‘Change is going to reverberate throughout the world following Obama's victory. The message to us then is to change or be changed when the time comes.'
Kenneth Tan: That a coloured son of immigrants could rise and challenge the status quo in US politics is something wonderful. No wonder America is where it is today, a land of opportunities.
I have read the US citizenship certificate of a friend who migrated there. It was personally signed by the US president and it says, ‘Welcome home, (name of the person) to the land of opportunities.'
You are recognised for who you are and it gives the new citizen a nice feeling that you belong to the nation and are now a part of it. It it then that you do your best for your nation. That is why they are attracting all the brains.
With Ketuanan Melayu in our nation, you are not free even to speak your mind so what hope is there for a new dawn? Some cling to power and when that grip is slipping they pull out the ‘race card' and breathe fear through all the controlled media.
Obama has given the world the inspiration that all men are born free and equal and ought to be treated so. Obama stands for dignity of the individual. He pushed aside the race card.
That makes his victory all the more sweeter. He rose above racial issues and we hope that leaders of various nations on earth will learn that they too need to rise above it to stay relevant.
When most nations are looking at minority rights we are looking at the rights of the majority by inventing more tongkat (crutches).
Archaic leaders must read the writing on the wall. Don't talk like you own the nation. It belongs to the rakyat, the ordinary people.
Change is going to reverberate throughout the world following Obama's victory. The message to us then is to change or be changed when the time comes.
Mr Ystan: To paraphrase Obama's victory speech:
‘If there is anyone out there who still doubts that Malaysia is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dreams of our fathers is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our ‘democracy', tonight is not your answer.'
M: Obama's victory is no less than the defeat of the white supremacy.
I heard on the BBC the view of a white in California who said he comes from a family whose grandfather would press a buzzer and a black servant would turn up and that he is so glad that those days are long gone.
It also spells to my mind the beginning of the end of the idea of Malay supremacy as embodied in the thoughts of Zaid Ibrahim.
Simply put, you cannot build a united states of Malaysia on the outdated and absurd concept of one race being in any way better than another.
KSN: Barack Obama's election as the next US president should be an eye-opener for the entire world especially for countries like Malaysia obsessed with race and religion.
As we all know, he is called the first African American elected to the post although his mother is white.
Let us hope that he lives up to the expectations of the American people and of the world as a true leader. Let's us all pray that God gives him the strength and the vision to lead the world to peace.
On a lighter note, actually Malaysia was the first country in the world to elect a person from a minority race to the top executive position and that too the longest serving!
Who was it? Why Dr Mahathir Mohamad, of course, who was from the Indian minority community.
We all should be proud of Malaysia's achievement of being the irst country to elect a prime minister from a minority group and if I may add a marginalised one at that about 30 years ago!
Michael: When we achieved independence in 1957, race discrimination among Malaysians was confined mostly to the bigoted and uninformed dregs of society who were more to be pitied than being looked down upon.
Undoubtedly, Malaysians as a whole were ahead of the Americans in race relations then.
The American people, in electing a first generation black American to be president, have clearly shown the world that not only have they got over their problem with race and colour, they have comprehensively triumphed over evil for the good of the nation.
Today, in the estimation of decent people all over the world, Americans have added a few more centimetres to their height.
Unfortunately, due to the machinations and ill-conceived and regressive policies of the troglodyte politicians in Umno, Malaysia has now joined the ranks of those morally dead-beat nations where race discrimination has been odiously institutionalised.
But there is hope for Malaysians who aspire to walk tall among world-beaters.
The political tsunami that occurred on March 8 this year has proven that it is not the people represented by the troglodyte politicians in Umno who are uninformed and bigoted but the corrupt political warlords themselves who are.
It is time for these bogus leaders to return to the caves where they belong.
Hang Abu:
Ong Kian Ming should remind Malaysians that it took 221 years for the Obama phenomenon to happen in the greatest democracy.He might want to mention also that Obama never questioned and challenged the highest law in US, the constitution.
Malaysia is only 51/45 years old after being colonised for 500 years so we should continue to nurture our country and not destroy it by continuously contesting our constitution.
KillBill07: I could not help laughing when I read our PM's remark in a local daily where he said that even in Malaysia someone from a minority group can become PM. Is he living in a different world?
Wake up from your long slumber, Mr. PM! The way the BN is structured, the PM can only come from the party that holds the most seat, ie. Umno.
Is there a possibility that Umno will give even more seats to MCA or MIC in future elections? No.
The only way a non-Malay can become PM in Malaysia is if they vote another party other than BN into power.
Some sadly made a big deal when the Selangor menteri besar appointed a Chinese to head PKNS. Can you imagine what will happen if a non-Malay heads the ruling government?
Will we ever reach political maturity to appoint a non-Malay to the highest position in Malaysia?
Unfortunately, I do not see that happening in a country where the citizens are not on equal standing, unlike in the US.
P Ramakrishnan: Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's comment that it is possible for anyone, regardless of race and religion, to be the nation's leader, if the rakyat wanted it to happen sounds rather unconvincing. It even sounds ridiculous.
The truth of the matter is that it could only happen if Umno agrees or permits it to happen - which is utterly impossible.
It can only happen if the BN is defeated and an alternative party or coalition which is not race-based comes into power. Until then it will only remain wishful thinking.
When a qualified person like Low Siew Moi cannot be accepted as the acting CEO of PKNS, what hope is there for higher political office to be occupied by someone regardless of colour and creed?
Has the Prime Minister condemned this unreasonable opposition to this well-deserved appointment?
MCA had requested that a second BN deputy chairman's post be created and filled by someone from the MCA.
It has also been suggested that the deputy prime minister could be decided by the component parties of the BN.
What has been the response from the prime minister? If he had responded positively to these suggestions, then we can see some hope for the emergence of non-racial politics in Malaysia.
Until then, we can continue to hear words that have no meaning. (The writer is Aliran president)
