The trouble with Malaysians

In one good article in off the edge magazine Feb issue, there is this article on the trouble with Malaysia is actually an book excerpt from the book New Malaysian Essays 1, is actually a very good read. It is very very relevant. Get the book if you can.


image from Amir's blog

Well there are just too many issues/trouble in there that you have to read a few times to get all. One of the trouble listed there is that we're emphasizing a lot on "multicultural race". We say it like we're the only country with multi culture race and we "lived in harmony" And after 50 years we're still showing off about it. Well yes I am proud that I live in a multicultural place but are we in harmony? Do we see beyond the colour of the skin?

One question I always asked myself... Would I vote for other race than myself? It is a very true situation ok... Yes we have plans to bring down BN, by simply not voting for BN but are we able to accept all candidate regardless of race? That to me is still a huge struggle we are trapped in. RACE!!! Because of lack of unity and more disunity for the past don't know how many years, we shy away and always group with our own race.



A look at the ceramahs I have been to tells a lot of story. I went for 3 DAP ceramahs... Huge turn out from 3k to 6-7k and majority - Chinese. Though there are some Indians and Malays and also multi racial speaker. I also went to PKR's ceramah with good speakers but the crowd was less than a thousand. Although PKR is already a multi racial party with a lot of Chinese and Indians, But because of it used to be a frightening party from 1998 the 'reformasi' era, We still can't get out of the mind trap of It is a Malay Party.

This is what I think the opposition are trying to put together. But a lot of work still need to be done. What would you think if Chinese run for PAS? or Malay run for DAP? what you perceive of them? The government now is trying to use that as a treat claiming that PAS and DAP working together. But can we look beyond that and think of Malaysia? Pas has no longer in pursue of Islamic State FYI.

Like I said in my previous post... BN has done too much damage to the opposition. Every page of the paper is on ANWAR now, speaking of negative stuff on him. DAP and PAS "working secretly" bla bla bla. As I grew up, BN has always been the good guys and the rest are all bad. That's what they instill in people's mind.

I now Have to channel it to something I believe should play a part. As a designer, I know for the very fact that branding is very important. Nothing beats a good brand. See a tick? NIKE... 3 stripes - Adidas. Though the icons are simple it carries meaning.



For once! I am siding BN on their logo. The opposition's logos are too frightening. Unlike the BN which played safe and appeal to all. Well at least I see it that way. Look at PAS for example, it is dark green. Nope it is not a colour that Chinese would normally go for. Look at DAP, the image itself looked like a missile and the colour red suggest that it is violent and yes it is a Chinese color. PKR is on the safe side though the colours are less appealing to me. And PSM a fist suggest well we all know what.

While it is clear that the opposing side's message is clear. WE WILL FIGHT... for justice, for hope... The logo's message is very strong. While BN true to its campaign, PEACE! yes when I see their logo, I see peace. No movement, a boring dacing and yes serenity... While in BN itself you have the rest of the party which all have the same boring peaceful logo.



So what am I trying to say? I think it is time and I think they are already working towards a better racial differences. That is why Barisan Rakyat came up. But that is still very much in the making. Whether or not they can really form a government to me it is still a big question. To a citizen like me. YES I want BN OUT!!! yet at the same time, I don't want to see DAP PKR PAS get in and after they form the government is "Now what?" Well the poster is there but I hope that truly one day they'll fly under the same banner just like BN

I understand that they have common goals now, But there are still some principles that they need to work at. And I think we're moving a long that line. But 1st Malaysia needs to take off our racial mask look beyond the skin. Cancel our pre-conception. For we are many race but share a common blood and our hair turns white when we're old. But this is still a long hopefully not too long to settle our differences.

Yesterday at a ceramah, a regular guy came up to speak. HE is really good. He spoke in chinese, cantonese, english, malay and tamil. And his name is Ah Tong. Yes a Chinese. He is so good in tamil that he is better in tamil than any other language including chinese. That's because he lived in an indian community. Just that simple one man pulled every raced together. That's what we want. everybody agreeing with ONE VISION. ONE PLAN. ONE NATION because we are ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA!

and oh... remember earlier I talked on how we like showing off we're a multiracial country? well maybe in the 50s-60s it worked. We however forgotten that the world is closer now. Look at places like australia, canada... They have more race that we have in Australia - chinese, italians, australians, croations, indians, aboriginies, honkie, vietnamese. So why are we still so stuck up and promote our country so highly that we're "multiracial" country?

P/S I can't wait for the elections to be over really. Like Cassie, I am sick of banners are growing like weeds everywhere so clogged up. No planning and all... pollution of land. and this is a super long post~~

4 comments:

frachely said...

BRA, unlike the States, where the parties are built on Ideologies (democratics, etc), malaysian parties are built on race. Malays for malays, chinese for chinese, indians for indians. (-__-)

I dunno whether it's possible for them to combine cuz obviously they have their own goal to achieve, and if they DO joined together, but that's only because they want to win BN. what happens after tht? conflict wil surely arise.

Ppl supports opposition simply because they want to oppose BN. there's no guarantee that the opposition (any of them) can do any better than BN.

But it's still good to let BN feels the pressure and come to aware that time has changed and they can't just conquer everything like they used to.

Eh, the very fact that Bribery & all other dirty tricks they use in election shows that MALAYSIA IS SO THIRD WORLD (T________T)

why am i so intellectual suddenly this is not my style ok haha

Cassie said...

woohoo another post on election and politics!

see bro john,i trying to be gung-ho abt it =p haha

:: J o h n :: said...

miss fangz - very intellectual! not like you punz... You are absolutely right. Every party got their own goals and it is sole purpose to benefit their own race. Which is absolutely anti-malaysia.

That is why they have are not realizing it and begin to work together. for example, PKR and DAP are very together in terms of vision and plans, I have heard both parties and they have never contradict each other in anything they spoke on in terms of plans and vision.

BN still able to conquer everything as they are always playing dirty hehe. But they may conquer the position but can never conquer the hearts of people!!!!!!!!!!!

haha cassie, thanks for being hyped up hahaha........


and this is the longest comment I ever written!

Anonymous said...

dei, is there any indelible post ah? possible ah? lol

you really should have come with me and aaron to see anwar speak la. its CRAZY. All kinda ppl together standing in the pouring rain just to listen to this ONE man.

on the way there we saw this few mat rempit guys that had the DAP flag behind thier bikes...

this has truely become not about races but abt the PEoPLE!

MAKKAL SAKHTI!
Joe