Conversation with a Singaporean Malay 29 October 2008

“Encik Ahmad asal dari mana?” my colleague asked the driver, breaking the silence of the ride.

I stole a quick glance at the driver of the MPV. I didn’t know his age, of course, but by the greying hair on his head and the wrinkles on his face, Encik Ahmad was probably in his fifties.

“Mak orang Melaka. Ayah orang sini,” he replied.

‘Sini’ was Singapore. Encik Ahmad is a Singaporean Malay.

I could not remember when was the last time I came to Singapore, but I knew that it was a long time ago. Maybe around ten years ago. I’ve heard and I’ve read of the country’s unprecedented growth, so when I had the opportunity to visit the country a few weeks ago for a law conference, I looked forward to seeing how much it had changed since my last visit.

Indeed, Singapore has changed a lot. I could not remember much of my visit the last time, but I was very sure it looked nothing like the Singapore of today. For one, it was a very orderly country. Nothing like the bustle and the chaos of Kuala Lumpur. The streets are clean, too clean. It’s like they’ve been educated to do things a certain way. Do not litter. Do not jaywalk. I noticed that Singaporeans even smoked at specially designated smoking areas littered around the city-state.

One cannot help but be overwhelmed at the magnitude of it all. Singapore’s skyline is dotted with tall buildings. If in Kuala Lumpur we see the city’s personality in its people, in Singapore, the buildings and the architecture speaks of the country’s soul. In a country as orderly as Singapore, its the buildings – the skyscrapers, the malls, the quint shops, the apartments – that stands out the most.

Yet its the people that I’m most interested in.

Like Encik Ahmad, who still has family in Malaysia.

“Mak saya ada di Melaka. Baru hari tu masa raya saya pergi lawat dia.“

“So Encik Ahmad ni orang Malaysia asalnya?“

“Tak, orang Singapore. Passport pun Singapore. Duduk Singapore sepanjang hidup saya.“

Encik Ahmad then started talking about his work. He had nothing but good things to say about his employer, a Chinese Singaporean who is an associate of ours. I could see that he enjoyed working for the man. He told us that he’s always willing to come whenever he’s called, even if at night or if he’s on leave. He even said that he’s willing to work during Hari Raya if his employer asked him. Of course, his employer never did.

“Yelah, daripada duduk rumah kena keluar duit, baik kerja. Duit masuk kalau kerja.“

Hard to argue with that logic.

“Hari itu, ada pegawai kastam ni buat ‘beng’!” he suddenly said. I have no idea what is ‘beng‘, but I assumed that it was something like ‘bengang‘.

“Dia boleh tanya saya kenapa saya ikut mak saya dan bukan bapa saya.” He was referring to his nationality, why did become a Singaporean like his mother and not Malaysian like his father.

“Saya lawan balik. Saya cakap siapa lagi susah lahirkan saya, mak saya ke, ayah saya? Mak saya kena mengandungkan saya, lahirkan saya, besarkan saya. Mak lagi susah!“

His annoyance at the custom officer’s totally uncalled for question was quite interesting. He must have been closer to his mother than his father. Maybe his father did not do much when he was growing up. I do not know, nor did I probe further. What was evident was the fact that he obviously values his mother’s contributions more than that of his father.

Maybe also, at some subconscious level, he’s annoyed at the officer for questioning his nationality. As far as he’s concerned, he is Singaporean. Why should he be questioned on it?

Encik Ahmad has nostalgic memories of what Singapore used to be, probably in the days of his youth. He talks about how some of the land in Singapore used to be a part of Johore (no, he isn’t referring to Pulau Batu Puteh). He also talked about the some areas being ‘man-made’ (perhaps referring to the island nation’s reclamation activities). “Tak tahulah kuat mana tanah ni. Jangan tenggelam satu hari nanti sudah,” he said, pointing to the road before us.

But he found particular glee when he narrated to us of how the President’s place is supposedly haunted. No President of Singapore can ever ‘tahan’ to spend the night there. That was the site of the Singapura dilanggar todak legend, he explained. According to the legend, many centuries ago thousands of swordfishes ‘attacked’ Singapore, so much so that many lives were lost. I recommend you to read the tale yourself, its part of the Malay Annals or Sejarah Melayu epic.

I wondered why he was so amused at the ’supernatural’ story that he narrated to us of the place hallowed by Singapura’s very well known legend? Perhaps he sees these ‘beings’ as a manifestation of remorse that a nation with a proud history of kesultanan Melayu has now seemingly lost many of its heritage.

But apart from that, I could not detect a hint of regret from Encik Ahmad on the fact that he’s Singaporean.

“Saya dulu hidup susah. Tapi anak-anak saya sekarang alhamdulillah. Saya beritahu mereka, jangan jadi macam saya. Jangan hidup susah macam saya.“

I didn’t know what his children does, but from the tone of his voice, I would imagine that they would have done well for themselves. At least, they’re better off than him.

Jangan sampai jadi Melayu Singapura, has always been the rallying cry of Malay nationalists. The fate of the Singaporean Malays have been the subject of laments amongst the Malay community. Supposedly, the numbers of the Melayu Singapura is dwindling. It is said that Singaporean Malays have been marginalized by the larger ethnic Chinese community, so much so that they now serve merely as an exotic showpiece to display the country’s unique diversity. The ’sad fate’ of the Singaporean Malays served as a caution to Malays across the causeway, to justify continued affirmative action and the need to defend Malay rights. Jangan sampai jadi Melayu Singapura, we’ve been told again and again.

I wanted to see for myself whether this is true. Are Singaporean Malays really marginalized?

My conversation with Encik Ahmad did not provide me with a definitive answer. If indeed they were marginalized, I could not ascertain so during my short visit to the country.

