Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- UN Rapporteur: Is Malaysia a civilized nation?
- Will Najib go for full term?
- It’s about the money!
- Hindraf awaiting Najib’s, Anwar’s response
- Saiful not like a normal sexual abuse victim...
- Only the 21st-century generation can make a whole complete change
- Perceptions, Illusions & Reality
- Election And Other Stories From Open Houses
- Creating a Twister From A Teacup Storm?
- Choosing Sides
- Hari Malaysia 2012 - Dan Lain-Lain
| UN Rapporteur: Is Malaysia a civilized nation? Posted: 08 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT Maina, a Kenyan with degrees from Nairobi and Harvard, used the words "civilized" and "civilization" often during his 30 minute address. He applauded the economic progress of Malaysia, emphasizing his sense of awe after a visit to the Petronas Twin Towers. If the measure of progress in civilization is the magnificence of our finest building, then we are doing very well. But is that an adequate measure of civilization? Characteristics of a civilized nation Maina spoke passionately about human rights and democracy. He spoke for the United Nations, as one familiar with international law. I walked away with 7 key thoughts. 1. Presumption of right to association, not restrictions upon association. Maina says the measure of a civilization is not it's ability to tolerate democracy, but it's ability to thrive upon democracy, to cherish and to protect democracy. For Maina, a nation can claim to be civilized only if it's rulers, it's citizens and it's laws presume ("automatically grant") the right to association, not restrictions upon association. 2. Freedom of association is a benefit, not a threat. Maina says a civilized society doesn't view freedom of association as a threat; rather it views freedom of association as a benefit and works hard to to facilitate association and assembly. Maina defines "assembly" as "an intentional and temporary gathering," including the right to march. 3. The state is responsible for dealing with commotion-creators. An unavoidable feature of life in society is the presence and emergence of persons who will create commotions or disruptions: the state must restrain them through effective policing. Maina says a civilized government considers itself duty-bound to deal with persons who create commotions during protests. Allowing people to vent safely helps insure security and helps discourage them from seeking uncivilized forms of dialogue. 4. The state facilitates expressions of conflicting rights. Maina takes seriously the rights of everyone, e.g. shopkeepers and drivers. He says a shopkeeper's right to commerce is just as much a right as his customer's right to vent; good rulers will strive to keep a balance between the rights of those with different interests: by facilitating conflicting rights, not by curbing or stifling those who support contrary views. 5. Accepting the inevitability of counter-demonstrations. Maina says it is the duty of rulers and the police to recognize that counter-demonstrations are likely, and that it is the duty of the state to define and enforce measures to avoid confrontation – which they can do by keeping potential trouble makers away: allowing them another time or space to vent, thereby minimizing violations of law and order. 6. Limiting the responsibility of organizers. Maina shares a belief which is deeply held amongst those who believe government's listen best when people protest visibly – just as our forefathers did in the 40's and 50's to evict the British. Maina says making the organizers of assemblies and marches responsible for the actions of individuals "is wrong and uncivilized," since policing is the state's responsibility. He holds up South Africa as a country which does this very well. 7. Foreign funding is a non-issue. On the subject of funding by foreigners, Maina asks: if a government can obtain foreign funds to develop the country, if private corporations can obtain foreign funds to invest in Malaysia, why should anyone who obtains foreign funds to exercise democratic rights be viewed unfavourably? The erudite Maina left us with an implied question: if we review our government's approach to freedom of association and assembly, will we conclude we are civilized? Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu: moronic, flawed law Maina was followed by Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu who reviewed key aspects of the act which I have previously called ROFA (Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly). Baljit, a senior Malaysian lawyer, compares the need for freedom of association and assembly with the relief valve on a pressure cooker. He says assembly is like the relief valve – it allows a controlled release of pressure, thus reducing internal tension, while at the same time revealing the nature and extent of the tension. It was evident that the meeting was a relief valve for Baljit to display and release his internal tensions over the law. For Baljit, the only label that fits the law is "moronic." Baljit's key points are that the law proves those who rule us think "human rights" means "problem," and that those who made the law fail to understand that Human Rights is a journey, not a destination. He pointed out several flaws in ROFA, including:
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| Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:35 AM PDT RPK's latest post carries a very provocative title. Nonetheless he has a few good points which (coincidentally, would you believe it?) I share and would have posted last night but alas I was too busy. However, I have to state that my thrust would have been different to his point. Thus, I won't follow RPK's provocative path wakakaka. In any Westminster-styled democracy, a majority ruling party has the legitimate right to govern the country for the full term prescribed in the constitution, whether the term is 5 or (in the case of Australia) 3 years. There seems to a current fallacy that Najib is cheating the voters because he has thus far refused to call or ignored the calls for an election now (though there are now hints he might do it in November, this year of course wakakaka). On a related issue, though not central to my post topic, there is also a fallacy that Britain does not have a written constitution. It does, except the articles (rules) are not written in one convenient 'book' like ours, with all its rules (or articles) in one single tome.
