Below is a translation of Dr. Alias Mohamed’s article in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper dated 21st July 2010 pg. 12 (bold and italics are mine). Let me just add a reminder that the tag line for Utusan is “the Disperser of the People’s Thoughts”. Many prescribe to the perspective and view of this newspaper. If the article is too long, just read the bold parts and you will get the picture. You are invited to copy and paste and send it for I don’t think it will be online for a long time. Do what is Just. Please also read Raja Petra’s article entitled Bodoh Sombong to know what we can do. I've put it on this blog too, titled the same 'Bodoh Sombong. Non-racist Malay's should know what the Chinese and Indian's have contributed to building this country as well. Do your part and spread the news. What you are about to read is very very alarming, and tells us how short a time we have left to do something.
Defending the Malay Rights
The Malay people’s journey towards creating a country based on the constitution has not only been one that is windy, filled with obstacles and all kinds of difficulties, it's also one that the Malay have had to pay a hefty price for.
Although blood was not shed at the forming of the country’s constitution, there can be no guarantee that racial conflict(bloodshed) will not occur in the future. The May 13th conflict of 1969 occurred because of the non-Malay’s failure to understand the basics/foundational elements of nation building.
From the very beginning, the Malays did not receive the colonization by the British. Through history we see that colonization was always opposed, tracing back to the days of the Malaccan empire under Portuguese, Dutch, British , Japanese, Siamese and then back to British occupation.
Opposition under patriots like Datuk Maharajalela at Pasir Salak, Datuk Bahaman, Mat Kilau, Haji Mat Hasan, Tok Janggut in Kelantan, Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong and others that took place between the 19th and 20th centuries is a testament that Malays disapprove of foreigners. What more occupiers and communities of immigrants.
In the 19th century, the Malays actually resisted the entrance of the Chinese and Indian immigrants into Tanah Melayu(Malaya). Several Malay representatives that chaired and held leadership positions at the Dewan Mesyuarat Kerajaan (State Council) voiced out their dissatisfaction and opposed the idea of foreign labour being permitted into the country specifically the mining, agricultural and shipping sectors.
Despite their cries, the Malays were not strong in their stance of denying these immigrants access.. Therefore the Chinese and Indians flooded in grandly, with ease. This carried on until World War II and resulted in the non-Malays receiving citizenship, approved by Malay leadership of that time.
The absolute weakness and incapacity of the Malays, who were not united and too loyal to their respective state sovereigns(Raja), allowed the communist who were represented by Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) to seize the opportunity to establish a Communist Republic based government; Republik Komunis Malaya.
While the British were in good terms with the communist at that time, these occupiers decided to establish the Malayan Union. Therefore it is clear to see that the Malayan Union phenomenon was not as a result of the Japanese’ defeat on August of 1945, but was actually in the making for a long time in order that this new Malaya would see the inclusion of the Chinese and their rights within the constitution.
That is why the Malayan Union constitution targeted at the annulment of the Raja’s(state leader) rights and the native rights of the Malay for it was in their interest to give non-Malays the rights to the entire country long before the Malayan Federation Treaty of 1948 was annulled.
Unfortunately (for the Malays), they were unable to unite before World War II in order to raise up strong leadership who would defend the plight of the Malays. At the end of 1945, in the midst of the Communist Party of Malaya’s preparation to establish its republic, the Malays were still in disarray resulting to the formation of UMNO in 1946. In October of 1945 however, (approximately a month after the defeat of the Japanese) Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya was formed by a group of radical Malays under the guidance of Mokhtaruddin Lasso and then later that of Dr. Burhanuddin Al-Helmi.
Only after realizing that this group of radicals had in their plans to join forces with Indonesia, did several Malay leaders such as Za’ba, Tengku Ismail, Dato Onn Jaafar and others rise up to lead the Malays out of a pro republic influence which intended to merge with Indonesia.
If the Malays had witnessed disunity and disloyalty before the World War, things were not all that different after the war. The Malay conservative/traditionalist that were pro the Sultans were at odds with the radical group .A more serious faction was in between the traditionalists and the conservatives which later resulted in Dato Onn stating his opinion to UMNO on the matter and later resigning in 1951. He was convinced (by the influence of the British) that the Malay and the Chinese would support a non ethnic political party which was Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) which was established the same year.
