Utusan’s wrong assumptions in tirade against non-Malays

Utusan’s wrong assumptions in tirade against non-Malays

COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
February 16, 2014

Mingguan Malaysia's deputy editor Azman Anuar today wrote about his weekly's pet peeve - non-Malays. In his mind, they must know their limits and not take actions that are construed as insulting Islam, Muslims and the Malay rulers

The newly-promoted newsman also took Putrajaya to task for not defending the religion, race and royalty, saying the lax attitude came about after "respectable and knowledgeable Malay leaders" departed from the scene.

He did not name them although only two leaders have retired in the past decade - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. No prize for guessing who he is probably referring to.

"Non-Malays have apparently forgotten that Malaysia's majority population is Malays. They have no respect at all for the Bumiputera.

Why has this happened? It is because we are too compromising, too afraid to take action against those who have insulted Malays and Islam.

"In the end, it appears as if non-Malays are the landlords and Malays are the tenants, immigrants and the minority in our own country," wrote Azman in his article entitled "Melayu, Islam dihina di Tanah
Melayu!".

The basic premises of Azman's argument are:

1. Non-Malays are second class citizens and must kow-tow to the Malays.
2. Malays equals Umno.

The fact of the matter is he is wrong on both assumptions.

The non-Malays, just like the Malays, are citizens of this country and are equal before the law.

There is no concept of landlord and tenant in Malaysia among the races and no one is inferior to another in the country. Perhaps Azman and Utusan journalists need to look up the Federal Constitution on citizenship and rights.

And all the more so if he laments the loss of draconian security laws. Malaysia is a modern democracy, a constitutional monarchy where the law is supreme - not where supremacists are the law.

The irony of Utusan and those of their ilk is that it is an Umno-owned newspaper, where the president himself has been championing moderation and unity among Malaysians.

Perhaps this is their biggest fear and the reason for such a tirade - that there are some leaders who are tired of such diatribe and believe they can lead the country on a basis of equity and harmony among all,
rather than for a few. – February 16, 2014.