The Brits have their constitutional rules scattered all over, among the pages of the Magna Carta, Petition of Rights, Bill of Rights, Act of Settlement, Parliament Acts, Representation of the People Act, case laws such as Case of Proclamations, each written at various stages in their history stretching from around 1215 (Magna Carta) to 1969 (Representation of the People Act), over a period of some 750 years. And no Pakistani legal expert helped, thank you, wakakaka. Anyway, fast forward to the present, and the topic to be discussed. As we read almost everyday, there have been condemnations (or at best, criticisms) of Najib for 'refusing' to call for an early general election when the actual 5-year term for the BN as the ruling party will only expire some time in March 2013. Understandably, most of the condemnations have been from PKR where an impatient and at the same time optimistic Anwar Ibrahim believes the tide has swung in his favour. His party and supporters have been conducting psy-war against Najib, attempting to goad Ah Jib Gor into an early election. Understandably too, Najib appears to be going for the full term, or at least not dancing to Anwar's tune, because it's obvious he (Najib) has assessed BN will be at a disadvantage if he were to call for an election now. And why would he, when the more time he has, the more monkey tricks he can bring about, wakakaka. Alas, it's his prime ministerial constitutional right.  Now, why did I want to (coincidentally) write about the full term for an elected government, though I had already mentioned Najib's prerogative to go for the full 5 years in a couple of previous posts? Two recent events persuaded me to. One - Down in Australia, PM Julia Gillard has just stated very clearly her government will go the full 3-year term BUT in exhibiting her prime ministerial prerogative a la Westminster-styled democracy, reserves the right to call for an early election, even if 'early' means a month or two before the run-out date. In fact, recently I read in the newspapers downunder that Australia's Constitution allows a ruling term to be slightly over the so-called maximum 3-year term, of course by only a few weeks for some administrative reasons. I am not sure whether the Malaysian Constitution provides for that. Thus Najib has the same prime ministerial prerogatives to run his government for the full term of 5 years, or if he wants to, sneak in an early request to HM the Agong to dissolve parliament. I have a different view to RPK in that the Agong doesn't have much say, as he 'has to' heed the PM's 'advice' to dissolve parliament, more so under Malaysian constitutional terms. Two - The other reason which suggests to me to blog on this issue had come as a total surprise to me. Actually I was mildly shocked when 3 days ago, I read Free Malaysia Today's Delay polls and risk punishment.  If it had been Anwar who said that, I would have accepted that he's correct in pushing for the election a.s.a.p. because the BN is currently in a politically precarious position. If it had been Pak Haji Hadi Awang, Lim Guan Eng or even my hero Karpal Singh, it would be normal politics. But when I read that it was another of my heroes, Ambiga Sreenevasan, who warned Najib that his continuing dilly dallying in calling for an election could prove to be perilous for him and BN, I was gobsmacked. FMT reported: She said that it would not come as a surprise if the voters, including the fence-sitters, punished him for this feet-dragging in the next polls. "I understand it is the Westminster system and it is the prerogative of the prime minister. But a good government should be prepared to take on the election and not be afraid to set a date," she told FMT. "We have been in election mode since he [Najib] took over and everyone has been pumped up. He drops hints [about the polls] and that is irresponsible. You don't toy with people's feelings. "People are fed up! They can't plan things like going on holidays and so forth. Furthermore, it affects investor confidence. "That's why I say it is irresponsible. If this is how a government is going to play with the election date, then it would be best to have a fixed date for polling," she added. Obviously Ambiga knows her laws as she said "I understand it is the Westminster system and it is the prerogative of the prime minister." So why did she see it necessary to warn Najib into an early election. I don't know then, and I don't know now.