But the real reason behind his retraction from UMNO was that he was influenced specifically by General Secretary of the Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu (State Alliance),Sir George Maxwell who also happen to be a very close friend of Tan Cheng Lock , the champion of the rights and citizenship of the Chinese. These two statesmen advised Dato onn to dissolve UMNO and replace it with a non ethnic party. This was the beginning of Dato Onn’s attitude which was initially pro Malay to become pro non-Malay.
Upon realizing later that what he had done was wrong, in 1954 Dato Onn reverted to become pro-Malay with the establishment of the National Party. This ultimately meant that the conviction and concept of IMP could not be supported by any Malay leader, at the same time pointing to the fact that the decision to give Chinese citizenship and rights were not inline with the conviction and beliefs of the Malays within the context of the pursuit of independence from the very beginning.
According to one document(Utusan rarely cites its sources), Dato Onn initially heeded the advice of Maxwell and Cheng Lock because many of his friends were British. Hence he pretended at that time to be “supra-communal” statesman.
After leaving UMNO in 1951, once he was confident he would establish IMP, he tried very hard to convince other Malay leaders, specifically the ones who had received British education, to follow in his footsteps.
It came as no surprise then to many, that when IMP was founded on the 19th of September 1945 in Kuala Lumpur, Cheng Lock was nominated as its chairman. This was quite expected of Dato Onn, for while he was president of UMNO, he often made decisions on His own without consulting other Malays.
One clear example was when he founded the "Communities Liaison Committee" in 1948 which was headed by British High Commissioner to East Asia, Sir Malcom Macdonald. This committee comprised six Malays (one of whom was Dato Onn himself), six Chinese(ChengLock included), a European and two Indians. The activities and decision made and carried out were based on a confidentiality clause and became the platform for bargaining between the races . Many details were not made known to Malays outside of this committee. The composition of CLC did not truly reflect Malaya as a Malay country.
The almost exact situation occurred during the time of Tunku. There are documents(again no citation to the source) revealing no opposition from Tunku at the formation of Malayan Union. In fact there were negotiations on amending the constitution between Tunku and his British officials and influential Chinese businessmen.
At the time when the constitution was officially being negotiated , there were clear signs that one day the dissatisfaction of the Malays in their own homeland will be expressed in wilful actions. This indeed happened on the 13th of May 1969.
Today there are more serious signs all around us based on current developments. The Chinese' voting trend in Chinese majority districts clearly portrays Chinese centred sentiments. Although numerous benefits and aid has been given to them, their choice is still a Chinese party that champions the Chinese rights and rejects a more moderate alternative and the conservative approach of the Malay leaders , which as the example of 1948 has shown, are even willing to kneel to appease their(Chinese) hearts.
Excessive Interpretation of the constitution only amounts to creating chaos and strife that equate to usurping of power as we saw almost take place in Perak and Selangor. All this has taken place because the Social Contract that is exhibited in the Constitution does not accurately represent the aspirations, ambitions and wants of the Malay community after independence was achieved. Once citizenship was given to the Chinese, it was never in the thoughts of the Malays that their rights would be challenged and opposed, furthermore with demands that equal rights be given at all levels even that which infringe on religious rights.
The Malay never dreamed that even the rights of the Sultans would be challenged by the Chinese after they had monopolized the economy of the country. All this only points to the fact that the Chinese have rejected the established status quo and ultimately the way the Malays govern the country.
The position of the Malays should be understood by all groups. The Malays will not move even an inch from their position as stated in the Constitution that makes special provision for their rights, founded on historical, sultanate ,cultural, linguistic and religious elements.
But, if further demands continue to be made for Malays to let go of what has been their right for hundreds of years then , the only other alternative left for the Malays are to defend their rights at any cost. Although it must be said that justice will not be biased towards any side, the rights of the Malays however, will always remain.
