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October 07, 2005
The Communards
Here's an interesting account of an incident that occurred at the Gerakan-organised "Anak Malaysia" convention held in August.
Things were looking hopeful, according to Dr Clive Kessler, Emeritus Professor in the School of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of New South Wales, until about noon:
At lunchtime the Minister for Education and head of the UMNO Youth, Hishammuddin Onn, arrived and agreed to shake hands, and be photographed, with the diverse members of a panel discussion that had just concluded: a winning gesture, and an unusual concession, from an UMNO personality.
In a truly remarkable moment, he linked arms in solidarity, with among others, Lim Guan Eng of the opposition DAP.
He then gave an especially warm embrace, as he was entitled to do, to the UMNO participant, a man of rather dark complexion, possibly of mixed Malay and Indian origins.
Then, whether in a rehearsed "joke" or spontaneous faux pas, he turned to the audience and, as if "mugging" it in a "Black and White Minstrel Show", chuckled with a wide grin, "But I thought he was the representative of the MIC [the main Indian component party in the Barisan coalition]!"
In that moment the positive atmosphere of a "post-communalistic" hopefulness was punctured. [Asean Focus Group: "Banging On" about "Bangsa"; or, National Unity Once Again]
Should it be all that surprising?
The Barisan Nasional member parties are a confused lot.
As Dr Kessler puts it:
For its part, the Barisan, like St Augustine embracing chastity, wants to overcome communalism "but not just yet".... Yet, by this choice for gradualism and what it sees as realism about the tenacity of ethnic sentiments, the Barisan makes itself dependent upon the continuation, and upon claims of the existential primacy, of what it insists it abhors and is committed to defeating.
Sooner or later, things will fall apart, because as we all know, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Posted by aisehman at October 7, 2005 06:39 PM
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Comments
Here you are the distinction between an honest communalist and a political one. The latter knows it is wrong or objectionable to put ant community above any other -but do it anyway because it brings power and $...Tell me who is the more abhorent ?
Posted by: Ong at October 11, 2005 07:26 PM
Often makes a monkey of himself. Is he from the monkey party.
Posted by: passingby at October 13, 2005 09:33 PM