Ibrahim, the 'ang pow' won't absolve your sins

YOURSAY 'Next time, I dare you to play a video recording of all the venom spewed forth against the Chinese during your rallies.'

Ibrahim Ali dishes out RM10,000 in 'ang pow'

Moontime: Why do I detect the unmistakable stench of hypocrisy when this event was staged by Perkasa?

Furthermore, by using white envelopes to dish out ‘ang pow', it simply showed that Ibrahim Ali is insensitive to the customs and traditions of the Chinese.

Ibrahim, it is as if by hosting a Chinese New Year celebration, you can absolve all your wrongdoings against the Chinese.

Next time, I dare you to play a video recording of all the venom spewed forth against the Chinese during your meetings and gatherings. Let's see if the crowd agrees with you.

Anak JB: I'm not too sure whether this is ignorance or intentional. It shows a total lack of sensitivity or sheer ignorance.

White is the colour reserved for death in Chinese culture. In Hokkien, money in white envelope is called ‘pek kim' (white gold), and in Cantonese it is called ‘pak kum'.

The amount of money put in the envelope varies depending on the relationship to the deceased but must be in odd numbers. The money is meant to help the family pay for the funeral expenses.

Changeagent: Whatever his true intentions for handing out white ‘ang pow' were, only Ibrahim Ali himself knows. But the fact of the matter is that he would really have to go out of his way to find the white packets.

Especially when considering that the red packets are easily available in supermarkets, convenience stores, sundry shops, news stands and even banks. He could have conveniently requested for some over the bank counter when he went there to withdraw RM10,000.

But he didn't and chose to use the white packets instead. Sinister or coincidence? Only Ibrahim Ali himself knows.

Wira: Those Chinese in Ibrahim's gathering has no dignity. How can they accept money given in white envelopes during Chinese New Year?

Chee Hoe Siew: I'm surprised with Ibrahim's attempt to ‘teach' the Chinese about superstition when he has no idea about what both red and white packets meant.

Red packets during Chinese New Year is a symbolic way of sending out well wishes to people. By handing out those white packets, he actually wishes death and tragic ends to those recipients.

By telling the Chinese not to be superstitious about the white packet is as good as him receiving a pig's head and being told not to be superstitious about eating pork.

Even when I enjoy the humour of his stupidity, I can't help but to question as to why is it that such a moron still allowed to be so vocal in public?

This guy has simply no respect for other races and inconsiderate of racial harmony. I am pretty sure that he has no regards for even the Malay well-being, and his only intention is to strengthen his support through racist means.

Not Confused: Ibrahim Ali is a hypocrite of the highest order. What a condescending and patronising event.

Why we give him the time of day is a mystery. He has called all non-Malays ‘pendatang' in the past, and now he is giving Chinese old folks RM10 each. He talks about continuing the outdated NEP (New Economic Policy) and the 30 percent equity target - measured how, exactly?

How much longer must the hard-working people in this country continue to subsidise those who by dint of their race and skin colour, sit back and take, take, take? They will never become self-sufficient even in another 50 years.

The people at the top of the government obviously realise this (they must, don't they?), but need to keep the divisions between the races to bolster their continuing but slipping hold on power. The time is coming for dramatic change - just wait and see!

Ong Guan Sin: It is so ironic that Perkasa attracted many more people for their RM10 'angpow' than their core activities in the past.

It proves two things: people are simply pragmatic (for the money) and Perkasa simply has no real following for its core mission.

Anthony Chan: It is very sad to see all these old Chinese folks being insulted by Perkasa with white envelopes, instead of red packets. I hope this makes all right-thinking Malaysians angry and boomerang the ‘bad luck' to BN in the coming general election.

Cala: I recall the good old days when my Malay boss held his Hari Raya open house and on those occasions he had handed every guest a green packet.

Obviously Ibrahim Ali is neither as refined as my Malay boss, nor is he sensitive that the colour of the packet matters to the recipients.

Full of Crap: Ibrahim Ali is not just a racist but he is of the worst kind of racists. He demands respect from the Chinese when he has no respect for them at all.

Like what another commentator mentioned, I am sure if the non-Malays were to serve pork to the Malays during Hari Raya, riots would break out.
Trumpet Call: This whole event tells me something about Malaysians in general:

1) Wherever there is free food, Malaysians will go.

2) If you top that up with money, more will turn up. Some, not all, can be bought with even RM10.

3) It really does not matter if you are insulted in the process so long as the above two are available.

4) The saving grace is that it counts for nothing because the people who attended the event were greedy opportunists and they did not know what they were doing.

Z2XX: Perkasa seems to be holding a funeral instead of a CNY (Chinese New Year) event. Ibrahim is clearly insensitive to the culture of others.

That is how it is when a racist tries to pretend to look good in front of RTM and TV 3 cameramen. - Malaysiakini