FELDA breeding like cats

MM Online - On Instagram, Chef Wan blasts Felda folk for handout mentality, ‘breeding like cats’:

BY JUSTIN ONG

Chef Wan

Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — Settlers in Federal Land Authority (Felda) schemes must do more to improve their lot beyond waiting for government subsidies and assistance, celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail said today.

Commonly called Chef Wan, he commented on the settlers’ affairs in three consecutive Instagram posts today, suggesting they lacked the competitive and innovative drive of agricultural smallholders in other nations he has visited such as Sweden, Norway and Australia.

“Here, Felda folk, although not all blaming the government at coffee shops, just wait for assistance. When they get it tomorrow, it’s a different story. Some fertiliser subsidies are even sold.

“With the extra cash, some get itchy and marry second and third wives, before breeding like cats!” said the 2019 Felda Icon.

Insisting he was not exaggerating, Redzuawan said he witnessed this phenomenon repeatedly in his younger days. The celebrity chef then bemoaned that such attitudes were now passed down to future generations.

“They might not like what I say but that’s the honest truth.”

Be that as it might be, why used such degrading insulting humiliating words like 'breed'?

Animals 'breed', human beings 'procreate' or 'give birth' - thought those words (and more) mean the same, society uses each of them in different ways.

As mentioned, animals 'breed', human beings 'procreate' or 'engender' or 'sire, while biblically they 'beget'.

When I was in school my wonderful Bahasa teacher, a very erudite Mamak (wakakaka, who was eff-ing fluent in English, Malay, Arabic and I bet, Penang Hokkien) taught me the different ways in using the word 'die' in Bahasa, to wit:

(a) Prophets 'wafat',

(b) Human beings 'mati', and

(c) animals 'mampus'.

Apart from obvious distinction in the words one uses, there exists in society (Malay, Chinese, Indian, Western) a certain ethical protocol in how we apply each of those words.

Thus to apply the word 'breed' to some (hopefully not all) FELDA people who Chef Wan no doubt looks down upon, if not despises, he has gone way too far, more so as an orang Melayu.

Haven't Melayu memegang teguh kepada pepatah Melayu 'Biar mati anak jangan mati adat'? Where was his sopan santun, his adat, in uttering such a derogatory term? 

And worse, for Chef Wan, who himself was/is a Felda Sungai Koyan 2 settler’s son, to insult his own FELDA people, would definitely be a case of 'Kacang lupa kulit'.

But Chef Wan has a habit of saying quite startling unpleasant and rude stuff. I recall that on 20 Jan this year, he wanted or threatened to slap former PM Najib over the alleged mismanagement of Felda during BN rule.

Star Online the reported: Chef Wan, while campaigning for Pakatan Harapan in the Cameron Highlands polls, appeared to be irked when he was asked by a reporter to comment on Najib’s remarks, who described his administration as a “golden age” for Felda settlers, as they had received bonuses and high salaries.

“You put (Tan Sri) Mohd Isa Samad up there knowing that he is so corrupted. If I had him here, I would slap him (Isa).

“I tampar muka Najib tu, Kurang ajar! (I would slap Najib’s face, how disrespectful),” he added.

Then he provided the excuse why he insulted/threatened Najib, ‘I was possessed by a demon and went berserk’.

Balls! He was possessed by his own hubris infused with too long an exposure in Western society.

He was also reported as saying: At the same time, Chef Wan also called on Najib’s supporters to stop fanning flames over his controversial statement.

“You can all fly your kites lah and say whatever you want to say about me as I don’t care."

“I made a mistake saying what I said yesterday and now I have apologised and that’s it!” the flamboyant chef said.

He said something rude, he then apologised, but obviously he didn't repent, telling those who criticised him for his rudeness to 'go fly kites'. In other words, what use was his apology?

Chef Wan said in FELDA they breed like cats, but they need to do this first 

Then they get these 

Then some become politicians, some become Chefs