Sudahlah… Sudahlah…
Sudahlah… Sudahlah…
“Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both” – Thomas Jefferson
Below is an excerpt from the Malaysian Insider.
Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi today asked leaders of the ruling coalition’s component parties to stop commenting on race relations. Instead, they should discuss any grievances behind closed-doors… (Read the rest of the report HERE)
___________________________________________________
Finally the PM has spoken.
In the light of the current aggressive discourses where Malaysian politicians, regardless of parties and camps, have voiced their views in ways that may be considered by many as harping on racial issues, finally the PM urges that all these comments be stopped.
Racial issues have always been the bane of Malaysian multiracial society. They are considered as taboo, something that should not be openly discussed. It seems that the PM has also adopted this taboo-thinking by urging interested parties to discuss racial issues behind closed doors.
The question that we should ask is whether such issues are better to be discussed in discreet and under the shroud of secrecy?
I beg to differ.
Some may say that the best way to settle this problem is by talking behind closed doors. It may be successful in holding tensions at bay but it would not solve the matter. This is because racial issues come from the very mind set of the society. No matter how hard we try to hide the issues it still remain within the people’s mindset.
Some may say that it is best to apprehend the politicians and individuals who harp on such issues. Law such as the Internal Security Act 1960 allows preventive measures to be taken against those who are threatening the security of the nation. This may work in stalling the propagation of such issues but to what extent? Those people act only as the conveyor of the issues. Some may be genuine in voicing their views but some are just taking advantage of the situation primarily for personal gain.
So what is the best remedy?
Thomas Jefferson once quoted on this matter, as stated above. In essence he proposed that such issues can be remedied by education and free discussion.
As I have mentioned in my last post, the current education system allows bigotry and racism to happen. Therefore the education system must be tailored so that it promotes understanding between the races. With good understanding between the races, tolerance will then take place and later perhaps unity. This is a chance that this nation must take albeit the sure criticisms it will attract.
With regards to free discussion, efforts must be made so that racial issues can be discussed in an educated and amicable manner. Neanderthal-istic bigots must not be allowed to take center stage. There are a lot of Malaysians who are able to take part in such discourse, the ones who know the facts and figures, the ones who speak from sincere hearts, the ones who can be part of a discourse in a gentlemanly manner. I do believe that we have plenty of this model-Malaysian but for the time being they are totally overshadowed by swarms of holier-than-thou politicians.
Wallahualam.
It is common that each race jealously guards and fights for rights that they think they should deserve. Everywhere in the world we can see the constant battle between the indigenous and the non-indigenous. Some are bloody, some are peaceful and some even resulted in total destruction and massacre. Countries such as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Israel, South Africa, Indonesia, Germany and even the United States have national history tainted by the crimson ink of blood spilt by racial issues. Malaysia also once suffered such tragedy albeit in a smaller yet scarring scale.
Efforts must be made to ensure that such tragedies do not happen anymore.
___________________________________________________
P/S: Teringat kisah ‘batang sudahlah’ dalam komik cerita pendek Doreamon. Jika tidak silap jilid 22. ‘Batang sudahlah’ itu gunanya untuk membuatkan orang senyap apabila hendak marah. Caranya ialah dengan meletakkan batang itu pada mulut orang tersebut sambil berkata “sudahlah… sudahlah…” Malang sekali alat itu tidak melegakan perasaan marah tetapi hanya memendamkannya. Apabila terlalu banyak dipendam perasaan marah tersebut akan meletup.
Yes, I do read Doreamon J
sye bace doremon jugak..ok here goes d question:
“self-imposed restraints is synonymous with Constitutionalism. Its continued existence, whether there are institutions of judicial review @ x, depends less upon the institutional checks provided than upon the commonly shared knowledge that there are restraints, and upon willingness of indivs voluntarily to submit to those restraints. This brings us to the question of why would any political unit want to reduce its full sovereignty n set limits on its own behaviour. Answer this within a discussion of the application of Constitutionalism in emerging modern states such as Malaysia”
huhu~
p/s: am i talking to a lecturer @ a lawyer mayb?
I am just another man on the Clapham Bus.
Unfortunately, Pak Lah’s call for the end of open racial discussions is too little too late. Pakatan and Bn members as well have all begun to capitalize on this anger to catapult themselves to popularity.
