The recent racist rant by UMNO information chief Ahmad Maslan drew fire from concerned Malaysians and the DAP. Ahmad said at a forum that “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans ... say goodbye to Islam” if the opposition gains more power as the DAP “does not respect the royal institution and are agents of Christianisation.” And he firmly stated that he spoke the “truth”.
Ahmad Maslan, a deputy minister in Prime Minister Najib Razak's department, also claimed the threat of “Malays losing power” was very real as the Chinese community was slowly gaining control of the country’s politics and economy.
The statements by Ahmad drew a blank from the various veeps of UMNO, who seemed not to have been informed by their own information chief of what he was up to. When queried, the veeps were 'smart' enough to pass the buck back to Ahmad, saying he should answer the queries himself. But it does underscore what is going on in the Umno grapevine - everything is messy and no one seems to know what's going on and more importantly - who will be in power after GE-13 and who will be shown the door?
When Umno hiccups, MCA and Gerakan get diarrhea
Within BN, the reactions from MCA and Gerakan are even worse. Quickly, they have averted their eyes and a blanker 'don't-know' appears to have descended on them, as if to absolve themselves from noticing the strong anti-Chinese undertone at the Umno meet. Muted as always, they hide until Ahmad's anti-Chinese and anti-Christian storm blows over, even as Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and scores of other Umno delegate troop up to offer advice on how how keep the Chinese and Christian communities at bay and far away from political power!
This is the sorry state of inter-racial affairs in Malaysia today, due largely to former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who actively stirred racila jealousy and fear. He may have succeeding scaring many Malays to cling together but at a tremendous price. The inferiority complex and siege mentality born out of Mahathir's dark experiment has further created another layer that will make it harder for the Malays to break out from their "coconut shell" so to speak.
Different mindsets
In every corner of the world, where one finds a Chinese community, the emphasis has always been on business and building a better economic standing. This is the ingrained nature of most Chinese individuals. One could say that this is one of their many God-given talents. The Chinese are also willing to work hard for success, and again, this trait of diligence is ingrained in the very fabric of their society. Read up on the many Chinese proverbs and folk songs and you will find references upon references encouraging their own to work hard, strive to be the best and always aim to be better.
Compare this against the Umno mantra to the Malays, which is that 'Malays are superior to the others in this country because this is their tanah (land) and therefore they have that right. If you disagree, there is Article 153 of the Constitution that proves it and to sensure that Malays continue being supreme, they must vote Umno to shut out the other races from the same playing field, put in obstacles to give themselves better handicaps. This despite the fact that many are already well-able to stand on their own two feet.
Obviously, the Chinese too have more than their fair share of nasty traits, but by and large, most people would agree with the description that the Chinese are "good in business and also are a hard-working people". So it is small wonder that the Chinese have been successful in Malaysia.
Malaysian history chronicles that it was the Chinese who opened the tin-mining industry here. It was the Chinese who opened trade routes with the old sultanate of Malacca. It was the Chinese who sailed down the rivers of Sarawak to sell their earthen ware, some of which are family heirlooms, to the Ibans to eke out a survival during the early days. For the Chinese, the focus is to earn a living for themselves and their families, and the natural way to do so is via business and being good at economics.
Who do MCA, Gerakan really answer to?
So, why do the likes of MCA and Gerakan not voice out their disapproval at Ahmad’s statement that the Chinese are out to under-mine the Malays and take over the country? Do they agree with Ahmad Maslan? Is that it?
MCA and Gerakan which forms the main crust of the Chinese votes in the BN have remained lost ever since the political tsunami of the 2008 election. Clearly, the two cohorts within the UMNO-led BN have not found their way back into the good graces of their supporters nor the people they so fondly claim to represent, but never speak up for.
The truth of the matter is that MCA and Gerakan have always depended on the scraps thrown to them by UMNO, who sups at the main table. This is why they dare not speak. Neither do their have the conscience to quit since they can do the job required of them. While the people, the minorities, are so blatantly harassed by UMNO, the MCA and Gerakan combine have no choice but to remain quiet. Otherwise, it is the end of their cushy government jobs and positions.
Deflects attention by making a scapegoat of DAP
To UMNO, the DAP which is predominantly Chinese has yet open to other ethnic groups. To UMNO, the DAP is the scrooge that would destroy Malay rights and so forth. Thus, to UMNO, the Malays have been sidelined in states such as Penang, where DAP rules, and even in Selangor, where PKR is dominant.
What UMNO has failed to point out is the changes in governance the Pakatan has brought to the states they now control. Unlike MCA or Gerakan, DAP is not accountable to bullies like UMNO, instead DAP and its Pakatan partners are accountable to the rakyat (people) who have voted them in. It is to the credit of the rakyat that they have allowed Pakatan to form government in Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Perak. This, UMNO has never dared to acknowledge.
Instead, UMNO points to the loss of Malay rights wherever DAP rules. In reality, where BN is concerned, MCA and Gerakan sold their souls to UMNO - helping UMNO to continue stealing from Malays, Chinese and Indians and other races alike in order to enrich their own elite. If UMNO claims that under DAP, Malay rights are lost, under UMNO-BN the whole Malaysian community stands to lose! And lose big.
And has MCA or Gerakan spoken up against the blatant robbery by UMNO? Who has really stood up against the injustice dished out by UMNO and BN? Bear in mind, the likes of Lim Guan Eng were imprisoned for speaking out against the injustice by a former UMNO vice-president who raped a Malay minor. Where were MCA and Gerakan when the people needed a voice against UMNO in the BN?
The no-comment rule
In BN, while talking about equality and power sharing within their ranks, there is also a “no-comment” rule when it comes to UMNO. Yes, within BN, the other component parties - all 13 of them; 14 if you count the EC, have no rights to speak of. Like Gerakan, it only holds 2 parliamentary seats out 222. How could they chastise their big brother UMNO, which holds the bulk of BN's parliamentary seats? Instead, UMNO dictates and all the rest follow.
Now, that the UMNO General Assembly is over - and it has been confirmed that the party has indeed lost the hearts and minds of the people, without being able to offer any vision or ideas and relying only on self-praise, racism and Pakatan bashing, expect an all-out power grab with unprecedented voter cheating including the use of intimidation at the next general election.
Who is less united and less democratic now?
It is ironic that UMNO and likes of MCA president Chua Soi Lek has chosen to accuse the Pakatan of internal bickering, while within Umno itself, Najib has to beg division chieftains to stay calm and not close down their service centres if they were not chosen to contest in GE-13.
At the very least within Pakatan, there is mush less pretense and hypocrisy. There is room to disagree and speak one’s mind against members of the coalition. There is ample avenue to point fingers at one another and still at the end of the day come to a consensus. To its credit, Pakatan Rakyat partners are more democratic and respectful towards each other than BN.
However, BN is repressive. Only the top dog talks, the others bark and yap around but always in agreement. So contrary to the claims of Najib and Muhyiddin, BN is not more democratic. BN itself is a dictatorship, where there is only room for UMNO.
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