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Najib’s pretensions

Opinion
By Philip Bowring
International Herald Tribune
January 8, 2009

Malaysian pretensions

HONG KONG: In a move that could backfire by drawing attention to discrimination against Chinese, Indian and other minorities in Malaysia, the country has claimed a role in the advancement of Malays in other lands.

The Malaysian deputy prime minister and heir apparent, Najib Razak, told an international Malay/Muslim audience recently that his government would work to help support them in countries from the Philippines and Singapore to Madagascar, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Najib’s remarks may draw the attention of China, India and other countries to what has hitherto been regarded by most outsiders as a domestic issue: Malaysia’s official economic and social preferences for Malays, and by extension Muslims, which disadvantage Malaysia’s non-Malay minorities, mostly Chinese and Indian. His statements are also sure to irritate Indonesia, Malaysia’s larger neighbor and fount of Malay culture.

The word “Malay” can mean a language that is native to east Sumatra, which became the lingua franca of trade in Southeast Asia and is now the official language of Indonesia and Malaysia. Or it can mean the relatively small, mostly Muslim, ethnic group of some 20 million straddling Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia and southern Thailand. Or it can mean the much wider Malay racial/linguistic group of more than 300 million people, about 60 percent Muslim, encompassing most of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia – plus many Madagascans and minorities in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In the 1960s there was talk of a loose Malay confederation encompassing Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. However, other issues obstructed this grand idea. For Malaysia in particular, religion has come to play a central role, identifying all Malays with Islam. This notion is viewed as dangerous by many people in Indonesia, which is 80 percent Muslim but is a secular state focused on national rather than religious identity.

Najib’s effort to include Madagascar in his speech was also contentious. Madagascar was first settled by people from the Indonesian archipelago long before Islam appeared. The Muslim minority in Madagascar has mostly Arab and Indian roots. As for the Malays of South Africa and Sri Lanka, though Muslim, their roots were mostly in Java and other parts of what was once Dutch-ruled Indonesia.

Malaysian pretensions could be dismissed as hot air. But official discrimination against non-Malays in the country was eventually going to attract criticism from human rights groups and other governments. It is hard to argue that the numerically dominant Malays, who control most of the political, judicial and bureaucratic levers of power and many of the country’s major corporations, need help. Yet Malaysia’s leadership continues to claim that the Malay race and religion would be threatened by removal of privileges.

Many Malays view these privileges as perpetuating a system of patronage that enriches the elite and makes the Malay poor dependent. Yet changing the system is difficult. While gains of the opposition coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim in last year’s election offer some hope, it is naturally hard for the majority to vote away privileges – which is why India and China could become catalysts.

For decades China and India have stuck with the doctrine of noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries. But as their global role blossoms, attitudes are changing. China’s eye on the well-being of ethnic Chinese everywhere will increase as Chinese investment and tourism become more important to countries in Southeast Asia with significant Chinese minorities. Ethnic Chinese make up 25 percent of Malaysia’s population and are subject to formal discrimination. India has less potential influence, but Indian politicians have begun to listen to Hindu groups complaining about discrimination and destruction of their temples.

In practice, Malaysia is usually more tolerant than official policies and statements by politicians and clerics might suggest. The prime minister is married to a Eurasian who was born a Christian. Various royals have married non-Malays. However, mixed marriages have become rarer as barriers are strengthened by sectarian privileges allied to religious dogmatism.

So maybe the outside world could do Malaysia a favor by taking Najib at his word and speaking up in support of the minority’s reasonable request – equality for non-Malay Malaysians as well as for Malay minorities elsewhere.

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59 Replies to “Najib’s pretensions”

  1. The comment by Najib that BN will look after the welfare of minorities in other countries is the greatest joke on earth.
    BN cannot even look after the welfare of the minorities in our own country, especially the Indians here. What a big joke.

  2. Disastrous. I can’t say I’m looking forward to any foreign power claiming some sort of suzerainty over Malaysian citizens. How is that going to help unify Malaysians? And how is Najib, reminding overseas citizens (and their neighbours) that “they’re not really from there”, going to help them feel integrated in their local communities?

  3. You must look for new ways to siphon money out. The further the better. Instead of now gvng away rm100mil for development and crony getting bulk of it, u just look for a “needy” poor soul from Timbuktu.

