The Minangkabau lesson

Two days ago the Malay Mail Online published an article by Tunku Abidin Muhriz titled Negri Sembilan’s democratic pledge of allegiance.

I am sure by now most of us know who this bright young Malaysian royal is as he writes so eloquently in (previously) the Malaysian Insider and (now) the Malay Mail Online.

His tale is that of Negri Sembilan, its Minangkabau people and their adat, and the state's history and uniquely democratic royal institution where a ruler would be 'elected' as (or invited to be) the leader or Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Yamtuan).

It must be from such a sui generis royal institution that Allahyarham Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al Haj, our nation's 1st PM, had adopted for the election and selection of the Federation's King, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (a title that must have been also adopted from Negri Sembilan's royal institution).

But it's NOT so much the history of Negri Sembilan but more that of its Minangkabau people and their adat that I detect an important message within Tunku Abidin's narration. Yes, he did take pride in his people's democratic institution in selecting their leader, and while the message I've detected, or claim to have detected, wakakaka, cannot be divorced from the Minangkabau's democratic tradition, it's more than that and something most germane in today's Malaysian political landscape.

In the 3rd and 4th paragraphs of his narration, Tunku Abidin Muhriz wrote:

The next two rulers, Yamtuan Hitam (1795-1808) and Yamtuan Lenggang (1808-1824) were similarly invited from Pagar Ruyong. Unfortunately, a war broke out at the time in Minangkabau homeland over religion: a new Wahhabi-inspired faction called the Padri took issue with the matrilineal, decentralised and democratic system that had developed since the formation of Pagar Ruyong in 1347, and tried to take over by force.

The Adat faction, in alliance with the Dutch, managed to defeat the Padri, but most of Pagar Ruyong royal family had been killed in 1815.

Imam Bonjol Mudo
one of the leaders in the fundamentalist Padri

I'll come to the above shortly but let's start by understanding that today the Minangkabau people is the largest ethnic group in the world with an adat (or custom/tradition) of matrilineal succession.

I cannot claim to know much about the origin of this adat other than through some readings I learnt that the Minangkabau adat was laid down by two of their forefathers, Datuak* Katumanggungan and Datuak Perpatih Nan Sabatang who were half-brothers (same mum but different dads). 

* some scholars claim that today the 'Datuak' would be known as 'Tunku'

The Minangkabau kingdom had its beginning in the 14th Century when a Majapahit bloke by the name of Adityawarman became its king. Apparently he was related to King Jayanegara of Majapahit, which made him (Adityawarman) probably a Javanese and a Hindu though some historian argued he was a Buddhist. He seated his new kingdom in Pagar Ruyung on the west coats of Sumatra.

Adityawarman

he was Majapahit ambassador to China before he became King of his Pagar Ruyung Kingdom

Do you reckon he spoke some Mandarin, wakakaka?

A major part of his Majapahit-assigned remit was to eliminate remnants of the already vanquished Srivijaya Empire, then centred at Palembang. But by then, good olde Parameswara (also a Buddhist) had wisely scooted off to Malacca.

It would appear then that in early days the Minangkabau developed their adat based on Hindu, Buddhist and animistic beliefs, and which were to be later articulated by the two Datuak siblings.

Today many western female anthropologists and/or feminists get orgasmic about the Minangkabau, a people (some 10 million strong around the world) with such a powerful tradition of matrilineal succession, and many studies have been made by them, extolling the wonders of a matrilineal system within an Islamic society.

But perhaps they might have missed the important 30-year Padri (Minangkabau) War between the Wahhabi-Islamists and the Minangkabau traditionalists.

Some mullahs having returned from their haj in Saudi Arabia had wanted to cleanse the Minangkabau Kingdom of any form of adat that was deemed to be un-Islamic such as their uniquely matrilineal system of succession, leaving us to believe that nothing pissed the findamentalist Islamists more than women having any bloody say at all, let alone property.

Thus if those fundamentalist mullah had prevailed, there won't have been any unique Minangkabau tradition.

Don't think so? Well, look at what's happening in Malaysia?

Hasn't PAS prohibited the showing of the wayang kulit and makyong in Kelantan? And even for a brief moment the Chinese koe-tai and Samson-&-Delilah salons, wakakaka? I wonder what else? What about the tarian menora? All disappearing!

And we notice that other than newsworthy people such as sweetie Marina Mahathir, sweetie Dyana Sofya, auntie Rafidah Aziz, auntie Rosmah Mansor (wakakaka), and sweetie Zainab Anwar (S-I-S), very few other prominent Malay women nowadays wear traditional Malay dresses, the graceful baju kurung or the yummy sarung kebaya.

Even Eli Wong of PKR was once seen to be wearing what Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah are wearing, and that was NOT baju kurung or sarung kebaya. However I have to say to Miss Muffet's credit, thank goodness, she had only boasted about donning the baju kurung, wakakaka.

