the communist emergency, don’t give excuse but offer yourself to defend the motherland.
Sham
While Allah word is not allowed, Tuhan is allowed since our Rukun Negara was made,as mentioned in one of the items, “Kepercayaan kepade Tuhan..” so lets let the matter rest.
Wiseman,
so settle then. christians use the word “jesus’ or “tuhan’.
Sham, i donno where you stay when u advise chinese about integration wth one another. So far i see there’s no racial problem in mixing within all the races here becos msia is well-known to be a peaceful multi racial society.
Those who migrated are mostly the so called English educated and there’s no question or thought of vernacular schools.
As far as people like me are concerned, we are satisfied and living happily here with friendly Malays, Indians neighours. Our children helped each other in their studies when young and most of our them have grown up as successful professionals like docs, dentists, lawyers.. so migration is totally not our agenda.
Gan,
All races have legitimate concerns. and all races have to compromise.
From the bottom of my heart, my advice to Chinese community is that they must accept that the way forward is integration with the rest of Malaysians.
Before anyone wants to migrate, do remember that there is no vernacular schools in other countries. And stop dreaming of asking that.
Sometimes we need to ponder a while why people perceive us like the way it is.
the problem with this country is people don’t understand history. they claim to know it but they don’t understand the meaning of it.
malaysia gained independence after the main races went to london and ‘fought’ for it. mca did it alone and was rejected. tunku did the same and was rejected as well. only when the 3 main races went together they were successful. the right to vernacular education is in the malaysian constitution. it’s true that there’s hardly any other country in the world who has it but at the same time hardly any country in the world has nep as well.
the real shame is most of us think of this as a zero sum game. the ruling party wants us to think that any benefit bestowed to one race will definitely harm the other. the truth is this country has enough resources to shared by all.
Tiada masalah kepada pelakon jika mereka berlakon sesuatu watak benar mungkin kerana saya faham pemikiran mereka semasa menghadapi banyak masalah dengan Red Bean Army.