Friday, October 3, 2008
Unraveling the RPK Mystique
Much has been said about the ISA detention of Raja Petra Kamarudin. Over the past decade, the 58 year old has emerged from obscurity to become a sort of cult figure for some Malaysians, and his detention has become a cause célèbre for “the quest for justice and inequality.” RPK is also perceived by many to be some sort of figurehead and rallying point in their opposition to the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition that has governed the country since Merdeka 51 years ago.
Who are these RPK supporters?
Do they truly represent the Malaysian social milieu? Well, they themselves certainly feel that way. A browse through RPK's Malaysia Today portal would give that impression. The lively postings allude to a sense of inevitability in the socio-political evolution of this country, where some sort of People's Power movement, indeed an alternative irresistible political force, would sweep through Putrajaya to obliterate and replace the current ruling oligarchs with an "enlightened" administration driven by the mantra of Ketuanan Rakyat.
.
Is this really an accurate sketch in the complex Malaysian socio-political canvas? Do these people -- the posters, lurkers, trolls and bots inhabiting the Malaysia Today cyber-habitat -- really represent the conscience and aspirations and, indeed, the essence of the Malaysian people, a compelling sampling of the changing socio-dynamics permeating our nation?
.
Not really.
.
Who are these people then?
.
Malaysia Today is a typical SoPo portal, an aggregator of third party newsfeeds and blog postings, spiced with some original articles by RPK himself prior to his ISA detention. The Malaysia Today Webmaster (RPK in the past, and now his close associates since his detention) would "moderate" incoming readers' comments to ensure congruence to the portal's political sentiment. RPK himself said that daily he had to delete 500-600 comments sent by Malays, which he termed the "UMNO Cyber Troopers." This effectively skewed Malaysia Today into a supra cyber platform for non-Malays to spew their bigotry and chauvinism while sheltered from Malay reactions.
.
Typical of other SoPo blogs and portals, the site is frequented by the usual suspects, namely political gossip junkies in need of their daily "fix" of sensational revelations and maladies of the ongoing Malaysian political telenovela. The human tendency to revel in a schadenfreude orgy was satiated by RPK's rich pipeline of sensational "scoops" as well as his series of "True Stories" of our historical past, including a revisionist portrayal of the May 13 Incident, a version much more palatable to his predominantly non-Malay audience.
.
Visitors to his portal may not necessarily share RPK's ideology or the anti-Malay, anti BN/UMNO flavour of the content. Many just want to read alternative viewpoints to supplement the less-than-credible spin spewed by the mainstream media. Some visitors may, indeed, be RPK's many enemies, wanting to check out his latest antics. Yet others are just curious.
.
Out of this pool, a smallish group ultimately immersed themselves into the Malaysia Today cyber-habitat, became hyperactive posters, and evolved into "MT junkies," glued to the site for hours on end, alienating themselves from the realities of Main Street Malaysia and oblivious to the constantly shifting socio-political undercurrents that define Malaysian politics. These MT junkies -- overwhelmingly non-Malay -- actually believed their own postings, facilitated by the total lack of competing Malay viewpoints as these were "moderated away" by Malaysia Today's Webmasters. The MT junkies reinforce this make-believe empowerment by incessantly regurgitating the same points of view, essentially preaching-to-the-converted, in their comments to every new Malaysia Today story.
.
The propensity of Malaysia Today to block comments from Malays (RPK's "UMNO Cyber Troopers") that would countervail the bigoted viewpoints of the Chinese chauvinists and Hindraf sympathizers contributed to this false sense of empowerment among the non-Malays.
.
The unbridled spiral of prejudice and contempt -- in a make-believe cocoon devoid of the voice of the Malay majority -- fueled an irrational exuberance among the MT junkies over a perceived "inevitable" change in the Malaysian political landscape, where the non-Malays (in the guise of DAP's Malaysian Malaysia stance shrouded by the Ketuanan Rakyat mantra of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition) would have the major grip on political power in this country while the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition would collapse and dissipate into thin air.
******************************
This RPK chap, a likable personality with a free-spirited, bohemian streak, was gradually emboldened by the ceaseless cheerleadings and promptings of the MT junkies. Ever more sensational stories were churned but these could not satiate the hungry hordes. RPK then did the ultimate – he himself became the story, starring in his own improbable sinetron radiating from the keyboard of his PC.
With RPK in the starring role, who needs third party revelations? He is the story! He can craft his own play and act in his own drama. He has reached the nirvana of SoPo blogging. Quite predictably, hits on Malaysia Today hit the roof, giving chedet.com a run for its money. RPK was now on par with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad! Nobody gets larger than that in Malaysia. Pak Lah, Najib Razak and even Anwar Ibrahim were reduced to supporting cast and bit players in the eyes of the MT junkies. A sense of invulnerability descended upon the Malaysia Today cyber-habitat and the mystique of RPK’s infallibility permeated his congregation.
But again, who are this flock of adherents that contributed to the deification of RPK in the cyber universe?
Here’s a quick and dirty classification:-
Groupie Gang I: The Idealists
These are the believers of a new, utopian Malaysia devoid of racial, religious and class conflict; a land of plenty for all; a just, corrupt-free nation of civil, law abiding citizens united in a celebration of cosmopolitan multiculturalism. The thought leaders of this small but influential group include fellow bloggers Dr. Azly Rahman, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Dr. Bakri Musa, Harris Ibrahim, as well as writers Karim Raslan, Wan Hamidi Hamid and politicians, Zaid Ibrahim and Tunku Aziz Ibrahim. The Idealists, albeit for different reasons and motivations, advocate either the abolishment or a revamp of the NEP, demonise Ketuanan Melayu, and view BN/UMNO as an obsolete post-Colonial relic quivering through the final vestiges of its existence. The elegant intellectual discourse spewed by the Idealists, usually revolving around the need for social justice, meritocracy and more “progressive” Malay attitudes are well received by the predominantly non-Malay MT junkies as this would entail the dismantling of perceived Malay-centric policy legacies built over the years by BN/UMNO. The non-Malay MT junkies usually refer to this group in their comment postings as the “good Malays.” Articles and blog postings by these "good Malays" are prominently displayed in Malaysia Today and their Chinese and Indian-friendly comments are approved by the gatekeeper, giving the casual Malaysia Today reader the false impression of a softening Malay stance amidst the perceived newfound political clout of the non-Malays in this "new" post-318 Tsunami political landscape.
