Final Part: Keagungan Melayu - Reclaiming the keris from the UMNOputras

After a long pause, here's the final part to my treatise on Keagungan Melayu. Keagungan Melayu is my answer to the racist rhetoric of Ketuanan Melayu. Whereas Ketuanan Melayu emphasises the outward expressions of “master-hood” such as privileges and special positions, Keagungan Melayu emphasises the mastery of the self which then leads to the mastery of the world around the self. I have presented 4 points previously, this is my 5th and last point on this concept of Keagungan Melayu.

5. The keris is the perfect representation of Keagungan Melayu

In warrior cultures, the sword is the weapon that is usually revered. Many swords have gone down in legend – Excalibur of King Arthur of England, Green Dragon Crescent Blade wielded by Guan Yu the legendary general of China, and Zulfiqar the sword gifted from God to the noble Imam Ali are but some of the blades that have gained legendary status. But among swords, the keris stands alone in its uniqueness.

More of that later. First...

Swords are held in high esteem not only for their craftsmanship, but they are also given significance by their maker and their wielder. A sword is made legendary first when it is forged with some special quality. The swordsmith invests an exceptional effort into the sword in terms of the material used, design of the sword or the spiritual values the sword is intended to represent. That's why an exceptional sword must have an equally worthy owner (giving rise to legends like Excalibur which found only Arthur worthy to wield it).

Thus, the significance of a weapon is in its inherent qualities. It does not lie in its ability to kill – otherwise a butcher's knife would be the greatest weapon of all for the sheer number of lives it takes! The wielder of the sword must reflect the intended values expressed within the sword.

The keris is unique among sword cultures because it does not have the versatility, reach or attack/defense capabilities of a sword. The keris is basically a stabbing weapon – its entire design concept is to be effective only at that range. It cannot be used from a distance like a sword – it can only be used when two warriors are toe-to-toe in battle.

And therein lies the greatest significance of the keris – because it is born from a certain kind of quality: fearlessness.

One would have to be fearless to wield a weapon such as the keris. Unlike a sword which you can kill while still beyond the reach of an enemy's arms and legs, the only way to kill with a keris is when you are right next to him. You would have to grapple with him, using all your skill to get close to him - blocking his attacks and overcoming his defenses – and finally, seeing an opening, to stab him. The blade itself is a work of art in its effectiveness – the waves designed to produce maximum damage with just one thrust.

Taken as an allegorical representation of the Malay spirit, the keris signifies a fearless willingness to face up to any situation and not to back down or avoid. To grapple with them, using all one's mastery of skills gained from hard training and discipline. To identify opportunities and capitalise on them. To confront and overcome circumstances with an iron will to succeed. To design solutions that maximise effectiveness. This is Keagungan Melayu as expressed by the keris.

Whereas the legendary swords are individually significant, the whole CONCEPT of the keris itself is significant. And since the keris is one of the highest expressions of Malay culture, it follows that the keris signifies the worthiness of the entire culture – the Malays.

But UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu has dirtied the mighty symbolism of the keris, by claiming the sole right to represent the Malays yet wielding it with their twisted sense of values.

Above that, Keagungan Melayu sees the keris as a representation of the Malays' greatness as a culture and a race, a culture that is able to succeed on its own merits with its own strengths.

At its core, Ketuanan Melayu sells the nonsense that Malays are inherently “weak” and have no choice but to seek “protection” from the government. It perpetuates individual weaknesses by telling its subscribers that they must relinquish their power to the government. And the government extends its "protection" of the Malays on external structures such as laws, quotas and politics to attempt to create a master race. But is this true power? What if the structures fail? Where would the Malays be then?

Whereas Keagungan Melayu is a call to rediscover the inherent strengths of the Malay psyche and to achieve progress driven by an independent self-confidence. It is a call to rise up and succeed by their own inherent strengths, instead of being convinced that the entire race's fate is to remain in a socio-economic wheelchair and depending on govt crutches and welfare.

