That old man again...Mahatir. Malaysiakini

RACISM AND 2008 ELECTIONS

Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at November 17, 2008 9:15 AM |

1. When the Barisan Nasional did badly in the March 2008 General Election, foreign observers and many in this country were jubilant because they claim that it marked the demise of racial politics and racial parties in Malaysia.
2. I did not agree with this simplistic view and I had put my thoughts on this blog. I believed that it was rather protest against the failures of the Abdullah Government that caused many Barisan Nasional members and supporters to vote for the opposition. But many still insist that race based politics is no longer relevant in Malaysia. Is it?
3. If it is because the Malaysian electorate had rejected racial politics, why did they vote for such parties as PAS, a very Malay Muslim party, and DAP, a Chinese dominated party. Even the Keadilan is made up of violently racist Hindraf Indians, Chinese dissatisfied with the MCA's representation of the Chinese in BN and self-serving Malays who could not find a place in the other Malay parties.
4. These three parties did not campaign for human rights or open Governments or even against the Internal Security Act. PAS had made no secret of their Islamic State pretensions. DAP talked of Malaysian Malaysia which was the battle cry of its very Chinese PAP antecedents of Singapore (no non-Chinese PM) and Keadilan talked about reforms etc., but the stress was on Hindu Rights and anti-Malay racism.
5. Their accredtied supporters who may really subscribe to their creeds had never been big enough to make them strong opposition parties in the past. They were never able to deny the BN a 2/3rd majority. It should be remembered that Keadilan won only one seat in the 2004 elections. The other two, DAP and PAS did not do much better either.
6. It was the defection by the BN party members which resulted in the opposition parties, regardless of the quality of their candidate getting the large number of votes to win so many more seats than they or anybody else expected.
7. Apart from the voters supporting the essentially race based opposition parties, the claim that it was the rejection of racial politics which led to the poor results by the BN has also not been borne out by the attitudes and debates by Malaysians post 2008 elections.
8. What we are witnessing today is an explosion of racial politics that is more bitter and blatant than ever before. Even the least observant cannot fail to notice how Malaysian politics now is more about racial inequities than about liberalism, human rights, openness etc.
9. True there has been quite a lot of discussion on the ISA. But most of the angry and bitter discussion is about Malay "privileges", about the Social Contract, about the Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister being Malays, about UMNO bullying, about being or not being immigrants, about Malay dominance. Even the criticisms regarding the way judges are appointed or promoted have elements of race that is hardly disguised.
10. Truly Malaysian politics have not been decoupled from racial sentiments and loyalties. And it is going to remain so for as long as the different races prefer to be separated and divided, prefer to strongly uphold their languages, cultures and their historical origins and links. All that is said about reforms and liberalism is mere lip service.

Pathmanck:

The reason why BN lost it's 2/3 majority is simple because the Indians realise that the BN was merely using and eliminating them. So 90% of the Indians voted against BN. Indians then became the king makers. It all strted with the slogan "Makkal Sakthi" If you spoke about giving importance to social contract and ketuanan melayu in Early 60's. Yes, people would have agreed. But I'm sure not a single soul would have thought that the world would become so globalised. In 50 years things have changed alot. Many things that was decided then it's relevent now. Internet revolutionized the world with Malaysia in it.

I never learned about this social contract or the ketuanan melayu or anything like that in school. To be frank most of the things I studied in History classes in school was misleaded facts. Made up lies to it's highest degree. Which one day, I'm sure the government will ask forgiveness for their mistakes. Real History will teach you this.

To state some facts and truth. If Hindraf is racist. Umno is much more worse. Most of the problem faced in Malaysia now is because of Mahatirism. And to read the comments of other senile people of his blog was much more worse. So much of racism involve from none other than the race that calls others racist. Why is that? The "non-Malays" to say in the Malaysian way. Are not fighting to destroy the Malays but the live with respect and dignity equal to the Malays. We build this country from the scratch. Before the British occupation there weren't much infrastructure in Malaysia. It was all thick jungles, hill and mountains. There weren't high tech machineries back then. Who did the work? Who help plan and build this country and it's financial institutions? We weren't Expatriates like my old friends and lecturers from UK who came to malaysia in the 50's to build our infrastructure. We work to build our country. To make a better place for them and their children to live.

