Balik China, Balik India

Even before the the last shower room controversy has time to cool down, we have another, fresh from the oven. Sometimes when it rains it really pours. You know what, perhaps there's actually a method to this chaos. Perhaps with higher frequency, the sooner the people will become accustomed to it... Don't you think so? hahaha. No. Just kidding!

The truth is racists exists in all races throughout the world.

These thoughts already exist in their minds, some more than others. And sometimes, in moments of heightened emotions, these bigoted thoughts are expressed. Unfortunately, it seems to be prevalent among people in authoritative or leadership positions.

Many a true word is often spoken in anger.

This incident is just another manifestation of the views of a certain group of society towards others. Seems to be the official view shared among them. Their feelings of resentment is real. I can accept that. But why take it out on the kids? Why didn't they say it directly to the parents instead? Are kids easier to be bullied?

What were these people thinking? To start them young? The parents have every right to be offended and angry. How do you expect the parents to explain to their kids? Might as well include it in the school syllabus.

But they keep getting the grammar wrong. Telling the kids to "balik" is incorrect since they were born here. Some have not even set foot in those countries. It should be "pindah ke China" or "berhijrah ke India"... "move to" or "migrate to". And why do they always assume that China & India would accept them? I mean, since these kids are attending national schools, they probably can't speak/write Hindi or Mandarin... right? :)


Why do these people, as normal citizens, feel so empowered to tell other races to get out from "their land", to insult other races in this country? And these are the same people who accuse those they insult for being racists.

As usual, the Headmistress has apologised. Apparently she's has only 6 months to go before her retirement... I don't really know what her motive was by saying that she also told the Malays to "Balik Indon'. Is it to show that she is fair? or is she trying to imply that the non-Malay parents were too sensitive, since the Malay parents did not complain?





I wonder what would happen if this took place in, let's say, the US?

NYC Principal Accused Of Making Racist Remarks, Calling Black Teachers 'Gorillas'

Of course, there will be those who will demand justice. And as usual, this storm will soon pass, but not forgotten, until the next time...

Pn Hjh Missyati Binti Dani

The racial issue surrounding SMK Alam Megah is finally broken from its shell as the Headmistress who is caught in the middle of this alleged case of racism has at last spoken. Earlier today, a group consisting of local politicians, NGO’s and parents held a closed door meeting with the Headmistress, Pn Hjh Missyati Binti Dani at the school in their effort to clarify the matter.The meeting which lasted for less than an hour produced a startling confession by the Headmistress on the allegation of racism against her as she admitted not only to have said’ “India balik India, Cina balik China” but also confessed that she actually did address the Malay students as well by saying, “Melayu balik Indon” in her racially spurred speech during the school’s Monday assembly last week.

Pn Hjh Missyati Binti Dani later told the meeting that she will issue an official apology for her ‘unintentional’ racial outburst to all students in the next school assembly scheduled to be held on Friday morning. She is also scheduled to have an explanatory meeting with the State Education Director later today.

A spokesperson from the concerned group of individuals who attended the meeting later revealed that the Headmistress also cited ‘momentarily outburst of anger’ as the reason for uttering such racially condemning speech during the school assembly last week. Fearing the consequence of a possible severe disciplinary action, she was also quoted as saying that she would appreciate the issue to be brought to a rest without further public exploitation as she only has less than six months left before her official retirement...

- Source

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Siti Inshah Mansor

2010

Punish ‘racist’ principal, not cover up, parents demand

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Denying that it was a “misunderstanding”, parents want the Education Ministry to take stern disciplinary action against the Johor school head accused of spouting racist slurs, claiming that it was not the first incident.

One parent even alleged the ministry was trying to “cover up” the case at SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai.

“Parents are very unhappy that the authorities are citing misinformation and misunderstanding that the headmistress had made the remarks.

“It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Even the teachers have given their statement to the police. The teachers confirmed what has been reported by the students,” a parent told The Malaysian Insider, refuting Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom’s response yesterday that the case was just a misunderstanding and had been resolved.

“If it was, then why did the state Education Department tell her to make an open apology to the non-Malay students and teachers?” he asked, and related that principal Siti Inshah Mansor had been loudly booed by the student population in the attempt....