But what I did gather from Encik Ahmad is that he has no reservations about his nationality. He make no qualms that his Singaporean. He accepts it, and gets on with his life. Perhaps even if there is marginalization (intended or otherwise) on his ethnic community, he still regards Singapore as his home. His ibu pertiwi.

I think back at the situation in Malaysia. Ethnic marginalization, or at last ethnic preference, exist our country, to varying degrees. The Malays who feel marginalized by the country’s economy, the non-Malays who feel marginalized by the government’s affirmative action policy or the East Malaysians who feel marginalized by the West Malaysians. Yet whatever ‘marginalization’ these communities might think they are subjected to, at the end of the day, Malaysia is their ibu pertiwi.

The Malaysian view of the island nation is one of disdain and envy. Envy, at the success enjoyed by a nation with limited resources. Disdain, at how the country’s people had supposedly ’sold their soul’ to enjoy such success.

But regardless of what citizens of both country think of each other, the fact remains that Malaysia and Singapore share common roots. Many Malaysians and Singaporeans have family ties across the Causeway. Ties that cannot be denied by mere decades of separation.

And so too, are the fates of the two countries are intertwined. Each needing the other, whether we wish to acknowledge it or not.

“Dulu senang nak ulang-alik. Sekarang dah pecah, kena pakai passport!“

With Encik Ahmad’s final words, I pondered at what could have had the two sibling countries not decided to part ways so many years ago.

DPM: In the future, NEP is to be replaced 24 October 2008

This is an interesting piece of news.

From Malaysian Insider:

Najib ready to end special privileges for the Malays

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is ready to end the special privileges for the Malays, but stressed that this must be done gradually.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, the Prime Minister-designate said “if we do not change, the people will change us”.

“In the not-too-distant future, we will see all the elements of the New Economic Policy being replaced.” He didn’t say when that might occur.

“It’s a huge challenge,” Najib said in the interview yesterday. “There must be this political will and desire to change within Umno. I don’t think we can expect people to look at us in more favourable terms unless we change, unless we rectify our weaknesses.”

The Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition used the scrapping of the NEP as a campaign pledge to inflict record losses on the ruling Barisan Nasional in the March general election.

The NEP was devised by Najib’s father, Tun Abdul Razak, when he was Malaysia’s second prime minister to boost the Malays’ economic status — through job allocations, cheaper homes and other benefits — in a country where ethnic Chinese had long been more prosperous and remain so. About 65 per cent of country’s 27 million people are Malay.

According to Bloomberg, by offering to scrap the NEP, at an unspecified time, and replace it with a needs-based system, Najib is moving closer to the stance of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also supports a system based on economic need.

Anwar is trying to seize power but said on Wednesday he is finding it difficult to woo ruling coalition lawmakers to his side.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi plans to step down in March and has named Najib, his deputy, as his successor. Abdullah sped up his planned 2010 exit from the political stage as racial tension increased.

Some analysts Bloomberg spoke to expressed doubt that Umno, the leading party in the ruling coalition, is ready to give up a programme that helps its members. Political consultant Karim Raslan said Umno hasn’t fully accepted how much it needs to change.

“I don’t see enough frankness in terms of challenges facing the party,” Karim said. “Many of the party leaders feel that by replacing Abdullah they will overcome these weaknesses. I have to disagree with them. I don’t see many signs of revival,” Bloomberg quoted him as saying.

Najib’s family has held top positions in politics and business for generations. His father led Malaysia from 1970 to 1976. Najib’s cousin is the current education minister. His younger brother Nazir Razak runs the country’s second-biggest bank CIMB Group Bhd.

Abdullah picked Najib to succeed him despite misgivings by some over controversies surrounding the deputy prime minister.

Najib has denied suggestions that he is linked to the murder of a Mongolian woman in 2006, and that he had an affair with the victim. A political analyst who worked for Najib is on trial for abetting two police officers in the murder.

Anwar also has accused Najib of profiting from defence contracts and of being behind criminal charges that the opposition leader had sex with a man. Anwar denies the sex charge, and Najib denies both being involved in bringing the case against his opponent and making money from defence contracts.

Bloomberg also quoted former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying that Najib has to explain all things that are said about him. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any other candidate. We have no choice but to choose Najib,” Dr Mahathir said.’

In the interview, Najib called the allegations against him baseless.

“I’m telling you, I wouldn’t stay in office a day longer if I knew I am involved in these allegations,” he said. “There’s no proof, no basis. I can sue people, but it’s going to be a tedious process in court.”

First off, I think the report is misleading and has fallen into UMNO’s trap of equating the New Economic Policy with that of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, the special position of the Malays. A more thorough examination of this can be found in my post: ‘Artikel 153, DEB dan Membela Nasib Rakyat‘.

Now I must applaud the DPM for this admission that the NEP will be gradually replaced. Many, including myself, has advocated a review or replacement of the NEP as an economic policy as its relevance is fast becoming obsolete. The policy, which was crafted to promote an equal playing field amongst the various ethnic groups in Malaysia, has been abused by the ‘UMNOputeras’, invidividuals within UMNO or linked with UMNO for the benefit of these select few at the expense of the community as a whole.

I still have my doubts as to whether this is merely Mr. Najib’s way of gaining support from the moderate Malays and the non-Malay. After all, replacing the NEP has been an effective mantra for Paktan Rakyat, and as pointed out by the report, this statement from Mr. Najib brings him ideologically closer to his political nemesis, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.

More interestingly, I wonder how Mr. Najib’s statement will go down with the vast majority of UMNO members. Many of them believe that the NEP is their God-given right, encapsulated in the concept of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ i.e. the Malays are the masters of the land. The most frequent criticism levelled to those within Pakatan Rakyat is that with Pakatan, the Malays would lose their ketuanan and their ’special privilages’. Recall, just after the political tsunami of 8 March 2008, when newly appointed Penang Chief Minister supposedly said that the new Penang government will not practice NEP, a bunch of Malay jaguhs from UMNO (and its kunco-kunco) in Penang protested in front of the Komtar building at the Chief Minister’s alleged statement. Recall also, the numerous times Utusan attempts to paint Pakatan and its leaders as anti-Malay (for the non-Malays) and pengkhianat bangsa (for the Malays).

