MALAYS MUST WAKE UP TO RUSE OF ELITES

Twenty-Two13:

MALAYS MUST WAKE UP TO RUSE OF ELITES

By MOHAMED GHOUSE NASURUDDIN

During feudalism, their minds were shackled by the adat, blind loyalty and derhaka. Derhaka is the opposition to royal dictates as when Hang Jebat opposed the Sultan for summarily sentencing Hang Tuah to death for consorting with the palace maiden Dang Wangi.

Blind loyalty is when Hang Tuah, to serve and carry out the decree of the Sultan, killed his comrade in arms Hang Jebat who rebelled to exonerate and avenge him.

the late (allahyarhum) Kassim Ahmad was the first Malay intellectual, writer, poet and an educator

who questioned-challenged the popular status of Hang Tuah as a Malay hero, a legendary warrior mentioned extensively in The Malay Annals and Hikayat Hang Tuah.

Kassim instead argued that Hang Tuah's antagonist Hang Jebat was the hero. In Malay legends, Hang Tuah fought and killed his sworn brother Hang Jebat who rose up against an unjust sultan. The former is celebrated for his loyalty to the sultan, despite suffering injustice from the courts.

Kassim was preparing for his doctorate degree in political science in 1976 when the government detained him without trial for five years.

In 1984, he wrote Hadis: Satu Penilaian Semula, a book questioning the role of hadith in Islam, and ignited a debate on Quranism in Malaysia. The book was banned by the Home Ministry in 1986.

He passed away in Kulim, Kedah, on October 10, 2017 

Adat are unwritten conventions that favour the royals and the courtiers, such as biar mati anak jangan mati adat and all other such conventions that degrade the rakyat to be in perpetual servitude.

It was erroneously believed that Merdeka would unshackle the servitude of Malays and afford them freedom of thought and actions unencumbered by the dictates of officialdom.

It was not to be, first because the feudal mentality has been ingrained in them through traditions and conventions that favour the elites. And second is the continuation of feudalism as neo-feudalism in the guise of Malay-styled democracy.

The feudal roles were taken over by the Malay elites and politicians who demanded unwavering loyalty and gratitude for being the protector of the people.

For the past 60 years, these elite families and the courtiers have carved out the wealth of this country for themselves.

Timber and agricultural lands, and minerals were divided among themselves.

Likewise, business and corporate ventures. The people of course were given out crumbs as handouts.

And the Malays have become accustomed to the culture of receiving paltry handouts and are gullible and willing to trade their self worth for the obtuse promise of protecting their dignity.

The elites and politicians took advantage of this weakness to manipulate the Malays and to demand unbridled loyalty as their protectors.

Another element that the elites and politicians conjured up to make the Malays dependent on them and to regard them as their saviour is the spectre of the Malays losing their rights, religion and identity purportedly to the non-Malays.

In the first place, how could the Malays lose their rights and identity when the people who are supposed to preserve and advance their lots are Malays themselves.

From the Sultans and Rajas, ministers, civil servants, armed forces, teachers, academicians are almost all Malays.

How could the Malays lose their rights, religion and identity when the Malays control every level of governance?

It is merely a political ruse to put fear in the Malays and to hoodwink them to depend on their so-called protectors who are the elites and courtiers.

In this manner, the Malays become subservient and are easily manipulated to serve the agenda of the courtiers, political and corporate elites.

They put such fear in the people just so they could cling to power to squander the country’s wealth.

Their leadership has been proven to be ineffective and most of them lack the moral and ethical qualities to truly manage the affairs of the country for the benefit of the people; but only for themselves.

Their justification of clinging to power at all costs is that the country needs them. In fact, it is the civil service that actually manages the country.

All decisions by the politicians are based on the recommendation of the civil servants.

For example, during this Covid-19 pandemic, the civil servants hold the fort while the politicians are busy politicking, undermining their opponents to ensure their political survival.

In fact, the country can do without politicians for they contribute nothing but misery.

This servitude even extends to the rule of law, which the elites and politicians manipulate to serve their interests.

The rule of law is tilted in favour of the rich and powerful while the common man bears the brunt of the law.

Everyone is equal under the law except the politicians.

It is the Malay elites who undermine the lot of the ordinary Malays.

They create the dilemma and fear in the Malay psyche by playing the 3R card – race, religion and royalty – to destabilise the Malays and engender a syndrome of dependence and helplessness.

They promote the notion that they are the lifeblood of the country and the salvation for the common Malays.

They want the people to forever be in servitude to enable them to cling to power and rule as neo-feudal lords.

It is high time the Malays wake up to this ruse and take charge of their lives by taking back the country from the Malay elites.

It will also debunk the notion that they are the saviours of the Malays when in fact, they are the vampires sucking the lifeblood of the Malays.