Are Vernacular Schools the Obstacle to a United Bangsa Malaysia?

In May 2009, blogger Kijangmas and his friends submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Minister for Education, asking that the "menace of vernacular schools be totally eliminated" from Malaysia. What were their reasons for this request? They claim to believe that "...a strongly united Bangsa Malaysia will never be achieved as long as the menace of Vernacular Schools (National Type Schools or SJK) exists on Malaysian soil," (my translation from the original in BM). They also claim that vernacular schools (in their words a "divisive social cancer") are the reason why some Malaysians are "unpatriotic", harbour "anti-Malaysian" attitudes, "subversive" and "traitorous".

What heinous crimes would you have to commit, to be branded as "unpatriotic", "anti-Malaysian", etc. in their book? Not very much. Amongst other things, you could qualify by:

1. promoting Mandarin and Tamil (which they refer to as "foreign languages") in Malaysia. They believe doing this is against our Federal Constitution
   
2. "over-exaggerating" the contributions of immigrants in the formation & development of Malaysia

In the same memorandum, Kijangmas and friends also state their belief that the languages & cultures of Malaysian minorities must be removed from all national and public roles and confined to private community matters only, because, as they claim, that is what our Federal Constitution requires.

How did they arrive at their opinion of Malaysians who were educated at vernacular schools? Reading their blog, their beliefs seem to be based not on objective data, but on anecdotes, racial prejudice and stereotypes. One such stereotype that Kijangmas employs is this:

"These functional illiterates end up as a cheap source of semi-indentured labour in the motor workshops, auto accessory shops, in the building trades, sleazy unisex salons, become cetak rompak aficionados, stalk shopping malls to harass shoppers with a myriad of worthless gizmos and, in the case of many if not most Tamil-educated Indians, become low wage general workers, lorry drivers and assorted hired hands for the towkays."

So, are Malaysians educated in vernacular schools really unpatriotic and anti-Malaysian, as Kijangmas would have us believe? Let's look at some data. Recently, the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research conducted an opinion poll, the National Youth Survey 2008. In it, a total of 2,518 randomly selected Malaysian youth between the ages of 20 and 35 were interviewed by telephone about their perceptions of lifestyle, current issues, values, politics, and their own levels of civic and social involvement. The report of the poll results can be downloaded from their website. Here, I would like to highlight just one interesting finding from that poll.

As part of of the questions used to gauge the respondents' social values, they were asked to complete following question:

If you can only choose one identity, would you say that you are...?

The results are as follows:

(Source: Page 30, National Youth Survey 2008 by Merdeka Center)

43% of those polled chose to identify themselves as Malaysians first. This is not surprising; as I have written about here, we Malaysians are not amongst the most patriotic people in the world.

What is interesting, however, is when those results were further analysed by looking at which type of school respondents had been educated at:

(Source: Page 31, National Youth Survey 2008 by Merdeka Center)

52% of respondents who had been to a Chinese school chose Malaysian as their identity. In contrast, 39% & 37% of those who had been to National & Tamil schools respectively, identified themselves as Malaysians first.

So, what are the obstacles to a united Bangsa Malaysia? Clearly, not vernacular schools per se. To answer that question truthfully will take lots of soul-searching, reflection & honest conversation among Malaysians. However, I'm willing to say that intolerance, racism & chauvinism will figure prominently on that list. I'm also willing to say that it is those three attributes that drive Kijangmas & his friends.

The next time Kijangmas comes across someone in the "building trades" or a "low wage general worker", perhaps he should pause & think hard before calling them unpatriotic & anti-Malaysian; for all he knows, in that person could beat the heart of a Malaysian truer than he.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Note: Please do visit all the links I attached to read the posting or article in its entirety. In that way you can judge for yourself if I have quoted them relevantly & in context.

What, If Anything, Should Malaysia Learn From America?

Let's start having the real conversations we need to have. How do we create together our Malaysian Dream that will make us proud of ourselves & our Nation? This is too important a question to let the likes of Deminegara decide for us.

Recently, blogger Ninitalk posted a very thoughtful & inspiring entry entitled "E Pluribus Unum - Out Of Many, One!", which was highlighted at Rocky's Bru. In it Nini notes some parallels between Malaysia and the United States, and draws some lessons in race relations, and creating unity in diversity that we could learn from them. She writes:

"America does this wisely and systematically through a common language, a common education system, a common constitution and law. Lately common national pursuits like the fight against terrorism and the pledge to uphold democracy at home and abroad have united the American people and given them a relevant impetus and a modern identity as a nation."

Here are my thoughts, inspired by Nini's post:

While America & Americans have done much to define & promote democracy & freedom, we must never delude ourselves that they fully practice whatever they preach. Obama or no Obama, there is ample evidence throughout their history which shows that America often lacks the leadership, courage, will or integrity to live up to what they profess. Therefore we must never, by default, rely on them as the final arbiter of what is right or wrong; instead we must objectively examine each issue on its merits.