  7. Why?!! This is good material for the application of the principles of logic and logical reasoning! What happened to the blog’s prophet of logic and logical reasoning??

    Do Ms. Hong Si Chuan who looks forward to being “enlightened by your pompous intellectual behavior” a favor. And yes, don’t forget AhPek who thinks you “will use your inductive reasoning, syllogistic arguments or maybe Boolean algebra to prove everyone else is wrong” and who thinks you’ve “become a pain in the ass to quite a few people in this blog”.

    In case you think those are my words, they are not.

  9. For decades China and India have stuck with the doctrine of noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries. But as their global role blossoms, attitudes are changing. Philip Bowring

    What attitude change are you talking about? What empirical evidence have you got that China and India are becoming race centric?

    I believe China and India will continue to treat Chinese and Indians in Malaysia as mere statistics. If there are congruence of interests, it is based on expediency rather than genuine desire to change the fortune of Chinese and Indians.

  10. limkamput:
    “What attitude change are you talking about? What empirical evidence have you got that China and India are becoming race centric?”

    what empirical evidence you are referring to?
    1. bowring does not infer the china and india “are becoming race centric”
    2. you “believe” that china and india “will continue to treat chinese and indians in malaysia as statistics”. are you believing from your conscious mind? now, where is your evidence?
    3. go read more news.

  11. It is Ok for political grandstanding/pretensions but if one is serious to implement this support to Malays from “the Philippines and Singapore to Madagascar, Sri Lanka and South Africa” the immediate problem is the question, who is a Malay or who is not!

    One should abide by the definition in article 160 of the Federal Constitution which defines a Malay as a Malaysian citizen, born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay customs and is domiciled in Malaysia or Singapore. That is because that is the law, in fact the most basic law, the Constitution.

    How could non citizens, even of same ethnicity (anthropolgically or by whatever other benchmarks) in Philippines, Singapore, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and South Africa (who may or may not be a muslim or may or may not even speak Malay language or adhere to Malay customs) qualify to be “a Malay” ithin our constitutional definition???

    If Najib takes a broader definition of a Malay other than that as defined in our Constitution, then that will be inviting more trouble of having to define such a person with all the consequences of many people, otherwise not qualified to be a “Malay” under article 160, trying to fit into this new definition to be entitled to special privileges or those considered a Malay by our present constitutional provision, and enjoying the privileges, may suddenly not qualify under the new definition! :)
    However if he follows constitutional definition, then I wonder whether there is any “Malay” (other than Malaysian citizen) in Philippines, Singapore, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and South Africa or anywhere else….

  13. -ec-, You don’t have to tell me to do anything. Unlike you, I don’t just read some tabloids and think of oneself as knowing a lot. What do you know? How many books did you read last years?

    You must be stupid to ask me for evidence. Go read more news, but make sure it is not just tabloids, got it?

  15. Limkamput
    if tat guy wants to help malays or muslims from other foreign country…..wat make u think so China & India will not show concern or well being for foreign Chinese & Indians worldwide in the near future???

  16. Wow…what a tall order and a “great” and “magnanimous” leader!!

    To look into the welfare of the likes of him ( Malay , i.e.) even in faraway lands and across boundaries. What does this mean and what are the implications?

    To ordinary Malaysians, that kind of (supposedly) “global” and cross-border ambitions really smack of lunacy and sheer madness.

    To the non-Malays, that is racism and racialism which border utter ridicule and extremism. As if to defend the Malays even in other countries has become even Malaysia’s concern and priority. As if to exhibit that kind of racist and racial posturing would make a hero and champion of him in the eyes of his kind all over the world!

    While his very own countrymen, no matter Malay, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazan-Dusun, the Orang Asli. etc., etc. do not even get the necessary or desired attention and treatment. What a load of rubbish for Mr Najib to extend the kind of attention to people who happen to be “Malay” ( in his eyes and imagination ) who are residing in other lands.

    It is not that one cannot extend assistance where it is due, such as in natural disasters or calamities. But in normal times? It is different if the overtures are in a nature such as creating links for purposes of exchanges such as trades, culture, or even just simple social and “muhhibah” programs.

    Some people in the country are crying for attention and actions to rectify social injustices, political and economic imbalances and inequality, reforms and whatnot.

