Saturday, 10 May 2025

More excretia spilling from bigoted shit-heads!

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No News Is Bad News

 

More excretia spilling from bigoted shit-heads!

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10, 2025: When racial and religious bigots like Dr Akmal “Ham/I Am Malay First unpatriotic” Saleh Umno youth chief question the rights and standing of non-Malay citizens, isn’t that a clear violation of the 3R (Race, Religion, Royalty)?

It was Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister (PMX) Anwar Ibrahim and his so-called Madani Unity Government (UG) that came up with the 3R.

Why then is Anwar and UG doing absolutely nothing to rein in or stop the bigots? 

 

In the latest attempt to shatter or threaten national unity and harmony, the bigots led by Akmal made ridiculous claims that Malaysia belongs to the Malays, not the pendatang pendatang (migrants) or non-Malays.

Also, was Sabah and Sarawak ever Tanah Melayu?

There are documentary and visual evidences to show to debunk the rubbish coming from the shit-head bigots like Akmal (view the above image) and his kinds.

 

The above image was posted on Facebook with this caption:

And we have Ak Mal and Malay, say that Tanah Melayu ada lagi, without realising Msia is own by all races who participated in the formation and development contributed by all races.
*Rafidah Aziz : Tanah Melayu Is No More – No Malaysian Should Be Regarded As Superior, More Special Or Of A Higher Class Than Others*
May 6
Stop saying Malay first, Tanah Melayu is no more, says Rafidah Aziz
Malays should stop identifying themselves by their race and accept that they live in a diverse nation, former Umno minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said .
She reminded the Malays that they no longer lived in Tanah Melayu, or Malaya, but were part of Malaysia, a multi-racial country. “I know, politically, some people don’t want (that). ‘I’m a Malay first’ (they say). “Where is your country? Tanah Melayu is no more. It’s Malaysia now,” she said in her public lecture at Universiti Malaya today.

In fact, if there is anyone who have the right to claim Malaya as theirs are the Orang Asli (original or first peoples in Malay), not the migrant Malays of the likes of Akmal and his racial and religious bigots!


No News Is Bad News reproduces below news on the issues:


News

Orang Asli – The Real Indigenous People Of Peninsular Malaysia – First Original Native Before The Arrival Of Malays

9 May, 2025

 

Orang Asli is a collective term (which means original or first peoples in Malay) for some 18 ethnic groups of less than 150,000 in total who are widely regarded as comprising peninsular Malaysia’s original inhabitants (in the sense that they pre-date the arrival of Malays)

Orang Asli is a collective term (which means original or first peoples in Malay) for some 18 ethnic groups of less than 150,000 in total who are widely regarded as comprising peninsular Malaysia’s original inhabitants (in the sense that they pre-date the arrival of Malays). They are generally divided into three distinct groupings: the Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay. The Temoq, Senoi and Negrito speak related languages known as Aslian, which belong to the Mon-Khmer family, while the ancestors of the Proto-Malay spoke languages that, like Malay, belonged to the Austronesian family of languages. The Proto-Malay group are similar in appearance to Malays, but of diverse origin. They live along the Strait of Malacca and in southern Johor. Some have adopted Islam and are being absorbed into the Malay community.

While perhaps half of the Orang Asli live in or close to forests, may be involved in hill rice cultivation or traditional hunting and gathering activities, others such as the Orang Seletar and Mah Meri live near the coast and fish. Still others, such as the Jakun, are involved in agriculture. A few Negritos continue a semi-nomadic lifestyle.

About 70 per cent practise traditional animist religions, about 10 per cent are Christian and 15–20 per cent Muslim, though the percentage of Orang Asli who are Muslim has been steadily increasing in more recent years, especially among the Proto-Malay.

Historical context

Prior to European colonization, the Malacca sultanate was based on the naval prowess of Orang Laut sailors in alliance with Malay rulers. However, other Orang Asli were captured and enslaved by Malays, and Orang Asli used to be referred to as sakai, meaning slave, or by the derogatory expression, semang.

The Orang Asli remained largely isolated until the middle of the nineteenth century and were able to maintain control over parts of the interior of the Malaysian peninsula, as they had little economic or strategic interest to colonial authorities. During the 1950s insurgency known as the Emergency however, communist (and ethnic Chinese) guerrillas often fled to the mountainous areas inhabited by the Orang Asli, some of whom cooperated with the guerrillas because of their traditional hostility towards Malays. The British established fortified settlements, often with health clinics or schools, to resettle the Orang Asli and isolate them from communist contact. A Department of Aborigines was created, which, after independence, eventually became the Department of Orang Asli Affairs. Official government policy is to convert the community to Islam.

From the 1960s, the Malaysian government began a policy of ‘integration’ which meant steps to modernize the Orang Asli by introducing cash-crop agriculture (and discouraging traditional hunter-gathering and nomadic activities), education (mainly in the Malay language), and replacing traditional leaders by government-appointed headmen.

