Namewee Whacks Utusan

Utusan Malaysia released an article written by Fauziah Arof called "Bukan Nasi Lemak 2.0, Soalnya Namewee" which simply bashes the artist himself. 

One of the paragraphs stated: "If given a free ticket, I don't want to watch the film even though it has a line of celebrities including Afdlin Shauki, David Arumugam, Adibah Noor, nor even watch it subscribe it on Astro First when the film is stop being showed in cinemas".

The article was written on 21 September. One of the links is in Malaysian Insider here.

Who is Fauziah Arof the Utusan Reporter? Some people in Facebook have confirmed it:

 

This has not gone down that good for Namewee.  In response to that, Namewee uploaded a video called "Fuck Utusan." The video was dated yesterday. At this point of time, there have been over 800 views, with an overwhelming 889 likes vs 13 dislikes. 

Expect more brick bats from left and right with some for Namewee and some for the reporter.

Here is the full video below.

Hudud: Socially and Mathematically Impossible

Nik Aziz's talk about hudud laws have sparked another round of fear mongering among Malaysians. It has already given PAS's arch rivals UMNO the ammunition to whack PAS kingdom come. This is exactly how PAS got whacked badly in the 2004 general elections.

DAP has made it clear that hudud was never in the CPF and threatened to quit en masse to show their vocal disagreement on implementing.

Some in PAS admitted that it's almost impossible. But the youth wings are showing hints of persisting.

IMHO, this is socially and mathematically impossible.

The people, non-Muslims in particular could not take it at this point of time. Two sets of laws, one based on the British-style common law and the Syariah law can sometimes confuse them.

You only need to look at the custody cases where a child is converted to a Muslim without the consent of the other as the case in point. Lina Joy's case is also another no no where two sets of laws govern them.

The other is by mathematical means. A pity and ignorance of the people still do not know that it is still mathematically impossible.

I've said it before, Pete has said it before, that you need at least 148 MPs to amend the constitution to use and implement hudud laws. But can PAS have 148 MP by themselves? PAS only contests up to 60 parliamentary seats, which is event less than 1/3 of the present total of 222 seats.

Even if they have the numbers, their partners would say no for the sake of other people.

I always have the mathematical believe that it's not likely to be implemented nationwide.

Tarek Fatah previously said that there is a distinction of Islam as faith along with other religions and Islamism as a political ideology where anything that do not conform to the desired view means must be destroyed / removed, particularly the western ideology.

This is the fear that many people would perceive in the present scenario with the scenario of the freedom of practicing faiths being trampled. Along the way, Pakatan Rakyat has conceded one to two goals on this. How can they catch up in the battle of perception on people?

There's no need to go further than seeing this in social / common sense perspective.

UMNO's Self-Caused Comedic Errors

I found it funny that after Mat Sabu raised his point on the Bukit Kepong, that UMNO started hopping like a mad man or like an old man as if there's another Cold War coming in again. But it is already past 20 years since the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War. The fall of communism marked the end of history, as what Francis Fukuyama declared in 1992, meaning that fascism as harken back to the days of Nazis and the Mussolini period of Italy is already over.

 

A few weeks ago, I have written a summary of Tarek Fatah's speech in Toronto, in which I highlighted two points below:

 

"2. Communism was destroyed in the battle of ideas. It took 4 decades by the year 1990 and 2000 communism was wiped out, the gulags were finished, people Russians found the freedom today to live under a different form of what is regard as a separate story. But we destroyed communism without firing a bullet.

3. Today we're fighting another idea of "fascism"that has shut our mouths and you can't speak because we're too scared that someone would turn around and calls us a racist. "

 

This is the problem we are facing right now in the context of Mat Sabu's highlight of the Bukit Kepong incident. Hardliners and conservatives in the ruling parties and NGOs have threatened to shut our mouths just because we have a different point of view, way of interpretation and believes. Compulsion is what is evident here - to force people to accept their version of events, history and to threaten those who have second thoughts or questions that raised from vague information. 

I find it stupid to accuse a person of defaming a dead person. The pirates do have the saying of "dead man tell no tales", unless UMNO is able to communicate with the dead people by having the ability to speak to them or speak through God, in which is already over the top and illogical in thinking sense. Bringing out new information should have instead spark a series of discussions, debates, re-examining the histories that would distill more evidence and proper conclusion to the new theories brought.

