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Commander (Rtd) S. Thayaparan, Royal Malaysian Navy, is a regular kopi-tiam kaki of mine. He graduated from the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1965. His tour of duty saw him as Commanding Officer of KD Tombak, KD Gempita, KD Ganyang and Executive Officer on Training Frigate KD Hang Tuah. Through self-study he qualified to read law at Lincolns Inn and was the first Malaysian Naval Officer to be called to the Malaysian Bar in 1985.
Commander Thaya was the prosecutor for the Navy in the case of the collision between K.D. RAJA JARUM and M.V. SHOUMARU, and acted as Defense Counsel in the case of the sinking off the petrol vessel K.D. SRI PERAK in the South China Sea, both making front-page news.
Since retiring from the Navy, his expertise were sought in Timor Leste supervising both Parliament and Presidential elections and as a UN Volunteer Sri Lanka. He is currently with Yayasan Salam, an NGO. His articles often appear in the Mainstream Media. He sent me this article as a blog-post. It is a rebuttal to ANAS ZUBEDY:
Without an iota of doubt, make it clear that you completely accept history that this country is sired from a Malay polity; with a history, religion and way of life that are from the Malay-Islamic tradition. Only when you make it very clear that you acknowledge this history, communication lines will begin to open. 1. Firstly, who do you mean by we? We as a nation? We as a culture? Who comprises this we? We are a diverse group of people seeking shelter in a country not our own. The only people who can legitatemely say they are natives are the Orang Asli and the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. Perhaps it is you who should acknowledge that before the arrival of Islam, you were Hindus. Perhaps it is you who should acknowledge that your culture contains aspects from both Chinese and Indian Culture. Perhaps this should be acknowledged in our history books and taught to our young. Perhaps when you acknowledge this like many other Malays, you would be able to empathize with the rest of us who acknowledge the polyglot nature of our culture. Just ask the Baba Chinese or the Chittys of Malacca. I assure you when you acknowledge this; you will find communication much easier.
be assured of two things - that their Malay Rulers and that their religion Islam are respected. Who has disrespected Malay rulers and denigrated Islam. Who has curtailed the powers of the Sultans? Who has made a mockery of the great religion which is Islam? Yes we are different communities living under the umbrella of certain principles , the most important of which you mentioned but the fact is, it is UMNO and UMNO alone who is responsible for the lessening of power of the Sultans and the injudicious way Islam is applied. Anyone who becomes a citizen is expected to follow the laws of the land. The non Malays have honored this. I suggest you look to UMNO who claim they represent the Malays who have usurped the powers of the Sultan and denigrated Islam. A show of appreciation for this act of sharing will make a big difference to the Malay community. If you and the DAP set the example to appreciate that the Malays shared the land, the hearts of the Malay community will open to you. Just a simple acknowledgement, a simple thank you, would have warmed their hearts. Why should the DAP thank the Malays? And by Malays I mean people like you. Perhaps it is people like you who should thank the non-Malays. Who pays more taxes? Money that goes into education institutions that benefit the majority of Malays. Money that goes into religious organizations that morally police the Malays. Money that goes into institutions that denigrate other races BTN for instance. Perhaps it is people like you who should be thanking the Non Malays. We are a simple people and I am sure we would receive your appreciation with open arms.
It is you who need to understand that Mr. Guan Eng and the DAP already know the Malays. Mr. Guan Eng for instance probably got to know more about Malay culture when he was detained under the ISA with Mat Sabu his PAS comrade. I have no idea what you mean by getting to know the Malay community. As a people we understand each others community. The DAP is merely a political party and not some sort of stand in for the Chinese community. If the DAP really wants to represent all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, you need to understand all Malaysians. And the Malays need to know that you understand them. Fifty-four years after agreeing to become a community among communities, they are naturally concerned that those in authority are people who will not understand their needs. Of course the DAP wants to represent all Malaysian. This is why their political principles are based on certain basic commonalities that all communities can subscribe to. Of course the Malays understand the DAPespecially now that the DAP is forging closer ties withPAS. They understand better now because the blindfold is slowly but surely being lifted of their eyes. They see that both DAP and PAS are working together for the benefit of all people and that all people of this country are equal and should be treated as such. The Malays realize that people in authority have used race for years to divide this country while enriching themselves and exploiting their gracious nature. As a basic start, it would be good to learn and practise Malay peribahasa. Peribahasa has been a part of Malay culture for many generations and it reveals many insights into the values of the Malays. If you use it in your daily conversation, it will give you a medium to gently communicate with the hearts of the Malays. Another simple thing to cultivate is the habit of wearing traditional Malay wear, especially during official functions. Perhaps you can also organise programmes for your leaders to stay in a Malay kamping. It will be a good eye-opener for them to understand how to relateto the Malays. I have no idea what you mean by Malay adat and peribahasa. Exactly what has this got do to with understanding Malay culture? Does Mr. Guan Eng speak Malay? Yes he does. Is the manner in which he speaks it rude? No it isnt. Does Mr. Guan respect the Malay community? Has he allocated funds and resources to help the community? Yes he has. In short, has he run the state he leads competently? What is wearing Malay traditional dress really mean? What is staying in a Malay kampong achieve? If people are in need regardless of race, an effective leader carries out programmes that benefit them. Your mundane suggestions
make it seem as though Mr. Guan Eng is an alien, who has no clue of Malay culture when he has lived here all his life. Perhaps it is people like you who should wear the traditional dress of Non-Malays then maybe you would not feel as though non Malays dont understand you. If the DAP practises simple gestures like this, it is an opportunity to show that you respect and value Malay culture. It will demonstrate the DAP's inclusiveness. A good example of inclusive culture is shown in the Peranakan community who draw from both Malay and Chinese traditions. By being inclusive, they do not lose out anything but become a richer people for it. Practicing simple gestures like you describe is nothing but symbolic gestures meant to distract from the real problem of the community. I would rather Mr. Guan Eng concentrate on the numerous social problem that affects the Malay community and by helping remedy such problems, Malays (like you) will realize that substance is far more productive than form.
