Sajakkini

Lee Ban Chen

Several months ago, when MCA launched its Lifelong Learning Campaign, it was criticised for evading politics, for such campaigns are regarded to be more appropriate for NGOs rather than a political party.

Though proudly claiming that the party is representing the Chinese community, MCA is in fact incapable of solving the problems faced by the community whether in the process of formulating Barisan Nasional’s policies, or in the stages of its implementation, monitoring, or correcting deviations without the blessings of Umno.

According to the logic of racial politics, MCA is held responsible as it claims, for defending the interests of the Chinese community and to resolve all problems faced by them. Such as Umno and MIC are held responsible for defending the interests of the Malays and Indians and to resolve all problems faced by the respective communities.

The protests against the appeal of MCA to build more SJKC (Chinese schools) with the allocation of the 9th Malaysia Plan was orchestrated by a Malay daily and echoed by Umno leaders. It starkly exposed that MCA and other BN component parties hardly carry any weight as to bring any dispute or contradiction with Umno to be settled through the vehicle of BN, especially when Umno leaders are indulging in promoting their images as heroes of the Malays and Muslims to gain cheap political support or divert internal crisis.

LEE BAN CHEN, yang dilahirkan di Johor, pernah diusir dari Singapura oleh Lee Kuan Yew pada tahun 1966. Pasa masa itu, Ban Chen sedang melanjutkan pelajarannya di Universiti Nanyang. Beliau juga pernah ditahan dibawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) selama tujuh tahun dari 1967 kerana terlibat dalam pemogokan petani di Ladang Bukit Asahan, Melaka and Ladang Triang, Pahang. Ban Chen juga pernah bertugas sebagai editor di akhbar Sin Chew Jit Poh selama satu tahun pada 1976.

As admitted by our Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and this should not be disputed any more, that both our Federal Constitution and Education Act have guaranteed that non-Malays are allowed to be educated in their mother-tongues. The statutory guarantees are consistent with the fundamental human rights and the importance of mother-tongue education in the formation of the characteristics of any race.

If our political leaders are mature enough to regard the rule of law as a prerequisite of the democratic system we practice, it is indeed the responsibility of the BN government to build more SJKC and SJKT (Tamil schools) whenever and wherever the needs arise, even without any request from any quarter.

Politics of consultation

Umno has made use of the so-called ‘social contract’ theory to defend Malay supremacy and special privileges. Why can’t the same theory be used to defend the legitimacy of the request to build more SJKC?

Why all along, the statutory guarantees of the existence and development of SJKC and SJKT have been so easily denied and sabotaged by the BN government dominated by Umno?

As the second largest component party in BN, why does MCA instead of monitoring the implementation of the statutory guarantees as stipulated in our Constitution and Education Act, has to appeal through a memorandum to build more SJKC, just like Dong Jiao Zong and other NGOs?

This shows that the BN coalition government, a power-sharing mechanism among various races, has in fact become the monopoly of Umno by means of Malay supremacy. And the BN spirit clamours as politics of consultation based on mutual respect and willingness to compromise, has become Umno’s domination with power concentrated in the hands of a few Umno leaders, especially the prime minister and his cabinet members.

As pointed out by Anwar Ibrahim, the Chinese component parties in BN dare not criticise Umno when its previous leader announced that Malaysia is an Islamic state. But when PAS declared its intention to establish the same, it was vehemently attacked.

According to Anwar, those parties who claim to represent Chinese interests also did not dare challenge the Malay supremacy in BN, or convey the thoughts and feelings of the Chinese community to Umno. They are advised by Anwar to voice out their stand and criticisms when the need arises.

Anwar added that the rights of every ethnic group are guaranteed in our Federal Constitution. It is ridiculous that the leaders of those Chinese component parties dare not voice their stand and criticisms, and are only good at playing to the gallery in front of their supporters. As such, Malay leaders have to come forward to lend their support.

Playing racial cards

If the Malay leaders in PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) dare to come forward to support the request to build more SJKC, despite being accused by the Malay ultras as traitors of their race. Why then, are leaders of Chinese component parties afraid to demand for the implementation of the government’s obligation, but choose to appeal through a memorandum and later forced to compromise in a closed-door meeting?

Obviously BN is now incapable of playing its conciliatory function or act as mediator to settle the disputes or contradictions among component parties representing various races, to sustain racial harmony as often proudly claimed by the government.

It is indeed worrying that in certain websites (in Chinese, Malay and English), racial sentiments run high, that instead of debating and reasoning, some resort to cursing and swearing.

PKR’s Youth wing even lodged a police report suspecting that two purportedly unregistered organisations, the Young Malay Secretariat (Seketariat Melayu Muda) and Pro-Waris, being the vehicles of Umno tried to instigate racial sentiments with the slogan ‘Melayu dalam bahaya’ (Malays in danger).

Under such circumstances, how is it possible for BN to relieve the racial tension at the closed-door meeting? Indeed, the main threat to our national unity is the racial politics of the BN government. It is based on the myths of power-sharing, balance of racial interests, and the so-called BN spirit capable of settling all disputes and contradictions through consultations.

Our simple conclusion: The Malay is not in danger, what is in danger is probably our national unity.

Racial politics - Malaysia’s bane

Translated from: Perpaduan nasional dalam bahaya