 

For example, new theories of Mozart's death in December 1791 have sparked off debates and discussions, which is proper, instead of bashing people with different opinions left and right. With recorded testimonies and journals of Mozart's next-to-kin, (e.g, his wife Constanze) and statistics of diseases happened at that time, the conclusion came was much different to what was written in the official medical records at the time of Mozart's death. Mozart was found to be suffering from the "Wassersucht" disease (was called that in Austria).

In light of such incident, Waythamoorthy has offered to assist Mat Sabu of the declassified documents from English archives (in London) to establish information that colonial British government had actually armed the communists to engage in an armed conflict with the Japanese during World War II and had turned against the communists and banned the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).This, he said, forced the CPM leaders and members to go underground and launch an independence war against the British. If that is the case, then why is there MPAJA (anti-Japanese army) movement mentioned in our history textbooks?

Most people who made the allegation at Mat Sabu are many who still has the Cold War mentality. Such error is equivalent to what is describe as bringing back the ghosts and specters of the past. These are just one part of the total comedy of errors committed. You see this the problem of people who read distorted history and never bother to read or differentiate further. Perhaps the compulsion of having UMNO's version of history shoved in the syllabus could be why most simpletons would say such thing now.

 

The other one? It's on the AG and the print media called Utusan. An ex-judge said this below:

Why are the police and the Attorney-General so concerned?” “Utusan Malaysia has written many defamatory things in the past and yet no action has been taken against it. That speaks for itself.” Sounds like Utusan and UMNO instructing the court to charge Mat Sabu for something that is nonsensical right?

This whole thing is a like a bear devoted to its master. If a fly lands on the owner's cheek whilst he's sleeping, the bear would slap it. Of course the fly is killed but the masters' face is damaged by the bear's attack. In this case, Najib's pledge of reform and not accusing people of different ideology on the night of 15 September got a slap in the face by the AG! And since the AG has been noted of making unnecessary calls including appeal over something that can't much be generated, isn't it supposedly that AG be separated from the prosecutor's office? 

My friend used to say "more rope for them to hang themselves" or "shock sendiri" so there's plenty of comedic errors to be noticed there...apart from the funny skits of "cops in twitterverse..."

It's Nothing New. It's A Fallback.

Rethinking the slew of Malaysia day measures announced by Najib, the first thing that came across my mind was that Najib should have done it as soon as he took over office, not to leave it until late and after 2 1/2 years to say to do away with it. Pretty slow was the adjective I wanted to say it out as my one-word comment.

Well, I've been in the writing block lately, can't even put a 500-word posting as to per my norms. This at least could be the reason why I've been slow and not even write posts on the day to day basis. 

The slew of first-step reforms that Najib announced was nothing really new. I always have the certain reason to believe that it's a fallback for Najib. There have been plots, internally within UMNO to have him kicked out and the Mahathir faction is definitely the source behind it. His number 2 was found to be doing things the complete opposite of what of his intention. Sure, you do not see this in the public eye, in privately and internally, yes. And should the day comes when Najib is out via party elections or otherwise, the goal of getting middle-class support and those on the fence would be the cushion and the fallback step for Najib.

And just the last few days, it's the unveiling of the Mr. Cool attitude Najib. A picture of moderation, and a visit to top radio stations to get support from the urban audiences on radio, and those thing; I keep hearing a repeat of the opening bars of having a image consultants to really improve the shape and image of Najib. And of course I read of a familiar name in PR and APCO - the Staedlen fellow and those who shaped up Tony Blair's image - it's just the same thing except new faces. The other two PR companies had to be moved out because of prolong accusation from the opposition and those who have started making second doubt voices about it.

I sincerely have second doubts to see the Mr. Cool attitude our PM. I am sure that the abolish ISA subject has met the opposition of those who wanted it still. But it demonstrates one thing: - immaturity and the unwillingness to move on with the current 21st century setting of those people. If someone were to ask whether Ibrahim Ali is also included in the "immatures" group, then unfortunately - yes.

The announcement is actually incomplete. There are still pre-Merdeka laws that have yet to be removed: Sedition act for instance. I did say before that Britain has already removed the act at the start of 2010. Then what about the other emergencies like 1969? It's 42 years already. Not likely to happen anymore with the power of Internet. If used for good, we can ascertain whether if those rumors spread on the street are true or not.

There's nothing new or something to be cheered upon, if you really look carefully from the whole picture. Najib's announcement was overdue by 2.5 years already. I've heard of the things promised on the fateful night of April 2009, when he took over the PM's post from Pak Lah and there was nothing to be excited about. 

