First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Najib Razak, Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, IGP Ismail Omar, Deputy IGP Khalid Bakar and KL Police Deputy Chief, Amar Singh for making 9th July happen.
For without the insane crackdown on Bersih supporters with Yellow coloured t-shirts, unreasonable detention, the flip-flop invitation of using the Stadium by the Prime Minister, the massive road blocks and KL lock down days before the rally, 9th of July may not have been what it was that historic Saturday.
We saw the birth of a new generation of Malaysians who are no longer apathetic, but dare to stand up for their rights, rising above intimidation.
When I arrived at Puduraya from Dayabumi through Petaling Street, I saw a sea of people. It felt as if we had re-taken KL from the FRU. KL belongs to us, and Malaysia belongs to the people - the Rakyat. Throughout the whole rally, it was almost like we were at war; a war between the Police and the people.
People stood united as one, from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, from all walks of life, holding on steadfastly to what we believe is rightfully ours: a free and fair election at the very least, the right to assemble peacefully for one common cause, and most important of all, the realisation that we, the Rakyat, can no longer keep silent and we must overcome the fear and oppression of unfair authority.
I followed the heartwarming
#bersihstories with many joys and tears. Many experienced the camaraderie of Malaysians, a true 1Malaysia in the sense where everyone was helping each other regardless of colour, class and age; sharing salt, sharing water, calming each other down while walking away from the tear gas and water cannons. People started to believe again, that Malaysians are actually good people....... Many wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.
Meanwhile, many also expressed regret for not being there on the 9th of July. For not being able to be part of this historic moment which saw Malaysians rising above all fears, determined to have our voices heard, and points taken by the authority who seem to be living in a different reality.
But do you know that 9th of July actually happens everyday in Malaysia, in its own small way? It doesn’t happen only on that Saturday afternoon. It has been happening, had happened in a grand style on 9th of July, and will continue happening in the days to come.
9th of July is about the Rakyat being empowered to stand up for what’s right, united as fellow Malaysians.
If you attend the nightly candlelight vigils at Bukit Aman to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the
PSM6 who were detained without proper evidence under the Emergency Ordinance ever since the start of the Bersih crackdown two weeks ago, you will remember 9th of July. Shouts of:
“Bebaskan Chon Kai!”
“Bebaskan Dr Kumar!”
“Bebaskan Sara!”
“Bebaskan Letchu!”
“Bebaskan Babu!”
“Bebaskan Sukumaran!”
will remind you of our shouts of “Hidup Bersih!” and “Hidup Rakyat!” on that 9th of July. You will also see people from all walks of life come together for this one cause. Quite similar to 9th of July, the only difference is that, instead of 50,000, you only have 100 brave souls.
If you join
you will see and feel the 9th of July almost everyday. It may be in a smaller group, but the same spirit nonetheless - to see a better Malaysia.
Labels: 9th July, anak Bangsa Malaysia, Bersih 2.0, electoral reform
by Markus Ng
(taken from
On the Orang Asli)
Written 2 February 2008, as submitted to www.ceku.org.uk
-
As a Malaysian and as a Chinese, I’m really looking forward to two upcoming events. Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and it’ll be my first time performing (think karaoke) in front of a mob of Chinese nationals in university. The other is the upcoming General Elections, where we get to participate in the democratic process of electing our leaders.
Like most Chinese, I pray for blessings and prosperity for myself, my family, and my friends. Recently though, I find myself praying more for the country and for the marginalised. This may sound rather silly, but if God exists, and answers prayers based on the number of requests he gets, we really should be praying more for those in greatest need of his help.
The Orang Asli, the natives of Peninsular Malaysia, certainly fall into that category. Although making up a mere 0.6% of the Malaysian population, as of 2003, more than 75% of them live below the poverty line
[1], a shocking statistic, when compared to our national rate of 5.7% (2004)
[2].
Less than half the Orang Asli population is literate, this compared to about 90% nationally. Functional literacy is estimated to be even lower. About 62 percent of Orang Asli schoolchildren drop out of school each year, and more than 90% of them do not go beyond secondary school. This has not changed much for the past 20 years.
[3]They are also affected disproportionately by easily preventable and curable diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, cholera, typhoid, and measles. Their infant mortality rate (median=51.7 deaths per 1000 infants) is more than three times that of the general population (median=16.3), and their life expectancy is significantly lower too (52 years for females and 54 for males, compared to 68 years for females and 72 for males nationally). In 1994, 25 of the 42 mothers in Malaysia who died in childbirth were Orang Asli women - meaning that an Orang Asli mother was 119 times more likely to die during delivery than the average Malaysian mother.
[4]Given their plight, one would imagine the government to be highly sensitive and concerned with their welfare, but as I like to point out, in Malaysia, you’d have to have a pretty damn good imagination.
