This is what the Malaysian Chinese want

The Utusan Malaysia headline of May 7 posed an interesting and pertinent question of what more do the Chinese in Malaysia want. It is a pity that Utusan is unable to see that what the Chinese want is, in fact, what the educated urban Malaysian voter wants, regardless of race or religion. There are three important characteristics lacking in the Barisan of today.

Intelligent, courageous leadership

The Chinese comprise only 30 per cent of Malaysian voters, yet Pakatan Rakyat won 51 per cent of the total votes cast. By saying that the election result was because of the Chinese voters, the Barisan Nasional leadership demonstrates an inability to objectively face reality.

Barisan’s acceptance of Zulkifli Nordin as its direct Shah Alam candidate similarly shows a lack of intelligence and courage. Here is a lawyer who does not feel that dialogue and discussion can resolve matters, having forcefully disrupted a Law Society seminar a few years ago. He has vowed loyalty to, and then turned on, his previous political parties (PAS and PKR). He has publicly belittled an ancient religion with a million Malaysian followers.

UMNO making way for Ibrahim Ali to contest the Pasir Mas constituency is similarly bad judgement, showing its acceptance and approval of a crude man who prides himself with using vulgar words in public interviews.

Principled means acting in accordance with morality and showing recognition of right and wrong.

To give them such special honour and credit shows a lack of intelligent reasoning and an inability to stand up against the loud extremist faction of the party.

Attributing the election outcome to a “Chinese tsunami” is illogical in the face of concrete facts and data. PAS won an additional seven state seats in Selangor, all in Malay majority areas.

Lim Kit Siang could not have achieved a majority of over 14,000 votes in Gelang Patah without good support from Malays who form 35 per cent of the electorate there.

Similarly the UMNO-backed PERKASA extremists were conclusively rejected in Pasir Mas (96 per cent Malay) and in Shah Alam where Malays make up 70 per cent of the electorate.

To blindly spin the 2013 election outcome to suit its raced-based founding philosophy of 1947shows up a political party that wants to be stubbornly unwise. Unless UMNO’s leadership can find the courage to face facts, the party may become redundant and obsolete for the educated 21st century voter.

Respect for and recognition of rights

Academic studies have consistently shown that increased income brings more happiness and satisfaction only up to a certain point. When a society progresses out of poverty into middle class, increasing income does not increase satisfaction proportionately. It is the psychological aspects of living that produces a better quality of life.

Whatever the radiation scientists claim, the people of Bentong (45 per cent Malay, 44 per cent Chinese) will ask why a factory run by an Australian company is unsuitable for Australia or Damansara Heights but can be located in their backyard.

In 2008, Health Minister Liow won Bentong by over 12,000 votes. This year he retained Bentong with less than 400 votes against a political novice who is a green activist. The urban electorate, Chinese or Malay, seeks respect and recognition of their right to a safe living environment.

MCA contested in 37 parliamentary seats and managed to win seven in GE13.

In Penang, the 1 Malaysia Charity organisation hosted numerous concerts and dinners in support of Barisan candidates. At their functions, T-shirts, beer, hawker food and lucky draw gifts were given free.

Initially there was merriment and wonder at this new campaigning style; this then became anger and disgust when even cash incentives were handed out. The electorate felt they were treated with disrespect, as if their rights, dignity and vote were up for sale.

Numerous development issues had plagued the Penang DAP government in the months leading up to the election, and the increased majority they subsequently obtained can only be explained by the strong rejection what the other side represents. Money cannot buy happiness, and similarly, the urban electorate set out to show that money cannot buy their vote in Penang.

The urban electorate in Malaysia is obviously better off economically compared to the rural dwellers. They have reached a stage when extra economic incentives can no longer easily win their approval.

Instead they asked for respect, and an acknowledgement of their right to an inclusive, peaceful existence in the country. They seek recognition as a legitimate electorate with the right to choose the governing party. Blaming and insulting them for voting against the Barisan will only guarantee the DAP and Pakatan a brighter future.

Competent and efficient institutions

There is no doubt that relative to those who were once our equivalent, we Malaysians have fallen behind. The Singapore dollar which was equivalent to the ringgit in the 1970’s is today 2.5 times higher. Malaysia beat South Korea and Japan in the 1972 Olympic football qualifying rounds; today we are nowhere near these 2 World Cup Finals participating countries.