I also wonder whether the lovely joget will one day become just a footnote in Malaysian history books? Once a (Malay) visitor to my blog told me he was stunned by a photo he saw in an old Malay language magazine (I think it was Mastika) which showed Malay schoolgirls doing their morning physical training (PT) in shorts and short-sleeve shirts. I guess he had been so used to most Malay women wearing the tudung that females in shorts and short-sleeve shirts would have been shocking.

And I wish he had heard my uncle telling me of the once highly synchronized Malay style of western dancing at public ballrooms (or dance halls) where it was still very Islamic no-touch for the dancing partners (half a metre apart) but who nonetheless performed the waltz, rumba and foxtrot gracefully as a partnered unit. 

Will the nasi lemak and tapai be under serious threat? Maybe in future we can only eat falafel and shawarma if some people have their ways, wakakaka.

tapai

once a Malay pakcik joked: “kaytee my boy, we Muslims would usually be taking a walk on the edge of sin whenever we have tapai because just that extra iota of percentage proof would tilt us over into haram land”, wakakaka

for more of tapai, see my post Abang Tapi

Anyway, back to the 19th Century Pagar Ruyung kingdom in western Sumatra where the fundamentalist mullahs started a civil war with the adat-ists by their treacherous act of regicide where they murdered most of the royalty during a ceasefire peace-talk.

T'was a murderous act as stated by our Malay Mail writer Tunku Abidin in his "most of Pagar Ruyong royal family had been killed in 1815".

Tunku Abidin has so understated his message "Unfortunately, a war broke out at the time in Minangkabau homeland over religion: a new Wahhabi-inspired faction called the Padri took issue with the matrilineal, decentralised and democratic system that had developed since the formation of Pagar Ruyong in 1347, and tried to take over by force" that it might have escaped our notice.

But let us again recall the essence of his point, namely, "... a new Wahhabi-inspired faction called the Padri took issue with the matrilineal, decentralised and democratic system that had developed since the formation of Pagar Ruyong in 1347 ...".

I read it as those mullahs having issues with women's rights, democracy and decentralized control (or greater freedom and autonomy). It's hardly surprising as the clerics (of most religions) want the opposite: women in their 'places' as mere inferiors or chattels, and of course highly centralized authoritarian control with no biadap talk back by the rakyat lay people.

Scholars have written that the Minangkabau would only accept/assimilate 'foreign' influence if their core adat were not imperilled, as the Padri War had so bloodily demonstrated for 30+ years .

They were (and still are) mightily intelligent and innovative people in coming up with a post Padri War syncretized saying, perhaps to appease the Islamists within their society, namely: Adat bersendi hukum Islam, Hukum Islam bersendi Al-Qur’an.

Now, being the bastard that I am, wakakaka, I am not only reading more into the above Minangkabau saying but also recalling that RPK wrote about a misogynistic Caliph who wrote most of the Hadith, which didn't and by default don't favour or treat women as equals.

So I wonder whether the clever Minangkabau by asserting that Hukum Islam bersendi Al-Qur’an were in fact saying that unless it's in the Al-Quran itself (and thus not just the Hadith) they won't accept any (Hadith) ruling that went against any of their adat.

And if indeed they had such an intention, to wit, to ignore any extra-Quranic ruling, then it must be within such an innovative syncretized doctrine that has allowed the Minangkabau matrilineal system of succession (and other forms of democracy) to exist within a religio-social Islamic environment, but which alas, came at a bloody price with a 30+ year war, one which saw most members of its royalty slaughtered treacherously by the fundamentalist Islamists during a ceasefire peace talk.

Anyway, I dare say not much has changed in the no-compromise or intolerant attitudes of the Muslim clerics since, especially those of the fundamentalist variety.

In today's Malaysian religio-politico-social environment I think it's up to the Muslim Malays to decide what they want: the status quo with its higher degree of socio-religious tolerance (and I am NOT talking about which political party forms the government) and preservations of Malay adats, which we have all benefited from in varying degrees during the last 50+ years, ...

... or a non-democratic system of totalitarian government by an elitist group of clerics whose only claim to their right to rule is NOT from universal suffrage but from a god who for some reason only talk to them (as claimed of course by them, wakakaka), and who probably want to Arabize everyone ... and perhaps fantasize for Malaysia to become a Saudi-like desert, complete with camels, dry winds and hot days-cold nights? Wakakaka.

But then, isn't one of Malay peribahasa 'biar mati anak, jangan mati adat', wakakaka.

Koon T'au Boe

That's what koon t'au boe is. The term is usually used in conjunction with a threat, wakakaka.

DAP Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer had koon t'au boe shown in his face, figuratively, as some violent UMNO people stormed the Penang DUN looking for him, while another pack of hoodlums threatened to burn the DAP building in KL.

Thank the gods (of all denominations) for small mercies as they didn't resort to the deadlier tactics of 13 May 1969, though the threat to burn the DAP building in KL could be considered as a la May 13.

Vision 2020? Unless UMNO leaders like KJ need to get a grip on its members and guide them on more civilised values and behaviour, Malaysia will continue to be a banana ... er ... nation*.

