I was watching the news on TV yesterday. It was shown on the Tamil News Channel, I think. No, I don't speak nor understand Tamil. The portion of the Dewan Rakyat proceedings shown was in Bahasa Melayu.
The MP from Ipoh Barat stated that one of the stumbling blocks to meaningful unity is the concept and practice of Ketuanan Melayu. He assailed the NEP as being a discriminatory policy against non Malay Malaysians here.
The minister in charge of KPI who has another minister assisting him in his job, did not reply directly. Instead he was directed by the speaker to answer another question raised by another MP.
Several MP's rose from their seats and demanded the Minister to answer the question posed by the MP of Ipoh Barat. The member from Sri Gading, demanded the Minister to be responsible and answer the 'evil' question from the Ipoh Barat MP. MP Ibrahim Ali was seen standing and shouting and asking is this not a Malay country?
It is YB Dato. This is a Malay country and is so defined in the constitution. Because it is, the Malay Malaysians were given special rights and these rights were written into the constitution.
My question is: have we forgotten that we are the majority here in Malaysia? We are reacting as though we are a minority under siege. We shouldn't be doing so. You shout, they shout, what's written into the constitution isn't likely to be changed unless the majority plays along and want them to be changed.
But beyond the loaded question posed by the MP from Ipoh Barat and the expected reactions from UMNO MPs, I have this request.
Please give meaning to the concept of Ketuanan Melayu. Perhaps the Ipoh Barat MP's question is also being asked by millions of ordinary Malays. Precisely because, the Ketuanan Melayu as practiced by the Malay elite in the form and substance it is now carried out has created immense dissension that actually, that question can also be legitimately asked by another Malay Malaysian.
You can't legislate on a set of conduct or a set of value systems necessary and required to give meaning into that concept. To have meaning into the concept, a set of conduct and a set of value system must be practiced as a way of life. You job isn't completed just because you have written that provision into the constitution.
The position of Malay Malaysians and their rights and interests are written as inviolable provisions in the constitution. There are sufficient and enough safeguards ensuring these to remain eternally so.
What is absent actually is the meaning into the concept as a living manual. How does one translate that provision into everyday life?
I am not going to enter into the frame by which the question posed by MP Ipoh Barat and his detractors invite others to do.
Instead I am going to offer reasons, why that concept itself is beginning to be questioned by the Malays themselves. While that concept offers comfort in general, it has been hijacked to be turned into a means whereby a small clique of Bumiputeras are able to feed on the fears of Malay Malaysians in general to build castles for themselves. By continually massaging fear into that concept, these elite cliques are able to avoid the responsibility of infusing meaning into that concept.
Failure and refusal to do so have led to even more divisiveness within the Malay community itself. Just look at the figures. The GINI numbers of the Malays are highest. The greater number of lower income earners, lower quality housing dwellers, and lower ownership of land are all Malays. What do these facts suggest? They suggest and confirmed that the concept of Ketuanan Melayu is a bloody myth. What do you want to lord over? With what?
Refusal to give meaning into the concept of Keuanan Melayu has led to the emergence of the concept of Bumi-putera where the Bumi is always left behind by their puteras. The puteras that we speak of are of course the prince and princesses of the Malay elite- Putera bangsawasan, putera and puteri UMNO and so forth.
Here is the concept of Ketuanan Melayu in action- where certain Melayus are tuan over the other Melayus.
The real Tuans!and yet there were calls to have vehicles older than 15 years be inspected by Puspakom. Mo money to the elites.