Blogger comments: Let us act against racist journalism. All Malaysians must act against this and put a stop to this now. If this article was ever writtten in the way to support the Chinese and Indians, there would already be a riot. This is as much our country as the bumiputras. What do we need to fear if Our Father is behind us. Do nothing, and let your children pay for it. Just look at Sabah and Sarawak. Please learn. Please
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Inciting Hatred and Prejudist
Dr. Alias Mohamed writing's cause one to wonder, how can this man get away with such things. Well, as long as we as Malaysian's have a tidak apa attitude, then this man and many others like him will continue to propagate their hate messages very insightfully. Please be aware of how this man is charting the progress of the Chinese community and then using that as fuel to incite anger and dissatisfaction among the Malay's. Bleow is a link to his blog and a particular article that talks about how the Chinese dominate the economy and he writes in such a way that there just seems to be no way for the Malays to progress. Let the people know.
http://alias-mohamed.blogspot.com/2008/07/mengembalikan-kuasa-politik-melayu_3873.html
http://alias-mohamed.blogspot.com/2008/07/mengembalikan-kuasa-politik-melayu_3873.html
Bodoh Sombong - Raja Petra
Following the first article I posted on Defending the Malay Rights, I thought this would be a good follow up for all those who are wondering what to do. Know the truth and then act on it.God is on the side of truth!
What we all need to know as there is popular Malay saying ‘Lembu Punya Susu, Sapi Dapat Nama”
Please read it out to your aged parents or grandparents and teach the younger generations to know the actual history as our history are all manipulated to reflect a Malay cause due to Mahathirism.
Why…They were the actual nation’s builders and with more RPKs type of Malays only then principles & dignity & a role model on justice & fair play can be endured in a country where Ketuanan Melayu will lead us all to a disaster !!
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s father is one example of an English language teacher from India who came to Malaya and eventually married a Malay woman, resulting in the birth of Dr Mahathir.
Many Indian and Chinese immigrants married in Malaya , sometimes to fellow Indians and Chinese and sometimes to local Malays (that is why many Malays look more Indian and Chinese compared to their Indonesian cousins). And understandably they sired children born in Malaya . And these local born sons and daughters of the immigrants are those Malaysian Indians and Chinese of today, many who have never stepped foot in India or China since the day they were born.
Their parents and grandparents (some are third or fourth generation Malaysians while some, like the Melaka Chinese, have been ‘locals’ since 500 years ago) came to Malaya to serve the country and died in this country. And some of these ‘immigrants’ have been in the country longer than even Malays who are only second or third generation Malaysians.
The question of who came first is an arguable issue. There are Indians and Chinese who have been in Malaysia for hundreds of years and there are Malays who have been in the country less than 100 years. Nevertheless, this article is not to argue about who is more Bumiputera — the Malays, Indians or Chinese.
Everyone — Malays, Indians and Chinese alike — are sons and daughters of immigrants. It would be very difficult to dissect the three different races based on generalising. You would have to look at it on a case-to-case basis. My family came to Malaya in the mid-1700s. Tian Chua’s family came to Malaya much earlier than that. Dr Mahathir and Khir Toyo are merely second generation Malaysians although one became the Prime Minister and the other the Chief Minister of a State.
Okay, the purpose of this article is not to argue who is more Bumiputera as we can argue till the cows come home and will never reach a consensus. What I want to talk about is who has served this country and, therefore, can be considered a true patriot.
The railway, roads, bridges and buildings, right up to maybe the 1980s or so (that means for more than 100 years), were built by the Indians and Chinese (not the Malays). I still remember even as recent as the 1970s when Indians would work in the hot sun building the roads and laying the railway lines. They also worked in the estates and plantations. And the same goes for the tin mines and the construction industry, which were mainly a Chinese affair. And many died. There were numerous cases where entire Chinese communities were wiped out by disease and war and they had to bring in fresh loads of Chinese workers from China to replace those who had died. And the living conditions of these workers were pathetic. Trust me when I say detention under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting is luxurious compared to what these Indians and Chinese had to endure.