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| Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:42 PM PDT As Malaysians wait in eager expectation for PM Najib to annouce the date of the 13th General Election, one seen by most as a potentially pivotal general election that would decide the future of this country, the stakes are high and the issues many. As I glance the headlines of newspapers and online media, there are a myriad of issues that surface every day. Today it's the alternative flag issue, yesterday was the size of rallies, previously and no doubt in the days to come, the ketuanan Melayu issue, Chinese education, marginalization of Indians, the Sabah IC for votes, Hudud, electoral reforms, high or disputed crime rates, police brutality, death in detention, etc. These are all highly sensitive and important issues, especially to those affected by them. Mother of All Issues But I would like to suggest that the mother of all issues should be corruption. It is about the money. There is a saying, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil". According to Transparency International, "Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone who depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority." It is more than the receiving of bribes or commission for which the person is not entitled to but it includes cronyism, nepotism, embezzlement, extortion, lobbying with inducements, laziness, incompetence, theft, pilfering, etc. It is Stealing Let's cut through all the chase, corruption is stealing and we are the victim. Let us not gloss over this criminal act by using legal-sounding terms like commission, appreciation, and incentives. It is stealing. When you use your position for private gain either in the form of money, perks, sex, discounts, pervert justice, or favour someone, it is stealing and you are a thief. Whilst many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region have been making big strides in combating corruption and has risen in ranking on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index ranking, Malaysia has been slipping. In the 2011 ranking, we are 60th out of 183 countries, a drop of 4 places from the previous year with a score of 4.3/10 (10 being highly clean). In fact, our score has been steadily slipping since 1995 when the first TI CPI index came out when we scored 5.28/10 then. Perception-Correction Exercises Some may live in denial and tell us that it is just a perception problem and the solution is to improve public perception by focusing on the positive news and distorting the truth. That in itself is corruption! Let's look at the facts. Unfortunately, it is hard to get the facts, thanks to laws that hide the facts like the Official Secrets Acts, Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) 1989, which do not promote transparency but are used to prosecute whistleblowers of corrupt practices. Under PM Najib's administration, we have seen the passing of several progressive-sounding laws like The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), the Peaceful Assembly Act and the Security Offences [Special Measures] Act. But that is all it is, nice sounding titles because there are enough provisions in them to nullify their objectives. They are just perception-correction exercises by PM Najib, something that he is very good at. Read more at: http://thomasfann.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/its-about-the-money/
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| Hindraf awaiting Najib’s, Anwar’s response Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT It is fortunate that the British government accorded political asylum to Waytha, lending further credence to the Hindraf plight. The Hindraf chairman had used his time abroad to further the Hindraf cause and through his untiring efforts, Hindraf received international recognition. Hindraf was given space to make presentations to the British Parliament, American Congress, European Parliament and United Nations as well as to U.S. State Department, U.S. Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Human Rights Caucus, and noted international NGOs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In recognition of his efforts in raising serious human rights violations by the Malaysian government on her citizens, the 'Human Rights Conference of India Diaspora in Different Parts of the World' awarded him the 'Global Human Rights Defender of India Diaspora' award this year. Waytha's project in London During his exile in London, Waytha sifted through more than 500,000 declassified documents from the British archives on the Reid Commission as well as documents pertaining to independence to Malaya. He then handpicked almost 40,000 precious documents that will serve Hindraf well in the class action suit fikled by Hindraf against the British government. For this, Hindraf engaged the services of solicitor Imran Khan who has a reputation for unflinching commitment to fighting injustice and acclaimed for his in the human rights arena. Waytha Moorthy successfully filed the British civil suit on the July 2, 2012 and thereafter returned home to Malaysia. Don't mistake Hindraf for spent force Since his return, Hindraf has held dozens of roadshows and public forums across west Malaysia. From Johor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah, these gatherings have attracted large crowds, packing indoor halls with enthusiastic Malaysian Indians. Their Shah Alam forum attracted 1,500 people and a recent Seremban meet brought together almost 1,400 Malaysian Indians. Hindraf has no choice but to go to the ground as they are well aware that their message is not going to be carried by the mainstream media which is biased towards Barisan Nasional. And neither is it going to get any favours from the online media that is heavily tilted towards Pakatan Rakyat. Within the space of a week of Waytha's return, the nationwide