Wednesday 8 May 2013

Whither the Malays? - and - Wither the Malays



That badge could even be earlier because the photo below, of Abah setting up an UMNO Branch at Kampung Abu Kassim,  Pasir Panjang, Singapore showed him with my brother Mus who was five or six years old.  That would date it around 1952.  The other founding members were made up of local Malays from the 4ms (milestone) to 7ms Pasir Panjang Road and soldiers from the Federation of Malaya serving in the British Army.  Remember this was a few years after the end of the Malayan Union of 1946 when the Malays realised what their fate would be if they allowed the British to erode their rights and heritage.  Also this was at the height of the insurgency by the Communist Party of Malaya which started in 1948.   Read my postings - (1) http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2011/10/romance-of-history.html
   (2)http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2011/10/between-python-and-cobra-csh.html
   (3)http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2011/10/between-python-and-cobra-csh.html
   (4)http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2011/04/raking-cupboard-under-stairs.html
   (5) http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2010/04/school-books-i-have-known.html



But my father and all those men were no wild-eyed Malay fanatics.   This was their tanah air..... it was all they had - there was no other 'motherland' to return to.  They did not want their people to end up like the natives of North America, Australia, New Zealand, or the indigenous tribes in Taiwan.  They wanted a future for their children and grandchildren.  It was not an easy ride but the dreams of these brave men did materialise albeit in a form they would not recognise and accept.  They, for those who are still here, now see their anak and cucu and cicit - the beneficiaries of their struggle and sacrifices - biting the hands that fed them.   For a good many of those who prospered under the NEP have sold their souls to the very people that their forefathers were worried about.  It's all right for them because their children's futures are secure - huffing and pouting they can migrate to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA, bringing their high qualifications which were paid for by the rakyat.

And there are other ways they use to show their contempt and discontent.  I know of academics in USM who refuse to buy Proton because that will profit the UMNO cronies, so they buy a French Peugeot (sports model) instead - truly vanity dressed as principle!  The cost of a car like that would be enough to pay for part of their post-graduate studies overseas, paid for through an NEP instituted by the 'bad' and  'good 'in UMNO.  Then there's another self-hating Malay who failed after several attempts to obtain his PhD (paid for by the rakyat) and then demanded PhD pay - as he had been working for several years sans the PhD.  Then there's the Malay PhD who threatened a student and retorted  " Ingat, aku ini Professor dan Doctor.  Kau ingat senang nak dapat  PhD?   Ingat siapa durian, siapa timun!"   He forgot to mention he got to be a durian on the backs of the rakyat and the despicable NEP!

Yes, there are bad apples in UMNO, worms and cankers of the worst sort - another bye-product of  so-called progress.  Yes, for some of the Malays what they've been given is like "kera di beri bunga".  But the Brits have a term to describe this propensity.  "Yes, they are bastards, but they are our bastards".  So it's up to the beneficiaries of NEP to take up the cudgels to rid society of these "Melayu bangsat" and do what their forefathers did.    And to remember: their forefathers did not  'run with the hare and hunt with the hounds'.

My father often reminded us:  " 'Kau orang adek beradek tak ramai, jangan bergaduh sesama sendiri."  Transfer that to the bangsa :  "Orang Melayu tak ramai ......"  This beautiful country, unlike any other country in the world,  has a racial makeup (set up by the British so as to maximise their profit ) that can be toxic if not handled properly.  Western ideals of freedom and equality  have to be tempered  by local soils and temperature.  Do not ever believe that Westerners practise in their own countries all those lofty ideals they sell and  preach to others not of their kind - especially the brown and liberal middle classes of the world.

The Chinese, wherever they are - in Singapore, USA, Australia, Britain, South Africa, and Malaysia preserve their unity in the concept of tong pao (of the same womb), of themselves as a family.  Now they are inspired in their commitment by their conversion to Christianity.   The unity born of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism had no global agenda.   You can't say the same about Christianity.

If this complacency, smugness and disunity of the Malays persist then they  deserve to be Lunchais and Lebai Malang.  

Teras terunjam, gubal melayang.  ( The core of the tree is fixed deep in the ground, but the sapwood is blown away.)

When the upwardly mobile Malays have risen - to be sapwood - then shall the Malays wither.

This has been a hard and painful piece to write - seperti meludah ke langit.

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NOTE :  Comments are welcomed.  Racist statements, allusions and connotations will be publicised if they will submit their names as well.  I know anyone can call themselves Mat and Minah, but they cannot escape the intent of their words.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

seperti anda, saya sangat2 kecewa dengan "bangsat" bangsa saya. -Tamingsari kawan Rocky.

