S Thayaparan
Published: Jun 30, 2025 8:01 AM
Updated: 10:01 AM
“Non-Malays and non-Muslims had never asked to take the prime minister's position, so why introduce something that was never an issue?”
COMMENT | Now, of course, what PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s son-in-law posted was racist. Here’s the thing, though: does it warrant the kind of outrage that non-Malay/Muslim political operatives are exhibiting?
I mean, if they aspired to the highest post in the land, if non-Malay/Muslim children were encouraged to aspire to the highest civilian position in the land, if the system encouraged inclusive participation in political process where non-Malays/Muslims actively pursued the post of prime minister, then I could understand the outrage.
I would be outraged if I were told that there was something wrong if a non-Malay/Muslim were to be the prime minister of this country.
But the system is not set up this way. Non-Malay/Muslim political operatives do not participate in the process as equals. In fact, they make sure that the base and the younger generation of non-Malays/Muslims know their place in the ketuanan system.
The quote that opens this piece is from 2017, when PAS mooted the idea of making a constitutional amendment to make the post of prime minister solely for Muslims.
Non-Malays/Muslims have internalised the fact that they could never be prime minister of this country, and even if they dreamt such dreams, the non-Malay/Muslim political establishment would shut them down.
Remember how MCA weaponised this issue back in the day? In 2011, Lim Guan Eng had to fend off accusations by the MCA that he wanted to be prime minister.
Published: Jun 30, 2025 8:01 AM
Updated: 10:01 AM
“Non-Malays and non-Muslims had never asked to take the prime minister's position, so why introduce something that was never an issue?”
- Lim Guan Eng circa 2017
COMMENT | Now, of course, what PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s son-in-law posted was racist. Here’s the thing, though: does it warrant the kind of outrage that non-Malay/Muslim political operatives are exhibiting?
I mean, if they aspired to the highest post in the land, if non-Malay/Muslim children were encouraged to aspire to the highest civilian position in the land, if the system encouraged inclusive participation in political process where non-Malays/Muslims actively pursued the post of prime minister, then I could understand the outrage.
I would be outraged if I were told that there was something wrong if a non-Malay/Muslim were to be the prime minister of this country.
But the system is not set up this way. Non-Malay/Muslim political operatives do not participate in the process as equals. In fact, they make sure that the base and the younger generation of non-Malays/Muslims know their place in the ketuanan system.
The quote that opens this piece is from 2017, when PAS mooted the idea of making a constitutional amendment to make the post of prime minister solely for Muslims.
Non-Malays/Muslims have internalised the fact that they could never be prime minister of this country, and even if they dreamt such dreams, the non-Malay/Muslim political establishment would shut them down.
Remember how MCA weaponised this issue back in the day? In 2011, Lim Guan Eng had to fend off accusations by the MCA that he wanted to be prime minister.
DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng
"Chua (Soi Lek) is unethical, immoral, and irresponsible for referring to a Facebook page '1M Malaysians Support Lim Guan Eng To Be Prime Minister Of Malaysia' when making his remarks," Guan Eng told the media in Butterworth.
"It seems that the MCA is now working with Utusan Malaysia to attack us; they are in the same boat, playing the same dirty tactics."
Equality
Also keep in mind that the non-Malays/Muslims and the DAP base would never entertain the idea of a non-Malay/Muslim prime minister because that would not be “pragmatic”.
This, of course, proves the big lie that of fighting for equality and the non-Malay/Muslim place under the Malaysian sun is a desideratum of the DAP.
“Equality” is, unfortunately, an all-or-nothing proposition, and while there will always be systemic imbalances that need to be addressed, there should always be equality before the law and a constitution that recognises such imperatives.
I realise that many non-Malays/Muslims do not subscribe to my views on this issue, but ultimately, when we pick through the wreckage of this country, historians will realise that we never really had a chance because we never really had a committed civil rights movement to stem the tide of racial and religious supremacy.
Two years ago, the grand old man of Malaysian politics and someone who, even though I have criticised, I still consider one of the few remaining Malaysian originals, Lim Kit Siang, was investigated by the state for having the audacity to claim that one day Malaysia may have a non-Muslim prime minister.
"Chua (Soi Lek) is unethical, immoral, and irresponsible for referring to a Facebook page '1M Malaysians Support Lim Guan Eng To Be Prime Minister Of Malaysia' when making his remarks," Guan Eng told the media in Butterworth.
"It seems that the MCA is now working with Utusan Malaysia to attack us; they are in the same boat, playing the same dirty tactics."
Equality
Also keep in mind that the non-Malays/Muslims and the DAP base would never entertain the idea of a non-Malay/Muslim prime minister because that would not be “pragmatic”.
This, of course, proves the big lie that of fighting for equality and the non-Malay/Muslim place under the Malaysian sun is a desideratum of the DAP.
“Equality” is, unfortunately, an all-or-nothing proposition, and while there will always be systemic imbalances that need to be addressed, there should always be equality before the law and a constitution that recognises such imperatives.