The Malayan civil service, legal system, education system, and whatnot, depended on the English educated Indians brought in from India . It was not until the 1920s or so, when the immigration policy was tightened, that the Malays were educated enough to start filling the ranks of the civil service. Even by the time of Merdeka the country still depended on the immigrants because there were not enough educated Malays to serve the country.
And almost all these people died in this country (only some went home to die) and their Malaysian-born children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are those Indians and Chinese you see in the country today.
To sum up: this country was built by the non-Malays. What we see today is the result of the contribution by the non-Malays. Initially, Malaya ’s economy depended on rubber and tin, long before we had factories and heavy industries. And it was because we had immigrant Indians and Chinese is why we saw a thriving rubber and tin industry. If not because of rubber and tin, Malaysia would be amongst the poorest countries in this world.
Then we had three wars – the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Konfrantasi with Indonesia . And not just Malayans, but many foreign ‘Mat Salleh’ (white skins), as well as Africans, Fijians, Gurkhas, Indians, Punjabis, Bengalis, and many more, died in these wars. Of course, Malays died as well. But Malays were not the only ones who died in these three wars.
But is the contribution of these patriots ever remembered? The Malays scream, rant and rave that this is a Malay country. They declare that this is Tanah Melayu (Malay land). But we might not even have a country, at least not in the form that we see it now, if not for the fact that many not of Malay origin laid down their lives for this country. If the non-Malays, including the ‘Mat Salleh’, had not died for this country, Malaysia would no longer be an independent nation but just a small province of Indonesia .
When Malays talk about dying for your country, they just look at the three wars. But the death toll for these wars does not even come close to the death toll of those who died serving this country in other ways. Some died defending the country in wars. But many more died in the effort to build this country to what it is today. And many also died of mere old age after serving this country their entire life and then retired here as citizens.
But how do we repay these patriots or children and grandchildren of patriots not of Malay origin? We insult them. We threaten them. We discriminate against them. We oppress them. We persecute them. We treat them as second-class citizens. We refuse to recognise the patriotic contribution of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents in defending this country and in building this country to what it is today.
So these people feel hurt. So they feel that the sacrifices and contribution of their forefathers are not remembered and appreciated. So they decide to leave the country and go to another country that can better-appreciate their talents and skills instead of threatening and subjecting them to screams of “go back to your own country”.
Who are the traitors here? Are the traitors those who hijrah in search of a better life like what the Prophet Muhammad did? Or are the traitors those who ignore the patriotic contribution of Malayans from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s?
The Umno Ministers should be made to pass a history test before they can be appointed as Ministers. And they should also be made to pass a lie detector test every time they make a statement. As the Malays would say: bodoh (stupid) is bad enough. Bodoh sombong (arrogantly stupid) is unforgivable. And Umno Ministers are just that — bodoh sombong.
What we all need to know as there is popular Malay saying ‘Lembu Punya Susu, Sapi Dapat Nama”
Please read it out to your aged parents or grandparents and teach the younger generations to know the actual history as our history are all manipulated to reflect a Malay cause due to Mahathirism.
Why…They were the actual nation’s builders and with more RPKs type of Malays only then principles & dignity & a role model on justice & fair play can be endured in a country where Ketuanan Melayu will lead us all to a disaster !!
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s father is one example of an English language teacher from India who came to Malaya and eventually married a Malay woman, resulting in the birth of Dr Mahathir.
Many Indian and Chinese immigrants married in Malaya , sometimes to fellow Indians and Chinese and sometimes to local Malays (that is why many Malays look more Indian and Chinese compared to their Indonesian cousins). And understandably they sired children born in Malaya . And these local born sons and daughters of the immigrants are those Malaysian Indians and Chinese of today, many who have never stepped foot in India or China since the day they were born.
Their parents and grandparents (some are third or fourth generation Malaysians while some, like the Melaka Chinese, have been ‘locals’ since 500 years ago) came to Malaya to serve the country and died in this country. And some of these ‘immigrants’ have been in the country longer than even Malays who are only second or third generation Malaysians.
The question of who came first is an arguable issue. There are Indians and Chinese who have been in Malaysia for hundreds of years and there are Malays who have been in the country less than 100 years. Nevertheless, this article is not to argue about who is more Bumiputera — the Malays, Indians or Chinese.
