Irma, a reader of this blog, commented @ 2015/02/10 at 8:23 pm,
“If you read the trending tweets, about 80 per cent supporting Anwar and kutuk-ing govt seem to be non-Malays. Very seditious and racist comments, too. Also contempt of court. Let’s see if authorities act against them.”
This happens not only in Twitterverse but elsewhere too – in the social media (Facebook) and in blogosphere.
It does certainly appear as if the non-Malay supporters of Anwar Ibrahim are practising scant restraint in their overdrive to bash the government. And their comments are nasty, to say the least; with regard to Saiful Bukhari Azlan, their remarks are downright vile.
Today, a regular Sun Daily columnist commented on the Anwar sodomy trial and verdict as well – see screenshot below, passages highlighted in yellow.
Tricia Yeoh wrote:
“Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, being sentenced to five years in prison for sodomy, has been criticised by several reputable international organisations, including the International Commission of Jurists, Human Rights Watch and Forum-Asia, given the nature and circumstances under which he was charged in August 2008.
“Many independent observers believe this was selectively and inappropriately carried out in order to spell an end to Anwar’s political career.
“Leaders come and go, but if the justice system has compromised on its own neutrality, integrity and oath to uphold the rule of law, then this is what will be internationally scrutinised in the days and months to come, at the cost of our credibility and inward investment opportunities.” (http://www.thesundaily.my/node/295389)
Although Yeoh has been careful enough to insert the conditional ‘if’, i.e. she had written –
– “if the justice system has compromised on its own neutrality, integrity and oath to uphold the rule of law” –
– still, most readers would take Yeoh’s sentence above as indeed implying that the neutrality and integrity of the Malaysian justice system was likely to have been compromised.
And secondly, readers would understand that Yeoh’s conditional clause (“if … will be”) similarly carries the implication of our country’s credibility taking a nose-dive in the eyes of the international community.
My above reading of Yeoh’s article is the most persuasive as after all, Tricia Yeoh did write that the sodomy trial was believed to have been “selectively and inappropriately carried out in order to spell an end to Anwar’s political career”, albeit she did not claim the opinion to be her own but instead attributed it to “many independent observers”.
Tricia Yeoh is a former staff of the Pakatan Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim.
Anyway, regardless.
The observations that see print in the mainstream English media are aligned with what Irma has described of Anwar supporters who are slamming the government on Twitter.
Be it the print media, broadcast media (e.g. radio stations like BFM), online media or social media, it is the pro-Pakatan opinions that hold sway because it is the opposition people who are given the platform – even in The J-Star which is ostensibly a paper owned by a BN component party.
Plus not only do these Pakatan operatives, apparatchiks and supporters (who are being vociferous on the Anwar verdict) seem to be predominantly non-Malay but they additionally display a contemptuous view of our judicial process.
Being a Christian, it’s perhaps not surprising that Yeoh chose tack on the famous WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) format to her Sun Daily commentary today on the Anwar predicament.
Her rhetorical ‘WWJD’ question asked, “If the Tunku were alive today, one wonders what his opinion would be of the judgment that was so unanimously arrived at on Tuesday this week”. In other words: What would Tunku – the Anak Bangsa Malaysia mascot – do (or think)?
It’s true that Malays are the majority race in this country. However in terms of controlling the airwaves, digital space and column inches, especially in the English language, it is the Chinese Christians who exert a suffocating chokehold.
It is also the Chinese Christians mainly who get to determine what information and narrative are presented to be heard by the general public due to their control of the media industry. Even in a newspaper that is called the M-A-L-A-Y Mail!
[Recommended read: ‘Quran distribution: ‘Hypocrisy of MCCBCHST‘ (Ismaweb, 10 Feb 2015)]
We should not be at all surprised that despite their dominant numbers, the Malays continually feel besieged. This is a case where ‘size does not matter’.
A good number of pro-establishment people are relieved by Anwar’s jail sentence and see Saiful Bukhari as the victim (and not the villain of the piece as what the Pakatan people claim).
In the English language however, we are deprived of adequate media platforms wherein to have our say or to challenge the loud and opinionated Anwaristas.
How is it that Najib Razak paid hundreds of millions to his media advisors and consultants but yet the Malays and Muslims, by and large, remain so stifled and starved of media channels through which to express a pro-government point of view?
Click twice to enlarge
Helen Ang 
The vilification goes ever on, Helen. I suppose because the tweets are in English. Foreigners can’t read the tweets in Bahasa which back Saiful.
