Najib out-Gangnam DAP?

Tahrir Square, Cairo

I wouldn't dare claim that the Han Chiang School in Penang is Pakatan's equivalent of Tahrir Square, but as The Malaysian Insider reported in its headline news article Guan Eng trying to politicise CNY, says Najib as follows:

Penang BN sources say the venue of the celebrations hold a bigger significance than the appearance of Psy, or Park Jae-Sang.

According to BN sources, Han Chiang has been Pakatan Rakyat and DAP’s stronghold for fund raising and rallies and is infamous for the 2008 catalyst rally which caused the Chinese wave of voters to swing to PR and DAP.

In earlier days the chief financial sponsor (backer) of independent Chinese language education (up to pre university or HSC level) was Lim Lean Teng, one of the early Penang millionaires, who believed very strongly in Chinese language education and put his money where his mouth was.

Even as a kid I came to know of him (because of his Chinese education sponsorship) and learnt where his mansion was located along Penang's 'Millionaire Row', what is today's Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, very near Kedah House (or Istana Kedah today?).

Han Chiang

The alumni of Han Chiang School may be found throughout SE Asia, especially in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, etc, where their rich parents sent them to the only place (then) in the region to provide traditional (pre Communist China) style of Chinese primary and secondary education. I presume Taiwan was the only other source but alas, outside the SE Asian region, while Hong Kong provided such education in the Cantonese (but not Mandarin) language.

TMI informed us that the new backer of Han Chiang School is Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, a matey of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng.

It's claimed that Han Chiang is Pakatan's or more correctly, DAP's 'hallowed grounds' as it was here that the DAP rally in 2008 'convinced' Penangites to ubah (change) the state government once again, after 40+ years.

Thus the rumour has been that DAP is particularly upset by the BN staging its Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations cum 'Open House' at the school facilities, right at its politically 'hallowed grounds'.

The guest of honour at the BN CNY celebrations is PM Najib Tun Razak, and the star attraction the man from Korea, Gangnam style rapper Psy, but as reported, the location of the event rather than Psy has the greater political significance.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned in a previous post Silly season & serious scrutiny, DAP has unwittingly allowed DPM Muhyiddin to seize the moral high grounds by its silly spoilsport campaign against the BN's CNY event. In that post I had written:

As a DAP supporter, I'm actually embarrassed by DAP and Pakatan's campaign against the BN 'Open House', UNLESS of course DAP can show that the event involves expenditure of public funds.

Yesterday, when I read Malaysiakini's Vox Populi, I was amazed that more than a few readers actually (and stupidly) urged Psy not to come, as if the Korean would forego his handsome fee to take sides in Malaysian politics.

This sort of emotional outburst, going to the extent of expecting a foreigner to take up partisan allegiance and show biased sympathy in Malaysian politics, is regrettable, immature and disappointing.

If indeed the event starring Psy is funded by the BN or private sources, then Pakatan has not only gone silly but in the process has unwittingly and lamentably elevated low brow Muhyiddin to high moral grounds when the DPM stated in today's Malaysiakini that Guan Eng aims to spoil BN's CNY bash.

Well, realizing BN now has a winner, PM Najib has swiftly jumped on the Muhyiddin's bandwagon to also play victim by stating:

"We are organising something that is meaningful to the Chinese community and Penang BN had intended to organise the said event so why taint it with all these political elements?"

Najib was lamenting Lim Guan Eng's call for visitors to the BN 'Open House' to wear the colours of Bersih, Anti-Lynas and Ubah.

The PM continued: "If they want to organise a similar type of event we would not stop them. They can do so. Why is he coming up with all these obstacles for us to carry out our event?"

Of course Najib cleverly or conveniently left out mention of the several thuggish disruptions to Pakatan's ceramah and the missing DAP campaign lorry (truck) and damaged PKR campaign bus, but alas, that's politics of the dirtiest kind and not, as MCA supporters would argue, a CNY 'Open House' celebration.

DAP campaign truck stolen

Be that as it may, Najib might possibly strike a cord with some Chinese. Again, as I mentioned in a previous post Race in politics, politics in race to not underestimate sly sneaky scheming Najib or to believe PKR propaganda he's being undermined by his mentor Dr Mahathir, when I wrote:

Maybe we have been syiok-sendiri-ishly mistaken (kidding ourselves) about UMNO being a divided house, when in fact they are playing Sun Tze's 'inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy's trust', where Najib by pretending to be 'injured' from UMNO intra-party fighting, lulls his enemy into relaxing his guard since he longer considers Najib to be an immediate threat.

Thus, perhaps Najib plays being the victim of ultra rightwing forces within UMNO in a manmanlai hope to secure as many Chinese and Indian sympathy votes as possible, or convince Chinese and Indians to 'help' poor Ah Jib Gor against UMNO rightwing forces, for as Gunasegaram mentioned, every vote will count, ...

... while his UMNO colleagues (or sifu, wakakaka) assures (and secures) the Heartland that all's well and eight bells under a Hang Tuah-ish UMNO, ...

I fear there's danger for DAP as Najib has apparently warmed the cockles of the men from Dong Zong if we read Malaysiakini's Najib invited to Dong Zong CNY open house which reported:

This is the first time in the last 50 years that the leader of the country has been officially invited to attend a Dong Zong event.

Even more significant is the fact that the reception is taking place just before the expected general election in the next few weeks.

The open house, from 10am-3pm will be held at the Dong Zong Higher Learning Centre which is located along Jalan Bukit in Kajang, Selangor.

The premier’s attendance is tipped to be a major breakthrough towards fostering better ties not only with Dong Zong, but other similar associations within the Chinese community.

Najib is expected to be the star attraction at the event, to be attended by 2,000-3,000 guests. [...]