What will to the plans and programs laid by the present government if they are kicked out by the opposition in general elections? Chances are 80 percent that you can't just cancel outright, but at least there is a need to scrutinize what is done so far before taking the next action.

Whatever the thing happens now, it's a matter of time before more of the bickering, not just in PR that the media is highlighting about, but within BN that will be unfolded by its own accord.

Who's Really Selling Malaysia Out?

"Very foolish you will be if you let them take away the rights I have given you" - Omar Torrijos (1929-1981)

It's a good guess as mine that an admission by the Bangladeshi PM that the citizens were given right to vote in the possible next general elections. The forthcoming problem facing by the ruling government is that they risk facing losing power that they have held over the last 55 years and counting. Period. When they lose, all contracts that they are entitled including wealth and privileges are no longer in their possession as if they are taken away passwords and access to treasury and computer files.

Penang and Selangor are examples of how they have suffered when the gold mine and the big deposit boxes of Malaysia have been taken away by the opposition coalition. And you have seen how they have been screaming left and right until the foam forms in the mouth of the United Malays National Organization people. Najib has been moving around, notably, in Penang recently, at Anwar Ibrahim's turf - I suppose it is to make a taunt at Anwar of the likelihood of going to jail in the next few months or so.

There is an understanding that rural people and Malay support will not alone help the BN to win with a bigger majority. And so there's this theory of getting the Bangla people to support them in exchange of citizenship. Not only them, other foreigners as well.

While they have been using Pakatan as their punching bag, bashing one thing after another and even accusing them as anti-Islam, Jew supporter and other monikers that they can think off, they too even do not know that they too are actually the same thing as what their accused the rivals do - perhaps all to shake off the tag and divert the public's attention. Getting more of these kind of people, just as to cheat in elections is also part of selling Malaysia out indirectly.

That's right. That's only one...and Malaysia unknowingly have been selling themselves out to corporations or doing things that economic hitmen would suggest them to do - to cheat the country more money in addition to the present national debt incurred by the country. 

Earlier in the year, Mahathir had said that the Malays in particular are those who are staunch anti-Israel people, that is putting their support on the Palestine. However, when it comes to their rights and entitlements, they meekly give it away to the third parties including corporations. I had seen a documentary of the Orang Asli who have been starting to reclaim their native customary rights to the lands. The new lands act that was enforced on them was very unrealistic, as it dictates that the amount of land entitled is depending on the size of the state.

Refusal to accept the conditions of the big would consequently give in grim results. One case I often recalled was the controversy and the conspiracy behind Omar Torrijos plane crash. They said that Torrijos preferred Japanese interest over American interests, in which John Perkins in his book said some American business leaders and politicians strongly opposed the negotiations between Torrijos and a group of Japanese businessmen led by Shigeo Nagano, who were promoting the idea of a new, larger, sea-level canal for Panama - Noreiga said this of course provoke discontent among American business circles.

The similarity is identical to the Fuad Stephens plane crash as well. Stephens had already been very skeptical over what will happen should Sabah decide to join the Malaya federation. Likewise, of the case during the inception and the year after the Petroleum Development Act 1975 was passed. Could Stephens independence streak angered some quarters that there was conspiracy to get rid of him at that time? The circumstances noted in both Torrijos and Stephens is there to show.

Now let's go back to the point.  The case of giving voting rights to foreigners in exchange of retaining power, doesn't that fit in this case?  What can the opposition do much when you are the government of the day and still you keep pointing fingers at them for your own mistakes? At what cost would we incur for the sake of getting the predominant Malay support? So if it turns out there the party claims to be protecting all races and rights as they have been shouting but doing the inverse, that is selling the country out then why do we keep supporting them when we know that they are clearly in the wrong? 

What is really wrong?

Overcoming The Mind Control Problem

This article in Free Malaysia Today /  Malaysian Insider sums it all. How to get out of the mind control.

Period.

Excerpts:

Two pervasive mentalities stand out among the chief culprits. They are racial and religious supremacy.

 

Racial supremacy expects non-Malay citizens to be eternally grateful to the Malay race for granting their forefathers citizenship at Independence. It demands from the non-Malays unquestionable deference to the Malays, their culture and arbitrary declarations of Malay rights or privileges.

