The Race Debate - The Voices of Moderation Fight Back
I've been very happy with the fightback from moderates of all colour and creed about the race debate in Malaysia. I've often said I don't know what to make of Badawi but I'm starting to come around to thinking that he isn't as cynical as I seem to think he was. That even the New Straits Times have attacked mercilessly the racists makes me very happy indeed given that they are largely a governmental organ and unlike the Star, is a Malay owned paper, and hence, a real voice of Malays who do not wish to be lumped as religious and nationalist zealots.
As well, it's not just been secularists and liberals counter-attacking. Religious Muslims who are not happy with being lumped with these narrow minded bigots are also making themselves heard-certainly it helps that Badawi is quite a religious individual, so really the whole country has come together to voice their dissatsfaction with the going-ons at the UMNO general asembly.
There is a maturity in Malaysia I did not expect, and to a certain extent I have been too pessimistic. Just like in the US, the Bush and the religious right couldn't quite influence policies and the people as much as they would have liked (though they certainly do or did wield a strong influence) so the Malay-Muslim chauvinists are finding that society will not bow down to them without question.
Long may this opposition continue. We need to marginalise these idiots, and ony socity in general have the real power to do that.
ditto...i told myself to vote for the opposition during elections regardless of their policy. they wont win the election and never will but we cant just let the government think they are invincible
ReplyDeletebut in 1969 with GERAKAN also in the opposition, what happened? Also, in 1990 the opposition got half the vote so I won't say they'll never win, especially if the voting system changes from the traditional British 'first past the post' to the 'representational system' employed almost everywhere else today.
ReplyDeleteOf course, don't vote for PAS boss...
i see...i didn't know history so well and never know there actually were oppositions who came close
ReplyDeleteanyway, i dont like being ruled by conservative muslim government but PAS isn't that strong to win it, is it?
In Sabah they always lose deposit I think...they are always strong in Kelantan, and do tend to do well (in raw votes anyway) in Terengganu and Kedah. In the past when the opposition has come close it has come close with PASin tow-in 1990 it was Gagasan Rakyat with Semangat 46, DAP, PRM, PBS and yes, PAS...
ReplyDelete