....... A copy of one report made last week and recently put up on the Malaysia-Today website listed several racist and derogatory remarks allegedly made by Siti Inshah, including likening Indian students wearing prayer threads on their person to dogs and ordering dissatisfied ethnic Chinese and Indian students to “return to China or India”.

Part of the lengthy police report lodged by a 16-year-old student alleged: “She gave the example of owning a Proton Saga with two passengers who are Munusamy and Chong. Munusamy and Chong were only passengers. They cannot claim any right to the car. This is the same as Malaysia in which the non-Malay students are passengers.”.....

- Source

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2010

Headmaster: Ungku Aznan bin Ungku Ismail

 ‘Racist’ Kedah principal apologises to parents

 KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 – The Kedah principal who had allegedly uttered racist remarks to 10 students at a school in Bukit Selambau near Sungai Petani last week has apologised to their parents.

Kedah Education Department director Shahidan Abdul Rahman said today that the apology was made when the principal met the parents on Sunday.

Shahidan also refuted reports made in a Chinese newspaper that the principal had been transferred following the incident.

“Investigations are still ongoing and the principal is still working at the school,” he said.

The principal had been accused of racism for allegedly telling her Chinese pupils to “return to China”.

The Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau head allegedly accused the Chinese pupils of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan last Friday, and ordered them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races.

Merbok MCA division secretary Chow Kok Leong, who received complaints from the parents, had claimed that the principal had also made similar remarks during the school’s morning assembly the next day.

There are about 80 non-Malay students at the school, which has an enrolment of 780.....

- Source

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2008

Rusitah bt Abu Hassan

Parents up in arms over teacher's racial slurs

Monday August 4, 2008 MYT 8:11:14 PM
BANTING: About 500 angry parents and other members of the Indian community gathered outside a secondary school here yesterday to stage a protest over racial slurs and abuse allegedly uttered by a teacher against Indian students recently.

The crowd began gathering outside SMK Telok Panglima Garang’s main entrance near here from noon and dispersed about two hours later.

The headmaster was on leave so some teachers accepted on his behalf copies of the police reports made by a Form Four student and a Form Five student.

The police reports also alleged that the teacher had beaten some students.

Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs secretary Gunaraj George, who was among those who handed over the police reports, said that such abuse would only result in breeding hatred and racial polarisation in schools.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong said the teacher might be sacked if the allegations were proven true.

The allegations were serious as no one was allowed to insult others especially in school environment, said Dr Wee, who was asked to comment on the incident while visiting a nine-year-old accident victim at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru.

He added that the ministry was awaiting an official report.

- Source 

.....According to the police reports, the female history teacher had allegedly called Indian students in a Form Four and a Form Five class ‘keling pariah’, ‘Negro’, ‘black monkeys’ as well as other derogatory names.

The teacher had also purportedly said that ‘Indians came from dogs’ and the community members were stupid and prone to thuggery and thievery.

The police reports also alleged that the teacher had said that Indians were the ‘children of prostitutes’ and the community’s youths ‘did not have testicles’ on July 17 and 22, and had also purportedly beaten up some Indians students.

The Form Four student also alleged in his report that the teacher had written the word ‘keling pariah’ on the board and lost her cool when the Indian students in the class told her that they did not like being called names.....

- Source

Racist Doctors in Penang

Here's another example of politicians playing up racism... this time it's doctors. I don't need to go into details about this controversy because a search on google would provide countless reports. What I want to do in this post, is to highlight the actions of politicians and leaders who play up the people's sentiments.

I noticed a lot of racial and religious issues being played up lately. Most of these leaders are eager to portray themselves as champions of a particular community or religion. All are self-serving. The timing and frequency certainly looks suspicious.

Anyway, politicians and leaders should be very careful of their conduct. Today, it is no longer possible to absolve yourselves easily like the past. All your deeds, good or bad, will stay with you through life. 

It is about time the people took note and hold them accountable.

Datuk Roslan Saidin (BN - Pinang Tunggal) - Pix Source

This is the guy who first raised this issue. Later, a press conference was held to present the witnesses, or rather the patients who made those complaints. Frankly, this is the first time I've heard of his name. But he has managed to get his 5 minutes of fame... he must be very pleased with himself.

The 'victims' who claimed to have been racially insulted and discriminated. - Pix Source

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng & Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam - Pix Source

.....On July 3, Roslan told Penang Assembly sitting that the incidents involved six patients, two doctors from the Kepala Batas Hospital and one from the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

However, Roslan did not provide any evidence nor officially complained to the ministry.