Religious supremacy is the conviction that the Islamic belief is superior to all other beliefs and that it is the only path to true spirituality. Its adherents must not compromise on officially stipulated Islamic ideas and practices and cannot opt-out of the religion. Non-believers are fodder for conversion.

A set of underlying reasons drive these mentalities. Political motives aside, there is a historical fear of disenfranchisement; a concept of entitlement as an exclusive birthright; envy; low self-esteem; a craving for a source of self-pride; a fear of the new or alien; meekness; and narrow-mindedness.

Supremacism is sold as the cure-all. But it only adds to the problem.

The projection of cultural or religious might becomes a pretext for the powerful to impose conformity and thereby control upon a majority. Behind the false security of religious dogma or ethnic nationalism, it is spiritually and psychologically defeating. It turns what should be a happy bazaar of exchange between cultures into a cautious tightrope walk. It sabotages nation-building, whatever the unifying slogan or initiative devised.

Consider how this plays out in Malay-non-Malay relations.

The ordinary Malay in Malaysia is kept at a near constant state of anxiety by the tirade about the non-Malays seeking to usurp Malay political and economic rights. The Malays are repeatedly called on to be united in the name of race and religion to fend off this imagined strike. To alleviate his insecurities the Malay is offered:

• A political guarantee that national policy will be dictated by the Malays (or Muslims) and economic concessions in the form of government jobs for the unemployable etc. These are promised in exchange for support for certain political parties and obedience to hierarchy;

• Supposed spiritual salvation by thorough religious submission. This is codified in law, taught in religious education, enforced by religious bodies and reinforced by social and peer pressure; and

• Financial incentives such as easy loans and credit for material intoxication by retail therapy and a temporary relative wealth effect vis-à-vis the non-Malays.

There is no commensurate effort to unleash the Malay mind and encourage the Malay person to seize the day, excel, question, take charge, propose or dissent. Political leaders and the religious bureaucracy do not favour this; an empowered people puts at stake their political influence and economic privilege.

***********

For both the Malay and non-Malay communities:

(a) The non-Malays must treat the Malays as fellow brothers and sisters, with dignity, understanding and compassion. Effort should be made to communicate and interact with, not shun, the Malay community.

(b) The Malays must reciprocate. In addition, the Malays must rightfully regard their non-Malay brothers and sisters as equal citizens.

(c) To overcome cultural hypersensitivity. To be tactful in making suggestions or be gracious in receiving 

suggestions pertaining to the so-called ‘sensitive issues’ (for example, matters relating to places of worship).

(d) To cease to see the preferences or cultural particulars of another community as slights or threats. To cultivate instead an appreciation for the value of diversity. To be able to partake in the festivities of any community without excessive anxieties or scruples.

Read the rest here.

It's Comes Overdue Already

Najib announces repeal of ISA, three emergency declarations

Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced tonight the repeal of the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) and the three Emergency Declarations when both the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat have their next sitting.

The prime minister said that new laws will be enacted to protect the peace, harmony and security of the country.

He also announced that the government will do away with annual printing and publishing permits with permits that can be cancelled if regulations are flouted.

Najib acknowledged in his address to the nation on the eve of Malaysia Day that the move to increase civil liberties was “risky, but we are doing this for our survival.”

“No individual will ever be detained simply due to political ideology,” he said in his speech that was broadcast live on all local television stations.

The move to scrap the law has been hailed by ex-ISA detainee and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as “an epochal move.”

The Barisan Nasional (BN) chief said that two new security laws would be introduced for preventive detention which would be limited only to cases of terrorism and “ensure that basic human rights are protected.”

Najib said that under the new laws, detentions could only be extended by the court and therefore “the power of detention will be shifted from the executive to the judiciary, unless it concerns terrorism.”

Before a studio audience of 800 including his entire Cabinet, he also announced that the Banishment Act would be repealed while he will do away with the need for annual publishing permits under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).

 -- The Malaysian Insider

I once said before that it takes a disaster for the country to realize its mistakes. And by the time they realized that there's the need of having a reform, it is already far overdue already. For instance, when Bersih 2.0 decided to launch it's campaign to make a statement to the government of the necessity of election reforms, many - especially the government's butter-up boys do not really believe in their claims and instead, misguided by the MSM papers including Utusan were made to believe that they are about to start another 13 May 1969 incident.