Groupie Gang II: The Anwaristas
This collection of visitors and posters view Malaysia Today as a convenient platform to spew their venom against anything that had to do with BN/UMNO, more so the likes of Pak Lah, Najib Razak and Hamid Albar. The nucleus of the Anwaristas’ gene pool can be traced back to Anwar’s ABIM and Reformasi days. Many are ex-hardcore UMNO cadres purged from the party in the aftermath of Anwar Ibrahim’s battle royale with Dr. M. These are essentially closet UMNO people – in attitude and mindset – the “have nots” in the intra-Malay competition for patronage and privileges. Beyond a common enemy in a Pak Lah/Najib-led UMNO, they have no affinities to Groupie Gangs I, IV and V and do not partake in commenting except to glorify Anwar Ibrahim and to ridicule the key UMNO personalities.
Groupie Gang III: The PAS Malays
These are predominantly PAS members, with some PKR supporters among the lot. They view UMNO as their ideological foes and tolerate the other RPK Groupies (for now) in their bigger quest to win the Hearts and Minds of the Malay masses. This group makes up a small minority in the English-centric Malaysia Today Cyber Habitat and many have filtered away amidst the strident criticisms on Islam by the portal and the comments sent by the anti-Malay MT junkies.
Groupie Gang IV: The Rabid Anti-Malay Racists
These are the bread-and-butter of Malaysia Today and form the majority of the posters. Their posts and comments say it all. Everything in Malaysia is linked back to their hatred of the Malays. These are the ethnic-Chinese chauvinists, Hindraf sympathizers and assorted hangers-on who suffer from an overwhelming sense of alienation in this country. They equate every symbol and instrument of Malaysian statehood – from Bahasa Malaysia to the Negaraku to the Rukunegara to the Songkok to the Jalur Gemilang and, of course, the Keris – to the Malays and hence not worthy of their respect and deference. This attitude spawned a deep-seated hollowness permeating their souls as they languish in a land whose essence run contrary to their aspirations. Hence, every post emanating from this Group would revolve around their revulsion of and paranoiac vengeance towards the Malays. Of course, when like-minded posts coalesced in the Malaysia Today cyber-habitat, an explosion of Malayphobia saturates the portal. And with the Malay voice effectively moderated-away by the Webmaster, this racist mania continues unchecked and unchallenged. The venom and ferocity of the attacks are matched only by the “spin” applied to various issues by authors and articles allied to their non-Malay agenda. Of course, to appease the Anwaristas and the PAS and PKR Malays, these Rabid Racists would replace “Malay” with the term UMNOputra or Mat Rempit or just plain beruks, but the message to the casual reader is clear: They hate Malays, and all the maladies of this country can be traced back to the Malays. Their own kind – the “repressed, smart hard working people” – are portrayed as a Superlative group, held in check only by the smothering political grasp of the Malays (oops, no … by the “UMNO people”) crawling in their subsidised tongkats and crutches.
Groupie Gang V: The RPK Cultists
To this group -- mostly young, impressionable non-Malays with their first intoxicating taste of politics – RPK is a demigod, a messiah sent by the Gods to rid Malaysia of the bad guys, to single-handedly rescue Malaysia from all the maladies caused by these people. Yes, all these and then some in one fell swoop of his …. errrr ….. keyboard! The cultists elevate RPK to a Supreme Being-like persona, a larger than life sage whose every word is the gospel truth, who’s every action is holy, and whose every pronouncement must be followed. Utterances of “my RPK,” “our RPK,” “I love RPK,” “RPK our hero,” “RPK wants” and “RPK says” began to percolate in readers’ postings and comments on Malaysia Today. I get blurry images of Jim Jones, Idi Amin and Kim Il Sung as I forage through the thick undergrowth of readers’ homage to RPK in Malaysia Today. And you know what? I think RPK actually gradually believed in this burgeoning personality cult and began to suffer lapses of self-grandiosity as manifested in his later posts and articles.
So what happened when RPK got banished to Kamunting? What happened to his hordes of supporters, the people who would join him arm-in-arm in a fight to the death with the ruling oligarchs? Where are the untold millions that would march to Kamunting to tear down the walls and hand-pluck RPK from the grasp of the baddies? Where? A hundred people in Anti-ISA and Free RPK t-shirts assembling at the entrance of the Kamunting camp or a couple of hundred people holding a candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka just don’t cut it.
Is this the real Malaysia? Is this group of affluent predominantly non-Malay urbanites a true sampling of the Malaysian population, representing the sentiment of the rakyat? These people may be nothing more than a like-minded interest-group with deep-rooted animosity towards the Malays, egged on by partisan politicians naturally at loggerheads with their BN/UMNO rivals.
What about the on-line petition drive to free RPK? How many actually signed up?
A sampling of the Free RPK Petition
Does this list represent Malaysia’s demographic mix, a necessary condition to “transform the nation” from Perlis to Johor to Kelantan to Sabah into a different Ketuanan Rakyat paradigm? After discounting the meaningless prank names such as “Father of Najis,” “Death 666,” “Johnny Doe” (in the above sample), as well as the non-citizen residents and foreigners signing from afar, how many people actually signed up? How many legitimate citizens actually walked the talk and signed the petition? 10,000? 30,000? 100,000? These are peanuts compared to the purported millions of hits charted daily by Malaysia Today.
