Reflection on 2008: Year of Hope & Change

As I celebrated Christmas and reflected on 2008, I can’t help but be drawn to the renewed hope and change for our nation, when the three major opposition parties comprising of PKR, DAP and PAS won 82 of the 222 parliamentary seats that was at stake during the March 8 General Elections. This was a major breakthrough considering the odds stacked against the opposition parties, where the three M’s of money, media and machinery of the Barisan Nasional (BN) were at full strength, thinking that the chosen date of March 8 would bring them prosperity, but it turned out to be an electoral disaster as they lost 5 states to Pakatan Rakyat.
Why it was considered a renewed hope and change for Malaysia, was not because BN lost 5 states, but it was because Malaysians woke up to the reality of greater democracy, transparency, public accountability and social justice (over and above race-based politics of BN). This is a giant step after 51 years of solid BN rule, where we can finally put to rest the ghost and trauma of May 13, 1969, which has often been abused by the ruling coalition as a scare tactic in every general election.
Christmas is a message of hope, peace and change for a better future. 2008 was indeed a celebration of hope and change. The denial of 2/3 majority was a blessing in disguise, despite Anwar’s failed attempt to take over the Federal Govt through cross-overs. However, the point was that the people have spoken loud and clear, that no one is indispensable, and that they should be reminded to serve the rakyat, especially the poor and marginalised, regardless of their race and status in society.
However, it is sad to note that 2008 has again been hounded by the politics of the 3R’s of race, religion and repression. The first R of racial politics has continued to rule the landscape, with UMNO championing the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, instead of Bangsa Malaysia, which has become alien to them. The second R is religion, where UMNO has continued to declare that Malaysia is an Islamic State, but not a secular state with Islam as the official religion of the land. The protest at the Bar Council premises in holding the Forum on Conversion to Islam is a case in point, where discussion on the legal aspects of such conversion continues to be heated and sensitive without regard to rationality and maturity in the interest of nation building and freedom of expression. UMNO leaders have chosen to stifle freedom of expression with regards to religious discourse in building national unity and mutual understanding by declaring that Malaysia is an Islamic State. The third R is repressive laws such as the ISA, the OSA, the Police Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Sedition Act which has continued to suppress legitimate dissent and such repressive laws has been abused by those in authority to selectively prosecute those considered to be a threat to BN’s interest, rather than in the interest of national security.
Malaysians must continue to strive for change in 2009, with renewed hope and vigour, lest we become complacent with the results of March 8th. Politicians from across the political divide should set aside their differences and work towards respect, reform and restoration in building a united Malaysia with a common vision of being a developed nation by 2020. To achieve this end, our political leaders should respect the rule of law and the Federal Constitution in protecting the rights and freedoms of all Malaysians. The Federal Govt should also respect human rights issues and not discard them and hide behind repressive laws to save their political skin.
The government must work towards reforming the judiciary and advancing its agenda by the setting up of an independent Judicial Appointments Commission that will involve all stakeholders in the justice system, and not those with vested interests. Real reform can only take place with an independent and impartial judiciary. This is the key organ of government, where judges of integrity will protect the ordinary man on the street against the excesses of government. The Courts are tasked with protecting the poor and the marginalised, even if it means incurring the wrath of the Federal Govt.
There should be restoration of trust of all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion by our political leaders. By restoring that trust, we can unite all Malaysians and rebuild the country based on the concept of Bangsa Malaysia. For example, the use of draconian measures in detaining HINDRAF leaders under the ISA only invokes distrust in the minds of the Indian community towards the government of the day. This is because the ISA is itself an act of aggression against citizens who are unarmed, especially to the group who consider themselves marginalised. Should we not hear them out and resolve their grievances in the spirit of democracy and Bangsa Malaysia?
If we can take the above in the right spirit of true reform, through respect for human rights and restoration of justice for the poor and marginalised, can we then really dream of hope and change in removing the negative influences of the politics of the 3R’s of race, religion and repression that has been abused by the ruling BN to safeguard their vested interest at the expense of national unity through Bangsa Malaysia.

