When the ante is upped
Do you really want to put this theory to a test and try to prove it wrong? You have very little to gain if you manage to prove this theory wrong and so much to lose if the theory is proven right. Hence do not always assume that in a gunfight the goodies always win over the baddies. That is only in Hollywood movies.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
PKR has urged the police to arrest those involved in yesterday’s protest in Penang, which saw several placards raising the spectre of May 13-style riot.
The crowd carried placards and banners, chanted “Allahu Akbar” and “Hidup Melayu” (Long live the Malays).
One of the banners read: “Because of DAP’s leaders mouth, May 13, 1969 happened … Want some more?” Others had messages like “Insulting the PM is like insulting the Malays”, “Penang Malays survive by eating kangkung“, “ABCD – Asal Bukan Cina DAP” and “DAP is the enemy of Islam”.
Surendran also defended Machang Bubuk state assemblyman Lee Khai Loon and his actions during a flash mob last week, where he stuffed kangkung (water spinach) into an effigy resembling Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“Lee was merely expressing his right to freedom of expression which is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution,” Surendran said.
“There was nothing wrong or inappropriate with Lee’s flash mob protest as these things are normal in any democratic country.”
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Umno members today burnt an effigy of Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon, spitting and stepping on it in front of his service centre, for his role in a flash mob last week deriding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s now famous ‘kangkung’ speech.
The mob of about 300 gathered at Lee’s service centre in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, bearing handwritten placards condemning him. One man was even seen mooning at Lee’s portrait.
Some of the placards were pasted on the shutters of an unused shoplot nearby, and the crowd vented their anger against DAP leaders Lim Kit Siang and his son Lim Guan Eng, the Penang Chief Minister.
One of the protesters poured water on a banner bearing the two leaders’ faces and a message that read, “Guru yang mengajar MP DAP biadap pada Melayu” (the teacher who taught the DAP MP to be insolent).
A man who shouted “Melayu bodoh!” being assaulted by protesters who gathered at PKR state assemblyman Lee Khai Loon’s service centre in Bukit Mertajam, this morning (top photo) and being taken away by the police (bottom photo).
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I am not sure how long and how far we can keep upping the ante but everything has its breaking point and sooner or later we will reach that breaking point. The fact that both sides want a gunfight at OK Corral is clear. And that is sure to happen if we continue the way we are going.
No doubt, each side blaming the other for pushing the envelope to the limit is to be expected. I mean, after 45 years, until today itself, the Malays and Chinese are still blaming each other for ‘starting’ the infamous ‘May 13’ race riots of 13th May 1969.
The issue of concern to these people is not how we can prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. The issue most talked about is who started it first and whether ‘they’ are trying to start it again — a Version 2 of one of the worst race riots in Malaysian history that, until now, no one but a handful of people really know how many died; because people just ‘disappeared’, many of them, in fact, my own friends.
Some say that the political climate in Malaysia is so highly-charged that there is no other way of solving this impasse until we shoot it out, a gunfight at OK Corral way of ‘solving’ the problem.
Is this the only way to solve our differences, by taking to the streets and decide the last man standing? No doubt, if this does happen, Malaysia is not going to be the first, as many countries over the last 100 years have resorted to that ‘final solution’.
But know one thing. If after 45 years since May 13 we still carry the wounds and still bitch about it, and still blame each other for what happened, what do you think the Version 2 of such a tragedy is going to do to the nation? It will forever divide Malaysians and till the end of time Malaysians will have to live in one nation of two peoples.
Earlier I wrote an article called ‘The Rubicon has been crossed’ (READ HERE). I received quite a number of messages from friends and associates agreeing with me that the Rubicon has indeed been crossed and there is no longer any turning back.
If we really want to take the stance that there must be no compromise and winner must take all, then brace yourself for the darkest period in Malaysian history that will make May 13 pale by comparison. Some might even call this a zero-sum game where we will be looking at a loss-loss situation instead of, ideally, a win-win situation.
“Lee was merely expressing his right to freedom of expression which is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. There was nothing wrong or inappropriate with Lee’s flash mob protest as these things are normal in any democratic country,” said a PKR leader.
This may be true, of course. But if the ‘other side’ shoves a keris down the throat of Lim Kit Siang’s effigy or shoves a Malay Bible down the throat of Lim Guan Eng’s effigy, would this PKR leader utter those same words?
Freedom of expression as enshrined in Malaysia’s Constitution is one thing. But if you walk up to me and in my face tell me that my mother was a whore, I would punch you in the face, Article 10 or no Article 10. Your freedom ends where my hidung (nose) begins. And if what the Malays would say you touch my ‘batang hidung’ (basically meaning my dignity) then be prepared for a strong physical response.
Dignity is a strange thing. It is not something tangible. It is not a physical thing or something you can see or touch. It is something in the mind. It is like pride, religious beliefs, and so on. These are all in the mind. But the mind is a powerful thing. It can make you ‘see’ God even when there is nothing in front of you. Hence, however intangible it may be, one would defend to the death what one views as a loss to his/her dignity.
The Chinese, as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, are pragmatic creatures. They are more materialistic and would be prepared to compromise just as long as their economic future is secure. The Malays, however, lamented Dr Mahathir, are too emotional and feudalistic. And this, Dr Mahathir complained, is why Malays are not as successful as the Chinese.
Many will disagree with Dr Mahathir even if he says that a white paper is white mainly because they hate this old man. But after interacting with Dr Mahathir for so many years, many times behind closed doors during my time with the Malay Chamber of Commerce, I fear that Dr Mahathir knows the Malay mind well enough.
Do not assume that the Malays in Pakatan Rakyat will stand united with the opposition under all situations and circumstances. Some, of course, would. But this will not be true for all Malays. When it comes to the dignity of the Malays and the sanctity of Islam, many Malays will say they are Muslim first, Malay second, Malaysian third, and Pakatan Rakyat supporter last.
Do you really want to put this theory to a test and try to prove it wrong? You have very little to gain if you manage to prove this theory wrong and so much to lose if the theory is proven right. Hence do not always assume that in a gunfight the goodies always win over the baddies. That is only in Hollywood movies.
