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So I was browsing Malaysiakini today and read a letter by Baki Minuddin. It was a reply to Richard Teo's opinion on the debate on whether the Singaporean Malays were oppressed. Or not.
Now I'm not Malay, or even a Malay in Kiasuland, so I won't make any judgements that the Singaporean Malays are marginalized or otherwise. But what's interesting was Baki's comment on the Malaysian Chinese...
Richard Teo’s No exodus of Malays from S’pore in reply to my S’pore Malays worse of than Chinese here will not convince objective-thinking Chinese who know that from the day their forefathers arrived with the British, their life has been nothing but good except for a little pain during the Japanese occupation.
I suppose the massacre of tens of thousands of Chinese is just a "little pain" for them, no? And way to go! Lets propagate the myth that all Malaysian Chinese have it easy. Ignore the fact that there exists many poor and working-class Chinese who have to struggle daily to feed, clothe, and educate their kids.
At least he didn't claim also that the Indians have it good here... That would be waaaay much harder to back up...
Even more hillarious, he places blame on the Chinese for the social ills of the Malays. Just like how some white supremacists blame 'The Jews' for corrupting impressionable white youth with drugs, alcohol abuse, porn, and rock music...
Thus the Chinese were allowed to go into the ‘kampungs’ to set up their grocery stores, to corrupt the Malays with their ‘555’ debt books, ‘nombor ekor’ and alcohol. The British also made the Malays feel ‘very proud’ to be working as clerks, soldiers, policemen, etc.
And yes, to Mr. Baki Minuddin, the Indonesian Chinese are "persecuted", not persecuted. Even after the discrimination they faced during the Soekarno and Suharto era, and the Jakarta Riots of May 1998.
I recall reading some of Baki's letters in the Utusan before. But I don't recall what they're about, only thing that they weren't really nice. So, I got a little curious and went aboard a time machine called Google...
He's quite an active writer. God bless the Internets:
- Apparently he's forced to accept these races of a different culture and faith...
- A differing view on Independence
- The bangsa asing is taking our women! Do sumthing!
- Another letter about Yasmin Ahmad's Gubra
- Some rapists should just be fined, and some rapes should just be considered "common assault"
- Regarding the Interfaith Commission (IFC) and nonMuslim faiths...
Methinks he don't like nonMalays and nonMuslims much...
5 comments:
Hi Bright eyes,
Baki is provocative, but all for the wrong reasons.
The issue of class in Malaysia (or any part of the world, for that matter) cut across race.Be it Malays, Chinese or Indians, its all about who you know, who you are affliated to and who you suck up to. The present group of ellites in Malaysia with assets you can only dream of, comprise of Malay, Indian or Chinese tycoons.
So, go figure.
Brighteyes,
I think it is very NAIVE on the part of Aminuddin Baki to hark back to the days of pre-European penetration in SEAsia where he lamented that had it not been for Portuguese, the Malay empire would have proceeded on course to include places like Singapore, southern Thailand, perhaps Mindanao under its ambit with an Islamic identity of course. He uses this to justify Malaysia being an Islamic state though he does not say so explicitly. Aminuddin seems to blame the Chinese for causing various kinds of obstacles to an Islamic state.
Citing long gone history as the grounds to justify present day political objectives (in the case of Aminuddin an Islamic state in Malaysia with the Chinese completely marginalized, better still all deported to China)has always been one of the main causes of present day conflict. There is no end to citing history and anyone can cite any period to justify his claim.
For a start,Mongolia can cite the greatness of Ghenghiz Khan and the Mongol empire to claim the whole of Russia and China. The British can still cite the era of the greatness of their empire (where the sun did not set) to claim further colonies everywhere. And nearer home Brunei can still cite the former glory of its empire to claim Sarawak and Sabah. There will be no end to political claims citing historical grounds... and the end force will have have to prevail.
