Volume of Interactions

Would we tolerate the same?

2010-09-02T07:20:19Z

Say a Muslim man worked in the gambling den of Genting.

What would other Muslims say? Better yet, what should other Muslims say.

You know what?

Banning is a Muslim response?

2010-09-02T04:35:25Z

A thought came to me when i was reading this article about a Muslim cleric's fatwa banning Facebook. Apparently, Facebook leads to social ills. Too much free sex and fitna. We can't have that now can we?

I'm not sure how it works with other religions, so i won't comment.

But for Islam, it seems that the standard response to something (usually something "new") that our learned Muslim clerics disagree with is to ban it, usually under the provisions of "enjoining the good and forbidding evil" or hisbah.

Could that be linked somehow to our obsession in Malaysia of banning this and that?

We don't like racism, let's ban it.

We don't like xxx political party, let's ban it.

We don't like xxx person, let's ban him (throw him into detention without trial).

We don't like xxx newspaper, let's ban it (or not renew its license).

We don't like anyone talking about Article 153, let's ban discussion (easy solution right?).

Ban this, ban that. Seems like a terribly lazy way of building a nation.

Back to point. Islam bans stuff to protect its followers from bad things. Malaysian Government bans stuff to protect its citizens from bad things. Malaysian Government is predominantly a Muslim government (majority of the civil service and elected leaders are Muslims?). Therefore, since Muslims are taught that banning stuff is a good way to deal with undesirable elements, Malaysian policies follow suit.

I'm just speculating, of course. A wild stretch of the imagination perhaps. But, maybe, just enough of a fetch to make you go "Hhhhmmm..."

The Namewee Video - What Khairy says

2010-09-01T23:11:06Z

This is a racist video? Not even close. Watch it. This is what Khairy had to say on the matter:

"We have tolerated a lot of things but when the insult is too blatant, the time has come for those who did so to be taken a stern action," he told reporters after visiting Kota Baharu Umno Youth chief Rosmadi Ismail here Tuesday night.

"The Malays are not being overly sensitive. We have in fact tolerated a lot of things," he said.

Really? Khairy, your definition of racism seems to be quite selective. When your ex-boss said this, did you agree with him? You were sitting just a few feet away. Maybe you even helped him write the speech. Let me refresh your memory:

EDIT: Khairy Jamaluddin blogs about Namewee on Rembau.net. Will read it and respond shortly.

EDIT2: After reading KJ's blog, the part of Namewee's video that he has a problem with deals with Namewee's assertion that Malaysia is rich because of the Chinese.

In the 'song', which begins with him colourfully expressing his disdain for racists, Namewee exposes himself as the racist when he says "You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?", the implication being that the Chinese are the reason for Malaysia's prosperity and as such Malays like Siti Inshah have no business asking the Chinese to 'return' to China.

First of all, i would suggest that KJ and anyone else who finds this offensive, read up on a particularly seminal piece of work called "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith. Perhaps as an Oxford graduate, KJ has heard of this.

In it, Adam Smith defines the wealth of a nation as "the annual produce of the land and the labour of the society". In popular terms, wealth thus defined refers to how much of something of value that is owned -- and the accumulation of this value, aggregated across the people of a country, determines it wealth or its "kekayaan".

Its arguable, of course, who controls the wealth of Malaysia. While everyone contributed to the creation of wealth and/or relative prosperity of the nation, the question we need to ask is who owns a majority of it. The fact that Malay ultras such as PERKASA, and even UMNO Youth, have argued that the 30% equity quota needs to be retained in the hands of Malays begs the argument that if the Malays need help to "own" their own country, then the wealth of the nation is not necessarily controlled by them.

So while, as a Malay, its stinging to hear that "You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?", i'm realistic enough to realize that if left to the devices of the Malays alone, the nation could very well be a much poorer place. Of course, that's speculatory, but reverse engineer the results of what we see in today's economy and its hard to see how the Malays, perhaps due to our own cultural values, would be able to compensate for the effort of the other races. As it is, we can't even compete with them on a pure merit basis (or at least this is what my Malay leaders are telling me).

Secondly, unlike KJ and the other sensitive Malays out there, why take offence (if offence was meant) when you can draw motivation from it all. So what, a Chinese rapper makes fun of me and my Malay brothers and sisters? I'll show you what we can really do! The suggestion that the Malays were carried to prosperity on the backs of the Chinese should not offend me -- it should give me pause to realize that if i haven't done enough, perhaps i need to try harder.

