Si Sepet, Si Kaki Botol: Kepentingan Kursus Biro Tata Negara Dipersoalkan

Walaupun ramai yang tidak ada pengalaman menghadiri kursus Biro Tatanegera (BTN), segenlintir peserta yang pernah menghadiri kursus tersebut menyifatkan kursus ini hanya membawa keburukan serta menjadi pemangkin kepada perpecahan kaum di negara kita. Malah ini juga membuktikan kursus tersebut hanya bermotifkan kepentingan politik pihak tertentu untuk kekal berkuasa dengan hanya menanamkan sifat perkauman di kalangan peserta.

Seperti kes yang berlaku baru-baru ini, Timbalan Pengarah BTN Hamim Husin didakwa mengeluarkan kenyataan yang berbaur perkauman terhadap masyarakat Cina dan India. Jika benar ia berlaku, seperti yang ditekankan oleh sesetangah pemimpin tempatan, kes ini harus disiasat dibawah akta hasutan 1960 kerana ia boleh mengugat keharmonian negara seterusnya mencetuskan rasa tidak puas hati dalam kalangan minoriti terhadap sistem negara. Baca di sini- Si sepet dan si kaki botol analogi yang jijik oleh BTN dan Si sepet, si botol: Itulah wajah sebenar Umno.

Walaupun pelbagai pihak tidak setuju jika program ini diteruskan, kerajaan tetap dengan pendirian mereka untuk meneruskan program ini, Timbul laporan-laporan daripada peserta kursus terutamanya daripada bukan Melayu bahawa kursus Biro Tatanegara menyebarkan ideologi yang bersifat perkauman, sehinggakan mengundang kebencian ke tahap yang kritikal terhadap kaum-kaum minoriti di negara ini.

Kerajaan telah bersetuju untuk merombak sukatan program kursus in atas desakan oleh pihak pembangkang pada tahun 2009. Namun hasilnya tidak kesampaian apabila kes-kes seperti ini masih dilaporkan. Diharapkan agar kerajaan tidak mengunakan kursus Biro Tata Negara sebagai medan untuk meluaskan politik perkauman untuk kekal berkuasa. Saya juga ingin mendapatkan komen daripada peserta yang pernah menghadiri kursus ini untuk mengesahkan dan mendapatkan maklumat lanjut tentang apa yang sedang berlaku dalam kursus ini.

KURSUS BIRO TATA NEGARA

Zunar - Cartoonist as Activist...

Many of us asking who is Zunar and what he have done until police arrested him under Printing and Publications Act and Sedition Act. Zunar aka Zulkiflee bin S.M. Anwar Ulhaque is a politics cartoonist who go against government’s poor systems and policies with his piece of cartoons. Previously he published three political comics – 1 Funny Malaysia, Perak darul Kartun and Isu Dalam Kartun.

Although the three books were banned by home ministry saying that the books were threats to nation security, he dares to take risk in releasing new book entitled ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’. The reality is, his comics never a threat to national security, but only threat to the government. I never have seen any riots or public disorder once people read his book. So what is the root to arrest him? Government should find out their weakness and try to correct it, not shut up the mouth of activists with such arrests!

The fact is such arrest never fears activists. The rising activist like Namewee (Wee Meng Chee) and Zunar (Zulkiflee bin S.M. Anwar Ulhaque) deserved praise from fellow Malaysians since they braved themselves in expressing people voice through music and cartoon respectively.

According to Zunar, Cartoon-o-phobia was chosen as the title to illustrate and reflect the fears of certain parties to cartoons. The cartoonist said that the content of this latest book have more bite compared to his previous books. The issues covered are the murder of Altantuya, the conspiracy against Anwar Ibrahim, the PM's wife, the loss of jet engines, the Scorpene that cannot dive, Sarawak, racism, corruption and waste of public funds, among others.

