Malay Bible: Between the devil and the deep blue sea

Umno is now trapped in the quagmire of their own creation. It is juxtaposed between, the image they have created among the Malays, and their myth of continued victory in East Malaysia, their eternal fixed deposit. And the fallacy which they have vehemently expedited, that they are the saviors and defenders of the Islamic faith and Malay race on one side, and their feverish resolve to keep their tainted and corrupted allies in power. Now the dangerous balancing act has already started. They are falling in their own political abyss.

The government after much afterthought and deliberation has finally released the’ detained Malay edition Bible’ with conditions, like stamping for Christians only, and inserting a serial number to appease the Malay voters and hoodwink them that they are invincible and true custodians of Islam, and by this action they are and not conceding defeat. You need not be a rocket scientist to read between the lines and to know the truth. The Sarawak election is just around the corner and the White Haired Emperor of Sarawak is now counting his days in his throne, surely in the last twilight period of his royal splendor.

Mufti of Perak is up in arms against the government that the holy book should not be released at all, simply because it will create uneasiness and confusion among Muslims. He is very worried that the first things the Muslims will do is to convert en mess to Christianity, when they are in procession of the Malay Bible, that’s the message from this infamous mufti, insulting Islam and their adherents to be very week in their faith and challenging the intelligence of the Malays and their iman.

Abim has also shown their contempt for the same reason and fervently imploring that the government must maintain the status qua at all cost. The National Ulama council has been cautious and still maintaining that the holy book should not been released. And Perkasa and other subsidiary organization of UMNO are only waiting for instructions to execute damage control and safe the situation for Umno. These are the aftershock reaction we are witnessing after the earthquake of the Bible debacle. Reactions which Umno dare not dream to witness.

Umno failed miserably to forge a marriage of convenience with Pas, to break Pakatan’s coalition. And now are aggressively expounding the ethno religious bandwagon of Malay –Islam credentials as the chosen people to lead, them with the chauvinistic fascist slogan to ‘protect race, religion and country’ for their political expediency. Now Pas is portraying them as inclusive liberal and moderate Muslim, taking up issues of the non Muslims without sacrificing their theological identity. Thanks to Umno. Now PAS is the beacon of hope for this country for religious tolerance and goodwill.

Their veiled support for the opposition for the Judgment on the Allah’s usage among the non Muslims, when churches were set ablaze, demonstrations were carried out with the police standing as innocent bystanders. This blatant disregard to rule of law and the highly prejudiced action by the government in not proceeding with appropriate action in safeguarding the legitimate rights of the non Muslims in practicing their religion of their choice, made a mockery of the system of government which is supposed to be impartial to the needs of the multi ethnic religious population. This action of BN has already eroded their support base in Sarawak, as the Sibu by election revealed.

Whatever the decision Umno has made, they have now being stripped naked, exposing their wickedness, helplessness and their perfidious dual acting, and is now tearing their mask of debauchery. They have created doubts among the East Malaysians Christians, whether this action of releasing the Malay edition Bible is just a stop gap, electoral gimmick to help Taib Mahmud, or rather a sincere effort in safeguarding the legitimate rights of their religion. And the Malay voters would now be able gauge the sincerity of Umno regarding their ‘sacrilegious’ decision of releasing the Malay Bible and betraying them, which they have engineered.

Their image building of Umno as the vanguard and the protectors of ethnic and religious, and the purported saviors of their race, has now being questioned by the people who have trusted and mislaid by them. Hope they will realize that all the sloganeering of race is not for the interest of masses but for the continued plunder of the richness of the country to enrich a small circle of Umnoputras, keeping the majority Malays poor and miserable.

So Umno is now holding a double edge sword, which will hurt them both ways. They are now between the devil and the deep blue sea. Deceit and treachery cannot be forever promulgated to undermine the people’s legitimate feelings. And a party which has its foundation on racial hegemony, corruption and mismanagement, cannot forever gag, subjugate and facilitate to have its two third majorities in Parliament or rule the nation eternally.