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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Monday 14 February 2011

The issues Malott raised

The irrelevance of Mr. Malott's essays can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, the end of the American century where the prognoses of America and by Americans in general are not heeded as they would once. That was the theme of my essay previously. So folks, it wasn't an attack on Malott, but an attack on the American century in general. On Malott? Not interested.
Secondly, the generalizations made by Malott from isolated observations allowed him to paint a skewed picture serving the interests of those who seek to bolster their own prejudices. His failure stems from over reading events as representing a more deep-seated story. Not quite right.
Hence the racial riots of 1969 were adduced as the benchmark by which to measure racial tensions. The isolated events of the cow head incident and the unfortunate over exuberance of the PM's official requesting a number of dos and don'ts over the former's visit to a church were offered as representing a more sinister backdrop. And finally, the alleged causal link to intrinsic racism of the government with economic performance. Malaysia's economy is said to slow down because the talents on which productivity depended left the country.
There was one comment that berated me for writing such a shoddy article about Mr Mallot. The commentator went on accusing me of inconsistency when I have written so many negative things about Najib. In particular my mention of Najib being a weak leader.
For the commentator's information, that impression hasn't changed. I can cite so many examples that reinforce such an impression. And it's also an impression shared by many UMNO people. The commentator further groups me in the same category as Ibrahim Ali. I will decline the honor.
I have also allowed the comment to pass through because it also contained and accusation that I have written that way because I blamed Najib for not selecting me for a second term. I am not afraid to allow such a comment because it's not true. I do not think that personal malcontent alone can sustain a consistent critique. Rest assured, I will still be writing with the same intensity.
Moreover, I don't think my political career has ended just because UMNO didn't choose me for a second term. It only ends if I allowed it to. We shall see.
It appears to me, from the comments, Malays are placed in a very awkward position. They are placed in the same position as those who speak about Jews being accused of being anti-Semitic. In that case, people actually speak against Jews. Here in Malaysia, Malays speak about THEIR own fears and hopes and aspirations and they are accused as being racist.
The main reason why Malott's thinking has caused an uproar is not so much  because it's directed at Najib per se, but because it places Malaysia, OUR COUNTRY in the category of a despicable country as South Africa was placed once, or in the same category as some imaginary despotic countries.
I have been asked to debate Mr malott's thoughts on a point by point basis. I shall be glad to. There was also a commentator who writes under the name blogmaster who writes as though he is Mr Malott. This Mr ' Malott' asks me to read his interview with Malaysian Chronicle which I did. Unfortunately a great deal of that interview presents Mr Malott as such a wonderful and caring person who keeps in touch with Datin Sri Azizah when her husband was incarcerated. He regaled readers on how the family exchanged birthday greetings and all that. Good for the Family Album but of no relevance to the issue at hand.
But Ok, we shall have to accept that Mr Malott is a decent man who bears no malice when he talks about Malaysia.
The recent deterioration is due to the troubling fact that the country's leadership is tolerating, and in some cases provoking, ethnic factionalism through words and actions. For instance, when the Catholic archbishop of Kuala Lumpur invited the prime minister for a Christmas Day open house last December, Hardev Kaur, an aide to Najib, said Christian crosses would have to be removed. There could be no carols or prayers, so as not to offend the prime minister, who is Muslim.
Let's apply some decent thinking. Can this faux pas be used to prove widespread religious intolerance? Do we see Muslims burning churches like in Indonesia or elsewhere where religious bigotry is an accepted fact? I think we shouldn't over read one official's honest attempt to make things pleasant for everyone as a barometer of religious insensitivity. Do we now see the government directing crosses be removed in churches or carols and hymns banned? If we do, then we can use that isolated incident as a description of what is happening overall in Malaysia. Hence Malott's use of Hardev Kaur's request is not a good fit for a measure of things. Hardev Kaur is what she is- an apple polisher out to make things pleasant for the boss or who thinks that's what the boss wants.
Similar examples of insensitivity abound. In September 2009, Minister of Home Affairs Hishammuddin Hussein met with protesters who had carried the decapitated head of a cow, a sacred animal in Hinduism, to a Hindu temple.
For Malott's information, the organizers of the incident were punished. What Hishamudin defended was the anger directed at the foolishness of locating a temple in a majority Muslim neighborhood. It wasn't a defense on the transgression nor can it be read as intolerance towards the Hindu religion.
Two months later, Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Parliament that one reason Malaysia's armed forces are overwhelmingly Malay is that other ethnic groups have a "low spirit of patriotism."
We all know that despite Zahid's Ph.D., he isn't a particularly bright fellow. We all remembered his "give him some humanity' stout defense of Mat Taib once. But it is mischievous of Malott to equate low spirit of patriotism with inborn racial characteristics. How is low patriotism linked to racial differences? There are some more rational reasons why Chinese don't go into military service. These may include low pay, aversion to military life, difficulty in achieving higher positions which is expected in a career dominated by Malays.
On the government's part, the reason may be the same as why Malays are not joining the SAF in droves. Nothing to do with inborn racial differences but everything to do with achieving a certain degree of security comfort. Obviously the Singapore government with its constant paranoia of being attacked by people at large carries out a policy as regards military participation for its own strategic considerations. Malaysia must be accorded the same assessment. If Singapore can say we don't want a situation should war breaks out, we could have situations where loyalties of our Malay solders who have relatives in Malaysia are suspect. Nothing racial, pure pragmatism.