I urge all Malaysians to support Zunar, his good intention need to be praised and we should appreciate such a spectacular fighter who born in our nation. Zunar’s new book Cartoon-o-phobia will be sold at RM25. It can be purchased online via Cartoon Kafe. You can also add him in facebook.

ZUNAR.......

SOME OF HIS CARTOONS:

ZUNAR'S PREVIOUS BOOK - PERAK DARUL KARTUN

Reform Education System to Foster Unity among Young Malaysians...

Racial sentiments, riots, inequality in power sharing, fanatic personalities, discriminations against minority and I have a long list on showing unity among Malaysian in dilemma. I think the unity not suppose to be a topic to discuss after Nation’s 53 years of independent.

We Malaysian are predominantly divided by politics and education. Although there are a lot of factors we can assume as threat to our unity, but in my opinion education and politics are the most influential aspect. Before this, I have written before about politics, but this time I’m going to elaborate how education divided us and how education can bond the Malaysian as one again.

Let me start from primary education, the role of vernacular schools are undeniable, however the schools are not relevant for current and future Malaysia. As we know the gaps between races are far more worrying. We must bring one system which only with national schools. Vernacular schools abolished and the Tamil and Mandarin must made compulsory. This will make our education system become competent.

All races combined in National schools striving towards one direction and vision. Schools students won’t think about the difference of race when they still in the primary school when they mix together in one surrounding as BANGSA MALAYSIA. So the style will continue to secondary schools, Universities and so in their life. Now what’s happening in school? The majority of the students from vernacular schools continue their relation only with their friends that they have from primary schools. And even the new buddy they approach also among same race. Similar things happen in universities and even in working environments.

UNITY CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH REFORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Since independent, we are witnessing, there are a lot of NGOs, individual and nevertheless party politics are claiming that they are championing the vernacular schools. In our nation, a lot of struggles to develop these vernacular schools and some politician even politicking this issue for their personal benefit. They have forgotten that it’s their responsibility to upgrade the schools. I think we don’t need such politicians to defend our schools, they fooling the people and the people also being cheated again and again in many occasions.

Rather than struggling for nothing and finally we lost everything. We must ready to change and to be changed. Please be brave enough to make some reformation in our nation. If we carry on with the same school system, we not only lost national unity but also our Tamil language and Tamil schools. Lets we do some calculation. Currently, Tamil school students in Malaysia is more than 110 000, the number of schools is 523. In 10 years time the number of students will increase tremendously may be around 150 000. Just calculate in 20 years time, we will have around 200 000 pupils with only 523 schools.

Tamil school’s condition not allows such number of students. Even now also we are facing massive problems such as lack of classrooms, basic amenities and some schools even no roof to protect the students from sun and rain. Although these upsetting situations continue to pressure Tamil schools from continuously in defending Tamil, but it doesn’t work effectively. Most of the parents want their children to study in conducive environments.

And even some of the parents couldn’t send their children since the nearest Tamil school packed with students and closed for registration. Following the national school doesn’t mean minorities in Malaysia has given up their effort. Malaysian Indians right not under threat if we tolerate in this matter, in the other hand equal rights of receiving educational facilities guaranteed. And the most significant thing is unity and relationship among our new generation improved definitely. We educated to be liberal minded since no prejudice among all group of people. We learn a lot regarding others culture and have better understanding between each other.

Some Tamil and Mandarin pundits worrying that growth of the languages under risk if vernacular schools removed, I believe with the one National schools system, Tamil and Mandarin will grow much more promisingly. As we know there are moral classes for non-Muslim students during religious class for Malays. The moral should be replaced with Tamil and Mandarin language subjects. In the other point of view, the Tamil learning students motivated to learn Tamil when Chinese students learning Mandarin by giving full commitment. Tamil learning students definitely will take their initiative too to emulate the Chinese after witnessing their spirit to learn the language.

