My Negaraku (Part II) – Methinks..

[Note to self : Never write to be continued. You never will. Too much pressure.]

So here I am, back with my patriotic post. Like I said, I've been trying to gather as much information as I can and get a larger view on things..unlike some biased articles I've read.

So the first thing i did was rummage through YouTube to see what juice I could find. I found what was reportedly an unreleased recording by Tun Dr. Mahatir regarding the State of the Nation. It's rather long winded, but I suppose it's to be expected from one of Malaysia's finest speaker who seems ever-ready to give a speech. He speaks about many issues that most of us have heard about before - our national budget, equality amongst the Rakyat, the economy, foreign policies, etc. - albeit with an inside scoop only accesible to the 'higher people'.. until YouTube came along.

Then there were the numerous socio-political blogs that are around mostly condemming either the government or a single race. Such as this one by pembebel who threatens to kill Namewee, though I just cannot seem to accept the immaturity of the author.
Here's some exerpts..

"Ingat! Orang lain yang “berani” buat macam ni lepas ni - Jangan harap korang lepas! Ni dah sentuh isu perkauman la babi! Memang tak sayang nyawa lah!"

"Ko adalah anjing yang diburu sekarang! Ya, anjing yang diburu! Berdoa la agar keluarga dan orang yang ko sayangi tak diapa2kan orang rakyat Malaysia lainnya yang terasa."

*inhales*

Alright..alright. Then there was the killer May 13 book I mentioned by Kua Kia Soong. Besides the fact that alot of it seemed new to me (Justin's voluntarily reading history for the first time in his life), the bombasticness of the language left me reading with almost half my normal speed and with growing grammar frustrations. Here are some excerpts from the book so far that demonstrate my point:

"The official version is fraught with contradictions and inadequacies to which few pay credence."
Just goes to show how a full blown massacre of both innocent people along with the democratic process was shortened into a few paragraphs in our Sejarah textbooks.

"For the newly Independant Federation of Malaya, the basic provisions of 'juridical equality' had to be compromised simply because the Malay rulers were strongly opposed to it."
In lame man's terms - "What communal equality? I don't want, means I don't want"

"At UMNO headquarters in Batu Road, the feeling was that democracy had gone too far - in other words, that the political hegemony of the Malays was in real danger. A non-Malay Mentri Besar in both Selangor and Perak seemed dangerously likely."
Like the song once said, "Uh oh.. we're in trouble, someone's gonna come and burst our bubble.. Yeah yeah.."

Like all controversial readings, you never know who's right and who's wrong. What's true and what's BS. But, the book offers an insight into something I'd consider one of turning points in what made Malaysia the way it is. Get your copy today. =p

About the whole situation
As far as I’ve lived here, the issue of impartiality of opportunities between different segments of the population has been the longest lasting one and I believe that it will remain that way until something is done. Because it is in some way similar to grievances about the IMF – that they do not realize that a simple change in regulatory clauses (or in this case, government policies) indirectly affects whether or not a child has rice to eat, or whether or not he will get the level of education that every citizen has right to.

NooOo, some just think it’s all politics and about business deals. Reality check my friend, politics is business. And business equals money. You figure the rest.

I also use the term ‘segments of the population’ instead of ‘race’ because the 13 May book makes one realize that sometimes the struggle is not only between the races but within the races – specifically between the higher and lower strata of the population. YES, it’s not always about the damn racial issue.

*calms down*

Ok, enough about the past. So tell me, how successful do you feel Malaysia has progressed so far? Somehow I think one would only feel the real effects of it once they’re in businesses – where the big moolah lies.

*pause*

Come to think of it, I shall not delve into this intricate area. Yes, call me chicken for having the slightest fear in the eye-ass-eh, but screw you, you selfish bs3rd if you never thought about your loved ones.

I am lucky enough to have a friend, who remains to be the rare breed that I am able to rationally debate political issues with. D once said that the government’s political system is fundamentally flawed. He said, “How would you expect unity between the races when the coalition is racially segregated?!

Makes sense, doesn’t it? Technically speaking, we should concentrate instead on ‘class solidarity’; meaning to reduce the gap between the higher and lower class Rakyat instead of the typical stereotypical fight between ‘Rich Chinese’ versus others.

Now when a party starts complaining, the government holds up their palm and calmly says, “Tolerance, my friend..” BS. In this country, tolerance is a direct equivalent to ignorance. Our education system has groomed us to think that questioning is an act of defiance. Based on my experience, the times I have truly understood and absorbed something was when these internal arguments were settled and I agreed with what was being taught to me. That can only happen through (you guessed it) questioning!

Now don’t even get me started on the freedom of speech/press in this country. Our leaders constantly paint a rosy picture for us like we’re stuck in the happy section of a Bollywood movie. I sincerely believe that only when there is honesty can there be progress. Tell us there’s something wrong and we’ll think of a solution together..not behind closed doors.

The outcomes of a failing system are already evident. Outflows of Malaysian intellectuals from our motherland. This article wrote about the situation.

“Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said qualified Malaysians can seek their fortunes overseas where they gain experience, remit part of their income home but most importantly, return someday to impart experience and capital earned while working in a more lucrative environment.”

Perhaps he forget about institutionalized discrimination.

D also repeatedly talked about how wrong it is to combine Religion and Politics. I on the other hand used to argue that it’s the Malaysian way, and it has worked for us. Sadly now I think he’s right. We have parties here whose sole manifesto is/was based on this.

I’ve another question - why did the government abolish inter-faith talks between the religions? IMO, that’s the stupidest thing any government would ever do. It’s anti-peace! WTF?! I just.don’t.get.it. I'm almost begging for enlightenment.

Just recently I heard rumors about demonstrations by the Indian community in Putrajaya. I assume it’s about them not getting a fair share of the political cake in Malaysia. According to my sources, they said, “If nothing’s changed by the 31^st, see lah…”

Now that’s a scary thought. I think you and I know that no one ever wants to wield parangs and be on the run and burning down things. It's happened before, it may happen again. Do not take peace for granted.

Sigh.

I’ve vented enough. I’m no longer angry, just tired. Tired of this feeling of animosity between those I hope to call my Malaysian brothers and sisters. Tired of the few jokers who tarnish everything good about this country as we know it for personal gain. What goes around comes around..

Oh and the ungrateful who over-compare and complain should really open their eyes.

What we (desperately) need is a massive psychological revamp. Chinese should stop being selfish and start thinking about others. Malays should be less sensitive and take the bitter pill of reality. And the Indians should serve better roti canai. (lol ok, honestly I don’t know as much about the Indian plight, but the roti canai’s really make our days. =) Maybe Malaysians can learn from the hidden meaning behind Russel Peters’ seemingly racial jokes. If we can laugh about Indians, Jamaicans, British and the rest, why take ourselves so seriously here?

In the famous words of Martin Luther King, "Why can’t we all just get along?"

We’ve come a long way now. 50 years is no easy feat – and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. We’re technologically savvy. We have lovely infrastructure. Our economy is booming. We have GREAT FOOD! And we’ve worked hard to get here. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the government on that part at least. It is my sincere hope that Malaysia keeps getting better and that I stay in this country that I adore so much, flaws and everything.

Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-50, Malaysia!