~Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf (of the Cowhead Dirty Dozen).
Lt Col (Rtd) Mohd Idris Hassan
Dec 11, 09
5:23pm
I refer to the Malaysiakini report Of noisy Indians and 'keling' blood: Utusan strikes again.
The attacking of fellow Malaysians by the mainstream media Utusan Malaysia because of their race is unwarranted and most uncalled for. I remember in the late forties when I was a little boy living in my hometown of Raub, Pahang.
I used to pass road gangs of Tamil labourers toiling in the midday's scorching sun from dawn till dusk. Armed with only picks and shovels, they would be hacking at solid rocks to carve out roads along the mountain side.
They had no proper attire, just a withered white towel tied in turban form on their heads. They would wrap rags around their spindly legs to prevent the hot molten tar from scalding them as they went about their chores.
Yet they had time to smile and wave at passing cars. They used to be referred to as 'coolies' and their slave-like living quarters as coolie lines. My late father used to tell us that most of the roads in Malaya at the turn of the century were built solely by Indian labour.
They toiled in the malaria-infested rubber estates, living with their families in filthy inhuman conditions. The white 'tuan' treated them like slaves and allowed them to indulge in drinking toddy to forget their woes .
Yet again it was the same coolies called 'toties' who serviced our bucket system latrines until the early sixties as there were no takers for this job from the other races. I have seen for myself these 'toties' cleaning the rubber tubs at a stream not far from my house with their bare hands.
In short, when there was any dirty, menial job to be done, it was this Tamil coolie, then often called by the derogatory term 'keling', that did it for us.
Now times have changed and their offsprings have made much progress in all fields and want to take their rightful place in our society .Let's not pour scorn on them and laugh away their pride.
As a soldier I know that many of my Indian/Tamil friends who fought and died for this country . They all are a part of those who stood by us during the good and bad times, they have helped make this country great.
A country which rightfully belongs to all Malaysians.
A True Soldier with good intentions. The world will be a better place if there are more of Lt Col (RTD) Mohd Hassan who understands that the human race regardless of colour, breed, religion are of the same kind.
ReplyDeleteLittle Nyonya.
There are many great kelings but in view of the recent ex-President of Lithuanian accusing CIA orchestrated his impeachment in 2004 for refusing to host Secret Prison Plan, Do you think the shit-head keling pain-in-the-arse Mahatir was under the thumb of the USA also when he lambasted the West and still signed off for USA to conduct jungle warfare training in M’sia?
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily "under the thumb" - they always have "mutual interests".
ReplyDeleteMoreover, we have to realize that the Straits is vital to shipping (the busiest in the world) monitored by all superpowers - even if our Asean buddies claim that they do it themselves.
Anyways - don't take the "lambasting" at face value - every politician will forgive another politician for politicking .... but "mutual interests" always take precedence over media dramatics.
A very touching and enlightening post. Short, but it strikes into the heart just as any sharp blades would have.
ReplyDeleteCruze on, brother!
I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life.
ReplyDeleteMahatma Gandhi
Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)
Michael Ganesan