Malaysians have fallen behind in economy, education and sports.

Universiti Malaya had topped the list of universities passing the United States medical qualifying examination in 1969, ahead of Melbourne and Singapore University. In 2011, Universiti Malaya was ranked 401 out of the 500 universities in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The educated, smart-phone holding, internet-surfing, urban voter is aware of world-wide trends and wants to experience the best that life can offer. When the governing party is unable to develop the country to its full potential, its popularity will drop.

As demonstrated by the Noble prize winning Dr Ivan Pavlov, animals respond to incentives, and man is no exception. A system that promotes those who agree with and pamper those in power while sidelining those working hard to pursue competency will breed inefficient malfunctioning institutions. Even those not under their direct employment will be affected by these incompetent institutions.

Malaysians want a competent and efficient institutions.

When the police force is politicised and crime rate increases, more money will have to be spent on personal and household security. Even Datuk Nazir Razak admitted that he had hesitated coming back to Malaysia because of concerns about his children’s education. When the middle class spends on private education or healthcare, votes for the governing party will drop.

Conclusion

The Chinese now make up only 25 per cent of Malaysia’s population and to be named as the cause of major developments in the country is to be hurtful to this minority and insulting to the majority. On the other hand, government statistics show that Malaysia’s urban population has increased from 62 per cent in 2000 to 71 per cent in 2010.

 No amount of rhetorical whitewashing can hide the fact that the poor performance of Barisan in the 2013 election is due to its failure to win the heart and mind of the urban voter. The faster it faces reality and move away from its obsolete race-based mindset, the better its prospects for the next electoral battle.

by Ong Hean Teik

* Dr Ong Hean Teik is a consultant cardiologist in Penang. He reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Reblogged from Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger

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Apa Lagi Cina Mahu? Charge the racist! Thousands protest Malaysian election results

Apa Lagi Cina Mahu? Charge the racist! Thousands protest Malaysian election results

Utusan Malaysia published articles condemning the Malaysian Chinese with the headline ‘Apa lagi Cina Mahu?’ and Najib Tun Razak’s speech after the election stating the ‘Chinese Tsunami’ has further sparked agitation among Malaysian Chinese who have exercised their democratic right by supporting Pakatan Rakyat.

The Malaysian Chinese played a prominent role in development of Malaya since the Malacca days. The Chinese diaspora occurred from the 19th century to 1949. The major reason for Chinese emigration is because of starvation, war and political corruption in mainland China. The Chinese migrated to various parts of world as coolies to replace African slaves. A British Guinea planter quoted that the Chinese labourers are strong in their physique and eager to earn a living.

The Chinese in the past suffered because of the exploitation by the Europeans. The first wave of emigration occurred in 15th century during the Malacca sultanate. Diplomatic ties were established between China and Malacca and Sultan Mansur married Puteri Hang Li Po (subject still debated by historian). Puteri Hang Li Po was accompanied by a senior state minister and five hundred youths and maids.

The inheritors of these people, mostly from Fujian province, are called the Baba (men) and Nyonya (women) or Cina Peranakan. The culture integration between Malay and Chinese dates back from the 15th century. The Straits Chinese adopted the Malay culture into their lives in the context of language, food, clothing, etc. Most notable Peranakans are Tan Cheng Lock – founder and first president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Tan Siew Sin – third President of MCA, Lee Kuan Yew – first Prime Minister of Singapore and Lee Hsien Loong – third Prime Minister of Singapore, son of Lee Kuan Yew.

In response to Ali Rustam’s comments published by Utusan Malaysia, based on historical facts, MCA was formed by Tun Tan Cheng Lock and he understands the cultural integration and unity between Chinese and Malay has been the core strength for the coalition. The founding father of Umno recognises the Chinese contribution to this country and forged ties with Chinese to build Malaya. On that note, as a leader you should recognise the contributions of a community that has worked along with other Malaysian.

If the Chinese community has rejected your leadership, accept your defeat and work on building your reputation back with the Chinese community. A mark of a true leader is his ability to accept defeat and prove to the people that he is a leader capable of handling the defeat. Mahathir and Lim Kit Siang have lost in the past. They did not blame anyone but took it as part of a democracy system and worked harder to win the hearts of the people. Please do not make any further racial remarks because it sends a wrong message to the people and the modern leadership in Malaysia requires a leader to lead based on liberal thoughts rather than communal thoughts.

