Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tony Pua insensitive to Chinese folk religion

When I was a kid I accompanied my mum to the funeral of a neighbour. The deceased was a Christian so a Chinese Christian preacher was there at the gravesite to say the last words for her.


What shocked many of the villagers who attended the funeral, 99% being Buddhists, Confucianists and Taoists, were the extremely harsh and insulting words of the preacher during the sermon, with his derogatory words directed specifically at Buddha and Chinese gods. The sermon was delivered in Penang Hokkien, wakakaka, so the funeral party understood what he said.

The bloke seemed oblivious of who the majority of the funeral party were or rather, what were their religious affiliation. He was lucky that he was not beaten up kau kau by some of the headstrong village young bucks who had to be forcefully restrained by village elders, who mollified the angry youths by appealing to their neighbourly goodwill to tolerate those insulting words and respect the last rite of the deceased.

Flash forward to today - It's known in this blog that despite my political sympathies for the DAP, I've little respect for Tony Pua. Today after reading Malaysiakini's How to explain a poor God of Fortune, Gerakan asks DAP I am even more disappointed in his insensitive behaviour towards Chinese folk religion.

The MKINI article narrated: Gerakan Youth is upset at DAP for a parody Chinese New Year music video which portrayed the Chinese God of Fortune as poor , saying that this raised concerns what children would think if they saw the video.

Gerakan Youth secretary-general William Chang Yong Hsi said Chinese New Year songs are meant to bring in good vibes and turning the God of Fortune into a beggar was a 'huge disrespect'.

He singled out DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching who acted in the video.

"DAP is using such a disrespectful music video to win some cheap political propaganda.

"How would parents explain if their children were to see the God of Fortune looking so poor and terrible in the music video?

"I am not promoting superstition but the God of Fortune is a symbol of good luck and wealth among the Chinese.

"Such disrespectful behaviour should be condemned."

I am not concerned so much by Gerakan Youth's worry for non-Christian Chinese parents to be able to explain to their children why the Chinese God of Fortune looked so poor and terrible in the music video.

I'm just annoyed that Tony Pua, a known staunch Christian, has shown gross disrespect for the belief of another religion. As I once wrote in my other blog KTemoc Kongsamkok, in Penang Tua Peh Kong (Chinese God of Fortune or Wealth) is probably the second most popular Chinese folk deity after Kuanyim, Goddess of Mercy.

But Tua Peh Kong or not, Tony Pua, himself a Chinese, no doubt one who is a staunch Christian and a politician, should show some respect for Chinese folk beliefs, at least in public.

Sad to say, from my personal experience, some Chinese Christians have been notably very disrespectful towards beliefs in Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. 

Let me advice those DAP Christians - don't be mistaken that all your supporters are Christians like you. In fact most of them are Buddhists, Confucianists, Taoists, Hindus with only a smaller population being Muslims and Christians.

Yea, don't alienate most of your supporters.


28 comments:

  1. Tony Pua was,is and will always be a political fool.Being a man of sound business mind,making millions in the process,how can he be so stupid and foolish in politics?

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    Replies
    1. business is his political forte which as a politician he should stick to in his political policies/affairs. But in my opinion he exhibits the arrogance typical of some young western-educated Chinese Malaysians, who seem to have lost their "roots", a lamentable trait for a Chinese Malaysian politician. His staunch Christian belief seems to have fortified that arrogance

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  2. Doesn't seem that malaysiakini readers on the link are upset though despite being mocked.

    I can already imagine tony pua smug faces when reading those comments.

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  3. In the run up to Chinese New Year, 100% of the hundreds or even thousands of public appearances of Chai Shen Yeh as a somewhat overweight Chinese man with a long glued-on beard in traditional Chinese robes amount to a humorous caricature.
    Its all in good fun , and almost all Chinese understand it very well.

    I can't see how on earth anyone could equate the DAP video with its humorous blend of politics and traditional Chinese folk beliefs with the tale of the Christian preacher's tirade against Chinese religion.

    By now the DAP video has gone viral on the Internet, and of the Chinese that I know , 90% of whom are either Taoists or Buddhists, none have expressed the view that it is denigrating or disrespectful of Chinese culture or religion.

    By combining humour and traditional Chinese folk culture with politics, the DAP video has in fact been a devastatingly effective swipe, like a laser-guided bomb, at the claptrap issued by Najib's defenders on 1MDB, the RM 2.6 Billion "Donation" and the unbelievable "return" of RM 2.06 Billion due to Najib's "honesty".

    Gelekan has pariah-dog status in most of the urban Chinese community. I suppose it is very fitting that Ktemoc has chosen to operate at that level.