Assuming 100,000 Malaysians actually signed the petition, this would represent less than four-tenth of one percent or 0.0036 of Malaysia’s 27.5 million people, or one out of every 275 Malaysians. It means, 274 out of 275 Malaysians don’t really care. Is this four-tenth of one percent the Critical Mass sufficient to revolutionise the Malaysian political landscape, the people with the mandate to dismantle this country’s socio-economic-political equilibrium?
No.
These people are just a smallish cyber-community not at all representative of the Malaysian ethno-cultural milieu. But isn’t Malaysia Today the voice of the people?
What people?
Any blogger will admit that the number of "hits" do not translate into number of people. A Malaysia Today junkie might reload the portal 20-30 times a day just to access the stories. Also, not more than 30 hard core junkies post 90% of the comments. Go check the site. It’s obvious that a small group of hyperactive adherents account for a large amount of postings, hence, essentially preaching their political gospel to themselves in an affliction which may be termed “inbred blog postings syndrome.”
Again, where are the Malays? Where is Mainstream Malaysiana that would change the country? The writings on the banners allude to a predominantly ethnic-Chinese grouping. What does this say? Why are the Malay majority not taken in to RPK and the ideals of Malaysia Today?
****************************
The vast majority of RPK’s supporters are just armchair quarterbacks and fair weather cheerleaders and people with nothing better to do who essentially outsourced and sub-con their political activism to this poor chap from the airconditioned comfort of their homes and offices, from their cosy beds and plush sofas, cybercafés and chic gourmet coffee joints. They are not even representative of the country, in terms of demographics, dispersion and political inclination. These junkies are more akin to the lunatic fringe than to the mainstream of Malaysian society. Who are these people? The content and nature of their postings revealed an English-literate motley crew of private college kids, bored pensioners, the unemployed, the under-employed white collar salarymen, the disenfranchised and a handful of professionals -- all with chips on their shoulders. There is also a good sprinkling of expats and foreigners posting from faraway places (146 countries according to RPK in the clip above). Plus a fair bit of ex-Malaysians with axes to grind and some kiasu Singaporeans.
Hardly forming the vanguard of the Malaysian Rakyat.
Yes, RPK (and poor Marina and kids) were conned by these people. These cyber-opportunists outsourced and sub-con their politicking to him while they cheer him from the comfort of their cosy homes and plush offices. Many seemed to ignore that RPK is a real human being, a late middle-aged man with a wife and many children. A man with responsibilities, hopes, fears, aspirations and vulnerabilities like the rest of us. These parasites and blood suckers ruined his life and unnecessarily estranged his family from mainstream Malaysia.
RPK himself is not really a grave threat to national security. His incoherent rantings and pathological animosity towards BN/UMNO and prominent UMNO personalities are old news. RPK is a known loud-mouth, a prickly irritant with a penchant for the dramatic. For many, his revelations and cyber activism are no more than pure entertainment, melodramatic political gossip on par with TV3’s obnoxious Melodi and a much needed comic relief from the socio-political quagmire of the past 3-4 years under Pak Lah’s disastrous watch.
But RPK’s real fault lies in his propagation of Malaysia Today as a cyber platform for assorted bigoted and racist characters to spew their venom against the Malays and, in more than one instance, to ridicule Islam. His personal vendetta against the UMNO Cyber Troopers (purportedly led by Azalina Othman Said and Norza Zakaria according to RPK in the clip above) degenerated into an almost blanket deletion of pro-Malay comments, hence rendering the portal into a one-sided anti-Malay arena in the uniquely Malaysian game of race-tinged politics.
Indeed, MT Junkies (the Rabid Anti-Malay Racists and RPK Cultists mentioned above) are the bigger threats to national security. These racists, bigots and cyber-misfits hide behind their anonymity to flood Malaysia Today with venomous racist postings, instigating hatred for the Malay majority, ridiculing Islam, and spewing seditious spins to various national issues.
This was the real threat and his refusal to curtail this threat finally nailed RPK.
*****************************
My advise to RPK, Marina Lee and family: take a few steps back and view the bigger picture, the real landscape out there. What exactly is your struggle? Justice? For whom and where? The Penans, Dusuns, Senois and Semangs deep in our rainforests? Kedah paddy farmers? Trengganu fisherfolk? The ordinary civil servant or private sector clerk? The hardworking Pasar Malam vendors? The labourers in our plantations? The trishaw/beca man (yes, we still have them)? The hard core urban poor? Who? Where? Why aren’t they outraged by your ISA detention? We don’t see them take to the streets in Kota Bharu or Sarikei or Lahad Datu to demand your release. Most have never heard of you! Aung San Su Kyi you are not. Nor are you a Nelson Mandela or a Xanana Gusmão.
You are just a political tool for some selfish interests, for the elitists far removed from the grassroots and the ordinary man.
RPK doesn’t really speak for the real Malaysians out there, for the 27.5 million people from Langkawi to Besut to Batu Pahat to Kemaman to Santubong to Miri to Ranau to Semporna. RPK hardly exists in the consciousness of these masses. No, RPK speak only for the small lunatic fringe of our society -- the affluent, private art school on daddy’s-money set (bottom below) and the rabid anti-Malay Chinese chauvinist (with Marina, top below) and Hindraf Indian racists languishing in the deep murky crevasses of the cyber world. RPK and his ideals do not represent the sentiment of the vast majority of Malaysians.
Pics: delCapo.wordpress
RPK, Marina Lee and their kids were used by the nameless parasites lurking in cyberspace These anonymous characters embody the worst of human traits; they got something for nothing. Oh yes, they got their schadenfreude fix all right when the going was good. They have chewed the sweet fruits plucked by RPK, and spit out the pits to be picked up by Marina and her kids. The long lonely trips to Kamunting, the endless court dates, the deprivation of a husband and father, the despair and helplessness – will all be borne by Marina Lee and family.