* the usual term is 'banana republic' but I could be charged for lèse-majesté if I use the latter word, wakakaka

If we allow such hooliganism to prevail with impunity, who knows, soon we may join those type of violent people in Thailand who use hand grenades all too easily.

p/s I'm sure you all have enough posts and news articles on Dyana Sofya to read so I have decided to give her sweet self a rest from my blogging wakakaka

Dyana Tsunami batters UMNO

Earlier, Dr Mahathir saw fit to lecture Umno members that if they did/do not educate their children on UMNO’s history and contributions, those kids would go their own ways.

Obviously Dr M was annoyed and perhaps worried - probably more worried that annoyed - that Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, a daughter of an UMNO Wanita member, Yammy Samat, has joined DAP and became its candidate for the coming Teluk Itan by-election. 

The Dyana Tsunami

It would not be amiss to say that Dyana's nomination as DAP's candidate has sent shock waves through UMNO, a mini political tsunami that has battered the once-invincible Malay fortress that's called UMNO.

The watershed political event has been so shocking that Pak Kadir Yasin, a former editor-in-chief of the NST group and a known supporter/ally of Dr Mahathir, saw fit to write in his blog a post on Dyana A New Political Phenomena [extracts follows]:

Although I am 9989.2 km away from home on my annual extraterritorial grandfather duty and will be missing the Bukit Gelugor and Telok Intan parliamentary by-elections, it is hard for me to escape Dyana Sofya craze.

When I woke up this morning, I saw five messages from a former Umno divisional secretary on my cellular telephone.

One reads: “Dyana is said to be the latest state of the art Samsung 5s (sic) while Mah is Nokia. Sigh!” [...]

In the Internet age where images can be a powerful tool, Dyana Sofya youthfulness and look, is advantage. Even an old timer Umno activist like my friend is fascinated by her.

In another SMS, he wrote: “But can we blame the papers & the people for their interest in Dyana? She’s young pretty thing. She’s news.”

UMNO's real problem

But it has to be something deeper than her look. The fact that she is a young Malay woman representing a Chinese-dominated opposition party is, to me, the real fascination.

Just days ago, a former female deputy minister from Umno noted with alarm that the DAP’s internship programmes were attracting many young Malay participants, most of whom are well educated.

There be must something particularly strong by way of push and pull factors to encourage a young Malay like Dyana Sofya, who hailed from an Umno family, to join the DAP and be an active member.

While the BN campaigners and their cyber troopers are having a field day maligning her, they should perhaps spare some time to understand why this sort of things are happening. Why young educated Malays are joining the DAP?

Instead of blaming others for their woes, leaders of the GOC parties should look at themselves and not treat the rakyat with disdain.

Now, Dyana's mum Yammy Samat wasn't going to let Dr Mahathir get away with his perhaps-patronizing perhaps-worried lecture to UMNO parents.

Where Dyana got her chili padi 'smarts' from

Yammy riposted so wickedly sweet to Dr M's admonition that we now know where Dyana has inherited her chili padi 'smarts' from. Yammy no doubt with tongue-in-cheek said:

“I tried my very best to bring up Dyana to be like Mukhriz, but when she grew up, she turned out to be like Marina.”

Wakakaka, see what I mean when I said 'we now know where Dyana has inherited her chili padi 'smarts' from'.

Then she delivered the verbal coup de grâce to Dr Mahathir with the sweetest and deadliest remarks I have heard hurled like a ninja's shuriken at the Grand Olde Man of Malaysian politics, and a PM for 22 years:

“So it doesn't matter. She became like one of Tun’s children anyway.”

Wakakaka.

What Yammy did so wickedly delicious was to reverse the table on Dr Mahathir by reminding him that for all his own UMNO parent's ways, he has Marina Mahathir [mind you, a wonderful lady], whose social activist work, as reported by the Malay Mail Online, has put her on a collision course with her father on a number of issues.

It's not just a stunning rebuttal to Dr Mahathir but I'm sure a compliment to Marina and a back-handed compliment to her own Dyana. Good onya, Mum!

So it seems that Dyana's mum is a bit of a chili padi like her daughter, or more correctly, Dyana is a chili padi like her mum, wakakaka.

Dyana praised by Marina Mahathir

And the day ended so nicely for sweetie Dyana when sweetie Marina (one of my heroes) said of the budding new DAP politician and candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election: She can think, she can write, she can articulate.

The Malay Mail Online reported Marina praising Dyana for her rebuttal piece against Umno supreme council member Razali Ibrahim on the pro-Bumiputera policies of UiTM, calling her a 'smart' individual who was well ahead of 'most politicians'.

Marina posted on her Facebook account: “Very smart girl this ... she can think, she can articulate, she can write. That’s three up from most politicians already.”

“But very few of the top gun politicians write their own speeches, let alone any articles.”

“In any case, why are people so against her because she is young? Najib Razak was 26 when he first became a Minister. Dyana’s 27 and only vieing for a Parliamentary seat. We should have more young people for the fresh young ideas they bring.”