Anonymous said...

very nice post..

i knew many Melayu lupa... most benefit from NEP.. recieved scholarships to study overseas... balik jadi Tabligh and anti-government...NOt onlt that, they hated the government..

Some hold very high Gov jobs..jadi Jusa A etc...but hated the government..

Some that hold these high posts are government policy makers... but they are anti-gov..

They took business class flights to Putrajaya for meetings, stayed in premier hotels, fully paid by gov..almost everyweek!

Some came back from these meetings, when asked, sorry no change, usual meeting..or we'll still discussing etc.

Some don't bother to show up for work after meeting...sorry another meeting at state level pula...

when we have small talk with them.. ohh..i've told the Kementerian people about this or that...but these people, you know la, don't listen..(mcm mana nak dengar, you pun dua kali lima)

When we tell these superior the problems on the ground,..ok, i'll TRY to convey the msg, but you know la this people..they want to bulldoze their policies aje..

in the end, ppl on the ground, who are trying to implement gov policies, the 'menurut perintah' kind are the ones left confused.

Boss tak serupa bikin, enjoy perks given for their grade, but turned anti-gov, hating the very policy that elevated them.

Yang di bawah tu, hated the gov, sebab senang salahkan org lain, bila immediate boss selalu salah diri dia saje...

tak tahu selesaikan masalah kerja...boss kata tak cekap..etc etc etc..

sekian.

Anonymous said...

The UMNO of today is no longer the UMNO of our father's and grandfather's time. The tentacles of corruption, business interests, and self serving plutocrat warlords have entrenched itself. Hopefully, the incumbent's loss of more parliament and state seats will be a final warning to them, but I have my doubts. Spamming insincere 1Malaysia slogans everywhere and dishing out bread & circuses will only work to a limit. It doesn't work with the 'bandaran' (urban) brunch.

The good thing is the extreme faction like Ibrahim Ali, Zul, and Great M has been rejected. We need to realise the correct direction is toward moderation and not 'tin kosong' racialist rhetoric. The young ones don't really buy that race stuff, and there are more of them turning 21 day by day.

alchemist said...

To both dear anonymous,

Well said ! And to the blogger, in a way one must not forget one's root and the kindness sowed by our forefathers

Anonymous said...

It's a sad day when people like Dr M are called extremists and rejected while people like Lim Kit Siang get voted in.

Sorry but I don't believe one bit all that talk about not caring about race, wanting no corruption and good governance.

So much double speak, deception and hypocrisy.

Not surprised that while Penang and Kelantan swear in the same idiots can demonstrate and claiming they've been cheated.

mekyam said...

dear Ash,

i just shared this on my Facebook wall under the caption:

"my dear Ash writes on bangsa melayu and bangsat melayu"

i hope you don't mind my not asking your leave first, but i just couldn't wait for the bangsat melayus to hear some home truths that i didn't think of it till it was done. :(

anak si-hamid said...

Mekyam,

Go ahead my dear, with my blessings.

Thank you for asking.

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Tamingsari

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Anon May 9 2013, 8.43 am

I believe the Malays need a change, a revolution maybe from root to branch across the spectrum - from the politicians, the ulama, the academics, the bureaucracy at all levels, the teachers and our youngsters.

It has to be a revolution based on setting good examples: - by the powerful, the well-off, the better educated, the ones in authorithy etc.

Seperti pepatah Melayu berkata "Bapa borek, anak rintek"

So the post Independence Borek and Rintek Malays have to take stock of their behaviour, to examine their "pekong di dada"and stop blaming and using others to satisfy their self-righteousness, greed and power lust.

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Anon May 9, 2013, 3.09.

It's not only UMNO - but the Malays of today: - better educated, better fed, very IT savvy, very Westernised and Arabised, very fashion and status conscious, and very arrogant in their sense of self-righteousness and achievements. It makes no difference whether they are dressed in city suits or the jubah.

There's one very crucial aspect Malays have to learn from the Chinese - the latter have achieved all of the above, and even more - but they never forget what they are and where they come from. They give back and contribute to their society when they get to the top.

They support each other in all fields of business and their network of clans and guilds are second to none. Cutthroat it may be - but it works for them where ever they are in the world.

Shame on you Malays, you excel in plunging knives in each others' backs! What's that pepatah? "Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata?"
And so others watch with glee as progressive Malays 'blossom'into Luncais and Lebai Malang.