From the 1980s the policy of integrating the Orang Asli has taken an even more pronounced religious connotation, as the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (the JHEOA) has activities aimed at spiritual development of the Orang Asli, widely seen to refer to the conversion of Orang Asli to Islam through a number of enticements.

Malaysia’s relative economic success after the 1980s and 1990s has brought with it increased pressure on the Orang Asli, especially in terms of land rights: large tracts of their traditional lands have been lost to plantations, factories, and other developments in the name of progress, often without any compensation.

Source : Minority

Orang Asli Culture, The real Indigenous People of Peninsular

Are they Malay? Nope.

The Orang Asli are the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, believed to be among the earliest inhabitants of the region, with origins dating back thousands of years. The term Orang Asli literally means “original people” in Malay, and it refers to a diverse group of ethnic communities who traditionally lived in the forests and hills of the peninsula.

 They are DISTINCT from the later-arriving Malays (Melayu) from Sumatera (modern Day Indonesia) and other Austronesian-speaking peoples who dominate much of Southeast Asia today.

 Linguistically and genetically, many Orang Asli groups particularly the Semang and Senoi are more closely linked to ancient Austroasiatic and even older hunter-gatherer populations. The Semang, for instance, speak languages related to MON-KHMER (related with Cambodian), which is part of the Austroasiatic language family. This connects them to peoples further north, like the Khmer in Cambodia or some hill tribes in Thailand, rather than to the Austronesian-speaking Malays or Indonesians.

Historically, the ancestors of the Orang Asli likely migrated into the Malay Peninsula long before the spread of Austronesian peoples, possibly as early as 50,000 years ago during early waves of human migration from Africa through South Asia. These early settlers adapted to forested environments, living in small, mobile communities. Over time, new waves of migrants first Austroasiatic and later Austronesian entered the region, intermixing to varying degrees with the indigenous populations. But many Orang Asli communities retained their distinct languages, customs, and physical characteristics.

In terms of appearance, the darker skin tone observed among some Orang Asli groups, particularly the Semang, is likely the result of adaptive evolution to tropical rainforest environments, much like other ancient populations across equatorial regions. Their physical features have often been described as resembling those of some Melanesian or African groups, though they are not directly related these are examples of convergent evolution, where similar environments shape similar traits in different populations.

Today, Orang Asli represent a small fraction of Malaysia’s population roughly around 150,000 people, which is less than 1% of the total.

Despite their long history, they have often faced marginalization, land rights challenges, and assimilation pressures from the dominant Malay-Muslim culture and government policies. Many now live in government-designated settlements, though some still maintain traditional forest-based lifestyles.

The story of the Orang Asli is a window into the deep prehistory of Southeast Asia.. an echo of ancient migrations, cultural resilience, and the enduring presence of the first peoples in a land that has seen many cultural shifts over millennia.

Source : SEA

Squatters in their own land – the Orang Asli of Malaysia

daud a/l Bah Belon sits cross-legged on the forest floor, weaving dried plant material together to make a traditional woven basket. The 43-year-old is a senior member of the Semai Orang Asli tribe of Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve in Pahang state, Malaysia.

Most weeks, Daud will trek in the forest near his village to collect the fibres and other plant materials required for the practice of craft-making. It’s a job that requires patience; crafters can sit for entire afternoons and evenings inside traditional elevated bamboo huts, and each woven basket can take weeks or even months to make. Daud’s community has resided in Ulu Jelai for generations, but now, the forest in which he collects materials is under threat.

A micro-hydro dam is being built in Pos Lenjang, the area of the reserve in which Daud’s community lives. Despite significant resistance to the project, swathes of forest have already been cut down for roads to give machinery and workers access to the remote location. The micro-hydro project, which villagers fear will pollute their waters and encroach upon their sacred sites, will be completed by the end of this year. 

Today, there are about 220,000 Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia – a term meaning ‘first’ or ‘native’ people that includes numerous Indigenous groups. As in other Orang Asli communities, members of the Semai community in Pos Lenjang depend on their surroundings for all aspects of their lives, including food, medicine and materials to build furniture and houses. 

‘Without the forest it would be hard to live,’ says Bah Sugi, a younger member of the community who spent ten years as a factory worker in the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, before returning to the village life he prefers. ‘We catch squirrels to eat and we make spears for hunting from the trees.’

The forest is also home to the plant materials that Semai weavers use to make their handcrafts. Common materials such as rattan and pandanus leaves, which are found in the forest, are woven together to make baskets, accessories and rucksacks, as well as furniture such as benches, floor mats and even the walls of traditional Orang Asli houses. With the assistance of local NGOs, craft-makers earn a supplementary income by selling their wares to cities and towns. Although cash-poor, Orang Asli have provided for themselves through forest resources and subsistence farming for generations.

