Tonight, Mooncake Festival in Malaysia will see its first! Anak Bangsa Malaysia will be celebrating! Millions of candles will light up!
Clearly, the selectiveness of the ISA arrests is an insidious and misleading attempt to create resentment among particular communities. Why else arrest the messenger but not the message maker, or a politician proven to be only falsely accused?
Perhaps it is hoped that impassioned and racially-tinged sentiments will be expressed in the coming days, escalating to even more impassioned racial reactions. This in turn may lay the ground for emergency rule, and for all the suspension of civil liberties and human rights that follow.
What the powers-that-be have forgotten however, is that Malaysia is better than that.
On March 8, Malaysians refused to vote purely on racial lines and instead chose their leaders based on issues that affect us all as a united Malaysian nation.
This time, once again, we will not fall for the trap of racial fear mongering. We will not be pawns in the political manoeuvrings of the ever crumbling ruling party. We will not be trapped in racial polemics, or ever again draw the bitter lines of racial conflict.
While race is not something that must-never-be-talked-about and only swept under the carpet, the simple truth of the matter is that the crisis that is now enveloping Malaysia is not about race at all.
It is about keeping the movement for a better Malaysia alive; it is about rejecting a culture of fear and corruption in favour of a culture of integrity and good governance; most of all, it is about protecting what we as a united people regardless of race and religion hold dear as Malaysians, as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons.
Time to speak the right language
The time has come to speak out in the right language. The language of upholding truth, human rights and our love for one another as Malaysians.
We shall reject the language of race, and the utterly misleading temptation to describe the current crisis as a conflict between ethnic communities.
We shall not talk the way they want us to, about supposed injustices and insults inflicted by one race on another, or about how one group supposedly steals from another, or any other such lies and misrepresentations.
These are the same tools used the world over throughout history to incite multiracial populations into hate; populations that would, and do, coexist peacefully and in harmony if not for the manipulations of power-obsessed politicians.
Instead, we will speak of defending those who speak truth to power; we will speak of upholding the rule of law and due process, not the use of draconian colonial laws at whim or fancy; we will speak, most of all, of our desire to remain united as Malaysians and continue to love our neighbours as we have done for decades in peace.
It now depends entirely on ourselves
When talk is no longer sufficient we will act. We will act only peacefully, without burning tires or harming even a fly.
We will learn the lessons of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela and practice peaceful civil activism. We will stand together and rise in defence of our principles, our patriotism and our unity.
If the first line of leadership is taken in, the second must take its place; if the second line falls, the third must rise, and so on until every Malaysian stands up to be counted and to resist injustice.
Whether our country will emerge from this tunnel into the light, or whether we lose our best chance to finally break free of the lies that create racial conflict, will depend entirely on ourselves and our resolve.
If we stand firm now, united and without fear in the face of the challenges and temptations ahead; if we be strong, and take courage; we will see the invincible strength of a united people, and finally win for all Malaysians the Malaysia we deserve.
NATHANIEL TAN, who is almost 28, blogs at www.jelas.info.
Meanwhile, updates from Malaysiakini ...
Arrests aim at fuelling resentment
Malaysia is facing a malicious attempt at false provocation.
Clearly, the selectiveness of the ISA arrests is an insidious and misleading attempt to create resentment among particular communities. Why else arrest the messenger but not the message maker, or a politician proven to be only falsely accused?
Perhaps it is hoped that impassioned and racially-tinged sentiments will be expressed in the coming days, escalating to even more impassioned racial reactions. This in turn may lay the ground for emergency rule, and for all the suspension of civil liberties and human rights that follow.
What the powers-that-be have forgotten however, is that Malaysia is better than that.
On March 8, Malaysians refused to vote purely on racial lines and instead chose their leaders based on issues that affect us all as a united Malaysian nation.
This time, once again, we will not fall for the trap of racial fear mongering. We will not be pawns in the political manoeuvrings of the ever crumbling ruling party. We will not be trapped in racial polemics, or ever again draw the bitter lines of racial conflict.
While race is not something that must-never-be-talked-about and only swept under the carpet, the simple truth of the matter is that the crisis that is now enveloping Malaysia is not about race at all.
It is about keeping the movement for a better Malaysia alive; it is about rejecting a culture of fear and corruption in favour of a culture of integrity and good governance; most of all, it is about protecting what we as a united people regardless of race and religion hold dear as Malaysians, as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons.
Time to speak the right language
The time has come to speak out in the right language. The language of upholding truth, human rights and our love for one another as Malaysians.
We shall reject the language of race, and the utterly misleading temptation to describe the current crisis as a conflict between ethnic communities.
We shall not talk the way they want us to, about supposed injustices and insults inflicted by one race on another, or about how one group supposedly steals from another, or any other such lies and misrepresentations.