Nini is right in pointing out the similarities between us & America. It has been suggested elsewhere that our Jalur Gemilang was inspired by their Old Glory. Like them, we are of many cultures, religions & ethnicities. Like them, we too have struggled with troubled & sometimes violent ethnic relations. However, our similarities do not extend to all areas; evidence suggests that Americans are among the most proud and patriotic people in the world, while we, on the other hand, lag some way behind. Considering that after 52 years of Merdeka we are still telling each other to "balik" to wherever our ancestors came from, it's not difficult to see why. So, maybe there is something that we can learn from them (in this area) after all.

Is Uniformity & Homogeneity Everything?

Indeed, America does have a common language, education system, constitution and law. So does Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and France. Yet, in Thailand, to this very day, Malay minorities in the southern provinces are the victims of what some have called genocide. In Indonesia, Chinese minorities are the victims of racist riots, and violence between Muslims & Christians erupts in Maluku Province. In the Philippines, Chinese-Filipinos face racist riots too (e.g. in 1992 & 1998), and crimes such as kidnap-for-ransom, extortion and other forms of harassment. In France, minorities (especially from Africa & Middle East) are culturally, religiously & economically discriminated against & marginalised, also resulting in riots & violence. In those four countries, everyone spoke the official language, went to the same type of schools, had the same laws etc., but they still ended up hating each other's guts. Something had gone seriously wrong there.

Clearly, having a common language, education system, constitution and law is not sufficient by itself to bring about good race relations. Something else is needed. I believe that what set America apart from the others is how that common language, education system, constitution and law came to be, which in turn reflects each country's values & ethos.

Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines & France valued assimilation & homogeneity over individual freedoms. They were willing to force minorities to assimilate even if it meant trampling over their rights. Their ethos was that the majority culture was somehow superior or more worthy, and minority cultures somehow subordinate; anyone who wanted to enjoy the rights of a citizen had to adopt the majority culture & language or face sanctions.

In the case of Thailand, Indonesia & the Philippines, this forced assimilation was imposed on the minorities by autocratic governments which did not respect human rights very much anyway: Phibun Songkhram's fascist dictatorships (1938 - 1944 and 1948 - 1957), Suharto's "orde baru" (1965 - 1998) & Marcos' martial law (1972 - 1981) respectively. France was not much better.

How did these policies of forced assimilation manifest themselves? In the form of institutionalised & legalised intolerance, discrimination & suppression of minority language, culture & even religion. A common target was vernacular schools, which were either closed or had their curricula changed to limit the time spent learning minority language & culture. Minority languages were removed from public use. Minorities were obliged or "encouraged" to adopt names that sounded like those of the majority. Vernacular language media & press were closed down or had restrictive conditions placed upon them. Cultural practices, even ethnic clothing were banned outright or ostracised. Religious practices & facilities were restricted. In more extreme cases, even minority economic activity was restricted or curtailed by law. Those who did not comply were coerced, punished, fined, taxed, ostracised or denied opportunities. All this was done in the name of "national unity", "cohesion" & "patriotism".

Even when minorities were not specifically targeted by discriminatory laws, as in the case of France (that might change soon), by officially ignoring & denigrating minority cultural & religious practices (e.g. headscarf bans in schools, etc) and only recognising & promoting the majority language & culture, France too, in effect, forced assimilation on its minority populations.

But for all that, perhaps the policy with the most serious & insidious long term consequences was this: to gain political advantage & support for assimilation as well as to increase pressure on minorities to comply, politicians & governments demonised minorities, their culture, language & religion. Anti-minority sentiments and prejudices were whipped up with populist & nationalist propaganda. Minorities were stereotyped & scapegoated for the country's problems, even portrayed as treasonous fifth columnists. Is it at all surprising that the result, still evident today, is deep rooted discrimination, inter-ethnic & religious distrust & violence?

What About America?

On the other hand, America seems to have had an altogether different set of values & ethos. Some of the first white settlers in America had fled Europe because their rights as minorities were not respected in their home countries. This awareness of the value of human rights & freedom was strengthened by fighting off British oppression in their War of Independence. The starting point of their Declaration of Independence was the recognition that everyone had the right to "life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness", and that governments were set up only to protect those rights & freedoms, never to interfere with them. Over time, this high value accorded to human rights & freedoms became the core of their national ethos, the American Dream.

Did America always respect minority rights itself? Hell, no. Slavery, oppression & discrimination of Native Americans, African Americans, women and other minorities took place on a large scale, and this is just one of many examples of how America forgot it's principles. However, having those values & principles in their "DNA" (and constitution, bill of rights, etc.) was vital because it allowed those minorities, aided by the justice system & visionary leaders, to eventually successfully fight for their rights (including to affirmative action). In comparison, this was never accomplished in those countries where human rights & freedoms were not as highly valued, and sacrificed for "national unity" or "cohesion".

