Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi
One issue that I had always found particularly disturbing in Malaysia is how Chinese-based (or Chinese-dominated) political parties, Chinese education pressure groups, and pretty much anyone else (apart from these groups) that strongly advocate for “Chinese rights” in general have almost always managed to get away with labelling anyone else who disagree with them “racists” or “anti-Chinese”. However, these very same people do not realise that with their one finger pointing at others, there are three fingers pointing back at them in return.
After an assessment of his claims, this latest publicity stunt does not distinguish him any differently from the “ultra Malays” he previously claims to oppose, i.e. those in the likes of UMNO, PERKASA or even ISMA. In retrospect, the statement he made about two groups of hypothetical mice (A and B) being “exposed” to contrasting life conditions and developing separately into distinct attitudes, are reminiscent of the type of racist eugenics which Adolf Hitler used to justify his “Final Solution” of the Jews in Germany and for Europe in general.
But what truly pisses me off the most is on how he thinks that only his particular ethnic race have toiled, suffered and contributed to the nation-building and wealth of this country, while at the same time brusquely brushing aside the contributions of the other races, including the “Malays” who share the same breathing space as his family (not him, obviously) and former sex partner Vivian Lee. Touting that his particular race is the “superior” race because they suffered hardship and forced migration does not in any way mean that the Malay stock here are inferior.
This author’s particular Nusantara race, the JAVANESE, went through the same trials, tribulations and struggles as the Chinese did. We suffered famine, hardship, and despot rule, so much so that my forefather decided to migrate to this land called Malaya from Java in the early 19th century. We settled here, we toiled and contributed to nation-building, and we prospered. When Sukarno first announced his Konfrontasi policy to oversee the destablisation and eventual destruction of the newly-established Malaysia in 1963 with the now-infamous slogan of “Ganyang Malaysia!” (Crush Malaysia!), the villagers in my father’s kampung in Johore (including my late grandfather) remained loyal to the leadership of this country and declared that they would not support Sukarno, even though they were JAVANESE and Sukarno was a JAVANESE. It was known during this time that the JAVANESE themselves had a particular worldview through the prism of their own ethnicity. They too viewed the “Malays” as inferior and only mingled among themselves, inter-married and spoke only their own language. Yet, the fact that they decided to support the very much “Malay” leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman clearly demonstrates the fact that loyalty to the nation comes first, and racial discourse was secondary.
Today, the JAVANESE are as successful as the Chinese, if not better. You do not see the JAVANESE touting their ethnic roots or demanding “Javanese education”, due to assimilation and the prevailing political imposition, but the JAVANESE are still around until today. The Javanese are not the only race that migrated to Malaya in the time period of the 19th century. I personally know of similar anecdotal stories from the Banjar people (my mother-in-law is herself an ethnic Banjarese), the Bugis, the Acehnese, the Minang and the Baweanese (or Boyan). These races are really the people that he lumps together as the “Malays”.
That being said, why am I even mentioning this at all? I never considered my race to be a criterion for being successful, so why even the need to discuss this? The answer is because I want to demonstrate that his sweeping generalisation of the “Malays” is as inane as it is stupid. He is essentially a Chinese chauvinist, a coward looking through the prism of his own mono-ethnic narrative who dare not face Malaysian law for the crimes he did here; at the first opportunity, he skipped bail and ran like the coward he really is to find shelter under Barack Obama’s armpit. Today, he justifies this cowardice and his inherent racist chauvinism with the myopic argument of “Oh, my race suffered more than your race through trials, tribulations and sacrifice. This conclusively mean that we are inherently more superior than you are.” The fact that there are actually people out there who strongly support this type of attitude shows that Chinese chauvinistic racism is prevalent in Malaysia, and that it will be a very long time before such racist overtures are extinguished.
On that note, I should also come to mention that my mother is half-Chinese from her father’s side, which therefore means that I too am at least a quarter-blood Chinese (although I am far removed from its culture). I know of many other “Malays” who are related, whether directly or indirectly, to the other races in Malaysia by virtue of blood and marriage. This is the reality in Malaysia, really….everyone here is a “pendatang”
I am a proud MUSLIM, I am a proud JAVANESE and more importantly, I am a proud MALAYSIAN. Kindly disappear into the hole that you are currently hiding in, Alvin Tan, and please stuff your racist Chinese chauvinist bastard-ism up a place where the sun does not shine!
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