My reply to one particular Chedet blog commenter. The British brought the Indians and Chinese to Malaysia because the Malays didn't want to do the work. So it was only logical for them go thru the rouble to bring them over. When they left, which they thought they wont obviously they couldn't send back all the Indians and Chinese. Surely they had to make some kind of deal with the Chinese and Indians. The Malay leaders then also understood the situation. If it wasn't the British leaving this place in proper manner. Malaysia could have been a war zone something similar to Africa. With Chinese tribe and Indian tribe and Malay tribe fighting for power. During that time Malays were only 40% of the population of Malaysia. The registration of Indian and Chines as citizen started 10 year before Merdeka. So when Malaysia achieved it's Independence from the British, it was meant for all Malaysians. I myself already the 4Th generation, will be starting the 5Th.

We lived in harmony and with respect with the Malays and the other races for many generations. UMNO is the cause of this racial spitting between each other. Because of abuse of power, corruption and miss use of power for this pass 30 years. Example like our EX, Present and Future Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Ketuanan Melayu means nothing to those who dont bother. malaysiakini

One is only a King if he is treated with royalty. No one can force me to treat someone like a royal if i dont want to. If i have enough self worth, he will not be able to buy off my respect. So to those who think you a superior than the other. Reality would really suck for you.
Let me be the first person to state my position. I'm a person who respect history. Unfortunately, I am going to make my stand that i will no futher respect the notion of ketuanan Melayu, NEP and the Social contract. All this have no importance to me anyfurther. I shall not respect to the cowards who use this to as a tool to abuse the others from their civil and human rights. When one steal anothers apple to feed for himself and leave the other starving. He is no human, He has no self worth.
pathman

Ahmad Ismail attends divisional meeting with hero's welcome
Sunday, 09 November 2008 23:49
Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the Umno chief of Bukit Bendera who was suspended from all party posts for 3 years after uttering some racial remarks has received a hero’s welcome when he went for the delegate’s conference where he was also presented with a keris for a regalia. When he arrived for the conference, there were cheers and kompang troupe that accompanied him with performance of the silat. He was then given the tengkolokm a yellow selempang and the keris by Azmi Merican, the division advisor, Saakyah Mat Isa and Abdul Rahman Lazim respectively. It was then announced that the items were presented to him as a true pahlawan Melayu.

I'll be gone for awhile. Happy Deepavali Everyone.

My dear friends,
I'll be gone for awhile. I might not write for awhile. Happy Deepavali to all Malaysians. Hope this year 2008 festival of lights would bring brightness to all the marginalised Indians and other races of Malaysia. Over this 50 years, Malaysia has become a country for a few powerful and well placed individuals in the Barisan Nasional Party. Many were booted out in the recent 2008 Election but there were many who still managed to hold on to their seats. But let this be a reminder. Hindraf's 2007 massive rally is nearing a year. This country has changed slightly. The Birth of a true opposition party has been realised. But the struggle and fate of the Indians are still as hazy as it has was in the beginning.
Another earth moving struggle will surface and it will crumble BN. Hindraf cannot be killed, tortured, poisoned or destroyed. Because it has no head, tail or body. It's a voice, an awakening. Makkal Sakthi is an conscious.
You cant arrest 2 million people. You cant catch 2 million. But U might be able to catch me and few others who are like me but another one will take my place. And after him another. How long can you keep catching and locking up us? Because we are here to stay and stay we shall. God save the King and Malaysia.

The Chain Reaction

A commitment to individual and collective dialogue triggers workable solutions for an engaged society.
A positive Chain Reaction that inspires citizen action.
-Like everyone says it "Makkal Sakthi"-

The Malaysian Revolution 2008

Lincoln repeatedly said that the right of revolution, the "right of any people" to "throw off, to revolutionize, their existing form of government, and to establish such other in it's stead as they may choose" was "a sacred right-a right, which we may hope and believe is to liberate the world"
The people who represent Pakatan Rakyat and the people who support it are the people who are exercising their rights. This special rights. The same rights Gandhi seeked when he was treated with injustice in South Africa.

Free the country and it's people so that they all can live with dignity and pride. The people are the one who bring upon a revolution. This revolution has a name and it's called keadilan.

