The 222 idiots we have in Parliament

Is Communism a threat to Malaysia’s security? If so then why are we still friends with China, Cuba, etc., and why can their citizens come to Malaysia and our citizens go to their country? Is this not a threat to our national security? If the answer is no then what is wrong if Malaysians become Communists? We are friends with Communist countries. We can go to Communist countries and they too come to Malaysia. So where is the danger?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Okay, maybe we do not have 222 idiots in Parliament. Maybe we have only 200 idiots in Parliament while the rest are not idiots. But that is bad enough. The fact that almost two-thirds of the Members of Parliament are from Barisan Nasional and the rest from Pakatan Rakyat means that the idiots come from both sides of the political divide.

And this is what concerns me -- that the stupidity is not confined to just those from the government.

While it is the ‘duty’ of the opposition to oppose anything and everything that the government does and says, and while it is the ‘duty’ of the government to do the same concerning the opposition -- at least as far as Malaysians politicians are concerned in their very narrow-minded way of looking at things -- there should be certain things that they agree on when it concerns the good of the nation. However, in the case of Malaysia’s Parliament, this can never be.

And this is a great disservice to the Malaysian voters who sent these people to Parliament.

Let us take the matter of haram (that which is forbidden by Islam). It is haram for Muslims to drink liquor. In fact, the ruling of haram is not only regarding the drinking of liquor but also serving, buying, keeping, profiteering from, giving as presents, etc. In short, Muslims cannot be associated with liquor in any way, not just from drinking it.

Hence the State and Federal Religious Departments conduct raids to arrest Muslims who drink plus to arrest Muslims who work in establishments that serve/sell liquor. Not only you can’t drink but you can’t work in such places that deal in liquor as well.

Considering, according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, Islam is the religion of the Federation, and if this is the law, then I have no problems with that. Until such a time the Constitution is amended we shall have to live with that law, whether we consider that law a good law or a bad law. The law is the law, as they say. Of course, they also say that the law is an ass, but that would be another discussion for another time.

As I said, I have no problems with this if that is the law. But I do have problems with this when the law is applied to only the establishments owned/managed by non-Malays while the establishments owned/managed by Malays are exempted from this law.

For example, I have personally seen Malaysia’s national airlines, MAS, serving liquor to Muslims. And I saw this even during the month of Ramadhan when these Muslims are supposed to be fasting and should not be drinking water let alone liquor. And the MAS personnel who were serving these Muslim customers are Muslims as well.

So what do we have here? Muslims working in a Malay-managed and Malaysian government-owned airline serving Muslims liquor during the ‘holy’ month of Ramadhan. Is this double standard? What excuse can the government offer for the ‘exemption’ given to MAS that would never be given to a bar or pub owned by, say, a Chinese?

Can you see how confusing this is? And what are the 222 Members of Parliament doing about this? Nothing!

Next point. Malaysian Muslims are forbidden from following the Shia dogma. Many Malaysians who embraced Shi’ism have been arrested and sent for rehabilitation. It is a crime for a Malaysian Muslim to become a Shia.

But it is only a crime to become a Shia if you are a Malaysian. If you are a foreigner it is not a crime. Why is that? What is wrong with becoming a Shia? Is Shi’ism dangerous? Is it a deviant sect? If Shi’ism is forbidden then it should be a crime not only for Malaysians but also for everyone, non-Malaysians included.

I mean: Malaysia wants to ban gay entertainers from entering the country. If you are gay then you are not welcome to perform in Malaysia. A gay lifestyle is forbidden. Both the Malaysian Prime Minister and the Malaysian Opposition Leader agree on this (at least there is one thing that they agree on). So gays are not welcome in Malaysia as it ‘sends the wrong message’ to the Malaysian youth.

However, while gays are not welcome in Malaysia, Shias are not subjected to the same ban. We send Malaysian gays to prison. We send Malaysian Shias to prison. We ban foreigners who are gay. But we don’t ban foreigners who are Shia. This is the part that I do not understand.

Iran has an Embassy in Malaysia. Malaysia has an Embassy in Iran. Iranians who are Shias are allowed into Malaysia. Malaysians are allowed into Iran. But we arrest and jail Malaysians who become Shias. And we don’t arrest and jail Shias who are not Malaysians.

Can you see how confusing this is? And what are the 222 Members of Parliament doing about this? Nothing!

In May 1974, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who became Malaysia’s Second Prime Minister in September 1970, visited China. In December 1989, the Malaysian Government and the Communist Party of Malays (CPM) signed a Peace Treaty in Hat Yai, Thailand. Hence the ‘war’ (called ‘The Emergency’) officially ended.