    In fact Gelekan is superior to Ktemoc, because they at least have issued some feeble squeaks about the need for the Government to be honest and open about what happened in 1MDB.

    While Ktemoc has written some 100+ articles on his blog attacking anybody who criticised Najib over 1MDB, including sadly, the highly respected Lim Kit Siang, and , as usual, Tony Pua.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. please show me where "Ktemoc has written some 100+ articles on his blog attacking anybody who criticised Najib over 1MDB"

      don't you dare claim that TP's video which insults a Chinese deity is one of those

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    2. To refresh your memory

      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/02/get-najib.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/03/najib-going-swedish.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/03/pakatan-selamat-malaysia.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/03/he-tries-and-tries-and-tries.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/04/national-hero.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/04/zaid-ibrahims-butch-cassidy-sundance-kid.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/04/tiger-bit-lim-kit-siang.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/05/why-dr-m-dislikes-najib.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/05/vicious-cycle-for-najib.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/bugis-sandwich.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/poo-or-proof-doesnt-matter.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/my-way.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/is-conflict-of-interest-alien-to-lim.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/still-evolving-story-on-najibs-alleged.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/night-of-long-knives.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/guan-lai.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/war-in-bolihland.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/question-1-tony-puas-travel-abroad.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/whos-peddling-bunkum.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/muhyiddin-crossed-rubicon.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/someone-went-to-muhyiddins-house.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/holy-grail-of-evidence-against-najib.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/07/bersih-still-bersih.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/worms-in-najibs-eyes.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/two-bugis-one-down-one-left.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/forgetting-teoh-beng-hock.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/abu-abandoned.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/m-n.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/ambigas-proposed-action-plan.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/sedition.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/muhyiddins-m-o2.html
      http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2015/08/the-plot-among-other-plots.html

      Tons more.....August 2015, September, October, November, December , January 2016...

      Mahathir, Muhyiddin (UMNO idiots I don't bother much), Lim Kit Siang, Tony Pua, Ambiga Sreenevasan, Marina Chin Abdullah, Bersih , Wall Street Journal, Clare Rewcastle, The Edge, Tong Kooi Ong

      .....all kena hentam by Ktemoc in his defence of Beloved Najib.

      Delete
    3. wakakaka, very diligent research. But my attacks on those in my posts have been traditional and with reasons. But it would be drawing a bloody long bow to argue I attacked them to protect Najib.

      Take one - the Swedish sandwich in which I wrote "Dr M's berating Najib about 1MDB would have been praiseworthy if he Dr M had not himself allegedly frittered away taxpayers' money as described by Barry Wain's book." In other words, a pot calling a kettle black, wakakaka

      In "Sealnat Malaysia" I proposed a number of alternatives for PM, to wit, Abdullah Saifuddin and even (gasp) Azmin Ali, Ariff Sabri and Marina Mahathir - did that equate to me shoring up Najib.

      I didn't go through every post you have so diligently pinpoint but I suspect you have been so desperate to show I am pro Najib, wakakaka.

      Good try but not good enough - better luck next time, wakakaka

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    4. All your posts were not stand-alone criticisms of any individual, but form a campaign of counter-attacks against those people who criticise Najib.

      As military strategists will say, the best form of defence is a counter-attack. In politics, the best form of defence is to discredit a critic.

      That's exactly what you were doing with Najib's 1MDB critics.

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    5. wakakaka, thanks for crediting me as a military strategist

      I hope 1MDB or Najib will send me a cheque showing his gratitude, wakakaka again

      Delete
    6. if u did receive a chq, that is still fine, yr effort is appreciated. i just worry all tis is due to yr subpar intelligence.

      Delete
    7. HY, of course you're more intelligent than me (with my subpar intelligence) but I pity your type of "intelligence", wakakaka

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    8. I don't think you are being paid by Najib or 1MDB for your campaign to defend them.
      Its more like totally deluded and misdirected efforts.

      That's actually worse than just plain grubby hands.
      A corrupt mercenary is at least doing it for a logical reason, though it be a bad reason.

      One who is doing it because he has completely lost the plot is living in La-la Land.

      Delete
  4. The way I observed you "attacked" him, I speculate he must have "insulted" you kau-kau otherwise why so personal? This really run contrary to what you always claim yourself to be representing, attack the subject matter not the person or the kwailo say don't shoot the messenger, am I implying TP's insults were rightfully placed? wakakakakakakaka..........

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    1. you're wrong Peter. I dislike TP because I see him as an ace in economics but only a blundering fool in politics where he was conned kau kau by PKR in the Kajang Satay bull, and for a politician the later has been his sin. And frankly I can't tolerate a DAP pollie being conned by PKR.