Malaysian has progressed towards a multiracial political ideology instead of communal political ideology as introduced by the British. Being a former Chief Minister of Malacca, you should possess greater knowledge in Chinese-Malay relationship dating back to the 15th century and the progression of the two communities in building Malaysia. The common folk of Malaysia have moved on from the communal ideology to multiracial ideology.

As a politician, in agony of defeat, issuing an official statement of blaming a community does not promote harmony and is not in tandem with 1Malaysia programme introduced by your party. As a Malaysian, we desire for a leader to build a stronger bond between the communities not dismantling the ethnic relationship. On that note, please go back to the drawing board and rework on your leadership ideology.

According to Sir Frank Swettenham, K.C.M.G. (1850-1946) in his book, ‘British Malaya – An Account of the Origin and Progress of British Influence in Malaya’ stated that the Chinese played a major part in developing the economy of British Malaya. The following are the contribution of the Chinese community under British Malaya:

a The Chinese were responsible for half of the world’s tin supply during that period because of the hard work, law abiding and capability.

b The Chinese were the miners, traders, planters and fisherman way before the British made way to Malaya. Before the British invasion, it was the Chinese energy and industry that paid for the infrastructure projects in British Malaya.

c The Chinese were the pioneers in tin mining and went into remote jungles, cleared the forest, took the risk and made profit for their hard work.

d The Chinese built the schools, government buildings, roads, railways, water works, etc.

e The Chinese invested their capital and brought in Chinese labour to develop British Malaya when the British were afraid to invest.

f The Chinese labour and enterprise were the reasons for the evolution of British Malaya.

The above reflects the contribution of the Chinese community in Malaysia. The ‘Chinese Tsunami’ comment does not recognise the hardship that the Chinese community endured towards building this country. It was not a Chinese tsunami but rather a Malaysian tsunami as stated by Lim Kit Siang. However, passing a racial remark on a community that has been an integral part of this nation destroys the Malaysian sentiment in Chinese community. The political leaders should take the responsibility for the defeat in the election, instead of passing racially provocative remarks towards a community that has suffered building this country.

Relating to the historical evidence and role of Chinese community in socio-economics activities, they have contributed significantly. Their participation in socio-economic activities has uplifted the country. These contributions must be recognised and as a democratic nation, it is their right to choose leaders. MCA and Gerakan have failed in addressing Chinese community issues and the component parties of Barisan Nasional should tackle the issues delicately without stirring racial sentiments.

Relating to comments from Saravanan (MIC), in a democracy the people have the right to choose. No one put a knife to your neck and asked you to serve the community. The choice of career in politics in decided by the individual, and part of the political career is ability to accept the people’s choice. Despite the blunder at the electorate, Barisan Nasional is still the government and the leaders are required to deliver the manifesto promised during the election.  We request political leaders to commence activities that have been promised in the manifesto instead of making harsh remarks on Chinese community.

The Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban and others have decided that the way to move forward is through multiracial cooperation. The new generation identifies themselves as Malaysian first before anything else. The election has proven our desire to be governed by liberal leaders with progressive thinking instead of traditional communal backwards leaders. The political ideology by PKR, DAP and PAS has captured the hearts of the young Malaysian. The popular votes have proven the rise of Generation Y in deciding the direction of this country.

We urge the coalition leaders to stop these racial remarks on our Chinese brothers. We stand united to defend the rights of every Malaysian regardless of his ethnicity. As a Generation Y representative and on behalf of decent Malaysians, we require the coalition leaders to nurture the Malaysian spirit in their political agenda. We have rejected two racist leaders from Perkasa and if the racial propaganda continues, Malaysian will not hesitate to reject race based leadership. The people have trusted the coalition with another mandate and we require the leaders to deliver it open heartedly.

To the Chinese and Malay community, we appeal for you to ignore the remarks on ‘Chinese Tsunami’ and ‘Apa lagi Cina mahu?’. We have rejected racism and a paradigm shift has taken shape in mind of the Malaysian. History has proven that the Chinese and Malay community share a close bond since the Malacca Sultanate. Let’s continue to foster the relationship instead of falling for a racial political ploy. The British invented the ‘divide & rule’ system to segregate the Malay, Chinese and Indian in the past, we have matured as a society and the system is no longer applicable.

