YOURSAY ‘The Malays in Selangor and Penang are not a disgruntled lot.’
Kadir: Fear is Umno's last weapon as rival advances
Sirach: These are veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin’s most balanced observations in a very long time.
He has hit the nail on the head about the "fear factor" which Umno Baru unfailingly trots out whenever it fears Malay support waning. This is a tried and tested strategy, a holdover from Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s era.
But, as Kadir aptly says, the Malays in Selangor and Penang are not a disgruntled lot. Indeed, it may be the reverse. They may be quietly applauding the more honest, transparent and accountable leadership in Pakatan Rakyat.
Pakatan would not be silly enough to do anything to diminish Malay rights should they come to power. That's a no-brainer. It is simple realpolitik.
It's still early days, but Selangor MB Azmin Ali seems a revelation, having emerged from Anwar Ibrahim's gigantic shadow. He's striking all the right notes.
As Kadir also rightly points out, the Indian Muslims (faux Malays, to be sure) are making the biggest noise, not only for the reason Kadir suggests, but, dare one say, to also embellish their Malay credentials.
Kim Quek: Surprisingly fair comments from Kadir Jasin, who many regard as a mouthpiece of Mahathir. Yes, Umno has been working on the politics of fears - two types of fear actually.
First, Umno’s fear of loss of power. Second, Malays’ fear of Chinese grabbing power.
While the first fear is genuine, the second fear is unreal, and in fact concocted by Umno to push Malays back to the fold of Umno.
That there is no danger of Malays losing power is self-evident from the fact that PAS is 100 percent Malays, while PKR is firmly dominated by Malays. Besides, all the state institutions are manned and controlled by Malays.
The truth is, Chinese are not that stupid as to fancy that they could take power. What they are seeking is good governance and a just system, where they could live with dignity as Malaysians.
Farhan: Mr Kadir Jasin, look into the mirror. As a journalist, you should know the principle of substantiating your statements with solid evidence. Please justify instead of nullifying on what the government is doing.
Kadir, do not live in the past especially if you view it with distorted lenses. It will affect your vision of everything before you, now and forever.
Who is trying his best to build this nation again? Who, despite all the flak, brickbats, conspiracies and criticisms. His name, my dear Kadir Jasin, is PM Najib Abdul Razak.
Kang Kong King: Please ask this question: Can someone tell us who is running this country now or is/are there someone at all running the country? As it appears no one is doing that.
Najib, you can't go on with an autopilot forever.
Boonpou: Never in the contemporary history of Malaysia has Umno (and by extension BN) lost the two-third majority until 2008 and lost the majority votes in the last GE.
Umno is desperate and its only recourse is to cultivate fear among the Malays about the non-Malays. It will continue to tell the Malays Umno represents them when all along it has only benefited the well-connected Umnoputeras and puteris.
The cultivation of the culture of fear is a script written for Umno by foreign consultant companies that Umno has been paying for its own survival to try and remain one of the longest serving "managed democracies" in the world.
Make no mistakes about it, Umno is desperate and it will try to win "by all means necessary", which means this is a party without any ideology left.
Odysseus: Why fear the Chinese? In their history they have always fought for good governance. Just look at how many times the dynasties have changed.
They are changed because the previous ones are no longer competent. So, do not fear the Chinese. They are honest and upright and who only want good governance.
RatBatBlue: Interesting reading, this article. Kadir Jasin is spot on when he states that Umno-BN fear the Chinese.
They may fear losing Malay support, and thus to get back that support, they keep on reminding the Malays that the Chinese are the ones to be feared, as they might erode the power the Malays have at present, with their economic and political clout.
What Umno-BN is actually doing is playing the old "communist" era song - the Chinese want to call this country their own and to align it to a foreign power, thereby forfeiting the Malays of their power/religion by extension and stripping power off the royalty.
Fast forward to 2014 - this attack falls flat, because the younger generation of Chinese does not have any links with China, save a holiday there.
What they want, as many have already said, is good governance, fair play, a bit of respect, and assurances that religion will not curtail their culture as has been shown to already occur. The last thing the Chinese want to do is what Kadir Jasin says they will do.
Otakechik: If the ruling party does a good job in running the country, nothing will make them lose votes thus losing the power to rule.
A corrupt government will not last. It may not be next GE but it will come one day. Don’t forget, during the times of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak Hussein, Hussein Onn and Mahathir, the majority of non-Malays threw their support behind them.
Rakyat101: The best and most balanced piece of article from Kadir Jasin thus far. I will start to read his article again and see what he has got to say. The writing on the wall is getting clearer by the day. BN’s days are numbered.
BN’s political trajectory is clearly going downhill. Not that Pakatan is strong, but because Umno-BN refusal to transform and that will be the cause of its eventual downfall at the next GE.
Jiminy Qrikert: Kadir Jasin is dead wrong. Fear is not the last remaining weapon Umno has to keep Malays on its side. Umno has long realised that installing fear of Chinese in Malays has been losing its effectiveness over the last two GEs.
An increasing number of Malays, especially amongst the urban and young, have come to realise that the Chinese are no different in wanting peace, prosperity, a good future and to be treated equally as any Malaysian should expect of their government.
Umno is transitioning from using race to instil fear to using religion, not so much to instil fear of non-Muslims amongst Malays but more so to rouse sentiments of exclusivity and supremacy so that Malays once again band together in yet another 'us vs them' clash.
Only this time, the calling is from God not from Umno, which is why Malays from both sides of the divide are being told they must support Umno's proposal of establishing a Federal Syariah Court.
And that is why PAS has gone from friend to foe to its Pakatan partners. Next will be Pakatan Malay MPs.
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