Today, a significant number of Malaysians have lost their respect for the Rulers. And, today, Malaysians dare speak out against the Rulers because Umno taught them to do that back in the 1980s. You can’t turn back the clock. It takes years to build a reputation. It takes mere days to tear it down. And it will take forever to rebuild that reputation.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Dr Rafick wrote a very good piece in this Blog called ‘UMNO…Jauh di hati, sakit di mata’, which you can read below.
I was wondering what to say about the anti-Zaid Ibrahim demonstration outside the PKR HQ (see video here) that was organised by the Gang Kepala Lembu yesterday and, lo and behold, Dr Rafick said exactly what I wanted to say.
So all I need to do is cut-and-paste his piece and maybe add a few points of my own.
I was actually never pro-Monarchy in my younger days. I did not even carry the Raja title. My own family, even those in the Selangor Palace, calls me Peter, until today. In primary school, the Alice Smith School, I was officially registered as Peter Kamarudin, not Raja Petra Bin Raja Kamarudin. And that was how I was known until I went to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in 1963 at the age of 13. Then, because of the ‘law’, I was forced to use my ‘legal’ name, although my teacher called me Putra-Putri -- and that nickname sort of stuck, much to my chagrin (dahlah jambu!).
In the 1980s, when I was in my 30s, the Constitutional Crisis exploded and it upset me big time when I saw the lies that they spun about the Rulers. They showed photographs of lavish bungalows in Penang and said that these were the lavish homes of the Sultans of Selangor and Kedah, which were bought with the people’s money. Actually, the so-called ‘lavish home’ of the Selangor Sultan was owned by a Chinese businessman, while the so-called ‘lavish home’ of the Kedah Sultan was Rumah Kedah along Northam Road (now named Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad), an old and rundown colonial house that was for the use of Kedah civil servants who visited Penang.
As I said, in the beginning I was never pro-Monarchy. But when Umno spun those lies about the Rulers and dragged them through the mud I became pro-Monarchy. I became pro-Monarchy because I felt that Umno had done a great injustice to the Rulers. Umno controls the mainstream media and can say anything that they like. The Rulers, however, are not free to speak. They can’t make a press statement or call a press conference. Even their official speeches are written by the Prime Minister’s Department. So the Rulers say what the Prime Minister tells them to say, not what they want to say.
The issue here is that back in the 1980s Umno whacked the Rulers good and proper. And what Umno said about the Rulers then were downright lies. Today, Umno pretends that it is loyal to the Rulers and pretends that it is defending the Rulers.
I’m afraid it is already 25 years too late. The damage to the image of the Rulers had already been done back in the 1980s. Whatever Umno says today can’t change that. Umno can’t un-damage the image of the Rulers that it damaged back in the 1980s.
Today, a significant number of Malaysians have lost their respect for the Rulers. And, today, Malaysians dare speak out against the Rulers because Umno taught them to do that back in the 1980s. You can’t turn back the clock. It takes years to build a reputation. It takes mere days to tear it down. And it will take forever to rebuild that reputation.
That is how it works.
And we have Umno to thank for this. And no amount of pretending can convince the people that Umno really respects the Rulers. Umno will use the Rulers, no doubt, when it suits them. But Umno will defend the Rulers only when it benefits them. As long as the Rulers work for Umno then Umno will support the Rulers. But if the rulers were to demonstrate that it is pro-opposition then Umno would embark on another Constitutional Crisis.
And this is why most Rulers have to also pretend that they support Umno. The Rulers know if they show that they support the opposition then Umno would go for their throats. But if they show support for Umno the opposition would not challenge the Rulers. They would just leave the Rulers alone. So better the Rulers show support for Umno than for the opposition.
Most Malaysians know that the Rulers too fear Umno. And if anyone is still not convinced that Umno has a hold over the Rulers just see what is currently happening in Kelantan. The Sultan of Kelantan is practically under house arrest.
We know, in their hearts, the Rulers are not happy with the situation. And we know that the Rulers feel powerless in doing anything about it. But there is something that the Rulers can do and they know what it is. It is just that they do not dare do it because they are not sure whether the people will be with them if the third Constitutional Crisis were to erupt.
Sigh…if the people can just understand that the Rulers are prisoners in golden cages. But there is a limit to the people’s tolerance. The Rulers, too, have to understand this.
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UMNO…Jauh di hati, sakit di mata
The past few days Zaid Ibrahim and PKR have been under attack for his writings on his Blog. I tend to agree with him on what he wrote. I read many writings about the demonstration against Zaid, which was held at PKR HQ. I saw many pictures, which was placed on Minaq Jinggo photo pages.
Interestingly to note quite a number of faces that was shown in the pictures are also involved in the “Shah Alam Kepala Lembu Group” (KLG) incident as well as the “Shah Alam Temple issues”.
I can only say one thing, “Taada muka lain ke, balik balik muka tu!”
In the pictures shown, I did not see any policeman present. I wonder whether any police permit was obtained. If none was given, then I suppose the pictorial evidence is good enough for the police to take the necessary evidence. After all a picture says a thousand words.
I find these demonstrators demonstrated without purpose other than to create noise and to disturb people as well as to apply pressure on the Selangor Government. Do these people really love the Sultan of Selangor or the monarchy system? If they claim that Zaid has insulted the Sultan, then I believe the Sultan is man enough to speak for himself. He is not without a mouth and a brain. Instead we have these “regular” troublemakers who go around and create problems. I wonder whether these people enjoy certain immunity from whosoever that is supposed to ensure the law is observed.
I find the actions of this “Kepala Lembu Group” KLG very perplexing. If they do love the Royalty, maybe they should go and demonstrate against Najib in Putrajaya. They should go and get Najib to reverse all the laws created by Mahathir that curtailed the power of the Royalty in Malaysia. Why are they not doing that? What a bunch of hypocrite!
Why are they not demonstrating in Kota Bharu? The Sultan there had to go court and get a court order for him to go and see his treating doctor! He cannot even take a stroll in his wheelchair outside the hospital all because his ‘safety” is at stake. We are talking about Kota Bharu and not KL. The KLG should have gone there and make full use of their otak lembu.
I am not sure whether I should be happy or sad when KLG and groups like these do what they do. It only shows their weaknesses. It only increases the people’s hatred towards UMNO. Many of my Malay friends also find the KLG actions as insulting.
In a way, if PKR does not react, it is good as more and more people will hate UMNO and BN. Go and ask any ten non-Malays on the street at random and you will get a general consensus that UMNO and BN is not in their “favourite folders”. Maybe we should send the KLG a ‘thank you’ card and encourage them to do more.
May I suggest that you do the next one in Bukit Antarabangsa. This will improve the sentiment of the residents there for PR.
(http://rights2write.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/umno-jauh-di-hati-sakit-di-mata/)
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