In the past, Malaysians were forbidden from travelling to Israel, South Africa, Cuba, China and Russia. Now, Malaysians are only banned from travelling to Israel. South Africa, Cuba, China and Russia are now our friends. Only Israel is still our enemy.

But Cuba and China and still Communist. However, they are no longer our enemies. Tun Razak went to China in 1974 when the ‘war’ was still on. It was only 15 years later in 1989 that the ‘war’ officially ended.

Hence we became friends with China even while the ‘war’ was still on. But Communism was banned in Malaysia. However, we could become friends with Communist China even though we were still officially at war and even though China backed the ‘war’ and gave refuge or political asylum to the CPM leaders.

Then, 15 years later, a Peace Treaty was signed and hence ended the war. Malaysians can go to China and Chinese can come to Malaysia. Malaysia has an Embassy in China and China has an Embassy in Malaysia. But Communism is still banned in Malaysia until today.

Okay, so gays are enemies. Shias are enemies. Communists are enemies. And, in Malaysia, gays, Shias and Communists are arrested and jailed. But Iran and China are not enemies. Only Shias and Communists are.

Can you see how confusing this is? And what are the 222 Members of Parliament doing about this? Nothing!

Is Communism a threat to Malaysia’s security? If so then why are we still friends with China, Cuba, etc., and why can their citizens come to Malaysia and our citizens go to their country? Is this not a threat to our national security? If the answer is no then what is wrong if Malaysians become Communists? We are friends with Communist countries. We can go to Communist countries and they too come to Malaysia. So where is the danger?

The government makes it seem like Communism is only associated with the Malaysian Chinese or China. Actually there are many Communist countries or Communist governments/coalitions all over the world (China, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea, Cyprus, Nepal, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Ukraine, Uruguay, etc.). And we are friends with all of them.

And have a look at the picture below and see how many Malays are amongst the CPM leadership. The CPM is not a Chinese thing at all.

Abdullah CD third from left in a group photo with Chin Peng (centre) and members of the CPM’s 10th Regiment (from left) his wife Suriani, Rashid Maidin, Abu Samah Mohd Kassim, Ibrahim Chik and Abdullah Sudin.

It is time that we lifted the ban on Communism. Sure, the Communists were once our enemy and the ‘war’ in Malaysia took a heavy toll on members of Malaysia’s security forces/police plus on the civilian population. There were many victims of the The Emergency. But don’t forget, The Emergency was prolonged not just because of the CPM but also because of China and Vietnam who supported the CPM in their effort to topple the government. If we have forgiven China and Vietnam why is Communism still banned?

If the objection to unbanning Communism is because of the death and destruction that The Emergency brought to the country, then the Japanese too should be banned because the Japanese Occupation of Malaya brought more misery to the country compared to The Emergency. I can’t understand why the Japanese are not treated the same way that the Communists are. After all, did not the CPM help the British fight the Japanese during World War Two?

Can you see how confusing this is? And what are the 222 Members of Parliament doing about this? Nothing!

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Ex-police chief: Unfair to keep out Chin Peng

(Malaysiakini, 30 November 2009) - Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng, 85, has a right to return to Malaysia at least on a social visit, said former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.

This, he said, is provided for in the Hatyai Peace Accord signed on Dec 2, 1989 between the CPM and Malaysian government to end some 40 years of communist insurgency.

“I go strictly by the spirit of the agreement. First of all, (it) covers all levels of CPM members from the bottom-most to the highest-most,” he said in an interview to mark the 20th anniversary of the treaty on Wednesday.

“If you consider Chin Peng as the highest leader in the hierarchy, then it covers (everyone from him) right to the bottom-most (personnel).”

Chin Peng, who real name is Ong Boon Hua, was born in Sitiawan, Perak, but now lives in southern Thailand. His recourse to the Malaysian courts to be allowed to return has failed, and the government has since reiterated that he is barred from doing so.

Abdul Rahim, 66, said the terms allow those born in then Malaya to return home if they chose to.

“But they had to give the government indication within 12 months from the date of the peace agreement, whether they (would) come back or not.

“Those who failed to do so, or (who) for some reason (felt) they didn’t want to come back (permanently), would still be allowed to come back any time on a social visit, but not for good to settle down in this country.

“I think it is on this basis of the agreement that a vast majority of them were allowed (to return), young and old.”

The peace treaty was signed by Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin (representing CPM) and Abdul Rahim and Megat Junid Megat Ayub (then deputy home minister) who represented the Malaysian government in Hatyai, Thailand.

Abdul Rahim expressed surprise at the government’s refusal of this right to Chin Peng, as well as the recent court decision to block his return.

“I don’t know if Ching Peng did apply to come back within the specified period of time – the 12 months effective from the time of the peace agreement.

“Assuming that he did not apply to come back within that period, based on the agreement he should (still) be allowed (in) on a social visit.”