9/28/2015

Jamal released, an ugly crisis avoided

While many Singaporeans spent their weekends complaining about the irritating haze and the missed opportunities to go out there to have their fun, the minorities in Malaysia heaved a sigh of relief. The harrowing experience of May 13 almost descended on them and many feared that they would end up as carnage on the streets bathed with blood, and their homes and shops razed to the ground like before. It was fear everywhere that prompted the MCA chief to call on Najib to put a stop to the Saturday’s second Red Shirt Rally in Chinatown. And in desperation, the Chinese Ambassador was invited to visit Chinatown to make a statement that what the Red Shirts were planning was unacceptable.

The Police acted and arrested Jamal, the UMNO NGO head who was associated with the Sep 16 rally and the planned Saturday rally into Chinatown. With Jamal out of the picture, and with increasing pressure and international spotlight on the grave acts waiting to happen, reasons and wisdom took over and the rally was called off. It was unimaginable should the Red Shirts be let lose to do what they intended to do in Chinatown and to the ethnic Chinese community. How the situation could escalate to such a level in modern and supposedly moderate Malaysia only showed that beneath the façade of calm, all is not well. A little provocation and instigation and the primordial instinct of mob behaviour would surface. In the 21st Century, the thought of political leaders tapping on racial hostility and to exploit it to create mob violence for personal interests is scary and unforgiveable.

The Malaysian Chinese from now on would appreciate better the presence of a powerful China to fall back on to avoid being massacred freely like in the past. Those were the days when China was hapless and could only watch in vain, too weak to do anything, and many ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia were easy meat to be slaughtered with impunity by the natives. Hopefully those days would never happen again because of a powerful China that could intervene to prevent further bloodshed, but more as a result of enlightenment, civilisation and progress among the people in the region, to move away from the old tribal ways when life was short and brutal.

Countries and societies should be governed by the rule of law, not raw naked primitive power. Malaysia is still in transformation, from bad to good and some from good to bad. The power brokers in Malaysia are changing sides. The forces of progress have degenerated while the forces of extremism have turned moderates. In the midst of trouble times, a beckon of light appears from a forgotten royalty that was ostracized by the politicians for the very same reasons the politicians are guilty of today. And the royalties have returned to be a force of moderation, modernization and wisdom, to put the politicians in their rightful place, not to abuse the power bestowed on them by the rakyat. A badly behaved political fiefdom would now have to reckon with the royalties to stand up for the rakyat, to assume their rightful place as rulers and protectors of the rakyat, and to put the usurpers back to where they are.

An unusual calm has returned to Malaysia, but life is still far from normal. There could still be fireworks when Najib returns from the UN. Or would he be retained by the Americans for his vices and remove the source of all the problems during this critical time?

12 comments:

  1. Please lah, it's all thunder, but no rain, not even lightning. Just like the Sinkie netizens scolding PAP on the internet.

    Racial riots like the one on May 13 1969 will not happen again lah.

    Always remember one thing, if the Malays riot, they will also lose, and lose badly because there are many, many more rich Malays now than in 1969. So it is a lose lose and big big for everyone.

    I would even say the chances of a racial riot in Malaysia is as good as PAP being voted out in the next election.

    Yes Matland Malays may be unhappy, but they will never dare to riot, any more than majority Sinkies may be unhappy, but they will never dare to even give the opposition more seats due to the fear of accidentally voting PAP out.

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  2. Calm Before Storm? Calm Before Storm?

    Yes! An unusual calm has returned to Malaysia.

    Hope that this is not calm before storm.

    Wasted! Wasted! Wasted!

    Malaysia has always been many Singaporeans popular shopping
    and holiday neighbour, especially now with 3:1 exchange rate.

    纸是包不住火! 纸是包不住火!

    Will the calm "sustainable"?

    We shall see.

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  3. Please lah daft Sinkies. If the Sat protest was allowed to proceed you can bet hell will break loose. Not be so simple minded. Ask the Malaysian Chinese. Their lives were at stake. Don't be a blur sotong living in a well.

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  4. Someone posted this post in OutSyedthebox blog on the Chinese Ambassador’s comments at Petaling St yesterday…conspiracy theories abound, hmm..

    Anonymous Friday, September 25, 2015 9:26:00 PM

    I think the Chinese ambassador was there to head off something more sinister. If you look at the atmosphere in the past few days, someone was planning a major racial incident so that emergency law can be imposed to destroy all efforts to investigate 1MDB and Najib’s USD700m. These events have been happening in the past few days:

    1. Najib conveniently not in town
    2. IGP on haj … out of town
    3. Jamal ikan bakar threaten govt and riot in Petaling St
    4. No UMNO ministers dare speak up against him
    5. Some senior UMNO people ratchet up ‘don’t play with Malay speeches
    6. The usual UmNO has further intensified the ‘protect Malay’ speeches
    7. Radio silence from DPM / Home minister to Ikan baker’s threats
    8. Deputy Home Minister ‘asked’ politely to ikan bakar to stop, dun even have guts to tell ikan bakar off.
    9. Lethargic reaction from police … no instruction from top to go after ikan bakar.
    10. Alternative media blows up “riot” news.
    11. Social media got heated up with for and against talks.
    12. Ali tinju rachet up the threat.
    13. Petaling street traders started to freak out
    14. Tense atmosphere can be felt everywhere … social media, in the streets …
    15. Eerie silence from the law enforcement people

    The tinder box is almost ready to be lighted up!!!