Now, their very own selected prime-minister-to-be has said that the NEP will one day go away.

To many of those in UMNO, the question of replacing the NEP does not arise. To them, the NEP is not a way to even the playing field, but a right, supposedly enshrined in the Constitution and agreed upon when the ’social contract’ was drafted.

I wonder how they are going to reconcile Mr. Najib’s statement with thier far-right leanings in terms of the NEP.

But one thing is for sure. You won’t see GPMS protesting in front of the DPM’s office. You won’t see the Badan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu or any of those Malay NGOs protesting either. You won’t see UiTM students with colour-coded uniforms marching to Putrajaya. You might not even see a report on this carried in Utusan Malaysia.

I reckon, all these Malay jaguhs will do is just pretend that Mr. Najib never said those near-blashphemous words.

Malaysian Apathy 24 October 2008

I recently discussed with my girlfriend on the government’s recent directive for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to loan to Khazanah and PNB owned Valuecap Sdn. Bhd. to allow the latter to ’shore up’ ‘undervalued companies’. I told her that I did not like the fact that my EPF money is being used in such a way. I said we should demand that the government be transparent in this transaction, as we’re talking about the rakyat’s retirement fund.

My girlfriend asked me, ‘What’s the use of making noise? It won’t make a difference.”

Yes, we do want to know what’s happening with our funds. But the government is not going to disclose to us more than they have (which is not much). It’s not going to start practicing transparency and accountability of all of sudden. In fact, it might never.

So why bother?

Apathy, I would imagine, is seeping into many Malaysians. They just couldn’t be bothered with what is being done by ‘the people up there’. To them, politicians are just a bunch of clowns who do stupid things and make a lot of noise in Parliament.

Oh no, make no mistake, people are not falling in love with the government all over again just because we’re going to have a new prime minister in March. I think it’s going to take a lot of effort by the ruling coalition to win back the hearts and minds of the rakyat. Too many times have they been hurt for them to re-embrace the government with open arms.

No, the feeling these days is apathy. The ‘couldn’t be bothered, couldn’t care less’ mindset.

“I just flip through the papers these days. I have given up on the government. They’re not going to do anything for us, so I stopped bothering,” a friend told me.

Malaysians have notoriously short memories. We go through ‘phases’, where our attention is focus on this one issue or news event for a few days, and we move on. Nothing really gets resolved. Issues pop-up, highlighted, discussed and discarded, to be buried again until the next time.

When the Lingam videotape came out, everyone suddenly wanted to give their two cents worth on judicial independence and reform. Now, even the lawyers don’t talk about it anymore.

When fuel prices went up, everyone started asking about where oil money is going to, and about improving public transportation and about economic management. When the prices were gradually decreased, so did the noise levels and all the discussion about oil money, public transportation and economic management.

After the 12th General Elections, everyone revelled in ‘Malaysia democratic awakening’, the supposed return to ‘people’s power’. The ‘dawn of a new Malaysia’, some say. A few months after bravely exercising our democratic right of voting, we start to forget our other rights in a democratic country. As if democracy only plays a part everytime there’s a general elections.

This attitude, although undesirable, is at the end of the day, understandable. It does seem that whatever we demand and whatever we ask has most of the time fallen upon ears that are deaf. Why persist a futile endeavor?

But we underestimate our own power. I doubt if we had not made so much noise, the government would have decreased the fuel prices. Not because of some sense of duty to meringankan beban rakyat. Simply because the people’s voice on the matter has lent credence to the opposition, which directly threatens their own political positions.

Similarly, if not because of a huge outcry from the public, I doubt that the Shin Chew reporter and Ms. Teresa Kok would be released from ISA so very soon.

If we wish to build a better Malaysia, we must not allow our apathy to take over. We must keep demanding, we must keep pushing, we must keep highlighting what WE as citizens of the country want. Accountability, good governance, independent judiciary, free press, abolishment of draconian laws, unity, good public transportation systems etc., these are not impossible dreams. All they require is political will.

And is it not the essence of democracy that political will is at the end of the day, shaped by the people?

Why ‘Jangan panggil aku Melayu!’? 22 October 2008

I can understand if my post ‘Jangan Panggil Aku Melayu!‘‘ seem extreme. As if I am denouncing my roots and my ethnicity.

I reproduce my response to a comment from regular commentator Mr. azfamy, to hopefully ‘explain’ the said post:

Anyways, maybe it is a piece borne out of frustration. Frustration at the fact that we are constantly being told what it is being ‘Malay’ is supposed to entail. Malays must be under UMNO. Malays cannot survive in the big bad world. Malays cannot compete. Malays are weak. Malays are stupid. Malays cannot have political diversity. Malays must believe what Utusan reports. Malays must be protected at all times.

I think it is the Malays themselves who again and again look down on the abilities and potential of the Malays.

If being ‘Malay’, as dictated by our leaders, are all the above, maybe I do not want to be a ‘Malay’, so that I don’t have to contend with this baggage that is unnecessarily heaped upon me by virtue of my ethnicity.

I have always been proud of who I am. I still am and passionately so. This piece is in no way denying my Bugis-Melayu roots. It is a rejection of how the race has been hijacked by certain people to further their political interests.