Anyway, the western media should be the last ones to kutuk Malaysia. Look how it’s covering the Chapel Hill shooting of the 3 young Muslim students. I could hardly find anything on CNN, BBC etc last night. If the victims were Christian or Jewish and the killer Muslim…
And describing the killer as an “atheist”. Hypocrites!
Anyway, wonder when we’ll see the re-emergence of Anwar’s neck brace and wheelchair.
re: “wonder when we’ll see the re-emergence of Anwar’s neck brace and wheelchair”
Good one!
We’re really polarized as a society in our reactions. It’s a political fault line but one that overlaps much with ethnicity.
Below is one of the drama queen scenes.
he deserves an oscar for this performance! so realistic that millions of malaysians were reduced to tears upon seeing it. what an amazing talent that steven spielberg has overlooked!
You don’t have any sympathy for a 60 something man rotting in jail? And that man is once a deputy PM of this country. His daughter also said there’s a lot of cockroaches in jail ( no kidding, she did say that in last Tuesday PC!)
Yes lots of cockroaches in one man. Anwar.
Of course we sympathy with that cockroaches.. hopefully the community of cockroaches be patient with this guy.
clearly yeoh is another so call journalist……cari makan……she clearly stated where she stands….which side she’s with……
it’s not ok, when she commented on the judgment……..she should comment based on the facts on record, the court proceeding……
what she did was expressing her feelings not a single word on facts of the proceeding…..and trying hard to corner the readers to get along with her……i’ll bet it will be different if the outcome is the other way around…….another m’kini disguise…..
Yeoh is not a journo. She was Khalid Ibrahim’s aide, and in public relations. She’s now with IDEAS.
Just wanna add:
IDEAS is a think-tank.
There are plenty of think-tanks, including those that are government-aligned. However only certain ones are heavily promoted by the alternative media, as are certain usual suspects-talking heads too, who are called upon as pundits to comment whenever an issue crops up, e.g. Aziz Bari, Khoo Kay Peng, James Chin, Wong Chin Huat, Azmi Sharom etc.
Now Aziz Bari is a PKR politician !! who contested Sabak Bernam in GE13. But the portals sneakily misrepresent his views as coming from a non-partisan academic.
The pro-opposition media are very crafty in their image-building of those they favour, image-destroying of those they dislike (Perkasa, Isma, Utusan) and deliberately biased in order to shape and skew public opinion.
Look at how they attach different kinds of adjectives – positive/negative – to different organizations depending on whether they’re being promoted or otherwise:
# Merdeka Center, “respected” pollster
# IDEAS – “independent” think-tank
# Utusan – Umno “mouthpiece”
# Perkasa – “right-wing” group
# Isma – “extremist” movement
They (the opposition) have a stranglehold on the media and channels of information and hence they direct the propaganda script.
Clueless Najib has allowed his opponents to seize the initiative. That’s why BN is badly losing the battle of perception.
right helen……smells of NED on all these tanks….typical, the american way………..wonder what is najib’s tanks doing ….breeding some sepats, i guess………
hahaha … Talent Corpse … Pemandu, driving bus off the cliff
A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids flowing towards a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls.
People asked him how he managed to survive. “I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived.”
Mr. Najib appears to have fallen into the rushing torrents. Surely he won’t be able to accomodate himself to the water without thinking straight and acting right – can he survive the falls by responding sublimely to the challenging circumstances?
Like and appreciate the Taoist part of the story. Thanks for sharing.
I guess Tricia Yeoh didn’t mind Anwar ending her former boss political career because he wanted to make himself, later his wife the MB of Selangor.
She left Khalid’s office some time earlier, before the ouster.
The ones directly affected were Faekah, Arfa’eza et al who received the golden handshake.
Don’t you think it’s extra hypocritical to accuse the government of selectively persecuting Anwar to end his political career after Anwar forced Khalid Ibrahim out of the Selangor MB post, cutting Khalid’s political career short?
They are always accusing others of things they themselves do.
One more reason to be wary of all their accusations and slander.
re: “One more reason to be wary of all their accusations and slander.”
I’m a victim of their slander, and I have up close and personal experience of how vile and vicious their fabrications (fitnah) can be.
Yes, they’re hypocrites all right. The worst of the lot are the religious hypocrites.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/hate-and-vilify-the-sinner/
Got 13 witness……..where in the end?
Give his sworn admission from the dock , do want how?
Last but not not lease DNA do want to use to collaborate his innocence why?
This idiot has been taking everyone for a ride for the past 7 years.