The Malays are not like that! The Malays are already powerful! The Malays are majestic! The Malays are fierce! The Malays are masters of their own destiny because they are masters of themselves! These traits are already inherent in Malay culture and the Malay psyche as it has been embodied in the keris.

But the Malays have forgotten...It's high time to remember!

Cyber-hangin' wid Sakmongkol AK47

I love hanging out at the venerable Dato Sakmongkol's blog. He makes some very interesting observations and asks some very penetrating questions. There's usually a lively debate on his blog and he is often not spared the vitriol of the UMNO bigots, even though he's aloyal UMNO man himself.

Sakmongkol's latest post has highlighted some very pertinent questions about the future of the Malays in this country and I think it has generated some very intelligent debate. This is a comment I left on Dato Sak's blog, and some excerpts of the discussion to give you a little background. You can read them here and here to get the full picture of what's being discussed over there.


Dato Sak wrote:

Hence we have a society divided. One section is composed of the fortunate ones because we allowed them to become so, the other, consists of the less fortunate because we allowed to become so too. How do we explain this to be so? The inadvertent answer is because the Malaysian environment has made this so.

The question is, if the environment that presides over all of us is common, how is it that one section can pull ahead of us, while the rest stagnates? Could it be that the section that pulls ahead has inside them, an ideology of struggle imbued? That perhaps the response to the Toynbeean challenge within that section of society left behind has not been adequate.


Some comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not ok to accept disparity and social injustices. The other side may think it unjust to continue the NEP? No. It's unjust not to continue it. They already have so much wealth. They should accept NEP if they expect a true Bangsa Malaysia to emerge.

Maybe the response to the challenge within that society is inadequate. But everybody knows that our community has a shorter history, and whatever comes with it, than the others. This is no excuse to be lackadaisical. But let's be fair to ourselves. We have tried, our kind.

Let's be realistic and admit we cannot compete at par. We need the NEP.


Anonymous said...

Sdr Kuldeep

Apa kah sdr fikir Melayu boleh capai tahap kekayaan dan kebolehan berniaga hampir dengan Cina? Secrara realistik nya?

Bukan kah sejengkal Melayu maju dalam perniagaan, Cina akan maju 3-4 jengkal?


kuldeep said...

Of course Malays can be as good or even better than the non Malays...we fail only because we as a group are not sincere and forget that we hv to struggle to succeed

We fail because we don't trust each other..do not network nor strive to develop our own "supply chain" but prefer the easy way to get things done.

If u want Malay success stories all of us can contribute by naming a few...I can cite Mazlan of MMVitaoils...and Dahlan the chocolate King.Can u name a few?

Lets begin to appreciate our own ppl and try to replicate their success.


Anonymous said...

kuldeep

You yourself said we fail because: we are not sincere .. forget to struggle .. don't trust one another .. do not network .. do not develop our own supply chain .. prefer the easy way .. new leadership new cronies will destroy .. opportunities not given to the right people .. etc, etc.

Do you think these, many of which are manifestations of Malay racial characteristics, will disappear in time to come? Early enough for us to catch up or at least be near the Chinese economically? I don't think so.


kuldeep said...

no sir...these are not characteristics of the real malay...its the tendencies of the opportunistic few who became successful peddling their knowwho..

Mazlan and Dahlan >> they succeed thru knowledge,creativity and focussed business sense...and they are building malay networks and supply chains...and they are competitive.


And my own two sen...

kuldeep,

i hear you and i agree 100% your views! Malays need not regard themselves as somehow inadequate. There is no such genetic trait as inadequacy in any race!

Affirmative action is fine, but there must be a deadline for the objectives to be achieved. And the primary objective must be to develop competence, competitiveness and human capital. Otherwise the affirmative action programmes will just be an endless series of free lunches.


Dato Sak, this is a good question:

"Could it be that the section that pulls ahead has inside them, an ideology of struggle imbued?"

I say no. CIRCUMSTANCES force people to respond.

