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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

How to fight the Low Yat syndrome

Is taking a step back the right move for Chinese politicians?
COMMENT
race-relations
One of our regular readers and a prolific contributor, TK Chua, wrote an article last week about the deteriorating race relations in Malaysia under the heading “The way out of Low Yat Plaza”. If I may be allowed for once to speak as a member of the Chinese community, I will admit that the piece was a hard read. Indeed, at some points, it was even offensive. Nevertheless, there is wisdom in what TK suggests, and in view of the rabid discussion that raged in the comments section, perhaps a closer look at that wisdom is warranted.
The flow of TK’s prose suggests that he believes the Chinese community’s increased participation in politics is not just one of the reasons, but the primary reason, for the deterioration in race relations. That’s a rather unkind thing to say, but he also says that at least some of the backlash was due to “anxiety among the incumbents and beneficiaries of the existing system.” The “incumbents and beneficiaries” are, of course, Malays.
The Chinese represent the second largest ethnic community in Malaysia. When we exert a push for political power, the foundation that the incumbents stand on rattle in warning. The political influence of the Chinese has arguably never been greater, now that the politicians chosen to lead the community tend to be younger, more professional, and more dynamic in comparison to the guild members and businessmen who used to dominate Chinese politics. This leaves the patrons of the status-quo system uncomfortable, and the discomfort extends down to the grassroots as they are fed ever more anti-Chinese messages by politicians, NGOs and what not.
Now, on to the second problem with TK’s article, the idea that Chinese politicians need to lie low for the time being. If that is meant to be a cure for racial tension, it is bitter medicine indeed. While violence is not an option, inaction does not sit well with the masses of Chinese voters who have rejected the current status quo. We have waited for change for a painfully long time, and the idea of delaying it even more is unbearable to some. To a certain extent, it will be seen as capitulation, an admission that despite how much we try, despite how much we fight to gain an inch of ground, we cannot win.
While I cannot see it as wise for the Chinese community to bury our heads in the sand forever for fear of agitating someone somewhere, TK did say “for the time being” and there is wisdom in that suggestion. Right now, given the Chinese vs Malay narrative that is constantly playing out across social media and even in real life, perhaps the community as a whole needs to take the high road by stepping back a little for the sake of national unity. After all, retaliation might lead to a repeat of certain events on a certain date more than 45 years ago, or so we keep being told.
While we should not give in to intimidation by being fearful of the mere mention of “May 13”, we must respect the lessons of history and know when to beat a strategic retreat. A battle is not necessarily won by the strongest or even the most heroic. The one sure thing is that the smartest often gets the last laugh. With a temporary retreat of the “Chinese tsunami”, certain parties with vested interests lose their punching bag, and lose the very subject they rely on to stir up communal sentiments. Robbing them of their favourite target alone would make the entire enterprise worth it, given that they probably will devour themselves from the inside out eventually.
TK is also right in suggesting that Chinese politicians can become examples for others to follow. They can be the epitome of Malaysian goodness – of inclusivity, tolerance and multiculturalism. After all, this is what we need, not endless feuding and fighting, and a politician who embodies those virtues will have the respect of the rakyat, regardless of race or religion. More importantly, we can act as gatekeepers, giving our support only to politicians who deserve it, the ones who hold true to these values, the ones who realise that we are all in this together on this little piece of land we call home.
I cannot agree with everything TK says. To acknowledge some of it would be looking down on my own people, and would be tantamount to devaluing ourselves and what we can contribute to the nation, given the chance. That being said, that chance becomes less and less likely the more aggressively we push our agenda as our efforts can be wrongly interpreted as nefarious. TK made an excellent point when he said that one side must be the bigger man and step back for the sake of the greater good.

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