Lim said he has urged Subramaniam to sack and bar the doctors from practising medicine if the allegation of racism is true as the doctors have violated the Hippocratic oath of treating all humanity regardless of race, gender and religion.

He said Subramaniam had now informed that there was no racism involving doctors......

- SOURCE

.... Datuk Roslan Saidin, Umno’s Pinang Tunggal assembly member, had during a recently concluded state assembly meeting earlier this month alleged that some Chinese doctors in government hospitals in the state were discriminating against non-Chinese patients while meting out medical treatment.

Roslan however, did not give any details when pressed by Pakatan Rakyat executive councillors and backbenchers for information on the hospitals and the doctors that were supposedly involved. Following pressure in the media to back up his claim, Roslan held a press conference on Monday where he produced a few patients who claimed they had been ill-treated at two government hospitals in the state, without specifying racism in the alleged treatment....

- SOURCE

So far, the Health Minister has found no evidence to substantiate the claims. The real issue here is the professionalism of doctors, but it has been portrayed as a racial issue. However, if indeed their claim is true, then action must be taken. Racism has no place in the medical profession. If the doctors were found to be unprofessional, they should be punished as well.

Patients who encounter such unprofessional and unethical conduct from doctors should lodge reports with the medical board or relevant authorities. There are indeed many doctors who are unprofessional and unethical. These black sheeps of the medical profession should be dealt with sternly. It would also send a clear message to aspiring and junior doctors to be mindful of their conduct.

If one does not have passion for the job and lacking compassion, they should not become doctors. Don't waste public resources and public trust by betraying the Hippocratic oath.

Shower Room Meals - SK Seri Pristana

I suppose this school, SK Seri Pristana, is well-known by now. All it took was a post in facebook, and it has turned into a media storm overnight.

First, the people involved:

The Facebook post that started it.

The parent, Guneswari Kelly, who made that post.

She posted the pics of school kids having their recess break in the shower room. Apparently, she was brushed-off by the school staff when she raised her displeasure with them. 

The Headmaster: Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor

The reason he gave was that there the canteen was closed for renovation works (which was later revealed to be a minor work involving the replacement of a door). Meanwhile, the students were told to use the shower room for their meals.

The improvised shower room.

According to the official explanation, this place has been in use since March because the canteen was too small to accommodate all the students.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II, P. Kamalanathan

The Deputy Minister visited the school and tried to diffuse the issue with the reasons above. The Headmaster and Minister have apologised. Unfortunately, not everyone buys the official story and  some quarters demand tough action to be taken against the Headmaster.

Well, I think this event has been over-sensationalised. It is understandable that most parents would react very emotionally when learn about news like this.

The real issue here is the poor choice of location. There is no doubt that the Headmaster made a bad decision. Going by the scores of reports online, I do think that the school tried to cover up their mistake, because the reasons given by them does not quite tally with the parents' version of events. Isn't it standard practice to inform all the parents if there are any special arrangements such as this beforehand?

 Anyway, the general perception is that of racial prejudice and discrimination. Nobody knows for sure if it is indeed true, except the Headmaster & the PTA. There's talk that the students were told to use that shower room for their recess break only recently, at the start of the fasting month. If it is true, then it is indeed insensitive. 

Where did these kids have their meals during the fasting months in the past 2 years?

Also I do not think it is fair to blame the parent who posted the pics for causing this predicament. She only posted it in her facebook and it went viral. It's the media and politicians that picked it up and turned it into this controversy. And if it is true that the school ignored the parents' complains earlier, then the school have themselves to blame too.

 Anyway, the Headmaster and even the Minister have already apologised early on... and the students can now use the canteen again...

Recess! their favourite time during school hours!

 
 However, it doesn't end there... Apparently, certain people, and certain politicians, do not want this to end...

Various groups support school headmaster

Several groups, including an Umno branch, threw their support behind the SK Seri Pristana school headmaster. 

SUNGAI BULOH: Four out of five banners put up on the fence at the front portion of the school show support for the SK Seri Pristana headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Nor.

The most prominent banner is by the Taman Seri Pristana Umno branch. It has a photo of the teachers breaking fast in the same shower room used by the students.