And that allegation came unfounded. But it is only after they noticed that 1700 people arrested and how the cops handled the situation, with the directive from they themselves, they realized of the terrible mistake that they have committed. They only then also realized that they cheated themselves into believing that there was to be another riots or so. They didn't even trust themselves, like a dog being duped by it's own reflection on the pool..and so decided to embark on the reforming thing that they've spewed out on the news.

The ISA abolishment was also another thing overdue. When the anti-ISA movement decided to protest in the streets August last year (that's to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its inception), the government refused to believed in that thing and the GMI's demands, thinking they can handled on their own terms. Scores of people arrested, roadblocks here and there, well of course I've kept some pictures as to remember that incident. With more and more people pressuring the government, it became imminent and evident that even amending the ISA is totally impossible. But it took more than 20 years since the cession of arms against Malaysia by the CPM to realize that ISA is already irrelevant.

Many people still do not understand why ISA has to go and in fact some people including those in Perkasa think that ISA is still needed for something that is illogical like Malay rights. However, many are not aware that there's no such thing as abolishing ISA without something to compensate, right? With the specter of 9/11 around us, of course there has to be something to replace it and of course people have proposed a new Anti-Terrorism bill in its place. As what Nazri said, the bill is for real terrorism. This missing piece of information is one of the causes of bro ha has that foam in the mouths of those people who complained about removing ISA.

With people getting angry over the EO6 episode, what is much more necessary of putting the EO 1948 off coupled with the close to the 80 year old Restricted Residences (a.k.a Banishment) act for good? What...applying a more than 60 year old laws into the 21st century scenario? Somewhat doesn't fit like big engines into a small car?

Connecting the dot from that above is the official end of three declarations of emergency. I suppose that many people and politicians have forgotten about it, with many assuming that the 1989 ceasefire automatically ends it, but there were no proclamations until 22 years later where they finally realized that they have overlooked that matter. It took lawyers and civil movement pressure to get them to come into their senses.

In spite of all that, there are still things neither never mentioned or partially mentioned that raises questions from other quarters. For instance, the publications permit - whether it can be challenged in court after the annual renewal condition is removed. However, people still bash Pornstar Chua over the need of having online publication permit - this guy is one hell of a jester in this point.  Talk about another Rais Yatim thing that is.

I am bit unclear about this amendment to the notorious Section 27 of the Police Act. Demos usually happen if whatever statements that is to be sent out are totally ignored by the government of the day, so generally it is theirs to be blamed. Bersih rally happened because of government ignorance, otherwise how would those unnecessary police ruckus happened on that day? I would definitely would want to see and read more of the amendment ideas before talking more.

Unfortunately, the AUKU 1971 act was never mentioned and this has raised dire questions from university students who felt the need to have more active participation in the present issues. They were asking "what about AUKU". Sedition Act remains one of the archaic laws that has yet to be asked then.

I look at some of the statements and thoughts by other people in regards of this in online avenues. Some good, some disagreed but I have the thought that this could be one something else that motivates the reason of Najib Razak doing such thing, that would be discussed later. Since these things are to be brought forward to the Parliament when it reconvenes next month, I have the feeling that it could be well opposed by some of the MPs in his front, who are also UMNO warlords and those who have a different opinion of his statements. If most of the Cabinet ministers were in the studio where he made the statement, it's likely that most of them have already agreed to follow the ship's directions, albeit a few, probably.

Ibrahim Ali has also been making noises but when the government finally realizes their mistakes and started doing things, he has been quiet over this subject or so. It's my gut feeling that he could be making noises tomorrow to show his disagreement over what Najib would say.

Anyhow, it's about time, too long already.

Profit at The Expense of Unsatisfactory Telco Service?

A lot of people complained about the service tax charge on the prepaid service in this past week or so. Many think that having another 6 percent is already too much in addition to how call charges are tallied in the present prepaid system. It's that much pressure that prompted the government to put that thing on hold.

The irony here is that prepaid charges are more expensive than the postpaid but the question is why people favor that method of usage rather than having it postpaid? One problem identified in this question is that many are not aware that they can switch telco services but still can retain their existing phone numbers. Ask anyone who is using a postpaid plan and many would come with the answers such as difference on calculating call charges, no need top up in case of emergency and there are now calling plans to choose from base on the needs.

The problem right now that most consumers face now is that although they pay high prices for monthly phone bills, yet the service, quality and reception still suck. This is actually in contrast to the reception, affordability and marketing way of our neighboring country down south. You only to walk into a mall in a suburb of Singapore, e.g. Sengkang and see how the mobile phone marketing plans contrast of how the marketing plan is in Malaysia.

