And according to Wikipedia, “fascism is also typified by totalitarian attempts to impose state control over all aspects of life: political, social, cultural, and economic, by way of a strong, single-party government for enacting laws and a strong, sometimes brutal militia or police force for enforcing them. Fascism exalts the nation, state, or group of people as superior to the individuals composing it. Fascism uses explicit populist rhetoric; calls for a heroic mass effort to restore past greatness; and demands loyalty to a single leader, leading to a cult of personality and unquestioned obedience to orders.”

The above descriptions sound eerily like what’s happening in Malaysia. And, mind you, the Abdullah regime is not the first in Malaysia to be compared to the fascists. An ex-colleague of mine created a clever photoshop image of a Hitler-like Mahathir about ten years ago.

Frankly, I’ve become quite used to the blatant corruption and arrogant tyranny of the illegitimate Umno government. However, the reference to Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) every now and again by an Umno politician really sickens me to the core, and ignites a fire at the same time.

The most recent outrageous statement is made by the Umno politician of dubious character, Rahim Thamby Chik. In a recent speech, he said “the Malays have never taken to the streets so do not force us to do so as we will draw our parang (machete) to defend the Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) in this country.” (See the Malaysiakini report on this.)

I don’t know what these Umno politicians have in those kepala-otak (head-brain) of theirs, but I think it’s quite well established by now that all human persons are born equal in dignity and rights. Indeed, Apartheid in Africa ended more than ten years ago. For someone to still claim the supremacy of any particular race is not only stupid but outright delusional. Indeed, in a country like ours, it serves no purpose except to divide and pit one Malaysian against another.

I do not support the claims of Hindraf, but I can certainly understand where their sentiments come from. People like Rahim Thamby Chik, Mohd Ali Rustam and Hishamuddin Hussein are the ones responsible for the racial division in the country. And it is very clear that these demagogues are simply spouting these fictions just to gain political points amongst their supporters.

It may have been a historical fact that Malays were the majority race in Malaysia prior to the arrival of the Chinese and the Indians. Of course, I am no historian. However, I do know that it is already proven that all of us can trace our ancestry back to African hunter-gatherers (read the National Geographic article on this).

Thus, I don’t get what form of supremacy these people are talking about. All I know is that it reminds me of some evil idiot in Europe who rallied people with cries of “White Supremacy!” and the Ku Klux Klan in the redneck woods of America.

If I am not mistaken, even Islam teaches that all human beings are equal. Isn’t that why when Moslems perform the Haj, they are all dressed in the same white robes? Even the Prophet Mohammad was treated as a human being, just as Gautama Buddha was. So, why in Malaysia, a country that many Umno politicians claim to be an Islamic state, are some people superior to others?

All of us need to wake up to the fact that the so-called Malay Supremacy is both a political and legal fiction foisted on us by those in power even before this country gained independence. In any case, it doesn’t matter who inhabited this land first and which community is largest. If we are truly concerned about national unity, then it’s high time that we get rid of the burdens that weigh us down on our journey towards real nationhood.

For what it’s worth, I must say that that’s an ingenius and interesting idea from Dr. Chen. I wonder what Raja Nazrin thinks. (By the way, Raja Nazrin’s credentials are quite impressive. Check out the link to his entry in Wikipedia above.)

Anyway, I wanted to see how Dr. Chen would develop his argument after reading his analysis on the lack of national unity:

“This is happening because of the strains on unity by introducing a bumiputra policy in 1966, the NEP in 1970 and Islamic state during Dr Mahathir’s premiership.

To make matters worse, at the UMNO general assembly last year, the ultras rejected the concept of ‘bangsa malaysa’ and proposed the implementation of a ‘Malay agenda’ where Malays are conferred ‘ketuanan melayu’ status, while the rest are plain or ordinary Malaysians.

Then last month, the deputy prime minister heightened the unease amongst the people when he unilaterally announced that Malaysia was Islamic and not secular, claiming that the constitution did not state Malaysia was secular. This claim was contrary to the declaration by former prime ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn that the Malaysian constitution was secular.”

And, somewhat expectedly, Dr. Chen concluded by saying, “Let us start with the advice by Raja Nazrin to respect and adhere to the Constitution.”

Hmmm, at least Dr. Chen qualified his endorsement of Raja Nazrin’s advice about the constitution by indicating that it’s only a starting point to the solution. Nevertheless, I beg to differ with Dr. Chen’s endorsement and his earlier analysis about the cause of racial problems in this country. Indeed, the whole article was positioned as an issue of “lack of national unity”.

Here, we must note that this country is not even a nation yet, in the sense that the peoples of this geographical area of the world do not entirely and wholeheartedly “pledge allegiance” to her. This is quite apparent in the fact that many so-called Malaysians are more than willing to jump ship and migrate to another country as soon as “the pot gets to hot” here.