On the banner is written:“Kami bersama SKSP” (we are with SKSP). The banner also says “ Cikgu Nasir… u r the bezzz!!!!”.

Another banner was from a Facebook support group.

It reads “Seluruh warga pendidik SK Seri Pristana…kami sentiasa bersama anda…teruskan mendidik anak bangsa” (To all the teachers of SK Seri Pristana… we are always with you… continue to educate our children).

Two other banners were from the Seri Pristana Youth’s Association and an online advertising firm respectively.

The banner by Sri Pristana Youth’s Association reads “Awas… Fitnah!!!… Tak Bertamadun… SK Seri Pristana = Mangsa” (Beware…Slander!!!. It’s uncivilised… SK Seri Pristana is the victim)

The banner by the advertising firm Letak.my stated “We fully support En. Mohd Nasir Mohd Nor, SKSP teachers and their staff. Gratitude teaches us to appreciate the rainbow and the storm”.

Nevertheless, there was one banner that warned the school administration on their actions, claiming that the school is being watched.

The banner read, “Berhati-hati dengan tindakan anda…anda diperhatikan” .....

...Meanwhile renovation work at the school canteen has started. Workers were seen working on the canteen area to expand the canteen size to accommodate all 1,300 students.


Source

DAP now wants action against Seri Pristana HM for allegedly intimidating students

The Ipoh Barat MP referred to media reports that said the headmaster had taken photographs of pupils whose parents had allegedly lodged complaints against him, saying this was unacceptable and warrants immediate action.

............The Ipoh Barat MP referred to media reports that said the headmaster had taken photographs of pupils whose parents had allegedly lodged complaints against him, saying this was unacceptable and warrants immediate action........

.............“In fact, five days ago, Guneswari Kelly, who had exposed the whole controversy revealed that her daughter was depressed as a result of being bullied by both her classmates and teachers since the photographs went viral,” Kula Segaran added.........

............According to media reports, mechanic Kumancan Veeriah, also a parent of a pupil there, said Nasir had gone to the school, while he was on leave last week, and had taken photographs of some non-Muslim students whom he suspected had leaked the news that they were told to have their meals in the school changing room, which is near the toilets........

Source

It has turned into a political circus...

There are many ways to solve problems. Does it always have to be confrontational? It takes two hands to clap... Usually, it's the innocent that will suffer... in this case, sadly, the kids. I think after this, there will be a high degree of uneasiness among the teachers, parents and kids in that school.

It was such a small issue.

1. Parents not agreeable to location.
2. Complain to school.
3. School change location. 
4. Problem solved.

This mess started at point no. 2.

So, what did we learn from this episode? 

The lesson learned is that not everyone likes to eat in the shower room. And if one decides to put other people's kids there, ask their parents first!

 :)

 

Money on the Mind

Food for thought... wealth & values.

I find there's a lot of truth in this experiment. Wealth changes a person. Come to think of it, I have noticed fist hand, among friends who became rich, or wealthier. There's an very noticeable change in their attitudes and character, before & after. The curious thing is that they are absolutely oblivious to the change themselves. It seems to occur subconsciously, and they displayed the exact traits and behaviour as shown in the Monopoly experiment in the video.

Watch the video, and then as an experiment, and observe the people around you who started off not wealthy and later had acquired wealth.

On the other hand, I have met people, who are extremely wealthy, who are among the nicest and most humble people I know.

In my opinion, those who are most prone to display the traits highlighted in the video fall into the "nouveau riche" or "new rich" category... it's actually a common behaviour across the world.

Signature Campaign for Chee Gaik Yap

50,000 Signatures sought for Chee Gaik Yap

A total of 2058 signatures were collected during a signature campaign in Farlim, Penang to petition against the discharge and acquittal of a suspect involved in the rape and gruesome murder of the Chee Gaik Yap. Chee was abducted while jogging around her neighbourhood in Sungai Petani seven years ago. Shahril Jaafar, 32 walked free after the high court ruled, last Thursday, that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case. Shahril, a car salesman and the son of a VIP, had absconded to Perth in 2006 but was apprehended when he landed at the Sepang Airport in January 2012.

The signature drive at Farlim where the pictures were taken, is part of a nationwide effort to collect 50 thousand signatures addressed to the Kedah High Court, latest by tomorrow.

Earlier post on Chee Gaik Yap story HERE.