Indeed, sweetie Marina, and I am so glad you did not compare Dyana with Ahmad Maslan, UMNO's Information Chief because the contrast gap would have been too Grand Canyon-ish, wakakaka.

By contrast to Dyana, the idiots on other side

Yes, that 'remarkable' Ahmad Maslan has so unimpressed RPK into calling him 'idiotic', wakakaka, and who then urged:

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should titah Ahmad Maslan to mengadap (summon Ahmad Maslan for an audience) and give him a real tongue-lashing.

I mean Najib does not have to scold Ahmad Maslan with words like ‘mother-fucker’ and all that — like how I would do.

Wakakaka.

Just a ‘Melayu bodoh’ would probably do just fine. And then Najib may have to consider appointing a new Umno information chief after this because clearly Ahmad Maslan has the mind of a country bumpkin.

Wakakaka again.

But we have been delighted by the sweet wits of both Dyana and her mother', Yammy Samat.

Dyana Sofya & DAP must avoid perilous princess path

Malaysiakini's news title Politics aside, many are smitten by Dyana says its all.

Yes, it's been a while since I come across the word 'smitten', wakakaka.

An undoubtedly infatuated MKINI reader gushes: What a refreshing change. For the life of me, I couldn't imagine there is such a level headed, intelligent, young and beautiful Malaysian woman who would be interested to run for public office.

I am spellbound. I am gobsmacked. This young lady rocks. Just when I thought all is lost, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud struts along and proved me wrong.

Another, somewhat preposterously acclaims: Prediction: In year 2064, Malaysia will have its equivalence of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and the likes who will lead their people out of darkness.

Since independence, we have seen the Malay society falling into a path that has led to the predicament we see today.

In the next 50 years, the chosen one will emerge to lead the Malay society out of their age of darkness. This chosen one is now living in our midst waiting to emerge. Is Dyana the One?

One blogger cheekily advised DAP to print more posters of her as he claimed many would like to keep them as souvenirs, wakakaka. Some supporters have even prematurely named her as the Intan (Diamond) of DAP, based on the federal constituency's name. 

And poor KJ, pissed off with BN younger members somewhat enamoured with Dyana, wakakaka, reminded them (hopefully unsuccessfully, wakakaka):

"The Teluk Intan parliamentary by-election is not a beauty pageant, the credibility of candidates is more important." 

It's clear that a new icon has arisen in the Malaysian political landscape. Some new fans have crowned her as Princess Dyana, a play on a tragically ill-fated member of the British royalty.

No sirree man, surely not a good title for Dyana Sofya, whose new found popularity, I suspect, might perhaps have been enhanced by the rather exotic spelling of her French-sounding name (through replacing the i's with y's), and which must be credited to her parents rather than her.

But DAP supporters, please do not trivialize her professional qualifications and political ability by over emphasizing on her physical attributes. Treat her Vogue-Elle-Cosmopolitan front page-like looks as a bonus rather than as her core assets.

In my previous post The necessary Malay-nization of DAP I advocated for the DAP to nominate more Malay candidates and thus I was absolutely rapt that the party selected one to contest in the Teluk Intan by-election. I of course paid my tribute to the DAP for that brave decision especially after cyber-scums had attempted to smear Dyana's reputation which I fear might have jeopardised her reputation with the Malay voters in TI.

I have to admit I was initially carried away by my delight in her candidacy into suggesting she'll be known as the Tigress of Teluk Intan, based on her avowal to 'roar' like Katy Perry's song against her opponents (extracts of Katy Perry's 'Roar' below):

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

In retrospect, I really shouldn't have, not at least until she has won the seat and proven herself as the MP for TI.

Thus the DAP party must not fall into the same perilous act taken by PKR supporters for Nurul Izzah by crowning or encouraging the crowning of Dyana Sofya as the new Pakatan Princess, nor of over-crowing about her qualities and political potential.

In my post 3 sweeties, only 1 real Princess Reformasi I discussed how poor Nurul Izzah had found herself caught in a religious trap of her own making when in a forum titled “Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility”?, she voiced her open support for freedom of religion for all Malaysians, including Malays.

Naturally UMNO jumped on her for advocating apostasy for Muslims. The poor sweetie, realizing the religious enormity of what she had uttered, must have been panicked into seeking desperate help from Dr Asri, the former Mufti of Perlis. 

Naturally sweetie Nurul denied supporting apostasy and, I believe, went on to sue Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her words.

However, the person who asked her the question which led to her alleged controversial statement was none other than sweetie Siti Kasim, a member of the Bar Council human rights committee and Orang Asli rights advocate.

In the midst of the UMNO-generated brouhaha over Nurul's alleged statement, Siti Kasim came out to say that she was disappointed with Nurul for backing away from her statement that freedom of religion was a right for all including the Malay-Muslims. She lamented that Nurul has failed to stand firm on her remark.

Siti Kasim said: “I believe Nurul was just trying to impress the people. She didn't think of the consequences. There’s nothing wrong about it [freedom of religion], she is saying the truth. I expected a hoo-ha after that. But as a politician, you just need to stick to the truth."