Let's not forget that the first chinese immigrants here were the underclass. Most had no money, all had no rights of citizenship. As such they were extremely vulnerable segment of society. And they still had to find a way to survive despite the odds. if the chinese are economically dominant today, it is despite the difficulties they faced.

My own family is a good case study on how circumstances mould our responses.

As i had said, my uncle was given preference, privileges and protection all his life. and he turned out an utter failure in the end.

His sister, my mum, was treated as something of a maid of the family. My dad was abandoned and had to start working at age 5 to earn his keep.

They both worked their way up in life and was able to give us kids a comfortable middle-class life.

So Dato Sak, there is no such thing as cultural makeup at the genetic level. Individual responses to circumstances will determine the characteristics of a culture. If enough people respond in a certain way, then a culture is created.

As you have said, the desire to succeed cannot be legislated. That's why i proposed the concept of keagungan Melayu. because when enough Malays succeed in their pursuit of personal eminence, a culture of eminence will emerge.

kuldeep has a valid point about this when he mentioned Mazlan and Dahlan. They succeeded not with know-who but with know-how, anchored in their own personal eminence.

Look at these Malay economic heroes. Learn their traits. Emulate their success. Invite them to conduct trainings. Ask them to mentor new entrepreneurs.

This way, the Malays will no longer need the NEP in 20 years. They WILL control their fair share of the economy. And they would have done it by themselves, competing on equal footing.

Salam hormat, Dato

Pt 4: Keagungan Melayu - Reclaiming the keris from the UMNOputras

4. The keris can only be wielded by those who have mastered themselves

You cannot wield the keris effectively in battle unless you are well-versed in silat. And anyone who truly understands martial arts knows that its objective is not to harm, but to exert control over the self, to drive the self towards greater heights of excellence and to hold such power with discipline, self-control and humility.

The sharpness of the keris is not meant to wage war on others, but to wage war on one's self. The significance of the keris is not in the ability to kill but it means that you must have the ability to control your inner desires. To be worthy of wielding the keris is to wrestle with and conquer your inner self. What does it mean to conquer yourself? It means that you must face and overcome your fears, physical and mental limitations, and ego.

Only those who embody such qualities are worthy to carry the keris. And that is the true meaning behind the authority of the keris - mastery of the self. The keris becomes a symbol of authority because people acknowledge the eminent qualities of the owner. If such an eminent person were to invoke the authority of the keris, people would gladly defer to his authority.

However, UMNO does not understand this. When they wield the keris, it is used to threaten and kill non-Malays. UMNO is not ashamed that they have no eminent qualities to show and resort to using the keris to threaten death and violence to those who question their own weaknesses and excesses. UMNO hides behind the keris when exposed for their arrogance and corruption.

It is unacceptable that the nobility of the keris has been so debased! Instead of reflecting the eminence of the owner, the keris has been used by UMNO to hide their corruption! And they dare to issue even more threats to those who speak out against their disgusting charade!

So, UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu has debased the keris to become a symbol of corruption and oppression.

Above that, Keagungan Melayu sees the keris as a symbol of the ability to command respect because the Malays have mastered themselves

Pt 3: Keagungan Melayu - Reclaiming the keris from the UMNOputras

3. The keris is a weapon for the strong in character

The keris is a weapon unlike a sword. While a sworn allows for some distance between the combatants and can be used to attack and defend, the keris is a close combat weapon and is not designed to block or parry. It is an attacking weapon and can only be used at close range.

Close combat takes great courage and skill because there is no room for mistake and there is no second chance. In a keris battle, the enemy is right in front of you and defeat comes immediately at the slightest mistake. So strong focus and determination to win is absolutely essential. (In fact, the keris' design implies that this is the preferred mode of battle!)

Why is this significant? Because it is an indication of the culture that created it. A culture that is not afraid to get up close and personal with its enemies. In a broader sense, it shows that the Malay culture has tremendous courage to tackle its problems head on. More than that, it shows a incredible determination to win.

Surely a culture with such courage and determination can produce success stories galore! And I don't mean the UMNO type of success where who you know decides how much profit you are guaranteed. I mean the type of success that comes after struggle and hardship, where the person is rewarded for his determination to succeed. Surely 30% Malay share of the country's wealth should be no problem for a culture that has these qualities in abundance!

