By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor
Wan Azizah policy speech at the recent PKR congress was a breath of fresh air into politics in the country. She did not introduce some policy of the nature of 1 Malaysia. What she gave was a dream of building a united and progressive Malaysia with a policy designed to change the political landscape.
Wan Azizah has a dream for Malaysia where all Malaysians whether Malays, Chinese, Indians or Kadazanas are considered as masters and equals in their own country. Her dream is to spread the concept of KETUANAN RAKYAT which means that all Malaysians have the same status and equal opportunities in all the fields of human endeavour.
This is a bold step by Wan Azizah, and just as Martin Luther King had a dream which unleashed a new era for the blacks of America, so will Azizah’s dream open up a new world for Malaysia to be as progressive, compeitive and a high income economy as the tigers of Asia like Singapore, Hong Kong, S Korea and Taiwan.
Wan Azizah does not believe in ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) as espoused by Umno and Perkasa. A policy which has divided the people and imprisoned the poor whether Malays, Chinese or Indians in the world of poverty and backwardness.
Four decades of Malay supremacy and the New Economic Policy have caused the economy to stagnate compared to the tiger economies whose per capita income range from US$18,000 for Taiwan to US$34,000 for Singapore compare to a per capita income of US$8,000 for Malaysia.
40 years of Malay supremacy have kept kampong Malays poor, uneducated, uncompetitive and their youths ill prepared for the competitive era of a global world. Admittedly, the ones who benefitted from Malay supremacy were Umno cronies, rent seekers who made millions from negotiated tenders, APs and land concessions.
It is cruel for Umnoputras to insist on Malay supremacy and corrupt practices just to make cronies into millionaires while the poor in the kampong stay poor, uneducated and not adaptable to the modern world.
All these have to change, and it is up to leaders like Wan Azizah who will make the change with her dream of ketuanan rakyat where opportunties are given to all, and by their own initiative, dedication and hard work, they will become rich and prosperous in a high income economy on the same level as the Asian tiger economies.
The three partners of PR have given full support to article 153 of the constitution which gives guarantees to uplift the economic status of Malays and natives. PR have our plans that they will receive the best education and financial asistance to top education, acquisition of technoloy and the know how to be successful professionals, entreprenurs and successful businessmen.
The State Gomen of the 4 States under PR should continue to highlight their financial prudency through flyers in Bahasa, a majority of the rural population is rather ignorant of this fact. Ditribute them around to awaken them to reality of the situation; also include in it the performances of BN controled States. Use facts and figures to counter half-truths from the main Media. It gonna be a tough process but it needs to be done. A good majority of Malaysians is very ignorant of both local news and what happen in other neighbouring countries. At the rate President Bambang is handling Indonesia, don’t be surprised if they take on us within 10 years! They have planned to do what must be done to move forward while we still bogged ourselves with” Ketuanan” and half truths!
Let her dream come true.
waterfrontcoolie, you’re right.
The PR must immediately use all channels at its disposal to awaken the people, especially those in the rural areas, not only in Peninsula Malaysia, but equally important, in Sabah and Sarawak, about what is going on in this country.
With the BN doing the PR favour after favour by shooting itself in both feet, it should not be a very tough job!
Also, let the people know what the PR can do for them when its in Putrajaya.
Don’t forget to counter the 1Malaysia, transformation programs and other bullshit of the BN at the same time.
There are no ifs and no buts; PR must be in Putrajaya after the next GE.
The alternative is too ugly to comtemplate!!
Wan Azizah found herself in the neighbourhood of elm street where freddumno prowls and preys on dreams.
… and the story ended with the horrible death of freedumno.
M’sia’s population is growing fast, soon we will hv 30 million ppl
What will dis fast population growth do 2 d estimation of per capita income? Up, down?
The truth is Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah represent any real hope of PKR and even more so PR. Without them, the men would be useless and finished. If the world was fair, either one of them would be lifted to the highest office and do a better job than the men would, politics aside.
Unfortunately, they are better thinker and stronger character than they are politicians, – profession where dishonorable and lesser character tend to be majority.
Please ban the word “Malay”, “Chinese”, “Indian”, “Iban” etc when Pakatan parties address the rakyat….we want to be addressed as Malaysian.