That's the real message our Malay leaders should be spreading -- appeal to our sense of shame, stoke our pride, push us to be better citizens, more productive citizens, save more of our money rather than spend it on lavish Hari Raya gatherings, generate wealth through real investments and not fall prey to silly get-rich-quick schemes.

And, while we're at it, grow a thicker skin.

Lastly, most importantly, and let this be an eye-opener to those who haven't considered it before -- racism is an ideology. Its bad, nasty and unwanted. But if history has thought us anything, fighting ideologies with threats of "punishment" or physical distress such as imprisonment or fines, is just counter-productive and ineffective.

Khairy Jamaluddin is a senior Malay leader. When such a person calls for the punishment of a Chinese boy on the grounds of racism, how do you think the Chinese are going to think (especially among them who share or are at least sympathetic to Namewee's views)? By fighting an ideology with fire, you're just stoking the flames ever higher. You're validating their claims that the Malays are indeed racist, do indeed have thin skins.

The battle of ideologies was never won through the persecution of its bishops. Nelson Mandela and Robben Island. Gandhi in 1922. The Prophet Muhammad. You don't put down an idea through the use of heavy handed tactics. You do it through the fostering of a competitive idea.

If i was in KJ's shoes this is what i'd do.

I'd invite Namewee to engage in a dialogue with me. In private, if being in public is too much. I'd let the people know that i wanted to meet him, but i won't tell them exactly we talked about. During this meeting, sans lawyers or any fear mongers (he can bring his friends with him if he wants), i'll talk to him to understand where he's coming from. Why did he say the things he did. Does he understand that what he did could inflame the sentiments of the people? If he is as much as a patriot as he says he is, what does he think we should do to fight racism.

Take their bishop and turn him to your side, if possible. If not, then engage him in dialogue and, though disagreeing with him, respect his right to opinion.

If nothing else, this gesture will show the nation that a modern, moderate Malay leader isn't like all the rest -- not the ultras like PERKASA, not even the knee-jerk Malay on the street.

Muslims screwing boys - again?

2010-09-01T03:39:27Z

This news report caught my attention. Not because i'm interested in homosexual pedophilia, but because its just downright disgusting.

For centuries, Afghan men have taken boys, roughly 9 to 15 years old, as lovers. Some research suggests that half the Pashtun tribal members in Kandahar and other southern towns are bacha baz, the term for an older man with a boy lover. Literally it means "boy player." The men like to boast about it.

Islamic law also forbids homosexuality. But the pedophiles explain that away. It's not homosexuality, they aver, because they aren't in love with their boys.

Again, i struggle with myself. These are Muslims just like me, but its obvious that our understanding of the religion is remarkably different. Their version of Islam allows, perhaps even encourages (according to them) this behaviour, mine doesn't.

During Friday prayers, the imam asks us to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world where Muslims are having a tough time. He often cites Afghanistan as being one of those places. Can i insert a disclaimer in my prayers? I pray for all Afghans except the ones who rape little boys.

Amen.

More reading on the bacha baz phenomenon here:

http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=1935

http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/08/30/afghanistan_women/

http://ourcompass.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/some-afghan-men-form-sexual-relationships-with-young-boys/

Muslims killing Jews - again

2010-09-01T03:20:09Z

It saddens me that Islam will be remembered for the violence its believers do in its name, than for the good and peaceful message it actually tries to bring to humanity. Can you blame the non-Muslims for thinking that way when its leaders say things like:

About 3,000 people joined a rally in Gaza to celebrate the attack. Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida was among them and told The Associated Press: "The Qassam Brigades announces its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron."

One of the women killed was pregnant. 3,000 people came out to cheer for the murder of a pregnant woman. Islam is a violent religion, that's what the court of public opinion will say.

No doubt, the "infidels" have murdered and killed many Muslims too. Wikileaks is full of reports where innocent civilians in Afghanistan have been blown up by accident, "collateral damage". The difference is that they don't come out and proudly cheer the fact. In fact, they own up to the errors, and do their best to minimize it.

It's frustrating for me, and perhaps for other peace-loving Muslims. I have a hard time reconciling the actions of my "brothers", and i struggle to believe that we even belong to the same faith. No faith of mine will cheer for the killing of civilians.

