Ways To Misunderstand ICERD

So it turns out that there is this Turkish UN representative who is flabbergasted that Malaysia chose to abstain from ratifying ICERD.

Gün Kut questioned how ICERD could become extremely politicised in Malaysia when it is for the protection of individuals against racial discrimination.

"Racism and racial discrimination is everywhere, so no state, country or government can claim there is no discrimination," he rightly explains. Interestingly, there is plenty of racism in Malaysia, but not even propagated by the Malays, who are the majority race in Malaysia.

Frequently, there are ads in the newspaper saying, "Chinese preferred" and "Indian only".

Gün said Malaysia now found itself facing more pressure than ever because it seemed as if it did not accept non-discrimination.

A lot of the people opposed to ICERD claimed that it violates the position of the Malay sultans and that of Islam. Again, I don't know where that fits in with discrimination or where they got that idea in the first place.

Initially, I thought they were trying to protect their privileges like their allocation for property purchase. But it turns out that they aren't even buying them in the first place.

Their allocation rather substantial, as the requirement in the state is for 40% of all property units to be set aside for Bumiputera (which also include Eurasians, and east Malaysian ethnic minorities). Properties reserved for Bumiputera are also given a 15% discount for units worth RM1 mil and above.

And yet:

According to the National Property Information Centre’s (Napic) Property Overhang Report for the second quarter 2018, there were 40% more unsold new residential units during the first half of 2017 than in the first half of 2016.

The number increased to 29,227 units, valued at RM17.24bil as of June 30, 2018. A year ago, it was 20,876 units, valued at RM12.26 bil.

The other privileges are like the Amanah Saham savings etc, but even those never get filled. As of today, Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1M) for example is "Fully Subscribed for Non-Bumi" but not for Bumiputera.

I don't think the Malays actually understand what ICERD is all about, but they fear losing privilege and being sidelined. Those are legitimate concerns, regardless of where in the world one lives.

The non-Malays are not happy either, because they realise that they are not being recognised for their efforts in nation-building and they aren't being treated fairly. Especially when they wish to buy homes or invest their money but aren't being allowed to do so because of quotas.

Again, not all Malays are the perpetrators, and not all non-Malays are victims. The world isn't a fair place and people's rights frequently get trampled upon.

Both sides have legitimate grouses, but they are never addressed because Malaysians believe that confrontation will lead to conflict and they fear another May 13.

A Foreign Concept

You know what still bothers me in this country?

Racism.

Occasionally I meet up for a chat with old friends about current events. Sometimes, the conversation steers to foreigners in this country.

Not the privileged ones. (You know, the white type.)

No, usually the disparaging comments are reserved for the Bangladeshis, the Nigerians and sometimes, the Indonesians.

The originators of such comments are frequently the same people who complain about being unfairly selected for discrimination.

I point out, that if they didn't like being discriminated against, perhaps the foreigners don't either.

This earned me blank looks, as if I was preaching an utterly foreign concept. No pun intended.

Perhaps this Merdeka, it might be a good time to reflect on how we perceive others, and how others may perceive us.

How will we change as a nation, if we can't even change ourselves?

"Gratitude" From East Malaysians

I was born in Kuala Lumpur and lived most of my life there. I confess that people like me do not frequently think about East Malaysia.

Not because we are malicious or have poor opinions of our fellow Malaysians who live across the South China Sea.

No. It's because we lead a completely different lifestyle -- and I had never been to East Malaysia until I hit my early 20s. You need a passport to get into that part of the country, you know. And you have to fly. There's none of that driving down, or hopping on a train or bus.

But there's one thing that East Malaysians need to know; if there's anything you need to know about us Peninsular-dwellers, us people of the Wicked West, it is this: we are in solidarity with you.

And it truly irritates us when the village idiots from West Malaysia patronise East Malaysians by stating that minorities, "should stop making “nonsensical” demands and just be thankful they are recognised as Malaysians".

I honestly have no clue where these people get a sense of entitlement -- to the extent that they feel they are being magnanimous by "allowing" the northern half of Borneo island to be Malaysians!

To begin with, you didn't even ask for it. The generation that accepted the deals enabling Sabah and Sarawak to be part of the union that is Malaysia is probably dead. Long dead.

And given that most inhabitants of Sabah and Sarawak -- from the Chinese to the pribumi -- were born there, who can be considered indigenous anyway? Given the proximity of Sabah and Sarawak to China, I would say that the Chinese were the first ever settlers on the island of Borneo.

But negligible things like solid facts, don't stop the donkey from braying.

"Those who refute Perkasa's role in defending the rights of the indigenous people are the real racists instead.