Big Fuss Over Race Again

I am indeed baffled that once again Malaysians are still divided over the skin colour issue. We were reminded once again at how racial issues are such a big thing in Malaysia and not economic issues. I wonder where are the priorities of Malaysians these days.

Do we have a Prime Minister who is a Malay? If that is not enough, what is the problem of having a non-Malay Malaysian as the acting GM of PKNS? Is Selangor only consists of Malays in the State? I wonder what happen to the other races? If this is not racial discrimination, then I don't know what is.

Maybe PKNS staff should need a reminder that this corporation is set up to develop the state of Selangor to look after the interest of all Malaysians living in the State, irrespective of their race.

To say that Loh Siew Moi cannot have rapport with the staff seems to be preposterous, as even the Menteri Besar has stated that she is the right person for the job. Are we saying that it's perfectly alright to overlook one's capabilities based on their skin colour?
If that being the case, then Bangsa Malaysia is merely a fantasy. I wonder what is the point of having a Race Relations Act, if this controversy were to go on.

Race Relations Act for racial harmony?

I refer to the proposed Race Relations Act which has been approved by the Cabinet to strengthen ties among the different races in the country.

Does the Act proposed create opportunities for Malaysians to explore and appreciate their differences and develop bonds among different ethnic and religious communities? After 51 years of BN rule, we have finally proposed a Race Relations Act to strengthen racial ties. This proves that the BN govt led by UMNO has been an utter failure in promoting racial harmony in Malaysia, even after the May 13 racial riots in 1969, we seem to have not learned anything, but have continued to go around in circles in trying to achieve national unity of all races.

It has been rightly pointed out that certain politicians have been the cause of racial disharmony. But in Malaysia, we have cases of the innocent being made scapegoats and conveniently detained under the ISA, while the ones who instigated it have gone scot free.

Having the Race Relations Act may not solve the fundamental issues at hand. It all boils down to our education system. A good education system must nurture in its students a desire to live in peace with people of different colour or creed, and to contribute to national unity. A multi-racial society like Malaysia, this is of vital and continued importance, but we still have cases where a mere suggestion by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid to open up UITM to a small percentage of non-Malays, have been met with vehement protests by students bordering on racial intolerance

When Malaysia experienced the racial riots in 1969, we faced a multitude of challenges to foster national unity, such as having the Rukun Negara and even the concept of Bangsa Malaysia during Dr. Mahathir's time.

But under Pak Lah's current tenure, we have failed to hear the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, but what we hear is 'Ketuanan Melayu' and the emphasis on Malay unity rather than Malaysian unity.

We have failed to respect other races and have failed to appreciate our unique qualities of being primarily Malaysian first, and our race as being secondary. BN's divide and rule policy have contributed to all this state of disharmony and disunity.

In conclusion, each of us, young or old, must play our part to maintain and improve racial harmony in our schools, universities, neighbourhood and public places. We cannot depend on the Race Relations Act alone to ensure racial ties are strengthened.
It all stems from our failed current education system and UMNO's politicians are the last people on earth who should be involved in the drafting of the proposed Act, as they should take 100% of the blame for the current poor race relations in Malaysia.

Fed up with UMNO's racial politics

We have a bunch of thugs ruling the country and using the ISA for their selfish ends to stay in power. Only cowards like them will use the ISA to silence rational dissent. Even Malaysiakini has reported that the United States has summoned the Malaysian ambassador to record its concern for the crackdown, which is an affront to human rights and democratic freedoms.

They are no different from other dictators like Adolf Hitler and his Nazis, who manipulate racial issues to work up sentiments, just like in the Ahmad Ismail saga.

We the rakyat are fed up with UMNO's racial politics. This nonsence of racial and religious politics must stop at once!!!! Hidup Reformasi !!!! Hidup Rakyat!!!!!

