Let me make this very clear. The recent action by the MACC, which resulted in the death of one young man, is targeted at the Chinese. If this is not racism then I am a virgin. And I stand by my allegation with this piece by YB Teresa Kok.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Someone who works in Bank Islam posted a comment in Malaysia Today calling me a Chinese ass-licker. I showed my wife the comment and said, “It looks like this chap knows our secrets.” In case this retort is lost on you, my wife is Chinese (Thai-Chinese actually -- that is why she is so ‘militant’ and defiant).
Anyway, there are a number of Malays who resent me accusing the PDRM and MACC of targeting non-Malays and that Indians and Chinese have suffered brutalisation at the hands of the very agencies that are supposed to protect our life, limb and property.
The Malays call this ‘harap pagar, pagar makan padi’. You can trust the Malays to come out with great and wonderful sayings. But sometimes that appears to be the only thing they are good at -- coming out with great and wonderful sayings. Whether they actually practice what they preach is another thing altogether though.
For example, just stop any Malay on the street and ask him or her, “Are you Malay first or Muslim first?” I will bet you a case of Single Malt that eight or nine out of ten Malays will reply, “I am Muslim first and Malay second.”
That’s right, religion comes first and race comes second.
Then ask these same Malays about Ketuanan Melayu and the New Economic Policy and whether amendments should be made to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia where it says that Malays are accorded certain rights and special privileges and eight or nine out of ten Malays would uphold both the NEP and the Articles in the Federal Constitution giving Malays certain rights and special privileges.
How do you reconcile this? First question: Islam comes first. Second question: Malays come first. And do these Malays not see how all these policies are nothing short of institutionalised discrimination.
These Malays like that Bank Islam chap would argue that even in the US discrimination exists. Sure it does. Discrimination exists everywhere. No country is spared discrimination. The only thing is in some countries it is worse than others. But Malaysia is the only country (now that South Africa has abolished Apartheid) where discrimination is a national policy and is written into the constitution.
And it is even more visible when you see how the Indians and Chinese are targeted and how they are treated when under arrest or detention.
Let me make this very clear. The recent action by the MACC, which resulted in the death of one young man, is targeted at the Chinese. If this is not racism then I am a virgin. And I stand by my allegation with this piece by YB Teresa Kok.
YB Teresa Kok, July 22nd, 2009
On 13th July, seven ADUN of Pakatan Rakyat in Petaling District called a press conference where we criticised MACC officers for harassing the recipients of our constituency allocation funds.
In that press conference, we also questioned MACC officers on why they only took away the Chinese ADUNs allocation files from the land office.
The seven ADUNs, including me, are Hannah Yeoh (Subang), Ean Yong Hian Wah (Sri Kembangan), Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku), all from the DAP, and Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan) from Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
On July 16, the New Straits Times reported that “a MACC source” said they were investigating five other Selangor assemblymen, all Malays, for alleged falsification of claims.
The NST editorialised that: “This is contrary to the claim made by Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok that only Chinese state assemblymen were being investigated by the commission”.
If that is not enough, the NST published on July 20 a letter purportedly written by a reader named P.M.T of Kuala Lumpur who criticised me for asking the MACC for explanation. The headline chosen for the letter was, however, “Remark is inflammatory”.
I have written a letter to the Petaling District Officer about files taken by MACC officers yesterday, and he replied me in writing that the MACC officer, Hadri Bin Hashim, has taken seven DUN constituency files away from them at 1.45pm on 23rd June 2009. The truth is no files from other state assemblymen in the Petaling district, except the seven of us, were taken by the MACC.
The reply from the Petaling District Office that the statement made by seven of us on July 13 is correct, i.e, the MACC officer has just taken seven Chinese ADUNs’ files for investigation, and no other ADUNs are being investigated. So, we were just stating a fact.
Now I am still asking the same question based on facts. I did not and would never make any inflammatory or racial remark as suggested by the NST.
We are still waiting for the MACC to provide the full details of other state assemblymen being investigated for whatever alleged wrongdoings.
What we want to know now is who are these five other Malay state assemblymen and why are we being investigated.
MACC cannot simply call recipients of the constituency allocation and fish for mistakes. If they received reports about “misused” of funds, they should zoom into the particular allegations and investigate from there.
I urge MACC to be professional while carrying out their duties. MACC should be independent and should not be seen as agent of the BN government to look for mistakes and persecute the Pakatan Rakyat ADUNs.
http://teresakok.com/2009/07/22/macc-lied/
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