There is no typing error above; I did spell ‘Hundraf’ for Human Rights Action Force. Hundraf is the twin spirit of Makkal Sakthi, an expression translated as People Power, not Indian Power.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar is reported by Bernama as saying the Indians are not neglected in Malaysia. What he implied is that Indians have little cause for complaint and thus the complaining Hindraf have no basis for their struggle.
An alert should go out to embassies in Kuala Lumpur cautioning foreign nationals. The updated travel advisory:
(1) Open houses in Malaysia are possibly illegal, (2) If a tourist should saunter into the premises, he may be guilty of trespassing, (3) A tour group could be banned by Malaysian authorities for unbecoming behaviour, such as all its members wearing uniform attire, (4) Cops on duty at open houses will confiscate a greeting card and such other contraband, as well as (5) Summon to police headquarters for questioning if someone attended open house but rejected refreshments, did not shake hands with the VIP host and failed to extend festive wishes.
Meanwhile, locals are expected to behave in exchange for free lunch at the Putra World Trade Centre. The Star reported Tourism Minister Azalina Othman warning that some Malaysians at open houses give a poor reflection of the country’s image to tourists. “If you are here as a guest, then behave as one. Parliament will convene on Oct 13. They can do so (submit their memorandum) then,??? she said.
Azalina was referring to Hindraf supporters but Hindraf legal advisor N. Surendran has countered there was no memorandum delivered. Memo or no, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his deputy Najib Razak and Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar still complained the Indians were ‘kurang ajar’ (untutored), ‘biadab’ (unmannered) and ‘tak beradab’ (uncivilised).
The badmouthing is a clear example of one group, Umnoputeras, demonising another group of fellow citizens. Visitors should also be aware that they cannot believe all they read in Tourism Malaysia brochures about the country’s ‘racial harmony’, and in the mainstream media (MSM) about BN’s successful formula of ‘national unity’.
Yes sir, Umno sir
Deputy Home Minister Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has intimated that there are many options on action against Hindraf for causing – I’m borrowing the following description from the Star’s headline – a ‘commotion at the government’s Raya open house’, and otherwise being ‘aggressive’, ‘unruly’, ‘provocative’ etc, etc, as alleged by some Malay associations. Home Ministry secretary-general Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof is looking into banning Hindraf. Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek called on all political parties to condemn the incident.
What did Hindraf do that was so bad to make Umno big shots so angry?
A six-year-old girl wished to give the PM a teddy bear and Raya card. She is the daughter of Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy and brought the bear in a basket along with some flowers. She had wanted to give roses too last year to Abdullah, who refused to receive her on Valentine’s Day.
This is a little girl who has been separated from daddy for almost one year now as Moorthy is likely to be ISA-ed if he ventures to step foot on Malaysian soil. This is the small child who must be wondering whatever her Uncle Kumar did wrong that caused the authorities to lock him up, under ISA.
And this is the gist of Abdullah’s complaint: “The rest (of their words), which I heard very clearly, was, ‘Abolish the ISA! Free the Hindraf! Abolish the ISA! Free the Hindraf!’ That’s all they wanted to tell me. This is not the spirit of Hari Raya, where you wish (Selamat) Hari Raya, are happy and have fun and socialise.???
How does an unwelcome guest answer when quizzed by police on why he fails to socialise and display the requisite joyfulness at the PM’s party? Lawyer Haris Ibrahim who blogs ‘The People’s Parliament’ wrote that he and his Hartal ISA group (wearing solidarity-with-RPK T-shirts) were ushered by police to a holding room and segregated.
People’s Parliament last November launched a ‘Hartal MSM’ campaign in the wake of newspapers disinforming on Bersih and demonising Hindraf. MSM has not changed its slant against the Indians. The Star article on the alleged commotion during Raya carried the byline of four reporters. If a whole quartet covered the story, surely one of them could have obtained Hindraf’s clarification that the movement did not present any memo. But no.
Instead, the popular rag – which incongruously dubs itself ‘the People’s Paper – preferred to give airing to VIPs as per its usual practice of cue journalism. The Star report had quoted Azalina and also Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal admonishing, “Hindraf members should have known their limits and not turn up at an open house ‘like this’.???
Star’s article had Shafie going: “There are platforms for you to make your submission. This is not the proper way of doing things. I mean, it’s a Raya do. Today is Hari Raya, it’s got nothing to do with memorandums.???
The spirit of Raya
The Star, a publication under the control of MCA, is big on ‘the proper way of doing things’. It has been full of how the Chinese communal party always used ‘proper channels’ and engaged in ‘internal discussions’ with BN (though not quite admitting that the outcome of any discussion is MCA invariably kowtowing to Umno).
But not only did that particular Star article omit Hindraf’s clarification that there was no memo, it also failed to mention that Indians throughout the past year had made many attempts to convey the community’s grievances to the powers-that-be and were ignored. So the ‘the proper way of doing things’ gets nothing done.