These are the same tools used the world over throughout history to incite multiracial populations into hate; populations that would, and do, coexist peacefully and in harmony if not for the manipulations of power-obsessed politicians.
Instead, we will speak of defending those who speak truth to power; we will speak of upholding the rule of law and due process, not the use of draconian colonial laws at whim or fancy; we will speak, most of all, of our desire to remain united as Malaysians and continue to love our neighbours as we have done for decades in peace.
It now depends entirely on ourselves
When talk is no longer sufficient we will act. We will act only peacefully, without burning tires or harming even a fly.
We will learn the lessons of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela and practice peaceful civil activism. We will stand together and rise in defence of our principles, our patriotism and our unity.
If the first line of leadership is taken in, the second must take its place; if the second line falls, the third must rise, and so on until every Malaysian stands up to be counted and to resist injustice.
Whether our country will emerge from this tunnel into the light, or whether we lose our best chance to finally break free of the lies that create racial conflict, will depend entirely on ourselves and our resolve.
If we stand firm now, united and without fear in the face of the challenges and temptations ahead; if we be strong, and take courage; we will see the invincible strength of a united people, and finally win for all Malaysians the Malaysia we deserve.
NATHANIEL TAN, who is almost 28, blogs at www.jelas.info.
1 comment:
The Courage to Build a New Malaysia.
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The year is 2008. This is the year most Malaysians finally woke up from a deep slumber. Most Malaysians were just too busy earning their living and building up their lives to take notice that times have changed and the idealism spouted by our founding Fathers have still not been accomplished for this country even today.
It was not so long ago in 1957 and then for our fellow East Malaysians in 1963 when the ideals and dreams preached by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj (Bapa Kemerdekaan and Bapa Malaysia) for Malaysia were first announced and was greeted with joy in the hearts and minds of all Malaysians. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman had a dream and ideals, just like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and many others including the prophets over the history of mankind.
Many a times such dreams were hijacked and led astray under the guise of nationalistic, racist and religious idealism by so called politicians and self declared and appointed righteous and religious persons (Little Napoleons). Individuals who have risen to continue some of such idealisms are gagged, isolated, bankcrupted, blasphemied, rehabilitated or worst jailed, for it is deemed not in consonance with the dreams and idealism of the elected parties agendas.
Laws are legislated and passed at whim in Parliament to change the idealism of the Supreme Law of the Land (The Malaysian Constitution) and to cloak such party and individual agendas. It is true, Malaysia, conforms to the democratic process as practiced by most western countries in elections (even though tainted but unproven). But once given the trust to be elected as a leader or representative of the people, party and individual idealism overtook national idealism, and The Jeykll and Hyde personality emerged to be repeated over and over again at each and every election and by-election.
Malaysians have being led astray for so long, that what is right is blurred, what is wrong is tolerated, what is evil is condoned, what is fair is pouted as unfair, what is immoral becomes moral and corruption and close one eye need to become a part of our accepted daily lives. Jealousy, hatred, greed, racism, plundering and satanism starts to breed in Malaysian minds, and brothers, friends and fellow Malaysians were looked upon as enemies or as inferior human beings. Once a while, such nets were cast ashore to include anything to do with other countries or other races which do not belong to one's own race or religious beliefs.
The minds and souls of Malaysians are so polluted and poisoned for so many years that it seems that Malaysia is the only all correct country and we should rule the world by our way. Examples of countries which follows Malaysia or is it we following them are, such as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Israel. What justifications can you tell your own generations or future Malaysian generations that what you are doing to fellow mankind and more so to your own fellow Malaysians that it is righteous and correct, when, it is at the expense and sufferings of your own human kind and fellow Malaysians?
Can you say to them I did it to follow the orders and teachings of God or party political agendas? Who gave you such inspirations and idealism? Do not absolve your own wicked mind and greed nor take a ride on someone else wicked mind and greed. Do not pick and choose in the Books of God nor the man-made laws to justify or suit your own twisted and idealistic minds. You can fool others due to their ignorance or emotions at some time but you can't fool forever a man's conscience nor your own children or hopefully one day your own when such enlightenment comes to you.
The courage to change things which are not right in Malaysia nor achieve the ideals of the Founding Fathers is not impossible. Most Malaysians have woken up to the fact that the future is going to be determined by it's own citizens thru their own conscience guided by their own religious beliefs to live a harmonious and productive life of correctness and not the type of political, racial or religious correctness as preached.
Parties and their own agendas do not take priority over the Founding Fathers ideals and hopes of all Malaysians. Religion and principles are as a guide to your own conscience to make sure whoever is the leader do not lead Malaysians nor society astray.
For in the end, what is just and right should surely overule anything else for any leader or their party agendas.
Does your Representative of the People (Wakil Rakyat) or You! have the courage?
http://patek1472.wordpress.com
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