So, what is this "American Dream"? In essence it enshrines (some would say fetishizes) the rights of all Americans (irrespective of race, religion, gender etc.) to make individual choices to gain an education, secure a livelihood, build friendships and family, and live in peace, free of oppression & undue government interference. In it one's success in life is determined by one's talents and hard work, not by one's family wealth or political connections.

How did this ethos affect how America dealt with minorities? Even when minorities were legally & economically discriminated against, there were no attempts to coerce them into adopting the culture, language & religion of the majority Anglo-Saxon American population. To this day, America does not have an official language. America never had an official religion, and never promoted a national culture based on Anglo-Saxon or Native American culture. There are no "national schools"; the American "common education system" means that parents can freely choose to send their children to public or private schools; they even have the option of homeschooling. Who decides policy in public schools? Ultimately, the citizens themselves; from Wikipedia: "Curriculum decisions in public schools are made largely at the local and state levels; the federal government has limited influence. In most districts, a locally elected school board runs schools. The school board appoints an official called the superintendent of schools to manage the schools in the district."

In short, minority culture, religion & language were never suppressed. Indeed the opposite happened; when some states tried to legitimize intolerance & oppression of non-English languages (prompted by racist sentiments arising from World War 1), the American Supreme Court, in Meyer vs. Nebraska (1923) established a precedent for, and legitimized respect for the language rights of minorities.

So, in spite of all this, how did integration occur, and English become America's common language? As German sociologist & linguist Heinz Kloss, (who studied minorities in America) wrote in his book The American Bilingual Tradition (his own italics):

"As our study shows […] the non-English ethnic groups in the United States were Anglicized not because of nationality laws which were unfavorable toward their languages, but in spite of nationality laws relatively favorable to them. Not by legal provisions and measures of the authorities, not by governmental coercion did the nationalities become assimilated, but rather by the absorbing power of the highly developed American society. The nationalities might be given in numerable possibilities for systematic language maintenance; the manifold opportunities for personal advancement and individual achievements which this society offered were so attractive that the descendants of the "aliens" sooner or later voluntarily integrated themselves into this society."

Naturally & organically, when minorities were confident that their culture, religion and language were not threatened, they learnt & spoke English, and integrated, because they wanted to, not because they were forced to. Today, there are African-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Greek-Americans, Arab-Americans, Indian-Americans etc. Does this make them any less American or any less patriotic? Not in the least.

So, Why Are Americans So Patriotic?

Next question: why are Americans so patriotic? Let's look at the results of the "National Pride in Specific Domains" survey by NORC at the University of Chicago that I quoted earlier. Americans topped the world in national pride in the following three areas: pride in their military, economy and science & technology. This is not surprising at all.

What is revealing is another category in which America tops the world: pride in their Democracy. In this it surpasses the rest of the world by a fair margin; the gap between America & the next country in this category (Australia) is the second highest gap among the 10 categories surveyed. Also interesting is another category in which America was in the top 3 in the world: their pride in fair and equal treatment of all groups in society.

Clearly, our faith & confidence in our democracy & how we treat all Malaysians fairly matters in promoting national pride. Less clear is this: how do we encourage all Malaysians to invest their talents, effort, resources, heart and soul into creating pride-worthy successes in the Malaysian economy, science & technology, arts & literature and sports?

The Americans seem to have found their answer to that question. What motivates them to strive for success in all fields is the American Dream itself. Their human rights & freedoms are protected by their democracy. If they succeed, they get to enjoy the fruits of their success; if they fail, they have only themselves to blame. Americans are patriotic because they have something worthy to believe in & fight for, not because they have been coerced or psycho-ed into patriotism.

Is This Difference Important?

Why is it important for Malaysians to understand this distinction between America on one hand, and Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and France on the other? Because it will make all the difference between a Malaysia that is united in diversity & a Malaysia that is rife with racial & religious conflict. As a result of the last general elections, Malaysia is now at a crossroads, from where, for the first time in a long while, we have a choice of taking a path to a future that we want for ourselves & our children. Not everyone is happy that we have this choice, because they would prefer that we return to the days before 8/3/08, and even further back to Mahathirism. Indeed, there are sinister moves afoot in Malaysia that, if we are not vigilant, will take us down the slippery slope to the Thai, Indonesian, Philippine and French model of "national unity".

An example of the kind of people trying to take us down this path is this group of Malaysian bloggers, whose manifesto seems to be:

"...Stop saying we are a multiracial, multicultural, multireligious nation. Stop reminding ourselves to be tolerant of other races, and to live harmoniously in our multiracial society. Stop talking race at every turn. Indeed, ban racial and ethnic classification and identification! We are Bangsa Malaysia, we speak Bahasa Malaysia. But remember, the Arca of this Bangsa Malaysia is the Orang Melayu, the founding fathers of the nation states dotting this Tanah Melayu plus the pribumis of the Borneo states. This unequivocal identity shall be the solid foundation of our nationhood.