"All Perkasa wants is for indigenous Sabahans to unite and set aside their religious sentiments and demand their own rights."

He said the indigenous people in Sabah must demand their rights in many fields, such as business and education, adding that Perkasa would continue its efforts to be the catalyst of unity and wanted local ethnic groups to have a strong economic standing in the state.

“They should be getting more than the minority races. They must have control in all commercial areas, including economy and land.

“Sabah is resource-rich, and therefore, its administration must be controlled by locals, unlike in some countries, where up to 80% of business and administration is controlled by minorities.

"Sabahans should never become beggars in their own land.

I really am tired of people deciding who should own what. If you are willing to work hard, you should be able to control the business and the commercial sector.

The basic rule is that you should make it a level playing field, and be inclusive.

For your own good, you should recognise that nurturing the skills of those different from you and avoiding exploitation of any vulnerable group is only in your best interest.

I humbly ask one thing of you East Malaysians: that you unite with us in fighting the bullies and those who seek to disunite us.

Stay Classy!

It's unbelievable how the tables have turned.

Good ole Mahathir, who once ruled the roost with his 'Melayu Mudah Lupa' catchphrase and penchant for selecting his successors in a purportedly democratic nation, is now experiencing INSUBORDINATION!!!

Maklumlah.

The antagonist in question is Ahmad Zahid Hamidi aka Bugis Antarabangsa aka Jawa-yang-hilang-panduan, or as my Other Half commonly refers to him: The Grinning Imbecile. He earned the last moniker after we had to line up for 2 days to get my passport done. After all that waiting, a massive poster of him looking insufferably cheerful was too much to bear.

Anyway, Mahathir must clearly have done something egregious to earn the vicious attack. After 1MDB losing billions of ringgit, I could not bring myself to find out what Mahathir must have squirrelled away for himself. But I sacrificed myself for you, dear reader.

It turns out, the answer is: NOTHING. His shortcoming was due to - wait for it - his race!! Turns out Mahathir punya bapak has Indian ancestry.

PUT THOSE ROTTEN EGGS DOWN!! I know! It's such an anti-climax after the international fiasco over embezzled funds!

We all knew that ole Mahathir had Indian blood lah. We didn't call him Kerala mama and Kutty ayah for nothing!

It's just that Malaysian politics, pretty much like its American counterpart, sinks lower when you didn't think it was possible.

Norshahril Saat in The Straits Times, says:

These personal attacks speak volumes about the behaviour of Malaysia's political elites: They are willing to publicly shame opponents if things do not go their way. They are also eager to expose their opponents' weaknesses, while concurrently ignoring their friends' fallacies.

Currently, Mahathir seems to be attempting to salvage lost Malaysian pride in his criticism against the ruling administration, but he has already played that game one too many times. He has quit UMNO in a huff, and rejoined later, on numerous occasions!

I mean, he was the guy who gave Tunku Abdul Rahman a hard time! Johannan Sim elaborates on what happened when Mahathir left UMNO the previous few times.

All I am going to say, is that politics is so unpredictable. A lot of us have been tirelessly working to effect change, for free and fair elections. For democracy to work.

But sometimes, all it takes is a freak incident that snowballs into something else. Like the American Civil Rights Movement. Like the Suffragette Movement.

I'd like to think that change happens from sheer dedication and hard work. The sad truth is that often, it does not. It's often a serendipitous play of coincidences and bloody old Mother Luck plays a part too.

The whole world is in upheaval. God only knows we could do with a lucky break.

Grappling With Racism In Malaysia

I am utterly disgusted.

In the past, I have ranted against the American way of dealing with people of African descent. It is totally reproachable, and an indication that while they may call themselves "first-world", they are merely third-world idiots with a sense of entitlement.

However, I may have been hypocritical to rebuke them when a similar situation happens in Malaysia.

I just discovered that residents at Waja Apartments in Taman Tun Perak, Cheras had openly displayed a banner with the words “Say No to African People”. Apparently, such banners against Africans have cropped up in Shah Alam and the Sunway area as well.

Seriously?

I used to think that Europeans were the most insular and parochial bunch of people on the planet - not so much the wealthy and educated ones, but the poor, working class types.

Evidently, Malaysia seems to be vying for that honour. Could anything get more revolting?

Now, I know what the reasons (perhaps excuses would be a more accurate word?) for not wanting Africans in their midst would be:

1) Africans are noisy.
2) Africans are criminals.
3) Africans make the place look less posh.

I have actually heard all these excuses uttered and was too shocked to respond at the time. However, I will deal with it today. No time like the present, I always say.

