Malaysian tales of love and loathing
By : Mariam Mokhtar

If there ever was a time when Malaysians should speak up on behalf of people, whose rights are being curtailed, that time is now.

But last Friday (12 March), a new twist was added to this freedom of expression when khutbahs, or sermons, throughout mosques in Selangor addressed the congregation, with the chilling message that the Muslim women’s NGO, Sisters in Islam, was insulting the religion.

And to make it personal, the SIS Director, Dr. Hamidah Marican, was singled out for condemnation.

Maybe it comes as no surprise that none of the religious officials was censured for making this abhorrent speech. If Islam is the religion of peace, how is it possible that an inflammatory sermon such as this was allowed to be delivered? True to fashion, when it comes to prosecution, some groups are allowed leniency whereas others are not allowed any leeway.

This is Muslim against Muslim, but the only difference here is that a woman’s organisation was involved. And yet it was a women’s NGO which dared to condemn the harsh and degrading treatment against a fellow Muslim, albeit a woman.

The irony is that the three defenseless women, who were caned, were given a voice by SIS. But, when the religious officials addressed an assembled audience and preached hate against SIS, this NGO was unable to defend itself nor reach out in a similar public manner. Who will speak up for SIS, if not us?

We dare call ourselves a religion that practices equality and peace, do we? It is the people who issued the khutbahs who are the ones who have desecrated the good name of the religion with their incendiary talk.

According to the JAIS representative, Mohd Hidayat Abd. Rani, the contents of their sermons are factual and focused on current issues that affect the Muslim community. He confirmed that sermons were scrutinized by a committee before they were distributed throughout Selangor.

It is shocking, inappropriate and irresponsible that a sermon such as this was even authorised. The roots of this arose when three Muslim women were surreptitiously caned in early February by the authorities.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) swiftly issued a press statement condemning this unjust and degrading treatment. An article by P. Gunasegaram, the Managing Editor of The Star, called ‘Persuasion not Compulsion’ soon followed.

SIS and Gunasegaram were like the several thousand people, from within and outside Malaysia, who protested about these humiliating and degrading acts. It was a serious matter; Civil law precludes women from whipping and another case involving a woman to be whipped, had to be resolved first. (Her punishment was for drinking beer).

Many people are probably aware that police reports have now been made against SIS and also P. Gunasegaram. Most right minded people also realise that they were only exercising their rights as a citizen or civil society organisation, to speak publicly about injustices.

The police have already begun an investigation under Section 298(A) of the Penal Code for “causing, etc., disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing, etc., the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion”.

But why are the police investigating a legitimate action by a civil society organisation, such as SIS?

Does that mean to say that inciting hate from a pulpit, does not contravene Section 298(A)? Why the double standards? And why are religious preachers not spreading the message of peace, goodwill, cooperation and love for your fellow man?

Events in history have warned us of what can happen when people do not come to the defense of others whose civil liberties have been taken away.

Sadly, in Malaysia, those who dare speak up are themselves seized upon by the authorities. And uppermost in everybody’s mind is the hypocrisy and extreme sexism that exists.

Speaking-out against an injustice does not equate with insulting the religion. But speaking out about syariah legislation that has been poorly drafted or inadequately scrutinized, and which then causes perverse outcomes, is absolutely necessary.

The religious authorities, JAIS and other relevant bodies must end the atmosphere of mutual suspicion and distrust. It is detrimental to both Muslims and non-Muslims. It is apparent that it is not just the legislation that needs amending, but their whole culture and attitude that requires a complete rethink.

And for starters, Dr. Hamidah Marican, P. Gunasegaram and the respective organisations they represent, deserve an unconditional apology.

Postcards From Shenzhen
By Yin Ee Kiong

(25 years ago ago nobody heard of Shenzhen. Today it has a population of nearly 15 million people, much more than Hong Kong. It is a city built from scratch within 22 years from a small fishing village. Since then, foreign nationals have invested more thanUS$30 billion for building factories and forming joint ventures. It is now reputedly one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Being the mainland China's major financial centre, it is also the second busiest port in mainland China, ranking only after Shanghai...KS)

I have been asked ‘Why no postcards?”
The truth is I have been off my stride since returning from England.
Nothing much has happened that is worth telling to be frank.