Fundamentally, a member of the Bangsa Malaysia should speak the national language of the Federation, Bahasa Malaysia, fluently and as a primary language; be fully versed with adat-adat and tatasusila orang Melayu and other Bumiputras of the Federation; demonstrates respect and deference to Islam as the official religion of the Federation and exhibit traits and mannerisms acceptable to the Malays and other Bumiputras. Non-Malay members of this Bangsa Malaysia may speak in their own dialects in private and may practise their own cultures and religions in the private confines of their community. Also, Budaya Malaysia is based on the budaya of the Malays and other Bumiputras of the Federation – in their various representations.

And the Education System is based on a single, unified Sekolah Kebangsaan system with Bahasa Malaysia as the primary language of instruction

Later, upon satisfactory cohesion and amalgamation of the Malaysian populace into a truly united Bangsa Malaysia, then by law, ALL references to race and ethnicity in our daily activities should be forbidden..."

A few paragraphs later, they say this: "Measures must be conceived and implemented to forge this Bangsa Malaysia society. Perhaps more assertive measures must be implemented." Does all this sound like the Thai model to you? You are right; I have shown here how these folks have actually been inspired by the Thai Ratthaniyom, Phibun Songkhram's policy of forced assimilation of minorities.

Recently, they proposed "Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua" in a memorandum to the Education Minister, in which they accused Malaysian minorities of not being patriotic, and compared vernacular schools to a cancer afflicting Malaysia. They also proposed that the languages & cultures of Malaysian minorities be banished from all national & public roles and be confined to private community matters only. They claim that this "ghettoization" of Malaysian minority culture & languages is required by our Federal Constitution. In the memorandum, they also call for the outright abolition of all vernacular schools in Malaysia.

These people (whom Rocky somehow describes as "pro-unity bloggers" trying to create "a 'true' Bangsa Malaysia") misrepresent their Thai style forced assimilation as integration, and hope that we won't notice the difference. In the blogosphere, they have no qualms about manipulating public opinion using "false flag" tactics. They seem unwilling to discuss & debate their proposal thoroughly, but want it implemented hurriedly. Anyone who doesn't agree with them is deemed as unpatriotic or even racist. Their most recent proposal is to hold a referendum on the abolishing of vernacular schools; in their words, "A simple Yes-No answer". What was their response to the legitimate concerns raised by Malaysians concerning their scheme: "Why should the selfish indulgence of some elements within the 24+7 percent of the populace hold our beloved nation hostage to debilitating social fragmentation in perpetuity?". "Pro-unity bloggers" indeed!

While these people certainly have every right to propose their suggestions (as we have every right to oppose them), it would have been better if they had been honest about their intentions, instead of hiding behind a smokescreen of "patriotism" & "national unity"

In Conclusion

So what can we conclude for ourselves? Firstly, if we want to learn any lessons from America, let's make sure that we learn the right ones. How we achieve a common language, education system, constitution & law is just as, if not more important than merely possessing those attributes. Homogeneity by itself is worthless, and forced assimilation, as shown by the examples above, works against true national unity & cohesion. How we protect the rights & freedoms of all Malaysians, and give them something to work for & believe in, will determine how patriotic & proud we are of Malaysia

Let's not get distracted by the fancy campaigns, flashy branding, catchy slogans & glitzy logos. These are high on form but low on function; we have wasted too much time & resources on these already. Instead, let us focus on the substance, the basics. Let's start by developing our democracy & empowering our citizens. Let's start having the real conversations we need to have. How do we create together our Malaysian Dream that will make us proud of ourselves & our Nation? This is too important a question to let the likes of Deminegara (or his friend Rocky) decide for us.

There is one more, very critical way in which we are a lot like America. Like them, we too often lack the leadership, courage, will & integrity to live up to what we profess. I believe it's no use waiting for our politicians from any party to take us there by the hand. As Nini said, we can’t erase history but we can definitely remove the baggage of hate, vindictiveness and prejudice. Are we Malaysians prepared to step up & lead the way ourselves?

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Note: Please do visit all the links I attached to read the posting or article in its entirety. In that way you can judge for yourself if I have quoted them relevantly & in context.

Deminegara's "Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua" - Tam Dalyell's Response & My Reply to Him

Tam Dalyell is one of the Deminegara bloggers who created the "Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua" project. Kijangmas describes him as "Pakcik Dal the urbane mountain man, resident sage and voice of reason at DN", who "almost single-handedly collated the relevant narratives from past comments at this blog" for the SSUS memorandum. Dal was good enough to reply to my comment on Rocky's post MCA Youth to lodge police report against 1Sekolah promoters". I post his reply here, and add my response to him below that.

