Ku Li warned of May 13 again

More than one and a half years ago I blogged on Ku Li no longer Kool & Kalm! where I lamented that a Tengku Razaleigh (Ku Li), once urbane, charming, cosmopolitan and so open-minded, had to resort to parochial language and tactics just to find a role for himself in Malay (not just Malaysian) politics, namely UMNO, where the real power lies. Ku Li had even challenged AAB for the UMNO party presidential post.

Then, as his manoeuvre, Ku Li had decided to lambast the AAB government, but unfortunately by resorting to that olde UMNO tested formula of divisive ethnic politics.

I wrote: "For a start, he adopted a controversial but old winner by publicly voicing strong criticism of the government in permitting non-Malay language educational institutions such as the Chinese-owned Tengku Abdul Rahman University to exist, a move that would prove undoubtedly a sure favourite with UMNO hardcore ‘warriors’."
Sure enough the Malay NGOs popped out to hail and support him. Then, perhaps as a 'special extra', for that additional boost to his credentials, he bemoaned regrets that the government hasn’t helped the Malays solve their problems despite its (AAB government's) power and authority to do so.

Can you believe him? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if that some Malays, especally those from Kelantan, obviously do!

For an understanding of Malay politics, read my earlier post Ijok - where Malays are even more tribal!

Though later the President of Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS), came out in damage control for Ku Li when the Gerakan Party accused Ku Li of playing ethnic politics, Ku Li lost a lot of respect and affection from people who had been sympathetic with him. Mind you, I doubt he cared whether the non- Malays stop liking him now.

Well, malaysiakini tells us he’s back at his tribal-oriented spill again.

Ku Li said at a forum on Merdeka held in Kuala Lumur by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry and National Writers Association (Gapena) that Malaysia will descend into chaos if the social contract agreed upon 50 years ago was unravelled.

Nice touch, Tengku, to invoke the May 13 threat at the 50th Merdeka forum!

He urged the government to manage the increasing communal polarisation wisely, such as anyone questioning aspects of that social contract - eg. position of Islam, special privileges for Malays - whatever ‘manage wisely’ means - but no, no need to tell us or elaborate ‘cause we know the ‘whatever …..’.

He declared: “If it (social contract) is to be revamped, I predict the nation will descend into chaos.”

“If the guarantees laid out in it cannot be protected, a situation worse than May 13, 1969 (racial riots) may arise.”
Yes, that veiled threat of 'May 13' again - I am just surprised he didn't also wave a little red book on 'May 13' and mention 'not stirring the tebuan (hornets) nest'. Can these people give the same old tired threat a rest!

I am currently reading a book by Jonathan Glover, who’s (or at least, was) the Director of the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King’s College London, titled ‘Humanity – a Moral History of the 20th Century’ - (ISBN 0-224-05240-3 published by Jonathan Cape, London)

from Amazon.com

The synopsis on the book’s jacket says “It is about the psychology which made possible Hiroshima, the Nazi genocide, the Gulag, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and many other atrocities …..... also examines tribalism: how people in Rwanda and in the former Yugoslavia, people who once lived together became trapped into mutual fear and hatred … .”
On the Rwanda tragedy, his concluding sentence was: “The human responses were overwhelmed in the killers by tribal hatred, but this emotion was itself a product of conscious political manipulation.”
Well, ….....

Then, for the Yugoslav internal conflict, Glover again said: “Tribal conflict rarely just ‘break out’. Hostility is enflamed by the nationalist rhetoric of politicians. Other groups then feel threatened and react with their own defensive nationalism. People are pushed into the trap by politicians. Then, in psychologically deeper ways, the rival groups become mutually trapped by their responses to each other. This is how Yugoslavia fell apart.”


* all above underlining of Glover's statements are mine

Aren’t we? … “pushed into the trap by politician” , that is!

Though I am aware that the general election is just around the corner, and Ku Li is fretting about his Gua Musang seat, he should be ashamed of himself for buying into the current ethnic polemics, again.

