By : Yin Ee Kiong 2010
Even as we condemn UMNO for the recent fire-bombing of churches, the other component parties of BN are not totally blameless. While UMNO has consistently played the race and religion cards the other parties have consistently failed to stand up against it.
By allowing UMNO to have its way the other parties have abetted the crime.
The issue is simply this: Should the use of ‘Allah’ be allowed?
The court has delivered its verdict on this (even though a higher court has exercised a stay order which to its credit the Catholic Church has agreed to). But that aside, while we know UMNO’s stand on this matter, what is the stand of the other non-UMNO component parties in BN? In the past we have seen them turn tail in the face of UMNO displeasure; will they find their spine this time?
My own take of the matter is as follows:
Whatever the final ruling on this matter, we cannot continue to give in to extremists. It’s gone beyond the A word. It’s about mob rule and whether we should again give in to religious bigots and extremists.
Unfortunately because the government has always given in to the extremist elements (most of it from UMNO it must be said) this has set a pattern.
Examples:
¨The APCET Case (which the court has now awarded 30,000 ringgit each to the plaintiffs)
¨ The threat to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall by UMNO Youth
¨The Article 11 incident in Penang where instead of arresting the demonstrators (which the police would gladly have done were they Opposition members) ordered the meeting to be ended.
¨ The Cow Head Demonstration and before that issues of conversions, demolishing of
temples, obstructing the building of churches etc.
With all that kind of track record, should anyone be surprised with what has happened. It is a matter of sooner or later, and now it has happened.
In the past UMNO, if not openly encouraging extremists, has at least given them a nod and a wink. This invariably happens whenever UMNO wants to up the ante in the face of its eroding popularity, it sends in its storm troopers from UMNO Youth.
Over the years there have been many other instances where the government has pandered to these extremists. The government has often argued that (as Najib has done) “you can’t stop people from protesting”. This when it suits them. The freedom to protest unfortunately is reserved only for BN.
I never understand the logic that the way to respond to a bully is to give in to him. As we know giving in to bullying only encourages more bullying.
Had the government applied the law fairly and without bias, and nip such actions in the bud – whichever quarter it comes from - then I believe we won’t have seen the fire bombings of churches that we have today.
We cannot rule by shifting and wavering according to where the government perceives the votes to be coming from. The government cannot say that because of the threat by certain Malay or Muslim religious extremists it will therefore not apply the law. A country cannot be governed like that. We have the constitution and we have laws and those who flout them must be dealt with accordingly.
This is not to say that we should not apply the law wisely, but ultimately extremist elements must learn that they cannot have their way.
Is there a danger of widespread racial/religious unrest a la May 13?
I don’t think so.
2010 is not 1969.
There is a very large middle class of educated and liberal Malays. There is better access to alternative media – people are better informed. This trouble is started by only a very small section of the Malays (albeit with UMNO’s tacit approval). Most Malays have nothing to do with these protests. Unlike 1969, the Malays today have much to lose and they will not tolerate a few hooligans spoiling it for them.
More importantly Malay leaders from the Opposition are not supporting this ‘jihad’. PAS has in fact backed the court’s ruling – contrary to Najib’s calculations. And not every UMNO member is in support of it either, although I suspect there are those who are desperate enough to do anything to save their sinking ship – including risking racial strife.
The non-Muslims are not going to make trouble – they are too preoccupied with making a living. Malaysians, whatever their ethnicity or religion are by and large peace loving. They are more interested in ‘cari makan’ than ‘cari gadoh’.
However there are those who call for the non-Muslims to abandon the use of ‘Allah’ for the sake of peace. If only it were so easy. Do the Sikhs now have to remove ‘Allah’ from their holy book? Would Christians who have been using the word all these years (without any trouble) have to stop using it just because lately it has become taboo?
More to the point, when do we stop appeasing the bullies? If not ‘Allah’ then it will be something else. At some point we must draw a line in the sand.
If UMNO had hoped to gain leverage by exploiting this situation it has seriously miscalculated. It has now virtually lost Peninsula Malaysia. More than ever it now depends on Sabah and Sarawak to survive. The majority of the population in both our eastern states are non-Muslims. In fact the majority are Christians and they are not going to take this sitting down.
Time will tell if the extremist bullies UMNO has nurtured will become uncontrollable.
Like the parent whose spoilt child has finally gone too far and now refuse to take responsibility, Najib is denying UMNO’s part in raising a monster. It won’t wash; the extremists we have today have not just popped up overnight. Najib himself was the poster boy of the extremist elements in UMNO Youth during his kris waving days as President.
He now asks that fingers not be pointed at him and UMNO.
Why not? Did he and Hishamuddin not encourage the mob albeit indirectly?
For the government to continue to block the use of ‘Allah’ and to withhold the Bibles even when the Islamic party PAS has agreed to its use, is tantamount to condoning what has happened.