You are right, the education system allows racism and bigotry. Opting for a change now is a difficult uphill task to do as some many groups are becoming defensive and resistant to anything resembling unity in the education system.
What is needed is a strong leader. While Dr.M was not the most popular of leaders, his policies (like teaching Maths & Science in English) was implemented because he is a strong leader.
I am not asking him to come out of retirement. But what this country needs is strong leadership. Right now everything is shaky because the leader is weak and so far “tests” on the successor also proves disappointing.
What to do?
Saudara,
Diatas bahu siapakah terletaknya tanggungjawab untuk memilih pemimpin? Jawapan yang jelas adalah rakyat jelata itu sendiri.
Sudah jelas kepada ramai orang yang mahu berfikir bahawa segala masalah yang berlaku sekarang ini adalah berikutan daripada kelemahan kepimpinan. Namun tiada apa yang mampu dilakukan oleh mereka untuk memperkukuhkan kepimpinan.
Kenapa?
Pertama, kerana mereka yang mempunyai kesedaran masih sedikit jumlahnya lantas tidak mampu untuk bertindak secara signifikan.
Kedua, kerana masih terlalu ramai lagi rakyat negara ini yang mengambil sikap berkecuali, mengambil enteng akan keadaan sebenar negara dan tidak mahu mengambil tahu tentang isu semasa. Berlawanan dengan sifat sosiologi manusia yang sememangnya berteraskan politik sepertimana dikatakan Aristotle.
Ketiga, kerana terlalu ramai orang yang hidup atas dasar hawa dan nafsi. Mengutamakan kepentingan diri dari kepentingan rakyat secara kolektif berlawanan dengan apa yang yang disarankan oleh agama bahkan Tolstoy.
Saya pasti ada banyak lagi sebab…
So what to do?
For me, the masses must first be awoken from their deep sleep of ignorance. Persoalannya sekarang, siapakah tukang kejutnya?
Salam Asri,
I think I’ve been here before, but can’t recall the exact time.
What I’m gonna say has nothing to do with Mukhriz, but I strongly believe by having our kids going to the same school, speaking the same language, and sharing the same goal, perhaps it will be a great step towards unity and gradually eliminating the prejudice.
What we’re having now is that our kids are segregated since early childhood. With bad inputs implemented into the minds by different education systems, no doubt they grow suspicious towards each other.
One more thing, Bangsa Malaysia is not a political agenda, it’s the matter of the hearts.
Wassalam.
Doraemon. Ya! Banyak alatannya yang mampu memenuhi impian setiap manusia.
Isu perkauman. Takut juga kadang-kadang bila hendak mengulas.
Saudara Asrilamirul,
How true it is. Our fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters are in a deep slumber, possibly due to their tidak-apa attitude towards politics.
Jelas dari apa yang dilalui sekarang, rakyat Malaysia yang celik-polotik sangat sedikit jumlahnya berbanding jumlah penduduk seluruhnya. Juga, rakyat yang celik-politik dan bertindak malah lebih sedikit jumlahnya.
Pada mulanya ramai yang berkeinginan melihat Pakatan sebagai kejutan dalam arena politik tempatan. Unfortunately, they have proven to be, as the Malay saying goes, Indah khabar dari rupa. What a let down.
While the Umno and the BN are surrefing from syndrome number three, as your have highlighted.
Benar kata Saudara, siapa nak kejutkan kita?
Salam,
Setuju dengan komentar di atas (Melayu Lama, Piggy Singh etc).
Melayu kena tahu bahawa ada gerakan bawah tanah yg sedang hendak menghakis kuasa Melayu di rantau ini.
Kita tidak boleh leka lagi. Para pembangkang (dan ada yang dari pihak kerajaan) sedang bergerak secara overdrive mode sekarang. Bertubi tubi maruah kita diasak.
Sekarang, ada juga yang meminta British memberi pampasan kepada pembunuhan org Cina di Ulu Yam 60 tahun dulu. Macam lah org Melayu tidak ada yg terbunuh menentang penjajah. Perli perli sebegini yang harus di ketahui kerana ianya akan membuat mereka yg buta sejarah tersalah anggap bahawa org cina juga mempunyai jasa yang lebih besar dari para pemimpin melayu dahulu kala.
sekian terima kasih.
nothing 2 do wif dis article..
erm..hv u read my asgmt question?
