Whose Malaysian values are we talking about?

“Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it.”

– Albert Camus

Bersatu member and former Umno stalwart Rais Yatim claims that the United Examination Certificate (UEC) must be integrated with SPM and STPM examinations for the sake of national unity.

An earlier comment on the predictable waffling of the Pakatan Harapan regime as to why the cabinet could not recognise the UEC as per their election manifesto produced this gem – it "touches on the core of civilisation, the core of education and the core of our country's values."

This is not a piece about recognising the UEC. As far as I am concerned, the continuing effort to frustrate recognition of the certificate is further evidence that the ketuananideology means the negation of non-Malay culture. The only difference is that in the ‘New Malaysia,’ other strategies are employed to hoodwink people into thinking that there are bigger issues to think about.

To be honest, Rais’ statement has been bugging me ever since I read it. It all boils down to his use of the word “our.” Here is a former member of a race-based party who joined another race-based party talking about shared values.

On loop

It is the same reason why I was extremely pissed off when Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng cavalierly claimed that he was “Malaysian” in that press conference when asked how he felt about being a “Chinese” finance minister, while standing next to the Bersatu grand poohbah.

Even more aggravating is when Lim has to condemn that new law – largely symbolic by the way – passed by Israel’s scandal-plagued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because it demonstrates how the non-Malay community is sensitive to the issues championed by the bangsa dan agama crowd.

What about how the law discriminates or the imposed social and political norms discriminates against the non-Malays and the Orang Asal here, Mr Can’t-handle-the-truth?

Remember when I argued that that whole Jerusalem rally was to save Umno and not really Jerusalem, here’s a reminder to all the new ‘equal’ partners in Harapan what passes as mainstream Islamic/ Malay politics in this country: “Consider the hate speech of Muslim convert Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, a lecturer at the National Defence University, who has taken anti-Semitism to a new level by comparing his Chinese brothers and sisters to the most obscene stereotype of Jews, pleading special knowledge about their community since he was a ‘kafir’ (like them) before embracing Islam.”

Truth be told, I do not know if Lim has to do that, but any other rational non-Malay leader would have an inkling of the complete hypocrisy of championing the Palestinian cause here, when local politics more or less reflects the kind of anti-progressive, anti-democratic thrust that Palestinians are up against. In other words, look to the racism and discrimination of your system before sticking your nose in other people's business for the sake of political brownie points.

It’s the same song replayed over and over again. ‘Their’ values are ‘our’ values because the only ‘values’ that matter are those which help the non-Malay political structures acquire and sustain power. This would not really be a bad thing, mind you, except those value are rooted in racism and bigotry and reflected in the legal system, but more importantly, supported by non-Malays for various reasons.

But our values are mocked, denounced as vulgar, described as anti-Islamic, or whatever other nonsense people like Zakir Naik, and of course the establishment that supports him, claim.

Does anyone else find it galling when competent people are questioned on their ability to converse in Bahasa Malaysia, but it really means ‘Bahasa Melayu’ because the national language is a politically loaded concept?

I laugh myself silly when I hear non-Malays on the radio talking about how it is appalling how some non-Malays cannot speak BM properly as if that indicates something beyond; the fact is that for most people, BM does not fit into their reality, because their world is more than just the petty little fish pond that most non-Malays are always cautioned that they are merely guests in.

And don't get me wrong, I am not talking about English when I speak of how some non-Malays speak Bahasa ‘appallingly.’

Whose civilisation?

It all boils down to whose values we are talking about, right? Whose civilisation are we talking about? Whose dominance determines the qualities of being ‘Malaysian’, whatever the hell that means? Non-Malay culture has its foundation in thousands of years of building up to something. So do not tell me about the "core of civilisation."

This kid Numan Afifi has to seek greener pastures because of the harassment he received. Again whose values are we talking about here? The minister in charge of Islamic affairs says to stay in the closet, but as usual, the heterosexual crowd will never have a problem with the promiscuity they assign to the LGBT community.

Remember when the former Puteri Umno woman spilled the beans on all the indiscretion that goes on during the Umno general assembly? "I challenge the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) to carry out huge raids to arrest those engaging in khalwat (close proximity)… How many couples are engaging in khalwat, how many couples are non-Muslims (committing khalwat) with Muslims?”

Are these ‘our’ values?

You think that our education system and use of the national language reflects the kind of leaders that will lead us to a better future? The political and social elite sure as hell do not have much faith in our education system. This is why we get public comments on leaders or potential leaders who have had an English education and reflect a certain kind of mindset – allegedly – lost in the current Malaysian political and social landscape. Or should that be Malay political and social landscape?

Do not get what I am getting at? Read the last paragraph of Rosli Khan’s “Pak Wan: A minister embodying Malay political leadership.” He says: “…the old mould of where he (Mohd Redzuan Yusof) came from and the process that he went through could be an answer to many Malay ills in leadership and the Malay dilemmas.’

This is not what Rais means when he says "our" values, of course, because if he did, he sure as hell would wonder why all these non-Malay, BM-deficit kids are accepted in universities and educational establishments that most pumped up BM-speaking kids could not even get into.

Never our values

Nobody – certainly not in the Malay political elite – thinks that maybe such an education should be open to all Malaysian students. That old mould dusted off and used for the benefit of all Malays, and who knows: maybe if they did that there would be more of an understanding of how values could be shared instead of a dominant majority dictating what their – ‘our’ – values are.

However, it all goes back to what ‘their’ values are. Not our values – never our values – because non-Malays are not equal citizens when it comes to determining anything in this county.

We have to claim that we are 'Malaysian first' while the Malays are free to define themselves along racial and religious lines. ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ is the most wretched form of propaganda ever created. So obviously untrue, but yet needed to reassure the majority and hoodwink the minorities.

It is very simple, all you cretinous politicians. Ensure that the laws of this country apply fairly to all, and Malaysians will figure out ourselves what ‘our’ values are.

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. - Mkini