It is actually questionable that since they determined that there is more than one person involved, why is there is no mention of the other perpetrators at all? Who are they?

This case can be considered one of the high profile cases in recent years. Unfortunately, the general public perception and success rate in most of these cases are usually not very positive.

The quest for justice continues...

The Radicalisation of Chinese Malaysians

It's been a busy week.

As things become clearer, I've been contemplating this issue lately. I've noticed, through the years, the Chinese are becoming more politically aware and vocal, especially the younger generation. The question is, was it's a natural progression or was it by design?

I suppose it can be considered a good thing, that today's youth are more aware of issues. It's partly due to the internet. Information flows freely and travels in lightning speed. Gone are the days when governments can do things covertly or cover up certain issues. It is also a two-edged sword. It's often not easy to sort out the truth from untruths. Today, because of the declining credibility of MSM, people have resorted to get information from online sources.

The Chinese, especially the younger generation of today, are more outspoken than their elders. And they are also more impressionable, which makes them easily influenced by trends, as well as propaganda. The internet, through social media, forums, etc, plays a big role.

I'm not saying the others are not being radicalised. I think this phenomenon is happening all over the world. The whole world is so connected today, that events that take place in other countries can and do, influence other countries. Malaysians are not spared.

When the Occupy movement happened in the US, Malaysians followed suit. Then, there was the Arab Spring, and Malaysians are taken it by it as well. It is like a trend. But some times, we can't just adopt a movement without considering the context. For example Arab Spring. Do we want or need that in Malaysia? What was the original context in Egypt, which spawned Arab Spring in 2010?

Back to the Chinese Malaysians.

They remained quite docile from the 80s till the late 90s. Perhaps they were busy making money. But since 2004, during Pak Lah's tenure, things began to change. Online news portals mushroomed. Facebook was popular. Then there was a campaign against Pak Lah, and it was fought online. Bloggers, especially political ones, were very active and organised. The most popular was Raja Petra's Malaysia Today, which published many inside stories about BN and the government.

Political parties & politicians & mercenary (paid) bloggers

Non are more aggressive and took greater advantage, than the politicians and their hired minions. The event that managed to lure the Chinese out were the Bersih rallies. Taking part in rallies, which by tradition were mostly a Malay affair, has never appealed to the Chinese. The Chinese were always wary of street rallies or protests especially those which are political in nature. But slowly, but surely, with assurances and cajoling from these blogs and civil society leaders, they joined the crowd. The Indians, too, were not spared. They too were drawn out through the Hindraf rallies.

circa 1998: Hmmm... where are the Chinese?

Remember, in 1998, the Chinese did not participate in the Reformasi rallies. Why? Because it was an UMNO political fight between Anwar & Mahathir.

In the 1999 elections, Umno lost 50% of Malay votes. It was with the Chinese votes that BN managed to win. Did UMNO thank the Chinese then?

But when the opposite happened in 2013, when the Chinese votes went to Pakatan, the Chinese are blamed, despite BN retaining power.

On the surface, these rallies looked like the people's effort, so called 'people's power'. In my opinion, nothing like this ever happens spontaneously nor organised by normal laymen.

Ten years later... here we come!

So, the Chinese seeing the Malays and Indians coming out in numbers, were lulled into joining in. This continued until GE13 in 2013. Rallies after rallies, they came out in full force, young and old, cheered by the pro-opposition bloggers, NGOs, civil society personalities and opposition-friendly news portals. Up until the GE13 election campaigns, with each rally, their enthusiasm increased to fanatical proportions. Pakatan Rakyat did a splendid job in misleading the Chinese into thinking that their Malay countrymen were leading the 'Ubah' or change.

The Chinese need to realise that they were used, and are still being used, by both BN & PR and the NGOs like Bersih, Himpunan Hijau, paid mercenary blogs, news portals, etc. for their respective agendas.

The Chinese will always get the shorter end of the stick, politically, whether they like it or not.

I have not included any BN or UMNO in the examples below because they are already in the open. Their bloggers and NGOs, such as Perkasa are well known and visibly pro BN and Malay. They did not covertly lure the Chinese out. They very openly pushed the Chinese away, which they have been doing all these while. Everyone knows Perkasa=UMNO (a certain group within UMNO).

White ang pows for old folks. What's the message? Why do this? The the man in yellow, is Collin Tiew, an MCA branch chief. He brought the old folks there to be insulted.