So here goes, based on the order above:

1) Malaysians are noisy too. Celaka la. Have you heard Malaysians at a cafe watching a football game? Have you heard them toss yee sang during Chinese New Year? Have you heard them set off firecrackers as well? Have you actually been to a BERSIH rally and heard how much noise Malaysians can make? Don't be selective. If Africans are genuinely bothering you with their noise, tell them politely. If they don't show consideration, then see point number 2.

2) There will always be bad eggs in every community. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen kes ragut by a Melayu, or a vicious mugging by some Indian, or a Chinese speeding on the highway or trying to cut you off on the road and then trying to bully you (f*cking gangster!) when you show displeasure. I curse these f*ckwads very wholeheartedly. But you know what, that is the job of the police to deal with them. But the police are useless, I can hear you say. Well. There has been a new cop put in charge of Kuala Lumpur. I don't know if he has the support of the community and administration. But Amar Singh deserves to be given a chance to prove himself. So report any crimes: be they felonies or misdemeanours. You deserve to live in a safe place.

3) Screw you. I hope you get an opportunity to travel abroad. I hope you're really excited about it, have bought the suitable clothes, charged up your camera, exchanged ringgit for the local currency, and arrive there safely, only to be treated like sh!t by the locals, because your presence makes the place less posh. I hope your vacation is ruined. You deserve it.

So many Malaysians complain about how they're discriminated against by Malaysia's pro-Bumiputera policies. I have lost count of the number of people who rant against it. Best of all, they plan to migrate "for the sake of the children".

And yet, it doesn't bother them when they practice discrimination themselves. Is it only discrimination if it happens to you?

I really begin to wonder, is racism the Malaysian norm?

National Farm

Sadly, that poster is relevant to almost every country on this planet.

You stand up and make that difference.

Be proud to be Malaysian.

I know I am.

Policing The Police

I had loads of ex-classmates from high school who went on to further their education in the United States. A few years later in the workplace, many of my co-workers had come back to Malaysia to work after graduating.

Many do stay on and work in the USA, but most of them did come back, though with moans and groans about the inefficiency of Kuala Lumpur, civil service, internet broadband and numerous other grouses.

Those who came back were the lucky ones, whether or not they know it.

They may be subject to Malaysia's village idiot brand of racism from the BN government and its stooges, especially the middle-class Chinese.

The Indians occasionally get looked down upon by the lower-class Chinese (those who think they are a bit superior than the rest, and who really, ought to be the victims of the BN government, instead of the middle-class). And a rather alarming number of under-class Indians have been killed by the police while under custody for "questioning", which, by the way, we should constantly be monitoring.

And the Malays? They're forced to conform to peer pressure and social convention on how they should dress, talk, and whom they should spend their time with.

Extremely annoying for those 3 main races - I did not go through the other races from East Malaysia because they generally fall under the Chinese and Malay categories - occasionally fatal, but for the most part, not stressful on a daily basis.

I have ranted against the BN government for this, and called Malaysia a third-world country for its miserably counter-productive mentality.

But nothing compares to the stress that African-Americans go through, living in the USA.

If you ever thought that the US was the bastion of liberty, please end that thought this very minute, for nothing is further from the truth.

Everyday, a black or brown person is harassed and abused, simply because of the colour of their skin.

In Malaysia, for the most part, the cops are able to tell what social class one comes from, based on how one dresses, talks and carries oneself.

But the white American cops seem devoid of this skill. For them, a black person - regardless of social class, income, profession - is considered a criminal. And they are treated as such.

If you were stopped once a year and questioned by the police, you would not display a defensive attitude towards being under suspicion. But if it happened almost everyday, you would grow weary and start exerting your rights.

A case in point is this black man in Minnesota who was asked to produce an ID for no reason at all.

He very clearly states that he was sitting on a public bench waiting for his children to come out of their daycare.

He was not causing any trouble at all, and was simply minding his own business.

There was absolutely no reason for him to be questioned.

I am unable to see his face because the camera does not point at him, only the female thug in uniform who is trying to interrogate him. Respectable-looking woman, but nevertheless a thug.

Based on his voice alone, I am able to tell that he is an educated man, and he has a clear purpose for being there: he is waiting for his children.

Despite explaining all this to the female officer, he is still asked to produce identification without being told what his offence was.

Take note here, that if he had indeed committed an infraction of the law, the police officer is duty-bound to inform him at this point.

She does not.

He is then accosted by a male police thug and subsequently arrested with unnecessary use of force.

Later on Facebook, the St Paul police department claim that the man was trespassing.

This is clearly bullshit as there were no signs put up, because the man verbally pointed that out and the female thug did not correct him.

Yet, the police department have brazenly posted "their side of the story" (a complete lie) and blamed a non-infraction on the victim.

