For those not yet born in 1987
Maybe one day Anwar can also apologise for the multi-billion Forex losses, the privatisation of government services to Umno cronies, many who were his cronies, the erosion of the English language and the decline in the standard of education in Malaysia, the Islamisation of Malaysia that has turned very ugly, and many, many more.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Today, Berita Harian and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that Anwar Ibrahim played a key role in Operasi Lalang in 1987. This was what Bernama reported:
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also played a key role in Operasi Lalang of 1987.
Denying Anwar’s allegation that he (Dr Mahathir) was fully responsible for Operasi Lalang, Dr Mahathir said: “As a member of the cabinet, he (Anwar) should also take responsibility. Unless he had said, ‘I’m resigning from the cabinet because I don’t agree.’
“He never said such things. He agreed, supported everything including the ISA.”
Zaid Ibrahim resigned from the Cabinet in 2008 when the government used the Internal Security Act (ISA) against just three persons. Anwar did not do the same when the ISA was used against 108 persons in 1987. That is the gist of the argument.
And Operasi Lalang was triggered when the country faced the danger of civil unrest due to the Chinese protest regarding non-Mandarin-speaking Chinese who were appointed to head Chinese schools. To the Chinese, being Chinese is not good enough. You must also be Mandarin-speaking Chinese.
Anwar has now admitted that what he did in 1987 was wrong and he has apologised for his ‘error’. I suppose when Pakatan Rakyat depends on the Chinese vote then Anwar has no choice but to apologise. And in the spirit of ABU, the Chinese will certainly forgive Anwar or else DAP would suffer a huge loss of votes.
Maybe one day Anwar can also apologise for the multi-billion Forex losses, the privatisation of government services to Umno cronies, many who were his cronies, the erosion of the English language and the decline in the standard of education in Malaysia, the Islamisation of Malaysia that has turned very ugly, and many, many more.
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Anwar has admitted that he was wrong in the dispatch of staff unversed in Mandarin to become principals and senior assistants of Chinese primary schools, which resulted in the subsequent Ops Lalang mass arrests.
Anwar had admitted that what he had done in 1987 was wrong and he has now taken a stand on mother-tongue education which is in accord with justice and fair play for mother-tongue education in plural Malaysia as well as the higher national interests of enhancing Malaysia’s international competitiveness.
However, are all the current Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders who had been collectively responsible for the 1987 Ops Lalang mass arrests and controversy over dispatch of staff unversed in Mandarin to senior posts in Chinese primary schools prepared to follow the example of Anwar and admit that what they had done twenty years ago were wrong?
Lim Kit Siang, 24 April 2007
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The sensitive issues were brought on by what appeared innocuously enough as concerns over the Ministry of Education’s appointments of some 100 senior assistants and principals to vernacular Chinese schools (Chinese-medium primary schools which the government provides funding and personnel as well as setting the school curriculum, while school assets belong to local Chinese communities represented by boards of trustees).
It was learnt that those appointed were Chinese who were not Chinese-educated, implying that students and parents might be forced to use English or Malay to communicate with the school personnel. Chinese educationalist groups contended that the move would limit the usage of Chinese in the schools.
On October 11, 1987, a 2,000-strong gathering was held by the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, the association of Chinese school teachers and trustees, also known as Dong Jiao Zong) at the Hainanese Association Building, beside the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, which was joined by politicians from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), GERAKAN and other Chinese-based parties.
Racially provocative speeches were evoked from the Chinese politicians present. The meeting resolved to call a three-day boycott in Chinese schools if the government did not settle the appointments issue. The boycott was called off later, albeit at the eleventh hour.
Operation Lalang, Wikipedia
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I was one of those detained and I happen to be one of the few Malaysians who have been documenting and monitoring Umno and the way they orchestrate “sensitive issues” whenever there is a crisis facing the party.
Yes, like the May 13 pogrom, Operation Lalang was also orchestrated by Umno. Unlike May 13, we have the benefit of more media coverage and more witnesses among the present generation regarding Operation Lalang.
Dr Kua Kia Soong, 25 October 2013