Here is his reply in full:

Dal said...
Dear Malaysian Heart;

Today, 1Sekolah is the best idea yet coming out of the 'tiny' heads of tiny peoples of Malaysia who look forward positively towards Malaysia that belongs to everybody dead or alive, just born or yet to be born. All we need to do is to give it a chance. In the past many tiny heads shot down such move initiated by big minds. The Sekolah Wawasan is an example.

Today 'big heads' have started their moves in shooting down this 'tiny ideas by tiny heads' which is only repeating the same ideas mooted 50 years ago by 'big people' who cared a lot.

No one is out to subjugate anyone in this national effort to give our children a better chance fora better future in a better Malaysia. How better it is going to be is up to us and our leaders.

Let's not look at who is initiating this move. We Malaysians should give this idea a good look, improve on it, fine tune it, give it a proper honing, and then hand it over to those big wigs to push it down the throat of our elected leaders who have no taste for comradeship and goodwill for us tiny rakyat.

It may take a long time to realize this. It may take two or more generations to work this out; but at least we parents can be satisfied that we have handed down to our children something positive to work for together instead or a legacy of childish bickerrings that we seem to relish so much.

We should be ashamed of ourselves that we should be quarreling in front of our children, purportedly for their good, while we know that all the time we are actually indulging to satisfy our selfish greed all for ourselves.
8:41 AM

My response to him is:
Dear Dal,

The measure of how good any idea is, is not the sizes of the heads involved or who tried to shoot down what. To evaluate the idea and determine how good or bad it is, we need to look thoroughly at its intent, proposals & probable consequences, then compare that with what all Malaysians aspire to. That is the least that we owe to our future generations.

To properly evaluate an idea of such import, there needs to be space for discussion & debate; as you yourself have said, "Malaysians should give this idea a good look". What I observe in this memorandum is this: while it claims to promote unity & integration, it does more than just propose a single school stream. It contains some very disturbing premises & key elements, just 2 of which are:

a) that it seeks to institutionalize intolerance against the so-called "foreign" cultures & languages of some Malaysians, by proposing that these be ghettoized, i.e. set apart from & denied its role in the public life of Malaysia, and
b) that it espouses assimilation rather than integration.

Neither of the 2 elements above is in any way necessary for true integration & unity. On the contrary, they will work against "comradeship and goodwill for us tiny rakyat". Elements like these (as well as the intolerant language used in the memorandum) hardly make for a "struggle of all Malaysians irrespective of their colour, origin, creed or breed".

Added to that is the attitude of some promoters of SSUS. While they are quite happy to repeat over and over again the professed objectives of the project and the fact that 1 school for all will promote integration, they seem to want to ignore the fact that Malaysians have concerns & reservations over some elements & aspects of the SSUS. There seems to be an effort to deem people with such concerns as unpatriotic or even racist; and to paint anyone who tries to delve below the surface of SSUS & its promoters (& tries to share it with others), as, in your words, a "provocateur with malice and hidden vicious agenda”. Why this unwillingness to address those concerns? Why this hurry to railroad the SSUS without due diligence & deliberation? If this idea is as good as you say it is, won't it sail through scrutiny & criticism with colours flying?

You wrote, "No one is out to subjugate anyone in this national effort to give our children a better chance for a better future in a better Malaysia". I sincerely welcome your statement; indeed Malaysia cannot be united or strong as long as we seek to subjugate one another.

However, let's look at something else also written by you, in response to this comment of kijangmas, in which he refers to Field Marshal Phibun Songkhram's Thai Ratthaniyom policy, describing it as one "where all Chinese schools, newspapers, culture and names were banned under penalty of imprisonment. Within one generation, the 30% ethnic-Chinese population became fully Thaicized". (Bold emphasis is mine)

Your response to that was:

Tam Dalyell said...

Quote "When the Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja-Raja Melayu agreed to the wholesale dishing out of Malayan citizenships --even inexplicably waiving Bahasa Melayu proficiency tests -- to a million and a half unwanted, abandoned stateless Chinese (and Indians) in 1957 ..."unquote

Hmmm ... what would happen if The Duli-Duli Raja-Raja Melayu did not agree, and Malaya had its own Phibun Songkhram or Plaek Khittasangkha with a Malayan version of "Ratthaniyom" back then?

But may be, today's individual parts of "Ratthaniyom" can be build up and put into action ... no?

October 27, 2008 9:56 AM

(Again, bold emphasis is mine. For the benefit of other readers, Phibun Songkhram a.k.a Plaek Khittasangkha was the Prime Minister and military dictator of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957. Phibun was the person who decreed the Thai "Ratthaniyom", which was a program of forced assimilation of minorities in Thailand, done in the name of "social cohesion" & "unity". The Malay & Chinese minorities in Thailand were amongst those affected by it. You can read more about Phibun Songkhram & his Ratthaniyom policies here and here. Please also look at Kijangmas' description of the negative effects that phibun and his policies had on the Patani Malay population, in his other blog, Patani: Behind The Accidental Border, in the post entitled "Thai Ratthaniyom: Erasure of the Patani Malay Race". Please do read it for yourself.)

