Aggressive Umno racism: The new emerging reality

To quote from a Malaysiakini article dated March 17, 2011, ”Denying that he had rejected the 100 amendments to the novel suggested by the committee, Muhyiddin claimed that he had in fact called for a review of the amendments as he believed that they were 'minute' issues which ran away from the 'isu pokok' (main concern)."

Muhyiddin is proving to be a clown in the way he is dealing with the Interlok novel issue He sets up an independent panel to review and suggest changes to the Interlok novel. Then he just about overrules all their suggestions. This results in a disgusted walkout by the Indian panel members. Then he denies rejecting the 100 suggested amendments saying what he looking for was more substantial than the nitpicking the panel had done.

That the substantial thing he ought to be looking for is a withdrawal of the book altogether from the curriculum is right there in front of his eyes. A child could come up with that. He chooses to nitpick instead and then turns around and accuses the review panel of nitpicking. He is a natural joker isn't he? That is how he easily appears to us.

The whole Umno government is proving to be a failure over and over again over all the contentious issues they have had to deal with in running the country. One of the manifestations of this failure is the increasing polarisation among the people in the country. The elite within Umno in their selfish desire to keep a tight handle on the controls of the resources of the country need the Malay Muslim vote.

They play up issues like Interlok, saying the minorities are being unreasonable and demanding in spite of the good nature of the 'tuans'. The book authored by a National Laureate and celebrated Malay writer can do no wrong. Instead it is the minority who are becoming demanding, encouraged by the fact that the Malay people are split. So, the argument goes.

And the only way we can keep the minorities in their place is for the Malays to unite. This logic, repeated over and over again by Perkasa outside and by the various internal propaganda organs inside Umno, is enough to make the ordinary average Malay citizen become a victim to this lie.

The elite within Umno are enjoying the security of the false race consciousness among the Malay people, oblivious or careless about the net effect on the nation as a whole.

This path only takes them further down, as the Malay citizens who buy this lie will then extend the race logic in their little realms all over the country as you see increasingly happening now .

As time passes, the trajectory for racism in the country moves further and further upwards. What has been subtly happening for 54 years now bursts out into the open and operates openly, no need for the subtlety of the past. It becomes aggressive racism. This is a new reality emerging in the country.

Can you see it?