History has proved the role and contributions of Chinese society in this country.  The Malaysian public has sufficient knowledge and understands the importance of racial harmony. The real power is with the people and no one can take that away from us. We continue to exist and fight for our rights regardless of the condition. We have come a long way to give up on the Malaysian dream. The Inikalilah spirits lives on with us and it was a Malaysian tsunami not Chinese.

Natesan Visnu - FMT

Charge the racist!

PETALING JAYA: The DAP will back any move to take action against local Chinese dailies for stoking racial sentiment if there is proof, said party adviser Lim Kit Siang.

“We welcome any action and will give support for Chinese newspapers to be charged with sedition if the Prime Minister can pinpoint which newspapers are responsible and the articles,” he told reporters at the DAP headquarters here yesterday.

He said there should not be any double standard in punishing those guilty of stoking racial sentiment.

On Tuesday, commenting on Utusan Malaysia's front-page headline Apa Lagi Cina Mahu? in a press conference, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said: “You blame Utusan but what about the Chinese papers? Are you saying that they (Chinese newspapers) are saying the right things all the time?”
Lim urged Najib to retract and apologise over his remark attributing the election results to a “Chinese tsunami” and the Chinese dailies.

He refuted the Prime Minister's statement that the Chinese had been duped by the DAP into believing that they could change the government via their ballots.

“This is not the truth as DAP has never said that the Chinese were able to change the government,” he said, adding that the call for change was made to all Malaysians via Pakatan Rakyat.

Lim warned Najib against “playing with fire” by racialising the election results, including using this to bolster his image for the coming party polls in Umno.

Barisan Nasional leaders, he said, should instead focus on revamping the electoral system by asking members of the Election Commission to resign.

- The Star/Asia New Network

Thousands protest Malaysian election results

PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called on Malaysians to protest the results of the general election by wearing black.

“I urge all Malaysians to wear black every day from Saturday,” he said in his speech during a rally to protest against the general election results at the Kelana Jaya Stadium last night.

Anwar also questioned the targeting of certain segments of society for the results in GE13.

“The Malays, Chinese and Indians as well as other races want to defend their rights and reject cheating and deception,” he said to tens of thousands of opposition supporters who attended the rally.

He said Pakatan Rakyat leaders would be gathering in Penang on Saturday night for another rally.

Among those present were Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Fashion statement: Anwar urging Pakatan supporters to wear black during the rally at the stadium. — AFP

 

Hundreds later spilled onto the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) in front of the Giant Hypermarket after the rally ended at about 11.30pm to cheer passing cars as well as raise flags.

Coupled with the rally participants who parked their cars illegally on the LDP near the hypermarket, this caused a major traffic gridlock over several kilometres.

There was no police presence to control the situation.

Earlier, motorists expressed frustration at being caught in the jam as people made their way to the stadium.

A part-time kindergarten teacher who was caught in the jam near the Puchong-Sunway toll plaza said she left work at about 7pm and only reached home at 10.30pm.

“At first I thought it was a police roadblock, but I did not see any police, only people in cars and on motorbikes waving flags.

Fully prepared: Pakatan supporters using umbrellas or raincoats at the stadium during a drizzle.

 

“The elections are over, so why is there a need to demonstrate and cause so much inconvenience to the public?” asked the 56-year-old who only wanted to be identified as Nor.

Meanwhile, social media users used their time spent in the jam to describe the congestion.

“It's so jammed here @ sunway toll that drivers are just chillin outside their cars,” @hellsen tweeted at 10.30pm.

User @EwinEe posted a picture showing those attending the rally parked their vehicles along the North Klang Valley Expressway, causing the three-lane road to be reduced to one lane.

By REGINA LEE, FARIK ZOLKEPLI, YUEN MEIKENG and YVONNE LIM
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

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The Chinese in Malaysia want an honest relationship,a genuine partnership...  Malaysian Chinese tsunami ! 

The times to change in Malaysian politics!

Evolving with the times

INSIGHT: By JOCELINE TAN

DAP’s new Malay recruits are more likely to impress its non-Malay supporters than the Malay ground which it is trying to infiltrate but, in the long run, it is an astute move to tap into the changing urban demography.