But UMNO declares again and again that the Malays are weak, constantly “under threat”. How can you expect the Malays to be eminent when your whole Ketuanan Melayu ideology is based on the premise that the Malays are weak? That they can't stand on their own two feet? That they must be always be defended? That they must fear their “evil, greedy and stronger” non-Malay fellow citizens? That they need socio-political crutches?

But instead of developing the human capital of the Malays, UMNO maintains that the Malays are permanently crippled and unable to fend for themselves!! How can an organisation that thinks so lowly of the Malays be allowed to continue representing them?! UMNO has sold out the Malays!

UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu sees the keris as the last defense for a socio-politically crippled race.

Above that, Keagungan Melayu sees the keris as the symbol of courage, strength to overcome adversity and determination to succeed.

Pt 2: Keagungan Melayu - Reclaiming the keris from the UMNOputras

2. The keris is a product of noble character

What sets the keris apart from other weapons in history is the artistry that goes into its creation. The details found on the blade exist in no other sword in the world. Ordinary iron and wood is transformed into an ornate item that is rich with meaning and significance.

The keris is a creation of patience, love and reverence. Patience in crafting the elaborate details into the keris. Love for Malay strength, artistry and culture. Reverence towards the keris as a powerful expression of the Malay mastery of both martial arts and fine arts.

You cannot mass-produce a keris – that would demean its significance and power. Each keris has to be handcrafted and its value is derived from the personal power of its creator or its bearer. So the power of the keris is not found in the created object, but in the culture and person who created it!

For UMNO to hoist it up and threaten death to all peaceful non-Malay citizens demeans the status of the keris. Just because UMNO has a beef with some racist idiots does not make it right to threaten violence to the entire non-Malay population! UMNO's endorsement of Hishamuddin's (and 20 years ago, Najib's) threats to kill non-Malay fellow citizens has stripped the keris of its dignity and made it a symbol of bigotry and genocide!!

Thus, UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu has reduced the keris to become the symbol of bigotry and hate.

But above that, Keagungan Melayu sees the keris as the refined expression of the Malay's noble characteristics - discipline, reverence and mastery over themselves and the world around them.

to be continued...

Keagungan Melayu - Reclaiming the keris from the UMNOputras

Hishamuddin has decided to give the shouting and keris-waving a miss this year, settling instead to kiss the unsheathed weapon.

So...ya-ay. Whatever...

However, it is significant that the UMNO Youth has decided to present Hishamuddin with the Panca Warisan. And he has vowed to carry the kris to the Supreme Council meetings. Would that mean that he would be unsheathing the keris and threatening blood with the higher authority invested in him? Only time will tell...

But the very fact that the keris was gifted to Hishamuddin shows that the UMNO Youth appreciated his previous threats of violence towards non-Malays so much that they decided to honour him with the keris. This shows that they have not repented at all. They are only in strategic retreat now, waiting for the right time to again unsheath the keris and threaten death to non-Malays.

As I have said previously, these characters have absolutely no idea the real Malay power represented by the keris. Instead, their base and shallow minds can only equate power with the ability to kill and harm.

However, the keris is not just a killing tool. Anyone who has spent any time to understand the Malay heritage would understand this. Looking beyond the obvious at the deeper significance, we will understand that the keris is the height of Malay nobility, creativity and mastery.

And THAT is Keagungan Melayu – the inherent qualities that make a person eminent and respected.

So how does the keris represent Keagungan Melayu? I can perceive 5 ways.


1. The keris is a unique weapon

The keris is absolutely unique to the Malay archipelago. Its artistry, effectiveness, and mythology simply has no equal anywhere else in the world! It can be said that it represents the highest level of Malay creativity. Only a unique culture is capable of creating such a unique weapon!