Everyone — Malays, Indians and Chinese alike — are sons and daughters of immigrants. It would be very difficult to dissect the three different races based on generalising. You would have to look at it on a case-to-case basis. My family came to Malaya in the mid-1700s. Tian Chua’s family came to Malaya much earlier than that. Dr Mahathir and Khir Toyo are merely second generation Malaysians although one became the Prime Minister and the other the Chief Minister of a State.
Okay, the purpose of this article is not to argue who is more Bumiputera as we can argue till the cows come home and will never reach a consensus. What I want to talk about is who has served this country and, therefore, can be considered a true patriot.
The railway, roads, bridges and buildings, right up to maybe the 1980s or so (that means for more than 100 years), were built by the Indians and Chinese (not the Malays). I still remember even as recent as the 1970s when Indians would work in the hot sun building the roads and laying the railway lines. They also worked in the estates and plantations. And the same goes for the tin mines and the construction industry, which were mainly a Chinese affair. And many died. There were numerous cases where entire Chinese communities were wiped out by disease and war and they had to bring in fresh loads of Chinese workers from China to replace those who had died. And the living conditions of these workers were pathetic. Trust me when I say detention under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting is luxurious compared to what these Indians and Chinese had to endure.
The Malayan civil service, legal system, education system, and whatnot, depended on the English educated Indians brought in from India . It was not until the 1920s or so, when the immigration policy was tightened, that the Malays were educated enough to start filling the ranks of the civil service. Even by the time of Merdeka the country still depended on the immigrants because there were not enough educated Malays to serve the country.
And almost all these people died in this country (only some went home to die) and their Malaysian-born children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are those Indians and Chinese you see in the country today.
To sum up: this country was built by the non-Malays. What we see today is the result of the contribution by the non-Malays. Initially, Malaya ’s economy depended on rubber and tin, long before we had factories and heavy industries. And it was because we had immigrant Indians and Chinese is why we saw a thriving rubber and tin industry. If not because of rubber and tin, Malaysia would be amongst the poorest countries in this world.
Then we had three wars – the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Konfrantasi with Indonesia . And not just Malayans, but many foreign ‘Mat Salleh’ (white skins), as well as Africans, Fijians, Gurkhas, Indians, Punjabis, Bengalis, and many more, died in these wars. Of course, Malays died as well. But Malays were not the only ones who died in these three wars.
But is the contribution of these patriots ever remembered? The Malays scream, rant and rave that this is a Malay country. They declare that this is Tanah Melayu (Malay land). But we might not even have a country, at least not in the form that we see it now, if not for the fact that many not of Malay origin laid down their lives for this country. If the non-Malays, including the ‘Mat Salleh’, had not died for this country, Malaysia would no longer be an independent nation but just a small province of Indonesia .
When Malays talk about dying for your country, they just look at the three wars. But the death toll for these wars does not even come close to the death toll of those who died serving this country in other ways. Some died defending the country in wars. But many more died in the effort to build this country to what it is today. And many also died of mere old age after serving this country their entire life and then retired here as citizens.
But how do we repay these patriots or children and grandchildren of patriots not of Malay origin? We insult them. We threaten them. We discriminate against them. We oppress them. We persecute them. We treat them as second-class citizens. We refuse to recognise the patriotic contribution of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents in defending this country and in building this country to what it is today.
So these people feel hurt. So they feel that the sacrifices and contribution of their forefathers are not remembered and appreciated. So they decide to leave the country and go to another country that can better-appreciate their talents and skills instead of threatening and subjecting them to screams of “go back to your own country”.
Who are the traitors here? Are the traitors those who hijrah in search of a better life like what the Prophet Muhammad did? Or are the traitors those who ignore the patriotic contribution of Malayans from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s?
The Umno Ministers should be made to pass a history test before they can be appointed as Ministers. And they should also be made to pass a lie detector test every time they make a statement. As the Malays would say: bodoh (stupid) is bad enough. Bodoh sombong (arrogantly stupid) is unforgivable. And Umno Ministers are just that — bodoh sombong.
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