Tuesday, October 03, 2006
LKY's words do resonate in Malaysia
There were two long articles in the New Sunday Times dated October 1st, with both writers zeroing in on Lee Kuan Yew’s remarks about the “marginalized Chinese” in Malaysia and Indonesia. It was ironic to see a Malaysian corporate figure (and sometimes journalist), well-known for his links to Singapore, taking a swipe at Lee in his Sunday column. Two pages later, another prominent piece written by a long-time resident of Malaysia - a person of Caucasian descent roped in to help convince the world that all is well in Malaysia - takes Lee to task.
That there is a burning need for Malaysia to counter Lee’s remarks, widely carried by the world’s media organizations, is of no surprise. But I do not understand why people on this side of the border wish to continue harping on this perceived slight from Singapore. Lee made those provocative statements two weeks ago. If all is well with Malaysian race relations, then I do not see the need to continue putting this issue in the limelight. Any right thinking person could not be faulted if he or she thinks that Malaysia is adopting a defensive posture over this issue. I think the master Singapore politician had struck a raw nerve in UMNO which may have been contemplating general elections early next year. UMNO’s incensed response to Lee gives credence to such a possibility. Looking at past trends, the ruling coalition adopts an overly sweet approach towards the Chinese before a run-up towards a general election. Junior Barisan Nasional members – MCA in particular – are co-opted to help spread the message that only UMNO can provide a conducive environment for the Chinese to live and work in Malaysia. Lee’s statements make the task of garnering votes harder.
Both these writers in the Sunday Times – the corporate figure and the long-time resident – outlined several examples to illustrate their argument that Lee is wrong about the Chinese being marginalized in Malaysia. These examples range from the fact that there are Chinese language schools in Malaysia, the only country in Southeast Asia to have them, to ministers of Chinese descent in Cabinet. But these reasons will not be stand up to close scrutiny; no new Chinese vernacular schools have been built for several years, an issue that has angered Chinese educationist groups and generated unease among the Chinese and Indians as a whole. As for non-Malay ministers, they are seen as having no influence and merely follow UMNO’s lead in all policy decisions for the country. One incident this year stands out in my mind that clearly exemplified UMNO’s dominance – when an incensed UMNO demanded that non-Muslim ministers retract a memorandum to the Prime Minister, expressing support for non-Muslim groups disturbed by the fact that a non-Muslim woman was denied all outlets of the civil courts when she wanted to contest the religious conversion of her dead husband. UMNO barked and the junior Ministers folded and withdrew the memorandum.
And of late, there have been issues that can be deemed as sensitive to Malaysian Chinese and Indians, cropping up. School textbooks have eliminated the contribution of non-Malays in the history of the country. State agencies like Biro Tata Negara are preaching to university students that Chinese student groups are on the payroll of “Jewish” groups. The young generation of Malaysian Chinese will logically see such acts as engineered with the blessing of the UMNO-run government especially when high-ranking government officials defends these acts. The Chinese Penang Chief Minister has also been politically bludgeoned by UMNO’s top leaders – a development which has taken on an overtly racial tone. And on the topic of education, no new Chinese schools to be built during the 9th Malaysian Plan. These developments are closely followed by the Chinese; newspapers like the MCA-controlled Star Publications, has seen it fit to briefly mention (Wong Chun Wai’s column, Sunday Star October 1) that the community has been aggrieved by the actions of some UMNO politicians. Open talk of the ketuanan Melayu agenda also seem to confirm the fears and suspicions of non-Malays that the government indeed intends to marginalize or subjugate them, even if such perceptions are far from the truth.
I believe these are the issues – ignored by these writers in the New Sunday Times - that provide the oil to feed the flickering flames of distrust and suspicion that leads many non-Malays to believe a foreigner’s words and not their own leaders. ¶ 10:56 AM
That there is a burning need for Malaysia to counter Lee’s remarks, widely carried by the world’s media organizations, is of no surprise. But I do not understand why people on this side of the border wish to continue harping on this perceived slight from Singapore. Lee made those provocative statements two weeks ago. If all is well with Malaysian race relations, then I do not see the need to continue putting this issue in the limelight. Any right thinking person could not be faulted if he or she thinks that Malaysia is adopting a defensive posture over this issue. I think the master Singapore politician had struck a raw nerve in UMNO which may have been contemplating general elections early next year. UMNO’s incensed response to Lee gives credence to such a possibility. Looking at past trends, the ruling coalition adopts an overly sweet approach towards the Chinese before a run-up towards a general election. Junior Barisan Nasional members – MCA in particular – are co-opted to help spread the message that only UMNO can provide a conducive environment for the Chinese to live and work in Malaysia. Lee’s statements make the task of garnering votes harder.
Both these writers in the Sunday Times – the corporate figure and the long-time resident – outlined several examples to illustrate their argument that Lee is wrong about the Chinese being marginalized in Malaysia. These examples range from the fact that there are Chinese language schools in Malaysia, the only country in Southeast Asia to have them, to ministers of Chinese descent in Cabinet. But these reasons will not be stand up to close scrutiny; no new Chinese vernacular schools have been built for several years, an issue that has angered Chinese educationist groups and generated unease among the Chinese and Indians as a whole. As for non-Malay ministers, they are seen as having no influence and merely follow UMNO’s lead in all policy decisions for the country. One incident this year stands out in my mind that clearly exemplified UMNO’s dominance – when an incensed UMNO demanded that non-Muslim ministers retract a memorandum to the Prime Minister, expressing support for non-Muslim groups disturbed by the fact that a non-Muslim woman was denied all outlets of the civil courts when she wanted to contest the religious conversion of her dead husband. UMNO barked and the junior Ministers folded and withdrew the memorandum.
And of late, there have been issues that can be deemed as sensitive to Malaysian Chinese and Indians, cropping up. School textbooks have eliminated the contribution of non-Malays in the history of the country. State agencies like Biro Tata Negara are preaching to university students that Chinese student groups are on the payroll of “Jewish” groups. The young generation of Malaysian Chinese will logically see such acts as engineered with the blessing of the UMNO-run government especially when high-ranking government officials defends these acts. The Chinese Penang Chief Minister has also been politically bludgeoned by UMNO’s top leaders – a development which has taken on an overtly racial tone. And on the topic of education, no new Chinese schools to be built during the 9th Malaysian Plan. These developments are closely followed by the Chinese; newspapers like the MCA-controlled Star Publications, has seen it fit to briefly mention (Wong Chun Wai’s column, Sunday Star October 1) that the community has been aggrieved by the actions of some UMNO politicians. Open talk of the ketuanan Melayu agenda also seem to confirm the fears and suspicions of non-Malays that the government indeed intends to marginalize or subjugate them, even if such perceptions are far from the truth.
I believe these are the issues – ignored by these writers in the New Sunday Times - that provide the oil to feed the flickering flames of distrust and suspicion that leads many non-Malays to believe a foreigner’s words and not their own leaders. ¶ 10:56 AM