However, if the pushing and whacking of the Chinese is done too long and too much for their political gains, it is going to destroy the Chinese people. There is a limit to everything. I think the damage is irreversible already. Looking at MCA & Gerakan now, it doesn't take a genius to see it. It saddens me to see even the elderly Chinese are not spared by politicians like these (both Chinese & Malay ones).

Now,  the more sinister ones are those pretenders, those with a hidden agenda, that are more dangerous. They are the ones who mislead the Chinese into supporting their often noble-sounding causes. These are the ones, that will really do the Chinese in.

How it is done? Hidden agendas. Hidden Hands.

1. One very good example is Malaysia Today. 

RPK has always been instrumental in getting the Chinese to 'rise up' against the government, to join the other races, specifically the Malays. He has made this know from the start, lamenting the fact that rallies seemed to be only attended by one race, the Malays. Whatever his intentions are, noble or otherwise, we will never know for sure. But one thing for sure, the Chinese were lured into the open, without any safety net. In any event, he and his family is safely living it up in his home country.

Before the GE13, the articles that were published then,  seemed to appeal to the Chinese readers. Some were even critical of Islam & Malays, and that gave the impression to the Chinese readers that this blog was liberal and all that. Whenever articles critical of Malays or Islam or Government appeared, the presumably Chinese readers would comment, often echoing the writer's views. Of course, the presumably Malay readers would feel offended and posted their displeasure.

Anyway, this went on for the whole of 2012. Usually, the webmaster would censor comments deemed too offensive. However, right after the GE13 polling date was announced, RPK decided to allow all comments to be published. Of course, there were a lot of comments which were not too kind to the Malays, UMNO, BN and government. RPK would put on a show, to 'warn' the commenters that the Malays would be offended and cause opposition to lose Malay votes, while at the same time still allowing these offensive comments to be published.

After the elections, as we are aware of the results that followed, it was clear that majority of Chinese votes went to Pakatan, and Malay votes swung to BN. RPK then blamed it on the presumably Chinese readers, telling them off that their offensive comments caused the lost of Malay votes. With that excuse, he has absolved himself from any blame, and for his part in misleading the Chinese.

The funny thing is, not long after that, RPK admitted that he knew all along that Pakatan would lose. That the Chinese had themselves to blame for not understanding the Malays and Islam. That vernacular education made the Chinese into chauvinists. That it is the Chinese's own doing that they are being blamed and insulted now.

His Chinese readers don't even realise when RPK openly used them, and after that, mocked and insulted them. He hates everything about the Chinese, from their language to the schools. He is a half-Malay, half-caucasian, and the Chinese think he adores them?

These Chinese Malaysians, fans of his, are still oblivious to the knife stuck into their backs. 

2. Organisations (Bersih, Himpunan Hijau, etc.)

Bersih. This has to be the mother of all cons. Before the elections, they were viewed as a neutral organisation. That was the image they cultivated anyway. It was during Bersih 3.0, that it became very apparent that they were very pro-Pakatan, specifically towards PKR.

Their role, in the deception, is to provide the impression that these Bersih rallies were indeed non-political. But it is clear today, that they just wanted to topple BN. That makes it political. Who were those that were managed to be lured into the streets? Everyone. Including the Chinese.

They managed to lure the Chinese into the streets in big numbers, which hadn't happened since 1969.

Himpunan Hijau. The protest against Lynas has been political from the start. Although I am against facilities such as Lynas, which harms the environment and people, it disgusts me to see how low politicians can go. I suppose by now, everyone is familiar with the con-job of DAP's lackey, Wong Tack. I'm still amazed at the number of votes he got in Bentong. Again, the Chinese were lured into the streets, thinking that it was for a good cause, to save the environment.

3. Politicians & their minions (news portals & such)

The truth is, politics in Malaysia was and still is, very much about race and to a certain extent religion. Which explains why these issues are always played up by politicians. It is surprising that there are people who believe those politicians who say otherwise.

Crowd during GE13 at one of DAP's 'ceramahs'

The politicians themselves, have become somewhat like celebrities, going from town to town, entertaining the crowds, collecting donations. The Chinese, already lured into the open since 2007, are again enticed to attend these ceramahs. The content are the usual fare of hate and insult towards the ruling party and government, often whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

With the help from pro Pakatan portals such as Malaysiakini, the Chinese were served their daily doses of hate, hate towards the government and BN. News highlighting the mistakes and  inefficiency of various branches of government, agencies and leaders are published daily, 24/7. The other news merely serve as fillers. Their main purpose are to disparage and discredit the country's leaders, and the government.

