Yin questions the actions of Prime-Minister-in-waiting, Anwar Ibrahim and said that he is doing nothing to encourage national integration and racial unity. 
Yin: Anwar Ibrahim was reported in Malaysiakini of 1st August as saying he will defend the special rights of the Malays and bumiputeras without abandoning the other races.
How generous of him – to not abandon the rest of us. But is not reducing the status of the non-Malays in a sense abandoning them?
To keep us second class citizens is not abandoning? What is the difference between him and Mahathir and all the other prime ministers and Malay leaders.
So this is the New Malaysia of Pakatan Harapan. This is what we fought for in GE14 to install another racist raja.
Affirmative action
More than once Anwar and the Malay leaders in his party have said that in future affirmative action will not be based on race. Now even before he becomes prime minister he has changed his tune. That’s the kind of politician he is – yes I have been warned but I thought everyone should be given a second chance.
How different then is Anwar from Dr Mahathir Mohamad vis a vis race (and religion)? At least with Mahathir you know where he stands on race and religion. His party PPBM is openly and unashamedly pro Malay. He makes no bones about it.
I criticised PKR and DAP (especially) for going to bed with a racist and was uncompromising in not accepting this marriage of convenience. Now it appears that DAP’s long time bedfellow has all along been a racist. Poor Kit Siang has it done to him front and back!
In the same report Azmin Ali allegedly said that a “congress on the future of the bumiputera and the nation would be held soon . . . to strengthen the status of the bumiputeras”.
Strengthen the bumiputra status
Strengthen the status of the bumiputeras? Any more strengthening of their status will reduce the rest to the level of “citizens in name only” because citizenship as defined in all countries implies equal rights and responsibilities. That means we pay our taxes and we die for the country if called upon to do so but we also get the same treatment and status as everyone else. Azmin reportedly said that it is the responsibility of the Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays.
Haris Ibrahim rebutted that “In the 182 Articles and the 13 Schedulesof the Federal Constitution, there is not a single reference to “special rights of the Malays or bumiputeras” (refer Haris’ article “How long more a nation divided, founded on lies” 14/8).
The word “bumiputera’ did not even exist in our political lexicon.
Special privileges, not rights
When our constitution was drawn up there were already provisions for the safeguarding of the Malays. They were given special privileges (not Rights) for 15 years but this was changed and now the Malay leaders want to make it a perpetual privilege.
I will be the first to say that the Malay masses need uplifting, they need help. Unfortunately after 60 years their leaders have not done that – they only used them to divide and rule the country.
The Malay elite are the biggest beneficiary of this special status. This is really what they are fighting for – their own privileged positions while the Alis and Yasmins of this world continue to sweat and toil and are fed crumbs. What’s wrong with colour blind affirmative action where help goes to those who need it irrespective of race?
A government with socialist ideals would have put the workers first. Instead Mahathir with his ‘trickle down’ economic thinking created a Malay merchant class. Yes that has made a few Malays super-rich while the rest live from hand to mouth. Not too long ago it was the Malay elite who held taxi licenses which they rented out to the poor drivers who toiled 14 hours a day while they sat in air-conditioned comfort doing nothing.
Anwar wants to emulate Mahathir
Bumiputraism does not work. It has created a dependency mentality among the Malays and Mahathir himself said as much. Now Anwar wants to do the same.
GE 14 addressed some of the symptoms of our country’s malaise. There are now (hopefully) less corruption, more transparency and accountability; more freedom of speech but many sacred cows remain.
Talk of doing away with Jakim and BTN, of recognising the UEC, much touted at the hustings look like just election talk. Empty promises. Local Elections is another promise which looks like hitting the dirt. Our mayors and councilors are no better than the ‘yes men’ of the previous regime.
PH refuses to tackle the real cause of our country’s cancer – racism.
Not only that, PH now wants to “strengthen the status of the bumiputeras”.
If we really want to rebuild Malaysia then we have to do it from the ground up – get rid of the rotten foundation that is based on race.
PH’s New Malaysia is the same as Umno/BN’s Old Malaysia
The New Malaysia of PH is the same as the Old Malaysia of UMNO/BN, only now the baboon has put on lipstick and dressed more sexily to seduce us.
How long more a nation divided? As long as there are two classes of citizenship, as long as affirmative action is based on the colour of one’s skin or one’s religion.
As long as we think of ourselves as Malay, Indian, Kadazan or Chinese first and not as Malaysian. As long as there is no Bangsa Malaysia.
(The views expressed are those of the contributor)
By Yin,
Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan
AI is still the same old AI. Nothing has changed. He travels abroad often, because he cannot practise his addiction in this country. To see in Aljazeera TV saying that sodomy laws are archaic, and that sodomists should not be prosecuted provided they don’t show their inclination openly, is plainly confessing to an addiction. Addiction because he keeps on doing it, like a person addicted to cigarettes. Now his wife is waffling on child marriage. He and his wife need reformasi. Certainly they are NOT fit to run this country with their hangups. Dr M will continue to rule.
majority of the poor in msia is the malay. if you dpn’t help them, who would? the govt has the obligation to help the malays. the idea is novel. except it was abused by the umno thieves and robbers. a more stringent system must be placed to make sure the system is not abused. malays dont need handouts, but they must be helped. and the powers that be should come up with policies that work, not half cooked ideas. for one thing, maybe vocational trainings are more accessible to the malays. the programs are already there, but don’t know what is wrong that many malays prefer to rempit rather than help themselves. maybe motivational courses should also be in the policies.
AI has not changed. In singapore he said that help will be based on need, not on race. But that is for a foreign audience. I would dare him to say that in Malaysia. Anyway, his old desires are hard to get rid off. He disappears overseas alone(or with male companions); Malaysian will remember that he has only received a royal pardon, which can be retracted. Old desires die hard indeed.
PH with TM was necessary to rid us of Umno-bn in GE14. Looks like now after 100 days and some piecemeal cosmetics we have to begin looking for new leaders who are courageous enough to be truly Malaysian for Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.