It was reported in a Chinese daily yesterday that in Johor Baru, 85 Chinese-based organisations came forward to express their support for the premier to attend the open house and said they looked forward to meeting him.

Of course the news feed was from The Malay Mail, and if we believe it then Najib has gained some grounds, perhaps from his portrayal as a 'moderate' who's a victim of UMNO rightwing factions.

Mind you, Ah Jib Gor hasn't yet accepted the 'rightwing' Chinese NGO's invitation which came out from the left(wing) field wakakaka, but I've no doubt he will once he has allowed a decent (short) interval to lapse, lest he be seen as too overly eager wakakaka.

His 'I am also a victim of DAP's unfairness' sandiwara in the the matter of the BN CNY celebrations in Penang Han Chiang School may add on to his wannabe demeanour of fairness, a man who will be 'good' to Chinese Malaysians, an image he obviously has been cultivating as per TMI's news Najib says eager to extend more aid to Chinese 

The report informs us that Najib has been seeking dividends from his Ah Jib Gor's dialogues with the Chinese community(?) where he claimed he has incorporated some of their suggestions-requirements into his Budget 2013.

Then he demonstrated his skills in truly BBSS-ing (bong bong soe soe = caress) the 'central pillar' of Chinese culture when he posted in his 1Malaysia.com.my blog:

One area of real importance is education where we have allocated RM100 million to national-type Chinese schools - money which will help refurbish school buildings and buy new school equipment.

And the top students of Chinese secondary schools have been given scholarship to ensure the most diligent minds can continue to serve our society once they have graduated.

Wah, no wonder Dong Zong has invited him to their CNY 'Open House'.

Najib claimed that through the National Education Blueprint his government was also aiming to increase the number of Chinese language teachers in order to meet student demand.

I wrote in a 2005 post The Lotus Will Not Bloom For One Man:

One of the central pillars of Chinese culture has always been ‘education’. Every Chinese, especially those from the disadvantaged social strata, aspires for his or her children to make it good via an education, to become a Mandarin (official in Chinese Kingdoms), to ‘rise above the muddy waters and bloom like a lotus’. That’s why many Chinese named their daughters ‘Lean' or 'Lotus’.

Chinese folklore has many glorious tales of a poor peasant's son becoming the Emperor’s Mandarin, through the young man’s arduous and brilliant studies. Those historical tales have inspired Chinese society to educate their children well.

In Malaya, legends abound of prominent surgeons, engineers and other notables of society who were children of poor hawkers or coolies, so poor that they had to study by the street lamps or flickering candles during their school days. Those young lads, hardly in their teens, were also required to work for the family’s survival that it was a wonder how they managed to combine their studies with their apprenticeships as hawkers and labourers. Some even walked umpteen miles to reach school. But they eventually attained their exalted positions.

That is why education is a very sensitive issue with Chinese Malaysians. That has been why the Chinese in Malaysia have virtually abandoned the national education system which they consider to have dodgy standards.

Chinese parents there have been known to mortgage their houses and worldly possessions to send their children abroad for tertiary education in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, USA, China, India etc. Many have left very comfortable positions and lives to migrate abroad for such educational reasons.

The reasons for seeking university education abroad even though the financial cost threatens their economic position are three-fold – the dodgy standards of local universities, difficulties of getting a scholarship (the subject of this post), but most significant of all, the very slim chance of even securing a place in a university study of their preference because the government’s affirmative action have marginalized many Chinese and Indians.

Alas, some have mistakenly believed Chinese preference for vernacular education as racist but as can be seen, the true reason is provided above. 

In a sense, Chinese possess absolute confidence in themselves (or in their children) to 'make it' once they have the necessary education. Thus to deny them their desired education would be akin to sending them a signal they would be 'suppressed' culturally, intellectually, socially and economically - hardly a message to warm them towards the signaller.

So, with that educational good news (policy or bribery, depending on your political affiliation), Najib must have sensed he was on a roll on stuff Chinese, and thus added charmingly he was looking forward to having some yee sang, which he termed a truly marvellous dish, wakakaka.

yee sang

Then he went full Confucius or Lao Tze (take your pick) by showing off his knowledge of yee sang in saying:

"Yee Sang is one such traditional dish which is symbolic of good luck prosperity and health. To me this also serves as a reminder of how important the Chinese community is to Malaysia. My father the late Tun Abdul Razak was very clear on his stance towards the Chinese community who have helped in the development of our country in many ways since we achieved independence, and I share his vision."

Malaysian students in Melbourne yee sang-ing

Wah again, such a sweet oo hau ay knia (filial son) to evoke his father's name while stroking the Chinese wannabe but severely damaged Malaysian sense of belonging.

Unleashing full cream butter for the Chinese (voters lah, of course) he said he could not imagine a Malaysia lacking the Chinese culture that was so tightly interwoven into the society.

Najib and company yee-sanging in Klang last week

And then reminding us of how pro Chinese he is, he said or boasted kind of casually: "I think it's fair to say this enthusiasm has passed on to another generation now that my son Ashman speaks fluent Mandarin."

He quite smartly didn't claim his wife could sing in Mandarin too, wakakaka. Incidentally, Rosmah's fave mandarin song seems to be 月亮代表我的心 or 'The Moon represents my heart'. I wonder whether it carries a subtle message of UMNO's woo-ing of PAS in a Malay Unity gambit, wakakaka.

Enjoy Teresa Teng's (not Rosmah's wakakaka) 月亮代表我的心

And of course, he wishes all Chinese Malaysians Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy Chinese New Year).

So I urge the DAP to watch out for Najib and not underestimate him as a lame duck,. He is not known as a survivor for nothing, indeed a man who, not withstanding DAP's own Gangnam style 'Ubah' video, could out-Gangnam DAP as well as Psy in his own (political) ways.