At no point was the man trespassing. At no point in the video do I detect any disorderly conduct. The only obstruction of the legal process was committed by the thugs in uniform.

So why are the thugs in uniform doing this? What purpose does this serve?

You know what apartheid is? Segregation? It was alive and well until the 60s. What a depraved society.

What is even more repulsive is that the white majority does not want the black minority to have access to the same privileges that they do. So whenever a non-white person is found in a "white" area, the police are called to remove the "nuisance".

For that reason, submissively complying by producing one's identification is pointless, because they are never interested in who the black person is; otherwise, they would be observing his dress and mannerisms to assess if he was genuinely a threat.

It is all about bullying.

The United States of America is nation that is severely in decline. To be fair, it's the entire western civilisation that is nearing its end.

People have been too obsessively materialistic to concern themselves with how the police behave. And the police think they are above the law.

To call them law enforcement would be to describe them incorrectly, because they break the law, not enforce it.

A lot of Asians who want to live in the US think, "Ah well, that only happens to black people, it won't happen to me."

Think twice.

The former Chief Operating Officer of Napster, Milton Olin Jr, was killed when a police patrol car collided with the bicycle he was riding.

Olin was in his bicycle lane, but the police officer was using his computer while driving and got distracted. He ran over the man, killing him instantly.

However, he was not charged for his reckless behaviour because "prosecutors noted that a state law banning drivers from using wireless electronic devices while driving exempts police officers and other emergency professionals."

Right.

But check out what the police officer claimed at first: "Wood initially said that Olin had swerved from the bicycle lane on Mullholland Highway into the path of his patrol car."

That's a blatant lie because the district attorney's office concluded that “evidence examined in this investigation shows that this tragic collision occurred as a result of Deputy Wood crossing into the bicycle lane.”

The police officer could have stopped his car or parked at the side of the road to attend to his computer. But he didn't, and that resulted in the loss of an innocent man's life.

And the whole time, he was protected by the police department. The people who are supposed to serve and protect the citizens are protecting themselves. Woe betide those who go against them; more so if you're a black police officer.

The US of A is fast becoming a failed state. It is no longer a place to go to fulfill your dreams or raise your children.

We need to make Malaysia that place. We have awoken from our slumber and are more politically aware and sensitive.

It is now just about taking responsibility and bringing out the best in our fellow citizens, regardless of race, religion or creed.

Happy Merdeka!

RELATED:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Jon Stewart Goes After Fox in Powerful Ferguson Monologue
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization (HBO)

Ferguson

No, this post is not about the highly successful long-time manager of Manchester United.

Nor is it about the female singer of Black-Eyed Peas.

Not even the Duchess of York.

This is about a small suburb in Missouri, USA, that I had no idea existed - until an unarmed young black man was brutally and fatally shot by a white policeman.

His body was left on the ground for a few hours, as the authorities were deciding what to do with his body, and how to explain his unwarranted and cold-blooded execution.

The young, black victim was a huge boy, possibly not wealthy, not particularly good-looking, but he showed promise academically.

Michael Brown had graduated from high school and was headed for college. His killing aggravated the people of Ferguson who went berserk and started rioting.

Interestingly, this was not unlike the Tottenham riots in London, which were sparked by the police killing of a young bi-racial man, Mark Duggan, whom the police later accused of being an armed drug dealer.

Drug dealer or not, Duggan was found to be unarmed, when the police fired their bullets into him. However, amidst all the confusion, the police attempted to make it sound like the man had a gun and had fired at them.

From Wikipedia:

After the shooting, the media widely reported that a bullet was found embedded in a police radio, implying that Duggan fired on the police. Friends and relatives of Duggan said that he was unarmed. The police later revealed that initial ballistics tests on the bullet recovered from the police radio indicate that it was a "very distinct" police issue hollow-point bullet.

The IPCC later stated that a loaded Bruni BBM blank-firing pistol, converted to fire live ammunition, was recovered from the scene. It was wrapped in a sock and there was no evidence that it had been fired.

On 13 August, the Independent Police Complaints Commission admitted that Duggan did not open fire, stating, "It seems possible that we may have verbally led journalists to [wrongly] believe that shots were exchanged". The bullet that had lodged in an officer's radio is believed to have been an overpenetration, having passed through Duggan's body.

Why am I not surprised that the police always justify their shameful actions by vilifying the victims?

The police in Ferguson are attempting to do just that.

They began by releasing CCTV footage that shows a large, black man (allegedly the victim), stealing cigars from a convenience store.

Now I find it inconceivable that a young man with plans to go to college would want to steal. What more, cigars!! If he stole stationery, I could understand. Mind you, not condone, but understand.