During rallies, they will post pictures, videos and updates in realtime for the readers, free of charge. Although it seems that it is a natural function of news portals, which is true, but the intention might not be so altruistic. It is actually a way to get more people, Chinese included, to join in.

Is it any wonder, that the Chinese, with continuous whacking from government owned mainstream media, and hate propaganda from the alternative media, that each generation is getting more radical than the previous? That they have become, to their detriment, anti-establishment by the day?

This is my worry for the Chinese Malaysians. I don't like what I see happening.

DAP -This party is led by veterans. They are an old hand at ceramahs. However, it is the younger leadership that has managed to captivate the Chinese. They knew PKR do not have enough Malay votes. They knew Pakatan won't be forming the government. They knew the Chinese would end up in the opposition in big numbers. They would do whatever it takes (even shaving their heads) to retain Penang. This is the number one party that has managed to galvanise the Chinese to be vocal towards the government, BN, UMNO, MCA, etc. They have managed to transform the unsuspecting Chinese into photocopies of Lim Kit Siang and son. Since MCA abandoned the Chinese, it didn't take much effort on the part of DAP to woo the Chinese. They were literally herded into DAP's corner. DAP, in cohorts with PKR & PAS have misled the Chinese into believing that the majority of Malays were with Pakatan, ready to change. As the results show, it was far from the truth.

MCA - No words could describe this party and their leadership, specifically their president. They literally told the Chinese to f**k-off to their face. Knowing the dynamics within BN, it is safe to assume that they did so with full knowledge and blessing from UMNO. So, in truth, it is MCA that has abandoned the Chinese. And they have the cheek to say otherwise. The sheer arrogance. Until today, the president, Chua Soi Lek, sees it fit to punish the Chinese by refusing posts and shutting down their service centres. Who in their right mind would threaten their voters to vote for their party while at the same time, chickening out from facing his opponent in Gelang Patah?

This is a good example of how politicians actually feel about their supporters. The people are just pawns to them, to be used and discarded.

So, did the Chinese have a choice in the first place?

The Chinese politicians and their cohorts know very well that all this will cause insecurity among the Malays. The Malay politicians also know very well that the constant sabre rattling against the Chinese will also do the same to the Chinese. But they still do it. Because the people let them. These politicians, the pretenders, the liberal bourgeois wolfs in sheep's skin, would have no qualms sacrificing peace, harmony and in this case, the Chinese community, just to achieve their agendas.

Do the Chinese Malaysians, as a community & race, deserve to used and abused like this? To suffer fools like this?

After all that been said and done since 2007 leading up to GE13, through all the deceptions and lies, in the end, it's the Chinese community who're left holding the bag.

The most comical were the overseas Chinese, who specifically flew back just to vote. They were among those most vocal against the government. They are the ones who says they love Malaysia, but do not live or work here. Hahaha. Talk about hypocrites.

Where are they now? Well, except for the price of a plane ticket, they are living quite comfortably as immigrants in one of the first-world countries, which they love to use as examples how a perfect country should be. And in any statement they make, they always, always, without fail throw in their favourite phrases, "We still love Malaysia" or "...beloved country..." or "I consider myself a Malaysian first...", while in the same breath finding fault with and running down the country.

Would any of these people, these parties and personalities, step up to defend the Chinese community? What do you think they care about more, your welfare or their own agendas?

Will these people be able to or have any interest to safeguard Chinese customs, culture, religion, language, schools, business, etc. ?

Be wary of those who claim to champion your race, religion or community, especially those who seek power. These people will not be able to solve your problems, but instead, would most probably create more problems for you.

Remember, always take the middle path. Moderation is the key.

Don't surrender your fate to others. Think about you own priority and interests first. Your family, your future, your happiness, peace, harmony.

The young are impressionable. They are naive. They are perfect candidates to be radicalised. Then, they will be used. Soon they will be discarded. Worse, they will be blamed.

After radicalisation: Is this a typical Chinese characteristic? Is this something to be proud of?