No more my political party fight for “Malay”, “Chinese”, “Indian” etc. One race is not taken care all will die…..time is running out the Asian tigers has leap frog us, we were once a great country we call Malaysia.
Yeah, pursue the dream of People Supremacy
Coupled with a common vision and strategy
Always carry out only what is right
Bring all Umno/BN wrongdoings to light
Seek justice when slandered by adversary
Educate esp voters in rural constituency
Keep up good governance in your states
May the people give you the mandate
PR must not rest on its laurels
The possibility of defeat is real
You must always “add fuel”
To have a chance to win the duel
To retain the states under your control
To gain more states which is one goal
The main goal to get BN out of Putrajaya
To build a united progressive Malaysia
Vote PR into Putrajaya come next GE.
Malaysia Parliament cabinetreally lack good hearted genuine fair and umcorupt leadership>>>> anyway “”Kudus to Wan Azizah…a visionary leader of tommorrow …hope yr dream turn into Reality……sooner the better.””
Vote PR into Putrajaya come next GE
“Ketuanan Puteh” was practised by the Boers and their descendants in South Africa
To win votes, Hitler capitalized on his concept of the Aryan master race. Jib is doing the same with his ketuanan me-layu
/// …for Malaysia to be as progressive, competitive and a high income economy as the tigers of Asia like Singapore, Hong Kong, S Korea and Taiwan. ///
The sine qua non of an Asian Tiger is that the vast majority of its population are chopstick wielding.
So, Malaysia can still make the grade, provided it stop chasing away its chop-stick wielding talents and stop importing cheap immigrants.
///She (Wan Azizah) did not introduce some policy of the nature of 1 Malaysia/// – Dr Chen Man Hin.
Actually PKR’s “Ketuanan Rakyat” and PM Najib’s “1 Malaysia” (as he explained it) have fundamental underlying similarities, except for differences in nuances and emphasis.
For examples: –
· Both are aimed at making our country progressive and competitive and our economy a high income one;
· Both do not accept “Ketuanan Melayu”, the difference being in nuance in that PKR’s “Ketuanan Rakyat rejects it explicitly whereas “1 Malaysia”, implicitly, in promoting Malaysian first and race second and appreciation of Malaysian ethnic plurality;
· Both uphold Federal Constitution and the Special Position of Malay Rulers Malay Privileges, Islam as official Religion as enshrined in Federal Constitution;
· Both uphold Affirmative policies based on need based than race based implementation. Both contend that even if need based Malays being majority less well off require more affirmative help. In nuance “Ketuanan Rakyat” rejects NEP tainted by its wayward race based implementation. “1 Malaysia” itself is not so explicit about rejecting NEP though its implied in Najib’s explanation of what “1 Malaysia” is about which is someone contradicted by his public speeches before the Bumiputra Economic Congress in which in face of Perkasa’s open support of NEP, he conceded that the NEP would not be jettisoned.
So much for their essential similarities, on the question of the differences between “Ketuanan Rakyat” and “1 Malaysia” -PKR’s “Ketuanan Rakyat” is more pithy, less complicated and more effective political slogan than “1 Malaysia” by following reasons.
“Ketuanan Rakyat” confronts headlong and rejects Ketuanan Melayu (Malay dominance or supremacy) whereas “1 Malaysia does not mention it and leaves its irrelevance to implications. Another major difference is that PKR/PR having never had the experience in Federal Government is basically saying that the Country starts on a clean slate based on this motto of people’s supremacy. Opposition party has no historical baggage to look back to.
(Continuation from preceding post) –
“1 Malaysia” is different. It carries historical baggage. It has become confusing to a lot of people because the word “one” or “1” as in One (1) Malaysia means covering and integrating the whole, not just in terms of the interests of all communities but also integrating and synthesizing, as a whole in “one”, all political philosophies/ideologies beginning from Tunku’s time right through to Dr Mahathir’s time (‘Wawasan 2020’ or ‘Bangsa Malaysia’), passing through Pak Lah’s Islam Hadari to present Najib’s 1 Malaysia).
The PM made clear that “the 1 Malaysia concept was formulated to continue the pragmatic vision of previous Umno and government leaders who wanted to promote national unity” – hence that’s why he called it “Work in Progress”.