 
The leading Malay-language newspaper, Utusan Melayu, prints what opposition leader Lim Kit Siang calls a daily staple of falsehoods that stoke racial hatred. Utusan, which is owned by Najib's political party, has claimed that the opposition would make Malaysia a colony of China and abolish the Malay monarchy. It regularly attacks Chinese Malaysian politicians, and even suggested that one of them, parliamentarian Teresa Kok, should be killed.

 
Rightly or wrongly, Utusan Malaysia is regarded as the mouthpiece of the common Malay. It writes the way it writes to keep the Malay ground. That is why the cosmopolitan Najib is not equipped to shut it down despite its overt racial intonations. But the position of Utsuan Malaysia as a whole can be likened to Singapore insisting it must be armed to the teeth- so that it deters others from even having the idea of attacking the nation. The existence and presence of Utusan Malaysia is tolerated and even indirectly supported to serve as a check on non-Malay chauvinism through their own media.
The ideas and thinking represented by Utusan Malaysia are not universally shared by Malays here in this country, but its presence does in fact hold in check the insults hurled against the Malay community. The presence of Utusan Malaysia should be seen more as a balance of power tool. As to the messages carried by Utusan Malaysia, they are NOT given absolute free space. They continued to be condemned by many quarters and these served as internal brakes on Utusan Malaysia.
By the way, has Malott analyzed the general import of the more Chinese of the Chinese newspapers? Then he would understand why Utusan Malaysia has more circulation that NST.

31 comments:

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 06:47  

With all due respect do not underate this Ambassador. During his stay in this country he has accumulated vast secret information on this country with the help of the CIA operative here.He knows the intrenal workings of our government and the reasons for the racial undertones for certain decisions that were made.If you prod him further he may spill the beans and we may end up with egg on our face.


This not new. This what Ambassadors do. That is their job. But they will never tell you to your face. Malaysia has to get its act together. If we are a trading nation then we have to benchmark our governance to that of those countries with whom we have the bulk of our trade.If we say that we are a multi racial country then we must act accordingly. At the very least opportunities in all fields should reflect the racial composition of the country.
For 98% of the non malays migration is not an option because they do not have the money.Level heads must prevail if we are to avoid what many First World Ambassadors who have served in Malaysia have predicted in private for us.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 08:10  

Yes, we did burn one and tried on a few others. Remember? No?

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 08:56  

Utusan a mouth-piece of the common malay?

Hello..this is the first time, I'm being told so. As far as I know,and so are non-Umno malays, utusan is just a mouth-piece of Umno.

Utusan's main agenda is to fool the common malays into believing that, the future of the malays depended on the survival of Umno. While the common malays believe it and keep voting Umno, the Umno leaders keep plundering the nation's wealth. And Utusan is there to camouflage the illegal and sinful acts of those Umno leaders by mouthing 'ketuanan melayu', 'menderhaka' and those nonsensical slogans propagated by Perkasa.

Utusan? More like a toilet paper than a media.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 09:11  

anon 08:10

what about those suraus and mosques desecrated? can those be inferred as non malay racism and anti muslim bigotry?

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 09:12  

anon 08:56
who cares what you think of Utusan Malaysia? Malays identify with Utusan Malaysia.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 09:57  

ANON 09.12,
Not all malays identify with that UTASAN Toilet roll !
If not of umno bail out[ do you think they can survive with low circulation]they would have seen sunset long time ago!