    The Chinese ambassador received information that someone was orchestrating this. Received greenlight from Xi Jinping to step in. Ambassador visits Petaling St …. kongsi, kongsi to all traders and shoppers … (Yes, you are right, the communist Chinese do not do this kind of stuff without greenlight from the very top!!!)

    After the visit … you would have just read …
    a. DPM suddenly came out to say Muslims must respect other religions
    b. Ikan bakar says will not be at Petaling Jaya
    c. Ali tinju says rally tomorrow cancelled

    The message from China is subtle but extremely loud to Najib …PLEASE DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH SUCH THINGS! And do you think the Chinese ambassador didn’t give his counterpart in the US embassy, Australian consulate and British consulate a call first before he went shopping and had a bowl of noodles in Petaling St?

    And you are right, this is Kemaluan Besar for Najib and our country!!!

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. @ dangerously WRONG (but I like it), redbean,

    >> The Malaysian Chinese from now on would appreciate better the presence of a powerful China to fall back on to avoid being massacred freely like in the past <<

    People don't think of "consequences" when they go on a rampage, like a race riot. The Mat's are not thinking in their heads:

    "Adoi, better treat the Cheena well, wait China get angry...Insha'lah!"

    The way the riot flares is by PURE EMOTION---anger, rage, envy all comes out in explosive fashion from the thousands in the mobs, all at the same time. That is why this human dynamic is SPECTACULAR TO WATCH.

    Case e.g.: The recent STAMPEDE in Grand Mosque was fuelled by PURE EMOTION. Once some "tipping point" is reached, the mob goes crazy and cannot be stopped until it stops by itself.

    IMO, no Malaysian Chinese is safe. However, that's ok. They are AWARE that UMNO doesn't like them. If they ignored that fact all these DECADES, they did it willingly.

    To suggest that the Mats won't hantam the Chinese because China will get mad and retaliate is just PURE FICTION. At the moment, the Mats might not be too quick to go toe to toe, because they know they cannot "intimidate" Malaysian Chinese, who will fight back fiercely, and might even WIN.

    Eh brudder, relac lah. Jangan main main. Malaysian Chinese are definitely not cowards.

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  7. Despite being investigated by the US Authority, Najib is at New York to attend
    the Meeting with other Heads of State.
    He shook hands with the Other Dignitaries from United Nation Chief to the Chief of China, US and More.

    Did the US Authority take Najib to task?

    Najib has no problem enjoying his Head Of Nation Status in the US.

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  8. They cannot do anything to Najib over there lah! There are important American businesses and citizens in Malaysia and any action in NY is bound to have a bad reaction in Malaysia, what with the other leaders waiting to draw the keris and draw blood. You don't fool around with natives who still practice headhunting.

    Further, I believe there is such a thing as immunity enjoyed by foreign diplomats and heads of state and cannot be touched.

    Najib is not that foolish to be there without all thses assurances.

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  9. To those who think different races can integrate successfully in Malaysia or elsewhere after decades of living together, it is just wishful thinking. All it takes is a spark to ignite, a rumour, a beating and all hell will break loose if not controlled.

    What started the 1965 racial riots? What started the riots in some states in the US recently? When it happens, even an innocent incident with little relation to race, might and will slowly become one of one race against another. Simple as that. Same with religion.

    Humans also adhere to the herd mentality. They are not always as rational as we like to think.

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  10. The kampong thugs still sleeping under the coconut trees and did not know that China is now the second super power and whacking and killing Chinese to let out their rage is not going to go without paying a price for it.

    The world has changed but the kampong thugs would still be kampong thugs, a head like a coconut, only coconut juice inside.

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  11. OK. I just got back from KL a few hours ago. EVERY MALAY (Malaysian) I conversed with blames the DAP for stirring the flames. But, they also stated that they didn't like UMNO and that UMNO are a bunch of assholes too.

    One chap about my age brought up the 1969 race riots and the widespread slogan of (opposition) Chinese taking brooms and shouting "We will sweep away the Malays!".

    Apparently at the Bersih Rallies, there were (according to this Malay fella, assuming he's telling the truth) older women with brooms. This kind of "historical symbolism" no doubt had a "provocative effect" on the Malays. Many of the Malays I spoke with believe that Chinese-Malay race riots are inevitable. OK, all of this is just OPINION. No one I spoke with offered empirical evidence to back up their opinions. It is quite human to always let the mind wander into "the most horrific scenario".

    Will there be race riots in Malaysia? Of course no one can tell. Who is the bigger evil---DAP or UMNO, again I have no answer and I'll bet no one has either. (yeah yeah, some smart arses will claim their "knowledge", but to me everyone has an opinion and an arsehole and they both smell)

    So that's the word from the ground in Malaysia. Not MSM, not from Najib's office...but just average working, peaceful Malay folks.

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  12. the problem with some race in malaysia
    they dont think critically
    they only watch state tv and state newspaper

    they blame everything on dap

    sometimes, they blame CHINESE but using dap as their disguise.( avoid the allegation that this is "racism")

    because UMNO propaganda always blame DAP as culprit

    when you pressed them further on evil act committed by DAP
    they unable to mention anything.

    or

    they blame dap for fighting for equal right ,challenging the so called social contract
    ( challenge special right(NEP) - their KETUANAN MELAYU- other race are "pendatang"

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