Freedom of the Press: Powers, responsibilities and consequences 22 October 2008

Recent events have brought to the fore the issue of press freedom. It began with Utusan Malaysia’s attacks on Ms. Teresa Kok, first with the azan issue, and then with her supposedly inappropriate attire in a mosque and the latest, the article by Mr. Chamil Wariya entitled ‘Politik Baru YBJ’. Then, Malaysiakini had to issue and apology to Mr. Najib Razak, prime-minister-to-be, for reporting a false manifesto attributed to the DPM. Today, the Kelantan state assembly has banned Berita Harian from covering the proceedings because the daily had allegedly misreported the comments of His Highness the Sultan of Kelantan.

Let us get one thing straight; there is no such thing as a hundred percent independent media. Mass media is now a form of business, and with business, profits take precedent. In Malaysia, business has a political dimension to it; most of the time, the two are invariably linked.

Someone once said that press freedom belongs to who owns it. It is inevitable that certain dailies would have certain political or ideological leanings. Even in countries that supposedly practice a degree of press freedom like the UK, different dailies are catered to different people of different political beliefs and social standing.

Thus when advocates of press freedom talk about the notion, we do not mean that we want the media to be totally devoid of political opinion. To try and achieve something like that would be a futile effort. Instead, advocates of press freedom want a media free of political control and propaganda. The government, whoever it may be, must not be allowed to use the media to keep them in power.

Let us take the example of the Malay dailies; Utusan and Berita Harian. Traditionally, it has always been a newspaper that promotes the interests of the Malay. The akhbar became the wadah perjuangan bangsa, especially in the years leading up to independence. Similarly, Chinese and Tamil language newspapers also play their part in promoting the interests of their respective communities. That in itself does not mean that these dailies lack independence. What does is the fact that these dailies are owned by political parties and/or their proxies and are used to further the interests of those parties. These dailies become a tool to disseminate propaganda, to the extant that spinning, out-of-context reporting and even outright lies can be found within their pages.

Let us compare two dailies; Utusan Malaysia and Sinar Harian. Now it is a well known fact that Utusan is owned and controlled by UMNO, whilst we do not know much of  the political leanings of Sinar Harian’s owners (Kumpulan Karangkraf Sdn. Bhd.). Both are Malay-language dailies, meaning a large portion of their readership are Malays. As such, both would be interested in issues pertaining to the interests of the Malays. Yet whilst Utusan goes on a rampage of discrediting and defaming Pakatan Rakyat (Mr. Anwar, Ms. Kok and the DAP are constant targets), Sinar Harian tries its best to carry reports from both sides of the political divide while still highlighting issues pertinent to the Malay community. The result? Sinar Harian’s increase in circulation (last check: number two in Selangor, and leading Malay daily in the East coast) and credibility, whilst Utusan is losing readership day by day. Not to mention the credibility it has lost many years ago.

Another aspect of press freedom is the ability to report without fear or favour. The press should be allowed to carry out its duties without having to fear persecution or litigation. The ISA of the Sin Chew Daily journalist for reporting Mr. Ahmad Ismail’s remarks is a perfect example of an attempt to curtail press freedom. Yet we must never forget that such freedoms are not absolute. Freedom never existed in a vacuum, it has to be balanced against the rights of others. Thus, Ms. Kok’s decision to sue Utusan for copious amounts of money, and the Kelantan state assemblies decision to ban Berita Harian must not be seen as attempts to curtail press freedom. They are certainly not ‘ISA of the opposition‘, as how one commentator puts it. The media should not be allowed to do as it pleases, to fall short of journalistic standards, to report lies and untruths. To do so would be a gross abuse of press freedom and the offending media must face the consequences.

So Suara Keadilan must be prepared to face the music when it falsely reported the condition of the Inspector General of Police. Similarly, when Utusan falsely accused Ms. Kok with her involvement in the azan petition, it too must be prepared to face a lawsuit.

Media practitioners must be prepared to be accountable and take responsibility for their reports. Some of our media practitioners should learn from former Malaysiakini journalist Wong Choon Mei, who resigned from Malaysiakini for falsely mistakenly and erroneously attributing a manifesto to Mr. Najib.

Even with the emergence of the internet, traditional or ‘mainstream’ media remains a powerful tool. Those in the cities may obtain their daily doses of news through the internet, but for those in rural Malaysia their only source of information is in the dailies they read. So when Berita Harian allegedly reported that the Sultan of Kelantan was murka with the state government, many of those who read the news would not be able to verify this piece of reporting and would of course be prone to believing it. They would also be prone to conclude that the state government must have done something (or many things) wrong to incur the wrath of the Sultan.

It is this ability of ‘opinion-forming’ and to shape public discourse that is so powerful. As the saying goes, with great power must come great responsibility. Following from this, great consequences must befall those who take it for the responsibility for granted.

Jangan panggil aku Melayu! 21 October 2008

Melayu itu dahulunya gagah. Melayu itu sejarahnya silam. Melayu itu dahulunya punya erti.

Jika aku dipanggil Melayu dahulu, mungkin aku bangga. Tapi aku tak mahu dipanggil Melayu kini.

Panggil aku Melayu di negara lain. Di Barat, di Indonesia, di Brunei dan Singapura, aku Melayu. Aku tidak kisah jadi Melayu.

Tapi aku rasa jangan gelar aku Melayu di Malaysia. Aku tidak mahu jadi Melayu selepas aku dengar apa itu Melayu di Malaysia.

Melayu di Malaysia terlalu lemah. Terlalu rapuh. Terlalu bodoh. Senang terancam. Senang tercabar. Senang ditekan. Dituip sedikit, berterabur jadinya.

Melayu di Malaysia senang hilang. Senang menjadi tidak relevan. Seutuh mana Perlembagaan, masih tidak mencukupi. Hak Melayu mudah pudar, mudah dibuang mengikut rasa. Kena harus dibela.

Melayu tidak boleh bersaing dengan orang lain. Melayu hanya boleh bersaing sesama sendiri. Jangan sekali-kali cuba buka pintu persaingan kerana Melayu akan mati!

