Traitors are all along the street
Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu and Penang Chief Minister's Chief of Staff Jeff Ooi are labelled as “anti-Islam”. It does not need a reason at all and sometimes, the reason given is weird.
By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily
The words “reactionist” and “traitor” can frequently be seen recently. It is a bit frightening.
It might be many reactionists and traitors walking beside you along the street. But what actually are they reacting against? And what have they betrayed? I have no idea either.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been painted as a traitor to Malays. Anwar has been tagged by Utusan Malaysia and some people even want a rally to fight back the “traitor”.
Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu and Penang Chief Minister's Chief of Staff Jeff Ooi are labelled as “anti-Islam”. It does not need a reason at all and sometimes, the reason given is weird. For example, Liu was attacked for overturning the seizure of beers from a convenience store by council officials enforcing Islamic directives.
| "Such a classification does not comply with the 'One Malaysia' spirit." |
Such controversial words could always be heard in the old times and old society as they were the simplest language applicable to the agricultural society last time.
In such a society with simple thinking, anyone who was labelled as “reactionist” and “traitor” would be categorised as a person not of the same clan, a villain that should not be accepted by the society, as well as the country.
However, as time passes, there is a growing problem with such adjectives after the democratisation of society and the popularisation of knowledge.
Modern people started to understand that a society is an organisation of different groups. Different people have different thoughts and interest orientations.
BN and Pakatan Rakyat have their own governing ideas, policies and measures. It should be accepted as the philosophy of harmonious but different.
Different organisations with different thoughts can survive together and compete with each other. But it is not necessary to mutually defame.
No one can call himself or herself the representative of a particular racial group or religion and paint the other side as a “traitor” or “reactionist”.
Such a classification does not comply with the “One Malaysia” spirit. The act of cutting out the compositions of the country and classify them does not suit a mature society either.
The first Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman pursued the road of moderation during his time. He respected the interests of Chinese and maintained a good relation with Chinese in order to build a country of unity and progressive. It showed that he was modern in terms of his morals, mind and wisdom.
However, in the eyes of some extreme nationalists, he was regarded as a “traitor”.
Half a century later, no one remembers those extreme nationalists or agrees with their practices. However, we will not forget about Tunku’s spirit and contributions.
Traitors and reactionists are not worth mentioning at all.