DATUK Ariff Sabri has been the talk of Pahang Umno since he joined DAP a few weeks ago. Ariff, a former Pahang assemblyman but who is now more famous as a blogger, is arguably the biggest Umno name to have joined DAP.

“I was quite shocked. I thought someone was playing a joke on me and I felt sad when it turned out to be true,” said Pahang exco member Datuk Sharkar Shamsuddin.

The Umno and DAP view of each other has always been extremely polarised – ultra Malay versus Chinese chauvinist. As far as Ariff’s friends in Umno were concerned, his political move was akin to leaving one world for another.

 

Malay recipe: Zulkifli (left) and Zairil (centre) represent DAP’s past and present attempts at diluting its image as a Chinese chauvinist party. They are seen here with life member Iskandar Basha Abdul Kadir (right) in Penang.

 
On top of that, DAP has been making a song and dance about the fact that Ariff hailed from the Prime Minister’s constituency and used to be the Pekan Umno information chief.

But no one felt more taken aback than Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob. The two men have known each other for years and when Ariff was not picked to defend his Pulau Manis state seat in 2008, the Mentri Besar had reportedly made efforts to ensure that Ariff and his family would be all right.

Sharkar is one of those people who sees everyone as a friend and he called Ariff to urge him to rethink his decision, but the die was cast.

Ariff and Aspan Alias, another Umno politician from Negri Sembilan, had attended the DAP national conference in January where they were welcomed like VIPs. Since then, former National Union of Journalists president Hata Wahari has also been recruited.

The latest recruits stand out as both are from Umno whereas Hata had single-handedly taken on Utusan Malaysia before he was sacked from the paper.

In that sense, it was the first time that DAP had managed to snare three Umno-related personalities who can now join them in challenging Umno.

Hata, who is currently working for Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, seems to be taking his radical views against Utusan Malaysia and on press freedom to the political arena.

Ariff and Aspan have used their blogs to air their opinions and often to hit out at what they think is wrong with Umno.

Ariff, being a former assemblyman, is definitely the biggest catch among the three. He said he is against corruption and wants to see good governance and the rule of law.

“It’s not easy to move on but I am taking stock of the new realities of Malay politics. The younger generation is less racial in outlook and more willing to go on merit,” he said.



He is also much harder to define – he is a big fan of muay thai, has a taste for serious literature and likes music from an earlier era. Although his blog may be rather too cerebral for the average person, his writing is very cut-and-thrust and he can be quite ruthless. He has commented on everything from politics to the economy and has a loyal following.

DAP Youth chief and Rasah MP Anthony Loke who took the initiative to approach Ariff admitted he was attracted to the latter’s line of attack against Umno.

“We told them to go on writing. They can attack Umno and explain a lot of things on our behalf,” said Loke.

But what is the big deal, some have asked. They said that a few new Malay members looking for a new platform to air their grouses is not going to change the image of DAP. They think DAP is recruiting people who have an axe to grind, basically “Umno-bashers” who can take the DAP fight with Umno to another level.

There has been a trickle of Malays into the party over the years and there is even an all Malay DAP branch in the Klang Valley. There have also been Malay DAP candidates every general election but only three or four have managed to win seats, the most notable being the late Bayan Baru MP Ahmad Nor who was a well-known trade unionist.

But DAP’s attempts to reach out to the Malays over the last 40 years have been a flop partly because of the success of Umno’s propaganda against DAP and partly because of the way DAP had exploited Chinese issues.

DAP was more than happy to ride on its reputation as a champion of all things Chinese but their troubles in the wake of their success in Penang and Perak drummed home the point that their Chinese image had become a liability.

All those years of attacking Umno, the NEP, Islamic policies, the civil service, the police and, more recently, the MACC have come home to roost.

The targets of their criticism have one thing in common – they are largely associated with the Malays and Islam. Their attacks have been akin to Malay-bashing and the party has, rightly or wrongly, acquired an anti-Malay reputation.

Last year, the party launched its Malay website, Roketkini. It is not the most original of names but it is quite an interesting site although critics say that it sounds like a Malay apologist for a Chinese party.

It is quite obvious that Roketkini’s purpose is also to debunk Malay prejudices against DAP, defending the party against notions that it is anti-Islam, supports the Islamic State, is trying to promote a Christian Prime Minister, has communist leanings and so on.