State of affairsAt present, there is the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA), a statutory body charged by the Federal government to oversee the affairs of the Orang Asli. They are the only government department in Malaysia dedicated solely to a particular ethnic group. Among their duties are appointing village heads, acting as the de-facto owner of Orang Asli land, and in general, making decisions concerning Orang Asli development, education, and welfare – effectively chucking Orang Asli autonomy out of the window. This paternalistic approach to government should be unacceptable!
[5]The Federal government disagrees strongly. They really like the JHEOA. In fact, they think its doing such a great job at helping the Orang Asli, they gave the JHEOA a whopping RM144 million ang pow in the 2008 budget
[6], which was welcomed by all quarters including the Orang Asli themselves. However, the question remains whether the money filters down. Is this a case of harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi?
At a discussion I attended between Orang Asli leaders and the JHEOA last September, it was very apparent that the Orang Asli were not receiving the millions of ringgit allocated to them. There were various procedures on how to apply for the funds (and there were several available – education, general welfare, etc), and many of the Orang Asli leaders were not even aware of how much they were entitled to, and how to apply for the funds.
I posed a question to the representative from the JHEOA then – what happens to all the unclaimed money allocated to the Orang Asli every year? After all, money is coming in, but the Orang Asli are not getting it. The reply I got was highly unsatisfactory. He fumbled on how the fund was divided into two – one for development purposes, and the other for welfare. From what I understood the bulk of it was channelled into development. I was quite nervous speaking in front of the crowd back then, so I didn’t push for a better answer, but I’d encourage those back in Malaysia to pursue this money trail.
Homeless @ homeHaving brought all this up, the biggest challenge facing the Orang Asli today is the dispossession from their homelands. Unlike most of us who have titles to the property/land we own, the Orang Asli have been living there for generations long before any legal framework on land ownership was introduced. Their culture, identity, and spirituality is also closely intertwined with the local ecosystem/environment.
The Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 provides for the gazetting of Orang Asli reserves, which offers some form of protection. However, the law is still very inadequate, as it contains provisions like Section 7 (3) which states, “The State Authority may in like manner revoke wholly or in part or vary any declaration of an aboriginal reserve made under subsection (1)”, effectively placing the fate of all Orang Asli land into the hands of the government.
[7]This isn’t the best of arrangements, as the government, often in pursuit of development, can degazette any land belonging to the Orang Asli as it sees fit. Hence, Orang Asli settlements have been known to make way for hydroelectric dams, oil palm plantations, highways and even golf courses.
As of 2003, only 15.1% of a total 127,698 hectares of Orang Asli land had been gazetted as Orang Asli reserves. 22.5% had been approved for gazetting, but not gazetted as of yet. The status of the remaining 62.4% is “applied for gazetting, but not approved yet”.
[8] Looking at these figures, I cannot help but question the competence of the JHEOA. What has it been doing all these years if they can’t even gazette a piece of land; and why the huge disparity between approval and implementation? On top of that, what about the thousands of hectares originally approved for gazetting which have been withdrawn?
[9]In PrincipleThe plight of the Orang Asli is a serious one, and there are a many layers of issues to examine and address, which would take a long time. I’d like however to end this article by bringing your attention to the principle of justice within two concepts.
Firstly, in self-determination. Is it fair that the Orang Asli do not have control on their land, and by extension, over their culture, identity, and livelihood? On top of that, how is the JHEOA kept accountable? Why are non-Orang Asli individuals making all the decisions which will affect the lives of the Orang Asli? Would it be acceptable for a Buddhist monk to run a Catholic church? Visit the JHEOA website
[10], and a slideshow with portraits of all 11 directors of the department since its establishment in 1953 will greet you. Not a single one is Orang Asli.
Secondly, in democracy. In a democracy, everyone has an equal say, and the loudest voice (or one with the highest number of votes) gets heard. Is this fair? On the surface, probably yes. Democracy pleases the highest number of people. We need however, to be wary of the tyranny of the majority - in following the interest of the majority vote/voice, there is the danger of doing away entirely with minority interests.
This is a crucial point to observe in a country like Malaysia, where politics is still played out along ethnic and religious lines. The interest of Malays will never be discarded as long as UMNO is in power. The proportion of Chinese and Indians are significant too, so they always get some attention, although this is certainly a contested point. But how about other minorities, for whom there is no political representation? Who will speak and fight for them?
Semai children
Justice needs to be our guiding principle. Come general elections in March, we will have a vote. My hope is that we Malaysians will not choose a government that will cater only to our individual self-interests, but a government and leadership that will fight any injustice, uphold the law, and serve the people, irregardless of our ethnic and economic background.