Aku mahu bersaing, jadi jangan panggil aku Melayu!

Melayu mesti jadi tuan, kalau tidak Melayu tidak releven. Tuan aku hanya Yang Esa, dan bukannya Melayu.

Melayu cuma boleh bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu. Melayu hanya boleh berjaya di Tanah Melayu. Melayu hanya boleh berjaya dengan pertolongan. Melayu mesti dibantu. Walau seberapa hebat kejayaan Melayu, masih perlu dibantu. Walau tidak memerlukannya, masih harus dibantu!

Melayu yang berjaya dengan usaha sendiri bukan namanya Melayu. Aku tidak perlu dibantu lagi, tak payah panggil aku Melayu.

Melayu mesti pakai tongkat. Aku tak mahu gunakan tongkat, usah gelar aku Melayu.

Melayu di Malaysia mesti tunjuk keris. Mesti cium keris. Mesti goyang-goyang keris. Aku tak pandai main keris, tak sesuai jadi Melayu di Malaysia.

Melayu di Malaysia terlalu mundur sehinggakan tidak boleh ada parti lain untuk mewakilinya. Melayu tidak boleh ada kepelbagaian politik, kerana ianya bahaya. Mudah sahaja orang lain rampas hak Melayu kalau Melayu tidak dalam satu parti politik.

United Malays National Organization itu Melayu, dan Melayu itu United Malays National Organization. Hanya Alif Mim Nun Wau sahaja untuk Melayu.

Aku tidak mahu United Malays National Organization. Kalau Melayu itu United Malays National Organization, aku tak mahu jadi Melayu. Biarlah Biarlah Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahman jadi ketua putera Melayu. Biarlah Reezal Merican Naina Merican jadi ketua pelajar Melayu. Biarlah Syed Ali Al-Habshee buat tabung untuk pertahan Melayu. Biarlah Khir Toyo jadi pembela orang Melayu di Selangor. Biarlah Bung Mokhtar Radin jadi pembela Melayu di Parlimen. Biarlah Ali Rustam ada kuasa bagi anugerah dalam negeri yang dulu kebanggan Melayu. Biarlah Muhamad Muhamad Taib jadi jaguh Melayu. Biarlah Ahmad Ismail jadi hero Melayu. Biarlah Ezam Mohd Nor masuk United Malays National Organization untuk Melayu. Biarlah Khalid Ibrahim jadi pengkhianat Melayu. Biarlah Anwar Ibrahim jadi musuh Melayu.

Melayu di Malaysia mesti terima Utusan Malaysia sebagai kitab. Melayu di Malaysia mesti duduk dalam kepompong. Melayu di Malaysia mesti ada universiti ekslusif. Melayu di Malaysia mesti sentiasa waspada dengan bangsa lain. Melayu di Malaysia mesti lebih berhak dari yang bukan Melayu.  Melayu di Malaysia mesti lihat bangsa lain sebagai pendatang. Melayu di Malaysia mesti pentingkan Melayu dari Islam. Melayu di Malaysia kena ada undang-undang zalim macam ISA.

Kalau itu semua Melayu, aku tak mahu jadi Melayu.

Kalau itu semua Melayu, panggil sahaja aku Bugis.

Race bla bla bla… and we’re behind 21 October 2008

It seems that every time I go out of the country and return to it, I dread.

Maybe its a case of the grass being greener on the other side. But as soon as I set foot in Malaysia, the things that I dislike about the country hits me in the face.

Race. Racism. Racialism. Ketuanan. Melayu. Cina. India. Bumiputera. Bukan bumiputera. Hak. Prejudice. Us vs them. Social contract. Bla bla bla.

Again and again and again.

For what?

Yeah, keep fighting amongst each other. Keep eying each other with suspicion. Keep your prejudices. Your ‘all they want to do is control the country’. Keep looking at our differences.

All around us, the world is moving faster and faster. Things are happening.

Don’t blame anyone else but ourselves when we one day discover that we’re left behind.

Pentingnya PAS dalam Pakatan Rakyat 15 October 2008

Satu ketika dahulu, PAS dilihat sebagai sebuah parti ‘ekstrimis’. Parti yang kononnya berniat untuk membawa ‘era-Taliban’ ke negera ini. Satu ketika dahulu, orang Melayu sendiri takut untuk mengundi PAS, apatah lagi orang bukan Islam.

Betul atau tidak andaian itu, terpulang kepada masing-masing untuk menilainya. Akan tetapi, selepas kekalahan teruk yang dialami oleh parti tersebut pada pilihan raya umum yang ke-11, PAS telah melakukan pelbagai usaha untuk ‘menjenamakan’ semula imejnya di mata rakyat. Parti itu sedar bahawa sekiranya ia mahu diterima sebagai sebuah parti alternatif kepada pemerintah yang ada sekarang, ia harus diterima oleh setiap lapisan masyarakat, tak kira kaum, bangsa mahupun agama.

Maka terciptalah slogan ‘PAS untuk semua’. Ditubuhkan ‘Kelab Penyokong PAS’. Para pemimpinnya juga sedikit sebanyak diganti dengan mereka yang mempunyai ‘broad appeal’, dan pada masa yang sama, masih mempunyai teras perjuangan berasaskan Islam yang dikehendaki oleh ahli-ahlinya.

Penjenamaan semula parti tersebut terbukti berjaya, dengan kemenangan yang dikecapi ketika pilihan raya umum ke-12 yang lepas. PAS berjaya membentuk kerajaan campuran di Selangor, Perak dan Kedah dan mempunyai dua mentri besar dari kalangan mereka. Malah, di antara parti-parti Pakatan Rakyat, PAS mempunyai bilangan mentri besar yang paling banyak. Lebih menakjubkan lagi, PAS telah menang di kasawasan-kawasan ‘mixed constitutuency’, di mana komposisi pengundi di kawasan tersebut adalah terdiri dari pengundi pelbagai kaum yang sebelum ini amat sukar untuk ditembusi.