So, what was kijangmas' response to your suggestion?

KijangMas said...

Tam Dalyell,

....(5 paragraphs removed for brevity)....

Yeah, potential early Malay Phibun Songkhrams were branded Leftists and Anarchists by the British Colonial Admin. and hence were supressed into oblivion. In the modern era, perhaps Tun Razak was the closest possible incarnation. But his life was short. Hussein Onn was "softer" on the non-Malays. Dr. M was tough, though nowhere near Tun Razak, because Dr. M needed the non-Malays to cooperate in his grandiose economic initiatives. If Tun Razak had survived, say, up to 1985, I'm sure Malaysia would be different today, with a more cohesive social order based on Satu Bahasa,Satu Bangsa, Satu Negara.

Looking ahead, we'll see. Najib is, of course, Tun Razak's son. We shall see to what extent he may want to apply a Malaysian rendition of the Thai Ratthaniyom policy.

Whatever it is, I'm convinced that there are some elements of the Ratthaniyom that would be applicable, in fact, urgently necessary for Malaysia. The incredibly racially devisive Vernacular schooling is perhaps the most pressing ailment that must be solved. I will have a post on these issues soon. Stay tuned ...

October 27, 2008 12:42 PM

(Bold emphasis is mine. Here I have just quoted 3 paragraphs from an 8 paragraph comment. Please read the whole post & all the comments for yourself as it will give you an insight into the mindset of those behind this particular SSUS project.)

In the light of the above, surely you can see why your suggestion, that we "not look at who is initiating this move" seems somewhat disingenuous?

I am doing my best to share my legitimate concerns about SSUS its objectives & promoters. Unlike some others, I (try to) do so objectively, without spinning my words to incite racial sentiments & prejudices. Therefore I am not ashamed of it. However, one thing that I would be truly ashamed of doing, is using the names of our children, their future & Malaysian unity to push a supremacist agenda, a Ratthaniyom by another name.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

Update 1/6/09 21:39 hrs
Just managed to post this reply on Rocky's & Dal's blogs. Please do visit the discussion there if you can. - mh

Deminegara's "Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua" - My Reply to "Malaysian at Heart"

On 24/05/2009, Rocky posted an entry in his blog entitled, "MCA Youth to lodge police report against 1Sekolah promoters", in which he took Deputy Education Minister Dr. Wee Ka Siong to task for contemplating lodging a police report against the bloggers who initiated the "Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua" campaign. I posted a reply to that entry which was published in the comments section. Since then, due to technical issues, I have not been able to post any comments in a number of blogs, including Rocky's. This is an issue with my own PC and/or router, and no fault of the respective webmasters. So, until I solve this problem, I am posting here my replies to the response from a commenter who signs off as "Malaysian at Heart" in Rocky's blog entry, so that our discussion may be continued.

This is my original reply to Rocky's blog entry (I have re-paragraphed it for better readability):

Malaysian Heart said...

These are kijangmas own words, taken from here:

"Anyway, suffice to say that you and your kind are NOTHING. Just the dust, the debu that powders my feet, the habuk, the "duli" yang mencemarkan my tapak kaki.

And nowadays these debus have the audacity to talk up to the Melayu Tuan Tanah on level terms, as if we are on par, makan sepinggan, duduk semeja, tidur sekatil. And these debus now even have the nerve to question the very symbols of our nationhood -- the keris, songkok, jawi, ... even fatwas! -- on a land that MY ancestors forged through centuries of battles and conquests and where countless died defending against foreign invaders. And now these products of the unwashed rejects that rolled off the plank of the rickety tongkang now see it fit to question the fundamental tenets of this land that was created from the blood and sweat of MY ancestors?"

This is just one of numerous such statements by kijangmas & his supporters. That Rocky can describe them as "pro-unity bloggers" trying to create "a 'true' Bangsa Malaysia" speaks volumes about his own character & mindset. If Rocky believes that making a police report is "militant", how would he categorize this from kijangmas (my emphasis in bold):

"We must unearth our martial past. We were warriors, the greatest seafarers ever, the ruling-class of the Nusantara. We built empires, we colonised other lands, our language became the lingua franca of the seas from Madagascar to Okinawa to Rapa Nui (Easter Island). That's 60% of earth's circumference. We must be that again. Do away with the lemah lembut lembik persona that has caused an epidemic in Malay transvestites and Mak Nyahs and budak lembuts everywhere. We must toughen up. Can we live off the land? When was the last time we held a cangkul? Jala ikan? Sembelih ayam? Sembelih orang would be too much to ask for now, but still ....."