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 10:20  

What happened to the "cow head" protestor? I think they should faced ISA but they were not. If other community did the same thing to other religion I doubt their punishment will be the same. Probably, ISA would be used. That's my opinion and nobody has the right to disrespect others religion.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 10:28  

Dato,

Do you see non-Malay as your enemy? It seems that you believed that Malaysia needs Utusan to safeguard the Malay against chauvinistic Chinese. So, am I an enenmy of the states? If I'm a threat to the states does that mean the government can justify anything to monitor me? Lastly, if you see me as a threat;thus, how can we work together for the future of this country?

Salam

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 11:42  

"...Rightly or wrongly, Utusan Malaysia is regarded as the mouthpiece of the common Malay. ..."

R you sure, Dato'?

Try again. How do you forget that with all the dishonest acts, or intellectually dishonest [as of Rais Yatim] of media suppression, that the internet and your blog and others are read widely.

Have you missed this one? What's relevant is, as what we can ponder on future Egypt and imagine, how much stronger and cohesive and vibrant and to borrow a hype word, creative, a free and just nation could really be.

In some sense, had Mubarak dropped the "Mu" he'd have no need to do a Houdini. Or would he? ;)

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 11:56  

Part 1.

Good Dato at least your try now to rebuke Mallot by certain points.

1. About the kaur's stupidity on crosses to be removed.
No, this does not reflect wholesale religious intolerance on the part of the government, but rather a direction to which we are heading.

I dont agree that Kaur acted on her own but rather was sent to make sure it was done. In such visits, usually she discusses with her fellow colleagues or superiors before coming on site. This is common and standard operating procedures.

Actually this should not happen. When one who visits others cannot even tolerate a cross or hynms sung, that is really too much and beyond words NO MATTER WHO HE/SHE IS.

2. You stated Hishamuddin was not supportive of those cow heads culprits? Not our impression when he went on TV. There was even an attempt to forget the entire thing until public outcry forced them to be prosecuted.

3. Utusan Melayu. .. a part of Malay to protect themselves you say.
If that is the case, I then really feel sorry for everyone for then falsehoods, racism and all the bad things are accepted.

One need not dig any deeper. Everyday they spread falsehoods and incite anger among everyone from Malays to non Malays.

A Malaysian Chinese

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 11:58  

Part II

Of course I dont think that is the case Malays identifies with Utusan. There are far far more Malays who can discern the truth and falsehoods and hence the drop in sales. Facts are there for all to see, their circulation is down tremendously. Malays are not that gullible to be taken in by the rubbish. Many a Malay I met, agreed.

It insults one's intelligence to read the kinds of comments by the editors lah many a times.

The most stupid line has been "Malays are going to lose power" kind of stupidity.

This you can also attribute to TDM's lines of rubbish he rants everyday. I need not elaborate how stupid are the kind of rants because doing so would have insulted your intelligence.

This is the only country in the world where high placed officials propogate racism today. It happened during the Nazi times. ISA kind of actions are only for oppositions. Today we see it happening here where the minorities are blamed for everything except themselves.

They are fighting among each other (Annuar Vs Najib) to be in power and they are using the NONs as punching bags (as Nazi did to Jews).
They blamed their own poor state on others but forgot that to succeed one has to work for it in the right ways. Yet everyday they are doing it wrong.

They are even intolerant on "hot" air grievances when in actual fact nothing has changed to correct the wrongs. NEP is still implemented in full.. nothing has changed.

They cannot even tolerate a few miserable millions given to Chinese/tamil schools etc when billions are still flowing their way. One blogger here even stated Najib is giving way to the Chinese ! When the only thing as far as I know is shouting "1Malaysia!!!!!!"

That is why real numbers of Nons who can afford or able to are leaving for better lives. Those who can't will continue to find ways to overcome such. One way is our vote.

In the end we know it is not the Nons who are going to lose most.
When the country becomes non competitive like Indonesia/Phillipines, then let's see NEP can still support the ever growing numbers (up to 75-80%).

Just look at the number of non productive (in the sense of creating jobs kind of factories) mega sized activities going on. These are not income generating projects where real jobs are. What they created are temporary jobs while the projects last.

By then most nons would be enjoying developed status lives overseas.

So let us not fight each other. Let us enjoy while it lasts. When there are no good paying jobs, we nons can still go elsewhere.