Money isn’t everything here,’ according to Bek Raheed, another member of the Pos Lenjang community. Bek Raheed grew up in Sarawak, on neighbouring Borneo, but has lived in the settlement since 1997 after marrying his wife, who belongs to the Semai community. He runs an educational centre and homestay in Pos Lenjang, which welcomes researchers and the occasional tourist group.

‘It’s not like the outside,’ he explains. ‘It’s possible to live without money; they will still have food to eat. The government labels the Orang Asli as poor. ‘Technically it’s true, but they’ve never seen themselves as poor.’

Increasingly, Orang Asli communities are losing access to their land, through deforestation, logging and other developments, such as hydropower plants. Hydropower is increasingly important in meeting Malaysia’s energy and climate goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. But often, such projects are at the expense of Indigenous livelihoods. For Colin Nicholas, who founded the Center for Orang Asli Concerns in 1989, it’s no coincidence that Orang Asli territoriy is commonly targeted for hydro projects. 

‘If you look at the map of Peninsular Malaysia, you will see areas where there are still forests; this is where the Orang Asli mainly live,’ Nicholas says. ‘The Orang Asli, through their indigenous systems of land management and use, have been protecting and conserving these areas, which are now the last remaining resource frontiers in the peninsula.’

While the project in Pos Lenjang is small, it’s unlikely that the community will be forced to move. In the past, however, entire communities in Peninsular Malaysia and on Borneo have been relocated for hydropower projects. And hydropower isn’t the only factor contributing to the Orang Asli’s loss of land.

The last few decades have seen Malaysia develop rapidly, assisted by industries including timber, rubber and palm oil. Today, the country is the second-biggest producer of palm oil, responsible for around a third of the world’s supply; the industry contributes 2.5 per cent of the Malaysia’s GDP. 

The scramble for lucrative materials and haste to clear vast tracts of land for plantations has led to environmental devastation across the country. Between 2002 and 2022, Malaysia lost 2.85 million hectares of humid primary forest, making up a third of its total tree cover loss over the same time period. Between 2000 and 2012, Malaysia had the highest rate of deforestation in the world.

Today, many Indigenous communities exist on land that’s perceived to be valuable by outsiders with interests in timber and minerals, and for conversion into plantations. Encroachment into native land has led to the lowering of living standards among Orang Asli communities. When land is infringed upon by outsiders, basic rights to water, food and health are jeopardised. 

Today, the average lifespan of the Orang Asli is around 50 years. They have the lowest literacy rates in the country, are the most malnourished group and are frequently discriminated against.

‘The biggest threat to the Orang Asli is that their land is not recognised,’ says Bek Raheed. ‘They get moved to new settlements when their land is needed. These new settlements don’t offer the same resources as their ancestral land. Without the forest, it is very difficult for them to continue their traditions.’

Loss of land is leading to loss of cultural knowledge. The practice of craft-making for example, depends upon access to healthy forests; for every path cleared for projects such as hydro dams, the scarcity of plants for craft-making is increased.

‘The crafts become extremely limited if you go to an area where Orang Asli are surrounded by oil palm,’ says Wendi Sia, who runs a collective called Gerimis that produces artwork in collaboration with the Pos Lenjang Semai craft-makers. ‘To be able to do crafts, you need resources, and to be able to get those resources, you need to have a viable territory.’

At the heart of most of these battles for land is the fact that most Orang Asli communities don’t own the land on which they reside. The key piece of existing legislation dealing with the Orang Asli, the 1954 Aboriginal Peoples Act, deems that most of the forests they depend upon are owned by the Malaysian government, with very few areas recognised as belonging to Indigenous groups. Global NGO Minority Rights estimates that less than 20 per cent of Orang Asli villages in Malaysia are gazetted and set aside as Orang Asli areas or reserves.‘They are seen as squatters on the land, or the term used in law is “tenants at will”,’ says Nicholas. ‘This means they are tenants, not the owners, and if someone else wants the land, they have to go. They often get compensation for encroachment, but most people don’t want the cash.’

Increasing conflict over land has led to protests, courtroom battles and even cases where Orang Asli communities have erected blockades to stop loggers from entering their villages. There’s significant community resistance to the micro-hydro dam in Pos Lenjang. While the project is said to have been approved by the batin, or village headman, many in the community don’t favour it because it will be built near the community’s sacred hot spring.

‘The hot spring is the source of life of this forest,’ according to elder Bah Singin. It’s believed that spirits pass through the hot spring after a person dies; the water isn’t drunk but is reserved for healing practices. 

While many in the community aren’t against development as a whole, they argue that they weren’t afforded the right of prior informed consent for a project that will take place on their land.