The paper similarly neglected to publish that unlike MCA Cabinet ministers who engage in closed door sessions where they ultimately accede to ‘the BN consensus’ (read, again kowtowing to Umno) Hindraf pleaded they had no other opportunities to approach the PM except at the open house.
BN’s idea of propriety and legality is ‘do as I say, not do as I do’. Abdullah, who often preaches Hadhari, sermonised on religious tolerance around Merdeka last year when at the same time, Hindu temples were tumbling down around him. His big ears did not hear government bulldozers destroying the houses of worship.
To the PM, the spirit of Raya is that everyone must be happy, have fun and socialise, unlike the Hindraf crowd creating “a lot of unhappiness to a lot of people who were around??? at his PWTC, possibly illegal, gathering.
Since I’m not Muslim, it’s hardly in my place to contradict the Grand Imam of Hadhari. I’ll just note that when I balik kampung to Penang, I saw many billboards put up by the Pakatan state government bearing its Ramadan message of ‘Amar makruf, nahi mungkar’ (Do good, abhor evil and sin).
Does amar makruf not accommodate compassion for a discriminated community, and courtesy to women and children who were in the Hindraf delegation?
Umno and its collaborators instigating Malays to view Hindraf as bogeyman threatening Malay rights is amar makruf? Malaysiakini reported Surendran as saying Hindraf has become the victim of a harsh campaign to incite hatred against the movement and Indians.
Moorthy and many others in Hindraf agree, and have filed police reports but may have to wait for investigations to be completed first on insulting (Case 1) egg and (Case 2) PWTC food which the bloggers and Hindraf refused to touch.
We’ve often lamented ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ to signify BN, the devil we know, and the uncharted waters of the Opposition. A few months ago, Justice Ian Chin described Dr Mahathir Mohamed as “a devil incarnate??? and Dr M hitting back at the judge, gestured with his hands at a pair on imaginary horns on his head.
Although the Malay word ‘ampu bodek’ has infinitely more oomph, the English translation ‘polishing apples’ largely characterises MSM coverage of domestic politics and BN politicians, First Families and their in-laws. But a metaphor of polishing the devil’s horns is a more apt on the nature of our mass media’s collusion with the establishment in demonising Hindraf.
After centuries of divide-and-rule eggism, the people of planet Oilwell began to lend their ears to opposition chief Anoo-war’s new political equation.
By Helen Ang, Columnist
Orbiting the binary stars of Jonathan and Swift in the outer reaches of delta quadrant, Boleh constellation, were nine planets. It is on the third rock from the suns, planet Oilwell that our story begins.
Dateline: 208 AD. The acronym AD – for ‘Ada Duit’ – denoted the period of the Common Era when poverty was officially abolished in year zero. The epoch counting backwards from nought was BC for ‘Buat Curi-curi’, the age before the Great Plenty when the planet struck oil.
Standfirst: The Supremacists put all their eggs in one basket but the outmoded eggist ideology of Mahasneerism was rejected as Oilwellians have wised up.
Helen Ang
Our story of planet Oilwell continues from last week.
Flashback: To thwart Anoo-war's takeover bid, the Able-doolah administration hatched a half-boiled plot to sequester 40 pro-consuls in a faraway galaxy.
An old Oilwellian saying goes: 'The greater distance an intergalactic trip, the more likely a spaceship will run out of fuel.' This folk wisdom was evidently conceived before the invention of FTL hyper-drive but nonetheless retained its meaning, in that when leaders stretch the people's credulity too far, their fanciful flights of imagination would soon be consigned to a black hole.
While the pro-consul group studied (but didn't learn) agriculture in the Dai-One sector, it was business as usual back in Oilwell with two Oppositionists arrested under the Egg Safety Assurance ordinance, or ESA.
The ESA was dual-purpose in preserving the planet from threats to its security, peace and public order. Interestingly enough, in its duality, ESA was both a punitive piece of legislation and a protective custody law. Oilwellians whose lives the authorities wanted to safeguard were taken in under ESA so that police could babysit them in the lock-up.
As for the criminal acts falling under the ambit of ESA, it was up to the Homeland Guardian to decide what or who constituted enemies of the state. It could be egg smugglers, those who raised eggist sentiments or questioned the sanctity of egg. As egg was the object of utmost veneration, it was held to be beyond criticism. However, an Oilwellian can safely say anything seditious he likes of carrot, turnip or radish.
It was for crimes against egg that police arrested senior pro-consul Terry-sar and boggler Arpeekay in September, 208 AD. Bogglers were a band of merry men who mind-boggled the general public by challenging the propaganda put out by the state. Arpeekay was Oilwell's best known and most popular boggler; because of him, the authorities banned Internet on the planet.
Meanwhile, Anoo-war denounced Terry-sar's arrest, saying the accusations against her were false and malicious. Greater numbers of Oilwellians were beginning to believe that the ESA was a much abused law caught in a time warp.
"No more ESA! No more ESA!' they demanded.