Obama vs Najib: A speech of two leaders

2010-09-01T02:43:20Z

I'm reading the full text of Obama's speech ending US combat operations in Iraq. Its a well written speech, one of inclusiveness, touching on the emotions of the American people. I'm not an American, nor do i even like many of America's foreign policy decisions, but the speech touched me. It told me a story, it gave me reasons, and i recognized it started a process of closure that is important for the history of the US.

I'm comparing the speech to Najib's speech delivered on the eve of our national day celebrations. There are several key differences.

Najib's speech provides very few soundbites -- while some may scoff at their value, i think they can't be underestimated in their role to ensure the message sticks in the minds of the listener. Compare this to what Obama gave us:

"Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq's future is not."
"Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page."
"And we must project a vision of the future that is based not just on our fears, but also on our hopes -a vision that recognizes the real dangers that exist around the world, but also the limitless possibility of our time."

Najib's speech didn't connect with the man-on-the-ground. A good speech does this by using "real" examples, such as when Obama told us the story of the final combat brigade driving out of Iraq. The imagery of the cowboy riding victoriously into the sunset is incredibly strong.

Two weeks ago, America's final combat brigade in Iraq -the Army's Fourth Stryker Brigade -journeyed home in the pre-dawn darkness. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from Baghdad, the last of them passing into Kuwait in the early morning hours. Over seven years before, American troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways, but this time no shots were fired. It was just a convoy of brave Americans, making their way home.

Najib's speech, while alluding to a lot of "bird's eye changes" doesn't make any specific promises. When a leader speaks to his people, he needs to take the opportunity to tell them what, how and when he is doing things that matter to the country. This is the closest he came to it:

6. Justeru, cabaran sebenar kita hari ini adalah untuk mentransformasikan Malaysia supaya menjadi sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi menjelang tahun 2020. Ke arah itu, kita telah pun memasakkan asas-asas yang kukuh dalam bentuk pelan transformasi kerajaan atau GTP dan pelan transformasi ekonomi yakni ETP sebagai pelan hala tuju yang jelas ke arah matlamat mulia tersebut.

Compare that to the bulk of Obama's speech outlining in quite a bit of detail how the US is withdrawing from Iraq, and how the US will support Iraq in the future.

Lastly, perhaps i'm being judgemental, but the delivery of Najib's speech was awful. It was too obvious that he was reading a teleprompter (of course, Obama does too), intonation was dull and uninspired, and he had this droopy sleepy look on his face the whole time. Maybe i'm wrong, but you're my Prime Minister, the first amongst us -- where was the passion, the commanding presence, the charisma? Could it be that i'm setting the bar too high? Obama is an amazing speaker, able to inspire a response from a corpse. Would it be much to hope for our PM to have a stronger personality?

Perhaps the purposes of the speeches were very different. Obama's needed to be convincing and at the same time respectful to the lives already lost in Iraq -- its a painful part of American history the last 7 years, and thus requiring very careful words and verbal positioning.

Najib's was a "feel good" speech meant to remind and unite the nation on the eve of her 53rd anniversary celebrations. No need to get into specifics, no need to burden the listeners with heavy thoughts. However, i do feel that it was an opportunity lost. Perhaps now more than ever, Najib needs the country united and strong. Addressing the nation, its a chance to speak to everyone, to remind them of where they came from, how far we've traveled, and the exact direction of our future. At the very least, the use of verbal imagery should have been stronger.

There aren't many occasions when the PM will address the nation directly. While i can't say the speech was disappointing, i must say i was hoping for more.

Steak porn: a sirloin odyssey

2010-08-31T12:40:09Z

I came back from Las Vacas with a couple of prime cuts today, one being a lovely little sirloin. About 300grams (10oz) of loving, juicy meat. The hours to iftar seemed like a long haul. But the wait was worth it in the end.

This is a pictorial of what i did.

]]> I started the ball rolling at exactly 6pm. The dry brining process takes about 60-75 minutes to complete. All good steak houses brine their meat prior to cooking; this basically means they soak their meat in salt water, then let it sit. The purpose of brining is to ensure that the meat retains its moisture during the cooking process. As opposed to wet brining, i prefer "dry brining" -- while offering better results, wet brining runs the risk of the meat absorbing too much water and bloating. That's bad. So unless you're really meticulous in your timing, dry brining is a lot less complicated.