You talk about injustice what about the injustice of him to prove himself innocent to the whole country. If he was not guilty why not?
Why want save whatever dignity he doesnt have.
Like they say a leopard never changes its spots , it just lives in camouflage which is what everyone see.
Whatever it is Anuar ibrahim has left his lasting impressions , he will always be remembered of those medicine peddler banging their empty box of the 70/80ies.
Justice is done , justice is not only favoring Anuar ,others too need justice to serve on them .
Yes he Najib placed a big net but with little catch so with Anwar he does expect big catch notwithstanding that these people are all in unsteady move and most annoyance’s mound formed the net Anwar’s
Why keep harping about the Tunku now? Was Tunku so great to the DAP when he was PM? What did DAP and the Chinese do to the Tunku? What was May 13, 1969 all about?
These are all hypocrites of the highest order. They abused the Tunku and the Malays and the others who chose to work with the Tunku. How come they are now so selective about our history and all praising the Tunku sky high?
I and those of my generation remember. We remember Lim Kit Siang most. His hatred for the Malays is so much greater now.
I’ve never been so angry about the hypocritical and forked tongue Chinese politicians.
Sorry for the digression but this needed to be said.
Kit Siang is old. He has repented. That was in the past. He likes Malays now.
I thought the overall reaction to Anwar’s verdict is rather tepid at best. Granted there are people who criticized the verdict but typical supporters would have also gotten tired about Anwar saga for almost 2 decades already (1997 until now). Time to move on.
You’re probably right about the rather tepid response, in the grand scheme of things.
What I meant by “split in two” is that due to our automatic allegiances, we take ‘Either OR’ sides.
Tricia Yeoh’s article take is predictable, i.e. complaining about the selective prosecution/ political persecution.
You wouldn’t hear the Dapster evangelistas commenting that AI is guilty and justice has been served.
On the other side of the political divide, the reaction is that the judges made the right decision.
The polar opposites of the two responses correspond with (1) the Pakatan side being against the judgment.
Whereas on the other side (2), the verdict is hailed as being quite correct.
splitting malaysia in two indeed…the lgbt supporters & the other anti-lgbt groups
‘Lawyer to produce Jakim’s “extremist” sermons’ @ http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/288389
(1) Paulsen was one of Anwar’s lawyers.
(2) He believes that Jakim sermons on LGBTs are a sign of the Islamic department’s extremism.
(3) Is it possible to join the dots between (1) and (2).
But in any case, if Malaysia is split between the LGBT supporters & anti-LGBT groups … ,)
anwar ibrahim
ikan2 didalam satu kolam mesti tahu apa yg masing2 makan. bukan tak tahu kot?
Ms H. The lawmakers and the lawyers should now go back to their alloted tasks of revising the following antiquated Malaysian laws :
1. The Trustees Act 1949. Not revised for 66 years.
2. The Companies Act 1965. Not revised for 50 years.
3. The Bankruptcy Act 1967. Not revised for 48 years.
Singapore’s laws are the most up-to-date. It is alleged the laws could be revised in the court room. Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom discharge their bankrupts automatically unlike Malaysia which keep the bankrupts in PERPETUITY, a relic of the 19th century. These 3 laws are important for modern commerce and finance.
Also Sections 377A and 377B of the Penal Code?
yes la, in name of human rights katakan.
Maybe PKR can table the motion … Rafizi, MP Pandan pun boleh buat.
you will be surprised to see some support coming from among 222 wakil rakyat. the pandan mp can be their champion.
Patut pun. Jangan YB evangelista DAP pura-pura liberal tetapi tetap mahu menggunapakai hukum ahklak Kristian konservatif.
Puan Speaker kononnya menentang hubungan rasmi (perkahwinan) puak gay disahkan di sisi undang-undang tapi kalu si ketum yang buat, tak menjadi masalah.
it wld b benefial 4 all if we refrain from dicussing abt this man anwar from now on. I stil feel that he is a sick man n needs treatment. let him rest in d guest hse where he has all d time in d world 2 ponder abt his misfortune 4 being caught again. I sincerely hope that he wld show some remorse.
pls also ignore this woman yeoh. I m certain she wil also b history soon.
we got news abt d demise of tuan guru nik Aziz 2day. our condolence 2 d family. if tuan guru haron din takes over as d spiritual head, I m predicting that d break up of PR wil happen sooner than later. it’s also going 2 b a very interesting time 4 Selangor bcos he has no time 4 d dap.
lets wait n see.