    It would be wiser to look after one’s own backyard first and last. Let others look after theirs. There are indeed too many contentious and contemporaneous issues to be solved in our own backyard. Do that and you will get some more votes and support.

  17. … He cant even help the poor malays in his own backyard. What a big joke for 2009. Either he is plain stupid or his skull is completely empty or full of shit.
    The country and rakyat must be real worried to have a bum like him running the country in future. God save Bolehand!!!

  20. Najis is really pointing his teeny weeny gun at our Asean neighbours. He can’t bear the sight of fellow muslims in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore being marginalised by their respective governments.

    I think Lee Kuan Yew should say something about helping the minority Chinese in Malaysia. Then we can all sit back and watch the frenzied reaction of UMNO.

  21. The race card ha been played for more than 50yrs here in Malaysia , and now the future umno moron head wants to take to the world level , he wants to leave a legacy of racim that champions only the malay muslims., what a d i ckhead.

  22. if tat guy wants to help malays or muslims from other foreign country…..wat make u think so China & India will not show concern or well being for foreign Chinese & Indians worldwide in the near future???King Cobra

    Hello, you think the Chinese and Indian leaders in China and India will look to Naj!b for half baked view and misplaced guidance?

    Godfather, the Malays in Singapore need no help from Malaysia. On the contrary, Malaysia is in no position to do anything worthwhile for the “Malays” (whatever you choose to define) in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and other places.

  23. Take care of the garbage in your own backyard first before worrying about the backyard of other’s. There is so much shit to clear up in Bolehland itself, and I wonder where our potential PM has the time to look into the affairs in other countries.

  24. Malaysia has lost its credibility among the League of nations . Discrimination is official State policy, Blatant abuses of Human Rights . They lock up learned Lawyers who know the Law and who stick to their fair demands to bring about a fair cohesive society.How does Malaysia stand with its tainted face to demand anything from the World community?
    Murderers get away scot free, the guilty are helped by the powers themselves . Absolute wealth is accumulated BY THE SELECT GROUP WHO PLUNDER THE LAND ON A DAILY BASIS . Instead of developing Zaids type of foundations to help the young– the State develops entities like the pembela, and Biro Tata. See the exposures.
    http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/ Trennganu being the 2nd richest state has become the poorest. As all the funds have been carted away by the elite few — sitting up there for donkeys years. The poor Malays will have to wait for an earthquake if they don’t stand up to be counted !

  25. I think limkamput is right – the suggestion that China or India will act for the benefit of Malaysians who have ancestors in either of those places is silly. I can’t think of another world leader (or deputy) that would say “We are going to act for all those who look a bit like us in other countries”.

    The closest I could think of is the Pope. I have many friends in the UK who grew up in a Catholic household, as I did, and have no contact with the church at all. Whenever the subject of ‘lapsing’ or ‘religious tourism’ or ‘atheism’ is mentioned, one of them will always say “you can’t escape, you know” or “the Pope knows where you live”. Perhaps Najib sees himself in a similar role.

  27. Ha ha what a joke!
    When the Malays in Malaysia who are the MAJORITY race and in CONTROL of the government are still living in poverty and still under ‘threat’ from ‘pendatangs’ after 50 years how is this joker intending to help Malays who are a minority and living in a country under the control of a different government? How hilarious can you get!

    I have always been of the opinion that Najib is actually a simpleton and intellectually not all that different from the Bodohwi (a.k.a. pretty dumb and shallow and ultra thick skinned). His hilarious statements have continually done nothing but reaffirmed this belief of mine.

    Beware Malaysia. Don’t expect the Najib administration to be all that different from the AAB administration. Currently Dr. M supports Najib to become the next PM. Remember what an utter failure Dr. M’s previous choice of AAB was? I don’t foresee Najib to be any different. Except Dr. M this time might not criticise Najib as long as Najib is willing to bend somewhat to Dr. M’s machinations or shall we say ‘advices’.

  28. Hey limkamput – that reminds me. Saw some people ‘looking south’ again on another LKS thread, and I was just wondering if PR ever come to power, would they ‘show Singapore’ by taking the Southern states off Thailand’s hands, in exchange for Malaysia building Malaysia-Thailand’s version of the Suez canal along the new border? That’s what I’d do, if I was Emperor of Malaysia.