[1]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11497609537883&artID=11509699100857
[2] http://www.un.org.my/index.php?navi_id=130
[3]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11400226426398&artID=11397894520274
[4]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11400226426398&artID=11397894520274
[5]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11400226426398&artID=11397894520274
[6]http://www.treasury.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=149&ac=2047
[7] http://faolex.fao.org/docs/texts/mal33568.doc
[8]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11374494101180&artID=11432645038345
[9]http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11400226426398&artID=11397894520274
[10] www.jheoa.gov.my
Labels: anak Bangsa Malaysia, Markus, Orang Asli
No, you cannot leave us like this.
Yes, you said that this country is rotten beyond repair.
But it was you whom brought us hope, that we can continue to dream for a better Malaysia, for our future generations. You woke us up. A lot of us.
Without you, this dream would be harder to journey, almost seem unattainable.
I am a little bit braver now, because of you.
Because, you dared to dream, you stood up for the truth and dare to face the consequences.
My dear friend Markus once told me this in the light of the KT by-election, asking me not to be too caught up in my dream despite of the outcome...
" may not be the time for change to happen,
may not be the change we want to see,
ultimately God's purposes will prevail. "
I've lost a dear friend two weeks ago, another one last week,
I don't want to lose you.... :(
Should justice does not prevail today, please, please, please do not leave us like this.
Not yet.
Not the time yet.
Probably my last message to MalaysiansLabels: anak Bangsa Malaysia, RPK
On 19 June, 2007, I attended my first candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka.
That night, I held
a
candle for Revathi, and
a candle for freedom of faith – as guaranteed by our Constitution…
Kuil Subramaniar/Sri Thandayuthabani, RasaOn
12 Dec 2008, I joined fellow anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia in solidarity with our Hindu community who was threatened by the police to not pray for the release of ISA detainees.... Now, we even need the police permission to pray?
I went because I think it is absurd to have someone telling me what I can or cannot pray for, let alone the police. I’ve never seen a full Hindu prayer rite before, so I thought, this would be a good exposure for me too.
Haris told us that, if the police try to stop our Hindu brothers and sisters from praying, then we’re going to form human shield to protect them from the police.
It was indeed a pleasant experience; I saw smiles and gratitude on the devotees’ faces when they saw us. We were treated with much kindness and respect. After the prayers, there were some refreshments and also speeches. This was what Haris said,
“Thank you for inviting us, anak bangsa Malaysia here. When you talk just now, I can understand only one word, which is Makkal Sakthi. That is the word that brings us together. When I heard that our fellow anak bangsa Malaysia were denied their rights to pray in Rasa, we quickly come to lend our supports. Hindu, Islam and all religion, we are all anak bangsa Malaysia. We don’t care who we are, we are all anak bangsa Malaysia. We were very happy to be invited to come, to see your peaceful praying session. By the way, we also invite all of you to come to PJ civic centre where fellow anak bangsa Malaysia were having a candlelight vigil every Sunday to call for the abolishment of ISA. Thank you again for inviting us.” (Taken from SamKit’s blog, The Spirit of Muhibah)
That night, was a significant night for me as my life was never the same again after that.
Background:Can our brothers and sisters pray in peace, please?Invitation:Malam Mesra Rakyat at the Subramaniar temple, Kg Kandiah, Rasa, Selangor tomorrowWhat happened that night?From
Whisperer,
An Inspiring Night In Solidarity With The Hindus In Rasa, Selangor..."The atmosphere was calm and serene with prayer chants ringing through the air under the presence of the Full Moon despite the clicking of the Special Branch's camera targeting on Our Entourage. But We, for one, are not to be cowed by their presence as we believe we are doing that right thing and marching in the right direction towards a harmonious Malaysian Race beyond the racial supremacy and religion line, peacefully.
All went on fine without any untoward incident. There were hugs and handshakes going around freely. Yeah, we all blended well with sincerity. More brother and sisterhoods were forged last night. Another progress for Anak Bangsa Malaysia. Very Inspiring, indeed!!"
From
San Jiun,
SRI THANDAYUTHABANI月圆祈福大会 - Anak Bangsa M’sia相约RASAFrom
KitSam,
The Spirit of Muhibah"..Even though I was sick and not a Hindu, but I just don’t want to miss this. Knowing very well that our fellow anak bangsa Malaysia was denied their rights to pray, I just don’t want to miss the opportunity to lend them the supports they need. In fact if today it can happens on Hindu, it could be Buddhist, Christian or even Islam. What couldn’t happen when the most unthinkable of denying people praying inside a temple already happens? Again, I would like to state this: For every step that the people retreat, the government takes two steps ahead, pushing the people to the sideline. This has happens many times before, if we don’t stand up for what rightly belongs to us, once it was taken, that’s it, we lost it forever. Worst yet, if we don’t voice out, we will be conveniently grouped into those silent majority who agree with whatever shit that the government do."