Finally, where is Anwar Ibrahim? What is his stand on RPK’s detention? RPK gave his life, metaphorically speaking, to uphold Anwar’s “ideals.” RPK bet the ranch on Anwar becoming PM on 916 and came out a loser, a pathetic flat broke loser. Has Anwar and gang even addressed the RPK ISA issue? Indeed, his silence is deafening. What about Lim Kit Siang? Once Teresa Kok and the Sin Chew reporter got out, Unker Kit Siang has disappeared as well. What about PAS? Do you think either the old ulamas or the younger Islamist cadres have anything in common with RPK? Do you think they like RPK? Did RPK and his MT junkies pushed for the release of Nik Adli, Tuan Guru Nik Aziz’s son, who was under ISA detention for many years? I don't recall any Ah Sohs, Ah Mois, Leng Chais and Uncles bearing "Free Nik Adli" t-shirts in front of the Kamunting camp. Actually, you MT junkies would not recognize Nik Adli even if he walked right past your smug faces. And you expect PAS to sympathise with RPK? You expect PAS to fight for RPK amidst Malaysia Today’s anti-Islamic postings and its readers’ rabid rantings against Islam?
In a nutshell, do you think the Pakatan Rakyat gives a hoot about RPK? No. He was a useful tool. But he was also a disposable tool. RPK is no use to them now. Indeed, he is now a distraction . They want to govern the nation. They have no time for this old chap. To them, RPK is just a lost soul who threw too many dices in his own little crapshoot. Their focus is on 27.5 million men and women. Not one guy who spoke and wrote too much. And they won’t glorify, deify or make a martyr out of RPK either. That’s already reserved for one man.
Marina, you owe it to RPK to close down Malaysia Today. Your “struggle” is for nothing. These sly political opportunists and selfish cyber-parasites don't deserve your sacrifice. There are hardly a few thousand legitimate signatures in your Free RPK petition. Only a few hundred turned up in candlelight vigils and at the Hari Raya assembly at the gate of Kamunting. What does that tell you? There is no avalanche of support for RPK. There never was. The “millions of supporters” are just but a mirage spawned by delusions of grandiosity that snowballed in the Malaysia Today cyber-habitat over the years.
Let this be a lesson to other bloggers. Do not get caught in your own demagoguery, in a propensity to over-fantasize your relevance to the political process and role as some sort of a “peoples’ hero” based on the digits of your blog’s Hit Counter and a bucketful of readers’ comments.
Posted by The Author at 2:14 AM 13 comments
Labels: ISA, Malaysia Today, RPK
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
BIADAP !
This is the only nation on earth where the Head of Government and his cabinet play host to thousands of complete strangers in a uniquely Malaysian phenomenon known as the "Open House." An offshoot of traditional Malay festive hospitality, the Malaysian Cabinet's annual Hari Raya Aidil-Fitri "Open House" at the Putra World Trade Centre welcomes anyone who would care to wade through the sea of humanity and wait patiently in line to be personally greeted by the Prime Minister and his Muslim cabinet ministers. Then you can have your fill of Malaysia's varied cuisine prepared by 45 chefs and go home with a full belly and lots of talking points. Many will do this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetimes and will talk about it for years, embellishing the lore through time.
This year's Open House attracted almost 200,000 people.
But something else happened this time. Between 300-1,000 (depending on who's reporting) Hindraf sympathisers clad in bright orange t-shirts pushed and shoved their way into the PWTC hall amidst noise, mayhem and confusion. Between 40-70 (again, differs among reports) of them met Pak Lah and demanded the release of the five Hindraf leaders held under the ISA.
The Star quoted K. Shanti, the wife of exiled Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy, as saying:-
“Our message is that we want our heroes released. It is an open house and we can come as we want. During Hari Raya, you are supposed to ask for forgiveness. So we forgive Umno’s sins against the Indian community. We just want the detainees released.”
*****************
Let me go direct to the points :-
- When you attend a Hari Raya (... or for that matter, Lunar New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Gawai Dayak, Hanukkah, or whatever) Open House, you go there as a GUEST -- a tetamu.
- Guests do not embarrass and insult the host, the tuan rumah. When you do that, you are not a guest. You are a trespasser.
- Hari Raya is the one day where people put aside politics and life's ills to celebrate the occasion with family, friends, neighbours and guests, the tetamu.
- Even Unker Kit Siang put on his best clothes and behave himself amidst the throngs of other tetamus. Indeed, Unker Kit Siang and assorted DAP Ah Peks, Ah Sohs, Ah Mois and Leng Chais always behave impeccably in PWTC during Hari Raya Open Houses through the years.
- It is extremely bad manners -- biadap, kurang ajar -- for you to go to an Open House as a tetamu and insult and embarrass the tuan rumah.
- When you embarrass the tuan rumah, you are also insulting the other tetamus.
What's this? "Revenge of the Nerds"?
A handful of RPK supporters turned up as well to
jatuhkan the air muka of the tuan rumah.
For god's sake, this is Hari Raya lah ané! You don't go to people's Hari Raya Open House and do this. It's unthinkable. Jatuh air muka tuan rumah. I don't think Malays like their air muka to jatuh. If you want respect and justice, you must first respect others, not least their happiest day of the year. I suggest you relearn Malay culture and by extension Malaysian cultural norms.
You must first and foremost be a good tetamu to the tuan rumah. Jangan biadap, jangan kurang ajar. This is the first step in solving a lot of issues in the rumah called Malaysia.
Pictures: © Andrew Ong, Malaysiakini
Posted by The Author at 7:43 AM 18 comments
Labels: Hindraf, PWTC, Raya Open House
Monday, September 29, 2008
"I hope the police can give extra protection to my family members ..."