Of course, this also reflects, and may be a symptom of the lack of national unity. In any case, I disagree with the assertion that national unity deteriorated because of the bumiputera policy and the New Economic Policy.

From the beginning, as far back as Malaya and its formation, we had a problem of widespread and unquestioned racial discrimination. Even the Mat Sallehs who espoused human rights principles seemed to be quite comfortable with the rampant discrimination. I’m sure that all the British politicians and members of the Reid Commission were quite aware of the consequences of their policies and legal documents (especially our Federal Constitution) on Malaya’s racial relations and “national unity”.

Thus, with that kind of “national history”, especially the widely accepted racial discrimination – then and now – it becomes more than a matter of “political equality”. In terms of international law, I think Malaysia ought to be a international pariah. In terms of morality, I don’t see how any self-respecting and socially-aware person can accept such racial discrimination. In terms of religion and faith, I just can’t find any teachings in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and/or Christianity, that condones our practice of racial discrimination.

Many of us in this country are hypocrites. Whilst we clap and cheer enthusiastically whenever we hear political rhetoric about national unity and harmony, yet we do not even bother to understand the culture and mindset of “other Malaysians”, much less make the effort to reach out to these “fellow Malaysians”. Do we really want to have “national unity and harmony”? Yes, we can continue to blame the government and the authorities for the racial problems that we face, but that attitude of ours is not going to bring Malaysia forward. Not even one single step forward.

One of the first steps that we must take on the road to national reconciliation, is to face the truth and admit our own ignorance on this whole issue of racial discrimination. Let’s talk openly about this. Don’t hide behind discussions about “national unity”. Let’s call the spade, “spade”. Yes, there is fear to confront the ugly and painful truth of the matter, but is that an acceptable justification for allowing racial discrimination to continue in this country of ours?

No matter what the justification, racial discrimination as a practice is always suspect. For it to be institutionalised unashamedly, with pride even, that’s unacceptable.

Here’s a brief discussion of equality (the twin principle of non-discrimination) by Judge Tanaka, in the context of apartheid:

“What are equal are to be treated equally and what are different are to be treated differently… [and] what is equal and what is different? … All human beings, notwithstanding their differences in their appearance and other minor points, are equal in their dignity as persons. Accordingly, for the point of view of human rights and fundamental freedoms they must be treated equally… The principle of equality does not mean absolute equality, but recognises relative equality, namely different treatment proportionate to concrete individual circumstances. Different treatment must not be given arbitrarily; it requires reasonableness, or must be in conformity with justice…”

So, in the context of Malaysia, are there any reasonable and justifiable circumstances that make racial discrimination necessary? All the usual justifications that we hear are just that. Justifications.

The history of every nation-state in the world will show that some groups of “citizens” were the first inhabitants of the land, and the “others” came later. Is historical origin a satisfactory reason or justification for racial discrimination?

No matter what answer we may try to come up with, in our guts and hearts, we know it’s wrong. It’s simply, morally and politically wrong to discriminate against anybody because they were born of parents (not of their own choosing) that are in the “wrong” ethnic group.

So, I have a problem with our Federal Constitution. It’s flawed, and we need to recognise that. Legally and poltically, we may not be able to do much about it now, but we must not glorify it as a panacea for our racial ills. The “social contract” that is often attributed to the Federal Constitution is yet another lie that puts us in our assigned places.

With all due respect to Dr. Chen and Raja Nazrin, I can only see the Federal Constitution as a temporary dam to stem the tide of racial and religious discontent. For a real long term solution, we need to do much more than just read the constitution and protect it.

For a real turnaround in Malaysia, I think more than political will is needed. The people and the so-called leaders must dig deep into their own spiritual reservoirs of faith and values for the resolve and conviction that is much needed to make a difference, not only at the national stage, but in their own private lives.

Hence, after some reflection about my “apartheid posting”, I believe there is a better way forward for Malaysia. At least in terms of patching up racial relations between the different ethnic communities.

Actually, I started writing this posting yesterday but had to stop for lunch, meetings and so forth. Anyway, it’s just as well that I didn’t finish it yesterday because I just read Dr. Chandra Muzaffar’s comment in the NST this morning. Frankly, I am surprised Dr. Chandra still has so much confidence in the government and the Parliament.

He was suggesting all sorts of measures to ensure the independence and efficacy of the Institute of Ethnic Relations, which was proposed by the National Unity Advisory Panel. Moreover, research into ethnic relations was also suggested.

With all due respect to Dr. Chandra, if harmonious ethnic relations is what we want to achieve, then I very much doubt that the current administration under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the “National Unity Squad” have got what it takes to make racial relations any better in this country.

