My right to this land cannot be challenged, it cannot be disputed, it cannot be denied, P Ramakrishnan writes.
It is with dismay and disappointment that I read of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s statement, “This is Malay land, there is no other place for Malays to go” (Malaysia Chronicle, 18 September 2020).
He was also quoted by Insight Talk as having said “this is Tanah Melayu (Malay land) and there is no other place for the Malays to go”.
My dear Tengku, I’m also in a similar predicament. I have no other place to go to. This is my birth place. This is my country. This is Tanah Aku.
My right to this land cannot be challenged, it cannot be disputed, it cannot be denied. Legally and constitutionally, I belong to this land. My status to this land is clearly spelt out and guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
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My right to this land is beyond any doubt; my loyalty to king and country is beyond question. My allegiance to Jalur Gemilang is absolute. Period.
My right to this land is equal to that of the Malays. We both share a common heritage. We are all Malaysians.
Don’t let any half-baked, stupid riff-raff ever say otherwise. This is the land of my birth. This is where I will be buried. Thus, I will be forever be part of this land even after my death.
My claim to this land is second to none – except for the Orang Asli, the Original People. Pitifully, the Original People have been marginalised, sidelined, ignored, exploited and treated shabbily to our utter shame.
It is the Orang Asli you should be speaking up for, my dear Tengku – not for others whose place in Malaysia is assured. Please champion the Orang Asli’s cause which needs our support, sympathy and recognition.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
India also has orang asli, does that mean India is not home to Indian?
Rama, I join you in your plaintiff cry.
But I will give Ku Li…the benefit of doubt. He is no doubt playing to the gallery of his ketuanan melayu audience.
At least he did not say, non malays must ‘balik tongsan’.
Yet, i am sure under this backdoor govt. we will hear more and louder racist chants against non-Malays.
The concept of ownership of land (especially in Western terms) is not entirely meaningful when discussing the land rights of the Orang Asli. More particularly, they belong to the land. It gives them shelter and sustenance. They have an emotional bond with the land, far beyond what city dwellers feel in their homes (for many, especially the young, the home is mostly a place for sleeping). Take away the land from the Orang Asli and they suffer enormously. Animals too suffer when human beings take away their habitats.