  29. 1. Godfather Says:
    Today at 18: 24.06 (1 hour ago)
    In combative mood today, our Limkamput. I’ll ask Prof Lee Wang Yen to debate with him …”

    The prophet of logic and logical reasoning has gone up to the mountain to meet with the “Burning Bush’ – not the one leaving the White House – to ask why his logical reasoning has failed to take roots here, and why readers fail to make sense of the intellectual gibberish.

    Limkaput was right.

  30. “That’s what I’d do, if I was Emperor of Malaysia.”

    OrangRojak,

    You can’t just become the Emperor of Malaysia. The Malaysian community is moving towards meritocracy. You’ll need to first qualify to be a eunuch in the chamber of the outgoing Emperor. You’ll need more than just a helping hand from Limkaput.

  31. “Godfather, the Malays in Singapore need no help from Malaysia.” Limkamput

    I never said that Singapore Malays need help. Only the PM-in-waiting thinks so. Oh, OK, maybe cintanegara thinks so too.

  33. ….except that there is no international market for his snake-oil. Only the dumbos who keep voting these clowns into power for the past 52 years buy the snake oil that is handed down from past UMNO presidents.

  34. What this crap talk of helping overseas malays. I remembered clearly, when Australia took over the Chrismas Island, the malays were given the option to return to Malaysia/Singapore, or to Australia. Most, if not all, chose to the latter. The message is simple Najib, “Thanks and no thanks”
    Trying to score some political points, obviously, very desperate to win in KT. Play it clean, not a chance!

  36. This is the code word and a red herring for extra-legal corruption. Now family members and cronies can reside outside Malaysia and still walk on NEP tongkats. See how smart Najib is, just like how the UMNOputras use the mantra of development to line their own pockets?

  37. The BBC doesn’t have a policy of non-interference, so I’m surprised they haven’t mentioned Zimbabwe in their two Malaysia articles today in the Asia-Pacific section of their website.

    Luqman, a proud Malay, has no sympathy for this new activism. He points out that even after decades of affirmative action policies the ethnic Malays remain relatively impoverished.

    He’s proud and points out that the NEP hasn’t helped the poor Malays?

    Beep … Come in Luqman … this is planet Earth calling … Beep … decades of NEP … billions of RM skimmed off … Beep … 30% pie held by just a few ‘leaders’ … most Malays still impoverished … Luqman? … Beep … Luqman? … Beep … I think we’ve lost him … Static, fading beeps

  41. This thing about ‘privilege’ and ‘reservation’ just makes my head spin. I can see why Luqman (I bear him no ill-will, I imagine he’s quite representative of many of his peers) might fear that they will ‘vote away privileges’.

    It’s precisely those privileges that are the cause of the impoverishment of so many Malays. Reserving 30% of companies or contracts for Malays is of what use to a Malay widow bringing up 7 children in a kampung? How many directorships and contracts will she be offered? How many Malay plumbers are offered directorships? How many Malay factory workers are offered government contracts?

    If one sector of the population held an unfair slice of the economic pie, a fairer solution would have been to increase taxes, minimum wages, welfare payments, public transport infrastructure and the amount of hours spent in free education. The unequally rich sector would have paid more, the unequally poor sector would have received more. It could even have been called a ‘unity tax’ if it was to be unusually high for a short period. Nobody would have been able to accuse a tax of being unequal. The NEP appears to me to have been carefully and deliberately designed to keep the Malay poor impoverished and to focus their frustrations away from the Malay rich.

    All that the NEP has really achieved is to put Malaysia at the top of the South East Asian Gini Wealth Distribution table (high=less equal, low=more equal). If Najib is thinking of spraying some money around, I’d like to see him do something effective about the local wealth distribution first.

    I struggled to download the videos from those BBC articles, so got them from YouTube – just search for “BBC Radio 4: Crossing Continents: Malaysia” and that should get you the videos referred to in the articles.

    Is she single? Oh I remember: I’m not.
    I suffer terribly with sudden and intense infatuations.

  43. No matter how silly he sounds, this cunning fox must put to practise what he learnt from his mentor the old jackal aka mamakfler. First he needs to create headlines, get world attention to be noticed, then just before GE-13, pick a quarrel with neighbour Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia then get UMNO’s pitsbull to stir up Malay emotion. He will then call for Malay unity under UMNO!