This “1 Malaysia” is a clever formulation in certain senses and not very practical in other senses. It is clever in that, firstly, it pays respects to continuity and the political platforms of predecessors – from Tunku to Pak Lah by saying that “1 Malaysia” embodies all these and their continuation as “work in progress”. It is also very deft and clever to indirectly hint and imply that the present PM is most competent to fix the nation’s problem by the corollary to “1 Malaysia” ie “People First Performance Now”.
This suggests that if 1 Malaysia were but a continuation of previous administration’s visions, then obviously previous administrations have, though with the right, and even same vision, not used the right methods and have not got the right results. The present administration is different mah – it has the right methods (ie the various workshops, KPIs for Ministers etc) and the right emphasis (ie People first and Performance now) to get the right results (unity of people, high income economy etc).
It is, however, not that “practical” because if one says that “1 Malaysia” is actually a continuation of pragmatic visions of previous Umno and government leaders who wanted to promote national unity, progress and so on (but perhaps did not quite achieve these because of not so right emphasis or methods of implementation), then “1 Malaysia” becomes immediately entangled with the inherent contradictions of preceding administrations’ policies. There are many contradictions, and I will just name one: how could one embrace/juggle the pursuit of excellence and meritocracy with strong and existing pervasive affirmative assistance to one segment of the population or TDM’s proclamation of Islamc State???
This makes “1 Malaysia” confusing because those esp Non malays who reject the NEP will say that its inclusive message rejects race based NEP’s implementation whilst those who have vested interest in existing race specific implementation of the NEP will equally argue that 1 Malaysia embraces it because it represents no break from policies of preceding UMNO leaders and governments, totally ignoring the contrary nuances!
In contrast PR’s “Ketuanan Rakyat” is different. It is not linked to any previous policies. There is no historical baggage, noting to compare. It sounds at least like a new Canvass to paint the nation’s vision – unlike “1 Malaysia”, a piece-meal patchwork on an existing painted canvass, touted as improving it!
No need for lengthy analysis. Ketuanan Melayu simply means the Melayu is the master or host of the house, which implies others are guests. Guests are there at the grace of the host.
1 Malaysia? Just a slogan.
Ketuan Rakyat – The citizens are masters of their own country. I like this: Simple and straight forward. About time too because we have so far been having only leaders who are caught in a time warp… unable to see that those guests of yesteryear are now several generations old and thoroughbreds Malaysian.
Don’t waste time analysing meaningless slogans.
Contrast between Ketuanan Melayu and Ketuanan Rakyat is indisputably easier and straightforward than (say) between Ketuanan Rakyat and 1 Malaysia.
Jeffrey, thanks for your analysis.
But one has to look beyond the verbiage to assess the truth of the matter, right?
I think I am not far from the mark to say that Malaysians generally perceive that:
1Malaysia is plain sloganeering. What I call ‘almost’ pure BLUFF.
Admittedly, “Ketuanan Rakyat” is a slogan too. BUT I think Malaysians want to give Pakatan Rakyat a try. After all, they have had the devil of a BN for the last 50 years and been bluffed to high heavens (you see how far 1 BLUFF can take you!), now it is worth giving PR a try for 4 years, right.
C’mon, it’s just 4 years for PR- and we shall be able to exorcise all DEVILS – PR or BN.
Be it Ketuanan Rakyat or 1Malaysia, always easier said than done. Both appear to be some what rhetoric rather than political ideology that deeply entrenched in either side’s manifesto or in practice, and how it can be translated into actions that benefit the country remain a question mark. If we analyze these slogans thoroughly and what they stand for word for word, it either contradicts itself or purely against the basic of our constitution monarchy, it is the basis of a republican nation. I think PR ought to think twice about about their slogan.
People want solution to their problems, uncertainties, debt, unemployment, security and high cost of living. People want solution and the only way political parties can offer solution is to know the problems people are facing everyday, not Ketuanan Rakyat. “Ketuanan” is not a good word, it is extreme and fanatical, if it is a good word then Ketuanan Melayu is also good, do it is a bad word and PR must refrain from using the word “Ketuanan”.
The universal agenda should be and must be the economy. Najib’s economic transformation to high income country which based on hedonistic value and spending future money belong to the dustbin, it came with a high price of servitude. The solution to our economic woes is managing our natural resources and protect our environment, making sure basic necessities like quality of air, water, food, medical, education and housing remain stable and affordable. It is not that difficult at all.