Malays in the party find themselves always having to explain themselves to their Malay friends. For instance, former vice-chairman Zulkifli Md Noor still gets puzzled looks after 30 years in the party. Some of his friends think that DAP uses Malays like him as tokens and that the party is not sincere in giving them real roles. His detractors see him as a DAP poodle.

They said that if DAP genuinely wanted to promote the Malays, people like Zulkifli should be given winnable seats. Instead, he has contested three general elections in seats where he was pitched against big guns and where he had little chance of winning. In 2008, he even had to make way for a well-connected Indian candidate even though he had been doing work in that particular constituency.

But Ariff is definitely not going to be anyone’s poodle. For instance, his blog is called Sakmongkol AK47 – Sakmongkol is the name of a famous kickboxer whereas AK47 is a Russian-made firearm.

He described his first few interactions with DAP as a culture shock but as he said: “Just because I am in DAP does not make me less of a Malay, I’m still a loyal subject of the Rulers.”

During a party retreat in Seremban last year, Lim Kit Siang had urged members to correct their image by attracting young, liberal and progressive Malays.

“We’re not only targeting former Umno members, we’re also looking for fresh faces without any political history,” said Loke.

DAP, said social historian Dr Neil Khor, is by constitution a non-sectarian party.

“They have to practise what they preach. They have been dominated by a Chinese type of thinking. I think they are trying to say that, yes, we can’t deny that we have become an ethnic Chinese party but we are pushing for a more multi-racial outlook,” said Dr Khor.

The latest Malay recruits will probably be made candidates in the next general election. The question is whether they will be tested in Malay seats where they will have to struggle to win or given safe, Chinese-majority seats.

“If they pull it off, it will be a real game changer for DAP,” said Dr Khor.

Everyone is watching what the party is planning to do in Perak. Pakatan Rakyat politicians have convinced themselves that they will take back Perak and the talk is that DAP wants to have their own Malay candidate for mentri besar. They have been badly damaged by attacks that although they won an overwhelming number of seats in the state, they had to surrender the mentri besar post to PAS.

Not everyone in the party is thrilled about the entry of Ariff, Aspan and Hata. First, there are the suspicions and stigma attached to party-hoppers. Then there is the concern about whether they will be able to adapt to the party’s way of doing things.

A few of them are also concerned about the Johor-born Hata. They saw how he bit the hand that fed him and his ferocious flogging of his then employer shocked many people. They are worried the firebrand could easily turn around and bite DAP if things do not go his way in future. They can see that this is a guy who goes for broke.

They want the party to recruit more Malays like Zairil Khir Johari and former Transparency Malaysia chief Senator Tunku Aziz Ibrahim. They have no baggage and do not ask too many embarrassing questions or cause trouble in the party.

Zairil, whose stepfather is the late Umno veteran Tan Sri Khir Johari, is seen as a rising star in Penang where he is the Chief Minister’s blue-eyed boy. The Internet chatter is projecting him as the next deputy chief minister. But to be fair to him, he is a genuinely likeable person, humble and hard-working.

“All these people joined without any pre-conditions. They may or may not be candidates in the general election and we do not have carrots to dangle,” said Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi.

The party constitution specifies at least two years of membership because anyone can be considered as an election candidate but it can be waived by the central executive committee as in the case of Ooi, who joined the party about six months before the 2008 election.

The short-term take on this is that DAP is trying to dilute its Chinese image which is becoming a liability in its quest for power. But the new recruits are more likely to impress DAP’s non-Malay ground rather than the Malays whom they are trying to attract. No one can quite see Malays rushing to join DAP in the near future and especially given the way DAP leaders attack Malay institutions.

But in the long term, this is an astute party that has begun to tap into the changes taking place in the urban areas and among urban Malays.

The Malay population is growing very fast and will soon dominate the electorate map in such a way that future general elections will be largely a Malay fight. Any party that wants to stay relevant will have to be acceptable to the Malays in one way or another.

PAS Deputy President, Mat Sabu, In the spotlight for wrong reason?

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In the spotlight for wrong reason

INSIGHT: By JOCELINE TAN

Mohamad Sabu’s provocative style is being scrutinised in the hot glare of the spotlight now that he is deputy president of PAS, and he is making news. 