The keris is irrefutable proof of an incredible level of outside-the-box thinking! And this characteristic is inherent in the Malay culture and psyche. Such a creative culture has vast potential – it can be applied into any other field of work that the Malays choose to. And surely, the culture that gave birth to the keris is able to adapt itself and create unique Malay successes in other fields!

But UMNO has sold the Malays bigger and bigger lies that they are inherently “weak”, that they will never survive without government crutches and that only the UMNO government can defend the “weak Malays” from the threat of being conquered by the “evil & greedy” non-Malay fellow citizens. In all of this scare-mongering, UMNO has utterly failed to help the Malays reclaim their natural strengths. Instead, UMNO has crippled the masses of Malays by denying them their self-confidence and self-independence.

So, UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu sees the keris as a symbol of “defending” the “weak Malays”.

But above that, Keagungan Melayu sees the keris as a symbol of the creative power that the Malays already possess within themselves!

to be continued...

Ketuanan UMNO vs Keagungan Melayu

I started a series on Keagungan Melayu a few weeks back. My first couple of pieces outlined the case against Ketuanan Melayu – the UMNO-sponsored racist ideology disguised as Malay nationalism. I also outlined the case for replacing the utterly useless Ketuanan Melayu ideology with a more relevant way of thinking, which I called Keagungan Melayu.

My follow-up on Keagungan Melayu was delayed for various reasons. But with our Dear Tuan Hishammuddin set to reprise his keris-waving act at the UMNO assembly this year, I feel compelled to pen a word or two...chop-chop!

First off, I would like to state categorically that NOT A SINGLE ONE of the UMNO so-called leaders truly understand the symbolic power of the keris (or if they do, NONE of them dare to stand up and say it!) All these UMNO so-called leaders know how to do is wave the keris around and threaten violence with it. They use the keris as a symbol to threaten, to intimidate, to kill. Has the beautiful keris, the symbol of Malay culture and power, been reduced to such a barbaric symbolism?

Why do I say that NONE of the UMNO so-called leaders understand the real power of the keris?

Simply because ANYONE can harm, kill or destroy. It takes no special skill. At the very least, all one needs to cause great harm is merely a certain level of stupidity. For example, leaving your child in a locked car while you go shopping. If the child suffocates in the car, it's because of the parent's stupidity. So what's so special about the power to inflict harm?

It is terribly unfortunate that those who regard themselves as the leaders of your country, and my country, have such shallow and base mentalities. That the ability to cause harm and destruction is the only kind of power they can understand. These pretenders have completely missed REAL the relevance of the keris, and how it REALLY represents Malay power! (I will elaborate more on this in tomorrow's posting.)

Real power comes not from destruction but from creation. It takes no skill to destroy – anyone can do it. But to CREATE - to build up, to nurture, to give life and knowledge - that takes a special kind of person. Because creation does not happen by accident – it takes discipline, skill, dedication, determination, intellect, planning and more. The keris represents the height of these superior qualities, which are inherent in all persons who possess REAL power!

The destructive person has NONE of these qualities. That's why the UMNO so-called leaders are adamant about waving the keris and calling for non-Malay blood, issuing stern warnings of violent reprisals against non-Malays, etc. And they pride themselves that their so-called nationalistic cry of “Ketuanan Melayu” is based on such a horrible definition of “power”?

But yet, this is the Malay “nationalism” endlessly preached by UMNO today! How can the Malays continue to believe UMNO's lies that their destiny is relative to how much of other people and cultures are destroyed!? What an blatant insult to the Malay race, religion and culture! I REFUSE to believe that the Malays are such a mindlessly bloodthirsty race!

It is abundantly clear that UMNO is NOT WORTHY to use the keris as a symbol. More than that – UMNO has sullied the keris as a symbol of Malay majesty, mastery and authority. Because it is clear to all and sundry that UMNO no longer embodies such upright principles! Just look at their money politics “cleanup” fiasco!

And the UMNO so-called leaders STILL refuse to acknowledge that their degeneration of values is the reason that they have lost the respect of the people! Instead they continue to blame the non-Malay bogeyman and utter their bloodthirsty threats!