      On a personal basis he hadn't ever insulted me but in my once-dealing with him via email on a matter of my post attacking Raja B ..... (the former Gerakan CM of Penang) I have also found him to be pompous, pretentious and too hubristic to sincerely concede he wanted my (that) post to be pasted on his website. I still have emails from our e-conversation to substantiate this point

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    2. additionally, after Azmin Ali became MB, TP made me cringed by asking AA for an additional deputy speaker post for DAP for supporting PKR - what the fuck for? Would that additional deputy speaker post benefit the rakyat? Where was DAP's fundamental principles in that request?

      Earlier to that, he was also shortchanged by Khalid Ibrahim in the number of exco positions for DAP.

      I see him as a blundering novice in Malaysian politics. How the hell did he ever become DAP Chief in Selangor when he obviously lacks the skill and experience to competently play that role?

      I fear DAP Selangor under him will always be shortchanged by PKR. People in DAP have badly mistaken his excellent knowledge in economic-financial affairs for political leadership.

      Delete
  5. Since the opposition started attacking Najib about 1MDB,they have been waiting for the fat lady to start singing.Well,Fat Mama did sing several times,and it was all well intended for the opposition pollies.Go figure.

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  6. As usual,the Anwarista,our matey tokio rain has surfaced again.To defend the Anwar loving opposition pollies?

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  7. It is just a matter of time before the DAP and PKR go their separate ways.I do not see why the sinking ship PKR,is desperately hanging on to the DAP?I do not see why the DAP let them cringe on the side of the ship.Just let them loose and let their ship be swept away by the currents.Good riddance to bad garbage.I hope tokio rain had his feet in one ship and not both.Or else,as the ships go their separate ways,he better watch out.Hehehe.

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    1. Wah very energetic today ya, uncle. Hidup Rafizi! Hehehe.

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  8. Tony Pua has shown disrespect for other people's religion through his CNY video. Perhaps....

    Ktemoc has shown disrespect for other people's religion via his highly negative writings on the Old Testament.

    To add to the injury, he used to put the two posts to show automatically at the very front of his blog, a kind of In-Your-Face Fuck You insult.

    http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2013/10/why-god-loved-isaac-more-than-ishmael.html
    http://ktemoc.blogspot.my/2014/09/did-abraham-sacrifice-ishmael-or-isaac.html


    Ktemoc is A Very Black pot calling a kettle black.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. my posts on Judaism have always been based on the works of biblical scholars and/or logical thinking, but never have I made clownish jabs at others' gods - clerics yes, but never the deities

      that has been why I assess you as one prone to reckless accusations, wakakaka

      Delete
    2. Quote from Ktemoc's blog postings -
      "sorry son, all Hebrew first born automatically belongs to YHWH and He wants you now "
      "whoa there buddy, I'm the US "J" 7th Cavalry"

      Arent't those clownish jabs at others' gods ?

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    3. th issueof 1st born is a biblical factoid - see https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LDLkA9ks3OoC&pg=PA191&lpg=PA191&dq=all+Hebrew+first+born+automatically+belongs+to+YHWH&source=bl&ots=TydvSHnPSF&sig=yL-XRpbKTuRPSal9HY-8YzvYOHA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitgPW2m5LLAhVC6mMKHYmnAmIQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=all%20Hebrew%20first%20born%20automatically%20belongs%20to%20YHWH&f=false

      and many other biblical documents, articles and books

      the "US J 7th Calvary" is a jab not against the Jewish god but ae the cleric(s) known as J who was responsible for redacting the bible to make Isaac survived his father's slaying of him as a sacrifice to his god

      wakakaka you have been working very hard to get me, wakakaka again

      Delete
  9. Tuah Pek Kong is not Chai Shen Yeh.


    As one of your commentators above has pointed out, there are lots of humorous caricatures and parodies of Chai Shen Yeh out there, by Chinese people themselves, no insult intended, no insult taken.

    If you don't know the difference, you should refrain from supporting the very low-class Gerakan critique.

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    Replies
    1. Ah Beng, I am Chinese and have celebrated Chinese festivals during my younger days and also CNY celebrations even up till today. My family is mainly Buddhist-Taoist (with the exception of moi, wakakaka). I and many Chinese Penangites have heard mention of Chai xin but never had the occasion to see the deity visual manifestation even in rituals or votive events because Chai sin exists only in mention in our culture, and is not directly worshipped. TUa Peh Kong is the more visible alternative and a deity worshipped by Chinese Taoists during CNY, hence my mention.

      Nonetheless Chai xin is a Chinese deity and not one for anyone to clown with, whether during CNY or any other occasions. It's sheer nonsense to claim "there are lots of humorous caricatures and parodies of Chai Shen Yeh out there, by Chinese people themselves".

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