Mat Kilau: Patriot or Traitor?
All great Empires eventually disappear. The vast Malay Empire disappeared when the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and British came to the Asian shores centuries ago. Today, the Malays cannot even keep the country together. Today, the Malays are prepared to sacrifice the country for personal gain. Our patriots must be weeping in their graves.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
It appears that Mat Kilau bin Imam Rasu, a Malay patriot, or traitor, depending on which side of the political fence you are on, has started a ‘national debate’.
But Mat Kilau was not the only pendekar Melayu. There is also Abdul Rahman bin Tuanku Imam Nuh, a.k.a Dato’ Bahaman, another Pahang warrior.
In Negeri Sembilan we had Tengku Antah ibni Yamtuan Radin. In Perak, there were Lela Pandak Lam a.k.a. Dato’ Maharajalela, Ngah Ibrahim, and Sultan Abdullah (of James W.W. Birch fame).
Terengganu had Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong and Kelantan had Tok Janggut. Sabah and Sarawak also had their freedom fighters such as Mat Salleh, Antanum, Rentap, and Syarif Masahor.
On my side of the (Selangor) family, we had (my grandfather) Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin Riayat Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah, who the British exiled to the Cocos Keeling Islands. When he fell ill just before Merdeka, he was allowed back to Malaysia and died on 8th November 1955 in Kuala Lumpur.
Yes, Malaysia a.k.a. Tanah Melayu has had its share of anti-British personalities who the British considered traitors or rebels and the Malays considered patriots or warriors.
But these were true patriots. They sacrificed and suffered in the fight against British colonialism. Some were put to death. Sultan Musa Ghiatuddin of Selangor spent 10 years in exile on the Cocos Keeling Islands and was allowed back to Selangor just to die.
The Malays of today are no longer like the Malays of 100-200 years ago. The Malays of the last century or two had honour and principles and were respectable plus showed respect. The Malays of today are greedy and materialistic and do things only for personal benefit and gain.
The Malays of days gone by sacrificed and died for the cause. Malays of today do not care about anyone else but themselves. Malays will fight amongst themselves just because the price of chicken has gone up. Ini belum lagi suruh makan ubi kayu.
All great Empires eventually disappear. The vast Malay Empire disappeared when the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and British came to the Asian shores centuries ago. Today, the Malays cannot even keep the country together. Today, the Malays are prepared to sacrifice the country for personal gain. Our patriots must be weeping in their graves.