It's time Pakatan Rakyat do something about this nonsense once and for all and take over the Federal Govt. The BN govt is unfit to lead the country to greater heights, as all they care about is Hidup Melayu, instead of Hidup Rakyat!

Pak Lah should step down immediately, as there are even rumblings within his own cabinet, about his planned transition which is too long in 2010. He is taking the country further into the abyss of self destruction through racial and religious politics. Is Ahmad Ismail running the country, or is Pak Lah running the country? Why do we allow a thug like Ahmad Ismail get away with a three year suspension, while the rest get crucified for his sins, by being detained under the ISA.

Why is Teresa Kok, a wakil rakyat for thousands of constituents be made a threat to national security, when a thug like Ahmad Ismail who opened his mouth about the Chinese being squatters can get away with it? This is disgraceful and shows the double standards of UMNO and its ilk of arrogant racists politicians.

It all bears resemblance to Operasi Lallang in 1987, when even the innocent were made scapegoats and detained under the draconian law. This is the most shameful and disgusting episode of UMNO's racial politics and their strategy to pit the races against each other to safeguard their stupid interest for the sake of Malay unity, rather than Malaysian unity. Racism and religious extremism have reared its ugly head through UMNO, a failed racist party, desperate for survival in the fast paced globalized world.

Sept 16 A Public Holiday?

Anwar Ibrahim turned on the pressure on Barisan Nasional with his Putrajaya crusade by announcing that Pakatan Rakyat-held states plan to observe the annual Malaysia Day on Sept 16 a public holiday and celebrate the day like their East Malaysian counterparts.

The opposition leader said the public holiday would strengthen the solidarity between Malaysians in the Peninsular and those in Sabah and Sarawak.

While Aug 31 signifies then Peninsular Malaya’s freedom from British colonial masters, he pointed out that the Malaysia Day marks the birth of this country with the merger of Malaya with Sabah and Sarawak.

Anwar said, “We will show that no one would be sidelined, isolated or discriminated under Pakatan Rakyat rule,” the PKR de facto leader told some 2,000 people at the Seberang Jaya agricultural expo site, Penang.

He later said that he would bring the Sept 16 public holiday proposal to Pakatan-held states.

However, when Pakatan takes over the federal government, the coalition plans to make Sept 16 a national holiday, but this will only take place next year.

Anwar has set Sept 16 as the dateline for him to take over the federal government with a help from more than 30 defecting BN parliamentarians, especially from Sabah and Sarawak.

Currently, BN now has 140 MPs against Pakatan’s 81 MPs.

Anwar announcement on the unprecedented Malaysia Day celebrations in the Peninsular is likely to further undermine the credibility of BN federal government and lure East Malaysian MPs to hop over to Pakatan Rakyat. The announcement expressly implied that the federal government had ignored and neglected the importance of Sabah and Sarawak since states in the Peninsular do not mark the day with a public holiday.

This has exposed the deeply-rooted grouses among Sabahans and Sarawakians of “being treated like stepchildren in the nation-building process by BN”.

Anwar is certainly capitalising on it to show to East Malaysian political leaders that a Pakatan federal government would treat them equally.

The way forward now is for Anwar to be the next Prime Minister to realise the Malaysian dream of a just Malaysia, without recourse to racial politics, where every Malaysian citizen, irrespective of race or religion is treated equally under the Malaysian sun.

(Adapted from source: Malaysiakini)

Two issues facing the nation - religion and race

A brief report of the speech I made at the DAP National Congress at Crown Princess Hotel on 24 August 2008...(as reported in Mkini)

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Wakil DAP gesa PKR, PAS ambil tindakan
Jimadie Shah Othman | Aug 24, 08 5:07pm

PAS dan PKR diminta mengambil tindakan disiplin terhadap ahli-ahli mereka yang terlibat menghentikan forum “Memeluk Islam” anjuran Majlis Peguam yang mencetuskan pelbagai reaksi orang ramai.