Please let me be clear. I am not saying that the people in the Squad are not capable or do not have the interest of Malaysia at heart. Frankly, I do not know who half these people are, although I do note there is a former DAP politician in their midst. I am sure they are quite capable people, otherwise the government wouldn’t put them there. Indeed, even if the individuals cannot come up with good ideas, I am sure a 55-member panel can do the job.

However, my scepticism of Dr. Chandra’s suggestions stem from my belief that such projects come to naught if there is no politicial will on the part of the Umno rulers. And as far as I can see, these Umno rulers have no political motivation to share a nation with so-called visitors from foreign lands. Of course, we can debate about the origins of the Malays, Chinese and Indians, but that’s academic.

Now, the question is, what does it really take for us, as Malaysians, to bring the country forward, to achieve true nationhood, as one people, with one vision and one collective future?

The way I see it, on the one hand, the Malays resist sharing this country on an equal basis with the Others because they are afraid that they will lose out in the process, whatever “losing out” may mean to them. On the other hand, the Others (including the Chinese, the Indians, the Kadazan-Dusuns, the Ibans, the Temuan and all the other minority ethnic groups) either feel a lack of affinity to this country or are quite indignant about the whole unjust situation… and they feel quite helpless about it.

In simple terms, I would say that some sort of reconciliation needs to happen before we can move forward. And this sort of reconciliation must happen at the public and national level, not just between neighbours and acquaintances. A lot of major national issues that affect racial relations have not been addressed satisfactorily; e.g. the Federal Constitution and its flaws, the branding of Communists as Chinese, the tragic May 13 incident, the Chinese domination of the economy, the ugly Kampung Medan incident, the existence of mono-ethnic political parties and the Umno Keris episodes.

These issues must be addressed openly, not only in terms of a public discussion, but also approached with an open mind and open heart. Quite obviously, Malaysia will not be able to move forward in this area if we are not prepared to be bold and candid about how we feel, and acknowledge how everyone else is feeling, however justified the feeling may or may not be. The fact is, we all feel it.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the so-called National Unity Squad are prepared to do that. They seem to be more interested in highlighting the “achievements” of Malaysian racial relations for use as propaganda during Umno-BN’s election campaign. And even if they are willing to face the hard facts, will their political masters permit them to do the right thing?

If we are truly sincere and serious about improving racial relations in Malaysia, I propose we consider a royal commission with the mandate and confidence of the people. With the way things are in our political landscape, I wouldn’t even put my confidence in the current Parliament.

The members of this commission, although formally receiving their mandate from the King, should be nominated by the Rakyat, and appointed by the King in consultation with respectable world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu and others who have experience in such reconciliatory processes. In other words, leave the local politicians, both the Umno-BN and opposition types, out of the whole thing.

It’s about time the Rakyat drive a process for their own good, and not let the politicians dictate the terms of our co-existence.

What on earth do we need an Institute of Ethnic Relations set up for? Read today’s NST if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

I think most of us know how to have good relations with our neighbours, irrespective of race or colour. I don’t know about the rest of you but my elders, including my teachers and scoutmasters, have taught me to care for people, to be polite, to respect other cultures and so on and so forth.

Do we really need an institute to tell us these things? Like I said in a previous post, the source of our racial problems are the mono-ethnic parties in the government who are acting like children trying to keep the biggest slice of the cake for themselves. Of course, everyone else only gets to pick their slice after Umno has taken theirs…

And, by the way, the original lie is that the Alliance (and later Barisan Nasional), represents the different communities in Malaysia. Yes, they may have gotten together to win the most votes, but they are far from working in the interest of the community, much less the communities.

If anything, this form of political practice is archaic in this globalised world. Well, I would go one step further to say that it’s not far from apartheid.

You think that’s far fetched? Well, let me share a little bit about customary international law. In public international law (the law betwen nations), there are four sources of law and customary international law is one of them.

I’m not a law lecturer, so I’ll quote from AustLII Human Rights Resources:

“In a discussion of customary international law, it is necessary to mention the concept of jus cogens. Rules of jus cogens are also referred to as ‘peremptory norms’ of general international law. These are rules of customary law so fundamental that they cannot be departed from or set aside by treaty… Commonly asserted examples of jus cogens include the prohibitions of slavery, genocide, racial discrimination and the use of force by States, as well as the principle of self-determination.”

And how does this connect to apartheid? Well, take a look at Judge Tanaka’s dissenting judgment in the South West Africa Case. This may be a dissenting judgment but the discussion on the principle of equality and the practice of apartheid is widely accepted by the international legal community.

Believe it or not, ladies and gentlemen, our nation is in breach of a most fundamental international law, and yet we are pussyfooting around ethnic relations and pretending that we can resolve it by coming up with an institute.

Just face the facts: this racial problem is never going away as long as Umno-BN is allowed to practice racial politics and rule us by insidiously dividing us along communal lines.