Well, a picture says a thousand words. A crude note with choice expletive creates a thousand pictures.
Nothing much to add here except a sense of irony.
The Polis Di-Raja Malaysia that Ms. Kok had spewed so much hatred and venom, the force that she do not trust and whose professionalism she has brought into disrepute – indeed, the purveyor of the “two boiled eggs and some kuah” haute cuisine in the glitzy Lock-Up Café – had to be called in to do the usual penyiasatan and pemantauan.
What about perlindungan? Yes, that too. Teresa Kok told Malaysiakini: “I hope the police can give extra protection to my family members and also to all political leaders. If this can happen to me, it can also happen to anyone.” Hmm, I thought that was Anwar’s line?
Isn’t that a fast “turnover” in Ms. Kok’s attitude and confidence in the Polis Di-Raja Malaysia? Ms. Kok, you want "protection" from your despised ex-jailors now? Then Hamid Albar was correct after all in his definition of "police protection."
See how much the World can change in one week.
Police custody was not so bad after all, uhh? At least the “two boiled eggs and some kuah” fare could be enjoyed with peace of mind. I heard Molotov Cocktails are bad for health. Something to do with anxiety, no?
We Malaysians hope Ms. Kok would refrain from further instigations. Cukup lah. There are enough nuts out there to spoil your day. Baiting them to do stupid things is downright foolish. Now, finish your dog food and move on. Malaysians want to view a new episode of the political sinetron, this time with fresh-faced buxom starlets. Your bit part’s done. It’s a wrap.
Posted by The Author at 12:37 AM 8 comments
Labels: Cibai, Molotov Cocktail, Teresa Kok
Sunday, September 28, 2008
CIPLAK ! / PLAGIARISM !
Kes Selesai. Terima Kasih semua.
***************
Case Closed. Thank you all.
Posted by The Author at 2:14 PM 7 comments
Saturday, September 27, 2008
... and the Telenovela continues.
"Pelan Terkini" saga Peralihan Kuasa di antara Pak Lah dan Najib Razak yang di putuskan dalam mesyuarat khas MT UMNO semalam (26/9) telah mencetuskan berbagai reaksi rakyat Malaysia. Kebanyakan nya terjurus kepada ketidakpuasan hati atas penerusan suasana Wayang Kulit dan sandiwara yang tiada hujung pangkal nya, apatah lagi di masa negara menghadapi berbagai jenis cabaran luaran dan dalaman.
Ku Li, satu-satu nya watak yang berpotensi mencabar Pak Lah atau Najib untuk jawatan presiden UMNO di petik oleh The Star :-
"Now we know that Malaysia has First World infrastructure and Third World politics, with leaders turning us into a banana republic. I think I speak for the country when I say we are embarrassed at the sight of two grown men playing this endless children’s game of yours and mine with the most important job in the country, oblivious of the law, oblivious to the damage they are doing to the country.”
Sebenarnya, kemusykilan ini timbul apabila "plot" telenovela terkini UMNO ini tidak serasi antara Part I dan Part II.
Begini:-
Part I : Tangguh Perhimpunan Agung selama tiga bulan ke Mac 2009. O.K. So far, so good. Ini boleh di tafsirkan sebagai ruang penafasan buat Pak Lah berundur secara terhormat dan berwibawa di detik tersebut.
Logik dan dalil yang tersirat dalam pendirian ini sepatutnya di susuli oleh saranan Pak Lah yang jelas dan jitu bahawa beliau tidak akan bertanding jawatan presiden dan akan bersara menjelang Perhimpunan Agung tersebut. Itu sepatutnya plot utama Part II telenovela ini.
Tetapi:-
Part II : Pak Lah kata beliau akan tentukan kemudian (sebelum 9hb Okt ini) samada mau bertanding jawatan presiden atau tidak. Inilah detik dimana skrip sandiwara ini sudah terbelit, sudah masuk ke alam sutradara Tamil MGR.
Pokoknya, kalau masih ada kemungkinan bertanding, apakah logik tundaan tersebut? Tak payah lah tunda. Masuk saja gelanggang pada bulan Disember 2008 ini dan selesaikan sandiwara ini sekali gus ... once and for all. Kalau dah tunda tiga bulan, lepas tu nak bertanding lagi, apakah rasional nya di panjangkan suasana ketidaktentuan ini?
Aneh sekali.
Kalau di tanah seberang, mungkin di omongin orang: "Berpolitik kayak gembel gitu susah banget sih. Udah jelek, goblok lagi."
Ya pak, budaya flip flop dan indecisiveness ini masih mekar mengembang di tanah air kita. Negara akan terus terjerumus dalam kancah kebingungan sosio-politik yang semakin parah, di mana berbagai pihak sudah mula lantang bersuara mempersoal martabat bangsa kita dengan kebiadaban dan keangkuhan yang luar biasa. UMNO sudah tiada pemandu, tiada penghulu, dan akan tergantung -- on life support -- selama 5-6 bulan lagi.
Adakah ini baik buat negara? Mungkin ya, mungkin tidak. Tapi yang sudah tentu, selagi ianya tiada berkepala, UMNO akan terus di cabar dan di persenda oleh musuh-musuh nya. Luka-luka nya akan semakin berbisa. Bila cedera sudah parah, rawatan nya harus jitu, tegas dan mujarab, walaupun pesakit akan rasai keperitan dan kepedihan penawar tersebut.
Posted by The Author at 3:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Ku Li, Najib, Pak Lah, Peralihan Kuasa
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Wee Meng Chee Saga
It was reported here and here that Wee Meng Chee, the man who parodied Negaraku (which he restyled as Negarakuku), the Malaysian national anthem, in a noxious, Racist pidgin Mandarin-Hokkien rap has been called up by the Cybercrime unit of the Commercial Crimes division of the Federal Police Headquarters at Bukit Aman, presumably to be questioned over his Negarakuku gig. Meng Chee's handywork has been actively distributed on YouTube and other video sharing sites, although he himself has removed it after the initial national furor last year.