Kini tidak janggal lagi melihat anak-anak muda yang bukan beragama Islam memakai baju PAS, ataupun mengangkat bendera PAS. Di samping itu, PAS juga berjaya menarik golongan professional Melayu yang jijik dengan korupsi parti pemerintah untuk menyertainya.

Manakan tidak? Dua orang ahli Parlimen PAS mengunjungi gereja di kawasan masing-masing, perkara yang tidak pernah dilakukan oleh mana-mana pemimpin Melayu sebelum ini. Pemimpin PAS menolak serangan media dan UMNO ke atas ahli Parlimen DAP, saudari Teresa Kok. PAS konsisten dengan pendiriannya memerangi akta zalim ISA. Malahan, Presiden PAS sendiri telah mempertahankan hak penyokong HINDRAF untuk mengunjungi rumah terbuka Perdana Menteri.

Ini semua jelas konsisten dengan persepsi yang ada pada PAS sekarang, bahawa parti tersebut mahu membina Malaysia yang lebih adil dan lebih baik. Percubaan UMNO untuk mengaitkan parti tersebut dengan isu muzakarah PAS-UMNO juga tampak tidak membawa kesan yang begitu mendalam kepada persepsi umum terhadap PAS.

Terbaru, the Star melaporkan:

PAS leaders condemn UMNO over Cheras over libel suit fund

KOTA BARU: Three senior PAS leaders have condemned the Cheras Umno division for setting up a fund to help the Utusan Malaysia newspaper defend itself against multi-million libel suits, saying their intention had racial undertones.

PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa said it was unbecoming for politicians to be defending newspapers that by virtue of ethics, was an independent organisation, a watchdog acting on behalf of society.

He wondered why Cheras Umno was going after Seputeh MP Teresa Kok who was at the centre of allegations that she petitioned a mosque in Puchong to reduce the volume for azan (a call for prayers) as everyone named in the allegations, from Kok to the mosque committee, had denied this.

Yet Cheras Umno was pushing the issue without realising the sensitivities of race and religion, said Husam.

“This is unhealthy for a country with a strong multi-ethnic and multi-religious composition, it can lead to unsavoury tensions,” he said.

Husam was speaking at the Kota Baru PAS “Hari Raya Aidil Fitri” gathering at the state Chinese Chamber of Commerce where the guest of honour was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Kota Baru MP Datuk Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah who hosted the event said most inhabitants in the country particularly the Malays were descendents of migrants either from parts of the Malay archipelago or from the Yunan province in China with some later coming from India.

PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat urged Umno to come out with a fund to salvage Malays from following the secularism form of Islam that they imposed after learning from the British.

He said it was dangerous to use racism in an age where people are fighting for justice and equality around the world.

Lim who launched his book here about experiences of prison life to the early formative days of a DAP-dominated Penang Government, urged MCA and Gerakan to leave the Umno-dominated Barisan Nasional.

Kritikan pemimpin-pemimpin PAS ini amat disambut baik. Tindakan UMNO Cheras, dengan senatornya, yang jelas ingin mendapat publisiti murahan dengan nama Islam seharusnya dikecam. Dan PAS, dengan kredibiliti yang ada pada mereka sebagai parti Islam, adalah pihak yang terbaik untuk menolak cubaan UMNO untuk mencari publisiti murahan atas nama agama.

Kehadiran PAS sebagai anggota Pakatan Rakyat amatlah penting. PAS adalah parti yang paling lama di kalangan ketiga-tiga parti Pakatan, dan mempunyai bilangan ahli akar umbi yang paling ramai. Ini terbukti ketika pilihan raya kecil di Permatang Pauh. Saya tidak fikir bahawa saudara Anwar Ibrahim akan meraih majoriti yang sebegitu besar jika ahli dan penyokong PAS tidak turun untuk berkempen untuknya.

Lebih dari itu, apa yang PAS bawa ke dalam Pakatan adalah ‘Islamic credentials‘ yang dapat menumpulkan segala serangan UMNO yang kononnya di atas nama Melayu dan Islam. Pada persepsi umum, di antara orang UMNO dan orang PAS, orang PAS lebih arif bercakap tentang isu agama berbanding dengan orang UMNO. Tidak lama dahulu, seorang ahli Parlimen UMNO-BN telah menceritakan sebuah ‘hadis’ yang kononnya menjustifikasikan penggunaan ISA. Dengan pantas, ahli-ahli Parlimen PAS membidasnya kerana menggunakan ‘hadis’ yang tidak diketahui kesahihannya dan juga menggunakan cerita tersebut untuk perkara di luar konteks.

Katakanlah kritikan terhadap UMNO Cheras itu datang dari seorang dari PKR atau DAP, sudah tentu ia akan dilabel sebagai kritikan yang datang dari seorang ‘liberal’ ataupun ‘chauvanist Cina’. Tetapi yang mengkritik adalah PAS, dan sukar untuk ditepis oleh UMNO. Begitu juga dengan isu azan yang dikaitkan dengan Teresa Kok. Mungkin ramai yang akan mempercayainya sekiranya beliau tidak dipertahankan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin PAS. Malah, ahli Parlimen Kota Raja, saudari Siti Mariah Mahmud dari PAS, telah membuat laporan polis terhadap saudara Khir Toyo yang memulakan isu tersebut. Dan di antara orang PAS dan saudara Khir Toyo, saya lebih cenderung untuk mempercayai orang PAS dari bekas mentri besar tersebut.

