Barisan
leaders are constantly calling for national unity – plenty of
pronouncements and platitudes – but their deeds do not match their
words, notes our special correspondent.
The
British successfully adopted a divide-and-rule policy. Therefore, at
independence the people were severely fragmented along ethnic lines –
Malays, Chinese and Indians. The Barisan has indeed improved upon
this strategy. Political parties are organised strictly along ethnic
lines and keris-kisser Hishamuddin has called upon Malaysians to
sensitise themselves to ethnic politics. It has never occurred to him
to sensitise himself to non-ethnic politics in the interests of
national unity, which will remain an impossible dream.
As
if this division were not enough, a further division – bumiputera
and non-bumiputera – was institutionalised, resulting in
further deterioration in ethnic relations which led to severe
polarisation at workplaces, schools and universities. The destroyers
of national unity did not stop at that. They introduced the poison of
ethnic politics into Sabah by establishing Umno there. Sabah was a
state that was really united and where ethnic feelings and rivalry
hardly existed. As if these was not enough, even the Malay population
has been sub-divided into bumputera and Umnoputera, the latter
generously helping themselves to the nation’s wealth through
highly-priced projects, preferential share allotments, APs for
imported cars etc. at the expense of the rakyat. Let alone
national unity, these corrupt practices have divided the Malay
community and increased the income differential – the highest in this
region – within the community.
I
wish I could believe Najib who stated only the Barisan can look after
the interests of the Chinese and Indian Malaysians. Really, it is
with the collusion and connivance of both the MCA and the MIC that
the Constitution has been amended many times. For example, they
remained dumb when the Constitution was amended in 1988
eventually resulting in a half-past-six PM claiming that
Malaysia is an Islamic
State. These same dumbos have the audacity to criticise the DAP for
coming to an electoral understanding with Pas in respect of seat
allotment! These same clowns decided to send a memorandum to the PM
and got hammered by Umno. These cowards withdrew the memorandum and
apologised profusely for their sin! There is no doubt that the
Umno-dominated government at all levels has bullied them into
submission, emasculated them and made them into political eunuchs.
Would a political party interested in national unity permit the
destruction of Hindu temples and churches built for Orang Asli?
There
is a ban on bibles in the Indonesian language in this country –
though the Qur’an has been translated into Mandarin and Tamil.
Recently, bibles from bookshops as well as travellers were
confiscated. Though the word “Allah” was used for six centuries
before Islam came into existence in 622 AD, Malaysia has banned the
use of the word by non-Muslims. The word “Allah” is widely used
by Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Middle East. The Muslims have
persistently refused to be part of the Malaysian Consultative Council
consisting of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and Taoists.
Reason? To sit together with other religious leaders would mean that
every religion is of equal worth, something unacceptable to Muslims
because they claim Islam is superior.
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Sadly,
the Barisan government has gone along with this view. The PM, in the
view of many, has successfully sabotaged the formation of an
Inter-faith Commission. Have you wondered why Tamadun Islam
(Islamic civilisation) is rammed down the throats of non-Muslims from
school to university and no attempt has been made to educate Muslim
students about the religion and culture of non-Muslims? Have you
wondered why Ramli Ibrahim does not perform Indian dances on RTM?
The Barisan continues
to claim that they are building national unity. The government is
supposed to be guided by Islam Hadhari, which is touted as a modern,
liberal and progressive form of Islam. Ironically, the position of
non-Muslims has become worse after the introduction of Islam Hadhari.
Non-Malays converting to Islam and then wanting to reconvert to their
original religion have found it impossible. The civil courts, in
total contravention of constitutional provisions, have denied this
right granted in the Constitution. In Egypt, converts to Islam are
permitted to leave Islam and return to their original faith. Remember
Arafat married a Christian and was in a church with her on Christmas
Eve. That is modern, liberal and progressive Islam. Indonesia
has legislated to make every Indonesian citizen indigenous. In my
opinion, primitive practices will ruin the glory of any religion.
Malaysia
is light years away from being a truly secular democracy guaranteed
by the Constitution.
“ …
Dear Friend,
The
one, free nation we
imagined,
Remains
a distant
truth,
My
anger becomes
bitterness,
When
we are forced
apart,
The
distance ever
wider,
Now
that I am
proclaimed
“bumiputra”
and
you not”
Usman
Awang: Sahabatku
(for
Dr M K Rajakumar)
1979/1983
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