As expected, ethnic-Chinese political parties and assorted self-proclaimed rights groups swooped down to defend this "innocent little boy who had some fun on YouTube."
In his song, which actually is quite melodic, Ah Chee started with cryptic Racist-tinged insinuations of corruption by the ethnic-Malay police force, uttering in Mandarin:-
"... we call the police Mata, its because their mata (eyes) are very sharp. They are very hard working when Hari Raya looms, pen in hand but rarely gives out summons. It's because they are thirsty; they want to drink tea, or Kopi O with or without sugar. If you add "sugar," they will smile at you. As you drive off, they will say Tata."
In a display of mind boggling Racism and religious intolerance, Ah Chee launched a blistering attack on the Azan Subuh, the early morning Muslim call to prayer, rapping in Mandarin to a background of mosques and Muslim congregations:-
"... there's a Morning Call asking me to wake up; at times several of them singing at the same time, like the duet of a love song, with High and Low notes like an R&B tune, although sometimes some of them are out of tune, although some of them sing with a croaked voice; there are also voices like a rooster's call, but they wake up earlier than the chickens (... cock-a-doodle-do sound in the background). Like this, we'll know the time to get ready for school and work."
The song proceeded with another vile Racist attack on the Malays:-
"... only non-pampered kids (pic of smiling "pampered" Malay children in the background) will survive. There are those who have not stopped suckling until now (again , with another pic of Malay children and a cartoon of a milk suckling baby in the background)."
The Islamic scarf or Tudung prevalent among Malay Muslim women is not spared by Ah Chee:-
"... those with the tudung cross the road ever so slowly (with pics of tudung-clad Malay women in the background) . You who drive better be careful. As long as they are happy, as long as they are comfortable. Don't be like the Chinese. Everyday busy, burdened with hardships. We must 'admire' their (the Malays') 'spirit.' Because this is their life attitude. Attitude, attitude ..."
Other issues touched by Ah Chee's rap are lazy, kuih-eating Malay civil servants and the problems faced by grads of Chinese schools, saying: "... grads of Chinese schools are ignored by the government; the certs can be dumped in the drain like my case."
********************
So how do you define Ah Chee's Negarakuku gig? How can this not be construed as a sick, Racist statement tinged with religious intolerance of the highest order? Indeed, almost every sentence uttered by Ah Chee is seditious.
But lo and behold, the very champion of anti-Racism, the purveyors of religious freedom and tolerance, the sponsors of a just society, are now rushing to the bullpen to defend Ah Chee. See the hypocrisy of it all.
Lim Kit Siang in his blog here went as far as proclaiming Ah Chee a true patriot!
Kit Siang said: "... Meng Chee’s rap was his expression of his patriotism and love for the country, to make it a better country for all Malaysians."
Say what? Come again? Is there intelligent life up there?
Let's stop kidding here. Unker Kit Siang is defending Ah Chee for one reason and one reason only. Because Ah Chee is an ethnic-Chinese. Period. As long as the accused, even those as guilty as sin, are of "his kind," Unker Kit Siang will charge down from Ipoh Timur to defend these "hapless, innocent repressed people" with full toy gun blazing, twisting facts, context and issues to confuse a gullible populace and an ignorant foreign media. This is pure, unprincipled Racism of the worst kind.
Among some circles, particularly the young ethnic-Chinese citizens of Malaysia, Ah Chee has become a folk hero, a cult figure, a rallying point ............ a fledgling Nelson Mandela and an embryonic Dalai Lama wrapped in one neat little ta pau package ........... a symbol of ethnic-Chinese resistance to "Malay Rule" in Malaysia (do I sense a tinge of oxymoronism here?).
How long can these types of blatant, unprovoked Racism by segments of the ethnic-Chinese minority be tolerated by the Malays in this country? The Negaraku, the beautiful melodic anthem of our motherland, is sacred. NOBODY should even think of tampering with it, nor with the Jalur Gemilang, national crest, Rukunegara or other icons and instruments of Malaysian nationhood. Our soldiers, warriors and heroes -- of all ethnic groups and religions -- have given their blood and their lives in defending the principles embodied in the Negaraku.
No one should even think of denigrating this symbol of Malaysian sovereignty. No one. Remember, no one. There is zero tolerance on this.
As for Ah Chee, he should pay the appropriate penalty. He must be made an example to other restless, Racist lost souls out there who seemed to thrive on a self-destructive diet of hate and vengeance against the Malay majority, the very people that gave their forefathers citizenship and the right to cari makan in Persekutuan Tanah Melayu 51 years ago.
Posted by The Author at 6:22 PM 5 comments
Labels: Negarakuku, Wee Meng Chee
What is this charade all about?
This Chinese road sign charade in Penang is yet another Race Card being thrown in the face of the Malaysian populace by ethnic-Chinese chauvinists. Not satisfied by the proliferation of road names honouring obscure, long-dead Chinese personalities such as Jalan C.Y. Choy above, Chinese-based political parties in Penang are now locked in a spiralling battle of wanting to appear more Chinese than the other.
The victim: Road Signs! And, of course, the general Malaysian populace.
The Chinese-centric Gerakan party, the big losers in the 12th General Elections, went on this Chinese road sign mania reputedly in order to regain ethnic-Chinese support, as if a precondition of gaining support from the ethnic-Chinese citizens of Malaysia is via the desecration of road signage in Bahasa Malaysia, the National Language, by the National Language of a distant foreign land called China. This is nothing more than blatant, treacherous, provocative Racism.
Would any other country on earth allow unauthorised plantings of supplementary or competing signage in other languages on her streets? Try this stunt in any American, British or Australian city and see what happens. The area residents would tear it to bits in an instant. And the vandals would be beaten to a pulp as a lesson.
