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"The poverty rate among the bumiputera may be
around three times the poverty rate among the Chinese,
but the poverty rate in Sabah is more than 30 times
the poverty rate in Kuala Lumpur."
-G. Lim, Debating an equitable Malaysia
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The other day on Facebook, Anas Zubedy - whom many of us look on as a "bridge-builder" had posted a short note. In it, he has asked readers to read a few articles with an "open heart, critical mind". The articles were:
- Early signs of a civil war amongst the Malays? - M. Bakri Musa here
- Guan Eng's call to Middle Malaysia and his own report card - here
- Anwar's stand on the "Allah " issue here and when he was still in UMNO here
- Wong Chun Wai's article suggesting to look at the other side here
The comments however were quite interesting. Though he may not have intended it that way, it appeared to me that he was deflecting accusations away from Umno, and putting in on the people (which "
to a certain extent", is true) - while advertising the "1-Malaysia" slogan.
Among his comments were these:-
"Bro, we need to rise above putting almost all blame in UMNO...... But do not forget, we middle class Malaysians do not deserve the patrol subsidies too, but most of us seem to be quiet about it. If those UMNO blocks are undeserving , so are we when we support the petrol subsidy. check here and see if the idea is good or bad before we even comment about it...http://www.1malaysia.com.my/ and here to see if the petrol subsidy is justified for the majority of us middle class - making us just as bad as those UMNO blocks so many seems to hate ... I suggest without waiting for others to change, you and I must "Do, dont talk, take action, dont complain, practise dont preach".
(I'm not sure if it is available for all to read, but you can try clicking here to see the full discussion.)
While I would like to assert that I truly appreciate Anas Zubedy's diplomacy and earnest attempt at seeking the "middle path" (which is so very
cliché, these days)- it seemed like there was a hint of denial in his reasoning. It was this "hint of denial" which wish to address here - not his attempt to "seek the middle ground".
He appeared to avoid mentioning that BN is at fault, and that their policies have failed the people - claims that we should stop playing the blame game. Maybe he's right - but in problem-solving, how do we seek a remedy, if we cannot pin-point the cause of the problem?
So has it all been about politicking and playing partisan politics? Definitely not (
!!) - I believe that it is essential that we know who and what is to blame before we can even think of finding a remedy.
As opposed to what many in Umno and their minions would choose to believe, it isn't about "hating Umno" - it is indeed "
bigger than Umno" (as Anas puts it). It is about knowing the cause of all the ills in society today. It's about knowing why we have so much social injustice, income disparity, abuse of power, corruption, excessive deforestation, exorbitant cost of living, urban squalor, no check and balance in government, deaths in police custody, racism, religious bigotry etc etc etc.
Without knowing and understanding the history of the mismanagement, as the saying goes - we are "
doomed to repeat it".
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The following was my reply to Anas in the thread I had mentioned above:-
"There appears to be a "disconnect" in your assessment of the reality on the ground, Anas. You think it is all about "partisan politics". No it isn't, Anas - as you said, it is bigger than that, but you fail to articulate it. It's also about social justice - rule of law, the economy and nationhood.
Yes - it's true that we are part of the problem when we keep quiet about the subsidies. However, the reason for it is simple - our purchasing power is pathetic - mainly due to the corruption of those in power (secondary to the racist policies). These people have kept it that way, so that the people will be enslaved by the freebies they dish out. This is no better than having a colonial govt, for gottsakes!!
The people are suffering (although we may not see it while we we frequent the swanky joints) and cannot afford a decent education. Cost of living has skyrocketed, while the elite are unaffected. The income disparity is as wide as can be. Malaysia has the highest income disparity between the rich and poor in Southeast Asia, greater than that of Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia - when we were once on par or ahead of many nations who are today the envy of the world.
It isn't about "hatred towards Umno/BN or PR" as you try to paint it, Anas - it's about social justice through a reasonable economic model and rule of law. If either party provides an avenue to make that possibly a reality, they should be supported. Accordingly, whichever party impedes justice should be opposed - it's as simple as that! It'll tell you one thing, Anas - many PR supporters today will have no problems in voting for UMNO/BN should they be reasonable and provide the platform for justice. The problem is listening and watching them is like watching "Dumb & Dumber" - they make absolute fools of themselves 90% of the time. Their actions ... better left unsaid. Res Ipsa Loquitur ....
1-Malaysia sloganeering and marketing is all fine & dandy - but what is it's purpose (if not to hoodwink), if there are different Malaysias in practice?
Marketing 1-Malaysia to keep spirits high is no better than "political masturbation" for the those who don't feel the pain on the streets.
I know you're a reasonable, polite and very diplomatic person, Anas - So let's cut the one "1-Malaysia" hogwash please ..."