Well . . . a stupid guy was caught on camera dragging his dog on his motorbike and the poor dog is off his feet and is skinned on the rough road surface. People shouted at him but he just ignored them.
I can see the collective fingers out and pointing and the stereotypical jibes that Chinamen are cruel to animals and are dog eaters etc. Yes the Chinese eat dogs but so do Koreans, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodians and Filipinos (no, I think in the Philippines they like cats) – but not all Chinese.
But the Chinese attitude to dogs is changing very quickly. They are loved as pets more than as dishes these days. Pooches are pampered and a dog’s life no longer means a dog’s life. Pet shops flourish and vets are doing well.
The final proof that attitudes to dogs have changed is the proposed legislation by the government to make eating dog illegal! Governments are usually a few steps behind social trends, so if the government’s ban is merely a reflection of the changed social attitude to dogs. Amen.
Some things don’t change though. I saw the same ‘antiques finder’ squatting in the same spot not many weeks ago with his new find caked in mud. Actually the ‘new find’ looked suspiciously like the one I saw last time. He had the same serious and frightened look of one who has unearthed a treasure and afraid the authorities will come after him for not declaring a national treasure. If I am not mistaken the gentleman ‘buyer’ with his pretend interest was the same guy who bargained with him the last time. This time there was no crowd – not when I left. Like me, they are not falling for this one. But there will be other suckers – with one born everyday it’s a big market for conmen.
The Spring Festival (which we call Chinese New Year) is over and for every ten who went, rumour is only 2 or 4 returned. As the economy filters to the provinces people prefer to stay back as they can find work there. There must be some truth to this rumour. Shenzhen’s factories are reporting a shortage of 200,000 workers. The recent jobs fair has not been able to fill the vacancies. Employers are having to raise their pay to attract workers.
Oh yes, the authorities are serious about keeping clean. The local government in Guanzhou (Canton to the colonialists) brought out a set of rules for occupants in government flats. It covers everything from noise pollution to littering. Offenders will be given penalty points. Once you have acquired twenty points you will be kicked out. The only thing that is missing is a rule against spitting. And that is one of the foulest habits of the Chinese. I can understand why this is not in the rules – those making them are probably big spitters themselves. Spit is everywhere – like oysters on the road – big slimy blobs – puts me off raw oyster or even O Chien. When the Chinese conquer this anti social practice we can then say they have arrived socially.
The 11th session of the Central Planning Congress is still going on. In the opening address last week, Wien Jia Pao acknowledged the people of China, the people of Taiwan, of the SARs – Hong Kong and Macau and then Overseas Chinese everywhere. That’s me and all you with Chinese ancestry. This is the standard address in all major state events – the celebration of the 60th Anniversary etc.
I hesitated about bringing this up as I can see the UMNO and Malay extremist lot sharpening their krises ready to drive the China-kui back to Tong San. They will put two and two together and get five.
I have said so before, there is nothing wrong with ethnic pride. American Italians are proud of their Italian heritage, the Irish celebrate St Patrick’s day and are proud of great Irishmen like Joyce. The Indian spacewoman who was in the tragic mission acknowledged her father’s homeland India and so on and so forth. It’s similar to the pride the Malays take in Islamic Civilisation. We can’t ask them to balek Arabia are we?
I am 100% loyal to Malaysia and I love my country. So do the millions of Chinese and Indian Malaysians. And I am sure the Malays love Rhiau where they come from, just as the Bugis, Minangkabaus, Mandalings, Achenese, Boyanese etc have links with the various places in Indonesia where they came from. No one questions their loyalty to Malaysia because of that.
We have come in different ships, at different times to make Malaysia our home; that this is our home now is what matters, not where we came from. We are all in the same boat, either we row together or sink together.

Went back to Dafen Art Village after six months. Still the same copycat artists but the place has spruced up a bit. Went to see an artist friend and had tea with him. At the same time there was another guy – Steve Cheong, calligrapher and art collector. Spoke great English without a trace of Chinese (one can only surmise he studied abroad). Very urbane with an easy charm, much like someone I know, the same sharp features and enigmatic smile. Steve is a recognized calligrapher. I am told his calligraphy sells for 12,000 or more – more when he dies, he laughs. He has stories of the ones that got away . . . which now sells for seven figures. It’s taking a chance, buying art, espy of emerging but yet unknown artists. The point is to buy what you enjoy and any gain will be just a bonus. That I have heard others say too. He was writing the calligraphy for my artist friend – on his painting. It’s a pleasure to watch him work – the easy sweep of the brush, the control. That was the first time I’ve met him. But he generously offered help “See me if you need any help. I mean it!”. Who is Steve Cheong? There’s more to him than meets the eye I feel.

Luohu is at the end of the metro line (no?). It took us one and the half hours to get there from our place. First bus 369 (or 42) to Shi Jie Zi Chuang – Window on the World. Then the metro – 15 stops. You can go to Penang from Ipoh in that time. Luohu is next to Hong Kong – it’s the entry point. We are told that here you have the best dim sum in Shenzhen. Because Hongkies come over to eat (cheaper) the standard is high. It must be good because we had to wait one hour for a table. Friends from Medan came and they insisted on eating there – apa mau buat?
After lunch one of them insisted on a massage. The place we went to must be a massage palace – it’s all five floors of it maybe incorporating a hotel (knocking shop more like it).
Anyway it was big and business was good. And the massage? Well I cannot tell on the grounds that it may incriminate me!


It’s a slow news day in Shenzhen as you can see.