If one believes the hype and propaganda of those who are government haters and anti government for simply being government, there would have been more arrests under the Sedition Act. Fr. Lawrence Andrew for one falls squarely into the category of a man whose statements are seditious prima facie.
Sedition is something that can be broadly described as an act or statement likely to bring the sovereign (that could include parliament who sit in his name, the courts who sit in his name and his ministers who hold office in his name) into disrepute, subject to hatred or to be reviled to the extent it may turn the population against them (the sovereign in all his forms and offices).
Thus far with Hannah Yeoah , Theresa Kok and others like Fr., Lawrence having been left off the hook one has to conclude the government is quite restrained in its use of the Sedition Act.
In lesser countries Ambiga would have been burned at the stake. But looking at her one wonders if it has already happened and she survived. Amah Busoh.
To have different view points and to be able to express them is the hallmark of a democratic and free society. To adopt the jaundiced and embarrassing views as expressed by Trisha Yeoh is not. Hers is the sign of that sector of a society on the move that for one reason or the other has been left behind.
Anwar Ibrahim was condemned by his own people (Karpal Singh in 1997 in parliament) not for his homosexual tendencies but for his propensity to impose his Homosexual tendencies by use of force on others. His sodomizing of others was legend during his days at College.
It is now incumbent upon all of us to reflect on the lies, the manipulation, the betrayal of the country, the contemptuous actions against the courts, the constitution and the judiciary by this unworthy individual we call Anwar Ibrahim.
More important, we need to ask what kind of people his family are. His wife dragged willingly by him all over the place without the decency or the character to stand up and say yes my husband is a fudge packer but I still love him (if she does indeed).
Instead as a first lady in waiting she mops it all up and swallows it. The evidence is overwhelming. She failed herself, her party and her children. But in consolation are chips of the old block and perhaps deserve no pity or consideration.
Ambiga’s and Yeoh’s credibility go down with that of Anwar’s,
Anwar Anwar Oh Anwar
reminiscent of the film Keluarga 69 portrayed by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee and AR Tompel this anwar family is.
clearly Tan Sri was a visionary producer and actor. those days, people especially malay community find it quite absurd to have a family like that. but 40 – 50 years later, it became quite a norm to have a dysfunctional family. anwar’s family is one of them.
somebody please nominate this fella as the next Seniman Negara.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of non-violent political engagement advised us:
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
Anwar lost himself in the service of others. He served himself on others and helped himself in the process loosing the political plot altogether.
None of these crooks who use the Gandhian excuse to cover their incompetence, ignorance and misdeeds have anything in common with Gandhi. Waytha Murthi and his brothers included.
re: “Waytha Moorthy and his brothers included.”
Not a fair comment :(
Yes I have the proofs. His two victims now old men like him. Settled and prepared to forgive but not forget. The only problem is that we were not asked to provide any evidence.
I don’t think it is unfair either Helen. I understand their plight, but do not accept that their methods and their means are any way to go about what they claim to be doing for the benefit of the country and its Indians.
And I do’t think they ought to be immune to criticism either. Thats unfair.
(1) Neither Waytha nor Uthaya are “crooks”
(2) How to measure “incompetence” or “competence”, and in what areas? as they’re not public office holders except for Waytha’s short stint later as a Deputy Minister
(3) “ignorance” – nobody cares enough or had the political will to solve the problems of the Indian poor – as one example, the displaced estate workers rendered urban squatters by the fragmentation of the estates when rubber became a sunset industry. Around 70 percent of the Indian workforce in Malaya in earlier days were labourers in the plantation sector, if my memory serves.
(4) “misdeeds” – sigh … Uthaya spent 3 years in detention for sedition (1-and-1/2 years each under ISA in Kamunting and in Kajang prison)
Waytha spent 5 years in exile – living frugally on McDs, taking the tube for transport and not ever getting enough sleep (due to the time difference between M’sia and the UK, and his having to take calls from KL when it is past midnight English time).
They’re not immune from criticisms. In fact, they get harsh criticism from both sides – BN and Pakatan.
Mr. Kumar, for me, Anwar is one of those few dirty drops that can never overwhelm the mighty ocean of humanity, try as they might.
1. ‘His sodomizing of others was legend during his days at College’.
do you have proofs? there’s no expiry date for sections 377A and 377B of the penal code. jika 4 atau 5 lima orang buat laporan (evidence aside), his time in the college would last for another 20 years minimum. boleh buat banyak phd wor!.