I suspect Aminuddin Baki is itching to "take back" Singapore, very much in the same way that extremist Malays in UMNO continue to blame the late Tunku Abdul Rahman for "selling off the island" to the Chinese.
He is the type of Malay racist who can barely conceal his hatred for Singapore and Thailand and would not hesitate to use force if possible to "reclaim" what he asserts as Malay territory in those independent countries.
People like Aminuddin Baki with his parochial racist mindset stand out like sore thumbs in a globalized modern world with no boundaries which does not owe anybody a living
in the genuinie meritocracy which is practised.
Pas is the most dangerous party as it is a very very very racist and bigoted party.
Malaysian citizens must learn to vote smart meaning do not vote for Pas and its ally, Keadilan. Instead, vote either Barisan Nasional or DAP, with priority given to DAP.
This is how I will vote in the 2009 general election:
1. BN vs. PAS [I voted BN]
2. BN vs. PKR [I voted BN]
3. DAP vs. PKR vs. BN [I voted DAP]
4. DAP vs. BN [I voted DAP]
I never vote for Keadilan (PKR) or PAS, because they both advocate persecution murtads (apostate Muslims) who are non Muslims.
I encourage you to do the same. Give DAP more seats in parliament and DUNs to balance the Islamic tendencies of Barisan Nasional.
I see you are not comfortable when history is mentioned and the malay point of view is given. Then you go quick draw mcgraw with your racism and whatever labelling pistol you can shoot the person you disagree.
Perhaps Baki Minuddin mistake is for not writing with qualifiers to make his remarks more accurate and politically correct.
No one should generalise all chinese but the events he described all involves chinese. It is a know academic study of the buku 555 phenomenon. Are you going to deny that it is not chinese who are involve in the nombor ekor business? From his perspective, which I do not necessrily agree, availability is an invitation and encouragement. I believe to each his own decision but his more puritanial view is not totally wrong.
ON teh Singapore issue, racism and discriminatory practices in Spore is very much at large. Distinguish schools require proficiency in Mandarin to disallow non Chinese in. I thought the national language and national anthem is Malay. Meritocrasy is conveniently used as camouflage to deny many Malays and non Chinese opportunity. The rules also chaneg conveniently. Are we not familiar with the spoken words of LKY that Malay will not be pilots.
I went through MInuddin Baki's list of materials you quick draw mcgraw as offensive.
WHat the problem with his view on IFC? It is a fact that IFC was a devious plan by human rights activist/lawyers to subjugate Islam and not a consultative interfaith exercise.
Isn't Islam has a status as official religion of Malaysia, thus one above with other religion allowed to practise? Does the freedom to practise your religion dependent on Azlina Jeilani get to be a murtad? I am sure it is not.
WHat is wrong with his view on mixed marriage? He is entitled to. I do not agree but he made fair comment.
What is wrong with his sun article. Is it not a fact that statistically the chinese in general benefitted more that the systematic discrimintion and alienation by the British on the Malay?
This posting confirms that you are a reverse racist and anti free speech. Any opinion that does not concur with yours is labelled as racist and given cynical treatment of ridicule instead of objective discussion.
Malay has a proverb for you.
Pulang paku serpih
Kata orang kau yang lebih
>> This posting confirms that you are a reverse racist and anti free speech. Any opinion that does not concur with yours is labelled as racist and given cynical treatment of ridicule instead of objective discussion.
I call a spade a spade. When Mr. Baki Minuddin starts generalizing a whole race and blaming them for social ills, and when you insist there's no offence to call certain ethnic groups as "kaum pendatang", I'll speak out against such bigotry. But I did not (and will not) call for Baki and you to be silenced. Unlike you who starts telling everyone not to question this and question that and waving the "Sedition Act" in reply. To top it all, yet you have one of those "No Fear" logos on your website.
There's also a saying... "I may disagree with what you say, but you have a right to say it".
Or in this case, "you have a right to say it, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it & cannot criticize it".
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