Welcome to a land where pigs, chickens and cows are the true messengers of the human word.
By Jasmine Wong
George Orwell wrote the satirical, dystopian Animal Farm in 1945. Through the use of allegory, Orwell tells the tale of an oppressed and suffering society (made up of animals in a farm), who after toppling their cruel government (made up of humans), elected new leaders among themselves, only to find these new leaders inflicting the same forms of oppression on them.
Suffice to say that such a profound representation of political tyranny and the dangerous promptings of the ego is lost on most Malaysians, who have instead preferred to assume a more literal interpretation of Orwell’s classic.
“The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief,” so wrote Orwell and he couldn’t have been more right.
Animal Farm: Malaysian Edition involves humans of the most questionable intellect who think cow heads, pig heads and bloodied, dead chickens send a far clearer message than calm and fair discourse. Also, the more sacrilegious the better.
Cows are revered by Hindus, pigs are “haram” to Muslims and chickens… well chickens are simply cheaper and easier to slaughter and fling whole at the Chinese.
Falling short on the gift of rational speech, “concerned” citizens who have felt their very existence threatened by Rayer’s “celaka Umno” remark and Teresa Kok’s comedy sketch have reasoned that the head of a dead animal or two sums up their outrage better than words can. Much like the numerous pig heads thrown in front of mosques at the height of the Allah issue in 2010.
One does wonder how our multi-racial, multi-religious and for the most part peaceful society degenerated so fast into a carcass-wielding band of hooligans every time somebody took issue with what they saw or heard.
Having our own Home Minister punctuate these unruly acts with his “big mouth” remark clearly explains why we as a society are spiralling out of all control. When the top brass can do it, surely we can too.
And speaking of top brass, where’s our Prime Minister? His complete and utter silence has got many wondering if the cat has got his tongue.
When all the cackling and squawking with wings flapping goes on unabated by the likes of Isma, Perkasa and other like-minded radical, religious groups, it does seem that Malaysia has lost all semblance of a democratic and civil society and is sounding more like it is run by a brutish bunch of baboons having it out in the thick of a jungle.
Was Rayer right in shooting his mouth off? Was Teresa Kok’s video childish and totally uncalled for? Is the Allah issue wearing us down?
Our political leaders must fight a more dignified fight, regardless of which side of the political divide they’re on. Some leaders must really learn to speak up. Others who are too vocal should leave their arrogance at the door before opening their mouths.
Did the rakyat not elect you so you could make a difference with your wisdom? With your forward-thinking ideas? With your ideals of a better, more civilised and harmonious, progressive nation?
Today, religious extremists encircle us like ravenous hyenas, while we the rakyat are sitting ducks in the line of fire of vicious oppressors and impotent politicians who do not have an inkling of how to fight back and make things right, the right way.
Parliament is turned into a veritable circus by our MPs every time it’s in session. Our judiciary’s independence—or even wisdom—is suspect. And when a judge does make a wise ruling, it is happily ignored, even by those who are supposed to enforce it. Meanwhile the villains play a cat and mouse game with their ex-wives and hold on to children they have lost custody of.
Yes, the animal farm that is Malaysian society is a sad and disabled one. We lack respect for each other. We have a foolish and selfish sense of superiority over others. And race and religion have taken precedence over hard work, civility and honesty.
It is time we ditched the overemphasis on all things superficial and relearned the true meaning of tolerance in all its forms.
When our politicians act so immaturely for all and sundry to see, it sends out a dangerous message to our kids, who in turn feel it is acceptable to act out aggressively and immaturely every time they dislike something.
Mind you, Malaysia has on more than one occasion become the laughing stock of the world—for our tussle over the word Allah and the way we handled (or rather mishandled) the disappearance of MH370.
Instead of fighting about what words we can or cannot use in our religious texts, how about sending all our ministers and top corporate figures to brush up on their English? To speak more persuasively. To be more knowledgeable of issues at hand. And to carry themselves with more dignity so that when meeting the foreign press, they do not choke over their words, their hands and body trembling as their eyes dart to every corner of the room, and their voices, all but lost despite a microphone right in front of them.
If we are to achieve developed nation status by 2020—and that’s a measly six short years away—it’s about time our politicians got their act together.
As for those numerous religious based NGOs, they should not be given free rein to tear our nation apart, for theirs is the dangerous agenda of destroying, not uniting the people.
We should heed these words of Orwell: “There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man.”
