YOURSAY | ‘I always think I'm bangsa Malaysia, but some politicians won't allow me.’

Historian Khoo Kay Kim slams continued use of ‘pendatang’ label

RatBatBlue: In the old days, the national language was known as ‘Bahasa Kebangsaan’. So the language experts meant that nationality = bangsa. Furthermore, nationality is taken to mean ‘citizen of’ as in ‘German national’, etc.

Being Chinese, Indian, Malay, Kadazan, Dayak, etc, refers to ethnicity, as such in those dreaded forms, when they ask ‘bangsa’, one should fill in: ‘Malaysia’, and for further clarification, ‘keturunan’ perhaps could be asked for ethnicity. Perhaps a linguistic expert can clarify on this.

Technically, one should be aptly referred to as ‘Malaysian of Chinese/Malay/Indian/Dayak/Kadazan, etc, origin, if need be.

There can be no place for the word ‘pendatang’ for any Malaysian citizen. It is considered derogatory for a citizen of this country to be called that.

Anticonmen: We are cunningly termed ‘pendatangs’ because these ‘penyamuns’ (pirates) think it is their right to steal from the coffers.

Vote BN Out: "What is the meaning of one Malaysia?" Yes, I'd like to know that, too. Who came up with this term?

Ask any Malaysian who grew up in the 60s and they will tell you how ridiculous it is to call this nation '1Malaysia'.

All these problems started with so-called leaders telling one race they are more superior than the rest.

And Professor Khoo Kay Kim, why not direct your opinion to groups like Perkasa and Isma? I bet they will dismiss your 'theory'.

Apacerita: The leaders are busy seeking generous donors. How are we to learn our real history when they changed all the facts and erased anything that does not have Malay origins.

They even ignored the ancient sites that are non-Muslim related. All they learn now is ‘ketuanan Melayu’.

Justice Pao: What is the point of toiling in the field under the hot sun when you can get 'money from the sky' though government contracts, 'donations' from someone rich, printed money-generating approved permits (APs) for the import of cars, allocation of shares in companies built through the labour of the pendatangs, scholarships for higher institute of education even to those 'ketuanan' groups who are wealthy, aid given to help only one 'special' ethnic group in business, entrepreneurship, etc?

Ipohcrite: The race card is continually used by just one political party to advance its political interests, sadly, at the expense and to the detriment of the citizens' unity and the country's well-being.

This political party is utterly desperate to win at costs, and all its claims of serving the rakyat are pure hogwash. And who is this morally bereft party? Your guess is as good as mine, no?

Senior: I always think I'm bangsa Malaysian, but some politicians won't allow me.

MinahBulat: 1Malaysia and ‘ketuanan Melayu’ and their ‘maruah’ (dignity) are diametrically opposite. When Najib Abdul Razak announced 1Malaysia, it was nothing but a political slogan.

The red shirt rally shows that Malay racism is unbridled and is very much alive. This is coupled with the fact that Najib, in endorsing the red shirt rally as ‘peaceful’, means Umno depends on these sponsored ultras. The only solution is that Umno must go.

Peacemaker: 1Malaysia was never misunderstood. 1Malaysia was intended to mislead Malaysians into thinking that the BN government was inclusive but the reality was exposed with continued race-baiting by Umno and its operatives.

1Malaysia was never ever intended to become a reality. It was intended to be just an empty slogan.

Gggg: What was Prof Khoo doing when on your birth certificate and identity card (IC) they insisted on putting ‘bangsa’.

Common sense tells me my ‘bangsa’ should be Malaysia but that was not accepted, and they lump it either as China or India. Does it mean I hold dual citizenship?

Uragt: Professor Khoo, stick to your specialty, don’t politicise. Come out with historical facts - where were ‘Malays’ when the whole region including Singapore was part of a Hindu empire?

What about the period when the Middle Kingdom expanded its empire? At that time, were there any real economic activities in the peninsular or just typical fishing ‘villages’?

Dr Suresh Kumar: The main problem is the Umnoputras feed us the history of Malaya from only the late 14th century, the time when Parameswara founded Malacca.

But our history dates way back to the 2nd century or even earlier, which the Umnoputras censored because those periods, especially the 2nd century were dominated by highly civilised South Indian kings who settled in Kedah (Kadaram) and along the coastal areas.

The archeological sites in Lembah Bujang in Kedah are evidence of this. Hinduism and Buddhism were introduced to the people of Malaya then. These facts have not found its way into our history books and they never will.

Despairing Malaysian: I beg to differ with the professor when he said we can't build nations by just using Physics and Chemistry.

In a country when they can change Sejarah and make it all about Islam and nothing much about world history, learning Physics, Chemistry and Additional Maths sets us on the pathway to a better life and away from this failing nation.

Let me ask you, have people learned from History? No? Enough said.

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