2. ‘His wife dragged willingly by him all over the place’
nominee for ‘isteri mithali’
3. ‘first lady in waiting’
the first lady is, and always has been, an unpaid public servant elected by one person, her husband (lady bird johnson). in malaysia, first lady is the queen.
re: “in Malaysia, first lady is the queen”
In Selangor, there is no Sultanah.
Our state has two MBs – the Menteri Besar & Mem Besar.
forget about the states. the king & the queen of federation of malaysia that’s what is known to the outside world. prime minister or ketua menteri doesn’t have a wife but ah jib gor or konon2 khalifah umar abdul aziz does.
we don’t see the wives’ photos plastered on the walls of gomen offices. yes, you are right, there’s no tengku ampuan of selangor, nor raja perempuan of kelantan. cheers Helen!
The first lady is the wife of the prime minster. The consort is the Sultanah or the wife of the Agung.
Grkumar,
First lady is a termed used in countries where the Head of state is too the very head of government. and it is used in countries that do not have monarchy.
Example would be Indonesia. jokowi is the President and also head of government. as such his wife is the first lady. USA is another example.
Singapore though being a republic , does not have the first lady. the reason being the President and PM are 2 different persons.
Malaysia, on the other hand maintains tradition of “raja raja”. According to the constitution, the woman who holds the supreme position above all women in Malaysia is the Consort of Yang DiPertuan Agung. The officialtitle is Raja Permaisuri agung.
Using “first lady” to refer to the wife of PM is an insult to the position of our Queen.
re: “Singapore though being a republic, does not have the first lady. The reason being the President and PM are 2 different persons.”
Can you clarify on France? The President and PM are two different persons too.
I beg to differ. The first lady is an unofficial term which does not belong to anyone particular species of female spouse of head of state or government. GRK
Helen,
It is not a straight forward matter. It too depends on tradition, cultures of the country.
Just that the norm where the title “first lady” is accorded to wife of a head of state who also the head of government.
As such there is no First lady of Thailand, First lady of Australia. Thailand has a deep rooted monarchy. Australia maintains allegiance to British Monarch.
As for France, it is simply misleading to use First Lady to wife of French PM.
re: “As for France, it is simply misleading to use First Lady to wife of French PM.”
The French press call the spouse/partner of their President “First Lady”.
There is no official title “First Lady” for any country except the US. Other countries followed as convenience to identify the wife of the head of state. But M’sia is a different story.
From what I recall, it started because of a bunch of journalists who were so enamored by the anything from the US finds it easier to refer to the PM’s wife as First Lady so they can compare her with FLOTUS and put her down at every instant.
It’s silly that after 50 odd years of independence suddenly the wife of the PM should be elevated by title when under the Constitution she is a non-entity. As a Malay I have a whole section written about my rights, but she has none as the wife of the PM. Ponder that!
re: “It’s silly that after 50 odd years of independence suddenly the wife of the PM should be elevated by title when under the Constitution she is a non-entity.”
If I may add just one detail – going by protocol (order of precedence), the YDP Agong is No.1 and his Permaisuri No.2. She’s ahead of all other dignitaries.
re: “As a Malay I have a whole section written about my rights, but she has none as the wife of the PM. Ponder that!”
FLOM has her own pink room in the PMO website ,)
haiya, susah2 sangat minta ah jib gor to amend the constitution to include the position or title of first lady is pm’s wife. anyway, the sultanah (of kedah) and raja permaisuri agung (not wife of the agung) are two different positions though held by one person. the first lady can claim to be the mother of malaysians but for certain she’s not one of the mothers of the believers.
kampong lad,
I fail to understand what exactly is your point.
i don’t understand either which part that you don’t understand. let me try to qualify nevertheless.
1. the first lady title – an unofficial term as GRK put it. (then why was (is) there an office of FLOM in the PMO?). tak perlu jawapan.
institusi raja-raja is one of the four institutions stipulated in the perlembagaan persekutuan. (kebanyakan negara2 cuma ada tiga sahaja, so, can we call it as rukun perlembagaan?) according to state’s protocol, the first person is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the Head of State or The King as known to the outside world. it is then followed by the Raja Permaisuri Agong. since the second person is a first female (after the first person who is a male), then would not the ‘first lady’ unquestionably belongs to Her Majesty?
can another female who is not even covered by the perlembagaan ‘hakmilikkan’ the positions? phew!
2. wrt the sultanah & raja permaisuri agong – my point is straightforward.
3. mother of malaysians and the mother of the believers – the title ‘MOMs’ (itu pun kalau ada sama juga seperti FLOM) is not for pm’s wife either. imagine, if the mothers of the believers not mentioned in the quran!
so, you got my point?