Jasmine Wong is a FMT columnist.
George Orwell wrote the satirical, dystopian Animal Farm in 1945. Through the use of allegory, Orwell tells the tale of an oppressed and suffering society (made up of animals in a farm), who after toppling their cruel government (made up of humans), elected new leaders among themselves, only to find these new leaders inflicting the same forms of oppression on them.
Suffice to say that such a profound representation of political tyranny and the dangerous promptings of the ego is lost on most Malaysians, who have instead preferred to assume a more literal interpretation of Orwell’s classic.
“The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief,” so wrote Orwell and he couldn’t have been more right.
Animal Farm: Malaysian Edition involves humans of the most questionable intellect who think cow heads, pig heads and bloodied, dead chickens send a far clearer message than calm and fair discourse. Also, the more sacrilegious the better.
Cows are revered by Hindus, pigs are “haram” to Muslims and chickens… well chickens are simply cheaper and easier to slaughter and fling whole at the Chinese.
Falling short on the gift of rational speech, “concerned” citizens who have felt their very existence threatened by Rayer’s “celaka Umno” remark and Teresa Kok’s comedy sketch have reasoned that the head of a dead animal or two sums up their outrage better than words can. Much like the numerous pig heads thrown in front of mosques at the height of the Allah issue in 2010.
One does wonder how our multi-racial, multi-religious and for the most part peaceful society degenerated so fast into a carcass-wielding band of hooligans every time somebody took issue with what they saw or heard.
Having our own Home Minister punctuate these unruly acts with his “big mouth” remark clearly explains why we as a society are spiralling out of all control. When the top brass can do it, surely we can too.
And speaking of top brass, where’s our Prime Minister? His complete and utter silence has got many wondering if the cat has got his tongue.
When all the cackling and squawking with wings flapping goes on unabated by the likes of Isma, Perkasa and other like-minded radical, religious groups, it does seem that Malaysia has lost all semblance of a democratic and civil society and is sounding more like it is run by a brutish bunch of baboons having it out in the thick of a jungle.
Was Rayer right in shooting his mouth off? Was Teresa Kok’s video childish and totally uncalled for? Is the Allah issue wearing us down?
Our political leaders must fight a more dignified fight, regardless of which side of the political divide they’re on. Some leaders must really learn to speak up. Others who are too vocal should leave their arrogance at the door before opening their mouths.
Did the rakyat not elect you so you could make a difference with your wisdom? With your forward-thinking ideas? With your ideals of a better, more civilised and harmonious, progressive nation?
Today, religious extremists encircle us like ravenous hyenas, while we the rakyat are sitting ducks in the line of fire of vicious oppressors and impotent politicians who do not have an inkling of how to fight back and make things right, the right way.
Parliament is turned into a veritable circus by our MPs every time it’s in session. Our judiciary’s independence—or even wisdom—is suspect. And when a judge does make a wise ruling, it is happily ignored, even by those who are supposed to enforce it. Meanwhile the villains play a cat and mouse game with their ex-wives and hold on to children they have lost custody of.
Yes, the animal farm that is Malaysian society is a sad and disabled one. We lack respect for each other. We have a foolish and selfish sense of superiority over others. And race and religion have taken precedence over hard work, civility and honesty.
It is time we ditched the overemphasis on all things superficial and relearned the true meaning of tolerance in all its forms.
When our politicians act so immaturely for all and sundry to see, it sends out a dangerous message to our kids, who in turn feel it is acceptable to act out aggressively and immaturely every time they dislike something.
Mind you, Malaysia has on more than one occasion become the laughing stock of the world—for our tussle over the word Allah and the way we handled (or rather mishandled) the disappearance of MH370.
Instead of fighting about what words we can or cannot use in our religious texts, how about sending all our ministers and top corporate figures to brush up on their English? To speak more persuasively. To be more knowledgeable of issues at hand. And to carry themselves with more dignity so that when meeting the foreign press, they do not choke over their words, their hands and body trembling as their eyes dart to every corner of the room, and their voices, all but lost despite a microphone right in front of them.
If we are to achieve developed nation status by 2020—and that’s a measly six short years away—it’s about time our politicians got their act together.
As for those numerous religious based NGOs, they should not be given free rein to tear our nation apart, for theirs is the dangerous agenda of destroying, not uniting the people.
We should heed these words of Orwell: “There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man.”
Jasmine Wong is a FMT columnist.
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