Why Pakatan cannot last

A certain Datuk from Sabah sent me a few messages regarding the views and opinions of the members in her WhatsApp chat group. Many of these comments were negative and they do not like what I write or agree with my views and opinions. This is my open reply to her.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear Datuk, thank you so much for your feedback. I certainly welcome constructive comments and views from readers no matter how negative they may be. Comments and views, especially negative ones, give me the opportunity to reply and debate, which I would not be able to do otherwise. The abusive responses, however, are of no value because they not only lack decorum but are from people who have no wish to talk.

They say you must never talk about politics and religion at parties because that is one sure way of ending up in a quarrel or in a shouting match. This is because when it comes to politics and religion everyone has his or her views and invariably views differ. Furthermore, politics and religion are matters tied to belief and emotions and hence are very personal and sensitive.

Malaysians, by nature, are not very tolerant people. They cannot accept differing views and if you were to express any view that contradicts their own these people they will get very abusive. Malaysians want things done their way and the way they like it done and if that certain act or deed offends them they will regard it as a declaration of war.

Malays are Muslims first, Malays second and Malaysians third

Small things will trigger the sensitivities of Malaysians and what starts as a verbal conflict ends up in a physical skirmish. Malaysians believe that if we disagree that means we are enemies and it is okay to abuse your enemies either verbally or physically.

When Malaysians say they want freedom of speech they actually mean freedom for them to speak but not freedom for others to speak. When they say they want freedom of religion they mean freedom for their religion but not freedom for other religions. That is the mentality of Malaysians who talk about global values but have no inkling about what that means.

At best Malaysians tolerate those of other races, religions and political leanings. And they believe that ‘tolerate’ is a positive attribute. Actually tolerate is negative. You tolerate a bad smell coming from the toilet or the neighbour’s dog’s shit on your front lawn. If you need to tolerate me for my differing views, beliefs, race, etc., then you are a bigot. You view me as below you and hence you need to tolerate those below you.

Chinese now want political power after monopolising the economy

The reality is East Malaysians do not like West Malaysians and Malays, Chinese and Indians do not like each other. Nevertheless, for the sake of peace and harmony, they tolerate those they consider a nuisance. The faster the politicians stop pretending that Malaysians love one another the better it will be for the country. Malaysians do not love, Malaysians tolerate — like many tolerate their mother-in-law for the sake of peace and harmony in the bedroom.

In their hearts the Chinese wish that Penang, Perak and Selangor, and maybe even Johor, can join Singapore in a separate republic that is free of Malay political power. The Malays, on the other hand, wish that Umno had not agreed with the MCA and MIC plan to offer citizenship to Chinese and Indians. Most Malays feel that the Chinese and Indians should have been sent home after 31st August 1957.

We know this is so but we pretend this is not so and we talk as if the opposite is true. And herein lies the problem. We are living in denial and refuse to accept reality.

If you hold a Brexit-style Referendum in Sabah and Sarawak you may most likely get more than 51% who will vote to leave Malaysia. If you hold a Referendum amongst the Chinese as to whether to partition West Malaysia into two — Chinese and non-Chinese Malaysia — just like Pakistan and India — you may also get more than 51% Chinese agreeing to it.

What is happening in Pakatan Harapan (and Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Alternatif before this) is reflective of the sorry state of affairs in Malaysia. The opposition coalition is sleeping on the same pillow but have separate dreams (tidur satu bantal, mimpi lain-lain). And that is why they are in a mess.

Semangat kedaerahan is very strong even in Terengganu and Kelantan

Since 1990 the opposition has come together under Gagasan Rakyat, Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah, Barisan Alternatif, Pakatan Rakyat and now Pakatan Harapan. That comes to five coalitions in 17 years or an average of a new coalition every three years. Based on this track record there is no reason why Pakatan Harapan can last beyond 2020, let alone 2050.

Even within just PKR there are many different agendas (so we do not even need to look into Pakatan yet). Some want Sabah for Sabahans, some want Sarawak for Sarawakians, some want a Secular State, some want to retain Sharia laws, some want Muslims to be allowed to convert to other religions or to become atheists, some want same-sex marriages or sex outside marriage legalised (for Muslims as well), some want to see the end of the NEP, some want Article 153 of the Federal Constitution repealed, some want the Bumiputera status abolished, some want Indians to be regarded as Bumiputeras, and many more.

So you see, race and religion dictates the agenda of those within PKR and, of course, those within Pakatan as well. They know they disagree on many things so they tell Malaysians their policy is to agree to disagree. But all it took was one minor test for this so-called agree-to-disagree doctrine to collapse bringing Pakatan Rakyat down as well. And this was the RUU355 Private Member’s Bill that PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang tabled in Parliament.

A simple thing like legalising gay unions is enough to break Pakatan up, yet again

Actually the RUU355 is nothing. It is only about the Kelantan Sharia Amendment Bill that was passed by the Kelantan State Assembly 14 years ago. But Pakatan Rakyat could not even survive that non-event, the RUU355. How are they going to survive something more important than that — like whether Article 153 of the Constitution should be abolished or whether an Indian, Hindu woman can become Malaysia’s Prime Minister?

The bottom line is anything that compromises my race and my religion is not acceptable. Even a simple thing like ‘can Muslims leave Islam’ is something Pakatan will never dare touch with a ten-foot pole. But then Pakatan talks about human rights, civil liberties, freedom of religion, and so on. To achieve the Pakatan dream of human rights, civil liberties, freedom of religion, etc., then Muslims must be allowed to leave Islam because freedom of religion also means freedom to not believe in God.

So you see, Datuk, the Pakatan dream is actually a nightmare. Those Malaysians who attack you because you send them my articles are examples of the true Malaysian mind. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia is a country with first-world infrastructure but third-world mentality. And the members of your WhatsApp chat group prove this point. They go by the doctrine of ‘you can talk as long as you say what I like or else shut up and don’t talk’.