Chinese, Indian representation in the Cabinet/government: What for?

If the MCA and the MIC have any principles, integrity and self-respect, they should quit the BN, writes Tota.

For 51 years, most Chinese and Indian Malaysians blindly gave their vote to the MCA and the MIC respectively in the mistaken belief that these two parties would look after their interests.

After 1969, Gerakan joined the BN and claimed to look after everyone’s interests. With massive support, the Alliance/BN controlled Parliament with more than a two-thirds majority, undermined democracy and destroyed the secular state and some of the most sacrosanct provisions in the Federal Constitution.

Umno has successfully used race and religion to con the Malays. Similarly, the MCA and the MIC used race and culture to con their respective communities into supporting them. We often hear that Chinese and Indian representation in the government is crucial to move the country towards Vision 2020. Umno needs legitimacy for the implementation of its atrocious policies.

The MCA and the MIC, together with Umno, formed the Alliance as equal partners. But after May 13, 1969, Umno successfully emasculated the MCA and the MIC into becoming, as it were, political eunuchs. The MCA and the MIC always talk about power sharing with Umno. The sooner the goons in the MCA and the MIC realise that it is only token postition sharing and not power sharing the better it would be for them.

What were the Cabinet posts the MCA and the MIC held in the Tunku’s government and what are the Cabinet posts thrown to them now? Very often important policy decisions have been announced at Umno Supreme Council meetings. Isn’t it true that what the Umno Supreme Council decides, the Cabinet approves and the BN-controlled Parliament rubber stamps.

Now billions will be poured, without going through legislative procedures, into BEEP (Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Plan). Were the MCA and the MIC consulted about this?

The MCA and the MIC claim to fight for Chinese/Indian rights. Very often both parties say that the government must build more Mandarin/Tamil schools, supply more teachers, and increase funding. This is ridiculous! This confirms they are not part of the government.

This concedes that they have no part in policy formulation. What is the Chinese/Indian representation in the civil service, army, navy, air force, the judiciary and the diplomatic corps? The MCA and the MIC settled for tokenism in all areas of national life. Both these parties have neither the intelligence nor the political courage to demand that 50 per cent of all interview and promotion boards should comprise non-Malays. Islamo-fascists in every layer of government decide the fate of the country.

The Deputy Minister of Education, until recently, has been from the MCA. I consider him as dead as a dodo in his job. What was he doing when Islamo-fascists wrote the history text books, which are not only slanted but totally ignore the valuable contributions of Chinese and Indians Malaysians in nation-building.

The Education Ministry is the most racist Ministry of all. There are no non-Malay directors in any of its various divisions. There are no non-Malay Chief Education Officers in any state. There are 20 public universities and all vice chancellors are Malays. In each university, there are four deputies. Out of 80 deputies, if one can find one or two non-Malays, one would be lucky. In every university, most of the deans and professors are Malays.

After Independence, Umno has successfully ‘colonised’ the country and the MCA and the MIC have unfortunately aided and abetted in oppressing the people, creating fear and destroying national unity. The MCA and the MIC supported every amendment to the Constitution, thus nullifying the most sacrosanct provision to keep Malaysia a democratic, progressive secular state. The two parties colluded and connived with Umno to pass many draconian laws such as the ISA, the Sedition Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Universities and University Colleges Act which have turned Malaysia into an almost totalitarian state.

We are now worse off than under the British. The British allowed Umno to demonstrate against the Malaya Union. They did not fire cannon at the demonstrators. During the Bersih 3.0 rally, Hishammuddin put on the roads 14,000 policemen to threaten, bully and brutalise people seeking free and fair elections.

The MCA and the MIC often talk about the Social Contract. The Reid Commission’s Constitution is the Social Contract together with some unwritten gentlemen’s agreements. The MCA and the MIC aided and abetted Umno in shredding the Constitution, thus destroying the Social Contract.

As for gentlemen’s agreements, one example was the governorship/CM arrangements for Malacca – if the governor was a non-Malay, the CM’s post was to be held by a Malay and vice-versa. Tunku appointed an ethnic Chinese as a governor and he was the first and last. Now Umno cronies personalities hold both positions.

The MCA and the MIC believe that elections are fair and free. They supported Umno when the Constitutional provision of 1:2 rural/urban weightage in delineating constituencies was amended, thus creating a lopsided electoral system in which Barisan can win less than 50 per cent of the popular vote but still grab 80 per cent of the seats at state and federal levels. For example, Putrajaya has just over 5,000 voters; Ipoh Timur has about 80,000 voters and Kapar in Selangor about 115,000 voters.

The MCA and the MIC supported Umno in suspending local council elections in 1965 when an emergency was declared. Urban Chinese and Indian Malaysian citizens are deprived of their constitutional right to elect their local government representatives. An MCA goon is on record as having said local council elections cannot be held because rural people cannot participate! It is an irony that under colonial rule, local council elections were held. The Penang City Council and the Ipoh Town Council are good examples of how efficiently opposition parties managed the councils.

The MCA and the MIC supported Mahathir, the then controversial and bull-headed PM when the Constitution was amended to facilitate the set up of the sharia courts. This ‘half-past-six’ PM, as perceived by many, was later to say that he was lucky to get away with the amendment. This amendment could not have come about if the MCA and the MIC had taken a principled stand against it, wiling to even quit the coalition to save the country. Look at the problems this has created for non-Muslims in conversion cases.

Now some Muslim religious fanatics are claiming that the civil courts are subordinate to the sharia courts. Where in the world is the Federal Constitution subordinate to state enactments? The MCA and the MIC supported the NEP, which was perceived to have been hijacked by the Umnoputras, thus creating a huge income differential within the Malay community, as argued by many scholars.

Ali-Baba businesses, GLCs and other dubious business deals have created serious aberrations in our economy and horrendous capital outflows at the expense of the people’s welfare and a just distribution of economic wealth to the rakyat.

The so-called power sharing within the BN is a big joke.In a Cabinet meeting, Badawi shut up Keng Yaik with “jangan kacau” when he raised a point. If there is power sharing, what was the necessity for the MCA and the MIC, together with others, to send a memorandum to Abdullah Badawi?

When Umno took offence, the MCA and the MIC ministers ran for cover and then went on their bended knees, apologising profusely and begging for forgiveness! So much for power sharing. After he left the Cabinet, Keng Yaik said that in the Umno-dominated the other “coalition partners were beggars”.

Now the MCA and the MIC are constantly baying and barking like mad at DAP over the hudud issue and calling upon the party to quit the Pakatan Rakyat alliance. The implementation of hudud is part of the Umno agenda. Recently, Najib confirmed this and said hudud wiould be implemented at an opportune time. If the MCA and the MIC have any principles, integrity and self-respect, they should quit the BN. Their prescription for the DAP should apply to them too!

The MCA and the MIC should tell Chinese and Indian Malaysians why they should vote for the two parties that have betrayed them and sold their interests down the drain. Pray explain to them why they should vote “beggars” in BN.

Tota is the pseudonym of an occasional contributor to our Thinking Allowed section.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

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