Back to the relationship within the ethnic, role of education is really important. So lets we together give up own agenda and change our mindset to emphasis on National agenda. There are always solutions behind each problem. Don’t use the same approach to solve the same problem again and again, it won’t works. As the result, finally we get nothing for our struggle, try to accept the fact that we need to strive together upon national agenda to get equal rights and opportunity. Please brave enough to change or to be changed!

I hope no street demonstrations, no other ISA arrests, no tears, no hurts, no politics, no discrimination, and no marginalization, nothing after this. Please think smart, think for our future Malaysia, unity we can achieve through the reform of education system.

HOPE TO SEE MULTIRACIAL STUDENTS SIT TOGETHER IN ONE SCHOOL IN FUTURE

Racial Politics, NEP and Malaysia: What they say?

Racial politics and the rich In the year 2006: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his release from 6 years of prison said in a number of interviews that the NEP should be abolished and that all races should be given equal opportunities and also that the NEP was bad because only the cronies of UMNO party became rich from it, however Khairy Jamaluddin from UMNO party hit out at him (Anwar Ibrahim) for saying that.

Malaysian politician Chang Ko Youn put forward "Malaysia has practised racial politics for 51 years and we know it is divisive as each party only talks on behalf of the racial group it represents... When all races are in a single party, no one person will try to be the champion of the party.... It is easy to be a Malay hero, a Malaysian Chinese hero or an Malaysian Indian hero but it is difficult to be a Malaysian hero.... The country is facing economic problems now and it is important that the Government and political parties come up with a Malaysian agenda on how to unite the people and face these challenges..."

Marina Mahathir wrote: "...The same thing happened in our country. Unfortunately, race politics has not really died down yet, and some people reacted as if ethnic cleansing had just taken place...."

Michelle Gunaselan wrote: "...I am often ashamed and angry about what has happened to the industry, to my view of what is an honourable profession. My friends who wrote powerful things – beyond our age, perhaps – about human rights abuses, race politics, and much more in our college newspapers, now sit back and allow their editors to change key facts in their stories. We now maintain “elegant silences” about each other’s choices. I don’t profess to be a model journalist, I think I could still do better, and I have a long way to go, but I do admire them for trying to work under these difficult circumstances. After all, I have, I suppose, taken the easy way out by writing for magazines (on political features) where I am not necessarily subjected to the same sorts of political influence and Government ownership and control issues as the mainstream media."

Politician Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham when he was asked, "What do you dislike most about Malaysians?", he replied: Racial politics

Chris Anthony wrote: "...After 53 years of living and working together side-by-side, the people have voted to do away with racial politics but unfortunately the politicians are far from showing signs of heeding their calls for multiracialism...."

Philip Bowring of International Herald Tribune wrote that the political organization of Malaysia has long been largely on racial lines, Islam has at times become a device for use in racial politics, a yardstick for measuring the commitment of competing parties to Malay racial advancement.

Writer A. Asohan wrote: "...you started to grow up, and race increasingly became a factor. You became aware of race politics here. Insidious people would hint that being friends with the "Other" made you a traitor to your own race. The racist rot seems to have intensified over the subsequent generations. The bigotry we learned as adults are now being picked up by our primary schoolkids. Our leaders may, in a fit of progressiveness (by their standards), talk about racial tolerance, but acceptance and appreciation for other races and cultures seem beyond their ken. Racial intolerance in the country is getting worse, we tell ourselves, looking back to a more idyllic past. Bah, what crock! We Malaysians have always been racists. Heck, the entire human race has always found some illusive basis for discrimination. Race, religion, colour, creed, whether you were born north or south of that artificial line called a border – we spend an inordinate amount of our time and resources on delineating our differences rather than celebrating our similarities. If you married someone from a different race in the old days, you faced severe social censure and were treated as an outcast. Parents wrung their hands and tore at their hair, wailing “What did we do wrong? Aiyoh, how can you do this to us?"