Masih ramai lagi rakyat Malaysia yang selalu memandang enteng isu-isu semasa atas alasan konon politik itu kotor tetapi sikap sebegini adalah terlalu individualistik.
Cadangan mukhriz adalah sesuatu yang sebenarnya sepatut difikirkan sejak dahulu lagi. Kita dapat lihat sistem pendidikan kita telah tersasar jauh dari segi pemantapan perpaduan sesama rakyat. Mahu tidak mahu kita perlukan seorang pemimpin yang kuat untuk mengubahkan.
persoalannya bersediakah kita untuk menongkah arus?
Saudara Hidup Tuah,
Komen saudara saya rasakan adalah prejudis semata. Maafkan saya jika tersilap.
Sepertimana kita prejudis terhadap kaum lain begitulah juga mereka prejudis terhadap kita. Apa yang berlaku sekarang ini bukanlah berpunca daripada sifat perkauman yang menebal tetapi ia berpunca daripada kelemahan pemimpin sepertimana yang dikatakan oleh saudara melayu lama. Perkauman (racism) adalah satu by-product kegawatan kepimpinan yang berlaku sekarang.
Sepertimana segala perkara duniawi yang lain, kuasa juga tidak kekal. Bahkan tiada apa yang kekal melainkan Allah. Kuasa politik yang dipegang oleh orang melayu juga bukanlah satu perkara yang abadi. Ia boleh hilang… Ia boleh dihapuskan… disebabkan oleh kealpaan bangsa kita sendiri, bukan orang lain.
Sepertimana kita prejudis terhadap kaum lain begitulah juga mereka prejudis terhadap kita… It will be a neverending loop of prejudice and distrust. If this continues the malaysian society will be riddled with racism thus crippling it. I pray to Allah that this will not happen. Amin.
Let us settle our differences.
Terima kasih atas komen saudara.
hey thx alot 4 ur help! i think dat’s ad sufficient..dah nmpk lar wat i hv 2 research..
Saya pun baca doraemon juga!
I’ve been reading your posts now and then. Interesting issues have been brought up so far. Good job, Asril.
Perbincangan isu perkauman di ‘closed door’, saya pun nak beg to differ. I believe in transparency in everything. Buat apa nak cakap di ‘belakang pintu’ kalau boleh disuarakan di hadapan semua? Bak kata orang, berani kerana benar.
Yang penting, tujuan untuk menyuarakan apa-apa kegusaran bukanlah untuk tujuan to incite hatred atau apa-apa yang bersifat mala fide. Perbincangan hendaklah bersifat dan bermatlamat untuk menyelesaikan apa-apa masalah yang mungkin disuarakan. Paling tidak pun, setakat berkongsi pendapat. That’s the purpose of free discussion.
And yes, when everyone is honest enough to speak the truth and at the same time to accept every comments fairly, only then can we erase the prejudice and distrust among ourselves. Encouraging a ‘closed door’ discussion in a matter such as this seems to denote uncertainty in the reaction that might/might not follows.
Dyvallion,
Terima kasih atas komen saudari. Satu perbincangan terbuka memang patut diadakan. Namun masyarakat di Negara ini masih belum berfikiran matang lantas mampu berhujah secara terbuka seperti itu. Kalau ada pun… sedikit sahaja jumlahnya… yang sedikit itu pun tidak berani bersuara… yang berani bersuara pula tidak diberi peluang…
encik asril…
awak bace doraemon juga rupanya, hehehe
tak sangka betul saya :p should get one of those comics to read one of these days, maybe get my little sister to buy it for me to save me from future embarassment LOL.
bagi aku, buang masa je bincang pasal all these racism issues. bincang punye bincang sume orang nanti leka and lupa tanggungjawab masing2. better focus on what you have to do at the moment. though it is correct that education is the best foundation for a good country.
at work nowadays, bagi aku la kan, dah takde makna dah racism nih. kalau dah dengki tu, dengan bangsa sendiri pun dia buat juga. tak kira lar sesama cina ker, melayu, india, whatever lah. and you might be surprised to find this happens kat big companies and organisations ok, where you expect everyone to be professional and all that.
pemenda tah.
pokoknya pada hati saja. mcm lagu nasyid kita belajar kat skola tu, yang pasal kalau hati itu bersihhhhh…
eh tetiber aku nyanyi plak. cuba ko tgk kat luar tu hujan ke tak :p
take care bro!