Using Chinese as the punching bag

The race for vice-presidency in Umno has open wide a can of worms and ill feelings harboured far too long by the Umno Malays against the Chinese.

COMMENT

Umno party election is just around the corner and it has found solace in their new punching bag, the Chinese community. Making the Chinese the scapegoat for political mileage is the new trend being adopted by the rather ultra-looking party in these days.

For long Umno and their voice piece Utusan Malaysia has mocked the non-Malay communities on almost all issues that are not in sync with their ulterior agendas. With the impending stiff competition for the three vice-presidents seats in the coming polls, the attacks have been more vocal and intimidating to the extent as seen inciting greater hatred for the various races.

The attacks are dangerously bordering tension and anger especially in the Chinese community towards the Malays. With the recent open attack on the Chinese by veep race candidate Ali Rustam, it clearly indicates how much of hypocrisy the Malays have been harbouring all this while. Basically while grinning and laughing with them, they were all putting up a fantastic drama with each other.

The midnight of May 5, 2013 revealed the true colours of Umno when their very leader, president and prime minister openly challenged the Chinese by asking them “Apa lagi Cina mau?” which made bold headlines in majority of the mainstream media. Not to mention Utusan that had a carnival like atmosphere in further fueling negative sentiments and indeed facilitated the pathway into more brickbats.

People like Ali Rustam and Ibrahim Ali who are greedy for positions and cheap looking media space will not hesitate to mudsling their ‘enemies’ for the extra mile. It is appalling and disgusting to the highest degree that they have stooped so low and are practically hitting under the belt to score points with Umno delegates.

Above that we have accomplices like Utusan who have criminalised the media for their readers. As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword, but unfortunately Utusan has taken the pen as a “keris” and stabs the non-Malays with no conscience.

And what is Najib doing about it? Or rather is he manuring the hatred further which he started when he questioned the Chinese votes during the GE?

It is obvious that sincerity and honesty is the last thing one would look for in Umno. All the crap of reconciling and the 1Malaysia slogan is nothing but a farce that ate the peoples money. It has brought no added value or morals to the Umno thugs and neither will they ever change till doomsday.

There is also rife speculation that Umno is on the a path of vendetta towards the Chinese as they feel betrayed for not being the favourites among that community during the GE. Umno in essence had showered the Chinese with lots of money via their vernacular schools and various foundations but eventually were made the fools.

The bitter truth is the Chinese have been riding on the Malay economy for far too long. The famous ‘Ali Baba’ concept of business with kickbacks was initiated by the Chinese. Though under the now defunct NEP was to empower bumiputera economy, we all know very well that the Chinese took chunk of the businesses and projects down the economy valley.

Breaching the tipping point

The bumis were too lazy to lift their finger and took the easy way out by handing mega projects to the Chinese conglomerates while they played golf. And 50 years later, they realised that the wealth has literally been transferred to the Chinese, and in betrayal voted against them; turning the Umno elites into sour grapes.

The tipping point was breached in GE13 and they were abruptly jolted from their slumber, realising that soon they may even lose the political power to rule. Thus the backlash by Umno warlords like Ali Rustam and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. They did not mince their words; that’s for sure and definitely not apologetic.

There is also the agenda to unite the Malays under one roof. The Malay are fast disintegrating into three major factions; namely PAS, Umno and PKR. That does not augur well in terms of political power distribution. PAS and PKR are fast gaining popularity and momentum with the Malays and this threatens the Umno nucleus. And in playing the devil between the crevices is the Chinese, namely via DAP. It does not take a genius to deduce this.

In the eyes of Umno, PKR and PAS are making devilish pacts with the DAP which can further split the Malays. A split Malay community means diminishing Malay supremacy which can eventually put the Chinese into further advantage in grabbing the power to rule the country. Umno is well aware that with economy in their hands and a divided Malay community, the Chinese are dangerously lurking towards power transfer in the next election.

For Umno to make the Malay agenda more robust is extremely vital to magnetize the Malays back into a single political and economy representative. The Malays never felt more intimidated and terrorised till GE13. Though they may have garnered more parliamentary seats, it is no relieve far more when the Chinese have made unrealistic demands in the education forefront.

The race for vice-presidency in Umno has open wide a can of worms and ill feelings harboured far too long by the Umno Malays against the Chinese. The infamous “Hishammuddin keris” is in spirit working its way today with people like Ali Rustam, Ibrahim Ali and Zahid Hamidi waving aggressively.

Narinder Singh is a FMT team member.