"In the following days she ‘retracted’ her remark, and said she did not support apostasy. But indirectly when you say you support freedom of religion, and if Malay wants to get out from Islam, that’s apostasy.”

Forget about Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, but examine sweetie Siti Kasim's words. Now, why did sweetie Nurul do what sweetie Siti said she did?

Did Nurul feel that in her admittedly unsolicited role as Princess Reformasi she had to make such daring statements? - statements which would have been a courageous politico-religious watershed without dire consequences if not made within the highly, sinister and deliberately politicized religious environment of Peninsula Malaysia.

But that bad bad experience had been a mighty awful stumble for Her Royal Reformasi-ness. She's been very quiet since.

Therein her nasty experience, we ought to be aware there is danger in over boosting, over elevating and over exposing young politicians too way up high. When they can't cope due to their inexperience (unlike some thick skin old farts), they'll fall heavily like Humpty Dumpty where then all the King's horses and men couldn't put sweetie together again.

As we know, sweetie Nurul has been one of the sacred cows of PKR and has been even preposterously touted as Anwar Ibrahim's replacement as the putative leader for Pakatan should our Manmanlai be not around. That suggestion has been one of the most impractical and immature proposals to come from Pakatan supporters. C'mon, give sweetie a chance to gain more experience lah!

It sure as hell didn't help when a few days after Nurul's fright at being accused of allegedly promoting apostasy, Tian Chua's Malaysian Chronicle came out with an article titled Nurul is an Angel in our midst. Mashitah Ibrahim, you are a spinning pathological liar, wakakaka, though I noted then no one dared criticized Siti Kasim for saying what she said about Nurul, wakakaka.

And I did wonder whether the Malaysian Chronicle had then upgraded or downgraded Nurul from Princess Reformasi to Angel, wakakaka.

But that is the same danger that Dyana may face from the no-doubt mercenary mauraiding mafulat-ish cyber-scums who will go all out to destroy her character, more so if the DAP or supporters over elevates and over exposes her from what she wants to be, a hardworking politician who wishes to serve the people of TI as their representative in Parliament.

In the short term she faces danger from a very experienced Gerakan Mah, a two-term MP for TI, and sadly, also from disatisfied local DAP people who might resent her selection as the DAP candidate for the by-election.

It's up to the DAP to deal with the latter, but I would expect the BN to play and twist on her personal position on the hudud issue to both frighten the older Chinese and discredit her with the older Malays, despite her already assuming a stand not unlike that of DAP's Ariff Sabri (MP Raub).

On her plus side, she appeals to the younger generation and those who appreciate her disarming charms, unassuming airs, and quick wits, for example, when shown the bikini-ed photo of Filipino actress Pauleen Luna, Dyana said she admired Pauleen's physique and wished she had a similar figure, and then disarmingly quipped that she'd have to visit the gym more often.

Now that's her humour and quick wittiness in turning an embarrassing salacious situation to her credit as a cool, calm and composed politician.

The DAP, well aware of the adverse factors from both the BN and intra-party dissatisfaction, is currently positioning her as an underdog in the by-election. Tony Pua as the DAP campaign director for the by-election said it well in the Malay Mail Online, as follows:

“It’s an attempt, a game-changing attempt fraught with risk, but something that must be taken to pursue our ideals of a Malaysian Malaysia. If we were to lose the election, it’s a battle lost for a war to be won.”

Now Tony, ain't that better than the sky falling down, wakakaka.

Joceline Tan of the Star Online seems to agree when she wrote:

The DAP choice was between Dyana and one of the most famous names in the party, Hew Kuan Yau aka Superman. The former MP who died had reportedly wanted Hew to succeed him.

But Hew’s ultra-Chinese image would have sent the Malays running off and screaming in fright. Besides, this dying wish syndrome has to stop because it is making DAP look like a feudalistic party where seats are passed on to children and cronies.

Taking Dyana was a gamble but also a shrewd strategic move. The party is banking on her to be the game changer – a young, female and Malay face who can help to change the Chinese chauvinist image of the party for the better.

“Teluk Intan would have been a sure-win for DAP with a Chinese candidate. But they would only be defending what they already have. They want to send a message that they are for a new Malaysia,” said the above political analyst.

To inch closer to Putrajaya, they need to win this sort of mixed, semi-urban seats. If they lose, it is one seat down. If they win, however, they can go all over town blowing their trumpet.

In other words, DAP may face a tactical loss but will reap a strategic victory.

Pua continued: “She represents the ideal example of someone who looks beyond her race and subscribes to the Malaysian Malaysia.”

“If we forever think that voters are close-minded and unwilling to accept change, then we will never be able to initiate change.”

“Even if we win by 200 votes, it’ll give a chance for a Malay to serve the Chinese constituents and for them to see it’s not the race that matters. It’s the ability, it’s the party’s principles, and it’s the willingness to work for justice. So we’re asking for that option.”

As Confucius said: The journey of a thousand li* must start with the first step.

