Dr Mahathir Mohamad: Ketuanan Melayu

My comment on Che Det's posting : Ketuanan Melayu

My dearest Tun,

There's a lot that I'd like to say/ask/share with you since you led the country ever since I was born. Your name is almost synonymous to Malaysia’s name by itself and I do still admire some of your qualities till this very day. Ambil yang jernih, buang yang keruh la kan?

Ok, that’s the intro and now back to subject matter.

When do you think will Malaysia be truly free of these racial parties that we have now? Honestly, I ask?

If it never will, I guess we all have failed to uphold what Islam is all about, you included. Why must you fight for Melayu alone? Why not fight for Malaysia or for better, the world?

Where is the equality & fairness that Islam teaches? I don’t recall in any ayat in the Holy Quran that justifies any ‘ketuanan’ element by any race. There is of course, the ‘Choosen People’ but wisdom would point out that we should not follow bad examples, kan? Then why there is still UMNO / MCA / MIC? Satan is thrown out of Heaven because he thought he is better than Adam. Sounds familiar to ketuanan Melayu? At the end of days, we are all judged equal rather than the colour of our skin nor from where we come from! You’re a doctor and you’d know too well we all came from one source. So, Apek, An-ne, Amoi, Achi are all relative of yours and mine, tak ke?

I could understand then, that when Datuk Onn Jaafar tried to create a multiracial party, it failed because maybe it wasn’t time yet and people are not fully prepared for it. It boils down to the level of education that we had at that moment and the nation was still at its tender years.

Now, 50 years on. A LOT of people are educated and learned. We don’t just listen to what the government says but rather, we analyse critically the information that was fed to us. To be a developed nation, you can’t easily fool its citizen and spoon feed them anymore right? We want the truth. We want the best. We want things fair & square.

So, we are really tired of all of these Malay / Chinese/ Indian / Singh/ Iban / Kadazan / Melanau / Bajau / Penan / what have you - racial lines and political parties that fight for their individual race. Again, when did Islam teach one race is superior to the other? Doing so in the first is already not Islamic.

If you want to fight, fight for a greater cause that benefits Malaysians us all, not just Kedahans only or Doctors only or Malays only. Don’t la do the old school stuff i.e. Melayu this, Melayu that. It doesn’t work anymore. This is where I’d say “penat & menyampah” to hear all them. It’s time to pull off the ‘handicap’ as how Tun Dr. Ismail put it. It’s long due. The longer it is in place, the negative overpowers the positive.

Still, I do some admire your leadership qualities because you do inspire and motivate people to do better and that is something not ANYBODY can do. Like I said, buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih.

Thanks Tun and rest assured that I am and will continue to do my part to contribute to this beloved nation & place we call home. You’ve played some part to inspire me.