Even a simple person can get a proper phone at a very low price and a reasonable plan and yet can get a very good coverage in the city state itself. And what about here? Well. we have a few share of problems, for example certain networks don't work in coastal areas, a network that doesn't work well when we're on the main highways along Peninsular Malaysia. Getting a smartphone, now a trend everywhere is still very expensive because of the price and plan unfavorable to the lower income group. How can we catch up with our technologically developed partners across the world when you have a problem that can't be solve like this?

Ask any marketing expert and they tell you that the conventional methods of marketing don't really work nowadays. Giving extra content at an affordable pricing, (actually should be much lower than the general picture of pricing and plan caps here), and many people would come in, thus the volume of consumers would definitely compensate the expenditure required for maintenance and operations of course. Well, Streamyx is one clear-cut example. People paid a lot of money for monthly broadband subscription and yet it lags behind Singapore in terms of the service and support provided.

And so it comes back to the key dilemma here: is it profit at the expense of good service? Sure, any business book would tell you that there is a set margin of profit to be targeted but it is actually much easier if there's strong customer satisfaction rather than charging high for instant profit and get no satisfaction from the end user here. I guess the saying of "greed is good" is still happening around.

Let's put it this way: our mobile phone operators have still yet to give a very satisfactory telco service across the board, in overall aspects despite having high revenues and profits. Even if they paid the service tax back to the government, the profit margin still remains at high. There's a fair share of who are the people using their services and so forth. In this case, it's okay to say that people should say "screw you" at the operators for charging over than what is supposedly reasonable. 

Even though there have been appeals and statements by ministries including the PM of imploring them not to proceed imposing service taxes on prepaid customers, I am not able to be very certain or trusting what those buggers would say. Sometimes, it can be a flip-flop in a later time. Sometimes, it is a public-relations desperation to appeased people in hard times.

Or the other way round is to move to postpaid plan since we are not really going to change our lines frequently. Another way is that the present marketing plans in those mobile telephone companies should be scrapped with an aggressive but lower price but high content plans. Excuses such as insufficient resources, no one wants that is merely bullshit at all.

Addendum: There was also a case of something about Maxis about giving customer P&C information to Pricewater House Coopers (auditing firm) as a clear violation of customer privacy. Violation because the information was given without consent of the customer. I suppose this is unprecedented in the mobile telephone line, but in the credit card business, this was mentioned in the fine print of the application and of course getting your consent first before proceeding. I think mobile telephone companies like Maxis should clarify the question lest dozens of angry people and customers mob in to HQ looking for one woman who gave out customer info!

We're Our Own Victims of A Distorted History

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The family of Muhammad Indera, who led the communist assault on Bukit Kepong police station six decades ago, wants the government to recognise him as a freedom fighter and not a traitor.

His brother, Baharom Shah, said Muhammad, better known as Mat Indera, had been committed to his religion and fought to free his country from the British colonialists.

“Therefore, I am certain he was a true independence fighter,” the former Army engineer told reporters today.

“I ask that the government rehabilitate the name of Mat Indera, who has been labelled a traitor to the nation. The history of our independence struggle needs to be re-examined.”

Speaking at PAS headquarters, Baharom said he and other family members welcomed efforts by any party to clear his family’s honour and good name.

Also at the press conference were Johor PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat and PAS Youth secretary Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil.

The Mat Indera issue became the focus of controversy after PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu touched on the 1950 Bukit Kepong Incident in a speech last month.

Mohamad, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, said Mat Indera’s contributions to the nation’s independence struggle had been forgotten following Umno’s alleged whitewashing of the country’s history.

Baharom, who was six at the time of the incident, said according to information gleaned from other family members, Mat Indera had arrived late at the scene and was not involved in the actual assault on the police station there.

He said Mat Indera had, in fact, gone to Bukit Kepong not to fight but to save the lives of the policemen and their families.

“Among those saved included Yusof Rono, a policeman, and Jamilah Abu Bakar, the daughter of policeman Marin. I understand that many other victims of the attack were saved by Mat Indera,” he said.

The Malaysian Insider, 7 September

Read more here

**********

The Mat Indera debate has drawn mixed reactions from both sides. One side insists that with the actual history taken into account, Mat Indera is actually a hero that fights against the English colonial masters, while the other side, the right-wingers of BN and UMNO said that he is a communist.