Dry brining is simple -- just make sure the meat is dry out of the fridge by soaking up any access water with a napkin, then liberally spread salt onto both sides of the meat. Then leave it for 60 minutes at room temperature. Magic happens in that time. The salt will dissolve, the meat will absorb it, the meat will thus hold its juices better when you cook it, and thus be just that much more tender.

I added some extra spices with the coarse sea salt i used: freshly grounded peppers, and some garlic powder. While i let the salt do its thing, i moved on to the potatoes.

Russet potatoes are just perfect for simple potato salads; they're nice and starchy and, properly prepared, will melt in your mouth. I skinned 4 small potatoes, diced them and chucked them into a pot of boiling water for about 12 minutes. Drain out the water, shizzle a couple table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle some thyme, then let sit. Just before serving, i add coarse sea salt, some thousand island dressing, and a dash of grated cheese.

Right, so 10 minutes before iftar, i start cooking the meat. My George Foreman electric grill was pre-heated to its maximum temperature (about 300-350 degrees celcius; ideally steaks should be cooked over 500-700 degree heat, but that's only possible over charcoal or a very powerful gas broiler). I shizzled on a teaspoon of olive oil on each side of the meat, then smacked in on and let it cook for just about 5 minutes. That's just about medium-well done. If i wanted the meat a bit more bloody, 3-4 minutes tops.

Its important to let the meat sit for the same amount of time it cooked. This lets all the juices settle down; if you cut into it too early, all the juices just flow out... bye bye yummy meat juices. The timing was perfect, when iftar broke, the steak was ready to be eaten.

It was heavenly. Just superb. The meat was sweet and exploding with juices. A little bit crisp on the outside where the heat has caramelized the sugars in the meat, and absolutely tender the inside. It was a great steak.

Good meat from a good butcher, well prepared, well cooked. There could have been no other outcome.

Las Vacas, In Search of meat

2010-08-31T05:19:28Z

After the horror show that was TGIF, it got me thinking how hard would it be to find, cook and eat that "perfect steak". Two things came to me:

A good steak in KL is expensive (but oh so worth it when the cravings hit)
If you want a good steak affordably, you've got to do-it-yourself

I've done #1, now its time to do #2.

With suggestions from friends, i went in search of Las Vacas, a shop specializing in the retail of good halal meat. If you want, they'll even cook it for you too. But for today, i was looking for a good cut of meat to cook for myself tonight.

Its not an easy shop to find, and without iPhone Maps, i would have been lost. But as it turns out, the shop is literally just around the corner (well, 17.3km around the corner).

The shop itself is quite nice. A nice display for the meats it has on sale (its quite seasonal apparently, they don't always have the same cuts and meats available). A freezer in the corner for their burger patties (which are hugely generous), and another display for fresh sausages and lamb cuts. The other half of the store holds tables for patrons who want to "eat in".

When i arrived, there was one table occupied, a father and son, and the steaks they had on their plates looked really good. I'll have to come back one day soon to try them out myself.

I was lucky enough to meet Freddy Azman, on of the Directors of the business. He talked me through some of the cuts of meat they had for sale -- grainfed Australian sirloin and rib-eye and Angus rib-eyes were prominently displayed. I told him what i wanted to do (i have an electric steak griller at home) and he patiently walked me through which cuts of meat i should use. They didn't have any tenderloin available, so i settled on a cut each of the grainfed sirloin and rib-eye.

I asked him how they cook the meat in the shop -- "Salt, pepper, olive oil, that's it. Over a gas fired grill at the back." That's just the way i like my meat, simplicity. I liked him already.

I also picked up a packet of their famous beef pies that i've heard so much about. Just a couple of minutes in the oven and those would be ready to go.

Total bill: RM48.80, for 2 prime cuts of meat and a large packet of beef pies. Not exactly cheap, but considering a good steak in good KL restaurant is about RM60+, i think its reasonable.

During Ramadhan, Freddy told me that they do an all-you-can eat BBQ steak buffet for RM60 a person. Sirloins, tenderloins, lamb cuts -- as much as your cholesterol levels will allow you to eat. For the BBQ, they use a charcoal fire pit outside instead, tables inside the store and al fresco as well. I'll have to come back to check that out before the month is out.