Reports by activist groups, including Amnesty International, indicate that in Peninsular Malaysia, the government has a habit of appointing batins without adequately consulting the community. They then receive a monthly salary from state authorities, incentivising them to sign off on development projects. In many communities, these headmen side with the government.

The system of appointed headmen undermines the Orang Asli’s ability to self-govern and to choose leaders in accordance with their own procedures. Traditionally, there were no headmen in Semai society and it lacked a formal leadership structure. Instead, elders were consulted for most issues affecting the community, including conflict resolution.

The community in Pos Lenjang – like other Orang Asli communities – can see the benefit of some development projects. Enhanced roads provide economic opportunities for remote communities, as well as better access to health and educational facilities. ‘A road could help us sell crops to the city,’ says Raheed, Bek Raheed’s son, ‘it could help bring sick people out for medical attention.’

However, those in the community say they should have the right to self-determination when it comes to development projects. ‘As a Malaysian and someone who lives here – I want them to develop, while maintaining their land, forest and traditions,’ says Bek Raheed, ‘They should let the Orang Asli develop on their own terms.’

Past policies aimed at modernising or drawing Orang Asli people into mainstream society have had varying success. One such initiative saw government-funded concrete houses built in villages, but they were often quickly abandoned in favour of traditional bamboo houses that provide better insulation against the heat.

The Orang Asli possess invaluable knowledge about living harmoniously with nature. By displacing them from their natural habitat, we risk losing centuries-old wisdom, from intricate plant-identification techniques to the artistry of crafting essential tools and beautiful objects. In Pos Lenjang, further destruction of rainforest seems imminent as the hydro project is set to move forward in the coming months; the community will have to survive from what’s left of their dwindling forests. 

Indigenous territories may be perceived as occupying large spaces by outsiders, but their forest homes consist of sacred sites, ancestral graves and places for hunting, planting and foraging for rattan, bamboo or medicines. 

‘Loggers just see a forest and valuable trees,’ Nicholas says. ‘For the Orang Asli, it is more than that. Logging is like bulldozing your archaeological sites and smashing down your museums, archives, cemeteries and cathedrals. It is their hardware store where they get their building materials, their pharmacy where they get their medicines and their archaeological sites where the bones of their ancestors are buried.’

For Nicholas, who has been campaigning for Orang Asli land rights for decades, this kind of encroachment and the displacement of communities infringes on their human rights. ‘To be able to enjoy full, dignified lives as an Orang Asli and a human being, an Orang Asli needs to have the environment, the resources, the space – in other words, his customary land – in his control and in good condition. This is not an entitlement. It is a right.’

Source : Geographical

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No News Is Bad News

Tuesday, 6 May 2025


Racial and religious bigots, wake up and face reality in 21st Century digital era!

Racial and religious bigots, wake up and face reality in 21st Century digital era!

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7, 2025: Racial and religious bigots led by Umno youth chief Dr Akmal “Ham/I Am Malay First” Saleh please take not of what the following have to say about Tanah Melayu (Malay Land), “I Am Malay First” and Pendatang. (Migrants).

> Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar - Chinese Are Not ‘Pendatang’ – Pays Tribute To Chinese Community Over Their Contribution;

Sultan Selangor : There Are No Pendatang – Malay Rulers Have Accepted All, Including The Non-Malays As Citizens;

Sabah & Sarawak Were Never Tanah Melayu – Malaya & Malaysia Have Different Birth Dates;

Rafidah Aziz: Tanah Melayu Is No More – No Malaysian Should Be Regarded As Superior, More Special Or Of A Higher Class Than OthersStop saying Malay first, Tanah Melayu is no more; and

Nazri Aziz: This Country Is Not Just For Malays, Muslims – Malaysia Belongs To All, Not Just Malays & Muslims

So, to Umno’s Akmal and all racial and religious bigoted politicians and Malaysians, “eat your heart out!”.

No News Is Bad News reproduces below the news reports to wake up the bigots to face reality in multiracial Malaysia, national unity and harmony - for a progressive Malaysia:

News

Malaya Not A Continuation Of Tanah Melayu – Malaya Was A New Nation & The Formation Of Malaysia 6 Years Later Created Yet Another New Nation

7 May, 2025

Every nation-state distinguishes its citizen from the immigrant or the pendatang. That is why citizenship documents and passports are so important. Allow me to make some observations about the nation-state, beginning with examples.

For example, prior to 1945 (or 1949 if you like), there was no nation of Indonesia, rather the territories were known as the Dutch East Indies. Prior to 1947, there was no Pakistan, only a region within British India. Prior to 1957, there was no sovereign nation called Malaya, only the territories of the Federated and Unfederated Malay states and the Straits Settlements, all under British colonial rule.

These territories were each administered separately and meant different things to different residents. They did not comprise an independent sovereign nation or nations. What was Tanah Melayu to some was part of British Malaya to others.