    Sounds familiar? Nothing new.

  44. Would Anwar say the same thing as Najis? NO! He would have to consult the other PR parties first.

    But BN is UMNO; I talk you shut-up! And the Ong Takut will still give him a big hug, praise and smile!

  45. We don’t need towering Malaysians. I say take care of your own house and do right by your citizens first before you can even think of spreading kindness to the greater sphere of the world.
    Don’t talk big and think politics all the time, empty vessels!

  47. Yes china’s attitude towards overseas chinese have changed. For years chinese in china are distinguished from overseas chinese. The words used to identify the two are “zhongguo ren” and “hua qiao”. Now chinese leaders regularly use the word “huaren” as a reference to all chinese in the world.

    Dont know much about India. But i believe india always welcome indians whatever nationality they may be.

  48. But Najib is the mother of all pretentious, pretend to be smarter than he is, an anglophile, pretend to be religious when he is a pervert. Its prefectly consistent.

    But the issue is can Najib tendency to be pretentious is a liability or asset. The truth is pretentioon has always been a good tool for UMNO – pretending to be Malay champion and then stealing for themselves, pretending to be socialist Islamic when they are corrupt capitalist, pretending to be anti-West when they are eager to join western world, etc. It always has worked.

    The other problem is Najib idea with this one as with all his ideas, are pretty mediocre. I mean its a pretty big letdown to be championing global Islamic causes and then say be a champion of malay causes, kind of falling short as well as over doing it. Not here or there.

    Najib idea seem to be all about marginal utility – anything that has some positive marginal utility just shoot and hopefully when you add it all up, it means something. Its highly unvisionary at a time requiring new visionary. Badawi claim to not need a new vision but he promised one and actually tried to go for a new vision although he failed miserably. Najib claim a new vision but don’t try actually.

  50. “This is the code word and a red herring for extra-legal corruption. Now family members and cronies can reside outside Malaysia and still walk on NEP tongkats.” -vsp

    vsp is right, now the UMNOputras can establish crony companies outside of Malaysia using Malaysian tax payer’s money. They would no longer have to be under the scrutiny of Malaysian public but yet will receive funding from Malaysian government under this programme.

  51. Downright cheap and cunning if that’s the attention he hopes to get from the world!

    Does he not realise how idiotic he sounds if that’s his idea of distracting world attention from the baggage he is carrying? – his alleged involvement in the gruesome murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu and the dirt kicks up by the much publicised controversial Eurocopter deal?

    Najib was the Defence Minister when the decision to select the Eurocopter EC725 Cougar to replace its Sikorsky S-61 “Nuri” helicopters, with competitors and Opposition Pakatan Rakyat taking the government to task for selecting the type without even conducting flight trials and at a very much bloated sum, much costlier than what others are paying!

    Is he so naive as to think we Malaysians have forgotten all these?

  52. Kongseemik Says:

    Today at 00: 08.21 (14 hours ago)
    No logic at all, Mr Najib. Don’t forget charity begins at home!

    ————————

    Er .. Actually it is perfectly logical and consistent. He and his family are doing very well, thank you.

  55. He is usually quiet. He looks quiet too. Certainly not the gregarious, loud mouth, and vociferous type. Ah ha. Now I see the reasonn. I know. There must be a reason for everything. You see when he speaks, rubbish would splatter from that gaping hole in his face.

    I suppose its alright. Some “how to be a millionaire” guru would say “believe in yourself”. At least i think he honestly believe in his own statement.

  58. Bugis, you must remember, were the result of ‘cross fertilization’ between Chinese pirates from China with local pirates from Makassar.

    So Najib is not even Malay. Take a good look at his face. As a result he has acute identity problems. People with such problems become more Malay than the Malays themselves i.e. the Malays, people they seek to identify with to make up for their lack of identity. As for his pillaging and plundering ways, well you know where that comes from.

    His ancestors were shipwrecked in a town called ‘Pekan’ (which is a native word for ‘town’) and were drawn to the local mosque the same way Obama was drawn to Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. His father rose to become Malaysia’s Prime Minister and now Najib the son follows suit to become the next PM – making history the same way Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. did, though in case of the Bushes, they were not the first father and son team to make it to the White House.

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