Why must Malaysia be different? Why must Malaysians tolerate the desecration of their street names and neighbourhoods by rascals and hoodlums bent on imposing their twisted chauvinistic afflictions on the populace? Where else on earth would a sovereign nation allow her public signage in her national language be challenged by other, foreign languages, least of all by people who claim to be her citizens?
The sole National Language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia. In the Malaysian Constitution, there is no second, third, ancillary, auxiliary or periphery language. None. Hence, ALL official public signage -- including road signs -- must be in Bahasa Malaysia, usually in the Romanised script, or accompanied by its original Jawi script as well. Thats how it is, and that is how it will be as long as this nation of Malaysia exists on the face of this earth.
Back to the Penang story, not wanting to be outdone by the Gerakan party, the ethnic-Chinese centric DAP politicians (current rulers of Penang) have pledged to render Penang road signs in Chinese as well -- to ensure they keep up in this giddy I'm-More-Chinese-Than-Thou spiral of self-destruction. Of course, to camouflage their true intentions and to appease their non-Chinese Pakatan Rakyat bedfellows, a DAP State Exco pledged in The Star that signage in "English ... Tamil, and maybe even Arabic" would be put up as well.
How can you fit 4-5 languages on a road sign? It is not only UGLY, it is STUPID, an insult to Malaysian sensibilities, not to mention a treacherous challenge to Bahasa Malaysia, the SOLE National Language of this blessed land.
Oh yes, if and when patriotic Malaysians react, they would be called "anti-Chinese" and intolerant Racists. God forbid, when the majority Malays react, charges of Racism would rain upon them from the very Racists that started the mess in the first place.
Posted by The Author at 2:27 AM 7 comments
Labels: Penang Chinese Road Signs
What is your REAL agenda, Teresa Kok?
Miss Kok, please explain, what is the drive that compels you and your racist circus to "attack" an inanimate KL road sign with such gusto? Why are you and a Mah Chai (above) pointing at the Jawi writing as if it was some kind of abhorred "plague" that has triggered your alarm and concern?
You were quoted in this report in The Star as saying:-
"It’s a waste to spend money like this. Apparently this was also done in Bandar Tun Razak. It’s a Malay community there so it’s not really an issue but to do this in Taman Seputeh, where most of the residents are Chinese, is certainly a waste of money."
So please tell us now, who drew the Race Card first?
We don't get it. Why must you equate the original Jawi writing of Bahasa Malaysia -- which is the sole OFFICIAL LANGUAGE of Malaysia -- on an OFFICIAL, gazetted local authority road sign as a "Malay" thing and, hence, only applicable in areas with a "Malay community"? And by extension, your argument implies that this country does not need such manifestations of nationhood and national identity in areas "where most of the residents are Chinese."
We are puzzled. Since when did the authorities need the "permission" or "acceptance" of a segment of our society on issues pertaining to official road signs and billboards? Do the 126 ethnic groups in Los Angeles or the myriads of "unwashed masses" in New York City, Melbourne or London ... or for that matter the non-Han Chinese in Shanghai and Beijing ... have a say in the language or script of road signs over there? Why must Malaysia, after 51 years of nationhood, now be a hostage to your twisted ethno-chauvinist inclinations?
Or are you implying that ethnic-Chinese citizens of Malaysia play by different rules, oblivious to their duties as Citizens of this country to not only accept and respect, but to defend with their blood the cardinal manifestations of Malaysian sovereignty, not least Bahasa Malaysia (in BOTH Jawi and Rumi), our language of unity and nationhood?
Ponder the implications of your logic for a while ...
Your charade at the KL street corner unequivocally implies that you do not recognise Bahasa Malaysia (including in its original Jawi script) as THE National Language for ALL Malaysians, which include yourself, your Seputeh constituents and your political party. In effect, you are challenging one of THE cornerstones of Malaysian nationhood, the official language of this country, by your explicit manifestation of utter contempt and disrespect of the original script of the language, by dragging our language of unity into your cesspool of petty communal politics.
Ms. Kok, as a parliamentarian, you of all people should know that Jawi is the original script of Bahasa Malaysia, the sole OFFICIAL LANGUAGE of Malaysia. Are you now questioning the status of Bahasa Malaysia as enshrined in the Federal Constitution?
So, again, what was your complain about? Malaysians just don't get it. Why is this even an issue?
Why must your petty personal parochial sentiment be made into a national issue, which has now inflamed the passion of our fellow citizens?
What is your REAL motivation?
Again, why are you so concerned about this display of national identity on Malaysian sovereign soil?
To further inflame communal passion, Ms. Kok and her DAP cohorts took it upon themselves to break the law and erect illegal competing road signs in six KL locations.
Here's the Taman Seputeh version:-
Ms. Kok then had the audacity to declare to Singapore's my paper tabloid that "the Bahasa Malaysia-Chinese-Tamil road sign makes perfect sense. I call it a road sign towards a more muhibbah Malaysia." What business does this woman have to talk about Malaysian public policy to a Singapore newspaper?
And on the subject of muhibbah (inter-ethnic solidarity), how can the segregation of our society into various subgroups that do not even share a common unifying language and script, and to relegate Bahasa Malaysia, the language of ALL Malaysians, to be at the level of imported foreign languages contribute "towards a more muhibbah Malaysia"? How can you unite the people if you keep on stressing their differences? I don't think Teresa Kok even understand the meaning of "muhibbah."
Also recall that Ms. Kok's opposition to the Jawi script on KL road signs was ostensibly to avoid wastage of public funds. But at the same time, she is advocating new road signs in three different scripts. Imagine how much it would cost DBKL (yes, ultimately KL ratepayers) to replace thousands of KL road signs with the Teresa Kok-approved versions? What happened to the money wastage argument now?
