The more I think about it, read about it and reminisce about it, my country of birth is becoming less and less of the country I remember growing up in.
Read this
article from a PKR MP - it's in Malay, for those of you who don't understand, he's basically saying that the maid got hurt by his employers, who are non-Muslim Chinese, and he then goes on a frolic of unbelievable proportions, extrapolating this unfortunate incident into a suggestion that the Gahmen investigate and propose a plan to stop allowing Indonesian Muslim maids from being employed by non-Muslim/Chinese families.
My initial reaction after reading this was - What the f**k??!!
After ruminating on this for a few more minutes, and reading this guy's biodata on his blog, I am deeply saddened.
Here is (presumably) a well-educated Malay gentleman, one of the intelligentsia, studied overseas, a lawyer by training, handled various high-profile cases, a leader of his community, an opposition (!) MP, and his achievements are what young Malays and indeed, young Malaysians should be aspiring towards.
Yet, his values, his moral judgments, his perceptions of race and racial traits border on the xenophobic and dare I say it, racist.
I am not an idealistic neophyte trying to rail against pro-Malay policies, or be like Lee Kuan Yew, who tried to propagate a Malaysian Malaysia. After all, there is a reason why the country was known as Tanah Melayu, Malaya and Malaysia.
I have always cherished my memories of a less extremist society, in which I shared tables and meals with my school mates regardless of race, and where people were less judgmental of each other.
But, if this is how modern, mainstream Malays feel in their heart of hearts, then no matter what the Gahmen or the PM says, 1Malaysia or not, I fear the worst.
The only silver lining in this dark cloud - the article was brought to my attention by a Malay lady (whom I don't know, but who linked the article on Tony P's FB page).
..ac
