A challenge to the DPM

I really don’t want to exchange pleasantries with you but my parents brought me up to respect everyone, even those you can’t stand. So here goes; I hope this letter reaches you in the best of health, both mind and body.

For yonks I’ve viewed politicians with a lot of disdain and an unhealthy degree of suspicion. Could you blame me for having such a perception? I’ve seen countless politicians with so many different personas to cater to their target audience that they’d put a chameleon to shame.

Just a little under a fortnight ago, you spent a lot of time in my home state of Sarawak trying to drum up support for your coalition in view of the impending state elections. You spoke yourself hoarse propagating the 1Malaysia plan that was mooted by your boss, the PM himself.

Now that the Sarawak elections are over, you’ve shed another one of your many skins and have gone on to support the 1Melayu 1Bumiputera concept mooted by Utusan Malaysia. You were reported to have said that the concept reflected the aspirations of Malays in the country. “Is it good for Malaysians to not take into consideration the feelings of Malays, who are bumiputeras and the majority in the country? We cannot stop people from expressing their views although it does not make others happy … but some Chinese don’t know the feelings of Malays… the Malays know the feelings of Chinese,” you said.

You seem to speak as if the Malays are an oppressed lot amongst Malaysians. You speak as if the Chinese are the head honchos in the country. You speak as if you are 100% sure of the sentiments which you blurted out.

May I be so insolent as to ask you if Malaysia would be where it would be today if not for the contributions of the other races other than the majority race? Would Malaysia have prospered without the support of the other races? Heck, even the independence of Malaya was in no small parts due to the contributions of MCA and MIC.

The comparison may seem inappropriate, but I’ll say it anyway. There are some parallels to the Nazis of the early 20th centuries who propagate superiority of the Aryan race over the others.
I have always thought that the PM, his deputy as well as the cabinet was voted into office for Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliations. And as such you owe allegiance to the people, to Malaysians and not to any particular race or religion.

But you came out with the infamous declaration that you were a Muslim first, a Malay second and a Malaysian last. And till today, you’ve resisted any requests or pressure to retract that statement.
Being a Catholic Chinese Malaysian, should my allegiance be to the Vatican as the Catholic state, China as my heritage roots and finally to Malaysia as the country of my birth, in that order?

Let’s put an end to this hypocrisy shall we? Let’s have an open debate, telecast live or otherwise. A debate between a seasoned politician cum minister cum the number two guy in the country and a regular man on the street. A man who never had the privileges that came with a bumiputera status.
Lets talk about anything and everything under the sun that matters to the average joe/jane that many a Malaysian are. You get to pick the time, the place, the moderator etc. And I’ll make that date so we can speak our minds without fear to be judged by Malaysians.

And lest you hesitate, I’m not a member of any political party and nor do I intend to join any. I just feel that it’s time that you be put in your place for your obviously skewed viewed where religion and race is concerned in total contradiction of your supposed support for the 1 Malaysia concept.

And yes, we can have it in Bahasa Malaysia if that tickles your fancy. After all, you are at the heart of all the hare brained schemes to abolish PPSMI and to put in place MBMMBI to replace it. I may not be a native speaker of the language but I have been told that I hold my own comfortably when I do speak it (or so my peers say).

I await your response without holding my breath lest I expire of asphyxiation. The ball is in your court. What say you?
Your Sincerely, A Malaysian 1st, 2nd & last... Always