Las Vacas has been around for 3 years, and besides retail meats, they also do distribution and wholesaling. Finally, a place where i can get the right meats to satisfy the carnivore in me? Amen.

Las Vacas - Beef It Up
No.23, Jalan SS 5A/11, Kelana Jaya
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03 78740711 Fax: 03 78740655

A tale of two steaks

2010-08-30T06:52:30Z

This Ramadhan i've had cravings for simple meat dishes for iftar. So despite the fact that my wallet can't really support this type of indulgence, i've had steaks at TGIF Bandar Utama and also Tony Romas @ The Curve.

The experiences i had at both places were like night and day.

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TGIF's steak did not look like this, Tony Romas' did

Tuesday last week i visited TGIF Bandar Utama. I expected the place to be full during iftar and i wasn't wrong. I was put on a waiting list, i was told that a table would be available at 8.30pm.

This in itself wasn't too bad, what was bad was the fact that other parties that arrived after i did were given tables even though they didn't have any reservations either. How do i know this? A group of four young pretty 20-somethings were standing behind me and i clearly heard them say amongst themselves that they didn't think they could get a table because they had no reservations. A moment after i had put myself on the waiting list, i walked away, when i turned i saw that they were being escorted into the restaurant.

Was it because they were pretty (the person controlling traffic was a man) or was it because i wasn't persuasive enough?

In any case, i returned at 8.30, and was told that although they had free tables (i could clearly see them from the entrance), their kitchen was at capacity therefore i had to keep on waiting. This was when i started kicking up a fuss, threatened to ask for the supervisor. It was ridiculous -- you have free tables, you asked the customer to come back at 8.30pm, and when he does, you tell him to carry on waiting? And, the manner of explanation wasn't very polite either. I wasn't standing for it.

As i tapped my foot waiting for the supervisor to appear, i was suddenly ushered in and seated at a table, and my order taken. Seems that my hardball tactics worked.

The wait for the food wasn't very long, but for the quality of the steak i ordered, it might as well have been forever.

Rib eye, 10oz, medium rare with garlic butter sauce. Fries and broccoli on the side.

The steak was very poorly done. Medium rare leaves some room for the middle of the steak to be pinkish and juicy with blood. But it was unevenly cooked, with the edges of the steak being properly cooked according to specifications, but the center portions of the steak being horrendously undercooked and virtually stringy raw.

That plus the disaster of the garlic butter sauce -- don't be fooled folks it looks nothing like the picture in the menu. There was SO MUCH sauce on the steak, it virtually drowned out everything good about this cut of meat. The flavour of the sauce just overwhelmed everything else and i don't think i can be faulted for thinking that i was eating a garlic clove rather than what is supposed to be a prime cut of meat.

The broccoli was a mess too, with too much salt and butter.

Overall, the meal was just too salty, and i left it unfinished.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the bill, i quickly left, swearing not to spend my hard earned money there again.

I needed something to take away this poor experience, and i needed it quick. Last Friday night i went to Tony Romas @ The Curve to find redemption in my faith in a good steak. I'm happy to report that they delivered in every way.

I didn't have reservations, so i expected to be on the waiting list. No problems. 8.30pm, but the person taking my reservation asked for my number and promised to call if a table opened up earlier. I gave her my number but really wasn't hoping for much, the place was packed and looking at the line behind me, there were many others waiting to get in as well.

At 8.10pm, i get a call telling me that a table was available and being held for me. What a pleasant surprise!

I was seated, and my order taken. The wait for my meal to arrive was a bit longer compared to TGIF but it was worth the wait. A 10oz New York Strip, medium rare with a baked potato and pesto salad on side.

The steak itself was magnificently well cooked. Evenly cooked throughout the length of the steak, with just a nice hint of pink running through the middle. Juicy, tender and simple, allowing my palate to enjoy the flavours of a good piece of meat. Outrageously good steak.

Unlike my visit to TGIF, i was very happy to be parted with my money and will definitely go back for more.

I've been to both TGIF and Tony's before in the past, but never have i ordered their steaks before. Based on these visits, it clear that one does steaks so much better than the other and provides a superior customer service experience.

Don't hesitate. When the beef bug bites, Tony Romas is the way to go.

The quality of life debate

2010-08-30T06:16:36Z

I've known the answer to this question personally for a long time. But what do you think?

