An attack on Utusan Malaysia is an attack on the Malays. If the newspaper goes to town with screaming headlines about more unverified dark plots hatched by “infidels”, no one can squeak a word of criticism against the sacrosanct daily. To do so would risk a full-blown crusade. The enemies are fellow citizens who also called Malaysia their one and only home. They are threatened with another round of bloodshed which would probably be the final solution – no more Chinese, Indians, Christians. The country will be swept clean of all these irksome “guests” and only the Malays will remain intact. It will be a celebration of fanaticism, narrow-mindedness, insanity, intolerance. But what good would all this do? What purpose would it serve the country when the social fabric is torn asunder? It is well-nigh impossible to rebuild the country when the soil is soaked with the blood of innocent people.
Utusan is fighting shadows. No one is questioning the supreme position of Islam or trampling on the inalienable rights of the Malays. The Malays are in the majority and following age-old tradition, the majority always calls the shots. The minority has little choice but to swim with the tide. It is universally recognised that Islam occupies a pre-eminent status and people of other faiths have no problem living with that unalterable fact. It is also an indelible historical record that the Malays were at the forefront in the fight for independence and we all salute these brave fighters. With the passage of time, all these historic events should have been the cement to build the country on a stronger foundation. Unfortunately, as the world moves in step with the Internet age, Malaysia is still caught in the rut of ancient animosity and unbridled religious fervour. Its foundation is not made of rock but sand.
Now, the country is moving dangerously close to the edge. The scene gets darker by the day with the repeated strident martial calls to defend the Malays against home-made enemies lurking in the shadows. Utusan never fails to rouse the ire of the Malays with its provocative breaking news on non-Malay conspiracies or anything to do with the other races. It does not matter these sensational stories will not help boost declining circulation. The point is to get out the bodyguards and the stormtroopers to create a climate of fear. Utusan has succeeded in portraying itself as a defenceless victim slayed for uncovering numerous intrigues. It has evoked pity, sympathy, compassion. Defenders are now ready to die for their “persecuted” mouthpiece. The battle against the other races and creeds will largely be fought in the pages of Utusan. The danger is, it might leap out of the pages and onto the streets.
Utusan is a warhorse for Umno. It is as old as Umno. It is a venerable institution. Utusan is Umno and Umno is Utusan. They are inseparable. They are twins. No one can drive a wedge. When Utusan shouted hoarse over the “Christian plot”, it had the implicit backing of Umno. It works to Umno’s advantage that, thanks to the daily, a national crisis has hit the country giving Umno a golden opportunity to flex its shrivelled muscles. This will be the rallying call – and a pretext – for Umno to all Malays to unite under the Umno, and not PAS, banner. Utusan has given Umno a lift to its sagging spirit in playing up a sensitive issue. Umno can depend on Utusan to come up with more reports of conspiracies to save the party, not from the non-Malays, but from the Malays. Not all Malays stand shoulder to shoulder with Umno. Not all Malays identify themselves with a party born in a palace. Not all Malays would want to associate with a ruling elite that has grown fat and grubby through long years in power. Utusan may do its political bigshots a favour with its partisan news but it will not heal the wounds of a divided nation.
The band of brothers – Perkasa and Umno foot soldiers – who pledged to defend Utusan at all costs has set the stage for a future conflict. Emboldened, the daily will continue to stir up a hornets’ nest without fear of retribution. Umno will ensure no harm comes Utusan’s way while the mob stands ready to embark on its crusade. Critics can only watch from afar while the inferno spreads. This is a scary prospect and not the work of a wild imagination. The danger is real and present. Can the chariots of fire be stopped in their track? Unlikely as long as political expediency is the name of the game. If Utusan can galvanise the whole Malay population to hate people of other faiths, it will ensure Umno’s survival. Utusan is Umno’s fixed deposit and there is no ghost of a chance for anyone to snatch it away. All the impassioned calls to crack down on the paper is a sheer waste of time. It is like banging your head against a brickwall.
But to back down in the face of intimidation is not the solution. To appease the extremists is not the answer. To remain silent is equally bad. All have a stake in the destiny of the country. The only way to push back the tide of hate and bigotry is to use the ballot box to choose a government that is the antithesis of everything that Utusan and Umno promote or preach. It need not necessarily be Pakatan Rakyat with its strange bedfellows and patchwork quilt of political causes. It can be anyone or party which puts country and people first. The preeminent position of Islam will not be disturbed. The rights of the Malays will be protected. But the law must treat everyone equally. The contributions of the non-Malays must not be overlooked or trivialised or history re-written to give a lopsided account of events. Utusan can help put the country back on a solid foundation or stoke a fire that will reduce all to ashes.
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