* (ancient Chinese measurement, about 500 metres)

Nazil Huhairi Ismail, chair of Persatuan Profesional Muda Islam Kedah, enthused about the candidacy of Dyana as a refreshing political step by the DAP, and sneered at old farts who clung on shamelessly, stated in TMI's Dyana Sofya: Langkah politik segar Malaysia:

Apa pun tujuannya, langkah meletakkan "wanita muda" sebagai calon membuka banyak ruang berfikir strategis dan memecah budaya politik usang. Fikiran bahawa ahli politik perlu berwatakan "elitis" dan berumur matang dapat dikikis.

Biar pun calon itu tidak "perform", namun stigma masyarakat yang takut untuk melakukan perubahan menukar "orang lama" merencatkan atmosfera politik. Orang politik dibarisi oleh muka-muka tua dan kurang bertenaga. Seperti daun pisang, walaupun sudah layu kering, tetap tidak gugur dari dahannya, demi mempertahan "kepisangan" mereka.

Landskap politik Malaysia harus berubah, perlu disegarkan oleh idea dan energi politikus muda. Orang muda, pemikirannya kritis, tenaganya kuat, ideanya pelbagai. Golongan muda ini harus diberi tempat di dalam kerangka politik untuk membina ketokohan dan menonjolkan bakat dengan tunjukajar orang lama.

Parti-parti politik mesti berani mempertaruh orang muda sebagai ayam tambatan mereka supaya terus relevan dengan perubahan semasa yang berteraskan derasnya teknologi maklumat. Maklumat hanya dihujung jari.

Realitinya, parti Umno dan PAS menjadi parti tertua tertubuh di bumi Malaysia ini semacam takut untuk menonjolkan orang muda sebagai calon mereka. Setiap kali pilihan raya, muka yang sama saja dikitar semula untuk dijadikan calon.

Walaupun ditolak rakyat bukan sekali, tetapi tetap bertanding disebabkan senioriti mereka. Ego sayang kuasa dilihat menguasai keputusan parti. Ini merencat segala potensi anak muda untuk memberi impak segar kepada politik negara.

Berlainan dengan PKR dan sekarang DAP yang sudah mengorak langkah membarisi kepimpinan mereka dengan tenaga muda. Memberi ruang dan peluang orang muda menggalas jawatan penting parti dan negeri. Pastinya mereka ini akan lebih matang dan bertokoh di masa hadapan dengan pengalaman yang dikutip semasa menjalankan tanggungjawab yang diberi.

I hope Nazil's opinion reflects the views of the younger generation, and if his age group in TI feels the same way, Dyana has a good chance of upsetting the far more experienced and wilier politician, Mah Siew Keong, Gerakan President.

Probably sensing the political sea change among younger Malays, A Kadir Jasin, former editor-in chief of the NST group and now a blogger, warned BN cybertroopers in his blog (picked up by TMI) Don’t blindly attack Dyana Sofya.

He said: "While the BN campaigners and their cyber troopers are having a field day maligning her, they should perhaps spare some time to understand why this sort of thing is happening. Why young educated Malays are joining DAP?"

"Leaders of the parties should look at themselves and not treat the rakyat with disdain."

"Just days ago, a former female deputy minister from Umno noted with alarm that the DAP’s internship programmes were attracting many young Malay participants, most of whom are well educated.”

"Dyana Sofya's youthfulness and look is an advantage. But it has to be something deeper than her looks. The fact that she is a young Malay woman representing a Chinese-dominated opposition party is, to me, the real fascination."

But regardless, we must not push Dyana Sofya along the perilous princess path trodden by the so-called Princess Reformasi (or Angel of PKR, wakakaka).

The necessary Malay-nization of DAP

To be frank I have not been personally comfy with the choice of Ramkarpal Singh Deo as the DAP's candidate for Gelugor. Now, my unease has nothing, nothing at all, to do with Ramkarpal's competency to be an excellent people's representative (he will definitely be) nor about the allegations of nepotism because Ramkarpal himself has answered that unfair allegation most clearly and competently - see TMI's Nepotism not an issue in Gelugor.

Mind, I would ask DAP to be on alert as the EC may do to him what the court has done to his late father (Huan's wet dream wakakaka), and the Home Ministry now wants to do with Teresa Kok. BN has wet dreams about removing DAP MPs and potential MPs from parliament by disqualifying them one way or another, ... 

... because I suspect UMNO is so shit scared of the DAP that it has even (again my suspicion) in the persons of ministers Jamil Khir Baharom and Mustapha Mohamed lulled, lured, lasso-ed and led stray PAS with the belief that UMNO will support the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, wherein its real aim is to split the Pakatan duo asunder ..... and sadly, I assess UMNO has succeeded.

Back to Gelugor, I was not all that happy with Gelugor going to a DAP non-Malay. Yes, I had hoped for DAP to nominate a Malay candidate for the seat left vacated by my hero, the late Karpal Singh.

And if I have my 'rathers', then my personal choice would be a DAP party old-timer, Zulkifli Mohd Noor who, alas for me, has not been/is not on good terms with Lim Senior and Junior.