Would you rather live a long life with 30% less happiness than a short life with 100% happiness?

Exactly the experiment being done on a couple of rhesus monkeys in the University of Wisconsin. Op-Ed written by the legendary Roger Cohen.

Teo Nie Ching - undressed in the surau?

2010-08-30T04:31:25Z

Such a storm in a teacup. Teo Nie Ching was invited to speak to the congregation about the state's education program. Alright, she was not appropriately dressed for the event, wearing a tight-ish kebaya and without a scarf. But how was she to know that was against the rules, she is, after all just another infidel.

In any case, she's done the honourable thing and, despite it being no fault of her own, has offered her apologies to everyone who took offence (including, the Sultan).

But what about Datin Rosmah, wife to our PM? Where was the uproar against her? Where are your manners and your apology? You have no excuse. You should know better -- a woman's hair is her aurat.

I'm not making a big deal about it, it really doesn't bother me either way. Just saying that we need to be consistent about things and not blow things out of proportion.

Its a sign of the times. Muslims being so obsessed about the rituals of the religion, rather than being concerned about its true ideology.

This is how a leader should act: Najib are you watching?

2010-08-30T04:03:28Z

August 30th, an influential Jewish rabbi speaks from his pulpit:

"Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this earth," Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual head of the religious Shas party in Israel's government, said in a sermon late Saturday, using Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's popular name.

"God should strike them and these Palestinians -- evil haters of Israel -- with a plague," the 89-year-old rabbi said in his weekly address to the faithful, excerpts of which were broadcast on Israeli radio Sunday.

On the same day, the Israeli PM Netanyahu distances himself immediately from these comments.

"These words do not reflect the approach of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, nor the position of the government of Israel," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

In our own little pond, it took Najib weeks to release a statement on the racial tensions being fanned into a bonfire by certain sectors of our society. Truly, world class indeed.

Its just not good enough -- not only should the repudiation be immediate, but Najib should name names. Put the offenders down, create a significant distance between yourself and them. Show some cojones and take a bold stand. If a Jewish PM can speak so boldly against such a respected member of the Jewish religious community, surely Najib can speak out plainly against a couple of school teachers and a firebrand from Pasir Mas.

Surely.

Article 153 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution

2010-08-30T01:18:23Z

Seems like Ibrahim Ali is a one-trick pony. It's called Article 153 of the Federal Constitution. Nearly every argument he makes on the "supremacy" of the Malays uses this article as its support.

"I am just protecting the Federal Constitution"

"It says so in the Constitution" (ergo: i must be right)

Lets see how well this holds up. There is a feeling that too many Malaysians do not know enough history and context, and that's why we fall prey to the words of our leaders, whom we have become too trusting of to tell the truth.

In the run-up to independence in 1957, the Reid Commission was established to analyse the state of Malaya and to, independently, help the fledgling nation draft its first constitution. The leaders of Malaya, including the rulers (sultans), agreed to their assistance.

One of the things they recognized was that there was a socio-economic disparity between the races in Malaya. The Chinese and Indians who were brought in by the British to reap the rich mineral assets of the nation were, by far, much better off than the indigenous Malays (though it wasn't always clear who these indigenous Malays were -- some Chinese and Indians have called Malaya home for hundreds of years). It was recorded that the Malays, though making up a large majority of the population held just a fraction of the economy.

If there is one thing you can say about the British, they do have a sense of "fair" play. They recognized the importance of having a "balanced" nation, prescribing that the Constitution reflect the need of the nation to temporarily give preference to the indigenous Malays.

An interesting fact often overlooked is that Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Malay Rulers at the time disagreed with this and wanted an independent Malaya where all nationals would be accorded the same rights and privileges regardless of race and creed. (Putra, Tunku Abdul Rahman (1986). Political Awakening, p. 31.)

But, in the end, the Reid Commission had its way since it was agreed that they were the independent body that would draft our Constitution. They did however insert a provision that Article 153 would be reviewed after 15 years to see if it still remained relevant to the nation.

Fast forward 15 years, 1972. Two extremely significant things had happened by then.