Begitulah pentingnya PAS kepada Pakatan Rakyat. Oleh sebab itu, ketika isu muzarakah hangat beberapa bulan yang lepas dan ada di kalangan penyokong-penyokong Pakatan Rakyat yang meragui parti tersebut, saya mempertahankan mereka. Saya dapat perhatikan bahawa ahli PAS kebanyakannya genuine dalam perjuangan mereka. Samada anda menyokong atau tidak ideologi mereka tidak menjadi isu. Apa yang penting adalah PAS setakat ini konsisten dan kelihatan berusaha untuk membina Malaysia yang lebih baik dan lebih adil, bebas dari pemikiran asobiyah dan berpuak-puak yang telah lama membelenggu politik dan pemerintahan negara. Dan mereka yang turut ingin membina ‘Malaysia baru’ ini harus menghargai usaha PAS bagi menjayakan aspirasi tersebut.

Ada orang cakap saman Utusan sama dengan saman Islam… 13 October 2008

Secara peribadi, saya tahu kadangkala cawangan-cawangan dan bahagian-bahagian UMNO ketandusan aktiviti untuk dibuat. Lebih-lebih lagi di peringkat cawangan, yang selalunya kecil dan mempunyai ramai ahli ‘atas kertas’ yang tidak aktif. Tetapi, nampaknya kadangkala terdapat juga bahagian-bahagian parti tersebut yang juga tidak mempunyai apa-apa idea bernas untuk dijadikan aktiviti yang bermanfaat.

UMNO bahagian Cheras mempunyai seorang Senator. Oleh itu, kalau mengikut logik, bahagian tersebut seharusnya dipenuhi dengan ahli-ahli yang bernas yang boleh memberikan buah fikiran yang memberikan sumbangan kepada rakyat ataupun negara. Kalau mereka tidak mahu tolong rakyat Malaysia secara keseluruhan, tolong orang Melayu sahaja pun tidak mengapa.

Jadi, apabila bahagian UMNO yang mempunyai seorang Senator ini melancarkan ‘Tabung Azan’, untuk ‘memberi sokongan moral’ kepada Utusan Malaysia yang telah disaman oleh Saudari Teresa Kok, saya terkejut juga dengan ke’tidak-pandaian’ bahagian tersebut.

Saya akui, tabung untuk membantu masjid-masjid adalah usaha yang baik. Tetapi, apabila usaha yang baik dikaitkan dengan permainan politik yang berbaur perkauman dan sentimen agama, usaha yang baik itu menjadi sia-sia. Malahan, usaha tersebut tampak seperti usaha untuk mendapatkan publisiti murahan.

Saya mengambil keratan dari blog UMNO bahagian Cheras di sini:

“Syed Ali juga menjelaskan, kutipan tabung itu juga akan disalurkan kepada akhbar Utusan Malaysia yang sedang berdepan dengan saman RM30 juta daripada Teresa, jika akhbar tersebut memerlukan bantuan.”

Saya malas ingin berdebat atau bertekak mengenai isu samada Saudari Teresa ada kena-mengena dengan petisyen memperlahankan azan, seperti yang digembar-gemburkan. Walau begitu banyak bukti yang tertera, ramai masih lagi mahu mempercayakan tuduhan Saudara Khir Toyo yang tidak pernah disertakan dengan apa-apa bukti sekalipun. Dan di antara Saudara Khir Toyo dan pemimpin-pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat terutama sekali dari PAS, saya amatlah cenderung untuk tidak mempercayai Saudara Khir Toyo yang memang terkenal dengan sifat mempunyai ‘dua muka’ (secara literal!).

Apa yang saya ingin tekankan di sini adalah rasional yang diberikan oleh Senator Bahagian Cheras tersebut di sini:

“Apabila pemimpin DAP itu menyaman akhbar Utusan Malaysia hanya kerana isu laungan azan, maka tindakan Teresa itu seolah-olah mencabar dan menghiris seluruh perasaan umat Islam di negara ini,” jelasnya.

Dan:

Beliau menjelaskan, akhbar Utusan Malaysia adalah milik orang Melayu dan sinonim dengan perjuangan UMNO, maka tindakan Teresa itu samalah seperti menggugat kepentingan seluruh umat Islam.

Lebih ketara adalah kenyataan ini, yang dipetik dari Utusan Malaysia:

“Kita terpanggil apabila timbul isu ini. Tindakan Teresa yang mengambil tindakan kepada Utusan Malaysia sama seperti dia menyaman agama Islam,” ujarnya.”

Untuk tidak ‘quote out of context‘, saya sarankan bahawa kedua-dua laporan tersebut anda baca sendiri.

Saya tidak tahu sejak bila UMNO itu sinonim dengan orang Melayu. Saya lagi tidak tahu bagaimana menyaman Utusan Malaysia itu sama dengan menghina agama Islam.

Lihatlah, bagaimana Senator UMNO Cheras ini telah mengaitkan agama yang begitu suci dan begitu agung dengan sebuah akhbar yang pada hari Ahadnya mempunyai sisipan Pancaindera yang sememangnya disukai kerana gosip-gosip artis yang dimuatkan di dalam sisipan tersebut.

Kepada mereka yang ingin sangat menjadi jaguh Melayu, anda boleh lakukan apa sahaja untuk ‘membuktikan’ kejaguhan anda, tapi anda jangan sekali-kali mengatakan bahawa anda melambangkan Islam. Jangan sekali-kali cemarkan Islam dengan pemikiran asobiyah dan sempit anda itu.

Melayu itu bukanlah UMNO semata-mata.

Dan Utusan Malaysia tidak sama dengan Islam. Jauh sekali.

Janganlah cari publisiti murahan atas nama Melayu dan agama Islam.