If he stole clothes or money, there might be some logic to the story. Even cigarettes might be explained.

But cigars?

If Michael Brown was indeed the belligerent-looking man who shoved the store-keeper aside as he angrily walked out, it appears that there may have been a story behind it.

What transpires, however, is that the policeman, Darren Wilson, had no idea what Michael Brown was guilty of, if indeed, he had shot him for a criminal offence.

It is more likely, that Darren Wilson had shot Michael Brown because Wilson was on a power trip over which Brown - being educated - was unimpressed.

The interesting thing is that eye witnesses have come forward to say that Michael Brown had raised his hands in surrender and said, "Don't shoot."

An autopsy corroborates this claim, as all the bullets were fired into his front, meaning he was facing his killer when he was shot.

Despite surrendering, he still got gunned down by the inhumane policeman.

In America, being black is a very high risk factor that could easily lead to fatality.

But as Malaysians, we are in no position to moralise. Malaysian police are just as trigger-happy.

We also come from a nation that has a very high rate of death in custody.

The MACC killed Teoh Beng Hock and then accused him of committing suicide. I have yet to encounter anyone who believes that.

And as of 2010, there were 1805 deaths in custody.

The death of Teoh Beng Hock was an aberration and most likely a mistake by the MACC. Because in most instances, the deaths are those of Indian men.

These Indian men share the same demographics with men who are killed all over the world by "law enforcement", be it in the USA or UK: they are poor, non-professional and dark-skinned.

I am sick of the injustice.

I am sick of people behaving like human life does not matter.

I am sick of nations claiming to be first-world and developed, but displaying all the symptoms of a third-world country.

If America has any shred of decency, it should bring the filthy, disgraceful cop to justice.

The Complacency Factor

One thing I have learned in life is to take everything with a pinch of salt.

I analyse every piece of news that lands on my lap and even mull over the motive behind it.

Naturally, that was what I did when I came across this article from Bloomberg View that questions if Malaysia is Asia's Weakest Link.

For those of you in the know, Michael Bloomberg was a former mayor of New York City who in an attempt to reduce crime in the city, instated rather racist laws like "stop and search" in which black young men were targeted by the police.

I lost my respect for him then. He later attempted to control the in-flow of guns into the city by regulating them, but that earned him the wrath of the National Rifle Association of America (who are a bunch of nutcases themselves).

Anyway, by that time, it was too late, as both the right wing and left wing hated him in possibly equal measures.

Bill de Blasio appears to have done a much better job so far, but I digress.

Back to the article: Oxford Economics apparently ranks Malaysia the "riskiest country in Asia of those we consider," more so than India, Indonesia and even coup-happy Thailand.

Why, you ask.

Malaysia wasn't included in Morgan Stanley's "fragile five" list of shaky emerging economies last year, as were India and Indonesia.

But Fowler scratches at a number of Malaysian vulnerabilities that deserve more attention: external debt levels that in recent years have risen to close to 40 percent of gross domestic product; a higher public debt ratio than India; the biggest short-term capital flows among the 13 major emerging markets Oxford tracks, including Indonesia; and a shrinking current-account surplus.

I really do take many "financial services" corporations very lightly. After all, they are the ones who predict the strength of economies with grave seriousness - until they are proven to be completely wrong!

They then lose huge sums of money and promptly run to their governments for a bail-out of which the tax-payer bears the cost.

Anyway, the article does have some valid points, which is why I brought it up in the first place:

What really concerns Oxford, and myself, is the complacency factor in Putrajaya. Malaysia is effectively a one-party state, having effectively been ruled by the same party for six decades.

Its 40-year-old, pro-Malay affirmative-action program chips away at the country's competitiveness more and more each passing year.

The scheme, which disenfranchises Malaysia's Chinese and Indian minorities, is a productivity and innovation killer. It also has a corrupting influence on the political and business culture.

"A climate of entitlement amongst the Malay community limits entrepreneurialism and vested interests within the United Malays National Organization still resist change," Fowler argues.

Read the rest of the article on the web.

Who Owns Malaysia?

The KKK (KangKung Klan) aka ISMA-Perkasa coalition are back. And this time, they have "scientific research".

"Wow!" I can hear you say, "What is this research about, Crank?"

"Race and DNA," I offer, being extremely generous in my assumptions. "ISMA claim that they have found proof that the Malay genes existed before even the Chinese did."

"Where did this research come from?" you ask, somewhat suspicious (and with good reason).

Now I regret to inform you, dear readers, that I am not able to provide you with that information because I have no idea. I don't think ISMA have any idea themselves.

