Comics make me laugh, but Malaysian comics make me cry

Hew Kuan Yau's pro China “Belt and Road Initiative for Win Winism” comics has stirred up sh*t within DAP itself.

Malaysiakini reported that:

DAP Youth secretary-general Teh Hoong Kiet, in a statement today, chastised Johor party committee member Mahdzir Ibrahim, who had called on the DAP-led Penang government to reconsider any form of assistance provided to the Asia Comic Cultural Museum (ACCM), which published Hew's comic.

Teh said Mahdzir's call was bizarre, as ACCM was a "professional, open, and diverse" comic museum which has exhibits in four different languages.

"Mahdzir's motive to continuously attack ACCM and Hew is questionable. He seems like an Umno cybertrooper who dancing to Najib's tune," he said.

Teh added that even if Mahdzir disagrees with Hew, he should not kick the former DAP member when he is down.

Earlier, Mahdzir called for the cut of funding to ACCM as a way for DAP to distance itself from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) comic.

“I strongly suggest that the Penang state government and DAP Central Executive Committee reconsider any form of assistance provided to the ACCM,” said Mahdzir in a statement today.

He said the move was necessary as the party had never given any mandate to Hew, who is the ACCM curator, to publish the comic.

I support Mahdzir's call; Teh Hoong Kiet was being blindly supportive of Hew and while loyal, was basically tokking-kok.

Hew Kuan Yau was a former DAP member who "resigned" in 2016 after he allegedly made some crude rude & racist comments during a previous Sarawak state election as well as saying preposterously (for a Malaysian) that the South China sea belongs to China.

Yes, there are a few Chinese Malaysians, Chinese Singaporeans and even Chinese Aussies who are very supportive of their ancestral land, and proud of China's achievement during its brief 50 years of modern renaissance where the country (not too long ago was once the 'sick man' of Asia) went from rusty plough to supersonic stealth fighter plane and spacecraft.

While a Chinese Malaysian can admire and applaud China's achievements, he/she has to be careful not to become too much of a China enthusiast, wakakaka.

We know Hew "resigned" in 2016 to save the party's face and multiracial reputation which was an admirable act on his part. But quite a number of people know that the party, despite its claim that Hew is NOT a member now, is suspected to still maintain close and cosy links with Hew - he has been too loyal a party member (ex as he might be now) to ignore or abandon.

He became head (curator) of the Asia Comic Cultural Museum (ACCM) which is supported by the Penang state government - read that as Penang DAP Party.

MM Online informed us:

The museum is a Penang state government project managed by state agency, Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC).

“The aim of the museum is to build a platform for the art of comics, to cultivate an appreciation for comics and to inspire the young through art,” said PYDC chief executive officer Teng Kok Liang.

He emphasised that the museum is not an ordinary 3D museum but one that showcases the cultural and historical significance of comics in Asia through several decades.

The museum is divided into nine different sections with each specially dedicated to artists and comics from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea respectively.

Controversial Malaysian cartoonist Zunar has a whole zone to himself featuring information about him and his work.

Other Malaysians are Lat and his Kampung Boy comics, Gila-Gila magazine and Eddie See’s popular Chinese comics, Gemeilia.

DAP Tan Kok Wai, who is Malaysia's Special Envoy to China and also Chair of the Malaysia-China Business Council (MCBC) appointed Hew as the CEO of MCBC early this year.

Tan said Hew's qualifications for the job cannot be doubted as the latter is an expert on China with his decade-long business management experience there, stating that Hew had studied in Guangzhou and Hong Kong and has a PhD in history from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Tan also pointed out Hew’s “good grasp and understanding” of international diplomacy following his experience and engagement with the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), an international youth NGO with the United Nations.

Be that as it may, the Gerakan Party in Penang threw a spanner in the DAP works when its chief on the island, Oh Tong Keong, also called on the Penang government (DAP) to review its funding of the ACCM.

Malaysiakini reported:

Oh cited other privately-owned museums in Penang, such as the Glass Museum, Camera Museum, Ghost Museum, Art Museum, Gold Museum, Upside Down Museum, Chinese Cultural Museum, etc, that have sprung up.

“Is the Penang Harapan state government or DAP willing to pay rental for these more than 30 museums? They are also promoting tourism. Should the state government also give them the same treatment as Hew and ACCM?” he asked.

Wakakaka.

There's no denying Superman Hew is eminently qualified to be CEO of the MCBC, but his pro China enthusiasm has tripped him kaukau this time with his propaganda-like comics, which to make matters worse, was distributed to schools. Wait, there's more bad news - Lim Guan Eng wrote its Forward, wakakaka.

However, I don't believe Mahathir did not know of the comics as he was photographed with Chinese President Xi looking at it. Mahathir knows it's politically not to his personal interest if he is seen by the Malay "Dignity?" community as condoning a pro China comics, wakakaka.

no doubt proud of a Malaysian comics which ampu the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

but now, acting 'dunno' - podah to 'Dignity' lah

While the DAP leadership is attempting to distance themselves from the ACCM and its pro China comics, the DAP grassroots are obdurately or loyally sticking up for Hew. As I mentioned in my previous post
Maszlee's problem with Chinese Malaysians:

Problem is no Chinese Malaysia trusts, respects nor likes poor Maszlee Malik, who has not an iota of credibility with the local Chinese community. They would have probably considered ill of the Education Minister's action even when it is correct in this instance.

Not unlike the boy who cried "wolves" too many times, though with quite different scenarios, he is no longer believed nor trusted even when he is right.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik 

This could possibly be the reason or reaction (I'm only speculating) of quite a few DAP members including some ADUNs in showing support for the book (purely in defiance of & objection to Maszlee's instructions to prohibit distribution of the comics to schools), which the Star Online said might have led to the rakyat’s perception that it was the party’s official stand on the issue.

Such is the venomous toxicity of Malaysian politics, though the blame has to be spread among all the parties.