roadshows managed to register the contact details, such as email addresses and handphone numbers, of Indian supporters on the Hindraf roll. Currently more than 20,000 have registered and Hindraf has now raised the bar to collect 100,000 registrations so that these supporters can spread by word of mouth the Hindraf message further. Looking at the large turnouts, the general public should realise that like it or not, Hindraf is very much alive within the heart of every Malaysian Indian in this country. Hindraf to be change agent Throughout these nationwide tours, the Malaysian Indians have been giving a resounding 'Yes' for Hindraf to be given the mandate to speak on their behalf to voice their critical issues to the Malaysian authorities. The message is loud and clear. Malaysian Indians want comprehensive changes and not just cosmetic changes to their critical issues. Armed with this mandate, Hindraf have the moral right to speak on behalf of the marginalized Malaysian Indians. It is for this reason that Hindraf has chosen the path to be apolitical and to engage with all state governments as well as the federal government to provide comprehensive solutions on the Indian problems of marginalization. In fact, Hindraf's vision is to be a primary comprehensive change agent in leading Malaysia towards the creation of a society based on equality, justice and freedom. Hindraf's mission is to create an empowered civil society movement that strives to bring all the marginalized segments of Malaysian society into the mainstream of national development, with particular focus on Indians. Hindraf intends to contribute positively to changing the social values in Malaysian society so that institutionalized racism and religious supremacist policies are dismantled and may be completely eliminated. Hindraf believes the British civil suit will be the foundation stone to bring about comprehensive changes in Malaysia the way how Apartheid in South Africa was dismantled.
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| Saiful not like a normal sexual abuse victim... Posted: 04 Sep 2012 09:22 AM PDT For Mark Trowell, an experienced Australian criminal lawyer, alleged sodomy victim Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan does not strike him as a "normal" sexual assault victim. Read more at: http://alditta.blogspot.com/2012/09/saiful-tak-macam-mangsa-diliwathappy.html | ||
| Only the 21st-century generation can make a whole complete change Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:47 AM PDT There is still a slight chance for change in the coming GE 13 if the fence-sitters, present younger generation and those who claim to be non-partisan can come to their senses that the present ruling government will not forgo their in-depth luxury, extravagant lifestyle and power in order to perform their national duty to serve and care for the rakyat. Read more at: http://ousel.blogspot.com/2012/09/only-21st-century-generation-can-make.html | ||
| Perceptions, Illusions & Reality Posted: 02 Sep 2012 05:22 PM PDT Please observe the following pictures:
You would agree that in the top picture, the upper horizontal line is longer than the lower; in the middle picture, the left vertical line is longer than the right; and in the bottom picture, the top horizontal line is longer that the lower. But, let me assure you that if you measure the lines, they are exactly the same length. The above three pictures are commonly referred to as the Muller-Lyer illusion and is one of the most famous of illusions. It was created by German Now that you know for a fact that the lines are exactly the same length, yet whenever you look at the three pictures, you or rather your mind refuses to acknowledge the reality that the lines are of the same length. Try as hard as you can, your eyes refuse to acknowledge the reality. What has this got to do with political propaganda? Let me explain. Whenever we make a judgment, conclusion and or a decision, we are often affected by what we see and intuitively we make a hasty decision because we believe that our eyes don't lie. This is even so, when as stated above, the lines are of the exact same length, our eyes somehow refuse to accept the reality and this "refusal" persists to the extent that we refuse and or fail to rectify this apparent error. Look at the three pictures again and did your experience not confirm what I have stated? You can see how stubborn we can be in not acknowledging the reality. Once we have made a major decision solely on the basis of an observation (as in the case above) we find it very difficult to change our mind or our decisions, even though we know that it is wrong. Call it "ego", "stubbornness" or whatever, but it is the sad reality that we often cling on to this illusion. Now let me apply the Muller-Lyer illusion to politics, specifically propaganda in politics. Let us now analyse the idiotic stance of one of our politicians from the Opposition coalition, Mr. Karpal Singh and his judgment, decision and or conclusion that he must oppose Hudud come hell or high water. He perceives himself as the champion of the secular society and has said that Hudud can only be implemented over his dead body. Such bravado! But, what is the reality? Obviously, if two-thirds of the members of parliament were to legislate that Hudud be implemented, there is nothing Karpal Singh can do about it, more so when he is dead and buried. Some would even say – good riddance! Again, who is Karpal Singh to insist that members of PAS who are Muslims have no right to promote and or even demand that Hudud be implemented as part of their political agenda? It is the religious belief of the PAS members that as Muslims, they must implement Hudud, no matter how galling it may be for Karpal Singh. Likewise, who are we to judge Karpal Singh as a deviant and a traitor to his religion for not wearing a turban as is required of all those who profess Sikhism as their faith?