The term “first lady” has its origins in the White House of Bachelor President of the US James Buchanan. Not being married his niece became hostess to evens in the White House and accompanied him to events. But there was no title by which in the circumstances she could be referred to appropriately and therefore she became First Lady. It has been adopted sine to apply to the spouses of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Consorts of Kings.
malaysia has a king & a prime minister as well, so who’s the first lady then?
The Raja Permaisuari is not the Queen but the consort of the King. She has no state role official role to play and her husband the Yang Di Pertun Agong, the King has a limited constitutionally sanctioned role to play on behalf of the state . He is titular head.
The Prime Minister has the executive role as head of the executive and it is he who wields power under the constitution. He is therefore Perdana Mentri a derivative of the Sanskrit Pradana (or first) Mentri (minister). Logically from this follows that his wife is First Lady.
The famous story of the righteous King and his faithful Consort
[YouTube]
There is no fire like greed,
No crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation,
No sickness like the hunger of the heart,
And no joy like freedom.
Health, contentment and trust
Are your greatest possessions,
And freedom your greatest joy.
Look within. Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of living in the Way.
– from the Dhammapada of Gautama Buddha
re: “There is no fire like greed, No crime like hatred”
Does this mean it is appropriate to call the Dapster evangelistas “fiery criminals”?
A wise person observed: “Sooner or later in life, we will all take our own turn being in the position we once had someone else in.”
logically fallacious.
Yes there are at least two torn backsides that won’t forget him. Anwar was always a big man and a big bully at college. His other victims are settled people of a similar age as he. But they have moved on. he moves “in” where he is not wanted getting himself into trouble. What Anwar wants Anwar also believes should be rendered to him without question.
The prosecution did not ask. I or the people I refer to as his victims do not give up the information anyone wants as “proof”.
Why the Christians could gain control of the media:
1. Their internalised narrative is extremely dualistic – good vs evil, us vs them etc. This suits the sensational nature of the media.
2. Framing issues in a simplistic black or white manner traps readers into an uncritical mindset – it’s seems so easy and clear cut; for or against , no middle ground.
3. English proficiency, education and economic power – the so called English educated Chinese are by and large professionals, not business owners. This is the thing: Chinese culture actually places more cultural capital and respect to the highly educated , not to wealthy merchants although it is not so apparent here in Malaysia where the outward face seems to worship money (but that’s because most of us are actually not that academically brilliant so have to compensate with money. I’d rather my daughter marry a poor scholar than a rich businessman ) .. The Chinese christians leveraged on this to catapult themselves into key positions e.g. “Dr” OKM , Oxon Tony Pua etc because ordinary Chinese have an enculturated tendency to follow such people.
Majority of the Chinese Buddhists / Taoists have been too complacent, too focused on just money & business and allowed themselves to be in awe and in thrall with these people who are actually undermining our culture, our harmony and our future.
Well said C72. What a sad reality. I always thought so too. They became arrogant when they equate kebijaksanaan with kekayaan.
Then I realised how Malaya was swarmed with working class Chinese then, ‘the coolies’. These are not intellectuals and artisans to begin with therefore ‘kiasu-ness’ is the only way they know to keep surviving.
Its so much different in China… [YouTube]
CZ12,
Another factor being Malays through their Islamic traditions are forever merciful and magnaminous.
Examples are aplenty. They do not make a big fuss when Chong Eng, DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam insulted Islam by questioning Friday sermon. The recent Friday sermon reminded Muslims on importance of aurat. Yet Chong Eng, being a non Muslim, accused Friday sermon as demeaning.
But the response from Muslims are muted. WHY? Because Malays take the habit of seeing DAP as forever communist. As such it is not surprising that the response is very little.
Imagine the uproar if the opposite take place. Such as Ismail condemning greedy businesspeople who happened to be Chinese.
re: “Malays take the habit of seeing DAP as forever communist”
Well it’s high time the Malay outlook is updated. The DAP of today are greedy capitalists.
Helen,
I could not agree more. I once asked a friend of mine, a Malay, on whether the Malays will only act come the election day and UMNO lost due to no stop slandering by DAP. By then it will be too late.
Malays love to understimate the danger communist DAP can inflict and is inflicting on UMNO, Malays, Islam.
re: “Malays love to understimate the danger communist DAP can inflict”
They are greedy capitalists. Their nickname is Developers Above People party.
If you must call them something, then call then “terrorists” rather than communists. They’re Bintang Lima – the cucu-cicit of Bintang Tiga.