So I will tell you a bit about England. I will confess that it’s like going home.
Yes, I am again making myself a target of UMNO and the so called nationalists who think that liking another country is akin to disloyalty. Balderdash!

We all have attachments of one sort or another. It was good to see the alma mater. I went back to the Vicarage at 132 Trinity St. to view my room which overlooked the graveyard. I paid only 2.50 (pounds) per week for digs. It was cheap even then. It had one of those slot machine gas heater and you had to keep feeding it to keep warm. The room was huge. Rev John Poole has since passed away. One thing, I never went to church all the time I was there and Rev Poole never minded. I was not able to get in to get a whiff of the musty old place because the vicar was not around. I went around the town looking up familiar places like old friends – the George Hotel by the railway station. I waited at tables there – the maitre d then was Angelo, a kindly Italian who was a really smooth operator. The town hall where I waited at the Mayor’s Ball and kept giving drinks to the wrong people because they all looked alike. The canal which has since been cleaned up and is now a very attractive feature of the town. Barges used to come up these canals. Green Head Park, the Yorkshire Grey where gays used to hang out. I wonder if Highball Chinese Restaurant is still there – there was no time to see everything. It was where I washed dishes most nights – George and Peter two brothers from Hongkong ran a successful business catering to after pub hours customers.
Huddersfield still has the mill town feel about it. It was a very prosperous mill town and people from all over the world went there to buy woolen materials. Even when I was there the Japanese and Canadians etc still came. That’s all over now. While it is not run down, the place has still the working class feel about – flat caps and workingmen’s clubs – a Labour stronghold. Harold Wilson came from there. Huddersfield was quite multicultural then and even more so now. When you have Ali & Sons Fish and Chips it must be multicultural!

You read about the racial troubles in England – espy about the Muslims. While we won’t accuse the press of lying, we can safely say they have sensationalise the whole issue of race and religion. On the whole people get along very well with each other.
Making our way to Elland Road on an icy night with the ex Chief Police Constable of Yorkshire and a friend, we were stopped by a taxi. The driver yelled out ‘Want a lift?” He had such a broad Yorkshire accent if you closed your eyes you’d never have guessed he was a darkie from the sub continent. We piled in . In the front was his wife who wore a tudung, She also has a Yorkshire accent. People are generally friendly and there’s no racial problem on the whole.
I guess it’s the same in Malaysia. People generally get along with each other and neither race nor religion matters. Despite the deterioration in recent times – thanks to the politicians – overall it’s still good. But the way we are going, for how long? And while churches are fire bombed in Malaysia, in England old churches have become mosques and muslim schools. In Lancaster one has been taken over by the Sultan of Lancaster. Spend ten pounds on any meal and you get a datoship. Spend fifty pounds a Tan Sri. And why not, our sultans do it!
People have no problem with turning an edifice from one religious use to another. Can you imagine a mosque becoming a church or vice versa in Malaysia?
Probably there will be no problems with the majority but unfortunately the majority are too often silent. It’s not the extremist minority that is our problem in Malaysia, it’s the silent majority – it’s the apathy of the majority, the smugness of the middle class. Their silence will cost them dearly.

While on religious, the Manchester train station has provided a prayer room where all religions can go to pray – Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists. It’s a place for quiet religious reflection. A place where all religions can pray together. I saw some Muslim guys entering it as did other non-muslim guys (I can only guess they are not . . . unless they reveal themselves).

Well we are all friendly except where football is concerned, then tribalism takes over.
It was great the atmosphere, the chanting, singing, taunting the opponents and their supporters. If the abuse thrown at the Spurs fans was bad I can’t imagine what ManUre fans get. How I love to be there to give the scumbags a few choice Malaysian swear words. Marching on together. . .We are Leeds! Up Ye Whites! Yorkshire pride!

England is doing well. I sense a prosperity which wasn’t there when I lived there. The supermarkets are great – just like those in America. One is spoilt for choice – there must be at least thirty different beers – from Tsingtao, to Orangeboom, to unpronounceable East European. And it’s not just liquour – it’s everything.
People are driving big Audis, Benzes, Beemers and every foreign make – except Proton. I used to see a few Protons in the past but not a single one now.

And of course the papers – what great reads! Informed writing, all views published. You take your pick which slant you go for – the Conservative Daily Mail and Telegraph, the left of centre, Guardian. The more centrist Independent or if While on religious, the Manchester train station has provided a prayer room where all religions can go to pray – Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists. It’s a place for quiet religious reflection. A place where all religions can pray together. I saw some Muslim guys entering it as did other non-muslim guys (I can only guess they are not . . . unless they reveal themselves).
you just want boobs, then turn to page three of the Sun (some things don’t change). What about the sensational News of the World or the Mirror – I worked at the Shamrock pub which got most of its trade from the printers at the Mirror (we got free papers literally off the press).

It was a home coming of sorts, a sentimental journey.

(Please note Postcards from SZ is always written off the cuff so bear with the typos etc)
Copyright @ Yin Ee Kiong 2009