Their degeneration has been proven again and again in the past year, where the rakyat have been treated to spectacle after disgusting spectacle of Ketuanan-UMNO gangster politics. If the only type of authority these characters understand is the iron fist and the leather whip, then they have no idea what true leadership is about.

It's shocking that such shallow and base intellects who have no appreciation of their own Malay heritage have duped so many Malays into believing that they (and only they) can represent the Malays. How can they be allowed to continue spreading their lies about how they are the true representatives of the Malays?

It's time that all Malays in the country to wake up and reclaim the keris from the dirty hands of UMNO. Don't let the beauty of Malay culture continue to be raked through the mud by the actions and attitudes of such low-class characters. Wake up and reclaim your dignity, pride and power!

continued tomorrow...

Ketuanan Melayu? How about Keagungan Melayu? - Pt 2

In my previous post on this topic, I proposed that “Ketuanan Melayu” – for better or for worse – has become a convenient catchphrase to express the Malay struggle to regain eminence. Unfortunately, it also burdened with all the extremist connotations of opportunistic politicians who have hijacked this legitimate Malay struggle.

These connotations have driven the people in this country further apart. So much so that even the Malays are divided in their interpretation of this concept.

That's why I would like to try to go back to basics. To identify the core of the issue and come to a consensus that all races in this country can agree to. I would like to call this cause “Keagungan Melayu” or Malay Eminence, to differentiate it from Ketuanan Melayu which carried so many negative connotations.

But before I pen my thoughts on how we can all build a Masyarakat Melayu Agung, I would like to address one more very important issue. And to me, this is the greatest problem regarding the topic of Ketuanan Melayu.

There is a fatal flaw in the reasoning behind the concept of Ketuanan Melayu or Malay Supremacy itself. However, this flaw seems to have escaped many of the people arguing for or against it.

The fatal flaw of Ketuanan Melayu is that it only serves the Malay race as defined by the Malaysian Constitution and the privileges/position granted under Malaysian law.

Think about it, what does Ketunanan Melayu mean to a Malaysian Malay who goes overseas for study or work? What happens to his Ketuanan status then? It would mean absolutely nothing as it is a mere construct of Malaysian laws and Malaysian political perceptions!

We don't even need to look very far overseas - Ketuanan Melayu has absolutely no meaning even in Indonesia, the origin of the Malay Empire! Tell anyone there that you are a Malay deserving of special status and watch the reaction on their faces!

So the Malays are regarded as Masters in their own country but nobody special everywhere else? How can that be? If a Malay is to be Master, shouldn't he or she carry that Mastery within him everywhere he/she goes? How can Mastery be switched on and off whenever someone crosses a border?

No, a person's Mastery does not come from laws or quotas or privileges. You cannot legislate a persons will to excel, to learn, to overcome and to succeed.

A person's Mastery has to come from within him. Only then will he be able to achieve Eminence wherever he goes, with or without laws to help him.

And that is my basis for my argument for Keagungan Melayu. And it is also why I think the concept of Ketuanan Melayu needs to be replaced immediately. Because it is a great disservice to the Malay race and Malaysia as a whole.

To base such a grand cause of uplifting the lot of an entire race on such such narrow definitions will predictably only produce narrow results. And it will only attract ever more narrow minded-people to it. The whole enterprise will only end up in an ever-downwards spiral.

To help our fellow man achieve eminence is an enormous task. And therefore it needs equally broad definitions and broad-minded people to lead the struggle.

In my next post, I will highlight some qualities that are common among eminent people and how we can aspire to achieve such Malay Eminence or “Keagungan Melayu”.

Ketuanan Melayu? How about Keagungan Melayu? - Pt 1

“Ketuanan Melayu” is a lightning rod phrase attracting no shortage of passionate reactions - anger, loyalty, hatred, shock, etc. It has become a convenient rallying cry of many a politician and their agents and has caused deep divisions in the country, not just among Malay and non-Malay, but even among different segments of Malay society.