As for the "bandaran" brunch among the young and the rising 21 year olds - there's a marvellous bunch of Luncais to harvest.

As for moderation - who's going to start the ball rolling. Who's going to blink first?

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Alchemist.

The Malays truly need a brave and honourable alchemist in our midst to get back to the beginning.

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Anon May 9, 2013, 10.48 pm.

I suppose you could say that's the nature of politics.

But in Malaysia, it's especially vicious because of the legacy from the British imperialist - of manipulating and changing the population composition. You know, they are now fighting tooth and nail against foreign immigration in their homeland and they have the cheek to criticise Malays as racists!

But we are a moderate people who for over a hundred years are willing to share this bountiful land of ours - but remember to give only the 'betis' but not up to the 'peha'. Kongsi lah! Jangan ambil semua!

alchemist said...

Simple analogy of idiots

Luncai = gullible = easily waylaid by corrupt politicians.

i had the pleasure of discussing the future of malaysia with another disappointed layman. One of our topics went to

"do you think whoever wins the election will make malaysia a better place ?"

"no. We may have new ministers or government heads but the 'engine' are still old mentality selfish pricks who just doesn't seem to understand that they are supposed to serve rakyat"

"true. Nothing will work up to speed as cronies gets bulldozed into key positions. Why don't we get people for these positions elected instead ? I'm sure by THEN we will see changes"

"Yeah, you said it Tailo"


anak si-hamid said...

Thank you alchemist,

But that's democracy - that's what is expected of all nations, especially the non-white ones.

Perhaps we may, like you indicate, have ministries run by the good and efficient ( though a PhD does not necessarily promise that) Or pick candidates who are of such calibre and make sure they can win like they do down south!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Nor ...for putting it so nicely in words. That photo is so nostalgic.

Can I publicize this through my own network K.

mus

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Mus,

Of course you can. After all you took that lovely photograph of Abah's badge, remember?

Anonymous said...

Kak Maznoor,

I also have that UMNO badge in my collection.

Bila boleh jumpa? Salam to Iain.

Karim

Anonymous said...



Yes, I've met many of these types that you and your readers have written about.

Once in the office, we somehow talked politics. One hijabi, who disliked my defending NEP, said "Kampung nya! Oh you sure vote BN lah!". How rich, I thought, coming from one who not a generation ago lived in the bowels of kg kerinchi. (Sorry, if that comes across as snobbish but i didn't mean it to be. It's just that she and her siblings, now all professionals, benefited from the very same policy she now scorn. Now may I pls do something real Melayu and say.... "Menyampah!"

Right now, I think I'm both sad and, angry. U see in youtube etc, videos of budak2 melayu carrying party flags, beating each other up. Melayu lawan Melayu, siapa menang, ek? Grrr.

Ribut


Kama At-Tarawis said...

kak maz, i feel sad reading this particular entry of yours... :-(

anak si-hamid said...

Dear Ribut,

I completely agree with your comment. I have seen a lot of the observations you have made.

Sad and angry - we are so much more aware and hands on about religion and religious practices - but somewhere along the way we have forgotten to be Malays.

It saddens me when a Malay says he is a Muslim first and a Malay second. It's like a beauty contest to decide who is more pious amongst us.

As for the urbanites and the future voters, to lure them the PM must be seen with a guitar,(like Tony Blair when he first entered Downing Street),a bandana around his head or a reversed "I love NY" cap on his head. The Deputy PM will have to learn how to do a made-in-America "hi Five" salam, the slightly younger Cabinet members must have those baggy jeans that hang down at the hip as part of their wardrobe - but only after the bloated UMNO dinosaurs and bloated young pups have been kicked out.

anak si-hamid said...

Dear Karim,

Thank you. Iain's fine. I'm just over the dengue fever and when we're both in good nick we are going to Singapore to visit our adopted niece Lely, who is still recovering from her stroke in Jan 2012.

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you Putri,

We should be wearing the black T-shirts - not the power hungry mob of a few days ago.

Snuze said...

As much as it is easy to lament how the young have forgotten the services of the old, the old must remember it is they who raised the young.

The one who raised them to be ungrateful. The one who raised them to be forgetful.

My father was a grassroots worker for UMNO; he was appointed as Treasurer of the Bahagian before he stepped down as Ketua Cawangan (did not wait to be toppled during the pemilihan).