The Federation of Malaya came about as a result of independence negotiations between the British government and an alliance of leaders of the main communities resident at that time and the formation of a popularly-elected government that enabled the fledgeling nation to conclude the negotiations.

This government was the result of elections won by the Alliance comprising race-based parties representing the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Independence was not wrested from the British, but rather granted by them when conditions they set were met.

For good and practical reasons, the British government did not, and would never have, agreed to an independent Malaya that did not accept all residents as citizens.

Thus, similar to Indonesia and Pakistan, Malaya was a nation born out of the will of the people resident in the relevant territories at that time. An essential part of that exercise was the definition and determination of who would be citizens, and those who qualified and thereby became Malayans included ethnic Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc.

Unfortunately, the teaching of false history has inculcated in some the notion that the Federation of Malaya and later the Federation of Malaysia were a continuation of Tanah Melayu. They are not.

Malaya was a new nation made up of citizens equal before the law and subject to the federal constitution. The formation of Malaysia six years later in simple terms created yet another new nation, one that included the territories of the former Malaya, also made up of citizens equal before the law and subject to a new federal constitution.

Unfortunately too, the dominant narrative among the country’s political and administrative leadership has for too long referenced large sections of Malaysians as pendatang, which must stop.

Source : Malaysiakini

News

Sabah & Sarawak Were Never Tanah Melayu – Malaya & Malaysia Have Different Birth Dates

6 May, 2025

The rising trend of Sabahans and Sarawakians preferring local rather than peninsula parties to represent their interests may be due to decades of West Malaysian lordship over them.

Referring to the emergence of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalitions in Sarawak and Sabah, former federal Attorney GeneralTan Sri Tommy Thomas said many in the peninsula fail to make a distinction between the history of Malaya and the history of Malaysia.

“The former is distinct and separate from the latter which was formed under the Malaysia Agreement on Sept. 16, 1963 (MA63).

“Peninsula Malays are often confused with Malaya and Malaysia and freely interchange these to mean the same. But they are not. 

“Malaya and Malaysia have different birth dates. They are not twins. They are not tied by the same umbilical cord.

“Our histories and cultures are different. Sabah and Sarawak were never ‘Tanah Melayu’.

They were former British colonies and home to 40 or 50 ethnic groups.

 “East Malaysia was not affected by the May 13, 1969 racial strife. The racial narrative of Malay, Chinese and Indian does not apply to East Malaysia,” he said. 

“The people of Sarawak and Sabah, on the other hand, can justifiably say that their worst fears of British imperial rule being replaced by Malayan imperialism have materialised.” He was presenting his paper,

“The Formation of Malaysia Revisited” at the premiere talk by Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights (Sabar) at the Shangrila Tanjung Aru resort, here, recently. 

Tommy said Labuan’s loss of its colonial-era duty-free port status by a PAS Federal Territories Minister during the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government one generation after the island was given away free by Sabah to become a Federal Territory is a cause for concern.

“Whether it is appointments of Governors and Chief Ministers, or selections and compositions of State Governments or posting of West Malaysian civil servants or exploitation of resource wealth or large-scale immigration into Sabah under ‘Project IC’ or withholding financial payments from the Consolidated Fund, Sarawak and Sabah have much to condemn, and peninsula much to be blamed.

”Tommy said it is critical for the health of the Federation that a candid assessment be impartially and independently conducted as to recognise legitimate grievances of East Malaysians and to resolve them expeditiously.” 

Tommy also said the MA63 is still valid despite Singapore’s exit in 1965and accusations of unsatisfactory compliance to the terms by the Federal Government.He said it is this international agreement that has preserved the Federation against external forces seeking to break up the country, even though East Malaysians were largely spectators to geopolitical developments.

He said Sabah is the only region in Malaysia still being claimed by another country (Philippines) although Sarawak and Brunei were also eyed by Sukarno leading to the brief “Confrontation” that saw Allied troops repelling Indonesian troops.

He said the formation of Asean after the military coup by Suharto brought about 50 years of peace, which Malaysians should be thankful for. 

He said Malaysia has given up on letting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolve the Sabah issue as it decided not to recognise the Philippines’ claim on Sabah, stopped federal payment of the Sabah cession amount of RM5,300 to the heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate after the Tanduo intrusion incident in Lahad Datu post 2013.Past involvement in ICJ won Malaysia the Sabah islands of Sipadan and Ligitan disputed by Indonesia but lost the Batu Puteh dispute to Singapore. 

In February 2013, terrorists linked to the Royal Sulu Army landed at Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu. The prolonged episode at Kampung Tanduo saw 10 Malaysian security personnel and 68 Sulu terrorists killed.

 “Do we really want to go to war with the Philippines over their claim?”