Many unpleasant demonstrations have been held, many ugly threats have been issued and many vicious words have been exchanged over this contentious issue, both in the mainstream media and the blogosphere.

The core contention of this issue seems to lie with the various connotations of just what “Ketuanan Melayu” is. The generally accepted essence of it (as can be gleaned from the frequent highlights in the Malay and non-Malay media) seem to be:

- That Malays hold a superior position in this country, by virtue of their race

- That Malays race is entitled to this superior position by virtue of being the dominant modern settlers of Malaysia

- This superior position applies to anything related to Malay heritage, including language, culture and Royalty

- That this superior position, and by extension, the extra privileges granted to the Malays, are an exclusive right and must not be challenged as it is enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution

While to many, this line of thinking has powerful overtones of promoting a super-race, others would argue that this is merely the expression of the Malay Nationalist struggle. The exertion of the Malay agenda is an understandable reaction against the threat of the Malay identity being overwhelmed in the Malay's homeland.

(While I can appreciate this line of thought, how relevant such Nationalistic struggles still are within the context of Malaysia's stated aspiration to be a modern, globalised and multi-racial nation is a whole other debate that I will not tackle in this article.)

I would not hold it against those who are sincere in their beliefs and passionate about improving the lot of their race. Such persons' strength of conviction can and should be harnessed for the positive development of the Malay race.

Some people, however (mainly the more extreme politicians and their agents), would take the concept of "Ketuanan Melayu" even further:

- That all other races are ethnically/culturally inferior to the Malays

- That true national unity will be achieved by either expelling the non-Malays from the country or assimilating them as a Malay sub-group, with a pseudo-Malay identity

- If the above cannot be achieved, then the next best thing would be to emasculate the non-Malays and keep them on a tight leash

- The slightest disagreement with such a concept is regarded as attempts by anti-Malay forces against the validity of the Malay identity itself

For those who subscribe to such intolerant thinking, emotional outbursts over perceived threats to Ketuanan Melayu are understandable and predictable.

And to opportunistic politicians – both Malay and non-Malay – the hypersensitive nature of this segment of society provides an endless well of discontent to be exploited for their own ends. It's so easy for them to arouse suspicions and rally the masses to a common cause against the bogeyman – especially if they have installed themselves as the de facto leaders of such a movement.

To uplift the lot of Malays is certainly a worthy cause. It should be pursued vigorously until its stated claims are achieved (not just in financial statistics but in the overall development of Malay human capital). And "Ketuanan Melayu" – for better or for worse – has become a convenient catchphrase to express this Malay struggle. Unfortunately, it also burdened with all the attendant connotations – from the noble to the extreme.

For opportunistic politicians to hijack the legitimate struggle to regain the eminence of the Malays is disgusting, to say the least. To debase a noble cause and use it as a cover to grab and maintain power, to use it to obfuscate the masses while they grow rich, to prey upon the citizen's discontent in order to attain their petty ends, is a terrible disservice to the race and country (including the non-Malays).

For we cannot escape the fact that the Malays, as the dominant majority of Malaysia, are sorely needed to provide leadership for this nation. And by leadership, I do not mean installing loud and ruthless characters into positions of power. I mean REAL, positive, visionary Malay leadership that will take our country to the next level of development.

However, I fail to see how the way that Ketuanan Melayu is currently being bandied about can benefit the nation in any way.

The shrill cries for and against "Ketuanan Melayu" by low-class politicians hoping to attract attention and support will not bring us the national development we badly need. Installing such low-class politicians into positions of power (and they in turn installing their little Napoleons in various other positions) will logically create a low-class political culture, low-class political leadership and low-class policies.

This will spell the end of our nation!

As such, I would like to propose an alternative to the Ketuanan Melayu concept. And to distinguish it from the contentious phrase of “Ketuanan Melayu”, I would like to use another phrase – “Keagungan Melayu” (Malay Eminence).

In subsequent posts, I will try to explain more on this concept of "Keagungan Melayu" and how it can be another equally powerful rallying cry for the Malay cause - along the lines of "Malaysia Boleh!"