Rewrite History

Some quarters in Malaysia have always never been willing to give up their 'right' to rewrite history. A few years back, some people in academia tried to foist a version of the May 13 incident that was flagrantly made-up on the national universities but a lot of the university students were outraged by it and they made a determined stand against it, holding stiff protests until it was dropped. At many government courses, such detestable habits are not always unacceptable. This is surely a poor reflection on the credibility of the BN ruling class in Malaysia. It also goes to show that the country accepts the principle that 'any lie often repeated or often twisted enough or insisted a certain way would eventually become accepted as truth'. In the National Service program, trainees are also fed such trash by their instructors, perhaps in the belief that young minds are more easily remolded or altered. This is really totally shameless. And at the recent UMNO general assembly that just ended, one of the newly elected vice-presidents made it a point to insist that UMNo was the one party responsible for the country obtaining independence. This is an outright lie and it was made to exclude the historical facts and to belittle the other parties belonging to the minorities in Malaysia. The person who made the speech has been well known for his longstanding jaundiced feelings towards minority groups in the country. On Monday, he denied that he had deliberately excluded the role of the minority groups in the country's successful 1957 quest for independence and he took the opportunity to accuse his detractors of being guilty of 'quoting him out of context'. Nobody in his or her right mind would ever for one moment believe any word of what he said. This particular vice-president of UMNO is extremely ambitious and he is fully aware that carefully forging lies and half-truths is always a very profitable public relations exercise that would serve him well in his aim to reach the top. The country would never benefit if such a scoundrel is ever allowed to become the president of UMNO. In fact, Malaysia would turn into a religio-fascist nation virtually overnight if that ever happened. UMNO is still a party that cannot win the full support of the voters, especially those from the minority communities simply because the party has still so many rogues within its ranks. Those who are seen as true political moderates have been mostly elbowed out or expelled from its ranks. The outgoing PM is highly guilty of encouraging such a situation in the party which incidentally is bidding him goodbye and get lost. He foolishly maintained a separate system of justice for the people of Malaysia when he was in power and thus kept the playing field NOT level. And the citizens rightly rejected him at the 12th General Elections.

Traditionally, UMNO general assembly meetings have always been used by UMNO politicians to disparage and run down the minorties and go around distributing false information and the like to make the delegates feel that the minority groups are a national burden to UMNO and the nation. The other component parties made up of head nodders and yes-men are conveniently and temporarily forgotten. Even this year's meeting has been no different. One delegate even took the opportunity to brand the opposition and minorities as the ones responsible for 'undermining' the UMNO people's religion. Malaysia's main political party, UMNO, is full of politicians who do not hesitate to indulge in making statements that either seek to rewrite history or propagate seditious speech. Both are designed to harm the minorities and portray UMNO and its members in a favourable light. This country might have first class facilities but definitely third class mentalities. There are three by-elections coming up soon. The voters must reject the UMNO-led BN and send a message to the jerks to change their ways. Even now, the national TV stations are already busily badmouthing the opposition candidates and hawking all the usual lies and rumours. Even with the change of leadership, things are back to the bad old ways. In the meantime, the outgoing PM seems to be trying to hang onto his job for as many more days as possible. Shameful ! Go now !! And be reminded that all attempts to rewrite history will always be opposed by the people. We do not need any Goebbels here.