Racism beats Communism hands down

My good blogger matey Dr Hsu Dar Ren (Darren Hsu) wrote a penetrating piece in The Malaysian Insider titled Isn’t racism as dangerous as communism?

He invited us to compare the double-standard absurdity of UMNO’s legal ostracization* of 80-year old Chin Peng (also known as Ong Boon Hwa) against UMNO's shameless political rehabilitation of Ahmad Ismail, by lifting his 3-year suspension from UMNO after just a year.

* despite an international treaty agreeing to his return to Malaysia which has been verified and supported by two former IGPs

Ahmad Ismail was merely suspended during PM AAB’s time for uttering BTN-ish racist remarks against Chinese Malaysians when he should have been expelled from his party. As if that cosmetic punishment was not light enough, UMNO has just removed his suspension.

Though Darren is a member of the Gerakan Party I applaud him for stating without fear and favour (extracts only): A top leader of Gerakan was quoted, according to a report in Malaysiakini’s Chinese website, as asking reporters when pressed about the lifting of Ahmad’s suspension: "Is this issue important?" […]

I would only say that in this issue, a few considerations are in order:

Firstly, anything or anyone who stirs racial emotion in a multiracial society is serious and important matter. Anyone doing so, just like anyone committing any crime big or small, must answer to the laws of the country no matter how high or low his position is in society. Under the law, every man is supposed to be equal.

Secondly, politics is about perception. If you are perceived to not even be able to stand up to a second-tier leader of the dominant party, then what would the people think of you and what would the voters think of you? Especially when this bully has uttered racially sensitive words that have hurt the feelings not only of a person but of an entire ethnic group?

Thirdly, to a political party, support from the people is everything. That is why it is important to fight for the interest of the people and with that, support shall come naturally. But what will happen when you are perceived to not even able to stand up to a person who has uttered words that hurt the very people who form your support base?

Lastly, as a result of the third consideration, how are the candidates from this party who have been so belittled going to face the voters come the next general election?

Without the support of the people and the voters, any political party will become irrelevant, and if this party becomes irrelevant, logic and past experience will tell us that the dominant party, Umno, will just chuck the party aside, no matter how subservient and how obedient this party is to Umno.

In politics, it is not about how subservient you are, but rather how useful you are to the dominant party. If you are of no more use (meaning, you no longer enjoy the support of the people), then no matter how diligent or obedient you are, you will be irrelevant.

The experience of PPP is a glaring example. This is a party which used to dominate the whole Kinta Valley, and had four MPs when it joined Barisan Nasional in 1974. What has become of it now? It has lost its relevance and hence it can only take the crumbs or leftovers at the pleasure of the master.

Well said, but when the leader of the Gerakan Party is like the Emperor of Manchukuo, what can we do?

Back to the double standards of UMNO in the Chin Peng vs Ahmad Ismail treatment, which was why Darren asked: Isn’t racism as dangerous as communism?

Apparently not, as in Malaysia, racism is equated to patriotism, 'social contract', ketuanan Melayu, and what have you. As a matter of fact the return to Malaysia of some Malay communists (Chin Peng’s colleagues), while Chin Peng remains barred from Malaysia, has amply demonstrated that difference.

And we also recall that the Home Affairs Minister lamented his missed opportunity to rehabilitate the most notorious killer Noordin Top, S.E. Asia’s most cold blooded indiscriminate mass murderer.

Hishamuddin can still enjoy the opportunity to rehabilitate Chin Peng … that is, if he wants to.