Tommy asked, confident that Asean, which will be chaired by Malaysia, will be able to placate the situation, even though the Philippines has published its new map claiming control over Sabah and its continental shelf.

Source : Daily Express

News

Rafidah Aziz : Tanah Melayu Is No More – No Malaysian Should Be Regarded As Superior, More Special Or Of A Higher Class Than Others

6 May, 2025

Stop saying Malay first, Tanah Melayu is no more, says Rafidah Aziz

Malays should stop identifying themselves by their race and accept that they live in a diverse nation, former Umno minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said .

She reminded the Malays that they no longer lived in Tanah Melayu, or Malaya, but were part of Malaysia, a multi-racial country. “I know, politically, some people don’t want (that). ‘I’m a Malay first’ (they say). “Where is your country? Tanah Melayu is no more. It’s Malaysia now,” she said in her public lecture at Universiti Malaya today.

She said Tanah Melayu eventually became Malaysia because their forefathers recognised that they belonged to a nation of diverse people. “Why do you want to emphasise your Malay-ness, Indian-ness or Chinese-ness?” she asked. Rafidah said the country was now seeing various groups holding protests against one another because they had been taught to tolerate diversity rather than accept it.

“For as long as you guys learn to tolerate, this is what’s going to happen: yellow shirts against red shirts, and very soon there will be purple against green, and what have you,” she said.

She urged Malaysians to respect one another and accept that there would always be differences of opinion. “That is what nation-building is about: Respect. Without that, there is no nation. It’s just mortar and bricks and nothing in terms of spirit. “If you look at the son‎gs that really raise our patriotism, it doesn’t say about race or creed.

“It talks about Malaysia, Malaysia, Malaysia.

And yet why are we introducing these elements that divide us and cause unnecessary chasms?”

Source : SG NEWS

No need to question loyalty of Malaysians, says Rafidah

The loyalty of Malaysians to the country should never be questioned, says former federal minister Rafidah Aziz.

In a statement, the former international trade and industry minister called for Malaysians to stay united by respecting and accepting the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity in the nation.

“It’s already 2024. Let us all continue to respect our diversities and accept them wholeheartedly. Let us all be united and continue to build a stronger, competitive and well-respected Malaysia.

“We do not need to question one another on things pertaining to loyalty and love for our nation,” she said, in an apparent reference to recent comments made by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister, whom Rafidah served under, reportedly said ethnic Indians were not “completely loyal to Malaysia”, in a recent interview.

Rafidah said many Malaysians of various ethnicities have done the country proud in various industries at the international level, adding that some did so without financial support from the government.

“Still, they remain Malaysians. They did it all as Malaysians,” she added.

She urged Malaysians not to let politics cause any division among them and to continue building a “stronger, competitive and well-respected Malaysia”.

Mahathir’s remarks were made in a recent interview with Thanthi TV, a Tamil news channel based in Chennai, India.

He said Indians in Malaysia must remember they are Malaysians more than they are immigrants from other countries.

He reportedly claimed that Malaysian Indians want to identify themselves with their country of origin but should instead fully assimilate and “become Malay”.

While Mahathir agreed when the interviewer pointed out that the Federal Constitution enshrines the rights of all minorities, he said that while Malaysian Indians “have certain rights, they cannot claim that this country belongs (to them)”.

Source : FMT

Only true unity can help Malaysia bounce back now, says Rafidah

Only true unity can help the country bounce back from adversity now, says former minister of international trade and industry Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, as she calls on Malaysians to subscribe to what she terms ‘Ketuanan Malaysia’ in a Facebook post today.

The notion, she said, is simply about “putting our beloved nation, Malaysia, first”, which she deemed as important for Malaysians to embrace as she pointed to the “heavy task ahead” that the new Pakatan Harapan government has to undertake in governing the country, and how Malaysians must give time and space for the new government to do its job.

“The government of the rakyat’s choice, PH, is faced with many tasks which need to be attended to in parallel. The last thing our country needs is distraction from governing,” she said, referring to obstacles like differences of opinion from arm chair critics, and opposition from those with vested interests as well as those who resort to race and religion as an excuse.

Loyalty to the country, she stressed, is blind to skin colour and race, creed, religion, social status or heritage. So Malaysians, she said, must hope and aim for a truly Malaysian society, free from discriminary inclination premised upon skin colour and race, creed, religion, social status, or heritage.

“By discriminating, do we expect different levels of loyalty from our rakyat? 

“No Malaysian citizen should be regarded as superior, more special or of a higher class than others, by virtue of race or religion. No Malaysian child should be deprived, and all must be given equal opportunity to improve their lives, have access to the best education, earn a better living, and get their basic needs, without discrimination. Every Malaysian citizen in need of help and living in poverty should be entitled to assistance, regardless of race or religion,” she added.