IT was not surprising that Mohamad Sabu’s latest “eruption” happened in Tasik Gelugor, the rural Malay outskirts on the mainland side of Penang.

The PAS deputy president, better known as Mat Sabu, has his sights set on Penang in the next general election and Tasik Gelugor is one of the parliamentary seats he is eyeing.

The plan is one of those poorly kept secrets among Penang Pakatan Rakyat leaders who hope that the fiery orator who shoots from the hip will lend his weight in the defence of Penang and help the Chinese-dominated coalition connect with the Malay ground.

Provocative style: Mat Sabu’s shoot-from-the-hip political style is changing the image of PAS. He is seen here in a wheelchair with his wife Norma Alwi (left) arriving for a dinner-cum-ceramah not long after the Bersih protest.

Mat Sabu and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng are what some call NBF, that is, New Best Friends. He is the DAP’s idea of what a PAS leader should be. He speaks their lingo, does not always go around dressed like some Middle-Eastern citizen and is clued in on current issues. His political style is not very different from that of DAP leaders; he is a street-fighter whose speeches are as witty as they are about banging and slamming his opponents.

In fact, he has often told friends, “I am a bazaari (an Iranian term for street-fighter).”

Mat Sabu is without a doubt the most controversial leader in PAS today. He has been making headline news since becoming the PAS No. 2 in June and he is trying to make his presence felt in Penang where he was born.

The trouble is that he not only shoots from the hip, he also sometimes shoots himself in the foot.
His remarks about the Bukit Kepong affairs, made in the heat of a ceramah and used as an analogy of how history is often written by the victors, were one such instance.

Historical interpretation is not against the law but the tone of his remarks, coming on the eve of National Day, was tasteless timing and simply politically incorrect. And it is up in YouTube where everyone can hear for themselves what he said.

Batang Kali massacre [In Cold Blood - BBC]

There is no denying that he referred to the pro-Communist attackers in Bukit Kepong as “those fighting for independence” while the police personnel under attack were dismissed as belonging “to the British” and thus part of the colonialists. The fact is that home-grown policemen and soldiers fought alongside the British during the insurgency years and many died for their country.



Mat Sabu is not pro-Communist but his words came across as irreverent of the role of the security forces in the nation’s struggle for independence and against communism.

His Pakatan colleagues have defended him but he has been made mincemeat by Utusan Malaysia, which has devoted pages of coverage on the issue, and including reports of noted historian Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Khim and DAP chairman Karpal Singh chiding him for his version of Bukit Kepong.

This is barely two months after his spectacular clash with the police during the Bersih protests. His knee, which he injured during the protests, has yet to recover and these days, he sits down when speaking at ceramah. The circumstances surrounding his knee injury is still a matter of dispute and even the injury itself is surrounded by mystery.

Immediately after the Bersih demonstrations, he had appeared at a string of high-profile functions in a wheelchair, claiming that a police Land Rover had rammed into him as he was riding pillion on a motorcycle. He was hailed as an injured hero.

It made the police look really bad, but when the police released a video showing otherwise, Mat Sabu’s attacks ground to a stop and he told reporters pursuing the story that he would respond to them in court.

He has since stopped talking about the incident and is now confronted by queries over his billing of the medical treatment for the injury to the Penang Water Authority of which he is a board member.

“But the most shocking part about the Bukit Kepong issue was that he said he could not really remember what he said. To me, that was more terrible than if he had really said all those things. A leader cannot say something and then a few days later, tell us he cannot remember,” said restaurateur Juhaidi Yean Abdullah.

Juhaidi recalled hearing Mat Sabu and several other PAS politicians speak at a ceramah shortly after the Al Mauna incident, where a cult of Islamic extremists had attacked a military camp, seized ammunition and then proceeded to kill the hostages one by one.

“They claimed it was a sandiwara (shadow play or conspiracy) engineered by the Government to discredit the Islamists. I remember feeling quite sad when the mother of one of those killed asked: ‘If it is a sandiwara, why has my son not come home?’” said Juhaidi.

A more thorough investigation of that tragic episode has been screened on Astro’s Discovery channel and it has helped put the matter to rest.

Drama king

But it does seem that Mat Sabu, like many of his friends who dominate the ceramah circuit, has a tendency to make dramatic claims and statements.