4. Say sorry
Some of the DAP's actions in the past, rightly or wrongly, may have hurt the Malay community. For the Malays to stop seeing the DAP as an antagonist, theDAP has to acknowledge the hurt they have caused the Malays and say sorry. If you look at the practice of asking for forgiveness every Aidilfitri, you will realise how important this act is to the culture. The Malays will say sorry even if they did not do wrong. They will ask for forgiveness simply as a good gesture out of respect. They say sorry all the time. That is embedded in the Malay culture. The Chinese may see saying sorry as "losing face" but for the Malays, saying sorry it is to give the other party "face" - an act of high culture. 4. What does the DAP need to apologize for? Please list out the wrongdoings that the DAP has perpetuated against the Malay community. Why is the Malay community feelings hurt? What exactly has the DAP done? Please be specific, because simply asking for an unwarranted apology is the height of hubris and exactly the sense of entitlement that the policies of UMNO have created. But seeing how Malays like you, like to say sorry, perhaps you could apologize for Ibrahim Ali, for waving the Keris around, for the systemic discrimination that the Non Malays have to put up with, the constant reminders that we are foreigners even though as I have stated above it is our taxes that are being used for the majority.
Sometimes, to achieve bigger purposes we know that we have to humble ourselves and take the wiser path. In this spirit, I suggest that you apologise for the chauvinistic actions the DAP has taken in the past. For example, the DAP's attempt to forge a "Malaysian Malaysia" in the way of making the Malay culture and all cultures of Malaysia equal. That is wrong to our history. They are inconsistent with the DAP's objectives as an inclusive Malaysian party. Right, now we get to the crux of the matter. You do not think that non Malay culture is equal to Malay culture. Behind your benign rhetoric is really a supremacist, wanting his due. Yes, we are all equal. In other words, you probably are a firm believer in Ketuanan Melayu. I trust you realize that PAS has abandoned that perspective. Thankfully most Malays are not like you. When you finally ever read Malaysian history you will be disappointed to discover that what you think of as Malay has got a lot to with non Malay cultures. I hope the DAP never bows down to the supremacy you subscibe. I hope no party ever bows down to your racist and bigoted views. Once you say sorry, it will not be difficult for the Malays to forgive and to forget. It is part of the Islamic principles that are ingrained in the Malay worldview. Prophet Muhammad also showed the example of a forgiving spirit. The Quran in 8:61 commands: "But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it, and (put your) trust in God." It amazes me that you advocate Malay supremacy and yet quote the Quran, which is one of the more egalitarian religious books around. I suppose you are Malay first then a Muslim, which is funny because most of the Muslim I know would say that all men are equal before God regardless of race or culture. I repeat unless you have some specific list of wrongs doings done by the DAP; there is nothing really to talk about.
As long as Lim Kit Siang remains in power directly or indirectly, I feel that the DAP will continue to be perceived as a Chinese-exclusive party. Detractors will use his past actions as a scapegoat to disrupt theDAP's multiracial aims. This is why I believe that it is good time for Lim Kit Siang to pass the baton to new leaders. What has Mr. Kit Siangs leaving got to do with rebranding? The party is rebranding itself with its commitment to PAS and the Pakatan Rakyat. They need experienced leaders to offer guidance in these troubled times. I have no idea why you would signal out Mr. Kit Siang and offer no reason for why he should leave except for vague accusations of chauvinism. You do not have to worry. The only reason why theDAP is perceived to be a Chinese based party is because Utusan Meklayu continues in its scurrilous campaign to convince its declining readership that theDAP is to be feared, much like how the BN propaganda organs attempted to do so with PAS. Mr. Kit Siang has got nothing to do with it.
Your idea of a merger while it seems like a nod to multiculturalism is rather about your race insecurities.
Lastly, I felt compelled to respond to your Open letter because it caused great concern amongst the retired Malay Armed Forces personnel I mix with. Has it come to this? They wondered.