“All Malaysians have Malaysia as their country. They know only Malaysia, even though their ancestors, or even their parents may have been born elsewhere. I am one of them. We have no other country to ‘go back to’. Forging a united Malaysia will produce citizens who will put their country first, who will feel that deep sense of pride to be Malaysian,” said Rafidah.

Doing so will nurture a Malaysian culture that upholds mutual respect as we accept one another’s diversities, she said — a culture that adheres to good values and principles, puts a premium on honesty and integrity, takes pride in being successful through grit and determination, and seeks knowledge to be better humans. 

“There is simply no place in Malaysia for ‘opaque’ semblances of unity, where some choose to speak to the ‘gallery’ i.e. dancing to several tunes as and when it suits them. Such hypocrisy is the bane of Malaysia and Malaysians,” she said.

To her, a truly Malaysian society is one where where parents understand their roles in bringing up their young into well-grounded and resilient Malaysians, and where religion is regarded as a guidance and not as political capital, a factor to divide, or an excuse to be busybodies in others’ lives. 

“Religion is between the person and the God Almighty, no matter how one refers to Him, in whatever language. A God-fearing person is certainly better than one who uses religion for personal interest and motives,” she said.

She went on to urge Malaysians to discard the “distortions of the past, the temptations to be parochial and even xenophobic”. 

“There must no longer be ‘they and us’ among Malaysians. We are connected not only by the links of humanity, but also by the fact of [our] citizenry as Malaysians.

“Let us subscribe to Ketuanan Malaysia, putting our beloved nation, Malaysia, first. A Malaysia that can be a model to the world for democracy, unity, inclusiveness, and a deep sense of patriotism and nationalism,” she added.

Source : The Edge

News

Nazri Aziz : This Country Is Not Just For Malays, Muslims – Malaysia Belongs To All, Not Just Malays & Muslims

6 May, 2025

 

Nazri Aziz, Malaysia’s former ambassador to the US, has commended the people of Sabah and Sarawak for exemplifying the true spirit of a multiracial Malaysia, urging Malays in the peninsula to follow their example.

“This country is not just for Malays and Muslims. It is multiracial and multireligious. We cannot speak as if we only represent the Malays and Muslims,” Nazri told FMT.

He was asked about the country’s political direction and what Malaysians could expect with the growing influence of political Islam.

Nazri said Sabahans and Sarawakians have a stronger sense of the Malaysian identity.

“In Sabah and Sarawak, they run their states as Malaysians. They remain Malaysian regardless of their background and can live together. We should follow them,” said the former Umno minister.

In contrast, Nazri said many Malays in the peninsula tend to prioritise race over nationality. They only call themselves Malaysians when it is politically convenient, especially during elections to gain non-Malay votes.

These are “fake Malaysians”, he said.

“I do not agree that this country is a Malay country. (National sports icons) Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei did not compete internationally as Chinese or Indian. They played for Malaysia,” he said

“I do not agree that this country is a Malay country. (National sports icons) Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei did not compete internationally as Chinese or Indian. They played for Malaysia,” he said.

‘Who is Zakir Naik to teach me about Islam?’

Nazri also criticised the continued presence of fugitive Indian preacher and televangelist Zakir Naik in Malaysia.

“He had problems in India and came here. And he wants to tell us how to be Muslims and how we should interact with non-Muslims.

“Don’t tell me (how to be a Malay-Muslim). I was born here. The reality has always been that we are multiracial and multireligious,” he said, adding that he gets along well with non-Muslim Malaysians.

On Feb 21, the home ministry confirmed that there was no ban to prevent Naik from delivering public sermons in Malaysia. Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said a ban was in place in 2019 but was subsequently lifted.

Naik has been evading Indian authorities since 2016, when files were opened against him for allegedly making hate speeches and laundering money after five militants launched an attack at a bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh that ended with 29 dead.

In June 2019, India’s external affairs ministry said its government had made a formal request to Malaysia for Naik’s extradition and would continue to pursue the matter with Putrajaya, In the same month, a court in India also ordered that Naik appear in person for a case.

Naik is believed to be residing somewhere in Putrajaya after being granted asylum in 2018.

News

Sultan Johor : Chinese Are Not ‘Pendatang’ – Pays Tribute To Chinese Community Over Their Contribution

2 May, 2025

Sultan Ibrahim pays tribute to Chinese community over their contribution to Johor’s development.

The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said Johor appreciates the role played by the Chinese community in developing the state since the beginning of the Johor Sultanate in the 16th century.

The Royal Press Office, in a statement issued to mark the Lunar New Year, stated that Sultan Ibrahim regarded the hard work and resilience of the Chinese community in modernising Johor as significant and formidable, hence the need to recognise them for their outstanding contributions.

According to Sultan Ibrahim, the Chinese were actually invited to Johor as “guests” by his forefathers to help develop the state.

