Shadowboxing & Black Holy Water ...

Shadowboxing is an exercise used in the training for combat sports, especially, as its name implies, in boxing. It is used mainly to prepare the muscles before the person training engages in stronger physical activity. In shadowboxing, only one person is required to participate; the participant throws punches at no one in particular.

In the Malaysian political environment though, there exists another form of shadowboxing - the indoctrination of various communities with feelings of mutual suspicion and hatred. Each community is made to see imaginary bogeymen on all fronts- economic, political, racial and religious- so as to feel threatened and "under siege", and indulge in this "shadowboxing" which blinds them to the plunder perpetrated by the high and mighty. They willingly give up their god-given freedom and dignity to the political elite, so as to "protect and defend" their perceived interests. If this does not happen, then allegiances are bought from those willing to sell their souls, on the premise of their narrow sectarian interests.

To those indulging in these mind-bending activities, social awareness/consciousness, critical thinking/pedagogy, political enlightenment, politics of trust and nationhood, are their main enemy. They indulge in the old politics of ignorance, racism, religious bigotry and fascistic ideas of "Ketuanan"/ supremacy- so that the people adopt a siege mindset.

The racist government policies, religiosity of political parties, subtle persecutions, increasing crime, social ills among the youth, the poor discipline in the National service program, deaths in Police custody, the impotent and mindless Judiciary, the corrupt civil service, the income disparity etc etc etc, are but symptoms of a nation descending into chaos and anarchy as a result of the above, perpetuated by the powers that be. With all these around them and the ingrained delusion of powerlessness among chauvinists, it will in turn have them beg thoughtlessly for a despot in power, to restore "control and order".

Today, I received a chain-email alleging that there is a virulent campaign by a "Christian" Church at "Christianizing" the Malay/Muslim population of Malaysia. Apparently they had a "Paderi Agung" who is a Malay, and have a church in Jalan Gasing meant solely for Muslim/ Malay converts. Apparently confessions were made after they had met the Mufti of Perak and made reports and Bukit Aman, repented. Apparently also, the number of converts ran into the thousands!!! Just to sex it up, a laughable story of "Black Holy Water" that turns the tongue black & renders the convert deaf to the Azan was also mentioned in the mail.

This sort of "subversive" activity also goes on, on other fronts - one which is well known, is the civil service & education communities through the process of indoctrination through "courses". This issue has been brought up in Parliament on Numerous occasions by YB Lim Kit Siang (UMNO’s Latest Psy-War Materials Exposed). However, no action has yet to be taken on BTN for their allegedly subversive activity. Till today, it remains at the forefront of the Government's propaganda and indoctrination programs.

NST Online (surprisingly) came up with this article on BTN's activities some time back - for which no explanation has been forthcoming ... except assurances from Nazri that the modules would be "tweaked" to represent the "1-Malaysia" rhetoric. The desire to have BTN investigated and charged for socially disruptive ideas that they have propagated has never been considered. Neither has the idea to dismantle this virulent organism

We often jump at Umno for this phenomenon, while at the very same time, neglecting the role of the race-based/ sectarian political parties/groups that masquerade as "NGO"s, which dot our Malaysian social landscape. From a tender age, Malaysians from all walks of life (except those who are fortunate enough to grow up in societies/education systems that lie outside the government control) fall victim to this thinking which encourages "shadowboxing".

Many are also quick to blame the Umno/Malay/Muslim communities for this phenomenon - however it has to be borne in mind that the those from other communities are also to blame for adding fuel to the fire of this hatred.
One good example is "Hindraf's" confrontational stance in the recent Kg. Buah Pala incident is a case in point. Anger has been vented on the Lim Guan Eng administration due to its inability to solve the "pickle" that was dumped on it, as a result of actions taken by the former BN under suspicious circumstances. In a case of "rule of law" has been framed by Hindraf as a "racial" issue. One commenter even went so far as to say,”Tamilans like lions stand together...win the world...at least the village”, although it had nothing to do with residents being "Tamil".

On other fronts, we have those defending the act of using religion (namely Islam) to deny rights of individuals to determine their own lives or that of their children. Men seeking the easy way out of their marriage vows and responsibilities - and Islam is used as an instrument of deceit, thus giving it an ugly face. The dead are also not spared - especially when "glory" or money is involved.

Considering the cancer of sectarianism promoted by political parties and their "allied forces", it is surprising that a government which promotes the concept of "1-Malaysia" gives little regard to the damage that it does to society. In fact, it appears to encourage this sectarianism and religious bigotry, by making ever more laws and "NGO's" that promote the siege-mentality and a ghetto mindset.

Despite all the superstructures that dot our Malaysian landscape which leaves simpletons gawking, and blinds us to the realities that lie in the rural areas - we as a society today, are a sad reflection of the hopes of true nationhood which our founding fathers had upon achieving self rule.
Mahathir's Vision 2020, Pak Lah's "Islam Hadhari, Najib's "1-Malaysia" or whatever else slogan that would come up next- it remains that, to "educate the people into imbecility", remains their forte - for it is how they hold on to power. Only time will tell how far Umno and its allies would go to purge themselves of this evil modus operandi, which is setting the country back by decades in time, and destroying this nation.

Going on to provoke and educate them into adopting a paradigm shift and embracing a new pragmatism in their statecraft, would only prove to be futile if the majority (i.e. the Malay/Muslim populace) continue to withdraw into their cocoons and demand their "special rights" while espousing chauvinism and politicized religiosity, devoid of the spirituality stressed upon in the theological foundations of Islam (as I have come to appreciate it).