The first was the race riots of 13 May 1969. Triggered by a strong showing by the DAP and Gerakan in the elections, both of whom strongly opposed special privileges for the Malays, it ignited an underlying tension between the Malays and the non-Malays created by the the poverty of the former. You see, even after 13 years of independence, the Malays still controlled only 2-4% of the wealth of the nation. Perhaps it was a failure of the Government in their efforts to equitably distribute wealth. Perhaps it was due to an inherent weakness of the Malay culture; my parents tell me that the Malay "tidak apa" attitude is not a recent phenomenon brought about after decades of affirmative action.

Whatever the reason, it was a horrible blow to the nation, not because hundreds of people were killed that day, but because it showed that the nation had a fundamental weakness -- it was divided along racial lines.

As a result of the fear factor the riots and the fallout produced, the Government suspended Parliament for a few years, and the first thing it did when it reconvened in 1971 was to pass the Sedition Act which, among other things, protected Article 153 of the Constitution from any form of attack, debate, criticism or review.

So, in 1972, 15 years after independence, the time when everyone had agreed to review the usefulness of Article 153, came and passed. The NEP (and the NDP and the NNA in subsequent years) was put into affect, with the objective of 30% equity for Bumiputeras in Malaysia. 38 years later, and the Bumis are barely there, struggling to hang on. Why are they still struggling? Four decades is a long time, two generations should be enough to break the cycle of weakness.

Sure, a few super-rich Bumis have emerged, and this tends to skew the economic chart, but in reality, the distribution of wealth has remained poor. Certainly, the economic pie has grown, thus leading to an absolute increase in wealth and the creation of a sustainable middle-class, but the Bumis still dominate the lower end of the charts.

Could there be a systemic problem amongst the Malays that a simple quota system is unable to change?

There is a saying about good intentions and the road to hell. It applies here. The fathers of independence realized that a nation divided by a vast socio-economic chasm would ultimately crash and burn. So they decided to do something about it, as best as they could.

But today, their solution, 53 years later, isn't a solution at all. The Bumiputeras are still lagging behind in critical areas of society: financial equity, education, etc. Maybe the solution wasn't the solution; maybe, over the years, it became a part of the problem. Only the weak require protection. Why are the Bumis still weak after so many years of preferential treatment? That's the real question our leaders, especially the Malay leaders such as Ibrahim Ali should be asking.

If there is one thing Perkasa and the other ultras in our society have proven, its that the crutch of the Bumiputeras has transformed into the wedge that divides the nation. 53 years is too long to be on crutches, my Bumiputera brothers and sisters. When will you realize that you have been helped to walk for so long, it is you who have already forgotten the steps.

You are being manipulated every day by the Ibrahim Alis who tell you that you can't walk without their help. Just like a drug pusher who "helps" his customers get through the day with their daily fix, he and others like him are telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.

There is only so long that the nation can progress and prosper under its current modus. We are fast approaching a hard ceiling to the limit where the nation can carry its people and still move forward. If Malaysia is to break this ceiling and push on to greater things, to be a real nation of significant influence and development, it will need the reverse to occur -- Malaysians must begin carrying her.

One day perhaps

2010-08-27T14:51:51Z

This is what i want to do.

Make a difference, to put myself out there and be all i can be.

Saying "NO" to racism

2010-08-27T14:08:28Z

Alright, the Good Word has finally made its way to the ears of a Few Good Men. When you do something bad, i'll say so. Its only fair to do the same when you do something good.

Najib said his administration must adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy towards racism and will take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.

Hopefully, he means organizations such as PERKASA and its ultra-racist leader Dato' Ibrahim Ali, and not just the comparatively easier targets of school principals. In any case, its a good start, and making such a public statement provides a locus on which reference can be made. Good ol' Lim Kit Siang can always be counted on to crack the whip; he's already started.

Khairy echoed the PM quite nicely as well. The PM's youngest daughter is still single i hear. Things that make you go, "Hmmmm..."

"Perkasa is hurting us, our chances in gaining non-Malay votes. For Umno, BN to win, we cannot afford to be associated with these people. They are alienating us from a large segment of voters," he said.

Clever boy, well said and spot on. The fact that you didn't say it earlier (like weeks ago) means that you had to check with someone first to see if that was the right thing to say. I can understand Najib needing to check the numbers first before putting his mouth out there for public record, but you? You're a youth leader, the firebrand of the society you represent, the model of the modern Malay Muslim. You should have been on their case from Day 1, rather than waffling in doubt. While better late than never, i can't say that i'm impressed with your timing.