On their last legs
The ESA arrests indicated a regime on its last eggs, and how the Adder was fast losing his grip, if not the plot altogether. Oilwellians were simply left bewildered by the wild swings of the planet's political yo-yo.
Anyone who has resided long enough in Oilwell soon got used to its bipolarity. It was not only the ESA which featured split functions but the political lingo as well. For instance, when Adder Able-doolah said one thing, Oilwellians typically interpreted his words in the opposite. If he announced that egg had registered a bumper ding of a crop, his listeners would understand the harvest had actually donged.
Reading newspapers like The Comet and The Asteroid which were written in Doublespeak conditioned Oilwellians to antonymic reflexes. If Able-doolah asserted a flip, Oilwellians through long experience expected a flop. Their constant need to display antipodal reactions to reality increasingly led Oilwellians to mentally short-circuit, unable to think straight any longer.
Thinking straight during the tenure of Mahasneer, Able-doolah's predecessor, was never en vogue as the former Adder through leadership by example had famously conceived of a Crooked Bridge, and a half one at that (which reflected the winding disconnect of his thought processes).
After 122 years of pervasive Mahasneerism, the planet ultimately found itself at a crucial crossroads where it could plunge deeper into the eggist ideology ' which was actively percolating even in 208 AD ' or pull itself from the brink.
To Mahasneer, ESA was for Oilwell own good and he used it in liberal doses. Able-doolah was just too lax. What?! Two arrests only? Mahasneer loyalists could think of at least a hundred more Oilwellians who deserved ESA.
The man himself, reminiscing on those he had rounded up some two decades before, was sorely disappointed in Able-doolah's wishy-washiness. Compared to the present pathetic catch of two, Mahasneer was certain he could double his previous haul of 106 ESA detainees to 212 this time around ... if he was still Adder.
The ex-Adder contemplated making a comeback as power behind the throne, confident of doing a more efficient job of subjugating the recalcitrant planet than the younger Able-doolah. Age was no barrier as Mahasneer's longevity would once again be artificially enhanced by cryogenics. Or he considered paying a visit to Rem-bough for a dip in its famed Fountain of Youth (the electoral roll of the day recorded that many a Rem-bough resident lived to be late centenarians).
Egg on the face
Historians looking back on Oilwell's September Struggle noted that the equinox marked a milestone where the race for Addership was for the first time thrown wide open.
Contenders for Adder were prepared to do whatever it takes in the do-or-die battle as losing was not an option. The fate that befell Mahasneer's compatriots such as Comrade Mar-koz and Komrad Soohar-toe was a salutary lesson. Many senior Poly-burrito elders were mortally afraid of getting their 'licences revoked'.
Ramifications for those who had tied their political fortunes to the Adders past and present, and the several Adders-in-waiting, shivered their eggcups worrying over the possible outcomes of September equinox.
Eggists like Big Ender prefect Ahr-Mard went on a planet-wide roadshow to raise political temperatures. Attempts to whip up eggism were a manifestation of the disintegrating power centre putting all their eggs in one basket ' that of Egg Supremacy.
The Egg Supremacist credo was embodied in the spirit of the Big Ender ecckeris. The ecckeris was a sharp, wavy kitchen utensil and anyone executing the gravity-defying feat of balancing an egg at its pointed end was immediately awarded the title of 'Honorable Grandfather' and a generous remuneration.
Obviously, such a precarious stunt as balancing egg on ecckeris tip resulted in a lot of broken eggshells and splattered mess on the kitchen floor. In the despondency of crisis, Oilwellians were minded to ponder on the colossal waste of egg frittered away in the pointless pursuit of Egg Supremacy.
They mulled over more rewarding use of egg; to bake bigger economic pies where everyone could have a decent slice instead of scrambling for the crumbs off the ruling elites' table. The casual way in which the callous 'Let them eat cake' was tossed by the haves at long last stung the have-nots.
Light finally dawned on the downtrodden populace that they could show their respect for egg in a far, far better way than blindly following Mahasneerism. By 240 AD, the last vestiges of the Mahasneerist legacy were debunked and the tyrant Mahasneer ultimately remembered in the Annals of Oilwell in the same vein as his good friend Moo-gabby (but that's another tyrant for another bedtime story).
And what about Able-doolah? Alas, he was a mere footnote in history.
However, his son-in-law Khyi-ree, who was once Rem-bough pro-consul, left his name for posterity as Oilwell's most successful entrepreneur. Water bottled from Rem-bough's Fountain of Youth found galaxies of satisfied customers who swore the elixir was more efficacious than Botox. His Rem-baugh Sirop business empire made Khyi-ree a trillionaire by age 35 ? But there's another Oilwellian saying for happy endings: 'The rude die young'.
Meritocracy as I understand it is the act of rewarding or awarding an individual or a body of individuals or any entity with anything based on merit. Like awarding a student who has scored 13 As in SPM a place in the university. ....
Meritocracy as I understand it is the act of rewarding or awarding an individual or a body of individuals or any entity with anything based on merit. Like awarding a student who has scored 13 As in SPM a place in the university. ....