Zul has been a DAP member for 26 years, way before many of his current abusive online PR critics had grown their first pubic hair, wakakaka. Zul was once a VP of the party.

In 2004 he was the DAP candidate for Bukit Bendera and acquired quite a credible showing where he won a massive 18,000 votes out of a maximum possible of 47,000. 

As I had blogged previously (many years ago), the DAP might have partial claim to their avowed multi-ethnic credentials – for example, they have put up many Indian candidates who have been voted successfully into both federal Parliament and State Assemblies.

Unfortunately, until 2013 only one of its Malay candidates, Ahmad Nor, was ever successful. Zul could have been the second had he stood again in 2008.

But I am so delighted to see that in the 2013 general and state elections, the DAP has Ariff Sabri (better known to us as blogger Sakmongol AK47) and my MP Zairil Khir as federal MPs, and Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puri as the opposition leader in the Pahang DUN. So will you just look at the sterling work done by them.

DAP could possibly have been blessed by another brilliant young Malaysian in NS if a very unhappy senior person (who I once adored) had not somehow suffered a sad case of noblesse oblige missing. Wakakaka.

Back to Zul - yes, it was in a Chinese-majority Bukit Bendera in Penang that Zul made a most decent mark in the general elections, by winning nearly 18000 of the 47000 votes, and that’s no mean feat if we look at the ethnic breakdown. The Chinese-majority federal seat had 13.82% Malays, 73.97% Chinese and 11.07% Indians plus a sprinkling of 1.14% Thais, Eurasian, etc. 

Even if all 14% Malays in that constituency had turned up to cast their ballots for Zul (which was absolutely unlikely), he wouldn’t get more than 5000 votes. This meant that there was a whole lot of Chinese votes (13,000 plus) for him.

I wrote on what I believed were the three possible reasons why Zul didn't make it in 2004:

(1) he was exposed/introduced to the locals in Bukit Bendera a wee too late in the game (only close to the 2004 general elections). Though the DAP has been a powerful brand the party (then in 2004) could/should not assume that was the magic key to winning.

(2) the Gerakan of 2004 wasn't exactly sleeping in Bukit Bendera.

Though tarnished in recent years (prior to 2004) by Raja Bodek, the Gerakan was in 2004 still a reasonably popular brand, especially with the middle age population.  Its candidate Chia Kwang Chye was quite a much-liked Bukit Bendera MP.

(3) then (in 2004), there was that freshly minted ‘Mr Clean’ or Bao Gong who was later promoted to become the Sultan of Somnambulence, wakakaka.

The sum of it was that Zul as a DAP member did very well in a Chinese-majority constituency against a much-liked Gerakan Chinese candidate.

Under a program of continuous political investments (and not just campaigning on the eve of the election) Zul could be a winning candidate. This was proven by another DAP Malay candidate Zairil Khir in winning the BB seat in 2013 to become my MP.

Back to 2008 GE-12, I was personally disappointed to see Zul completely missing from the general election, when without doubt he would have won and made history as the second DAP Malay MP, giving the DAP more shine to its multi-ethnic credentials and legitimacy.

Then, as a DAP supporter (though not a member) I posted I wished to see the DAP rethink its old/original Malaysian Malaysia ideology, and to reconsider its campaign to abolish bumiputra privileges.

I had then (in 2008) suggested that the DAP look at three issues:

(1) develop a new political vision to replace its Malaysian Malaysia that will ameliorate the fears of the Malay.

(2) develop a fresh strategic policy to accept the NEP but one that will be managed fairly and exclusively for bumiputera interest. This does not in any way disregard the currently marginalized Indians or the less fortunate Chinese. Preserve the NEP exclusively for the needy Melayu and other bumis.

Forget about Anwar Ibrahim’s earlier claim that he would get rid of the NEP or that the policy has outlived its usefulness. As has been said (by none other than Ong Ka Ting of MCA, wakakaka), Anwar would speak in human language to humans, and spirit language to spirits. Yes, he’d say anything to climb up the ladder of power, from 916 to half past six.

I personally believe that the NEP still has its beneficial use for a large segment of the Malay and Sarawak/Sabah bumis, and also the much marginalized Indians in Peninsula. It’s the misuse of this apparatus for affirmative action that’s the problem, not the NEP per se.

(3) get rid of its socialist label – most Malays don’t understand what it stands for, other than it must be a part of the Satanic communist diabolical plot.

I lamented in 2008 that the DAP missed a wonderful opportunity to present Zulkifli Mohd Noor as a federal candidate in the March 2008 general elections. So it's sad to see that today Zul has been so frustrated by the new DAP leadership he has left all party positions though as mentioned, he remains a party member.

For those moronic mealy mouth idiots who accused Zul of being a frog out for material advantage, they may wish to remind themselves once again that last year Zul resigned from all his party positions and party assigned positions, such as councillor in the Penang island municipality (MPPP), Bayan Baru parliamentary liaison committee head, state DAP committee member, and as director of GLC, Penang Global Tourism, a subsidiary of Penang Development Corporation (PDC), BUT significantly NOT his party membership. Are these the characteristics of a tadpole?