Today it is the Malays Vs Malays for power and we Nons just sit by the side and watch the show.

continued...

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 11:59  

Part 3

No problem. The world is our country now. In fact it is good for our community to prepare for the future when global business is the way to go instead of doing Kampong business like coffee shops.

To the Chinese community, this can be good or bad depending on how one views it.

Many years ago, Chinese migrated from China to all over the world. Today you see Chinese enterprises in practically every part of the world and these Chinese dispora actually contributed to the massive unprecedented rise from poverty to world class econony of China today.

You do not see this happening in India for exactly the same reason.

Today perhaps is a mini migration from Malaysia for the Chinese. Many are leaving for better jobs and business opportunities opened up by the rise of Asian countries (esp PRC).

One day we shall see the rise of Malaysian Chinese( or formerly MalaysiaN) helping each other to grow and survive in this competitive world.

I only hope there is one Chinese organisation to help us Chinese to face the challenges ahead. So far all are looking after themselves only. The Chinese Chambers of commerce is useless.

We need to find a way, whereby when a Chinese makes lots and lots of money locally or overseas, it would not count into the national wealth otherwise Abrahim Alis will start to grumble again for his share.

In fact theoretically the migration of Chinese and capital to other countries can help to balance the distribution of wealth and satisfy the NEP objective.

The other way is to drop your tools and retire for good ..everyone. LOL

Otherwise , Ibrahim Alis and TDMs would be complaining forever.



A Malaysian Chinese

BCTan266 14 February 2011 at 12:08  

I enjoy your pieces and the way you present your arguments and views as always. But this time I have two bones to pick.

One is your view about the cowhead protestors. It appears that you are justifying Hisham's defence and lack of fairness in his treatment of the cow head protestors who behaved quite badly. Obvious to all fairminded people at the time was the double standard being applied. It was an indefensible move by those people and definitely volatile. But the velvet glove treatment by the Home MInister was an obvious dereliction of duty. Your defending of Hisham's is too loose to be acceptable. In his capacity as Home Minister, there should be no room for personal feelings, let alone to take sides. Both Indians and Malays were aggrieved and he had a duty to appease both not pour oil onto the fire.

Had the group been the opposition we know batons, fists and water jets and gas canisters would have been let loose.

The CPO of Selangor himself alluded to the volatility of the situation when he came up with the spineless argument that the people had to be given the opportunity to express themselves and that curbing it would have spelled more trouble. Or something to such effect.

Again it reflected double-standard at work. Hence Mallot's argument, like that of many others aggrieved by that display of unfairness from the part of the ruling party must be given its far due, Datuk.

Utusan being the mouthpiece of the common Malay? I am afraid there is nothing further from the truth. I say you are totally off the mark there insofar as it being the mouthpiece of the common Malay. The reverse is the case.

It'd be an injustice to defend status quo. Utusan Malaysia is an instrument of subjugation of the poor masses by the unscrupulous elite.

It puts the common Malay in mental shackles. The half truths and misinformation that the paper prints is legendary.

Add a dose of the incendiary and vitriol into the mix now and then, we see the end result. It becomes an instrument that see the perpetuation of anti-racial hatred. Same goes for the vernacular papers, especially the Chinese papers, as you rightly point out. Sadly, I do not read Mandarin to be able to say much about it, but I gather their raison d'etre are the same. The same agenda lurks behind their existendce. The difference here is that Utusan enjoys wider circulation and the nodding approval of the biggest party in the ruling coalition. Chinese vernacular papers do not. So, the bottom line is that any sanction of anti-racial hatred becomes much more acceptable. Should we tolerate it, Datuk?

Raeding Utusan, one need only to scan the headlines and sub-headings of pieces by the likes of RTA, the Chinese Muslim convert who allegedly holds a doctorate degree. To please his masters, he compromises his own principles, and even religious belief, it would appear. Or has he been so indocstrinated with hatred that he must share it with his readers and much to the disgust of many, he is allowed to do so with impunity.

I must here ask why those schooled in Islam allow such hatred to be spewed to such far reaches? Does not Islam abhor the propogation of hatred?

I digress a little more.

