When one thinks of Tuan, the image that comes to mind is a person of high caliber and good leadership. At least that is the modern image. The medieval image is one of imposition of force, denigration and rude suppression. To which category does Ketuanan Melayu belong?
By batsman
That the modern image has supplanted the medieval image is no accident. The barbaric methods of use of violence and force have been relegated to the past precisely because they are obsolete. Leadership and respect these days have to be earned, not imposed or demanded. That is also why Muslims all over the world are supremely confident that US barbarism and violence will lead to its eventual downfall.
In Malaysia, unfortunately the medieval way of thinking still pervades. Ketuanan Melayu is not only imposed by force but demanded as a birth right. That leadership and mastery must be of high caliber to be respected is not even an issue. Respect instead is demanded as a birth right and when that is not forthcoming, force is used to get it. This can only lead to the weakening of Malay culture in the long run and the destruction of the country that Ketuanan Melayu is master of.
This is why it is hypocritical of TDM to keep complaining that the Malays are not strong enough to exert true leadership when Ketuanan Melayu itself keeps Malay culture backward and uncompetitive. No, not just backward, but with a high level of tolerance for dirty tricks and the most heinous crimes against human rights and human dignity. This is not a culture of strength and decency that TDM promotes but a sinful one that practices the vilest of dirty tricks and violence that corrupts and makes miserable our everyday living environment.
This is also the reason why absolute monarchies all over the world have given way to constitutional monarchies. Monarchs have to be popular and exert good leadership qualities to survive the ravages of modern life and competition. Kings such as the Nepalese one have been forced to abdicate because they do not have the capability and leadership to stay on their thrones. Force and violence delayed the inevitable only for a short time, but did not avoid it altogether.
All empires that are based on force alone have vanished. Force can create empires but cannot sustain them. The British and Americans have used force to build their empires, but they also control mastery of medicine, art, engineering, commerce, finance, science and technology to mention just a few. But as weaker nations catch up in these fields, US barbarism and violence in warfare and suppression will make it lose its respect and leadership among equal nations. Britain is already in deep trouble and needs to print money to stay afloat. The US has been printing money as a monopoly under Bretton Woods for years but now needs to borrow trillions of dollars to stay afloat.
The reason for this is simple and it is not just a matter of ethics or morality or philosophy (whether medieval or modern) or even divine birth right. It is basically due to the fact that there are billions of ordinary people in the world and the assets as well as skills and talents they control (even though tiny when counted in an individual way) outweigh the assets and talents of those who claim leadership by birth right or by force. Once the whole people become united, no force that hereditary leaders can impose can match the power of an enraged and united people. This was what the US found out in Vietnam and is continuing to find out in other parts of the world even though it continues to engage in futile denial; thinking that its superiority in propaganda, money and weapons of war can delay the inevitable forever.
In fact, the simplest thing for the people of the world to do to regain their dignity and control of their lives is to make the simple decision to reject British and US influence and hegemony.
In Malaysia, there is a twist to the story. The Malays constitute the majority. The elites of all races depend on Ketuanan Melayu to impose their rule and get what they want. Even the Chinese elites support Ketuanan Melayu. This is because they can offer the technical and commercial skills still lacking among ordinary people to rake in stupendous profits while depending on the Ketuanan Melayu police and judiciary to protect their dirty deals.
Malaysia is like a luxury hotel for them to stay in and do business. Eventually when their advantage starts to dry up, they even use Ketuanan Melayu as an excuse to take their money out and emigrate to foreign countries, claiming the very discrimination that they have helped put in power for the last 52 years. Ketuanan Melayu is the real puppet of the Chinese elites, not PAS or Anwar Ibrahim.
The ordinary Chinese on the other hand also suffer exploitation under the Chinese moghuls. Ask any Chinese that works for nasty Chinese moghuls to see if it is easy or pleasant. The money that ordinary Chinese earn working under the big Chinese moghuls is earned through blood, sweat and tears over several generations.
But as is the facts of life, nothing is ever easy or clear cut. Many Malays still delude themselves that Ketuanan Melayu benefits them and many Chinese still delude themselves that Britain, US, Canada or Australia are Shangri-La’s that they aim to migrate to.
That is why patriotic Malays, Chinese and Indians still need to play it smart in politics. While maintaining equality amongst themselves and respect for each others’ right to organize and build up powerful political bases within their own communities, they still cannot afford to give credence to UMNO’s political accusations that PAS and Anwar Ibrahim are puppets of the non-Malays.
Among the opposition, it is still necessary for the Malays to lead the fight against UMNO. In the meantime, the Chinese and Indians do not just sit still. They must organized powerful support within their own communities in the fight against UMNO. They must be equal partners in this fight. It is of no use to patriotic Malays if the non-Malays are weak, cowardly and pliable when UMNO applies the pressure.
When UMNO whacks the non-Malays it must be made to feel as if it is whacking rock hard concrete and sharp hardened steel spikes. In the meantime, patriotic Malays must be sniping at UMNO from the side in coordinated campaigns.
I believe that the PR coalition will then be able to maximize its cooperation and coordination instead of just having a common political platform. In this way, there is a good chance for building a Malaysia that is free of corruption, incompetence, abuse of power and discrimination as well as having effective checks and balances and a politically neutral civil service.
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