From
Sunny,
Pournami Pooja 2:Rasa - 12/12/2008"..As news of this intimidation reaches Haris. A group of Anak Bangsa Malaysia decided to attend their 2nd Pournami Pooja in Rasa on 12/12/2008 to give solidarity to our fellow Malaysian. Witness the prayers and rituals of Pournami Pooja in the video clips below. Can you spot the SBs? Please treat them well if you do, as they were just carry out their duty as INSTRUCTED from the top. But who are these people on the top? The CPO of Selangor, the IGP, the Deputy Home Minister or The Home Minister is everyone guess."
Kuil Arulmigu Sri Subramaniar, Kerling0n
10 Jan 2009, we were invited again to join our fellow anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia for their Pournami Pooja to pray for the release of all who are still detained under ISA in Kamunting.
Same as the previous session, we witnessed their prayers and later were invited for
makan-makan fellowship, after some speeches.
I was given the honour to receive one of the coconuts used for the prayers. :)
Mr Jaya told me that the coconut represent our “ego”. Normally, before the prayers started, the coconuts will be smashed and broken. It symbolises the breaking of our ego, so that we can come humbly before God in prayer. Err.. something along this line lahh..
I later passed it to a little girl because I feel that it would be more useful for her and her family.
Invitation:Malam Mesra Rakyat on 10th January, 2009 at the Kerling temple, Kuala Kubu Baru : Joining hands, building trust, conquering fearWhat happened that night?From
Whisperer,
Anak Bangsa Malaysia Spirit Spread To Kerling...“ On this day, about 20 Anak Bangsa Malaysia braved through stormy weather to join our Hindu brothers and sisters in their special prayers to seek the release of all our Malaysian brothers who are still held in detention under the draconian Internal Security Act.”
From
San Jiun,
Kerling Temple Pournami PoojaFrom
KitSam,
Malam Mesra Rakyat @ Kerling“Haris (who came back all the way from Kuala Terengganu to be with our Hindu brothers and sisters) addressing the crowd on Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia. He reminds those present to think and act as anak Malaysia rather than category ourself according to race. We will not be going anywhere with race, while we have rejected BN during last election, we will not make any difference if we still regard ourself as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan etc. We need to break this tradition, we need to change, it’s Makkal Sakthi, People’s power, not Indian power, not Malay power not Chinese power. When you pray, don’t just pray for the Hindraf 5, pray for all the ISA detainees because we are all Anak Bangsa Malayisa.”
From
Sunny,
Pournami Pooja 3: Kerling - 10/01/2009"Part 1: Haris take the floor despite being not well. Came from Kuala Terengganu just to attend this prayer and will travel back to KT the following day to assist the KT by-election campaign. Request and lead all to shout SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA. Highlight that for 38 years they had divide and rule us. Makkal Sakti means all races come together as one and claim makkal sakti and NOT makkal sakti melayu, makkal sakti india and makkal sakti cina alone. Must change our mindset (tukar minda), we are all malaysian."
Mystery - The Beauty Of Solidarity"...When it comes to an important event to be remembered and treasured, solidarity will be the ultimate answer. Solidarity is the power to act collectively to support people who are in need to break free from whatever the fetters are. We can see individuals and groups practising moral and social virtues will take the trouble to foster themselves in social living. Then, under the necessary help of divine grace, there will arise a generation of new women and men, the molders of a new humanity.
We thank our friends in Kirling for inviting us to pray together for divine help for those detained under the draconian law. This is the solidarity that is in the dire need and we have to realise now that we all have to live as ONE."
***
Tomorrow, 1st Feb 2009, we’re ALL invited to join the
Ahmadiyah community for a fellowship. I’ll be there. :)
The Selangor Islamic Affairs, Malay Customs, Infrastructure and Basic Amenities Committee chairperson, Dr Hasan Ali, has
threatened to “bury” this small Ahmadiyah community in Selayang, Selangor. Will we now stand together to defend their right to worship?
Invitation:Majlis Mesra Rakyat : An invitation to fellowship with our Ahmadiyah brothers and sistersDate : 1st February, 2009 ( Sunday )
Time : 4pm
Venue : Baitussalam, No.11A, Jalan Nakhoda Kanan, Kampung Nakhoda,Selangor
For further enquiries, please contact Encik Ainul Yakin Mud Zain at 03-61896715 or 013-2066865
Those who are not familiar can join Haris at the Esso station opposite Batu Caves at between 3.30 - 3.45pm.
Labels: anak Bangsa Malaysia