This is the UMNO who helped the urban poor, resettled the rumah haram dwellers and helped them get their housing application processed, supported their children's request for financial assistance etc. Sadly, I don't see this kind of movement much anymore. Yes, a lot of people in UMNO has forgotten their origins and purpose for being: to serve the people.

Nonetheless, as disillusioned as I am, I still remain a hardcore supporter.

MAsK said...

Dear AsH,

It pains me too, seeing what our own bangsa Melayu has been reduced to now.
I read your "Whither the Malays...wither the Malays" within the hour of it being put up, sent of a response, but in my haste and state of mind then, sharing our pain and remembering our late fathers' and mothers' perjuangan, I don't know what I pressed, it all disappeared and I just could not bring myself to go through the sorrow of writing it again then.
I've calmed down now and just have to take up some of your precious space to share if you don't mind!

I think we reached a defining moment with regards our bangsa. We can tell ourselves apart now ,just what sort of Melayu we are - the ones who lost their sense of 'asal usul',
the ones carried away by their current privileged station in life but in denial of how they truly, truly got there, who believed they attained it all only but only, through their own sweat and tears,no tongkat, and even those ingrates aided by government scholarships shamelessly declare it as a right unto them to be bestowed by any responsible government, therefore no big deal!

There are also the young impressionable ones, those anak muda Melayu who proudly hoist the rocket flag (they've reached the higher ground? Bangsa, warna kulit, what's that to do with anything?!)...and next to him, an equally young anak Cina kibar bendera bulan yang di tengahnya telah mendarat rocket...the rocket smack in the middle of the full moon! I saw it, AsH...and it more than hurt. The symbolisms I believe is lost on the anak Melayu, but I don't believe it's lost on the Chinese lad. If this gets me the racist badge, I don't care. I am proud to be a Malay...my God-given race!
Thank you AsH. Salam- ros

anak si-hamid said...

Dear Snuze,

Thank you, and especially for reminding me of the parents of these Malay ingrates.

When my niece got her scholarship to do Law at Liverpool University in the 1990s her English educated Cikgu father reminded her, " Ingat kau hanya anak Cikgu dan duit Kerajaan yang memberi peluang pada kau".

When she completed her degree and her Bar she came back home with savings to spare - to tide her over the initial period or unemployment. She did not bring back a container filled with imported made-in England car, English style crockery/ cutlery/ and various English style household items.

She spent a bit tripping around Europe as it was a once in a lifetime chance.

I totally agree with you about how bloated UMNO Malays have betrayed their heritage and bangsa. We have one UMNO businessman living just up our road - abusing and exploiting his 'wealth'and power.

But don't give up - we need people like you. And bless your father for being the true anak Melayu.

anak si-hamid said...

My dear Ros,

Thank you so much for persisting.

Yes the Malays have arrived at the cliff's edge. They can turn back, roll up their sleeves and act on cleaning up the Malay mental backyard, like chucking out the destructive fat cats in parliament AND participating actively in defining the role of an 'anak Melayu' in these challenging times.

And as mentioned in an earlier comment, Malay parents , especially from the middle classes need to look at the way they bring up their offsprings who are "terlalu kenyang di perut tetapi kering kontang di otak". They have become clones of those empty, useless people you find in Western movies and TV screens. Too much mayonnaise, not enough blacan!

Anonymous said...

Good luck getting the bloated UMNO fat cats and carpetbaggers out. You have a much better chance of raising John Lennon back from the dead.

So there is this talk about young Malays and urban & suburban Malays being ingrates, bangsat, race-traitors, si luncai's or whatever just because they refuse to tick 'X' next to the scales and follow the BNP-like hysteria of "other races taking over".

Times are a-changing, my friends. Its a generation gap happening here the young ones not following the thinking of their elders. Just like your days when your parents were fearful of *gosh* Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard or 60-s "kugiran" pop-yeh-yeh bands.

All this babbling here sounds like a bunch of out-of-touch BNP supporters whinging about the 'imminent peril to the white race' after seeing Africans on the Tube.

The kids will be alright.

catharsis said...

Dear Ash

i was rereading your post and i recall getting a jolt when i first read the phrase "self-hating malays". it pretty much summed up the inner psyche of most of the priviledged malay students i know personally, out of touch with their own family's struggle a mere generation ago, blind to history, preferring to fall back on shortcuts to historical facts and spewing half-baked self righteous arguments around the undergrad circuit during my uni days.

MAsK came across an extension of that term to form a club, tongue in cheek of course and an acronym SHMC from an article in Utusan - http://fatimahzuhri.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-sarcastic-reply-to-azran-osman-rani.html

hope you are recovering well from denggi :( , happy monday and tq for that saloma song! loved the lyrics!