However, based on various statements made by the BN political leaders as well as other people involve including ex-policemen, present policemen (in this instance, the much-hated deputy IGP Khalid Bakar) and so forth, this has revealed how much people are victims of a distorted history, coupled with the inability (as a result of an exam-oriented education) to discern between what is real and what is not. Having read those statements, I must say that many fell to the "BN-definitive" version of the Malaya history, and more are going into that, with the present school History syllabus.

In the context of the Mat Indera case, many have failed to establish the difference of who is running the country at the time of the Bukit Kepong police station raid. Many have failed to understand that at the time of 1950, independence of Malaya have not existed and the cops who are based in Malaya are actually working for His Majesty's (King George VI) government. How else would you explain that the head of the Bukit Kepong police station is an Englishman? 

In order to read history, you have to know your vocabulary well before you start reading. Otherwise, how can you distinguish between certain words used in history? In the case of the raid above, Malaysia has not yet become independent, with that being 7 years before 31 August 1957! And who actually arrested Mat Indera? A local Malay policeman working for the English - subsequently became UMNO Youth Chief of Pontian. So, the question of between a man fighting for nationalism vs a man fighting for the colonial masters, the English, who is actually the ruffian really? 

In the present school history books, we were taught to believe that independence of Malaya was accomplished without bloodshed and UMNO was the only party responsible towards it. However, it seems actually otherwise. Actually, we could have been 66 years independent. The Japanese had actually promised to hand over the country to the people once World War II was over. The date actually planned was in mid-August 1945. However, the A-Bomb incident in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had scuppered the plan at all.

KMM and other left-wing parties had already been fighting for independence way before UMNO was founded in 1946 and how the present history totally disregards of those contributions. In fact, the English declared those left-wing parties, despite with people referendum illegal. When the Emergency was declared, it was actually a way to get rid of those "pesky" left-wing parties. In anyways, there is actually no such thing as a bloodless struggle but actually, there was a need of those events to happen, a precursor more or less.

There is still lack of campaign of remembering the heroes who fought against the English, those events that served as the precursor to independence. History can't be rewritten as the event has passed.

You can see more of the elaboration of independence struggles here as commented by Hisham Rais.

I also had listened several times to the Ibrahim Ali's audio recording of the Gerak Aman rally in June 2011, apart from its comedic values, just to see how people believed in a distorted history. Many people who don't believe in Bersih rally was mainly because of the main fear of a relapse of the 1969 disaster. We were taught to believe what was written in the school books or on the official capacity statements that were delivered. However, what was hardly revealed was actually because of the Perikatan's unwillingness to accept the loss of 2/3rds which to some believe as capitulation to the enemy. 

The Churchill saying, "History is written by the victor." still remains and rings true today.  Add this with Goebbels' statement of the more people believe in a lie, the more the lie becomes a fact. And of course, this is becoming true already.

The distorted version of the history of Malaya has caused many people to react or to think in the illogical manner. The ulterior motive in it was merely a political mileage to maintain power by backdoor means, since the front door approaches no longer works at this time. Look at how Utusan Malaysia or Bernama's news, manipulated, or with some information withheld which causes people to see inaccurate views and in turn make many people to file police reports based on inaccurate information provided. This is what is happening at the expense of the reporters writing and concocting up news merely to pleased the censors, retaining the feel good thing of the ruling government at the expense of inaccurate reporting and information.

Most of the people who commented about the Mat Indera communist have yet to reach a correct understanding of what it is today. It is actually a concept, the opposite of capitalism where the focus is more on worker unions and welfare. The Cold War period is the peak period of where the battle of ideas between Communism and Capitalism were up, until it was ultimately defeated with the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. When Fukuyama famously declared the victory over Communism at that time, the battle of ideas was already over, and faded into history.

Note: Tarek Fatah has also pointed out about the battle of ideas which was documented in my previous posting.

There have been accusations that in Malaysia, the ideology refers to the Chinese, but with the accusation of Mat Indera as a Commie, it already destroys the myth that the Commies are only Chinese people and not Malays. The ideology knows no religion, wealth status but merely a person's believe of whether you agree or not agree.

The worry right now is that the more people believe onto one-sided history, the quicker the other part of history, which forms the overview of a country's history will fade to nothing and myth. When that happens, people would believe in distorted versions and ultimately becomes a victim, self-ensnared by it.

The Magic of Truth and Lies