Social contract not open invitation to loot the nation

YOURSAY 'It was intended to give the less fortunate Malays a head-start in life, but never meant for a select band of thieves to rob and steal, and steal again.'

'Strengthen social contract to boost race relations'

Vijay47: Universiti Sains Malaysia Prof P Sivamurugan, I fully agree with you. The social contract, created through the wisdom of our founding fathers, has been with us for close to 55 years and there is no cause to dispute it.

I am glad a professor, a man of learning as you, has come out to put things in their right perspective.

With your wealth of erudition, I am sure you would have stated that the strength of the constitution is that all Malaysians are equal despite the special position of the Malays for a given period.

This article in the constitution, which the non-Malays very generously accepted, was intended to give the less fortunate Malays a head-start in life, but it was never meant for a select band of special thieves to rob and steal, and steal again.

It reflected a contract where non-Muslims could practise their faith freely and with national assistance, despite Islam being the religion of the nation.

The contract was not for the creation of two or even more classes of Malaysian citizens. I am sure you mentioned all this, professor.

R Venugopal: Professor Sivamurugan, you have not highlighted the pleas of the Indian community who have suffered and been displaced from their roots.

Plantations had been converted to industrial estates, causing relocation of the Indians who did not receive adequate compensation to survive, most of them ending up in urban squatter areas. What solutions have you offered to overcome this hardship?

Talking at forums does not mean you are championing the issues, but merely taking the opportunity to impress your political masters for your own benefit.

If you can be on the same stage as shady individuals such as Umi Hafilda and S Nallakaruppan, how do you rate yourself ? Can you say you are better than either one of them?

Anonymous #32993250: Sivamurugan, Malaysians by and large want a regime change because BN under Umno has lost its direction in ruling this country.

Everything having been privatised by Umno, and institutions such as the judiciary, the police force and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have become subservient to their political masters.

Malaysians are not questioning the rights granted under the constitution; it is about the rights of certain races being denied, such as not granting citizenship to thousands of Indians who are born here and are made stateless by this government.

You seem to only focus on one side, rather than focussing on those who have been denied the same rights enshrined under the same constitution.

Onyourtoes: Why was the Barisan 1Malaysia gathering couched under non-partisanship when every one of the speakers were biassed to the hilt?

So what exactly are the terms of this social contract that we so often hear about? So that one group can continue exploiting or milking the other?

And over time, are we supposed to keep quiet when the exploitation has because more acute and the milking more rampant?

We are not a nincompoop country for no good reason - even university professors are willing to trade their profession for anything.

Joe Lee: Why is the professor talking like a Umno YB? It is Umno leaders, the ‘tuan' in the ideology of ‘ketuanan Melayu', who are the ones who make a profit out of this nonsensical 'social contract'.

Tell me where in the constitution does it say that there is a social contract? The truth of the matter is that it doesn't exist.

Despite that, let us spell out what Umno means when they bandy about this silly idea. To wit, it translates to: "All you pendatangs - be grateful that we haven't driven you off into the sea. Now, you just stop complaining and accept that we are your masters, and be happy that we haven't brought out our keris to do even more damage to all of you."

Now professor P Sivamurugan, tell us why as a pendatang, would you want to accept this unacceptable fascist and racist social contract?

Masu Otaku: That is like saying we should be more racist in order to promote racial harmony. You can't sound more dumb if you tried!

Anomnim: I guess I just have to shut down my thinking brain, abandon my free will, shut up and accept this in order to honour the decision of a few individuals made in a closed room some 60 years ago.

Ynwa: What the nation needs are good credible leaders. Name one role model in the present regime. We cannot hide away from openness, transparency and a result-oriented government that every third world country needs.

The worst part is, while other nations are talking about learning a foreign language, we are arguing on the use of English. Twenty years from now or even sooner, Vietnam and Indonesia will be ahead of us where 30 years ago, Korea and Taiwan were behind us.

Malaysia needs leaders whom we can genuinely engage (not just before a GE). Enough is enough. We need change.

Gods Messenger: Professor, as alleged I believe you have understood the social contract well. But can you explain why the Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, and other clans of of Sabah, Sarawak and Orang Asli origins are being marginalised?

You were quick to only refer to articles in the constitution concerning the religion of the federation, the position of Malays, Bahasa Malaysia and the royal institution. Why didn't you speak for all other marginalised races?

I see you carry an Indian name and it's so obvious you are trying to impress the ruling regime for your own benefit, with not a word about the Indians. Please don't be another frog of your own race.

Geronimo: So what else is new? This is just another gathering of 'yes' men to boost the morale of Umno whose support is already flagging. Such a gathering is superfluous, but then at this juncture in the party's history, anything is better than nothing.

Opah: 1,000 NGOs were supposed to attend the rally, yet only 2,000 people turned up. That means each NGO comprises only two people? I'm so impressed. - Malaysiakini