However, I can offer a bit of research on civilisations myself, based on what I have read and what is widely believed by scholars based on archeological findings. Take this map from Washington Post for example.

Click to enlarge

First things first: The world as we know it,started in Africa. Humans migrated from there to different parts of the world.

The map above shows the migratory patterns of how humans got to where they eventually lived and were found.

To suggest, as ISMA did, that Malay civilisation existed before even Angkor Wat is ridiculous.

It is possible for a Malay civilisation to have begun before Borobudur because the Indonesians would have had to pass through Malaya before getting to Indonesia and starting theirs, assuming they travelled by land.

However, there is no evidence of this Malay civilisation existing so long ago. Not in Melaka (as the history books crow about) or even in Kedah.

On the contrary, there is was plenty of evidence of Hindu civilisation even as far down as in Kedah, but the government has been anxious to destroy them. Extracts from the article:

A housing developer has demolished several temples sites, including an 8th century heritage site, in Bujang Valley, Kedah, and the authorities are not taking any action to stop the act...

...several ancient temples, called Candi, had been demolished in the last few years to make way for development ... the developer had now demolished the most famous 8th century temple remnants known as Candi Sungai Batu estate or Bujang Valley site 11.

The Malaysian government calmly destroy 8th century temples while the Europeans devotedly restore and protect their 16th and 17th century building and artifacts.

Yes, Malaysia outdoes itself in madness.

But they obviously have reason for destroying evidence: so that they can come out with ridiculous claims to support their assertion that they own Malaysia/Malaya and have the right to do whatever they want and invoke whatever privilege they can think of.

Unfortunately, no one seems to be buying into it.

He Had A Dream

"The Greatest Stumbling Block Is The Moderate"

Martin Luther King wrote an open letter to his critics when he was locked up in Birmingham jail, Alabama, USA for pickets and demonstrations against racism and inequality. Here is a brief excerpt:

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fan in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.

I was struck by the logic that MLK puts forth. I marvel that he manages to articulate in words what I grapple with in thoughts.

The problem with this world in general, and our country, in particular, is that we want to be "moderate" even at the expense of evil and injustice.

Like the slaves, we passively accept our unjust plight. We allow UMNO leaders to do as they may, spend our money at their will, and then make us pay for it.

As MLK says, law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice. When that crumbles, fellow Malaysians, the laws -- the Peaceful Assembly, the Internal Security Act, and the rest of them that only curb our freedom -- become useless and even dangerous.

This is when you and I need to become the law-makers. For even blogger and social activist Haris Ibrahim has a quote on his site that goes:

We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers
– Emmeline Pankhurst

There is equality in the United States today only because MLK and his fellow activists in the Civil Rights Movement had the gumption and perseverance to stand up for themselves and say, "Enough."

Related: LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, April 16, 1963

Losing Focus And Getting Distracted

It's not easy being Malaysian these days. The economy was never very good to start with, and now the government is implementing GST and reducing the fuel subsidy.

The government sure knows how to kick a man when he's down and out. The increase in the fuel price will only cause everything to also increase in price. And the goods and service tax will mean no one can afford to spend anymore.

Bearing in mind that the main reason the country is low in its finances is because BN went on a spending rampage to bribe, bring in illegals to vote for them, and basically cheat their way back into power. We are paying for that now.

To add salt to injury, the government is timing the racial and religious conflicts to distract the bulk of the citizens from the real issue at hand: incompetence, corruption and just poor management/spending.

So it's hardly any surprise that people are asking, "Where is the Prime Minister?" but he is conspicuously silent.

He has orchestrated the whole fiasco; does anyone really think the village idiots claiming to be a garden variety of Islamic organisations are genuinely upholding the best interests of Islam?

Muslims: We will demonstrate! Don't play with fire! We will strike down anyone who comes in our way! Apologise!!
Christians: We will pray for you.

It just makes Muslims look very, very bad.

Of course, you're now going to remind me that there were Muslims who came out in solidarity with the Christians.

Fair play. They have redeemed their religion and their reputation, but the fact remains that the religious posturing by the extremists (or rather those paid to act in such a way) is going to go on for as long as it takes to get people's mind off the real issues.

Real issues like the economy.

First Malay, Now Chinese Dilemma

There is no end to Old Nyanyuk's babbling!

He started off writing a book called The Malay Dilemma, where he recited the 'failings' of the Malay race and how they needed to be controlled and manipulated (perhaps not in those exact words).

Apparently, there is now a Chinese version of it.

Excerpt from the Malaysian Insider:

It is giving the DAP or Anwar Ibrahim far too much credit to suggest that many Malaysians voted for them because of their rhetoric or electoral promises.