Before radicalisation: This is you, the Chinese. This was once held in high esteem by society. Don't forget that.

" observe developments soberly,
maintain our position,
meet challenges calmly,
hide our capacities and bide our time,
remain free of ambition,
never claim leadership. " 

~ Deng Xiaoping

Malaysia: Car Prices

Are car prices going to decrease? Nope.

According to recent statement by Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Hamim Samuri:

1. ...Reducing excise duty does not guarantee cheaper cars because manufacturers ultimately have the final say on prices by taking into account various factors.
2. ...the government did not intend to reduce excise duty now because car manufacturers would have to consider the market demand, cost of production, mode of production and country of production before arriving at the price.
3. ...excise duty generates RM7 billion in revenue for the government every year. 
4. ...the government might consider reducing excise duty in the long run.
5. ...the government had no plans to reduce car prices now because it would hurt the industry as well as vehicle owners whose installment repayment period were longer than nine years. 
6. ...excise duty ranged between 65% and 120% and by using locally-made spare parts, the cars will be entitled to excise duty discounts, which in turn will lower prices

I fail to comprehend the reason given, especially the part about reducing excise duties won't make cars cheaper. Excise duty is between 65% and 120%. Even a marginal decrease will have an impact.

You know, it's sad that these politicians have to create stories and excuses just to avoid saying the truth. Everybody knows the reason behind their reluctance to lower car prices. Among the myriad of reasons, but the main one is this:

The bane of Malaysia's automotive industry

Proton & it's vendors

As long as Proton is around, prices will not only remain high, it will increase. This is the reason why the minister says that reducing excise duties will not reduce car prices. The other brands are NOT ALLOWED to sell their cars cheaper. All the arguments about Proton's competitiveness, APs, excise duties, etc. is a waste of time. Proton is an entity to enrich the vendors. That's the main objective for Proton's existence. Nothing to do with national pride, Malaysian car, patriotism, etc. That is why, after decades, Proton still needs protection. It was never the objective for Proton to export globally. Because they know they can't. The best they can do is re-badging or buy technology. Latest rumours is the collaboration with Honda.

While the government says it need to cut subsidies on essential items like petrol, it continues to subsidise companies like Proton.

We don't even have to go into the APs issue. It's already been debated and discussed for umpteen years. Even if we abolish APs, car prices will still be high.

Excise Duties

It has been reported that excise duties rake in about 5-7 billion every year for the government. In today's context, it is not a lot, really. Of course it is no loose change either. So, how do we make up the difference?

Simple. For every percentage lowered for lower segments, implement a proportional percentage increase to luxury brands. Brands such as BMW, VW, Audi, Mercedes, Porche, etc.

At the same time, APs should be made available for tender to the public, instead of given to a few people. Now, these APs are sold by individuals for tens of thousands instead of going to the government.

The rich can afford it. 100k is a lot to the average wage earning person. Whereas 240k is nothing for the rich. Looking at the high number of luxury cars on the roads, I think there is still room to increase prices for these brands.

So, with just these 2 simple steps, the government do not need to lose any revenue.

Price starts from RM240k+ only

Car Financing

Currently loan tenure is up to 9 years. Most cheaper cars don't even last that long.  Because of the high car prices, consumers end up paying more interests, a portion for the excise duties. In other words, consumers take up loan for the excise duty as well. It is quite substantial. Imagine, for a 100k car, 50k is the car price, 50k is excise duty. You are actually paying interest on the 50k borrowed to finance the excise duty.

If Bank Negara cuts the max loan tenure back to 5 years, I can guarantee car sales will drop like a rock. Which brand will suffer most? Proton. Actually the 9-year loans were a life-saver for Proton, inconjunction with the 0% downpayment scheme. If anyone can remember, there was a time about 10 years ago when Proton's sales nose dived and stocks accumulated.

Just ask yourselves, who really benefits from having Proton?

- Consumers? Nope. Given a choice, nobody would want to buy it.
- Government? Nope. It actually costs the government money to keep it afloat.
- Country? Nope. It doesn't bring any prestige nor pride to the nation.
- Employees? Nope. Without Proton, "Detroit of the East" would have been Malaysia, and they could have easily been absorbed into other companies.

By now, we should realise the real reason for high car prices in Malaysia, right? The right question is, who makes money from Proton. Who are they? Nobody knows, because everyone is busy chasing shadows.