THIS IS MALAY LAND’ – MAHATHIR’S CONGRESS THUNDERS: BY NOW, DR M MUST KNOW HE HAS LOST THE TRUST OF NON-MALAYS, EAST MALAYSIANS IRREVOCABLY – YOU CAN TRICK THEM ONCE, BUT NOT TWICE!

When academician Zainal Kling started his opening speech at the Malay Dignity Congress, he said the word ‘Tanah Melayu’ no less than six times within the first minute.

After the sixth time of him proclaiming this land as Tanah Melayu, I turned to look at my friend, who is also a journalist and, and a Malay, who was sitting next to me.

“That’s awkward,” he said, almost at the same time.

When Zainal, who is also chief executive of the Malay Dignity Congress secretariat, started insisting on the sovereignty and the special position of the Malays, I reminded myself, this is not the first time I have heard such rhetoric.

Just a few weekends ago, I was at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) covering the Umno-PAS joint charter at the Perhimpunan Penyatuan Ummah where tens of thousands of Malay supporters flooded the building, and it was just business as usual for me as a journalist.

Yet I could not shake the uncomfortable feeling that grew in me as Zainal continued his speech, which seemed to be warmly received by the more than 5,000-strong crowd in the Melawati Stadium in Shaha Alam.

No one else around me seemed to be as uncomfortable as I was at that time, though I later found out that a number of non-Malay journalists felt the same as me.

At that time, I attempted to play off my unease by discussing the news value of the speech with my fellow journalists.

“Are you going to do a story on Zainal’s speech?” asked another journalist, who is also a Malay.

“I’m not sure yet. There isn’t much that’s new in the speech,” I replied.

“It was a borderline hate speech,” she said to me, before turning to pay attention to the next speech.

Perhaps she did not realise it, but that brief exchange of unintentional solidarity did make me feel better, at least until the next speaker started his presentation on the congress’ demands for the culture cluster.

As the speaker passionately spoke about the “tough actions” that should be taken against anyone who disrespected Islam, who were against including the Jawi script in official government business, as well as in protecting Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, the crowd cheered and clapped for him.

Again, my discomfort grew to the point I felt slightly nauseated.

Don’t get me wrong. I do think it is important to respect all religions and languages and we should, of course, take pride in our national language. But there was something about their fervour that felt exclusionary.

I felt that even though we were all sitting in the same hall, we were living in parallel versions of Malaysia. I think I was so uncomfortable because I felt like an alien there.

The feeling of discomfort persisted as the presentation on the other four clusters – politics, economy, religion and education – continued.

Eventually, my attention wandered to some people in the crowd taking pictures together, and I began to wonder, what do they want for Malaysia in the future?

As they smiled for the camera, proud and happy to be at the congress, I realised they probably imagined a very different Malaysia than me in the future.

For myself, I would like to see the day when Malaysians no longer see everything through a racial and religious lens, among others.

But as I listened to the speeches made at the congress, it made me feel like that day might never come.

GERALDINE TONG is a member of the Malaysiakini team.

M’kini

What leaders are saying after Malay Dignity Congress

Updated at 6.20pm with comments from Darell Leiking

The Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam came to an end today and leaders from both sides of the political divide, as well as community leaders, are weighing in on the event.

Malaysiakini has compiled what they’re saying.

Umno information chief Shamsul Anuar Nasarah

Today Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Pakatan Harapan government does not have strong Malay elements. Whose fault is that?

Was it not Mahathir who brought down Umno-BN’s power which had a strong Malay element because of his desire for vengeance? And then he gave victory to DAP which hates the Malays?

Mahathir should cease blaming the Malays for being “lazy” and “not wanting to fight for opportunities”. The weaknesses among some Malays are due to Mahathir’s weakness in his first 22 years as prime minister.

This Malay Dignity Congress is just a congress. Nothing will change if Mahathir continues to do things that don’t benefit the Malays and the bumiputera.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy

I am not sure whether Zainal Kling is aware of the pitfalls of ethnic nationalism as history is replete with examples of how the relentless drive towards ethnic nationalism or jingoism might end up in fascism.

Maybe on a lighter note, there could be a feeling on the part of Zainal that he wants to be popular and the only way to do this is get himself involved in the Malay congress, so that he could take an extreme line.

But why for your own selfishness, there is a need to pit Malays against non-Malays.

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

Even though I think Mahathir’s speech lacked “flavour” but there was content asking all Malays to unite and set aside political party differences.

The dream of many just now was that Mahathir’s message needs to be more clear.

Whatever it is, the congress has succeeded in uniting Malays from all backgrounds and set aside differences.

International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking

While I had not read nor heard the full text of Zainal’s speech, I am disgusted to have read what was reported by the online news portal.

I opine that such manner of the “social contract through inheritance” as to how Zainal described it to be is deemed no longer existent in that context when Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and the Federated States of Malaya jointly formed the Federation of Malaysia, but is in fact now stated in its new form as in the Federal Constitution.

Hence the question of inheritance does not arise anymore because, through the Malaysian Agreement, Malaysia is not the land of Malays but the land of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Dusuns, Muruts, Bajaus, Ibans and Dayaks.

So I hope Zainal will understand it clearly that Sabah and Sarawak did not “join” but “formed together as separate entities” the Federation of Malaysia and he should make a detailed research on Malaysia Agreement 1963 before using the social contract in Malaysia as his basis of an argument.

– M’kini