I realise that many non-Malays/Muslims do not subscribe to my views on this issue, but ultimately, when we pick through the wreckage of this country, historians will realise that we never really had a chance because we never really had a committed civil rights movement to stem the tide of racial and religious supremacy.
Two years ago, the grand old man of Malaysian politics and someone who, even though I have criticised, I still consider one of the few remaining Malaysian originals, Lim Kit Siang, was investigated by the state for having the audacity to claim that one day Malaysia may have a non-Muslim prime minister.
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang
From reportage: He spoke of the possibility of a non-Malay prime minister in Malaysia when commenting on how Barack Obama, who is African-American, could become the president of the United States after more than 230 years since the founding of the country.
Kit Siang, however, said that for a non-Malay to become the prime minister is a "statement of fact", not a "statement of reality", and he did not expect it to happen within the next 100 years.
According to Kit Siang, his statement was also supported by the fact that the Federal Constitution provides that non-Malays can become prime minister.
PAS and ketuanan establishment
PAS and the ketuanan establishment obsess over a "Chinese PM” because they are acutely aware of how the non-Muslim bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak have just as much right as anyone (in Malaysia) to aspire to the highest office in the land.
They realise that there is an awakening in Sabah and Sarawak, and who knows what kind of political realignment will emerge from a nationalistic Sabah and Sarawak. And if non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak who are bumiputera can become prime minister, why not non-Muslims in the peninsula?
Non-Malay/Muslim political operatives exhibit outrage because it is good politics for their base. It doesn't mean that they want to change the system, and indeed they wouldn’t because this would give ammo to the ketuanan establishment.
Of course, PAS wants to distance itself from what Hadi’s son-in-law said, but that is just for politics, too.
From reportage: He spoke of the possibility of a non-Malay prime minister in Malaysia when commenting on how Barack Obama, who is African-American, could become the president of the United States after more than 230 years since the founding of the country.
Kit Siang, however, said that for a non-Malay to become the prime minister is a "statement of fact", not a "statement of reality", and he did not expect it to happen within the next 100 years.
According to Kit Siang, his statement was also supported by the fact that the Federal Constitution provides that non-Malays can become prime minister.
PAS and ketuanan establishment
PAS and the ketuanan establishment obsess over a "Chinese PM” because they are acutely aware of how the non-Muslim bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak have just as much right as anyone (in Malaysia) to aspire to the highest office in the land.
They realise that there is an awakening in Sabah and Sarawak, and who knows what kind of political realignment will emerge from a nationalistic Sabah and Sarawak. And if non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak who are bumiputera can become prime minister, why not non-Muslims in the peninsula?
Non-Malay/Muslim political operatives exhibit outrage because it is good politics for their base. It doesn't mean that they want to change the system, and indeed they wouldn’t because this would give ammo to the ketuanan establishment.
Of course, PAS wants to distance itself from what Hadi’s son-in-law said, but that is just for politics, too.
Hadi’s son-in-law sparks outrage after using Johnny Lim’s promotion to lieutenant general to craft a fictional “future” where a Chinese prime minister emerges via foreign-born lineage.
Keep in mind when Hadi’s son-in-law says this: “There was no explicit or implicit insult or belittling of the appointment. I meant to say that appointing a non-Muslim bumiputera is a norm, but a non-Malay PM should not be treated as normal like non-Malay appointments in the armed forces.”
This is exactly what the mainstream political establishment, Malays and non-Malays, subscribe to.
And, of course, all of this detracts from the failings of the reform government, which was supposed to bring reforms but instead relies on the BN era social contract to control the non-Malays/Muslims and appease the religious state through tax ringgit.
What did Noam Chomsky say? “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views.
“That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.”
Notice how everyone in Pakatan Harapan is attempting to define this outrage about a non-Malay/Muslim getting a promotion (the highest ever) in the armed forces, but nobody in Harapan is asking what is wrong with Malaysia having a Chinese prime minister?
Keep in mind when Hadi’s son-in-law says this: “There was no explicit or implicit insult or belittling of the appointment. I meant to say that appointing a non-Muslim bumiputera is a norm, but a non-Malay PM should not be treated as normal like non-Malay appointments in the armed forces.”
This is exactly what the mainstream political establishment, Malays and non-Malays, subscribe to.
And, of course, all of this detracts from the failings of the reform government, which was supposed to bring reforms but instead relies on the BN era social contract to control the non-Malays/Muslims and appease the religious state through tax ringgit.
What did Noam Chomsky say? “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views.
“That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.”
Notice how everyone in Pakatan Harapan is attempting to define this outrage about a non-Malay/Muslim getting a promotion (the highest ever) in the armed forces, but nobody in Harapan is asking what is wrong with Malaysia having a Chinese prime minister?
S THAYAPARAN is commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
Dhimis must know their appropriate position and status in an Islamic State.
ReplyDeleteKeep a low profile, don't make waves, don't reach for any political power, just earn your rice bowl, pay appropriate respect to Islamic authorities.
mfer, DON'T apply yr mfering subservient attitude towards yr zionist idol to the Nons of M'sia!
DeleteBTE, I truly believe u have never been a Non Median in actual sense. I r just a ketuanan proxy in disguise!