Helen,
what about chinese? Are they still blind to DAP’s antics and non stop slandering againsts UMNO, malays, islam?
typo: call THEM “terrorists”
*** *** ***
It’s the resentment at being discriminated (disfavoured by government policies). DAP hooks them on copious amounts of hate and anger.
Previously, the BN could counter-offer Peace (i.e. Stability) & Security.
Today the Chinese have largely lost their fear as we’re two generations past-May 13, and DAP has been successful in retelling history (their own doctored version) to the community.
Frankly, it is suicidal for a minority in any country to behave the way the Chinese are behaving in Malaysia.
You’re absolutely right about the “non-stop slandering against Umno, Malays, Islam” but the Chinese are taking sides, either or:
– Umno or DAP?
– Malays or Chinese?
– Islam or Christianity?
In all the three aspects above, what choice do you think the 90 percent are making?
may 13 – the son of almarhum tun ghafar baba among many others, has his own version. he’s not a chinese nor a member of dap.
Can pls provide link?
https://may131969.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/explain-your-role-in-may-13-kit-siang-to-dr-m/
Tamrin Ghafar is facing a sedition charge.
Have listened to Tamrin’s speech provided in your link. It is full of holes and based on hearsay.
I do not believe there was a plot or coup to install Tun Razak as PM.
FACTS
Tun Razak had been deputy prime minister since 1957.
May 13 happened in 1969. From 1957 to 1969, Tun Razak had been DPM and second fiddle to Tunku for 12 years, and in that dozen years, there was no sign to indicate that he wanted to oust his boss.
Tun Razak became Umno deputy president in 1951. At the 1969 milestone, he had been deputy to Tunku in Umno for 18 long years (1951-1969).
Now if Tun Razak could serve faithfully and playing second fiddle for 18 years (!), does he come across to you as a man who would suddenly turn around to betray his boss through a coup d’tat?
Tun Razak became PM in Sept 1970 and passed away in January 1976. He was PM for only a little over five years. And he already knew he was suffering from leukemia and that he would soon die.
Why would a terminally ill man want to grab power, which in any case he did not have much time on earth to enjoy?
And mind you, he didn’t enjoy. He worked very hard, and that took precious time away from his young family and his beautiful wife.
ADD:
I do not believe that Tun Razak was the kind of man to in any way engineer May 13 as the Dapsters allege.
On the contrary, I’m more convinced by the National Operations Council (NOC) report pinning some of the blame on Lim Kit Siang.
The Dapster family mafia is a menace to society.
I meant he didn’t “enjoy” (abuse) the perks of his position and power.
helen,
It is reaching a point of no return. It is a matter of time the patience will snap. And May 13 will look like a child play.
I too have had enough of these slandering and twisting of words by DAP Chinese friend who loves to mock BN, UMNO, Najib, Rosmah, Malays. He insinuated that UMNO purposely threw Anwar into jail just trying to create a wedge between PAS and DAP.
I told him off in public. Since he was so excited in raising his voice condemning UMNO, he was given a dressing down. I asked him whether he has a brain. I told him that there is no need for UMNO to slander Anwar, now a reject Malay politician.
your friend is a dap chinese who whacked umno (baru) for sending anwar, a malay-muslim to college.
ini membuktikan yg dap buta warna, tidak anti melayu, tidak anti islam, hanya memperjuangkan keadilan untuk semua rakyat malaysia.
you should have said this to him first and then tengok apa response dia. angkat tinggi2 dulu, kemudian baru lepas dia kebawah.
This article might provide further insight into the Lim Kit Siang partisans’ weltanshauung.
http://www.cato.org/policy-report/januaryfebruary-2013/how-china-became-capitalist
the greedy capitalists are not the dap alone. the serdang mp in his blog titiled ‘THE PRIME MINISTER MUST INSTRUCT ISMAIL SABRI TO RETRACT…..”. in it he explained reasons why the traders could not lower their prices despite the fall of petrol price. one of them is the petrol formed a small input of the product cost. yours truly commented as follows:
‘kamon guys, we, malaysians are all consumers. an owner of a transport company though benefiting from the price fall of the fuel for example, needs to purchase foodstuff as he doesn’t produce them. the issue here is the justification (is it ‘alasan’ in malay?) for not reducing the prices has not been consistent with when the petrol price increased. harga minyak naik, harga barang ikut naik 10%? 15%? despite ‘the price of petrol comprises a small component of the cost of goods’. so, what is the percentage of input, 1%? 2%?. be fair and sincere to all fellow malaysians. that’s my call’.
so, cina yg bukan pengeluar barang atau penyedia perkhidamatan, meaning they are consumers, apa bising2?
re: “apa bising2”
B’cos Ismail Sabri called on Malay consumers to boycott Chinese traders. His call is seen as racial.
so cina or chinese is a bad word leh!
