A Letter from a reader: Returning to the Spirit of Nusantara
Here is one of the rare readers letters I post. I believe this letter represents the mood of many silent Malaysians. I have edited the letter for clarity.
Dear Fellow Malaysians,
These are the trying times for us in these current chaotic times. We are having our final chance to reform our nation resolutely. To be or not to be. It’s Now or Never!
We would become the most liberal country in SEA, and the most dynamic, prosperous and free "Islamic" nation in the world. If we seize the opportunity.
The choices that laid in front of Malaysians are:
1) Being one out of fifty over Islamic nations in the world, which is hardly distinguished from the rest, or;
2) Being transformed into the Renaissance State in the spirit or Nusantara.
Malaysia is the ONE and ONLY country in the world that has 9 royal families. This is our national icon, Malaysia brand.
The rulers are the head of Islam of each Malay state respectively. This is beside their responsibility to safeguard the special position of the Malays, and the legitimate interests of other communities. If the rulers stand with their role unwaveringly, we should cherish their status in return.
If only the taboos (3Rs) could be converted into assets.
There was a stretch of 600 year-long sultanate history in Malaya. Just imagine what a bountiful number of sagas could be unveiled to the public. A unique, resourceful, colourful cultural industry, which could be developed in the forms of drama, movie, music, pantomime, IPs, VR games etc. Maybe surplus from the Windsor clan.
The royal families could become the integral coalesce substance of our multi-racial society, literally; in the process generating positive competition among the sultanate states. By the way, Sarawak has had their "White Raja" in the past, it may be one of the key factors of Sarawakian unity.
Over the last 20 years or so, we are facing the growing issues of Islamisation/Arabization, in governmental administration, and that affects all social activities. The younger generations have become disillusioned upon the blunting corrupted authorities, and the in-efficiency of our oversized administrations. They flung their trust toward the more tangible option, the religious entities. When religious entities are acquiring more powers, it is a sign of declining patriotism and nationhood.
We, as citizens of the Federal Territories of Malaysia, must uphold the Federal Constitution dearly. Islam is recognized as the religion of the federation, no one is doubting the fact. The Constitution has guaranteed the rights of every lawful citizen, it is also able to prevent the tyranny of the majority when critical time arrives (quoted Aristotle).
Nevertheless, there is much more to be proud of, than the issues that frustrate us. In the past, we have had Usman Awang, P. Ramlee, Malaya Tigers. Nowadays, we are celebrating the achievement of Firdaus, Namawee and others, including the out-performing mixed-racial badminton doubles, and Uncle Roger plus the forever young Shiela Majid.
There is unlimited potential awaiting before us. The opposite gloomy scenario is to turn our profound advantages into liabilities.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Yen
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The existence of the present political, economic and cultural and administration attitude are the result of past decisions made by leaders of political parties mostly BN and its allied DNA. We inherited this national recipes from the past misdeeds, foolishness and blindness and shortcoming of the colonial past and those who have a hand in the destiny of the present government machinery.
The attitude of the collective mind of the nation constitutes our weakness and strength. Unless we dare to face truth and reality with a cold blooded objectivity. We will continue to march down the road to a failed state.
Our present set of leaders are too attached to out of date, short sighted popular convenient short term benefits for the masses to stay in power.
Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached.
Simone Weil (3 February 1909 - 24 August 1943)
The mentally lazy politicians in power are too lazy to find a pragmatic, practical solution to solve the nation’s crisis-be it education, corruption, bloated civil servants, nepotism, cronyism or oligarchy or lack of transparency or accountability of how public money is spent by the government -all are suffering from the illusion of power of tyranny. Isn’t what is happening to Malaysia now of what was said in the past?
• "When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed." ~
Ayn Rand ( February 2, 1905- March 6, 1982)
Malaysia is well known for passing many laws affecting the future population without adequate debates in the parliament. This is a dangerous precedent with fatal consequences.
"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force." ~ Ayn Rand
Malaysia is such a rich nation- with abundant of natural resources and blessed with peace and rainfall and absence of natural disaster such as earthquake or volcanic eruption, yet we have a national debt of more thanRM 1.5 trillion burden for all. What has gone wrong?
The 1 MDB scandal that made Malaysia famous for the wrong reason internationally, amply demonstrates the truth of what this quotation expressed.
"Inflation is not caused by the actions of private citizens, but by the government: by an artificial expansion of the money supply required to support deficit spending. No private embezzlers or bank robbers in history have ever plundered people's savings on a scale comparable to the plunder perpetrated by the fiscal policies of statist governments." ~ Ayn Rand
After the fall of Najib and his days spent in Kajang prison, are we learning anything at all?
What was done to reduce the punishment for the former PM despite the magnitude of his crime? Again the world reacted in horror of what reward Najib get after his sentencing?
"When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice, you may know that your society is doomed" ~ Ayn Rand
Why is Malaysia turning to passing of laws such as the Mufti Bills in Parliament, when little is done to confront so many problems facing the nation?
"The uncontested absurdities of today are the accepted slogans of tomorrow." ~ Ayn Rand
Where is Malaysia heading? Have we a future? Only two things of worthwhile pursue.
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ”
― Alvin Toffler (4 Oct 1928- 27 June 2016)
He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.
Sir William Drummond (26 Sept 1769-29 March 1828)
I don't know what this writer is trying to get at. The Malays want Tanah Melayu to be run by Malays for Malays. They showed it when they gave Tun Mahathir the door. He did the unthinkable by giving two sacred Malay chair to two non Malays That's the real reason why he lost his deposit and not because he didn't give the people of Langkawi two hundred Ringgit. This shows you the Malays don't believe in one Malaysia or anything similar. Through years of indoctrination after more then two generation you don't expect anything less. Our PM and all the others as well sells the Malay the idea of making it to heaven. That's why most of his policies are aim at ensuring they got a ticket to heaven. There is nothing much for this world but to hijack the Chinese wealth. Our only hope is seriously pray. Pray. Pray.