A debate is raging between Umno and PAS politicians on the role of Mat Indera. Was Mat Indera a hero or a ruffian?
Mat Indera played a prominent role in the 1950 attack on the Bukit Kepong police station. The incident was eventually immortalised in a movie played by the legendary Jins Shamsuddin. In the movie, the policemen were portrayed as heroes who fought against the communists.
Mat Indera was allegedly a communist cadre. A book by the Johor government in 2004 names insurgent Mat Indera as a freedom fighter and lists him as a celebrated Johor hero.
Who really is Mat Indera? Apparently, both Umno and PAS want a debate on this issue.
Both parties idolise Mat Silam (historical past) more than what's current and urgent. It is a fact that politicians and their inability to move forward and take the society through a quantum leap are to be blamed for a lack of vision, vigour and good ideas in the country.
Both PAS and Umno should start a more poignant debate and discourse on what form and shade the country should take in the next three to five years. How can Malaysia recapture its lustre?
I am sure politicians in this country should be contented by keeping silent on an allegation made by an Indonesian envoy that Malaysia has lost its lustre.
Both Khairy Jamaluddin and Mat Sabu should put their talents to use by debating on the best ideas and solutions to address the country's economic woes and its fading competitiveness.
It is difficult to accept that politicians are so keen to debate the past but allow the future to slip away from our grasp.
Contentious issues that refuse to go away
Most of the contentious issues that refused to go away, such as race supremacy, basic constitutional freedom and nationhood, are directly caused by the refusal of our politicians to accept a steady change and evolution of a society.
There is little surprise why some ethnic communities are still being considered as migrants - after being here for more than 500 years.
The social lenses they used to view interracial relations, nation-building, fundamental rights and governance are causing stagnation and a lack of direction in the country. Malaysia is a nation without a soul.
Our socio-economic progress and development are based on raw natural resources and not through a synergy of skills, ideas, determination and positive humanistic values. This type of development has a limitation because natural resources are finite but human spirit is not.
A lack of appreciation for humanistic contribution is evident in our political discourse and debate. We debate over who should have more birthrights than others, which is prime evidence of total disregard for diversity and humanistic contribution.
It is sad to note that other countries that had the same destructive tendencies and practices have moved forward and embraced diversity and values beneath the skin.
At the rate our politicians are going about in conducting their business-as-usual façade and the fact that our people condone this behaviour, we can rest assured that more soft and intangible assets are going to flow out of this country.
These assets may not find their reward and worthiness in this country but they are being highly sought after by our neighbours, including Singapore and Australia.
Our politicians' fixation over Mat Indera and Mat Silam is to ensure that we continue to live in a bubble, away from but not safe from reality and the future challenges that await us.
Quo vadis, Malaysia?
15 comments:
Do you know where you're going to? Do you know the things that life is showing you? The first two lines of a song made famous by Diana Ross, must be on the lips of all Malaysian politicians today, contemplating what's good for the country rather than all the ketuanans and Keturunans!
Seriously, I never even believed for even one second they are really interested in debate. It's more of trying to get into the limelight and showing who has the balls. After all, election is just around the corner, and politicians need to do whatever it takes to 'stand out'.
Not P.Ramlee lah. Jins Shamsuddin. Shoddy journalism.
You have lived in Malaysia long enough to understand that politicians, particularly from Barisan Nasional, are not interested in the FUTURE of Malaysia.
They are very interested in PRESENT day Malaysia because this is the time they take as much money as they can from the national coffers.
They bicker about Malaysia's PAST because it is a good smokescreen while they screw Malaysia and the rakyat.
And you probably know it already, that the politicians, particularly from Barisan Nasional:
a. won't read what you just wrote because they are too busy stealing from the people;
b. won't understand even if they read because they have the intellectual capability worst than a jellyfish. Just listen to how Najib, Muhiyidin, Rais, Nazri, Soi Lek, Tsu Koon, Siang Chai speak.
So, save your breath and spend your time to help boot BN out in the next GE.
If you're referring to the movie 'Bukit Kepong' - it was directed by Jins Shamsuddin (who also acted in the movie) not P. Ramlee.
fakta tuan tersilap. filem di lakonkan dan di arah oleh jins samsudin.
minta perbetulkan
tq
Tuan,
Correction...the film Bukit Kepong is not by P Ramlee. Jins Shamsudin directed and acted in that film.
I think this is going overboard. Just because someone said something not to UMNO liking, they attacks non-stop. Forget about this thing, and think about how to improve the economy and also how to contain inflation and to help the livelihood of the rakyat. We are more interested in the 'bread and butter issue'. Stop this stupid debate. Whoever is right or wrong does not help anyone or improve the lives of the rakyat.
Khoo, get it right for the last time please.Our govment politicians were never keen to fight with outsiders but dead sure keen to fight with own people not accepted as citizens eventho' their grandfathers came here 500 years ago.Perhaps they will only accept you as full-right citizen if your forefathers came here 5000 years ago.Have you heard from any minister or MPs for the past 10 years a word of how to fight with our neighbors economically? Conversely,you must have heard a thousand times warnings to minorities from some hate groups called perkosa,gap,penang mamaks group,pekim.who are actually hypocrites in disguise but labelled themselves as true warriors.
wrong. In order to build future, you must know the past. You can't move forward if you don't know the past.
Obviously you never watch Bukit Kepong coz the lead actor was Jin Shamsuddin and not P Ramlee. Maybe you can't differentiate between the 2 coz you never watch a Malay movie the entire of you life?
First of all I haven't read what Mat Sabu said,but everybody can have their say and fair share of opinions.Maybe Mat Indera can be a hero,according to the book published by the Johore government.But if an Umnoputra were to called Mat Indera a hero,Umno would have no qualms.It is just because Mat Sabu is from PAS,that Umno doesn't agree with what he said.
Smart money and corrupted money has been flowing continiously out of Malaysia for decades already.Even foreign investors are beginning to shun Malaysia as their top destination for investment.Investors are fed up of the corrupted bureaucacy,as everyone from top to bottom wants 'coffee money'.
So if you are an foreign investor with truckloads of money,you will probably go to a country that will welcome you with open arms.Investors wouldn't want to invest in countries where everything is done with money passing hands under the table.
Well diagnosed.
Can be PM's adviser for the peanuts that he will pay you for the huge contribution. His economic advisers should be put under charge of you
Readers,
Thanks for correction. Watched the movie ages ago on black and white tv. My fav are still mainly P.Ramlee's
chinese r given citizenship by colonialist british. so it is not valid in malay eyes. chinese r still communist at heart as seen by strong support of chin peng, so chinese must not be given automatic citizenship n never land ownership like in china.
Malay Nationalist
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