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you catharsis,

I hope you've got rid of your cement block - thank you, I'm fine after the dengue.

Yes, people take too many shortcuts, too much 'cut and paste' and like Aziz Sattar they "tulis shorthand and baca longhand, too much dumbing-down in the media and in education.

When I was in 2nd year S'pore Univ (afraid this is what old people do, talking of the past), we had to submit our essays to Prof Milne ( Political Science Dept) and then sit down in front of him while he scrutinises our essay with a critical tooth-comb. We had to justify our statements and analyses and conclusions. It was agonising for us, but we appreciated the time and care he gave us.

That's the kind of dinosaur we should bring back!

And yes, I guess as much you would enjoy Saloma's Tari Tualang Tiga - a classic Lagu Melayu with a lovely lilt and wonderful lyrics.

AK47 said...

Quote:
"""
Anonymous said...

Good luck getting the bloated UMNO fat cats and carpetbaggers out. You have a much better chance of raising John Lennon back from the dead.

So there is this talk about young Malays and urban & suburban Malays being ingrates, bangsat, race-traitors, si luncai's or whatever just because they refuse to tick 'X' next to the scales and follow the BNP-like hysteria of "other races taking over".

Times are a-changing, my friends. Its a generation gap happening here the young ones not following the thinking of their elders. Just like your days when your parents were fearful of *gosh* Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard or 60-s "kugiran" pop-yeh-yeh bands.

All this babbling here sounds like a bunch of out-of-touch BNP supporters whinging about the 'imminent peril to the white race' after seeing Africans on the Tube.

The kids will be alright.

MAY 15, 2013 AT 8:03 AM
"""


Hey, so what's your response to this? (Again, conveniently overlooked and unanswered, as already seen in many other blogs and news article comments with this stance... often the discussion is just left "hanging" there after a comment of the former sort.) Especially the passage 'refuse to ... follow the BNP-like hysteria of "other races taking over."'

and the hysteria over the "'imminent peril to the white race' after seeing Africans on the Tube." ?

It appears that a university education does not necessarily endow one with the capability for critical thinking.

There must be something I must be missing about the "other races taking over" part, as I, and many others of the "other races".. Oh, suddenly we just realized that we are imbued with super powers of control to influence the government, civil service, armed forces and judiciary by *gasp* just being a member of the conniving "other races"! We certainly didn't realize this until your posts reminded us, thanks for reminding us to exercise our awesome powers.

Sound ridiculous to you? It should.

In Singapore (yes, that communist, Chinese, ultra-kiasu chauvinist island), just voicing out about the length of wedding celebrations of a certain ethnicity (yes, about that much-maligned and discriminated, victimized and unprotected race) at the void deck of apartments can cause public officials to be dismissed (as it should be!) but burning churches and dragging decapitated craniums of bovines to make a point (beef tastes good?) to Hindus ... ==> "We need to let people vent out their frustrations."

There's a lot of damage that can be done by those already in the Corridors of Power and in the ranks of the premier political party in the country.. before anyone from the "other races" can even so much have an effect as a mosquito sting in the fray.

And last I checked, the membership of that political party only admits people from one race ... (unless you also want to make a distinction for Islamized people of Indian descent... then...)

So before you blame immigrants of "other races" (as if we were so powerful.. then I must be missing something sitting at home now responding to blogs like these and wasting my chance, instead of going out and exercising this special power) as a convenient scapegoat for all the ills that plague a country now... please forgive the rest of us for not sharing in your unconvincing Chicken Little 'OMG it's the "Chinese/Indians/Iban/Kadazan/Serani/Dan Lain Lain" the sky is falling' hysteria.

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you AK 47,

It's obvious you've made a big boo boo this time. I did write a reply to the comment you quoted ( was it yours or your soul mate's?). In fact I gave it a whole posting on May 17 "Mayonnaise Malays and Belacan Malays".

In the light of this gross error, I think I should not waste my time dealing with more of your rabbiting. Go somewhere else and play. Don't forget to bring your gun.

Anonymous said...

That was rather a good post by AK47, I'm afraid, and I'm quite interested to read the rebuttal (if any).

Must go and read May 17 now.

Cheers

anak si-hamid said...

Thank you 5 Jan 2015.

1. AK47 did not write a post. He made a comment on my post.

2. As for your response to May 17, I have given you the reply you deserve.