Quintessentially, literally, proverbially or enormously well spoken. Putting the very terms or words rather into the mouth of every concerned Malay person or Malaysian more than ever. Being a Malay even though both my grandmothers are days old Chinese Baby Girls adopted by one, a Tuan Syed Family in Johor and another by an essentially Mamak Tongkang Family in Singapore. The Familial unit operates a junk servicing business carrying goods from the ocean going vessels stationed at high waters and attributable to being barred from entering the port proper due to shallower water nearing the harbor then. But they were very rich and influential yet squandered by irresponsible relatives later on. Both families spoke Malay although interspersed with smatterings of some south Indian dialects and corrupted Arabic. You know: ana,ente. However my late grandmother mom's side cooks up of the best beriyani recipes in Johor and that's a fact that has never been contested. I never met my paternal grandmother though as she died when my dad was only a year old.
ReplyDeleteSo what do all those make me, a better by half Malay or someone worsened by the same amount. But am still am a Malay and speaks with a tinge of Bukit Gambir, Muar twang to the accent along with eking out a small living in this great bolehland neither a superior nor a master denomination but an anak bangsa Malaysia all the same.
In the first place, ketuanan melayu is a "Concept". It's not absolute nor a commandment. As an idea of man it is and should be transitory in nature.
ReplyDeleteBeing transitory (and in this case clearly against the very essence of Islamic unity of different races)it should be abandoned when it's purpose has been hijacked by a group of self enriching pretenders.
Currently only the pretenders are vehemently defending this "runaway" concept with good (or rather bad/evil)reason.
"Why isn't a new "concept" being put forward in view of the derailment of ketuanan melayu purpose?" is the question now being asked by the malays. A new concept that replaces the emphasis on race (clearly that idea was easily hijacked by the pretenders).
Why not replace it with a concept that put priorities to the large segment of Malaysian poor, downtrodden and unprivileged (majority of them are Malays, over 65%)? And irregardless of race, creed and political affinity! Why be so attached to a mere concept as if it is a Quranic verse or gospel?
A concept is man made and more so the concept of Ketuanan Melayu. Aren't we intelligent enough to come out with an even better and fairer "concept" or is there a hidden agenda of self enrichment, false representation or criminal denialability behind the "concept of Ketuanan Melayu"?
UMNO should really think hard because those question might be the ultimate and ONLY question the malays are asking when discussing or even evaluating "Ketuanan Melayu".
UMNO will be staring at a black and bottomless pit when the Malays stop their questioning and realize the true answer "Ketuanan Melayu is not for malays but for UMNO and BN only".
Therefore it's meaningless to give meaning to a hijacked "ketuanan Melayu" when we can produce or invent an even better and greater concept. Does it sound 1Malaysia or Malaysian Malaysia to you?
Salam
ReplyDeleteDear Dato'
I hope some barking species won't make a big fuss about you displaying their ketuanan, again..
One of very few greatest First Ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt says, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.
In our case, some people allow themselves to feel insecured by being coward, stupid, ignorant and greedy.
Alas, instead, of Inferiority Complex, they probably suffer from Superiority Complex, where they have everything, want everything but once they got everything, they just don't know what to do or care for that everything. KesiThat's what we call 'menzalimi diri sendiri'.
“I would rather have an inferiority complex and be pleasantly surprised, than have a superiority complex and be rudely awakened” ~ Marcelle Vanna Bonta
Cheerio!
Sir
ReplyDeleteYou never cease to amaze me. You cut to the chase and get the the real issues.
Yes, the sanctity of the constitution and the abuse (not the existence) of NEP are really the issues, aren't they?
Thank you.
TQ for this superb article.
ReplyDeleteYou are one of the few "Walking Tall" ENLIGHTEN MALAYS viz Ku Li, Zaid Ibrahim, etc. who call a spade a spade.
Dear Sak,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing about the blantant abuse of NEP by government cronies.
These cronies are the ones who rape the country while those who were supposed to get aid from the NEP were sidelined and remained as such till this day.
Its a pity that no one in the government dare to touch on this issue.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI tuly love the way you give meaning to BumiPUETRA.
Yes, The PUTERAS (UMNO & Royal)uses KETUANAN MELAYU to control the bumis so that they can go on STEALING.
I'm with you here, sir. I wish our politicians can discuss or talk about the subject with an open mind, intellectually and rationally.
