Twin Towers of Pernas Symbolically Malaysian Pride
Malaysia has been promoted in the spirit of tourism
as “Truly Asia” . . . a melting pot of different colour & racial origin.
It’s only superficially true, for sadly beneath it all there’s much
lamentation, dissatisfaction, discrimination, polarisation, marginalization
& exploitation amongst the population.
The best kept secret is a political one in that there’s no such thing as
a Malay race, as would be defined anthropologically. Ironically, it’s
playing a ‘authoritarian’ political role over & above two of the world’s greatest
racial Chinese & Indian components.
Today 31 August Malaysia celebrates its 52nd. independence from the British colonial rule. To me, 31 August 1957 was particularly significant & auspicious, for I was there in the thick of it celebrating the first Merdeka. Being the last batch of the Queen’s Scouts from St. George’s Institution, Taiping, I was chosen to march in the Merdeka Parade in Kuala Lumpur. For a young lad this was a thrill beyond all imagination. I was, without doubt, extremely proud to be a Malaysian.
Myself in Merdeka Parade (31 Aug. 1957) – Second from right (Fourth row from front)
That kind of pride was even evident when we were all training to be teachers on Malaysian government scholarship in Kirkby College, Liverpool, England. We were a closely knit community of some 300 students in a foreign land studying & living in peace & harmony. It was a beautiful blend of racial mix – “truly Asia” as the present Minister for Tourism would advertise as such.
Just when you think Malaysia was such a paradise with durian & rambutan, “cha kwei teow” & “laksa” or “mee rebus”, “nasi lemak” & chicken rice, celebrating together Hari Raya, Chinese New Year & Deepavali, there exploded the racial riot of 13 May 1969 – all because of politics. Sadly, the days ahead have never been the same – no longer gay. Ever since, even with modernisation of highways & freeways, it’s downhill all the way!
All roads lead to a deteriorating state of social, economic & political quagmire. The way things are there’s nothing to be admired. Nothing to fulfil one’s hope, dream & aspiration nor would it thrill your heart’s desire.
Without looking afar, Malaysia pales in significance by far in comparison even just across the causeway. Singapore, an island state, deemed to fail upon its separation from Malaysia & without any natural resources like Malaysia, is laughingly way ahead in all spheres of development.
Politics is a dirty game.
It only enriches the class playing the same.
The population at large hardly have much to gain.
All Malaysians without exception must realise this. They need to rise and stand up to be counted. Prosperity must be equitably spread for posterity in perpetuity.
In closing, may I urge you to read my previous post on “Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad” to get a better & further insight that plagued the nation of Malaysia.
Paul Chong
A Chinese by Descent
An Australian by Consent
Monday, 31 August 2009
Paul Chong's Blog 
The problem with the social contract has always been with its interpretation. It is something the more dominant Chinese and Indians took to be license to replace the British Raj with the Asian Raj to the detriment and exclusion of the Malays.
The current state of blogging is perhaps and extreme example of that mindset. A more balanced and contrarian view point is essential.
http://takemon.wordpress.com.com
Gopal Raj Kumar
This must be a proud moment for you in a national event. Yes politics can be a dirty game however with a democratic constitution citizens can enjoy a choice to elect the Govt. The Indian PM is one of the smartest and most respected politician in the world who has contributed to the phenomenal economic and political status worldwide. One honest politician can make a difference.
I do not subscribe to the old cliches that politics is a dirty game. For starters politics is not a game and it can only be dirtied by dirty people and institutions engaging in it. And one need not be a politician to have power as is the case in most democracies. It is the power behind the thrones such as the lobbyists and their clients that make that difference.
This remains one of the fundamental flaws in western style democracies where the rich and powerful are heard and served at the expense of the others who are happy with the crumbs that fall from their tables.
Malaysia has a democratic constitution. It borrowed that constitution from th UK through a Kiwi who drafted it conveniently tardily to leave out critical words to allow for convenient interpretation and abuse. That was the intention of the British.
Knowing full well that the Asian is not a litigous animal they allowed for those of us with a western style education and leaning to do the litigation bit.
There are no two countries that are or claim to be democratic that are alike in their interpretation of that concept we call democracy.
What’s wrong with Malaysia is what’s wrong with each and everyone of its citizens. The same rule applies to every country in the world. We always get the government we deserve.
The comment that there is no Malay race is insensitive, racist and not very enlightening.
If one adopts that approach then one has to accept that there are no Europeans but a mix of Caucasians and North Indians ( or Aryans from whom the Indo European culture and the Indo European group of languages come from, no Japanese but Chinese mutants, no Koreans but mutants of Manchurians and Chinese and so on and so forth.
This attempt at revisionism of history is very Mao like. Maoist Chinese call everything south of Hainan Island Nanyang (The South Seas) if my understanding is correct even extending to Australia. There is something fundamentally wrong with that concept. It’s a hagemonist nightmare by people with imperial designs on the whole world. Even Lee Kuan Yew fought that idea.
Anyway Merdeka Day is to the Malays what Australia day (or invasion day) is to the Australian Aboriginals. It did not serve them as it was not intended to and neither were they as a majority consulted about how the mess left behind by the British was to be cleaned up.
The more powerful elites of the Indian Chinese and Malay communities who were a minority decided for all Malaysians what the future ought to be. They are now a different generation saying that’s not what we wanted and it was not up to the British, Indians or Chinese to deicde our destiny and we now want a better and bigger say in what is OUR country. And you cannot deny them that regardless of how you choose to interpret history or the races. Malays are a majority and if you do believe in democratic principles they have the numbers.
Gopal Raj Kumar