Wan azizah’s statement on ketuanan rakyat is a restatement on democracy – for malaysia that is. If we were a true democracy such restatement is actually not necessary. But we are not – well not under umno. In a true democracy, if we have it in malaysia, then the people would reign supreme; and the government of the day (whether umno or pakatan) would be the servant of the king and the nation (and her people). So wan azizah’s call for ketuanan rakyat is in fact right and proper.
What about 1malaysia then? First of all 1malaysia is about hmm … errr … errmm … dum di dum di dum … err about … huh? Oh. Errr … Weeeellll, the closest I can come to is this. Based on umno’s conduct and expressions made in public, it appears to be about ketuanan umnoputras. It would be fair to observe that Jib at times do seem to say something else. But his views have consistently been shot down by some people in umno or were drowned or contradicted by the rest of umno who prefer the practice of apartheid jenis umno.
So there. 1malaysia and ketuanan rakyat are not the same thing. Not at all. The latter is something you want to cherish and the former is something you want to flush down the toilet bowl right away.
dawsheng in #17 thinks Ketuanan Rakyat (as well as Ketuanan Melayu) contradicts “basics of our constitution monarchy” and is instead “basis of a republican nation”. I think PR ought to think twice about their slogan/// – dawsheng #17. dagan however in #20 thinks Ketuanan Rakyat is reconcilable with constitutional monarchy. He says, “in a true democracy…people would reign supreme; and the government of the day (whether umno or pakatan) would be the servant of the king and the nation (and her people). So wan azizah’s call for ketuanan rakyat is in fact right and proper.”
At the end of the day people are always creative and ingenious. They can always devise a plausible argument for and in support of whatever to suit their own favourite Causes and interests. Hence apologists for Ketuanan Rakyat and even Ketuanan Melayu can argue to reconcile their choice with our existing Constitutional Monarchy.
In case of Ketuanan Melayu : Rulers are by our Federal Constitution head of Islam – the religion being synonymous with cultural identity of Malays- and guardian of Malay Rights and Privileges, so if Islam is official religion, so Malay cultural identity is also the nation’s cultural identity. Since Malay privileges are constitutionally guaranteed and protected by Rulers and the tenure of Malay Privileges is up to Malay Rulers to decide, the sovereignty and paramount position of Rulers make them the fount and symbol of Malay political and cultural dominance, thereby reconciling Ketuanan Melayu with institution of Rulers/Constitutional Monarchy.
Equally in the diametrically opposite case of Ketuanan Rakyat, the apologists for it will argue:
• the People are sovereign;
• their sovereignty is represented by the traditional Rulers the institution of which is subsisting with the people’s consent;
• the Monarch, as head of the symbolic Government, oversees the work of the Government;
• the Government governs the People with their consent via representatives in Parliament.
By this loop of argument, sovereignty of people is reconcilable and consistent with sovereignty of Rulers and system of Constitutional Monarchy.
Colonial Master Britain that bequeathed our Constitution also shares same system of Constitutional Monarchy. No one can say that their political system is not based on sovereignty/supremacy of the people exercised via representatives in the House of Commons. Yet the Monarch/Queen is still sovereign there in calling and dissolving parliament, where all legislations, executive orders appointment of judges are made in the name of the Queen. It is not necessarily just a nominal position of rubber stamping though most time, especially peace time it is. In World War II supreme leader Churchill did regularly consult the then reigning monarch King George IV (not on daily conduct of the war) but certain critical important decisions related to it.
Nasri said that Ketuanan Melayu means the rulers who are Malays. By that the word ketuanan takes the meaning of Ruler. So Ketuanan Rakyat carries the meaning that Rakyat is the ruler, and it means that the 26 million rakyat are rulers. Hence Ketuanan Rakyat to Nazri is seditious.
If Malaysia practices true democracy the citizens have the right to choose the government. The citizens are therefore owners of the nation, because they have the right to choose the ‘rulers of the nation’ to serve as the government. As owners and hence rulers of the land, they can pick the government which could change the structure of the government calling the country a republic with the present Rulers serving also as Governors of the states and President of the country.
The Rulers were insulted during the 1992 constitutional amendment when the Prime Minister of the day was allowed to commit offences against the Seditious Act with impunity. The new government, the PR that is, should remove the Sedition Act so that the position of the Rulers will not abused by the ruling government. In fact the constitution amendment of 1992 making the rulers subject to the ruling of a special court is an insult to the constitutional monarchy. The amendment should be rectified.
Why should Nazri consider the statement that all Malaysians are rulers more hurting to the Rulers than the amendment in 1992 subjecting the Rulers to have their personal actions to court rule? Who gives Nazri the right to change the meaning of the word ketuanan to mean ruler? Is the Attorney General obliged to obey Nazri in interpreting the meaning of the word ketuanan?
And immediately after Wan Azizah’s speech…out come PERKASA Youth Chief calling her “political prostitute”…totally no manners and utterly distasteful man.
Few days passed…not one so call cultured UMNO B politician dare to scold that gorilla in the mist..appearing suddenly to champion so call Malay Supremacy that way.
No way… it is Malay Supremacy. It is always UMNO Supremacy…and nothing they do is wrong…take it or leave it.
Mahathir had such big inferiority complexes started it all…with change reactions..all know too well.
Wan Azizah is a politician for all Malaysians…and that worries racists alot.
“Ketuanan Melayu” in its ordinary meaning has always meant and taken to mean Malay supremacy or Malay dominance based on the claim that the Malay people are the tuan (masters) of Malaysia.
Now they have twisted it to mean something else – supremact of Rulers – just to show on one hand that they are not racist and on the other hand achieve the same objective of ensuring Malay dominance as Rulers are by constitution protectors of Malay culture, tradition and religion.
According to Wikipedia the spin appeared to have taken shape since the time Minister of Youth and Sports in Pak lah’s cabinet (Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek) “insisted that ketuanan Melayu did not imply a master-slave relationship in any sense between the Malays and non-Malays. Instead, he suggested, it referred to the institution of the Malay monarchs, who had once been the “masters”, but gave up their primacy when the Federal Constitution was adopted at independence. Shabery cited Article 182 of the Constitution, which grants the royalty certain legal immunities, as an example of Ketuanan Melayu.”
It is however doubtful that the Rulers themselves understand the meaning of “Ketuanan Melayu” to mean what Shabery then and Nazri now said.
According to Wikipedia, “some prominent members of the royalty such as the Raja of Perlis and former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Syed Jamalullail have themselves been critical of ketuanan Melayu; in early 2009, the Raja stated that “In Malaysia, every race is tuan [master]… I believe that if everyone understands that every individual of any race, should not be deprived of their rights, then the efforts of certain parties who think that the supremacy or rights should only be given to a particular race can be stopped.”
I am absolutely baffled how “Ketuanan Melayu” in sense of Supremacy of Rulers, as interpreted by Shabery & Nazri is reconcilable with our Constitutional monarchy form of government especially when by UMNO govt’s own constitutional amendment under TDM’s administration, (a) if Royal Assent is not extended within 30 days of presentation, the bill will still become law and (b) Rulers do not enjoy legal immunities of offences comited from acts in personal capacity except that they have to be tried by Special Constitutional Courts. Yet the especial skewed meaning given to the word “Ketuanan” now serves expedient to label PR’s “Ketuanan Rakyat” supremacy or sovereignty o the people) as “derhaka” (disloyal traitorious to Royalties tantamount to seditious).
This playing with meaning of words (verbal word play), twisting its ordinary usage to something else, and by so doing, also pushes logic and common sense beyond its limit is well illustrated in Lewis Carroll’s nursery book “Through the Looking-Glass” in which when challenged by Alice that one cannot use words simply as he wishes, Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone,”’When I use a word, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less” — at the end of the day it depends on who has power to enforce what the word means or should mean….
Maybe the nation needs a Lady Prime Minister! Certainly not those obese ones who can only go for tours or hand out APs only. We need a lady PM who can lead through long term plan with the needs of the nation right under her eyes. As it is, we have too much of slogan wars in the air; all made by people who have nothing to offer except the greeds in their look. Progress can not be achieved just through sloganeering, and most mothers know it: it is sweat and more sweat!!!
Wan for one Malaysia!
Better still — rename 1Malaysia as WanMalaysia
???? ?? ?????