“He once told me that even if he is sick and down with fever, if you give him a microphone, he will recover and does not need to see the doctor. He is the sort of guy – you put a microphone in his hand, put him on a stage and he becomes a different person. But once the curtain comes down, he is back to his normal self,” said blogger Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, also known as Kickdefella.

Mat Sabu has always had a no-holds barred style. At the height of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking, Mat Sabu who has had issues with Anwar dating back to their days in Abim was going around, giving ceramah and talking about “Al Juburi”, which is Arab for the A-word.

The Malays call it mulut tak ada insuran (uninsured mouth, meaning that what is said could be libellous).
Not everybody likes his aggressive style, especially his habit of calling people names. He was deemed so controversial at one stage that he was not invited to speak at ceramah during by-elections.

There is no denying that Mat Sabu has a folksy charm and a certain boyishness about him although he is now 57 and rather overweight. He is a crowd-puller and PAS members flock to listen to him because they are guaranteed of entertainment. He is often the last person to speak so that the crowd will stay on till the end.

“His enemies are frightened when he speaks. At the same time, his style attracts the bullets of Umno,” said Harakahdaily editor-in-chief Zulkifli Sulong.

The Umno assemblyman for Ketereh in Kelantan, Datuk Alwi Che Ahmad, has a cynical but witty take on Mat Sabu.

“I will remember him forever. I became a political secretary to a minister because of him,” he said with a laugh.

Mat Sabu had contested against Tan Sri Annuar Musa in Nilam Puri, Kelantan, in the 1990 general election. It was a big fight with lots of ceramah going on. At one ceramah, the Kelantan-born Annuar had said in jest: “Why do you want to vote for Mat Sabu? He is an outsider. I am a local boy, more educated. I studied in two universities. I am taller and more handsome.”

Mat Sabu rebutted in similar vein at his own ceramah: “Anuar Musa is better educated, taller, more handsome but I am more popular, especially among the women.”

He went on to crush Annuar with a majority of 8,000 votes. Annuar was subsequently appointed a senator and minister and that was how Alwi became his political secretary.

Mat Sabu’s political enemies had been quite willing to forget the khalwat episode where he was apprehended with another woman in a Kota Baru hotel in 1995. After all, he had won a discharge and acquittal after two witnesses contradicted each other on the hotel room number.

But now that he is on top, his detractors are digging out the dirt again. A video titled Skandal Sexs Mat Sabu (sex scandal of Mat Sabu) has been making the rounds in the Ampang area. However, the video was apparently about another Pakatan leader.

PAS MP for Parit Buntar Mujahid Yusof accused the mainstream media of picking on Mat Sabu especially after he became the party No. 2.

“He has always been the sort to provoke, and he is bringing the party to a new audience. But why is it that in the last three months, he is always in the media? The media is manipulating it,” said Mujahid.

It is true the media is taking a more intense look at Mat Sabu following his rise in PAS; that is only natural. When one is up there, one cannot go on acting or talking in the same way as when one was down there.

And especially when one is the No. 2 in the party, everything said and done is scrutinised and analysed. Mat Sabu is learning that it is now harder to get away with outlandish statements. He will be held accountable because the public will read the statements as the party’s stand.

Mat Sabu’s latest trouble may also be connected to the way Pakatan politicians have been chipping away at the system and institutions like the judiciary, the police and security forces, and even the civil service. They have questioned the reputation of bodies like the MACC and the Election Commission. These are institutions which they believe have been unfair to them and which are standing in the way of their quest to control Putrajaya.

They are so used to criticising the police that Mat Sabu may not have realised he had stepped beyond the boundary when talking about Bukit Kepong.

The outcry over his remarks is not purely about politics. It is also because there are very few Malay families who do not have a family member or relative in the police or army. As such, criticism of these bodies is bound to hit sensitive nerves all over the place. There is a limit to criticising the men and women who put their lives on the line for our security and well-being.

But Mat Sabu, controversial firebrand and all, was the party’s choice. Members were disenchanted with the passivity of some of their ulama leaders and they saw in Mat Sabu someone who could push their cause on a more political path. He has given them their money’s worth thus far.

He is such a contrast to the studied style of his president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang although some wish that he was a little more like Hadi.

But Mat Sabu will always be Mat Sabu, and the roller-coaster ride he is taking his party on has just begun.