Helen,
Najib must not fall into the trap. No need for Najib to order Ismail to apologize as it will legitimize what DAP has all been saying about UMNO: that UMNO is racist to its core.
Ismail hits the nerve for being blunt. He needs not apologize too. He just stating the truth.
But Ismail Sabri had called ‘Malay’ consumers (not Malaysian consumers) to boycott ‘Chinese’ traders (not errant traders of any race).
It was racial.
Helen,
No need to split hair. Ismail was referring to unethical businessmen who happened to be mainly Chinese. He was urging us to boycott these establishments.
re: “He was urging us to boycott these establishments.”
It appears to be an extension of the Boikot Barangan Cina DAP campaign.
Helen,
You know yourself that Ismail is not racist.
We’d have to explore the nuances between ‘racist’ and ‘racial’ then.
His call was racial / communal – that’s how MCA, DAP, Gerakan, the Chinese associations etc etc (and me too) interpret it. But I’m willing to grant that he may not be a racist.
I’m aware and understand that he’s channelling the sentiment of the Malay grassroots. The antagonism behind the BBCD campaign is in keeping with the spirit of the times and the Malay mood of the moment.
As long as the nation is split along the lines of the intelligent and informed on one side and the Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysian Bar and opposition on the other thats fine by me………….and millions of others in the majority.
agreed. but when it is divided between the haves & the have-nots, that would not be fine.
Ms H. It has been reported in the media that the PKR seeks our beloved Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its Chief Adviser. It is my opinion that Tun Dr Mahathir, a Malay, a Malaysian Icon, a World Statesman, is above the fray of the present level or standard of politics – IT IS UP TO HIM TO BE THE ADVISER TO ALL MALAYSIAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS.
Ms H. It seems with the RISING POPULARITY of our beloved Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, all our future Prime Ministers should be gauged on the TDM standard of Premiership as achieved by him and his predecessors who REALLY SACRIFICED TIME AND MONEY for us the Rakayt. The TDM standard of Premiership excellence :-
1. COMMONSENSE
2. THE ABILITY TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX
3. COMPASSION
We Malaysians are naive, friendly and hospitable and polite and courteous in practice. We are not born stupid as some would like to think we are.
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad:
A Fine Gentleman and Indomitable Intellectual:
John Williams: J.S. Bach Prelude from Lute Suite No. 4 in E Major
[YouTube]
Pujangga Negara
I thought John Wiliams plays the Spanish guitar.
If you wish, Senor Ed . . .
Cordoba [YouTube]
“The titles and music speak for themselves, whether it is the sunny port of Cadiz, the romance of Granada, or the wonder and mystery of Córdoba and its mosque – to enhance the mood of this near the beginning we could not resist using an echo effect in the recording as if temporarily opening the door to hear a choir singing from another world.” (J.C. Williams, 1994)
Ms H. Hey ! In Democracy it takes two to tango. Our Free Malaysian Style Democracy with its Open Capitalistic Characteristics needs the Opposition to make it complete.
Look at the ever unending tragedy in the ancient Arab World which had known no Democracy from ancient times but despotic regimes from the end of the Ottoman Empire 1492 to 1919 and thereafter carved up by the British and the French.
Democracy a precious asset, finds it difficult to take root. Malaysia Boleh !
Is the great Leader taking a leaf from my 100 day fast and boycott option ? It is a question of timing, you know !
ED,
Ottoman Empire , like other empires, suffered internal conflict ranging from refusal to change with time or sultan’s preoccupation with harem.
But its treatment of non Turkish I believe is comparable to other empires. Where in other empires, non turkish can rise to the post of Grand Vizier.
Democracy is one form of governance. But it depends on those practising it to make it succcessful.
The Malays are facing the very similar predicament. they are urged to kick UMNO out just as Arabs were incited to revolted against Ottoman Sultan. Malays can kick UMNO out. But are they willing to live under DAP’s rule.
and who ever think that PAS will take over, please stop dreaming.
The Natural Law of Compassionate Justice – An Islamic Perspective
[YouTube]
The Muslim scholar Dr. Robert Crane is the former adviser to the late President of the United States Richard Nixon, and is former Deputy Director (for Planning) of the United States National Security Council.