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| Election And Other Stories From Open Houses Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:46 PM PDT 2. Another asked me to predict the likely outcome of the coming general election. I said, bring me a spring chicken, a young cockerel, two kati of sugar and two kati of salt. Another person listening in on the conversation added, some kemenyan (incense). These are articles that a Malay bomoh – medicine man – would usually require as pengeras. They are both gifts and ingredients that would supposedly make the portion or the mantra more potent. 3. On a serious note, I think if the Barisan Nasional retains power, it is not so much because it is strong or popular, but because the oppositions are in disarray – like the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Matahir Mohamad, was recently reported as saying "better the devil you know than one that you don't." 4. At the state level, the DAP looks safe in Penang. The PKR is under threat in Selangor. Its repeated show of disrespect for the Sultan and open squabbles between the Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and deputy president, Azmin Ali, could weaken Malay support and put off the non-Malays. Pas is safe in Kelantan, but its control of Kedah could be under threat due to internal problems and the continued poor health of the Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak. Perak is not safe for the BN while Negeri Sembilan and Johor could came under attack by the DAP and Pas. Sarawak and Sabah may no longer be the BN's safe havens. The Economy And Discrimination 5. Another open house visitor, a former CEO of a now defunct Malay conglomerate, said the job market is shrinking, the government and the GLC are no longer giving preference to the Bumiputeras and the discrimination against Bumiputeras is spreading in the non-Bumiputera-controlled private sector. 6. He pointed out that while tokenism by Chinese businesses is well known, now he observes the Indians are doing likewise. He said Malaysian Indian restaurants, including the Indian Muslim ones, are paying more to expatriate Indian workers and other foreigners (salaries, government levies, free food and accommodation) and discriminate against local workers on the pretext that they are choosy and lazy. 7. I came across such a situation in my dealing with a locally incorporated US-owned bank. Since I make a point of not defaulting on my credit card payment, I receive regular telephone calls asking if I want loans on my cards. I observe that Chinese officers (who regularly addressed me as "Encik Kalio or Kadio"), would offer the highest amount, the Indian officers came second and, on very rare occasions, a Malay officer would also chip in and she offered the lowest sum. 8. I can only conclude that the Chinese executives enjoy a higher level of authority to give out loans compared to their Indian and Malay compatriots. And as for the Chinese officers calling me "Encik Kalio or Kadio", I can only conclude that they were Chinese educated. Fear Of Perkasa 9. Then there are my non-Malay doctors and non-Malay ex-military officers who are curious and, at the same time, worried about the power and influence of Perkasa. They think Perkasa is sabotaging the Prime Minister, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia agenda. 10. I think they hold such a view because they were so used to seeing the Malays rallying almost exclusively behind Umno and Pas. The two Malay-based political parties in turn speak on their behalf. 11. I asked them to consider what gave birth to Perkasa and the Malay Consultative Council (MPM), and why so many Malays, including professionals and intellectuals, are now rallying behind these NGOs and the maverick politician, Ibrahim Ali? Why do they choose to voice their concerns and demands via Ibrahim and not Mohd Najib, Abdul Hadi Awang (Pas President) or Anwar Ibrahim (the Supreme Leader of PKR)?