Isu kontroversi itu muncul dalam ucapan perbahasan seorang perwakilan DAP yang menyambung perbahasan laporan setiausaha agung yang dibentangkan Lim Guan Eng semalam.

Perwakilan Bandar Lama Petaling Jaya, Ashwin Raj menyatakan kebimbangan terhadap tindakan beberapa badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Islam, Pemuda PAS dan ahli parlimen PKR Zulkifli Nordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu) yang terlibat menentang forum itu yang berlangsung awal bulan ini.

"Alasan bahawa forum itu anti Islam tidak berasas. Selama 50 tahun, Majlis Peguam mempunyai ahli daripada pelbagai kaum dan daripada semua agama. Ini berpunca daripada unsur-unsur ekstremisme yang tidak faham bahawa Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara sekular," katanya.

"Kita (DAP) harus mendesak rakan dalam Pakatan PAS dan PKR supaya mengambil tindakan kepada mereka yang terlibat," kata Ashwin.

Beliau turut membangkitkan cadangan menteri besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim supaya Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) membuka ruang 10 peratus kepada pelajar bukan bumiputera.

Bandar Baru Petaling Jaya turut mengkritik Umno kerana menentang cadangan itu dan melabelkan parti itu sebagai "parti ekstrimis."

"Apa yang dikemukan hanya cadangan sahaja, hanya 10 peratus sahaja,” katanya.

Mempersoalan pengmalan di UiTM itu, beliau berkata:

"Saya tidak dikenali di negara kelahiran saya. Adakah ini menunjukkan golongan bukan bumiputera merupakan rakyat asing?" katanya.

Why the 'hate' in the protest?

I can't help but feel sad for the amount of hate in a country like ours where there seems to be no tolerance of a mature discussion on questions of law...It is certainly NOT an Anti-Islam Forum.

From today's Mkini report:

About 300 protesters have gathered outside Bar Council headquarters demanding that the lawyers group halt its controversial forum on ‘Conversion to Islam’ this morning.

The Bar Council today, adhereing to the advice of the police - and an angry mob at its doorstep - wrapped up its half-day forum on 'Conversion to Islam' at 10am, an hour after it had started.

Earlier about 300 protesters have gathered outside Bar Council headquarters demanding that the lawyers group halt its controversial forum on ‘Conversion to Islam’.

A leader of the protesters - PKR Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentarian Zulkifli Noordin - declared the abrupt end of the forum as a victory for them. By 10.40am, most of the protesters have dispersed.

The open forum on the sensitive religious issue kicked off at 9am but angry protestors have given organisers half an hour to cancel the event.

About 15 police officers and an Federal Reserve Unit truck have been deployed to the area and the road leading to the Bar Council office where the forum is held has been closed.

In the bid to diffuse the situation, the police have told Bar Council to wrap up its forum by 10am.

The protesters, many of whom are from Muslim welfare organsation Perkida and Islamic party PAS, shouted, “Hancur Bar Council” (Crush Bar Council), “Hidup Islam” (Long Live Islam) and “Batal forum” (Cancel the forum).

They are carrying placards saying “Jangan cabar Islam” (Don’t challenge Islam) and “Bar Council, Don’t play with fire”.

Among the protest leaders seen in the crowd are PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub and Zulkifli.

The protesters, many of whom came just before the forum began, later decided to sit down in front of the Bar Council building and vowed that they would not budge until the event had been cancelled.

Some threatened to storm the building to physically stop the forum.

One speaker pull out

Among the speakers at the forum was syariah lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla. Mohd Haniff represented the Federal Territory’s Islamic Religious Council in the case of R Subashini. K Shanmuga and Ravi Nekoo, who were counsel for Subashini and S Shamala, respectively, also spoke.

The forum is moderated by Zarizana Abdul Aziz of the Women's Centre for Change.

However, one speaker has pull out - former Syariah judge and currently the Federal Territory Islamic Department’s syariah prosecutor Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar.