Posted on by Kit

Angry Malaysians

— CL Tang
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 24, 2011

24 JULY — Wong Chun Wai says, “Can we stop being angry people and try to make sense of the issues affecting the nation instead? Or better still, laugh at them?”; in his Sunday column, Of Angry Birds and Angry Malaysians: Sunday Star 24 July 2011.

A young man, about to become a father and a husband, saw his life tragically ended after being subjected to near inhumane interrogation by a government institution. Teoh Beng Hock was under such duress that, according to the RCI, it drove him to commit suicide. And this is someone who is apparently innocent of any wrongdoings.

An elderly lady, drenched as a result of the water cannons, walks away from a brigade of riot police, eyes stinging from tear gas. All she did was to take part in a peaceful march for electoral reforms with thousand others who suffered the same fate.

A mainstream newspaper and a so-called NGO with its bellicose leader is allowed to spew out racist rants; fan religious tensions; and spread fantastic conspiracy theories (Jewish/Communist/Christian domination, take your pick) to divert attention away from the failings of the government, with barely a murmur of disapproval from those whom we look to for protection of our shared values.

Blatant corruption are not investigated or treated with the customary “tak cukup bukti”; a government that ask its people to tighten our belts but barely able to contain its own bloated spending; and public institutions such as the police and MACC that spend more time defending its obvious masters rather than the public.

Last but not least, our mainstream media that appeals to the lowest journalistic denominator — substituting real, unbiased reporting for a shameless, one-sided politicized news and opinions that stretches the truth or manufacture controversies to hide the real issues.

And we are wondering why Malaysians are angry? What is anger, if not a mix of frustration and passion for the subject matter? When we are angry with someone, it is usually with the people we love or care about.

When we are angry with certain events, it is because the events affect us personally, directly or indirectly. Yes, we are angry. We are absolutely livid with the current leadership that have virtually stripped our public institutions of their independence, dignity and best traditions. We are enraged by so-called leaders that preaches 1Malaysia on the one hand and turns around to defend those that rubbish it.

We are furious with politicians who think that we, voters, are smart enough to vote them into office but clueless to think of ourselves that they see fit to contaminate our minds with half-truths, spins and censorship. We are furious when we see this country of plenty being plundered by those who were supposed to protect it.

Being angry shows we care. Being angry shows we still love Malaysia. Being angry shows we are hopeful. Hopeful that Malaysia may yet be redeemed by leaders who possessed the real conviction to steer this country to its full potential, for the betterment of our children and not their own well-being; leaders who serve the people with humility and not with arrogance and sense of entitlement.

Anger is good. Anger is fuel for change. WCW shouldn’t worry about angry Malaysians. He should instead worry the day Malaysians stop being angry. When that day comes, it won’t be replaced by laughter, as he suggest, but in most likelihood, by tears and resignation. I pray that the day won’t come.

23 Replies to “Angry Malaysians”

  1. wcw is not alone, he is one of those glowing prayer beads at the hands of his satanic masters.

    pity him, forgive him, for he is saying things different from his heart, just following orders from his master.

    but i hope he and his fellow beads will forgive us for preferring to call them dogs rather than beads for now.

    yes, we are angry, very angry.

  2. Wong Chun Wai is called “Father of Crocodiles” by none other than Abraham Ali. As they say, birds of a feather flock together. Or rather, snakes of the same poison frolic together.

  4. It looks like he is on his way out. Whether the next general election is called this year, 2012 or 2013 and whether BN secures a two-thirds parliamentary majority, he is unlikely to retain the UMNO presidency. A concerted effort is now being made amongst the UMNO elite to oust him, even as they publicly profess support and smile indulgently at his Satu Malaysia clarion call. But make no mistake, the jury is in. The warlords know he is finished, he has lost too much credibility both inside and outside the country to be worthwhile to salvage as their leader, or even just as a ‘front-man’. And this may be the reason for the past month’s binge of political madness that saw Malaysia completely transformed from being a nation of reason to one where Emergency rule or a police state was almost declared.

    Pop Quiz: — WHO IS HE?

  5. WCW is in a drunken stupor state of mind. He has clouded his soul with titles and rewards. Whatever he writes is just to please his political masters rather than writes what is best for the people and country.

    When his love ones are murdered, his kins discriminated and his siblings raped, I wonder if he will be angry birds or angry Malaysian.

  6. “Of Angry Birds and Angry Malaysians: Sunday Star 24 July 2011” –
    http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=onthebeat&file=/2011/7/24/columnists/onthebeat/9163401&sec=On%20The%20Beat

    ///Instead of reading an entire commentary to consider the salient points raised, some enjoy picking up a single sentence or even a word to tear apart the writer’s opinion. There’s nothing wrong with this except that it often ends up in a distasteful round of name calling and personal attacks./// – Wong Chun Wai (WCW)

  7. Guess the inclination of these two people:

    (1) “A young man, about to become a father and a husband, saw his life tragically ended …”

    (2) “An elderly lady, drenched as a result of the water cannons, walks away from a brigade of riot police, …”

    Ans:

    (1) Communism. He was killed in action by macc umno under the direction of toyo-the-indon on the order of jibby the jib. (2) Zionism. Her participation in a recent march to zionise the country was fortunately stopped by umno.

    … huh? Wot? Am I wrong again? Phaark! But but … I thought utusan said … Ohhhh, I wanna eat some bananas. Pls someone.

  8. An UMNO lapdog, totally out of touch with the times. Half the time he is apologising for UMNO, the other half of the time, he tell us to join him in the chorus of “don’t worry, be happy”.

  9. WCW did not say Malaysians have no basis to be angry, as writer CL Tang implies. He merely says that anger should not cloud/choke people (including media bloggers etc) on both sides of political divide to the extent that they can neither debate discuss or argue issues rationally without taking commentary out of context & resorting to personal attacks & name calling.

    Undoubtedly WCW’s writings have, by and large, been cleverly skewed to promote BN’s, particularly MCA’s interest (though also undoubtedly this guy has more flair than the Awang of Utusan in this respect). He is obviously quite ‘good’ journalist in terms of thought and writing skills though obviously not “good” in sense of writing the truth according to what he knows and probably personally believes in (according to the highest tradition of journalism) without at the same time skewing for the interests of powers for the side of his bread which is buttered. How else could explain his rise up within MCA’s Star and rubbing shoulders with who and who amongst the power circle to get the info/perspective for his pieces?

    Whatever may be said of his general drift/purpose of his writings, excerpts “Of Angry Birds and Angry Malaysians” should not be taken out of context lest we be guilty of what he says and let him have te last laugh.

  11. Jeffrey:

    We did not take his words out of context. He implied that we, the Opposition, resort to name-calling, to childish rants, and to unfair accusations. Did he write about the “warnings” given by Perkasa, or to the “warnings” given by Zahid regarding the Scorpene expose ? Did he give any comment regarding the plight of the poor when the government is spending RM 16 billion on bloated defence deals ? Did he say that he understood the dilemma of the Opposition when the Speaker of parliament is totally unprofessional and unethical compared to the Speaker of Westminster ?

    No, this guy owes his living to his political masters, and not to the rakyat. That much is obvious from his writings.

  12. Actually in response to what WCW commented – why Malaysians on both sides of political divide are so angry as to be unable to engage rationally, dispute & disagree civilly with the view to bridge differences – there is a probably also a reason. First the govt, the pro UMNO, pro govt pro BN supporters have never resorted to reason or rationality; every now then race or religion is raised and skewed to advance agenda of their vested interests in the existing system. The other side is simply oppressed. There’s no room in any form of rationality to get a sympathetic listening to their view points, change things in the country for the better. One gets people like Awang saying that TBH’s suicide is attributable to DAP! If there were no common bridge across and spanning the divide whereby rational traffic can have egress & ingress to and fro, what can be expected? Its do or die, like in Bersih street protests, one side shoots chemical laced water with cannon bricks and tear gas whilst the other side will hurl stones and bricks, and one of these days blow up the bridge! Surely WCW knows our divide is not parallel to the “decorum and dignity” of the political debate over UK’s News of the World debacle.

  13. Did he write about the stupidity of spending RM 1.8 million on Facebook ? Nah…Did he write about the speculative conclusion of the RCI on TBH ? Nah….did he write about the PSM 6 and how justice is being denied ? Nah….did he write about the gross stupidity of Utusan regarding their claim that DAP is responsible for causing TBH’s death ? Did he write to tell the UMNO goons that the RCI actually found that there is no basis whatsover to the claims that DAP had committed corrupt acts in Selangor ? Did he call for action to be taken against the MACC ?

    Of course not, because that would mean the end of this rice-bowl. Is this not prostitution ?

  14. Re God father’s posting: He did also write (in an attempt to project balance”) – “The authorities have not been consistent. The police have stopped opposition ceramah, arrested those taking part in candlelight vigils and ridiculously nabbed politicians wearing yellow T-shirts with the word “Bersih” blah blah. He also lamente about stupidity of blacking out the Economist. His main point about Malaysians on both sides of diovide being so angry as to be unable to argue issues is generally fair though I agree when it comes to giving examples, he will not resist or fail to skew and complain in relation to Bersih the “faked deaths” or demand for 21-day campaigning period. The Star editor Joseph Raj got into trouble with Home Ministry over Bersih’s poll. Sometimes I wonder how WCH let that slip by. Judging from his article immediately after Bersih, its almost as if deep inside he’s supportive of Bersih’ aims (which rational person wouldn’t?) though for bread and butter reasons he’s certainly not overtly risking anyone construing he has changed his customary pro establishmnt position.

  15. ///No, this guy owes his living to his political masters, and not to the rakyat. That much is obvious from his writings./// – Godfather.

    I agree with the assessment. There is no doubt about it. However I am just addressing his “Of Angry Birds and Angry Malaysians”; that C L Tang has taken an excerpt out o context to start his article to say Malaysians have every right/reason to be angry (which of course we do) as if WCW has in his “Of Angry Birds and Angry Malaysians” said or implied that we don’t. He merely pointed out that we being angry no more talk rationally or civilly on issues across the divide like in UK.

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