Surely Rocky is not suggesting that Wee be denied his right to lodge a police report. If anyone of us believes that a crime has been committed, it is our civic duty to lodge one. "Agreeing to disagree" does not absolve us of that duty. However, if Wee makes a false report, then he must be prosecuted & punished.

Personally, I do not believe that criminal action can or should be brought against kijangmas & his group. There is no law in Malaysia against racist hate speech or being kurang ajar; neither should there ever be, as it would infringe on their right to free speech. Indeed it is better that all Malaysians read for themselves & see this group (that includes you too, Rocky) for what they really are.

4:17 PM

(end of comment)

Subsequently, "Malaysian at Heart" responded to my reply:

Malaysian at Heart said...

Waaaa… MalaysianHeart. You have cut and paste Kijang Mas quotes out of context, weed out the revealing or self-explanatory ones, and present out your case here. Do you know that KM writes in retaliation to those who write in MORE racist manners in his blogs? It is fortunate that he weeds out the ultra-racist comments, if not then we really have explosive situations. Some other blogs are not fortunate anyway: The racist comments coming from you guys are greater in magnitude: yours is much more menyakitkan hati! I could only, within a few minutes, cut and paste these, from Rocky, Jebat, KM:-

Malay is not a gentle race, on the contrary, it is an emotional & violent binatang. – yellowpower

Hey bumibodoh, kalau lu minta ditanam hidup2 di tanah Melayu, gua bisa menunai hajat lu! … we must be honest to call a babi – babi. - Abangcina

Those bastard Malays that easily get emotional had very low EQ and IQ as well. They cannot control their emotion. That’s why our country cannot advance. Everyday shouting “Daulat Malay”. - OBAMA

melayu oh melayu...
non malay...see how all the low class malay shaking here....
tengok sendiri lah standard orang cina and bandingkan dengan melayu.. lu orang melayu apa class..
pergi minum air kencing cina sikit lah kawan... - COMMENTER

As expected most of the low class Malay commenters here are scared shitless of equal rights. What a bunch of pondans these Malays have turned into. Eg proft and LGT.
It's inevitable you WILL bow and accept equality eventually. Or your children will anyway... - COMMENTER

Those reading the above who are above 60 years of age, was around during May 13, 1969 let me emphasize here: these are NOT 13 May 1969 Procession Quotations. These are voices that are heard PRESENTLY, but it sure does sound similarly nostalgic, doesn't it?

Perhaps I could probably paste more if I research longer. And I haven’t even BEGUN to get into blogs like Harris Ibrahim, MalaysiaKini and Raja Petra, who allows malay-bashing racists to write in whatever they want and deletes daily 500-600 (according to that RPK interview) pro-malay comments.

Yes, Malaysian Heart. Bigotry is a result of another bigotry imposed on them. You racist me, I racist you even more.

I also found out that apart from this place, you have also posted this comment of yours at some other spots. Meaning, you just are not interested in a rebuttal. You would like to broadcast anti-malay sentiments wherever you find there is a reader. Showing that you have a purpose, an agenda in mind.

9:27 AM

(end of comment)

As I could not post my reply to "Malaysian at Heart" at Rocky's, here it is:

@ Malaysian at Heart,

Thanks for your rebuttal. I choose kijangmas’ quotes which I believe reflect his vision for Bangsa Malaysia, his attitude towards his fellow Malaysians & national unity. I do this because they are relevant to understanding the project that he & his friends are proposing. To help readers see his words in context, I always include the link. Since you have raised this issue, I will add a request that readers visit those links to judge for themselves if those quotes are relevant or not.

I condemn racism & racist comments no matter who they come from & who they are targeted at. Please read my latest blog post (Putting the shoe on the other foot) to see where I stand on this, & kindly do not include me in with those racists who have offended you.

I agree with you that racism incites racism. However, it does not necessarily have to result in more of the same. Two wrongs do not make a right, and a true leader would have the courage & the integrity to break the vicious cycle by responding to hate with truth, not more hate. Such a leader would inspire his opponents & bring them over to his cause. It is the dajjal & the demagogue who "lead" by spreading deceit & inciting hate among people. May I suggest that you (& km) look to the examples set by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), Gandhi & Martin Luther King instead of following in the footsteps of racists like abangcina, commenter & obama (the racist, not the president). If km is unable (or unwilling) to rise above reacting to provocations with counter provocations, is he the kind of leader that you (or any Malaysian) should be following?

I have posted my comments here, at Pn. Nuraina's blog, de minimis, i am Malaysian and others where this memorandum is being discussed. I believe that is what blog comments sections are for. To suggest that this means that I am not interested in rebuttals is a non sequitur. So far, among the rebuttals that I have received, I have been "accused" of being an Ayah Pin devotee and of loving kijangmas' posterior. I could see "rebuttals" like those having a place in a (lower) primary school playground, but how do they advance our discussion & mutual understanding? I feel that their only objective is to start the provocation rolling and hope for an equally silly reaction in return. On that note, thanks for not stooping to their level.

