WHEN UMNO IS TO BE BLAMED FOR EVERYTHING

Doing something means work. It is easier to do nothing and then blame Umno, Barisan Nasional, the government, the Malays, the Muslims, Islam, Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, the British, or anyone else. And these same people who grumble about corruption will not hesitate to pay ‘under-the-table’ money or buy pirated DVDs from street vendors or fake branded handbags from Thailand.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I have explained this before, six years ago back in 2010 to be exact. I have also told the story regarding the formation of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) more than once.

As I had explained, more than ten years ago there was an attempt to launch the Malaysian Civil Liberties Society (MCLS). The inaugural meeting was held in the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur and quite a number of civil liberty activists attended, Zaid Ibrahim and Marina Mahathir included. Eventually nothing further happened and the whole thing died a natural death.

The reason why all of us met in the Renaissance Hotel to moot the idea of the MCLS was in response to the worrying racial tension and religious intolerance in the country. We felt that Malaysia was heading down a very slippery slope that once we embark on this route it would be impossible to turn back.

In short, we decided that instead of sitting comfortably in the safety of our homes and blaming Umno, Barisan Nasional, the government, the Malays, the Muslims, Islam, Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, and very man and his dog for the problems that Malaysia faces, we would come out and do something about it.

After years of nothing happening (regarding the MCLS), I decided to try a second time and launched the MCLM (just a slight change from ‘society’ to ‘movement’ but all the rest remaining the same). And this time it was launched in London instead of Kuala Lumpur.

Unfortunately the opposition opposed the MCLM and actually became quite hostile towards it. They regarded MCLM as a ‘third force’ and, therefore, a competitor and a danger to the opposition. The opposition felt MCLM will trigger three-corner contests during the elections and hence would be helping Barisan Nasional rather than the opposition.

The opposition did not even want to know what the MCLM stood for and what it hoped to achieve. They only saw it as a potential competitor and a threat to Pakatan Rakyat. Eventually MCLM had to be put to sleep just like MCLS more than ten years ago.

What the opposition was telling us, basically, is that only politicians and political parties can be that agent for change. And if we want to form movements, societies or associations, then it has to be one that is in tandem and openly supports the opposition cause. If not then it has no place in Malaysia.

Our argument was that we need another platform other than just political parties to affect change and to be agents of change. Political parties have only one objective, which is to win elections and gain power. We need other platforms that are more interested in change and are not in the power game. And we need to work with both sides of the political divide to fight for change and not take sides in the game of politics.

But this was not acceptable to the politicians. And it was not just the opposition that felt this way. Even Barisan Nasional would not work with any group that was not pro-government and is seen as a pressure group that is going to push for change. And, of course, while the opposition did not regard the MCLM as pro-opposition, neither did the government regard it as pro-government. We were a ‘third force’ that opposed or worked with both sides depending on what we wanted to achieve at that point of time.

It did not occur to anyone that all we wanted was to end all this blaming others for the ills that the country is facing. We wanted to end this blame game and do something to cure the problems.

When racism is bad we blame Umno, Barisan Nasional or the government. When religious intolerance is bad we blame Umno, Barisan Nasional or the government. When abuse of power and corruption is bad we blame Umno, Barisan Nasional or the government. When the education system is bad we blame Umno, Barisan Nasional or the government.

There are so many problems society is facing but all we do is sit in our homes and from behind the computer screen we moan, groan, grumble, complain and blame someone else for all these problems. And now Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is telling us that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is solely to blame for all the nation’s problems and if we oust him and appoint a new Prime Minister of Mahathir’s choice then Malaysia is going to be the greatest country on earth.

And do you know what? Many Malaysians believe this.

Is Najib the reason why Muslims oppose ‘sexy’ concerts and make a fuss over entertainers such as Selena Gomez and many more? Did Najib elevate the status of the Syariah courts to be at par with the common law courts? Did Najib start the culture of Umno must involve itself in commercial activities and businesses as a means to build up its war chest? Did Najib change Malaysia’s education system from English to Bahasa Malaysia hence ending Malaysia’s status as the best English speaking country in the region?

There have been many changes over the last 50 years and much of it was since before Najib’s time and even before Najib entered politics. Some of the culprits who messed up the country and are now offering themselves as the solution whereas they were the problem — people such as Mahathir, Anwar Ibrahim, Muhyiddin Yassin and so on.

Who kept telling the Malays that they are masters of this land? Who kept telling Muslims that Malaysia is an Islamic country? Who kept telling the Malays that we must replace the colonial language, English, with our national language, Bahasa? Who kept telling the Malays that enemies of the country are attempting to colonise the country again and take power away from the Malays?

There are so many issues that the Malays have been indoctrinated with and brainwashed into believing. Do you really think that ousting Najib is going to change the way Malays think? It does not matter who takes over as Prime Minister. As long as the politicians and the Malays still think the way they think then Malaysia is not going to change.

It is like saying that without Hitler the Jews would not have been killed or WWII would not have started. Actually, WWII ‘started’ the day WWI ended and the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The Germans just needed someone to press that trigger and Hitler was it. And if it were not Hitler it would have been someone else because the Germans were already in the grip or mass lunacy.

Let me give you one example when I say we just complain but refuse to act.

In 2008 I suggested to the Deputy Chief Minister of Penang that they set up tuition classes in Penang for students. This would help Penang students and maybe even improve their command of English. Furthermore, other than help weak students, it can help create part-time employment for tuition teachers.

P. Ramasamy told me that education comes under the federal government so the state cannot interfere.

That was eight years ago and until today we are still complaining about the education system and the poor command of English of Malaysians. Instead of complaining and blaming the government why don’t we do something about it such as set up tuition classes with the help of the state government?

Doing something means work. It is easier to do nothing and then blame Umno, Barisan Nasional, the government, the Malays, the Muslims, Islam, Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, the British, or anyone else. And these same people who grumble about corruption will not hesitate to pay ‘under-the-table’ money or buy pirated DVDs from street vendors or fake branded handbags from Thailand.