He could have been a leader for unity, conciliation and muhibbah, but like most UMNO desperate (‘9.2 million’ of them?), he has decided that for him too, it’s easier going over to the dark side of the force.

Ku Li no longer Kool & Kalm!

Tengku Razaleigh or Ku Li, as he is affectionately known, - Kelantan Prince, former UMNO strongman, former Finance Minister, and an almost-Prime Minister - had his meteoric political ascendancy in UMNO truncated when he was effectively cast into the political wilderness.

After his bruising battle with Dr Mahathir, he left the most powerful political entity in Malaysia, UMNO, to form the rival Semangat 46. He had to, because as a Chinese saying goes, on one mountain there cannot be two tigers.

The current Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was then a member of Ku Li’s camp that dared to challenge Dr Mahathir for the top positions of UMNO. Dr Mahathir won and went on to be Malaysia’s longest reigning prime minister (I was going to use ‘serving’ but …).

In that UMNO battle, the winner took all, while in most cases, the loser, like the losing male of a lion’s pack, was politically ‘killed off’.

I said ‘most cases’ because, those who have lost but would concede defeat gracefully and show continued loyalty, especially if laced with servile humility and respect for the Alpha of the pack, and are not too prominent enough to be a threat to the winners, like the current PM Abdullah Badawi, might yet be rehabilitated.

Abdullah Badawi had the political nous to continue sticking with UMNO even if he had to eat humble pie for a while. Look where he is today. Just as well for him, for Ku Li's Semangat 46 was a political flop. Eventually even Ku Li had to creep back to UMNO. Undoubtedly Anwar Ibrahim has studied this clear lesson, that without UMNO no political aspirant could or would get anywhere.

But Ku Li had too many baggage - he departed UMNO in acrimonious circumstances, he took too long to return, perhaps he was unforgiven by Mahathir, and as a very senior member he was a virtual threat to every ambitious wannabe leader in UMNO.

He languished in the shadows in UMNO until he saw his old mate, Abdullah Badawi ascending to the No 1 position, when he thought he might have a place at the top again. But Comeback Kid he wasn't, for sadly his former supporter, now PM, saw no further use for him. Besides, a man long out of mainstream UMNO politics is considered as a political zombie, a political living dead. And the embarrassing part has been that he came back because he was a failure outside.

In desperation at being shut out, Ku Li even challenged Abdullah Badawi for UMNO’s top post, but how could a zombie outsider beat the incumbent, then the man of the season and at the centre of political power and authority. Again, Anwar Ibrahim would have seen all these and realises now that he has to deal with a very cautious, unsentimental and perhaps even very wily Abdullah Badawi.

One would have thought Ku Li would fade away by now but he wanted to give it one old jolly last go – he decided to assume a double pronged ‘attack’ for a role in UMNO. For a start, he adopted a controversial but old winner by publicly voicing strong criticism of the government in permitting non-Malay language educational institutions such as the Chinese-owned Tengku Abdul Rahman University to exist, a move that would prove undoubtedly a sure favourite with UMNO hardcore ‘warriors’. Sure enough the Malay NGOs supported him. Then, he bemoaned regrets that the government hasn’t helped the Malays solve their problems despite its power and authority to do so.

Many who had sympathised with him now feel sad that a man like Ku Li, once urbane, charming, cosmopolitan and so open-minded, has to resort to parochial language and tactics. Every Malaysian knows his accusation of the government not helping the Malays is sheer nonsense. Ku Li must be desperate because that kind of comment is totally out of character for him.

Now, the President of Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS), has come out in damage control for Ku Li in the face of the Gerakan Party's accusation of Ku Li playing ethnic politics. He claimed that Ku Li had been misinterpreted. According to him, Ku Li had actually said if the government could entertain the Chinese needs for mother tongue educational institutions from primary schools right up to TAR University, surely it can entertain the Malays' educational requirements as well, and that shouldn't be misconstrued as ethnic politics directed against the Chinese.

They say old soldiers don’t die but fade away. Maybe Ku Li might want to consider that process instead of stirring up dangerous emotions.