It is also plainly dishonest to say that Chinese voted for DAP because they wanted political power.

Read the rest: No dilemma, Dr Mahathir, just the need for a better Malaysia

Unusual Places To Eat

Only in Malaysia.

Say No To Racism

It's about time.

Strange Happenings In "Post-Independence Malaya"

Firstly, the national laureate A. Samad Said is being investigated for reading poetry at a public place.

Never would one have thought that poetry recital would be a criminal offence, but hey -- Malaysia Boleh.

Secondly, a Barking Magpie claims that the "Kaum Chauvinis Pendatang Cina Makin Berani Hingga Memijak Gambar Perdana Menteri kita....Bangun!"

Guess who is trying to incite violence.

That might be a bit of a task though, as the number of Malaysians needing emotional crutches and wheelchairs and other UMNO handouts have decreased. The average Malay is beginning to think for himself.

Speaking of which, I saw the videoclip showing the demonstrators stepping on the picture of the Prime Minister. Some of them were clearly Malay.

Not that it matters whether they were "chauvinistic Chinese immigrants" or anything else for that matter. They are all angry Malaysians.

We did not elect the Prime Minister nor his government, for that matter. UMNO forced themselves upon us by illegal means: cheating and deception.

And you wonder why we have so little regard for them.

Glass Houses And Stones

No doubt the Daily Mail is just a rag.

And they love sensational news and quotes from anyone who's willing to offer any.

But in the case of Ashraf Rossli's parents, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

‘The system in Britain makes people lazy. In Malaysia, if you want to earn money, you have to work. And if you want to earn more money, you have to study hard.

‘In Britain, people who work pay tax and it goes to people who do no work. I don’t understand that.’

You don't understand that?

Like it never happens in Malaysia where one race gets the benefits without putting in the effort?

Do we not have our own brand of thugs on bikes called Mat Rempits? Have we no UMNOputras who plunder our riches -- timber, oil & gas -- and sell us off to Australian rare earth companies in exchange for huge sums of money?

And if we had to get personal, did their son really deserve the scholarship to study in the UK, to begin with? Was it based on merit or skin colour?

I don't believe in Britain's system of giving away handouts and benefits. But I don't believe in Malaysia's institutionalised racism either.

Why HIMPUN?

Got an issue? Then sort it out, folks! Have a walk, have a rally, wave some banners, scream your lungs out if you have to.

That is democracy. Of course, it has no place in this country, because Malaysia is not a democracy.

This HIMPUN has more issues than Lindsay Lohan, frankly.

Like Lindsay Lohan, HIMPUN seems incapable of taking itself seriously. In a country where Muslims are the majority, it seems a little redundant (and bizarre if I may) when they claim to be the victims.

Especially when the world knows what Malaysia is really like. I have blogged repeatedly over the body-snatching incidents by Muslims. It makes you wonder what kind of people would try to grab dead bodies.

It's even on BBC: Malaysia burial row fuels tension

Interestingly, PAS (Islamic party of Malaysia) has distanced itself from this HIMPUN rally. I would have expected that this would be a rallying cry for them as they are the pro-Islamists.

Most of the Opposition politicians have also looked away. This, ironically, seems to be a pro-UMNO movement.

I see sense in the words of AkuMelayuIslam:

Saya cadangkan dua juta umat Islam berhimpun bagi mengatasi masalah perangai orang Islam sendiri, seperti suka fitnah, rasuah, lucah, boros, malas, menipu, hiburan berlebihan, pergaulan bebas, buang bayi, rempit, dadah, berpecah, tolak hukum Allah, dan lain-lain. Masalah ini dihadapi oleh berjuta juta umat Islam.

Ini lah masalah sebenar yang dihadapi umat islam sekarang, bukan dikristiankan yang melibatkan mungkin beberapa ratus orang. Wassalam.

For a moment, it almost seems that Muslims can be level-headed. I wouldn't hold it against them. I suppose when you're distracted and bubble-brained like Lindsay Lohan, you do the strangest things.

That being said, I don't know why Bishop Paul Tan is getting agitated (since he is pretty smart, if a little verbose).

“Judging from the campaign waged by some sections of the mainstream media and blogs you would think Muslims in Malaysia in droves are being covertly converted to Christianity,” Bishop Tan said.

“This is only true in the fevered imagination of the Harussani Zakarias’ of this country and not anywhere else,” added the bishop.

(Harussani Zakaria is the Perak mufti who has periodically raised the alarums about Christianization of Muslims in Malaysia.)

“In all the history of Muslim-Christian relations since independence I have never seen a government so casual and so irresponsible as to allow the fabrications this man has visited on the general population go by with impunity,” lamented the prelate.

