Monday, November 05, 2007

De-sensitising Non-Malays

We all know that our UMNO Youth Chief, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein will be raising the keris once again at the on-going UMNO General Assembly. In order to manage expectations and practicing good "public relations", he has made known his intent to repeat the keris waving feat much earlier, in order to diminish the "shock" element.

In fact, last week, The Star prominently featured the article headlined "Keris tradition to continue" (italics mine).
Umno Youth will continue to use the keris as its symbol at the coming party general assembly and believes that with time the non-Malays will become de-sensitised to it.

[Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein] believed there was “nothing sensitive with carrying on” the tradition started by the movement two years ago. “I feel it is important we continue to do it so that the issue becomes de-sensitised over time.
Ah, I see. That is clearly in line with most of UMNO's other strategies such as telling a lie often enough, and it becomes perceived as the truth.

Or how about the fact that Barisan Nasional continuing to treat non-Malays as 2nd class citizens, and they may just get used to it? Or the continued policy of discrimination and marginalisation of non-Malays, and similarly, we'll get "de-sensitised" over time.

The issue therefore is nothing to do with the need to "de-sensitising" non-Malays. It has everything to do with the contempt the UMNO leaders have for their fellow Malaysians. In fact, the issue is less to do with the fact that the keris was raised and more to do with the intent by which it was raised. For the past few UMNO General Assembly meetings, raising the keris coupled of war-like speeches have been intended to stir racial hatred and racist sentiments against the country's minorities.

Hence what Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is infact doing, as the Minister of Education, is not de-sensitising the non-Malays, but instead setting an example and raising a whole new generation contemptuous, war-like and racially parochial ethnic group. And this is diametrically opposed to the much vaulted National Education Blueprint 2006 launched earlier this year which sought to "integrate" Malaysians.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

de-sensitising = acceptance?

Sagaladoola said...

I am thinking if one day, that SOMEONE will de-sensitise us on corruption, poor management, non-transparency, non-accountability ....

Sheesh... it is crap.. all this de-sensitising stuff. They should apologise for what they did last year. I am not talking about the "angkat keris" episode only. I am talking about certain people talking about "bathing in blood" and "asking when the keris should be used".

Regards,
Sagaladoola

Anonymous said...

Then it is good for DAP to raise its big, mighty bladed Chinese swords and Kung Fu during its convention based on the same argument given by UMNO and hope that the Malays will understand it too....hehe

Anonymous said...

Dear Bro. Tony,

I'm a DAP member and supporter, and I'm not offended by the raising of the keris. The keris is part of Malaysian culture. The trouble is the keris is used by a coward and a traitor against the rakyat. The keris was not used to uphold, mengangkat martabat Bangsa Malaysia, memelihara cara hidup demokratik, memupuk semangat perpaduan kaum, mempertahankan semangat kemelayuan, etc. Tidak, ianya was raised to intimidate, bully gertak, ugut, etc. This is a mark of a bloody damned fool. Umno kita tau bersekongkol and bersubahat dengan kongsi gelap cina. Kita tau umno adalah parti samseng; kita tau umno adalah anti-Malaysia dan anti-melayu.

That's the whole point about the keris issue. Jikalaulah Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn were raise the keris in front of the triads, I would support and rally behind him. Ayuh, mari kita mengerjakan ibadat suci mempertahankan martabat negara!

Hidup DAP! Majulah Malaysia!

The Watchman said...

Tony ... the crappy minister has a lot f nerve saying all that rubbish. I hope the stupid UMNO crap will get used to the idea of being de-sensitised over time by the fact that there is a new generation of Malaysians who will not take this kind of crap by keeping quiet anymore. He better be de-sensitised with the idea that every move he makes will be in the glare of the public eye.

Unknown said...

Tony

When they fail to raise the standard of living of the people, they raise the keris. When they fail to raise the education standard, they raise the keris. When they fail to raise tranparency, they raise the keris. When they fail to close cases like rape, murder + corruption, they raise the keris.

When they fail to sustain a automobile (Proton)industry, they try to make aeroplane (Airod), when they fail that, they tumpang to go into space.

When they fail to explain to the our Malay compatriots, they raise sensitive issue to create hatred. Raising a weapon at a political, is nothing but running out of ideas + running out of lies to tell. I wonder if they ( "they" means UMNO) go home and raise the Keris at family memebers, since according to them it is not offensive.

Bok House said...

I wouldn't be too sure the chaps at UMNO will be as defensive as they were the last two years. The GE is just around the corner. They are counting on people to forget, just like the UDA towards the redevelopment of Pudu Prison next year.

Fahmi Reza said...

check out this video on youtube:

"Apasal keris nak taruh situ?"

Anonymous said...

Now I have problem to educate my children not to play with knife. Cos our education minister is using it and appear in newspaper and TV. He even ask us to use to it. Can our minister tell us how to tell to our children when they play with knife. Should I tell them oh our minister is holding plastic keris and not a metal keris?