RTA is a lecturer at the Defence Uni....oooo, imagine the kind of potential damage he could be wreaking if he were allowed access to recruits who would be future foot soldiers. If given leeway to do so, RTA can be made into a dangerious weapon. By instilling certain thinking patterns in these poor guys, I dread to think the kind of "beat-people-up machines" we would be creatiing in the camps. Sorry to say this, these guys may not be the sharpest of knives on the shelf...and could be indoctrinated much more easily to carry the torch of hatred. Yes, maybe. No?

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 12:08  

"Do we now see the government directing crosses be removed in churches or carols and hymns banned? If we do, then we can use that isolated incident as a description of what is happening overall in Malaysia. " Ariff.

Yes, yes, yes!!! the government has directed crosses, crucifixes, statues, pictures of saints etc from all mission schools including convent schools all over the country.
Damn it, even crosses have also been removed from school badges.

This has been going for decades and now almost all Christian school have had these Christian symbols totally removed.

So Sir, what Mr Malott wrote is NOT an isolated incident. It is widespread.
It's either you are unaware or deliberately pretending not to know.
In any case, you are a minnow when compared to Mr Malott.

Quiet Despair,  14 February 2011 at 12:33  

Let's move on Sak. Pay Ambassador Malott no mind. Leave him be.
He's got his own agenda since Anwar is going to jail soon.
Try to understand him. He made it his duty to be Anwar's PR since the sodomy king had received bad press in the NYTimes, leading US media and from American bloggers.
He took great pains to say Anwar is still tight friends with Al Gore and Wolfowitz, contrary to what the Amercan press say.
I am in touch with my American friends who send me all the stories which praised Malaysia under Najib.
I am also a regular reader of Rachel Motte, whom Malott is suing for writing about Mr Aljay's alleged links with Muslim terrorists.
Please go to Motte's blog the Evangelical Outpost. She exposed Anwar's alleged extremism in the New Ledger.
Motte has lauded Malaysia as one of the world's truly moderate Muslim majority nations.
"Malaysia's multi-ethnic multi-religious society is remarkable in that it mostly works in a way that hardly any other nation has managed to emulate," she wrote.
She has interview Najib whom she said had offered Malaysia help in combating the degree of Islamic phobia saying that the U.S needed help in educating its people about the reality of Islam.
"When 26 % of Americans believe that it's own president is Muslim, Najib pointed out it's a sign that the people are woefully uneducated."
No matter what Malott said, Obama has acknowleged Malaysia as the spokesman for moderate Muslim views.
And what Malott says does not dent the ruling party. Only some of your commentators who had been anti-government, with or without Mr Malott. We know where they come from.
The Malays will still read "chauvinistic' Utusan and the Chinese their chauvinistic papers.
In one Chinese paper, my Chinese friends said they are now preoccupied with the squabbles between the four wives of Stanley Ho, the HK casino billionaire.
It's an on-going serial now being followed ferociously which exposed salacious details of him and his wives and children.
Much more interesting than what Malott wrote.

Suci Dalam Debu 14 February 2011 at 12:41  

Sir,

The cow's head demo is an isolated incident? Utusan Malaysia being the mouthpiece of the Malays despite the lies and spin?

A disaster happens due to a string of events.

It would do you a lot of good to look from outside the box as Mallot did. To me Mallot is correct and you are not not this time.

BN is actually far more rotten than what Mallot has pointed out. He knows a lot more and is just being diplomatic.

The younger generation in Egypt has spoken. Why don't we let the same generation in Malaysia speak up freely?

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 13:24  

Anon 9:11

That's what I am saying. Racism exist in Malaysia and practise by everyone. So it is an accepted practise.

Bala,  14 February 2011 at 14:34  

There are some things I don't agree with Malott. Still it is shocking to see the counters by SakMongkol. Guess an Umno man simply CANNOT think outside the racial shell.

Dissapointed. But I will continue to read your blog because you at least are honest with your thoughts, ideas and ideals. (Does not mean you cannot change them to universal values).

I used to have a lot of malay friends and one chinese friend. Now, with all the stuff forced on them, I am reduced to having no malay friends. No enemity; just drifting apart.

Chinese and Indians, there are those racist but I just choose those who are not. Malays, they just dare not be non-racist anymore. Luckily there are Sumatrans I can befriend.

bungled 14 February 2011 at 18:44  

I have 2 issues SAK47's take on Ugutan Melayu.