Anwars Government

Today he has announced that he has enough to form his government. By the information provided by another blogger, named Nur Aflah. Apparently Anwar will be giving a press conference tomorrow to state his actions of forming the government. He has 32 MP's defecting from the current ruling party. Malaysia might or might not be ready for this but the wave of change is here already. If this is true then by this Friday we would have a new government. He has also promised September 16 as public holiday. He said BM would be given much more importance as well as Mandarin and Tamil.
What he worries and all the defectors worry is that they might be arrested under ISA. This is the main reason he wants to meet the PM to make sure there is a smooth transition of power.
Zaid Ibrahim has spoken to Anwar after he tendered his resignation and Anwar has apparently told his in 3days things are going to change.
But like how Raja Petra has nicely said it. Nobody asked Anwar to form a government now nor did anyone ask him to give a dateline like Sept 16. So with all the hype and pressure everyone went thru and he fails to do anything. People will totally turn their backs on him. Then Anwar will be finished. RPK said Anwar would probably be joining him in prison then.

10 Tahun sebelum merdeka!

We Malaysian were blinded by the true struggle for Merdeka. We don't know the truth of the many people who lost parts of their lives for that struggle. Nobody knows whats the meaning of HARTAL. I didn't know 99% Malaysian carried civil disobedience in protest towards the federal Constitution which was penned by the British at that time. The original party which should have lead this country were left in prison for many years or deported to other country. Why didn't we learn Malaya history in school. This is the government we have. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen about Malaysia.


http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=19914869

Let me shed some light on the issue.

There is a lot of criticism towards Anwar's approach to forming a Federal Government. A very hot topic. But If i was in Anwar's position. Being the Governments Number 1 target and being a man fighting for justice. There is no point i sit and let them kill me. I need to hit them hard and fast. Best before they do something to me. Kill or get killed. You only live once.
4 years from now where do you think Anwar would be? The biggest possibility is in jail. Counting the rest of his life in there or probably as self exiled. Living abroad somewhere is Turkey or London. Barisan National has seen the change in Malaysians. They know they are not current with the peoples thinking anymore. If they have decided their time is up they could launder every bit of wealth they can get their hands on and leave a crippled country to the opposition to carry on. Our country is already in such a bad shape. Our economy is doing so bad and people are suffering. We are already in such a state, do you really want to wait for another 4 years? Some say the Pakatan Rakyat government should concentrate in running the 5 states they already have. Lets be frank. Do you think BN will let them grow and flourish and make the other states envy of them? They would try their level best to tarnish and destroy their oppositions credibility before the next general election. That is BN and they have proven them self as such.
10 months ago we didn't even have an opposition government. We didn't have Pakatan Rakyat. I should give the credits to Hindraf and their movement who broke the gates of this Superficial Multiracial Multi ethnic Governance act. 10 months ago even i never thought it would be possible to stand up against UMNO. At last we are evolving. 50 years it took us to see light. And yet so many condemned the time is not right.
There is movie by the name of The Great Debaters by Danzel Washington about a true story. In it there is a women debating about civil disobedience used by Gandhi to bring down the British Government. During the same period this movie portrays. In it she questions "People say it is not time for the blacks to be given rights and equal citizenship. Fine! then tell me when is?" So lets stop kidding our self.
It does not take time, it takes a leader with a heart and mind to changed injustice and to instill pride to it's nation. That's why we have great leaders at times and hopeless ones too.
I should praise Dr. S.Subramaniam and Zaid Ibrahim for condemning the use of ISA by their government. During Mahathirs era we hardly heard any of the party members opinion. Mahathir was the only spokesperson for the entire government. Badawi is the total opposite.

I just got back from bangkok.

Bangkok was very much like Kuala Lumpur. The thing that i found we malaysian should learn from them is there civic sense. They dont litter. They place was clean because the people dont litter. 60%of the vehicle i saw ran on gas and biofuel. And the most important thing i learnt from them is how they treat their animals with humanity and good heart. Mahatma Gandhi said that "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated".
This is way thailand has managed to preserve the heritage and culture so well. It was amazing to see how they blend the modern and cultural world in one city.
Unfortunately i have to add as well that Bangkok is over commercialised for the western world. We asian are subjected to it as well. Overall it was a good experiance.