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| Creating a Twister From A Teacup Storm? Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:40 AM PDT The youths who showed the controversial flag on Aug 30, 2012 have come out to explain their side of the story. Read more at: http://yah-meh.blogspot.com/2012/09/creating-twister-from-teacup-storm.html | ||
| Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT People of Malaysia will indeed have to choose. Stand on the side of the oppressors or the oppressed. Support the deceiver or the deceived. Support the corrupt and endorse the looting and the pillage of this country. all done in the name of Agama, Bangsa Dan Negara. Everything is justifiable because the perpetrators are Malays and forgetting the victims are in the majority also Malays. pardon the government in shortchanging the Felda settlers giving them a measly 2.5% of the FGV shares while the bulk of the shares are hijacked by people who have no connection at all with Felda. Pardon UMNO because even though it allocates 2.5% to settlers and 3% to Felda employees, all is done in the name of Malays. Ignore the fact that LCCT is going to cost close to RM 6billion instead of RM500 million if facilities for low cost airline are built northwards of the current KLIA instead of agreeing that the facilities be built on soft ground as proposed by the MAB? Are people in the MAB making hay while the sun shines? We keep quiet because it's done by the current government which fights for Agama, Bangsa Dan Negara. Then, does that mean, the agama of UMNO endorses corruption, pillage and looting? Does that also mean that bangsa permits UMNO to do all the transgressions? And does that mean, agama, bangsa of the Malays excuse the murder of a Mongolian because she is after all just a prostitute? And finally because it is done in the name and on behalf of negara which UMNO claims absolute ownership on, all of the above are excusable? The recent spate of advertisements where various people say I chose Malaysia and I choose to vote are nothing more than self-serving vilest of propaganda. They are also self-congratulating. They seem to suggest that those who support the government choose to show the support through the voting process and those who do not, appear to be shown as people who want to change government through undemocratic means. The purveyors of these dreadful advertisements have only shown political immaturity because such hoopla does not require subtle and sophisticated thinking. They require only emotion and self-praise, while the opposite requires analysis and thought, subordinating the emotions to the rational faculty. And we know the emotional faculties are more developed than the rational. When we look at the photos of people hailed as champions of I chose Malaysia campaign in the MSM papers, we know the nature of the faculties which they represent. Liberalize the media and see what happens. Allow the free exchange of ideas and free flow of ideas so that people can judge for themselves. So choose. Stand on the side of the bully or on the side of the marginalized and trampled on? The reality and truth is we can elect in a better government. We only ask the structures of government- the civil service, the judiciary, the law enforcers, other institutions to stop toadying up to UMNO. The structures of government serve the people. They remain intact if and when a new government takes over and the business of running a government does not end with the jettisoning of UMNO. Read more at: http://sakmongkol.blogspot.com/2012/09/choosing-sides.html | ||
| Hari Malaysia 2012 - Dan Lain-Lain Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:03 AM PDT RECENTLY at a group conversation, a genuinely-concerned ethnic Chinese asked a friend of mixed parentage: "How does it feel to not have a real culture?" Excuse me? For so long – too long – we've gone about bandying our respective ethnicity as if, without it, we're rudderless. Yet we've all heard it before, haven't we, in various emphasis; guilty of it even. Our politics is shaped by it, local surveys are modelled along it, the media blares it. Worse, we judge. In our minds, many of us imagine ourselves the quintessential Ethnic Thoroughbred. There's us, and there's them, the Others. That's curious, because genetically, between one human being and the next, we're 99.5 percent alike. And in this 0.5 percent difference – which translates into height, length of nose, colour of skin, shape of eyes, texture of hair – this whole Other business emerges. We're obsessed with the Other. To be fair, we're not unique. It was a reason for imperialism and that slant was expressed candidly. British cartographers for example centered Britain on their maps, and drew it proportionally larger than it should be... Other, then, describes the process of justifying the domination of individuals or groups in the periphery to facilitate subordination. The creation of the other is done by highlighting their weakness, thus extenuating the moral responsibility of the stronger self to educate, convert, or civilize depending on the identity of the other. - Wikipedia Today, the world's religions promote the same virtues, and yet so much of religious discourse and practice is focused on differences with the Others. Women's rights groups exist to correct centuries of being the Other in a male-dominated world. Slaves were a convenient Other. The LGBTs are a convenient Other. Perhaps it is time to pause and dig for solutions which conjoin rather than divide. Let us contemplate the very phrase that so mocked and divided the marginal communities: Dan Lain-Lain. Dan Lain-Lain includes. Dan Lain-Lain is the creative hybrid which gives life its zest. Dan Lain-Lain FTW! Every community in this country has in some way or other adopted and adapted to the geography, and culture of its neighbours. Forget the thoroughbred; we're all mongrels. Whether by language or food or thought, we are mongrel. On September 16, this Hari Malaysia, join us for a celebration of Dan Lain-Lain. |
His reports helped the IPU - the world organisation of Parliaments - to take an informed stand on Anwar's Sodomy II trial.
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