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking, of course...
Ketuana my foot!!! This is merely a gimmick for selling snake oil.
ReplyDeleteLook at MCA,the elites in the MCA get away with stealing billions of the Rakyat's money with the help of Umnoputeras.
What ketuanan Melayu, you tell me. Those MCA goons are more ketua than at least 85 percent of the Malay population. Those goons take the money and the poor kampong Malays and their decendents will have to pay in many years to come. This is only the tip of the iceberg.
StevenO
Somebody told me that the cars all belong to Azalina, the former Tourism Minister. Apparently, she owns more more cars than you can even dream of.... True?
ReplyDeletewanna see more "tuans"?
ReplyDeleteCheck this out .....
http://cruzinthots.blogspot.com/2009/12/malays-are-still-so-poor.html
if only our uneducated and uncultured parliamentarians could express themselves as well as you do, Sir!
ReplyDeleteI just wish to share a quote written by someone on a youtube site i read today:
" If someone has the ability to scare you, they have control over you."
Malaysians have been scared by the government for too long.
It's time we switched off this horror movie of a Barisan Nasional and start living a useful and proud life with our fellow citizens.
Salam Dato,
ReplyDeleteAs long as the GDP on par with 1st world country and Gini No 1 in the world, I don't really care which ketuanan or political/economic/social concept is used by the Government..
Bigger cake equal cut!
Hold your horses please. In case you are not aware of what is happening! This land you talk of as belonging to the Melayu, is only the original tanah Melayu!!! Please take note. Since 1963, with Sabah and Sarawak coming into Malaysia, this Melayu thing is over. The people of Sarawak and Sabah didn't enter Malaysia to be colonised by the Malays! No way, Sir! If you insist on talking about Ketuanan Melayu then we people from Sabah and Sarawak want nothing to do with you! So you better open your eyes and note that Sabah & Sarawak combied is bigger than negeri-negeri Melayu!
ReplyDeleteTok,
ReplyDeleteYour article always captivates me. You write with honesty and hit the nail right on the forehead of these "puteras".
I hope these Tuans and Puteras get to read your article and act to correct the skewed distribution of wealth in this 1Malaysia land.
You should get out of UMNO and contribute your intelligence, time and effort to PKR or PAS.
How could you stay on in the UMNO animal farm?
Idris.
Truvativ, to add to that quote from youtube, from the atheist's point of view, it is with fear whence religions were born, so that they can rule over you the same.
ReplyDeleteIn anycase, Dato', I don't think it is our learned Malay friends that are not aware of this myth. It is the majority of Government servants (those that were brainwashed completely by BTN), kampung folks and the hardcore poor who are held at ransom that need to be educated of this myth.
The Royal Houses had the mandate to carry the ketuanan in perpetuity. But they have sold out, have lost their dignity and are reduced to more of the same. In a republic, there will be no more ketuanan.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you want to add on why Malay UMNOPutera robbing the Kelantan people money (oil royalty) isnt people in Kelantan majority 95% are malays.
ReplyDeleteWhy only PAS,PKR and even chinese dominate party DAP fighting for the kelantanese oil royalty while those UMNO who claim fighting for Malays just keep quiet.
UMNO always saying PR buli the Malay, but the fact is who rob the malay money actually.
So give back the money back to Kelantan people, they need the money than what we need in other states.
Goverment can just approved buying few billions on military and submarine but insists not to give kelantan people 1Billion which the money belong to Kelantan people. Shame on you.
AKManapergi dotdotdot
Thank you for this post. Since we, the non-Malay, can't ask this question, can the majority Malays ask their "tuan" instead?
ReplyDeleteIn the parliament, no Malay MP has done that because they are all "Tuan's" (big and small). Only the non-tuan asks those questions.
So please, dare I ask the Malay to stand up for the REAL MINORITIES!
