18.9.2010.
Mainstream media today, 18th, September carry Najib's less than equivocal statement about UMNO and PERKASA not being at odds with each other. The fact that he has, again, to make this sort of statement, carries significance beyond the obvious.
Obviously Najib has to say something to pour some oil over troubled water. His "1 Malaysia" stands confronted by PERKASA in all sorts of way. But obviously also, the Malay voice PERKASA clearly carries cannot be dealt with by Najib in a confrontational manner. That would be a disaster, and he better believe it, no matter what his advisers say to the contrary.
The accepted need to refocus on racial issues in multiracial Malaysia is undeniable. But this has come about by the increasing stridence in the non-Malay complaints against special Malay rights which have been there all along. While the non-Malay voice has increased in tenor and frequency, the Malays have retaliated by saying basically the same things about their special rights duly legislated all this time.
The increase in racialism is within the non-Malay voice.
Up until the current fracas, the multi-racial surface of Malaysian politics had given a calm external demeanour, if not internal quiescence. The multi-racial family was somehow or other a working one. The imbalanced economic distribution of income, with its related sectoral and racial segregation imposed by historical design, was being gradually righted, and the wealth of the nation was being spread, at least superficially, more evenly among the major racial groups.
In depth, in fact, the Chinese businessmen and the Indian professionals have prospered more than the Malay administrators and government servants, and padi planters. All this was not necessarily in spite of the much maligned New Economic Policy, but in fact because of it. For how was the Malay administrator, or the Malay government servant, now with better income because of the Government policies, to spend that income but to go to his Chinese tradesmen for the goods , and the Indian professionals for the services, that make for the better quality of life aspired to ?
This talk of scholarships for Malay students, and Government jobs for Malay graduates need an objective examination. Look at the number of Malay students attending universities and colleges, at home and abroad. Compare that with the number of non-Malay students in similiar situation. Look at the number of jobs available nationawide, both inside Government agencies and out of them. Without the scholarships the Malay students, already minuscule in comparison, would probably drop to nothing at all in abolute numbers. Without the hold out of government employment, how many would be given the same opportunity by the private businesses?
If there are now claims of government discrimination for scholarships and jobs, how widespread is the real discrimination by private business toward the Malays ?
The need is to move forward, not backward.
Affirmative action has been good for the whole country because it was addressed at the historical mistakes of the colonial past. The progress that has been made the last half-century, however small, must not be negated by the spread of lies supplanting historical truth, for the sake of sounding liberated. What good is liberty if it means political tragedy ?
And tragedy will be repeated by history, if national leaders give more importance to rethoric rather than the reality that exists for this small, troubled nation.
UMNO was set up to fight for Malay rights, but not at the expense of the other races that make up the national population. Keeping the special rights of the Malays was the agreement struck by the nation's forefathers. It does not mean the downtrodding of the non-Malays. It has never been that way, and the proof is around us. Incidents and individual contradictions don't nullify the bigger picture, for they are the frailties of life.
The noble effort must persevere. The balancing act continues. Najib has no choice. We all have no choice.
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1 comment:
My wish is for PERKASA to write a complete and truthful history about the magnanimous and good spirited Malay race who welcomed the Chinese and Indians to share the wealth of this country, only to ask them to respect the social contract as due to the people of the land. Unfortunately, most non-Malays refuse to admit that the Nusantara is the land of the Malays as much as China is Chinese and India is Indians. Surely the Malays would not want to be oblivion like the Red-Indians.It is important to write the TRUE history that our forefathers went through. A lot of truth is not mentioned in the school's history books, for the sake of 'jaga hati' - jaga hati who? which I see as compromising on the part of the Malays who as usual would avoid confrontation ( unless very much provoked and would amok!)with the non-Malays for the love of peace for the country. 'Compromising or tidak-apa' by the Malays is becoming its misfortune having misinterpreted by the non-Malays and LKY as a lackadaisical and laid-backed race. I do not remember ever that the Malays even ask to be praised by the world community, for their sharing attitude.It is just sad that the non-Malays missed the point and all hyped to attack and mock the Malays - for fun?? Its not funny at all! I do remember my brother was badly ostracized by his American tutor while he was studying in the US for being A Malay.He was unfortunate because the student before him under the tutor was a Msian Chinese who had whipped up bad stories about the Malays. Thats how they defamed the Malays abroad and no wonder the Malay govt scholars keep to themselves partly. Along Nai, one day when you are not so busy with golf,weddings and cucu-cucu, I would like to share with you the many stories my father told me, over a cup of green tea and victoria sandwich cake! I will show you a pic of Khir Johari's official visit to Sarawak in 1963 to mark the joining of Sarawak into Malaysia. InsyaAllah.
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