However, you have wronged me by accusing me of broadcasting anti Malay sentiments. Criticizing a person who happens to be Malay doesn't necessarily mean that I am anti Malay. Going by that logic, anyone who criticizes wee ka siong is anti chinese, the person who murdered kugan is anti indian, and if kugan's murderer happened to be an orang putih, prosecuting him would be anti orang putih too. Subscribing to this type of logic would mean the end of civil society in Malaysia & a descent into the tribalism & ketaksuban of zaman jahiliah, when supporting your clan was more important than standing for justice & fairness. If we are to progress as a nation, people who are truly "Malaysian at Heart" need to go beyond seeing things from a race based, assabiah perspective.

My purpose and agenda is very open & transparent. I believe that km & co's project is an attempt to institutionalize intolerance against the culture & language of our fellow Malaysians, disguised as an effort to promote unity. As a Malaysian, I cannot approve of this even is if I personally would stand to gain by it. This is not about Malay rights or Chinese rights, it is about common decency & humanity. If we allow issues like culture, language & education to be hijacked by chauvinists to further their own agendas, it will lead to further racial resentment & distrust in Malaysia, and as we can see from the responses & counter responses to this issue, it has already begun. I believe that this increased distrust & tension serves km & co's purposes just fine.

Not all the people who support SSUS have chauvinist agendas. Many Malaysians, myself included, rightly see that 1 school for all is fundamentally a good idea. However, many have missed the insidious racism & intolerance that underlies this project. Therefore, I want to share with Malaysians what (I believe) this project really is. I support my arguments with data sourced from km & co's own writings, and everyone is free to decide for themselves. I can't help feeling that this uneasiness amongst km supporters when I refer to their own words in my comments, belies an anxiety that the true nature of their project (& indeed of themselves as human beings) is being unmasked.

Finally, if I may, I would encourage you to dig out the racist comments from any websites including Malaysiakini, Peoples Parliament & Malaysia Today & expose them for all to see. We must never tolerate racism from whomever. It certainly takes time & effort, but it would be worth it. Let us name & shame those bloggers & commenters & let them answer for it. Whenever I find such comments there, (and I have found them), I call them out on it, regardless of who they are. I have seen even commenters in deminegara criticize racist comments. For example:

On December 11, 2008 3:31 AM, Omong, (who kijangmas names as having one of those who "provided a stirring repository of references and research findings" for the memorandum) said...

"KijangMas Dear
I have consciously started checking out whether the shop owner is Malay or Chinese when I stopped at the R&R along the highways. I was about to pay for my purchase when I realised the cashier is Chinese. I put back my tidbits and went over to the other shop where the workers are Malays and purchased from them. The reason I went in to the first shop was because the shop is really stocked up with a lot more variety of goods. But who cares? I will support Malay enterprises from now on. I also have to be extra observant to note that Malay workers may be working for Chinese owners."

In response to that, on December 11, 2008 2:59 PM , anonymous said...

"Omong said...
KijangMas Dear

I have consciously started checking out whether the shop owner is Malay or Chinese when I stopped at the R&R along the highways.
====
So now Omong, now they have succeeded in making you a racist.
Do you know that the chinese who open shop at the R&R is also in a similar predicament as the Malay who opens the shop next to his ?.
so in your mind , this Chinese guy is a rich towkay ?.
Sickening isn't it how people have now become more racist ?
I buy from a shop because it is convenience and the service not because of the race or colour of the shopkeeper.
Real shame, another notch for racism in Malaysia."

Also in response to Omong, on December 11, 2008 6:42 PM, skyforce said...

"To Omong,

What is wrong with u?
I believe the Japanese killing your people during World War 2 is more 'dosa' than what chinese did today.
Do u buy Japanese product???
Please think again.

SkyForce"

And what was kijangmas' response to all this? On December 12, 2008 3:10 AM, kijangmas said...

"Sky Force and Anonymous (December 10, 2008 10:59 PM),

Why do you people care if Omong buys from a non-Chinese shop?
Isn't your disapproval of Omong buying from a Malay shop reflect YOUR own
racism? So Omong MUST buy only from your Chinese shops? Wah, business-by-force ah?
Why so easily ruffled nowadays?
So much for economic supremacy ..."

Please do click on the date & time links to read for yourselves the original comments in context & to follow the whole thread.

I do not know who anonymous & skyforce are, or what else they may have said elsewhere, but I respect their ability to see what's right & fair in this case, & their courage to speak up for it. If we all stand up to racism, we may help end it in our country. However, to do so, we must first ourselves renounce the use racism. If we only condemn others for racism but indulge in it ourselves, isn't that just being a hypocrite?

Thanks, & may your heart be truly Malaysian,
MH

(end of comment)