Teori-teori mengapa Shah Rukh Khan mendapat ‘Datuk’ 13 October 2008

Keputusan kerajaan Melaka yang dipimpin oleh saudara Mohd. Ali bin Mohd. Rustam untuk memberikan gelaran ‘Datuk’ kepada Shah Rukh Khan telah menimbulkan pelbagai tanda tanya.

Ramai yang ingin tahu mengapakah pelakon Bollywood tersebut, yang terkenal dengan begitu banyak filem-filem Hindi, telah dianugerahkan dengan gelaran tersebut. Apakah sumbangan dan jasa yang telah diberikan oleh Datuk Shah Rukh Khan kepada negara amnya dan negeri Melaka secara khususnya untuk melayakkannya menerima anugerah tersebut.

Saudara Mohd. Ali bin Mohd. Rustam telah ‘menerangkan’ bahawa pemberian anugerah tersebut adalah kerana Datuk Shah Rukh Khan telah menfilemkan filem ‘hitnya’, One Two Ka Four di Melaka dan ini telah sekaligus mendedahkan negeri tersebut di mata dunia. Maka mengikut ‘penerangan’ yang diberikan, berduyun-duyunlah segala manusia dunia datang ke Melaka ingin melihat lokasi-lokasi menarik yang telah dipaparkan oleh Datuk Shah Rukh Khan di dalam filemnya.

Namun begitu, saya sedikit meragui penjelasan tersebut. Sebelum ini, banyak juga pengarah-pengarah filem luar negara, baik dari Bollywood, Hollywood atau Selatan India telah membuat penggambaran di negara ini, dan tidak pula diberikan Datuk. Seingat saya, Chow Yun Fatt pernah berlakon di Malaysia untuk filemnya Anna and the King, begitu juga Jackie Chan dalam filem Police Story (tak ingat yang keberapa). Filem Entrapment lakonan Sean Connery dan Catherine Zeta Jones juga membuat penggambaran di Malaysia dan setahu saya, begitu ramai penggiat filem Selatan India juga telah membuat penggambaran di negara kita.

Berbalik kepada Datuk Shah Rukh Khan, jika logik yang digunakan adalah kerana beliau membuat penggambaran di Malaysia, ia tidak dapat diterimapakai kerana sebab-sebab yang telah saya gariskan di atas. Oleh itu, kita terpaksa membuat andaian sendiri mengapa beliau diberikan Datuk.

Sila ambil perhatian bahawa andaian-andaian di bawah hanyalah teori semata-mata dan tidak boleh dijadikan sebagai rujukan mahupun kebenaran. Tolong jangan saman saya!

1. Ketua Menteri Melaka (ataupun isteri dan kaum kerabatnya) adalah seorang ‘kipas susah mati’ (diehard fan) Shah Rukh Khan.

2. Orang Melaka adalah ‘kipas susah mati’ Shah Rukh Khan dan telah menyampaikan petisyen untuk memberikan Datuk kepadanya.

3. Shah Rukh Khan adalah ‘kipas susah mati’ negeri Melaka dan telah memberikan petisyen kepada kerajaan Melaka untuk diberikan Datuk ‘kerana terlalu sayangkan Melaka’.

4. Melaka mungkin dijadikan destinasi filem terbarunya yang merupakan sambungan kepada ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai‘. Tajuknya? Kuch Kuch Kota Melaka.

5. Ujian DNA (yang dilakukan secara sulit dengan menggunakan wang cukai orang Melaka) telah dilakukan ke atas Shah Rukh Khan telah membuktikan secara konklusif bahawa beliau ada bau-bau bacang dengan Hang Tuah.

6. Ujian DNA telah dilakukan ke atas Shah Rukh Khan telah membuktikan secara konklusif bahawa beliau ada bau-bau bacang dengan Ketua Menteri Melaka.

7. Pengiktirafan kepada Shah Rukh Khan kerana lakonannya yang begitu mantap dan tariannya yang bertenaga sehingga berjaya menggembirakan hati ramai orang Melaka, termasuk Ketua Menteri, lembaga EXCO dan isteri-isteri mereka.

8. Shah Rukh Khan berminat untuk menjadikan Malaysia rumah keduanya di bawah program Malaysia My Second Home dan ini adalah cara negeri Melaka untuk ‘melobi’ Shah Rukh Khan supaya membeli rumah di Melaka.

9. Ini adalah cara Ketua Menteri Melaka ‘mengembalikan’ sokongan kaum India di Malaysia kepada Barisan Nasional. Tetapi strategi ini tidak betul kerana orang India di Malaysia lebih meminati raja filem Tamil Rajnikanth daripada Shah Rukh Khan. Mungkin Melaka boleh menganugerahkan Tan Sri kepada Encik Rajnikanth?

10. Ini adalah cara Ketua Menteri Melaka, yang berangan-angan menjadi Timbalan Presiden UMNO dan sekaligus Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, untuk meraih sokongan dari para perwakilan khususnya Wanita UMNO yang kebanyakan memang meminati Datuk Shah Rukh Khan. Mungkin seorang lagi calon Timbalan Presiden, saudara Muhyuddin Yassin, boleh membuat cadangan kepada Mentri Besar Johor supaya menganugerahkan Datuk kepada saudara Mawi bagi ‘melawan’ semula strategi Ketua Menteri Melaka yang ternyata begitu ‘efektif’ ini. Umum mengetahui bahawa Mawi bukan sahaja diminati oleh golangan Wanita, bahkan pula golongan Puteri.

Apapun teorinya, kita hanya dapat berspekulasi. Apakan daya, kita hanya rakyat biasa yang bukan bergelar Datuk.

Mungkin selepas ini, Datuk Shah Rukh Khan boleh merasmikan perhimpunan agung UMNO pada Mac akan datang dan sama-sama melaungkan ‘Hidup Melayu!’ dan mencium keris.

Majulah Datuk Shah Rukh Khan untuk negara!