A disappointed parent: "It is really sad. Parents spend huge amounts of money educating their children, but the ones who stand to benefit are the Singaporeans, Americans, Australians and the British. For as long as race politics is not done away with, the problem of brain drain will continue and Malaysia will always fall behind advanced countries, no matter how many twin towers and Putrajayas we build."

Former Prime minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohammad said Samy Vellu is a racist in his own blog www.chedet.com "...They speak not just of Indians, but of Tamils as a separate race. They and their apologists are racist to the core....Seeing the death and destruction inflicted on Sri Lanka by the Tamil Tigers, they threaten to bring this kind of violent racial politics to Malaysia...

Source: Wikipedia

Salam lebaran.... Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri buat Muslimin dan Muslima di Malaysia!

Malaysia Merdeka! Tetapi Transformasi Apa yang Perlu Dijanakan?

Pada 31 Ogos 2010, kita meraikan Hari Kemerdekaan yang ke-53. Apakah maknanya kemerdekaan untuk kita jika sistem negara dan rakyatnya masih dibelenggu sifat perkauman walaupun lebih 5 dekad usianya kebebasan dinikmati? Kongkongan sistem nasional serta pemikiran yang begitu sempit masih menghantui negara yang sedang membangun ini. Kegagalan sistem dan polisi untuk menyatukan rakyatnya serta jentera ekonomi yang semakin lemah seringkali mengusarkan ‘nasionalis moden’ dan juga ahli-ahli ekonomi. Apakah situasi ini akan berterusan? Tranformasi apa yang perlu dijanakan demi kepentingan bersama? Setelah sekian lama saya berhenti menulis, saya rasa saya bertanggungjawab untuk kembali menyatakan apa yang terbaik untuk negara pada hari yang penuh bersejarah ini.

Dengan megahnya pemimpin kita menyatakan “1Malaysia, Menjana Tranformasi“. Apabila rakan saya yang juga seorang tenaga pengajar menyatakan tema hari kebangsaan yang ke-53 tersebut, hanya satu persoalan yang terlintas yang pemikiran saya, apakah setelah lebih setengah abad kemerdekaan dicapai, kita baru hendak menjana transformasi? Walaupun bunyinya pelik, kita terpaksa menongkah segala cabaran negara dengan mengikut arus perdana yang dipimpin oleh Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 2010 adalah masa untuk rakyat jelata menikmati transformasi negara yang telah dilaksanakan, bukannya untuk menjana transformasi yang baru seperti yang dikatakan oleh pemimpin kita. Dengan ini, jelaslah bahawa negara kita ketinggalan zaman dalam semua aspek menyebabkan pemimpin kita melaungkan tema yang ‘outdated’ seumpama ini. Hakikatnya negara kita sudah merdeka, tetapi rakyatnya masih ‘dijajah’ oleh tema seumpama ini.

Tranformasi? Apa yang anda faham? Tranformasi dalam aspek apa yang akan dijanakan? Cukuplah segala penipuan! Kata-kata pemimpin kita hanya sekadar mengucap daripada mengota. ‘Tranformasi’ yang saya faham adalah ‘Rakyat diperkudakan untuk menjana tranformasi ekonomi pemimpin’. Jangan terkejut, percaya atau tidak kebanyakkan hasil mahsul negara yang melimpah telah dirompak oleh pemimpin kita sendiri. Mari kita bandingkan Malaysia dengan Singapura, saban hari hampir 2 juta rakyat Malaysia menyeberangi Selat Tebrau untuk bekerja di sana. Mengapakah kita perlu bekerja di negeri orang? Cuba anda nyatakan kelemahan kita berbanding Singapura! Petroleum, gas asli, getah, minyak sawit, kayu balak, serta lain-lain hasil semulajadi yang menjadikan negara kita berkali-kali ganda lebih kaya daripada Singapura, jadi dimanakah kelemahannya? Kelemahan kita hanya pada pemimpin negara yang tidak pandai untuk menguruskan hasil negara. Kita juga mempunyai ruang, segala kemudahan, tidaklah seperti negara jiran yang lain.