One of the speakers at the Himpunan Sejuta Umat this weekend is Harussani Zakaria.

Ah yes :-) Harussani Zakaria -- a man of limited talents and multiple grouses. Watch him incite ill-feelings and racial hatred.

I guess it remains to be seen how many Muslims would take up this "cause".

The Race Card

More than three years ago, I read an article and saved it. Today I read it again, and I found it still relevant.

So here it is: The Malaysian Race Card with a brief excerpt.

Chinese and Indians have become more vocal in opposing discriminatory policies, but they have given little indication that if they were granted greater equality they would rise above their own clannish tendencies.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that all Malaysians are racist and clannish. In fact, the Bersih 2.0 rally was testament to the fact that we are colour blind deep down.

Then again, those who came out to stand up for their rights as voters are those who love their country and countrymen.

The problem is those who love to complain about the state of this nation but have never lifted a finger to do their part, be it signing a petition or attending a talk, much less participating in a rally.

I notice an interesting phenomenon when I read articles in Malaysia Today by Raja Petra Kamarudin.

When RPK posts a blog-entry that slams the Malays, many Chinese and Indians cheer him on. Interestingly, the Malays graciously accept their weaknesses and admit it.

But when RPK criticises the Chinese or Indians (rightfully), there is much angst and vexation over it.

Some time ago, John Malott, former US Ambassador to Malaysia spoke out against institutionalised racism practised by the Malaysian government.

I personally think the Malaysian government is rotten to the core and all its policies are designed to aid them in lining their own pockets.

But they still have the support of the Malay population because there is still a certain amount of wariness towards the Indians and Chinese as elaborated by one Umar Mukhtar in Malott painted only half the picture of racism.

A few excerpts:

Yes, two wrongs do not make a right. But as the saying goes, “It takes both hands to clap”. That is to say, Mallot's article runs the risk of completely absolving non-Malays from any responsibility in the racial predicament that the country is in. That is nothing less than avoiding reality and counter-productive to any effort to improve race relations in Malaysia. Malays have their grievances, too, against the Chinese. The fact that they seldom get aired does not make those grievances any less legitimate or valid.

Education for the very young is one obvious area where racist attitudes can be nipped in the bud.

Often the excuse given by the Chinese for insisting that their children go to vernacular schools and for more such schools to be built is the poor quality of national schools. Surely the solution is not to build more racially-segregated schools but to join hands with Malays and Indians in insisting and ensuring that the quality of national schools be improved for the benefit of children of all ethnicities. Perhaps that is considered such an outlandishly 'out-of-the-racial box' thinking that I have never heard any Chinese make that call.

Any sincere and honest effort to improve race relations has to take cognizance of the fact that racism exists in and racial discrimination is practised, to one extend or another, by all the races in Malaysia.

However, my own honest observation is that the Chinese never want to admit or acknowledge their own racism against Malays or other races.

Official and overt discriminatory policies can easily be criticised as institutionalised racism but covert racial discriminations by their very nature are harder to pinpoint. That does not mean they don't exist or any less invidious than the former.

When a “Mandarin speakers only” requirement is stated in job advertisements, even for jobs which do not conceivably require much language skills, that surely is equivalent to saying “Chinese only”. But you will be hard put to find any Chinese who would admit that the practice is racially discriminatory.

To many Malays, given the refusal of non-Malays to even acknowledge their own racism, the prospect of a rollback in whatever few affirmative action policies left on the plate appears to be concessions which are unlikely to be matched in a similar spirit by the Chinese in the spheres that they predominate, namely the commercial and economic.

If Najib can be accused of pandering to militant Malay groups, Chinese political leaders in the government and opposition, too, can be accused of pandering to their racial constituency.

In my lifetime, I have yet to hear of any Chinese leader asking that the Chinese to join in and contribute towards the betterment of national schools.

I have yet to hear of one calling for Chinese businesses to assist or at least not to gang up against their fellow non-Chinese businesses or to not practice discrimination in their employment policies.

Mallot failed to take into account one side of the equation in his brief exposition of the race relations situation in Malaysia. Hopefully, I have managed to redress that and allow a better understanding of why things are the way they are in Malaysia.

It would have been more gracious of Mallot if he had used his relationship with Malaysians during his tenure as a diplomat to impart his country's experience and firm action with regard to vigilance against the emergence of the evil that is racism, than to make things worse by dogmatically adopting the attitude that sympathising with the minority makes one righteous.

Unlike Umar Mukhtar, I have met the Chinese who speak out against racism. They are a wonderful bunch.

But the majority of people are more content to watch out for their own interests rather than the collective well-being of everyone involved.