Veteran writer, Lim Kit Siang, is imploring the Malaysian Parliament to debate on the recent behaviour of several UMNO party members involving waving the Malay keris and “incendiary speeches”.
The UMNO Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin waved the keris in the UMNO assembly this year just like he did last year, seemingly to reinforce the Malay race supremacy. One assembly delegate said that “UMNO was willing to risk lives and bathe in blood” while another warned that Malays could run “amok”, if the country’s Malay rights are challenged further. One commentator to Lim’s website quoted an interesting definition of the term “amok”.
According to the New Straits Times, Ledang Youth chief Mohamed Zan Abu said “we should defend it (Malay rights) to the last drop of out blood“. Youth information chief Datuk Azimi Daim warned “when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins“.
Consider such statements that were made in the congregation of the nation’s leaders while Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned during the opening night of discussions that irresponsible parties should halt inciting racial sentiments. Many Malaysians must be wondering if the UMNO Youth members were having tea break when the DPM spoke.
The National Economic Policy (NEP), formed many years ago, was designed to protect the interests of the Malays, and has been the focus of many recent debates within and outside of the Government. Malaysiakini, an online authority on national issues of Malaysia, has a good article interviewing Anwar Ibrahim, member of the opposition party, and his views of the NEP which is so fiercely defended by the current ruling party.
Lim warns that this recent “irresponsible, provocative and seditious” speeches at the assembly pose a dangerous setback to national unity and nation-building, scaring foreign investment away and generally damage the confidence of the general Malaysian public.
Thirty years of nurturing a growing and progressive economy are in a threat of losing its efforts if such behaviour of the country’s leaders remain unchecked.
Why worry so much if you think are supreme and mighty?
Related posts:
Social Segregation, Democracy and The Constitution in Malaysia
<URL:http://glob.lokety.com/2006/10/social-segregation-democracy-and.html>
Three Viewpoints on Racial Discrimination in Malaysia
<URL:http://glob.lokety.com/2006/09/three-viewpoints-on-racial.html>
Links:
Malaysiakini
<URL:http://www.malaysiakini.com/>
Wikipedia – United Malays National Organisation
<URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umno>
Technorati Tags: umno, umno youth, assembly, general assembly, malaysia, malaysian parliament, malay keris, incendiary speech, nep, new economic policy, malay race, malay rights, zan abu, azimi daim, najib razak, anwar ibrahim, lim kit siang, malaysiakini, run amok