"Utusan Malaysia serve as a check on non-Malay chauvinism through their own media."
What check? A check implies a credible threat. Which is no where to be found, really. Firstly utusan needs to pick on some one of their own clout. No non malay media has equal power or brazenness because there is no level media field. Ugutan can hurl insults and threats at will without proof or validification. It does not need to worry about intellectual reprisal and answers to no one. It behaves like a bully boy in a kindergarten pen.
Star? Sinchew? NST? I have never seen such pathetic papers. Spanked and told to sit in the corner in their soiled pants.

"Utusan Malaysia, they are NOT given absolute free space"
!!?? What?
Has any editor ever been reprimanded?
Has any of the members been detained under ISA?
Has it ever been denied licensing by the home minister?
Has action ever been taken against it under the print and presses act?
Has this paper ever been given warning or shut down (like the Sarawak Herald?)
If that is not free space as far as Malaysia is concerned, what is?

You need to take that back, SAK47. And please come up with more creditable excuses on Ugutan's behalf.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 19:17  

If Utusan is the mouthpiece of the common Malay, then I am sorry for your race.
It only exposes their mental capacity to evaluate, discern, analyze issues and opinions independently and intelligently.
Any Malay with a balanced intellect will shun this paper as it only mocks at the gullibility and stupidity.

Ariff Sabri 14 February 2011 at 19:24  

except for the economics issue raised, i have answered Malott's article on a point by point basis.
if they generate further debates, what do they show?
they show that Malott's views and thoughts are not definitive. if they arent so, why the predilection to accept what Malott says as universal and incontestable truths?
i have given counterpoints. i do not claim they are indisputable.

Anonymous,  14 February 2011 at 19:35  

You sir, are a professional troll. Witness:

"What Hishamudin defended was the anger directed at the foolishness of locating a temple in a majority Muslim neighborhood. It wasn't a defense on the transgression nor can it be read as intolerance towards the Hindu religion."

An immediate contradiction in your second sentence? The hallmark of a professional troll.

Ariff Sabri 14 February 2011 at 19:53  

anon 19:35

see, you don't want a debate actually. what you want is unqualified acquiescence . as soon as you raised counterpoints, you go cuckoo.

Hakiman,  14 February 2011 at 23:15  

I have to agree what Anonymous- 14 February 2011 06:47 said.

We might get eggs on our face if we try to debate Mr Malott for the sake of debating with him.

Make sue we don't spit straight up into the sky.

Mr Malott is the US Ambassador, not one of those you get from some third world countries. He knows what he is talking about and he was once in the Office of the Secretary of State.

He measures his words very carefully, as all diplomats do.

So, Dato Sak, you are a former ADUN, therefore I implore you to understand that it is equally important you measure YOUR words as finely as Mr Malott does in your arguments, otherwise you might end up in the gutter with the rest of the Pro-BN bloggers or your own spit onto your face.

The judge of your comments will be your readers, not you.

Anonymous,  15 February 2011 at 00:36  

Dato

Disagree with you on the following:

1. Apple polishing Hardev's conduct view collectively with the spate of church attacks and MOST importantly, Najib and his government's very slow response ... suggest (rightly or wrongly) that his government encourage such religious intolerance. These people had been very quick acting on other stuff (e.g. investigating the opposition). Don't tell me they are worried about pissing off the Malays. All peace-loving and God-fearing Malays will condemn such despicable act against the churches.

2. Hishammuddin looking to "placate Malay anger at temple in a Muslim majority area". Surprisingly, the angry Malays were UMNO members!!!

3. Utusan Malaysia ... a Malay media to counter Chinese media ... False reporting in any language with the purpose of sowing disunity and racial hatred is outright EVIL. If the Chinese media is doing the same, by all means expose them, let the rakyat be the judge.

The rationale you put forward to counter-argue Malott ... is very UMNO. Pretty sad that after 53 years, we have degenerated into us against them when we are all Malaysians. We are a global laughing stock!!!

guwawijaya,  15 February 2011 at 08:24  

Datuk, I consider you as one of the few confident, reasonable and well-informed UMNO leaders who aren’t afraid to engage in intelligent debates. I appreciate your capacity to deal comfortably and confidently with different views, unlike the bigdogdotcom feral and kiasu (borrowing Dr Ridhuan Tee’s favourite word) mentality of berating any critics of UMNO as unpatriotic, treasonable or disloyal.

However, I wish to respectfully disagree on two points in your post (and let’s forget about Mr Malott here).