“My forefathers had the foresight to forge a unique relationship with the Chinese. They are not ‘pendatang’ (immigrants). They were invited to Johor to open our land and cultivate plantations.

“They are the ‘Bangsa Johor’ – just like the Malays, Indians and others, who are all Malaysians,” he stressed.

Tracing the history of their arrivals, Sultan Ibrahim said it was Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim who first invited the Chinese from China to come to Johor in 1844 to help open large-scale gambier and pepper farms.

Since then, it was the Chinese also who helped to put Johor on the world map, he said, adding that by 1850 the state was the largest producer of pepper and gambier, with active downstream activities like leather tanning and cloth dyeing from gambier.

“The Johor Sultanate and the Chinese have a special relationship. They have played a pivotal role in the development of Johor. We appreciate their contributions,” he emphasised.

Source : FMT

News

Sultan Selangor : There Are No Pendatang – Malay Rulers Have Accepted All, Including The Non-Malays As Citizens

2 May, 2025

 

Malaysia must continue to defend its multicultural values and background, as it remains one of the strengths that unite the country, says Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Star, the Sultan of Selangor stressed that Malaysia is a melting pot of various cultures that has been preserved since Independence.

“I believe that it is good that we preserve all of the traditions and cultures of the various races, and it has become a melting pot that adds more richness to the civilisation of our country.

“But the main thing is, we all go in as one.

“This is for our mutual benefit and together we protect our beloved country as one,” he said.

Tuanku said the nation’s non-Malay citizens also ceased being “pendatang” (immigrants) after the social contract was agreed upon during independence in 1957.

However, many still use this term because they are ignorant of this fact, said Sultan Sharafuddin.

“I believe they don’t understand the social contract. If we understand the social contract, we will respect each other.

“If the rakyat knew and understood the social contract, they cannot be easily brainwashed, no matter how much the politicians bring up race and religion.

“There are no ‘pendatang’ as the Malay Rulers have accepted all, including the non-Malays, as citizens,” said Tuanku.

Sultan Sharafuddin also reminded the people that when the nation’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj, went to the United Kingdom to negotiate for independence, he did not go alone but was accompanied by representatives of the Chinese and Indian communities as well as the mentris besar of Selangor, Perak, Johor and Kelantan.

The Sultan explained that the Malays wanted Bahasa Melayu to be the official language and Islam as the official religion of the federation, while the other races wanted citizenship as well to preserve their ethnic identities and languages, and practise their own religions.

“It was based on ‘give and take’,” said the Ruler, adding that it was this “give and take” element in the social contract that formed the basis of the Federal Constitution.

The Selangor Ruler said many are unaware that the Rukun Negara and Federal Constitution depict the spirit of nation-building and consensus based on the social contract reached by the country’s founding fathers.

In the Malaysian context, the term social contract refers to the painstaking compromises among the various races on their mutual rights and privileges and their bargains with the Malay Rulers and the British for the creation of a democratic, monarchical, federal and non-theocratic system of government.

Sultan Sharafuddin also did not mince his words on matters touching on race, religion, and royalty (3Rs), stating that if it is not contained properly, it would risk tearing the peaceful country apart.

“On the issue of 3Rs, especially religion and race, if these two matters are intertwined, it will be very dangerous.

“It will create suspicion, and people will not get along.

“We are one, and it will not be good for the country,” said the Selangor Ruler.

Tuanku also slammed irresponsible quarters, especially politicians, who tried to fan the flames over 3R issues for their own political mileage.

“If the people don’t vote for them, they will stop exploiting race and religion,” added Tuanku.

“I think politicians should also fully understand our history and social contract before becoming candidates.

“They need to go to class to understand our laws and the Rukun Negara as well as the social contract, and only then can you function as an effective wakil rakyat (elected rep),” said Sultan Sharafuddin.

“They must also go for medical check-ups before being nominated, as there are cases where they die soon after the general election and a lot of money is wasted on by-elections,” added Tuanku.

His Royal Highness also cautioned those who resorted to attacking the royal institutions.

“If you make up stories and ‘fitnah’ to attack me, that is a no-no,” said Tuanku.

His Royal Highness also noted that it was important for all parties not to fall for such a narrative.

On a separate matter, the Sultan of Selangor reminded members of the state assembly on both sides to perform their duties professionally and not to waste a lot of time fighting.

“Having a strong Opposition is not an issue for me, but the state government must ensure that it does its job quickly and without delay; it is good for democracy.

“But for the government, they have to do their job quickly and effectively.

“They cannot just talk; they must execute what the rakyat need.

“Don’t delay in executing their service to the people.

“For the Opposition, don’t simply attack the government; you must use real facts and become a constructive opposition.

“If the government does not want to be attacked by the Opposition, please do your job well,” said the Selangor Ruler.

Source : The Star

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