Jika kita beralih kepada zaman pra-kemerdekaan, pelbagai kaum di negara kita telah menumpahkan darah, air mata dan keringat untuk memerdekakan negara. Perjuangan mereka tidak diteruskan malah dicemari dengan pelbagai insiden yang memalukan. Peristiwa hitam 13 Mei 1969 (pertembungan antara kaum Cina dan Melayu), Kampung Medan 2001 (pertembungan antara kaum Melayu dan India), penyalahgunaan keris oleh sesetengah pemimpin dalam perhimpunan agong UMNO, perarakan kepala lembu, seserangan ke atas rumah ibadat yang berlaku baru baru ini di ibu kota serta beberap tempat yang lain, pengetua dan tenaga pengajar yang racist, dan sebagainya telah menunjukkan betapa kendurnya persaudaraan antara kaum dan agama di negara kita. Walaupun segelintir pihak menafikan perkara ini, namun saya rasa kita boleh berfikir dan melihat sendiri apa yang telah berlaku dan sedang berlaku di negara kita. Kita bukanya bodoh untuk mempercayai bulat-bulat apa yang dipaparkan oleh media. Apa yang penting di sini adalah persaingan sihat antara kaum di negara kita antara kita dalam semua bidang termasuk pendidikan, sukan, ekonomi dan seumpamanya. Pergaduhan dan perebutan/kegilaan kuasa tidak melambangan kekuatan sesuatu kaum itu, sebaliknya hanya melambangan kejahilan.

Tujuan saya mengutarakan kelemahan-kelemahan pemerinthan dan sistem bukanlah untuk meremehkan mana-mana pihak. Tetapi adalah sebagai ilham untuk kita berusaha kearah transformasi yang saya maksudkan. Saya amat berharap para ‘nasionalis moden’ tidak berputus asa, tetapi bergerak ke hadapan untuk mencapai perpaduan melalui konsep Bangsa Malaysia. Hari ini, apabila ketika kita menoleh ke belakang, kita dapat mengetahui bahawa pemimpin telah memandu negara ini secara membabi buta sekian lama melalui perjuangan politik perkauman dan pecah perintah. Walaupun, ada yang merasakan kita terlambat dalam mengambil beberapa langkah, terutama dalam soal perpaduan. Jadi marilah kita sama-sama menolak politik perkauman dan pemikiran racist dengan menumpukan perkara yang lebih penting terutamanya dalam bidang ekonomi, pendidikan, sukan dan serta bidang-bidang yang setara dengannya.

Setiap warganegara Malaysia harus menyedari bahawa ini adalah negara kepunyaan mereka dan semestinya mereka harus bertanggungjawab keatas segala kebaikan dan keburukkan yang berlaku ke atas negara. Sempena hari yang mulia ini, janganlah kita membuang masa kita dengan sembang-sembang kosong di kedai-kedai Mamak, sebaliknya berfikir tentang masa depan negara dan ‘transformasi’ yang diperlukan oleh negara kita secara keseluruhnya. ‘Transformasi’ yang dinyatakan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin kita terlalu implisit serta sukar difahami, seperti biasalah mereka hanya pandai melakar slogan-slogan yang canggih sebaliknya gagal menjelaskannya dan menunaikannya kepada rakyat secara telus. Jangan marah dan jangan merungut jika semua ini berlaku, ini adalah pilihan anda sendiri!

Selamat Hari Merdeka kepada seluruh warganegara Malaysia yang berada di dalam atau luar negara. Saya juga mengambil kesempatan ini untuk menekankan sekali lagi tentang tranformasi pemikiran yang perlu berlaku dalam kalangan kita. Marilah kita sama-sama menerima antara satu sama lain seterusnya menolak segala pemikiran negatif demi kemakmuran negara yang tercinta.

BANGSA MALAYSIA BANGSA BERJAYA! SELAMAT HARI KEMERDEKAAN KE 53!