Peace be upon you datuk
ReplyDeleteNice piece of writing.I have always enjoyed your writings especially the MCKK related ones.Nevertheless to be honest,i stopped visiting ur blog sometime back after a reading a piece which left me utterly dissapointed.To err is human.To forgive is divine.But to stand aside and look as this beautiful country of ours is litterly being run down throuh rampant corruption,abuse of power and politics of hate and anger is totaly beyond comprehension.Lets be frank.Whom do u honestly believe can put the house in order?
Why do Malays need to be Tuan? Have they not learnt from the days of Colonialism that to create a better society there should not be Tuans? Or do they now seek to emulate the Colonists and take the position of Tuan for themselves?
ReplyDeletedato sak
ReplyDeleteeverytime you wrote something like this, we can see those pkr,dap, pas supporters support you like you are one of them.i bet you are not.
ok,do you trust dap,pas, pkr to do it right.i doubt so.there are so muchhtred and venom in their words and deeds.i dont trust them.
dap will rewrite history,,saying that we arrive on the shore of this beautiful country with them,,with hugh clifford,raffles,frank swettenhem,francis light are the founder of Tanah Melayu.they realy want to belief its like that.they cannot accept that we the Malays has at that time legitimate Sultanate and government.
The pas belief they are the pious lot.the epitome of good muslim,,the tok gurus of all..alas, i am just nauseated with the notion of them ruling malaysia..terengganu kembali ke bn atas alasan apa,jika tidak kerana rakyat meluat melihat perangai pemimpin dan pengikut agama pas ni..real hyppo they are.
well the pkr,,what a bunch of confused politician..bull doze everyhting to make them look superior,mightier,transparent and everything that is good..god i feel like vommitting already.i am sorry.
dato,who do you trust more..
You Wrote
ReplyDelete"It is YB Dato. This is a Malay country and is so defined in the constitution. Because it is, the Malay Malaysians were given special rights and these rights were written into the constitution.
My question is: have we forgotten that we are the majority here in Malaysia? We are reacting as though we are a minority under siege."
hello? are you missing the point here? who cares who is the majority here? does it mean that just becoz a certain race is the majority in a certain country, then they are the tuans and they are the smartest group of people who knows how to lead and develop this country?
For goodness sake! Wake Up! This is such a disgrace that at such a moment in time when the world is border less and flat, people no longer care what race you are. It is what you can deliver that;s important.
If you keep focusing on race, then you will just be left behind....and the so call "assistance" that is being given to "help" the so called majority race will eventually weaken them so much that they will forever be dependent on others.
We are lagging so far behind and yet you are talking about race!!!
We are all anak Malaysia! So treat us as equal! That's the only way to enable this country to move forward! 50 years of NEP did nothing for the majority race....only a few profit from it...
and one more thing, if Melayu loves Tanah Melayu so much, why ask Sarawak and Sabah to join? Why take the lucrative resources from Sarawak and Sabah?
This is really disgusting.....after so many years, after the world has evolved so much, we are still here arguing about who owns this place....
How stupid can you guys get? You guys are wasting time.....by the time you guys wake up, your so called Tanah Melayu is useless, no more natural resources, no more intellectual resources....just a bunch of majority race that needs to be spoon fed and doesn't even understand a word of english.....then you can become the TUAN of this forsaken legacy you all love so much ....
There is a Chinese saying that goes 'the more you strive to be in front (as in ketuanan) the more you'll find yourself in the back.'
ReplyDeleteHow true!
I hope the umno-putra will not say that you betrayed the malays.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes.
Dear Sir,
ReplyDeleteThere's power in words. Hence, these words Ketuanan Melayu are implying lots of wrong connotations. Literally, the context is already wrong to begin with.
Anyhow, to dispel any misunderstandings, DEFINE IT CATEGORICALLY ONCE AND FOR ALL. With that we can move on with our lives.
Everyone can then decide what to do with our lives. Leave or stay or whatever choices. We'll make our CHOICES!