COMMENT | Art and the 'mythical' moderate Malay
“Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth.”
- Pablo Picasso
COMMENT | The new Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Azhar Azizan Harun, who was affectionately known as Art Harun, may not realise that his actions over the past few days, have done great harm to our fragile society.
First. My non-Malay friends said, "I am beginning to lose faith in the Malays," or "I will find it difficult to trust another Malay again".
Similarly, my Malay friends said, "How will others see us? Those of us whom we thought had integrity, have failed us."
Second. The moderate Malay who speaks out is just a myth. He or she does not exist. Well, if they did, they soon disappear in a puff of smoke. Or like the early morning dew, evaporated by the heat of the sun.
Third. The problem does not lie in the kampung but in Putrajaya and where power resides. With the elite and the well-connected Malays who by and large are Western-educated, English speaking and well-travelled. These Malays are the main beneficiaries of Ketuanan Melayu. Why would they want to give up any of this? Like most bumiputera, they probably do not want to lose any of the perks afforded to well-connected bumiputera. It is all about self-interest. It is as simple as that.
On Monday, many of Azhar's friends were disappointed by his performance during his first day in Parliament but a few of his die-hard friends said, "I will allow him the benefit of the doubt and give him another chance."
The one-time outspoken social activist and lawyer, and host of a video podcast, called "The Art of the Matter" resigned as chairperson of the Election Commission (EC) to become the new speaker.
The move was controversial, but Azhar denies this. Azhar's brother ...
“Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth.”
- Pablo Picasso
COMMENT | The new Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Azhar Azizan Harun, who was affectionately known as Art Harun (above), may not realise that his actions over the past few days have done great harm to our fragile society.
First. My non-Malay friends said, "I am beginning to lose faith in the Malays," or "I will find it difficult to trust another Malay again." Similarly, my Malay friends said, "How will others see us? Those of us whom we thought had integrity, have failed us."
Second. The moderate Malay who speaks out is just a myth. He or she does not exist. Well, if they did, they soon disappear in a puff of smoke. Or like the early morning dew, evaporated by the heat of the sun.
Third. The problem does not lie in the kampung but in Putrajaya and where power resides. With the elite and the well-connected Malays who by and large are Western-educated, English speaking and well-travelled. These Malays are the main beneficiaries of Ketuanan Melayu. Why would they want to give up any of this? Like most bumiputera, they probably do not want to lose any of the perks afforded to well-connected bumiputera. It is all about self-interest. It is as simple as that.
On Monday, many of Azhar's friends were disappointed by his performance during his first day in Parliament but a few of his die-hard friends said, "I will allow him the benefit of the doubt and give him another chance."
The one-time outspoken social activist and lawyer, and host of a video podcast, called "The Art of the Matter" resigned as chairperson of the Election Commission (EC) to become the new speaker.
The move was controversial, but Azhar denies this. Azhar's brother is Attorney-General Idrus Harun.
On his first day at work, the reaction to Azhar's appointment was hostile. A smug Muhyiddin Yassin sat observing the pandemonium, knowing that he was the architect of this circus. Azhar was thrown to the dogs.
The opposition didn't give Azhar a chance to make his inaugural speech because they were angry at his unelected appointment. Why was the former speaker removed without rhyme or reason? Perikatan Nasional (PN) bends the laws to suit their own agenda.
The opposition protested the only way they could, by making a spectacle of themselves. They took their cue from the Umno-Baru administration.
One does not need a degree in law, or experience as a speaker, or be a barrister to know when sexist and racist remarks have been made. Azhar failed to censure the Umno-Baru MP for Baling, Abdul Azeez Abdul Raheem. This is more disappointing than his failure to maintain order in Parliament.
Only after the public reacted with outrage did Azhar demand an apology from Abdul Azeez. This was the next day, after he had seen the Hansard and acknowledged that the remarks were offensive. What does this say about Azhar?
Letter to the courts
How can Malaysians trust a speaker who is not up to standard and not on the ball? He missed the racist, sexist insults. We need a speaker with a sharp mind, who is quick on the uptake.
On his fourth day as Parliament speaker, we were told that a letter had been sent to the courts seeking to allow former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to attend Parliament. Why is the speaker interfering in the workings of the judiciary?
Two weeks earlier, the rakyat had already reacted with fury when Najib's corruption trial was postponed so that he could take part in the funfair of the Chini by-election.
On July 15, Najib's lawyer asked for him to be excused early to attend Parliament. Does Najib think that the trial is a side-show? The court initially rejected Najib's request but the following day, a letter from the speaker overruled the judge's decision. This only added to our contempt for Azhar.
Does Azhar realise that his actions feel like a kick in the teeth for the rakyat? What message does this send to the young? To other politicians? To the rest of the world?
Azhar is not the first who has abused our trust. The rakyat feels that they have stepped through the looking glass with Alice.
The rakyat have been let down and are feeling helpless but we cannot give up now. Malay supremacy is firmly entrenched in the system but we must continue the fight.
Each of us has to become a perpetual activist, to continue to fight injustice and shout louder for our voices to be heard so that we can demand meaningful change.
We can achieve so much if we work together. Do not allow others to judge us by race. Grab a friend to do much more for the nation.
Don't depend on the moderate Malay. He is a mythical creature. Azhar was a moderate Malay but has become a stooge of Muhyiddin.