No. This has nothing to do with cost savings. Teresa Kok's real agenda is to challenge the supremacy of Bahasa Malaysia, to push for the adoption of alien foreign languages and scripts, to reinforce the distinction between Malaysia's Malay majority and the immigrant minority groups, to drive a wedge between the various ethnic groups, to pursue a rabidly Racist anti-Malay agenda that boggles the mind of sensible Malaysians. Chauvinism and bigotry do not care about costs, either monetary or social.
Ms. Kok's actions -- her pattern of instigating ethno-social unrest, her unwavering drive to segregate and differentiate Malaysia's ethnic groups, her incessant provocation of the thus far largely patient Malay majority -- have become a threat to our nation's security. And this is no exaggeration. Time will tell as Ms. Kok continues her one-woman crusade to unravel the very fabric of Malaysia's nationhood.
A question to Ms. Kok. Why do you somehow feel insecure, inferior, ruffled and frustrated by the original script of this country's NATIONAL LANGUAGE? What does being a citizen of Malaysia -- having reaped the fruits from this blessed land, having being given the opportunity to partake in the democratic process beyond the wildest dreams of any other group of ethnic-Chinese in the world, having your free say on issues -- really mean to you? Is being a citizen AND at the same time disputing the very tenets of nationhood of your country of citizenship, indeed the Constitution itself, mutually reconcilable? Sorry, but you just cannot have it both ways.
Or do you see yourself as in the vanguard of dissent from among a belligerent minority that has taken upon itself to disavow and challenge every notion, symbol and instrument of Malaysia's nationhood? Is your irrational irritability towards our national Jawi heritage part of your larger goal to bring into disrepute other indisputable manifestations of Malaysian statehood -- the National Language, the Keris, the Songkok, the Baju Melayu? Do you find it fit to utterly abhor and oppose these fundamental pillars of Malaysian pride and identity because in your mind they represent the Malay race that you somehow feel necessary to hate, oppose and ridicule? So this is another Race Thingy then?
Ms. Kok, why do you and your cohorts keep on pulling the Race Card in every conceivable issue in this country? Why do you keep on baiting the Malays to react? Do you construe their tolerance and seeming passivity as a Carte Blanche for your further instigations? And, honestly, you are so naive as to not expect a reaction from Malaysia's majority race? You actually expect others NOT to draw their own Race Cards to counter your blatant racism?
And when they do react, albeit mildly thus far, you opportunistically "Cry Wolf" in a pathetic political pantomime, where you depict yourself as a virginal, innocent little girl being inexplicably harassed and bullied by Racist Malays. And instead of being a reformed, repentant, responsible politician and citizen upon your ISA release, you now portray yourself as some kind of mythical Tang Dynasty heroine, ever ready to take your battle to an even higher level at all costs to this nation. Perhaps you are just a closet Michelle Yeoh-wannabe, waiting for your own little (thus far elusive) Chow Yuen Fatt in matrimony?
And after all the mayhem that YOU YOURSELF have created, you have the audacity to complain about having "only" two boiled eggs and some kuah with your rice meals in the police lock-up. So now this Tang Dynasty heroine is "victimised" by lack of good food while under incarceration in this latest episode of your communal political telenovela? Do you know how many Malaysians in the inner city ghettos and isolated rain forest hamlets go to bed hungry, where even one boiled egg and some kicap, sambal and keropok are deemed luxury cuisine? And for you, Ms. Kok, to dismiss the meals of two boiled eggs and some kuah with rice as "dog food" is an unmitigated INSULT to our less fortunate fellow citizens who consume even less. So now you imply that poor Malaysians are "dogs" eating "dog food"? Sad indeed.
Ms. Kok, again you are baiting for a reaction. You instigate people. And when others react like here, here , here, here and here, you will again cry foul and nag the World to censure these "Racists." Your cycle-of-hate never ends.
Sorry Ms. Kok, double-boiled shark's fin soup, char siu bao and koe loe yok do not figure in the menus of Malaysian police lock-ups. Strangely, you look far from emaciated, in fact, bordering on chubbiness (!) and full of energy in your dramatic post-detention press conference of hate and vengeance. Also, didn't you realised that the people who served you your two boiled eggs and some kuah and rice for your breakfast and lunches have not had any food or drink themselves as they were fasting? Didn't you have an iota of comprehension of the socio-religious norms of this country of your citizenship? Or is disrespect of Ramadan another anti-Malay thing permeating your troubled soul?
How long do you think you and your cohorts can play this game? Do you think another country would tolerate your constant petty instigations and allow your likes to challenge their fundamental pillars of nationhood? Didn't your ethnic-Chinese brethrens tried it in Thailand and Indonesia? Do you know that they were assimilated into oblivion -- Thailand beginning in 1938 and Indonesia since 1965? Do you really think your ethnic-Chinese brethrens are treated as equals in Australia, North America and Western Europe, unless they extinguish their Chinese-ness and masquerade as compliant, smiling, subservient Yellow Bananas bending over backwards to master the language and culture of the host country? Look at the likes of Kylie Kwong, the Aussie Chinese chef on TV. Her Australian accent and mannerisms are so thick and so outbackish -- in other words, so totally assimilated -- perhaps to ensure "acceptance" by the Whites. Well, do you foresee the Kylie Kwongs of this world standing at Sydney, Los Angeles or Paris street corners mocking road signs over there? Why then must you and your cohorts do it in this blessed land called Malaysia?
Please explain all these. Malaysians want to know.
Otherwise, your pathetic time-wasting charade at the KL roadsign is nothing more than a grotesque manifestation of your ingrained, self-destructive RACIST psyche that has corroded your inner being in an intractable coalescence of the destructive forces of hate and vengeance curdling uncontrollably in your restless soul.
Posted by The Author at 12:20 AM 12 comments
Labels: Jawi Road Sign, Teresa Kok
No comments:
Post a Comment