Firstly, your defence of Minister Hishamuddin – compare or rather contrast his mollycoddling of the cow-head mob with his FRU’s ferocious trampling of peaceful candlelight vigils. Hisham is surely no Tun Hussein. Unlike his highly regarded father, Junior was a cow-ard in the cow-head shameful incident. He could have dealt firmly and appropriately with that unruly seditious mob (seditious for publicly provoking religious sentiments), and at the same time, voiced his concerns about (and disapproval of) the development of a Hindu temple in the midst of a Muslim-majority suburb. What a Tun-Dr-Ismail-like statesman he would have been to every reasonable-thinking person in Malaysia, but Junior, not being his dad, succumbed cravenly to opportunistic politicking, and pathetically in a quavering flip-flop manner as well. OK, this was not as bad as the next point.

I’m a bit surprised by your indefensible defence of the amazing Utusan. Everyone interested in Malaysian politics knows Utusan is a mouthpiece of UMNO or perhaps of a faction in UMNO. That Utusan would be Teflon-ised in whatever it publishes is a given but its frequent servings of provocative, instigating and indeed highly seditious racist demagoguery astound even the perception of the ‘given’ Teflon-ness.

To argue its bigoted diatribes, heavily spiced with fabricated allegations, had been to check non-Malay chauvinism by non-Malay media, is even more astonishing. You surprise me, Datuk! Are you seriously saying that UMNO and thus the Najib government has okayed the seditious Utusan behaviour? An "I can do better than you" response to Chinese chauvinism?

Would such an approach be responsible governing? Why not deal approriately/leaglly with the so-called non-Malay chauvinism by non-Malay media instead. After all, such a government action has happened before, as with The Star in Ops Lallang. Remember, we have a PPPA in place precisely for this reason, though mind you, not that we ever expect it to be ever applied to Utusan or the other UMNO media mouthpieces.

Let’s be brave and admit the Utusan demagoguery is planned, deliberate and sanctioned by UMNO. In our lamentable political environment of divide and rule, it supports Najib “reaching out to the nons” while keeping the heartland fearful with only UMNO as the ethnic guardian.

Every act of racism or seditious religious provocations should be and must be dealt with accordingly, regardless of whether they were or are Chinese, Indian or Malay originated. We cannot argue nor condone or excuse it as merely tit for tat (or check) action. It’s not an acceptable reason. It’s a poor excuse.

Anonymous,  15 February 2011 at 15:04  

What about the time Utusan publish false information about Dy Comm of Police Ramli ? Reflecting common Malay sentiment ?

Geronimo 16 February 2011 at 03:40  

Malays losing power? I guess the day will come when there is only 1 Chinese left in the country, the Malays will still continue to feel that they are about to lose power. Such is the insecurity and paranoia implanted into the minds of the Malays by Utusan and UMNO to preserve the status quo.

Anonymous,  16 February 2011 at 17:06  

Sak,

You are a disappointment! You are suffering from the same selective amnesia disease that the ex-PM TDM is currently suffering. How can you openly make comparison that the UMNO government is not anti Christian when it only Muslims has the proprietary rights to use the word Allah? How can you have forgotten that over the last 30 years, Christian and missionary schools were forced to remove the crosses and symbols of their christian beliefs? How can you openly write that the cow head protestors were prosecuted when the Home Minister (what's his name??) can hold a press conference defending the protestors actions? You mean paying a miserly RM2000 fine is adequate punishment for desecrating a cow head with the intention of inciting racial sentiments? What's wrong with you? You are beginning to show your true colours that you are still very much a ultra malay regardless of what you attempt to portray yourself as a progressive malay fighting for UMNO to reform.

Sad, so very sad. A true Muay Thai warrior will defend what's right and condemn what's wrong. You are no Muay Thai warrior so stop publicising you are one. You are a disgrace to the Muay Thai legacy. Period!

Anonymous,  17 February 2011 at 18:06  

"Malays identify with Utusan Malaysia."

NO IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and i'm a Malay!

Lim Yung Keng,  19 February 2011 at 14:52  

Datuk, i have been reading your blog on and off. I find your writings, hence you, quite admirable to write the ways you do, while being UMNO member. All said, you are entitled to your opinions.

But i find your point of defending UTUSAN -- the indefensible, rendering me speechless. UTUSAN is simply POISON, which helps UMNO to kill this country. All other points duly noted, but not this one.

Defending UTUSAN in this instance makes me feel that you are actually more UMNO-ed then i thought you are.

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