Unfortunately, as I see it, the new DAP leadership might have come to forget old faithfuls, the true party believers like Zul, in their new found preference for the newer generation of leaders, those with MBA and all sorts of glittering paper qualifications or even high profile personalities like Ariff Sabri.

Perhaps Zul has been a tragic victim of the new DAP leadership strategy and strategic perception.

Personally, I see a political party requiring both groups of representatives, the brilliant dashing ones with political verve and the salt-of-the-earth type, as each group has a different role towards representing the public, but I suppose the current DAP leadership know better or they think they know better.

Leaving poor Zul aside, I had really wanted to see the DAP pick a Malay member for the Gelugor by-election. To reiterate, this is not to say Ramkarpal is not competent to be Gelugor's parliamentary representative; au contraire he is most competent.

My opinion or wish has been more about the DAP assuming a greater meaningful position as a multiethnic party rather than who should represent Gelugoreans per se. Too late now!

But what about Teluk Intan?

There is possibly a new DAP Malay candidate for that by-election, and she's 27-year old sweetie Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the political secretary to Uncle Lim.

Already the cyber-scums are at their sleazy worst to pre-emptively demonize her in the eyes of the Malays in the Teluk Intan constituency - see TMI's Bikini smear campaign against DAP's Dyana nothing but 'gutter politics', says politicians , analysts, unscrupulously using a photo of Filipina actress sweetie Pauleen Luna to deliberately MISrepresent her as sweetie Dyana.

But what I really fear about the smear campaign against sweetie Dyana is that the DAP may chicken out of putting her as the much touted DAP candidate for the TI by-election, and backtrack into sh*t-scared safety by nominating a Chinese or Indian.

By such a play-safe action, that of a DAP retreating into its self-restricting non-Malay-ness, UMNO would be handed both a moral and a strategic victory as it wants DAP to be and thus to remain a Chinese party.

Thus, notwithstanding the undeniable threat of such a sleaze campaign (we Malaysians love sleaze even if fabricated), the DAP must bite the bullet and nominate sweetie Dyana for the TI by-election, and it must continue doing so with more Malays as its future election candidates for future state and federal parliaments.

Much as I dislike UMNO for its corrupt, and at times racist and arrogant behaviour, I had admired its willingness to place Indian rather than UMNO candidates in some general as well as by-elections, such as the Hulu Selangor and Ijok by-elections.  That has been its strength, though its downside had been its bulldozing ways which made nonsense of the term ‘alliance’ because it just rode roughshod over its so-called allies, MCA, Gerakan, MIC etc.

But recall by contrast PKR's action in the Ijok by-election in 2007. In my April 2007 post Ijok Indians racially marginalised by PKR? I wrote (extract only):

Well, it seems Premesh Chandran’s advice to the PKR, published in malaysiakini, has not been taken up.

[Premesh Chandran, one of the TaiKohs at Malaysiakini, opined that the PKR would be better off with an Indian candidate despite the Malay majority. Premesh provided an in-depth analysis that drew upon an earlier Chandra Muzzafar’s analysis for the 2000 Lunas by-election where PKR’s candidate Saifuddin Nasution won with a terrific voters swing against the BN]

Premesh added that an Anwar-led campaign for a PKR Indian candidate, supported by Chinese social and educationist movements, would provide the extra hare-koh (petis udang - zing) in the opposition rojak (spicy salad) for winning over the Malays and the other ethnic voters for a PKR victory.

PKR is likely to nominate a Malay candidate, Khalid Ibrahim, for the Ijok by-election. The PKR Youth vice-chief S Manikavasagam has expressed his unhappiness, pointing out a couple of things to the PKR top echelon, namely:

(1) notwithstanding that Ijok is a constituency with 50% Malay voters, the Barisan Nasional (BN) is fielding an Indian candidate, so why not PKR? and

(2) Khalid Ibrahim is a political ‘parachutist’, having just joined the party less than a year ago while there are capable PKR Indian members who have been in PKR for years and could well be the nominated candidate for the by-election.

And did it benefit PKR with its play-safe actions in the Hulu Selangor and Ijok by-elections?

Precisely because of PKR's less-than-admirable treatment of its Indian members I have just penned Karmic lot of PKR Indians? at my other blog BolehTalk, wakakaka.

So my advice to the DAP is not to be like the kniasu PKR when considering DAP Malay candidates like sweetie Dyana Sofya, and to continue proceeding on the path of nominating more and more Malay members as candidates for both state and federal general and by-elections.

Ironically (I just love this word), for the DAP to be ultimately recognized as a multiethnic political party, it must first Malay-nized itself, wakakaka.

Otherwise, the DAP will remain a small Chinese-Indian based party, not unlike PKR, a kniasu and small (and as Saifuddin Nasution admitted) Malay party.

Addendum:

TMI - DAP names Dyana Sofya as Teluk Intan candidate

The above was published after I posted The necessary Malay-nization of DAP.

Well done DAP, I congratulate you on your fine choice of candidate.