"I've known them long enough to know that racism is not their philosophy and tradition so the challenge for Najib now is to rid of the party of these elements," he told The Malaysian Insider. -Malaysian Insider
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We get Umno apologists coming in all colors these days apparently .... maybe it's the "!-Malaysia" virus/fever that's catching on in certain circles.
So now they have Ramon Navaratnam himself, saying that Umno isn't racist - it makes one wonder if he does that to "guard the kitty" or speaks out of sheer ignorance and denial. I've always held Mr. Ramon's opinions with high regard ..... until this one came to my attention. Never mind why he does this- lets just examine what has happened over the years, and who might the leaders of these "extremist elements" in the party were/are.
Firstly, we got to keep in mind that it is almost second nature to Umno to blame the "emasculation of the Malays" on their permanent bogeyman - the non-Malays/Muslim (more so, the "Chinese"). We could also consider the economic apartheid practiced, wherein non-Malays are out of favor when it comes to opportunities in education and business. Well, maybe the god Tan Sri and his ilk are exceptions to the rule ... especially if the spoils are shared among themselves. It is therefore no wonder that they are often "selected" to be sitting in prestigious offices which can shed some good light on the Umno minions.
Good or bad, it doesn't take a genius to know that partners in crime wouldn't kill off his "competition", when they have a common interest.
Mahathir, after having run the country like his fiefdom (with an iron grip) for 22 yrs, by saying that Chinese are the true masters, implied that they rule Malaysia by proxy - much like what he said about the Jews some time back. Now what we question are the policies that are practiced "on the ground", and not their personal inclinations/preferences or their political statements. We all know that "babi"/yak-eating china-dolls and Mongolians are equally welcome to certain "characters". So are single-malt and beer guzzling establishments, as long as they are there under "P&C" circumstances.
Before I go any further, I would like to pose a something to Mr. Ramon - take a good look around you - at your MyKad, Passport or any other official document where your biodata may be .....
- just like a cow, haven't you been "branded" as a second-class citizen, although not explicitly stated?
Have you been to the government schools where racism is taught to innocent children? How about reading it in the papers? How about reports of racists in high office getting away with threatening racist statements meant to rile up a sector of the citizenry? Probably not - after all, you come from the "privileged class of branded cows"! Scholarship for your children was probably a non-issue to you. They probably are brought up in the upmarket areas, and have not seen the Malaysia beyond 200km of urban settings or tourist spots.
Who knows you (or they) may even be making plans to migrate anyway.
However in Malaysia, when you fill in any form whatsoever - be it your children's birth certificate, buying equities, applying for licenses .... don't you have to "live up to your branding"?
So Ramon, sir- Don't you smell the all permeating stink? Don't you smell racism in the air, even as you walk the gardens of your palatial mansion?
Maybe not - as the smell of privileges accorded to you has probably overpowered your senses, that you no longer feel the pain of the society around which is reeling at a result.
Maybe you need to come down from the pedestal from which you speak for you to rejuvenate your senses, and see reality.
On the other hand, some do have a perverted sense of smell and they say that the sense of smell tends to adapt pretty fast to bad odors ..... and when the rot is felt on the streets, denial and ignorance is definitely sweet food for the privileged elite.
Firstly, we got to keep in mind that it is almost second nature to Umno to blame the "emasculation of the Malays" on their permanent bogeyman - the non-Malays/Muslim (more so, the "Chinese"). We could also consider the economic apartheid practiced, wherein non-Malays are out of favor when it comes to opportunities in education and business. Well, maybe the god Tan Sri and his ilk are exceptions to the rule ... especially if the spoils are shared among themselves. It is therefore no wonder that they are often "selected" to be sitting in prestigious offices which can shed some good light on the Umno minions.
Good or bad, it doesn't take a genius to know that partners in crime wouldn't kill off his "competition", when they have a common interest.
Mahathir, after having run the country like his fiefdom (with an iron grip) for 22 yrs, by saying that Chinese are the true masters, implied that they rule Malaysia by proxy - much like what he said about the Jews some time back. Now what we question are the policies that are practiced "on the ground", and not their personal inclinations/preferences or their political statements. We all know that "babi"/yak-eating china-dolls and Mongolians are equally welcome to certain "characters". So are single-malt and beer guzzling establishments, as long as they are there under "P&C" circumstances.
Before I go any further, I would like to pose a something to Mr. Ramon - take a good look around you - at your MyKad, Passport or any other official document where your biodata may be .....
- just like a cow, haven't you been "branded" as a second-class citizen, although not explicitly stated?
Have you been to the government schools where racism is taught to innocent children? How about reading it in the papers? How about reports of racists in high office getting away with threatening racist statements meant to rile up a sector of the citizenry? Probably not - after all, you come from the "privileged class of branded cows"! Scholarship for your children was probably a non-issue to you. They probably are brought up in the upmarket areas, and have not seen the Malaysia beyond 200km of urban settings or tourist spots.
Who knows you (or they) may even be making plans to migrate anyway.
However in Malaysia, when you fill in any form whatsoever - be it your children's birth certificate, buying equities, applying for licenses .... don't you have to "live up to your branding"?
So Ramon, sir- Don't you smell the all permeating stink? Don't you smell racism in the air, even as you walk the gardens of your palatial mansion?
Maybe not - as the smell of privileges accorded to you has probably overpowered your senses, that you no longer feel the pain of the society around which is reeling at a result.
Maybe you need to come down from the pedestal from which you speak for you to rejuvenate your senses, and see reality.
On the other hand, some do have a perverted sense of smell and they say that the sense of smell tends to adapt pretty fast to bad odors ..... and when the rot is felt on the streets, denial and ignorance is definitely sweet food for the privileged elite.
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From Wikipedia:
Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam is a prominent Malaysian economist. He is the former Transport Ministry Secretary-General and current Sunway Group corporate advisor. He is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.
Ramon is also currently a member of the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and the president of Transparency International Malaysia. He is a member of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) Globalisation Committee and Director of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).
There is a legend about this man in Sunway City- the Sun Shines in Sunway City is because Ramon's Mind Shines.
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