TELL THAT TO THE CHINESE AND INDIANS

Even in modern times we had people like Dr Sun Yat-sen, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, Ruhollah Khomeini, Fidel Castro and his brother, Raúl, all heroes of the revolution, who ran away and went into exile to continue their struggle instead of staying in their own country and face arrest. Only when it was safe did all these people return to their country.

NO HOLDS BARRRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

RPK seems to be so involved in Malaysian politics. When he was in Malaysia, he was well respected for his open comments. But then he absconded to UK for fear of being arrested under ISA. The best thing for him to do would be to thank God that he has been given a second life to lead and mind his own affairs. It does not look right when someone who has no guts to face the music in his own country, runs to another country and starts preaching. In my opinion, he should stay out of Malaysian politics as he doesn’t belong here. I doubt many people would be bothered by his comments these days anyway.

Chandrah Na · Honolulu University of Arts & Science

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Dear Chandrah Na, thank you so much for your valuable advise. I certainly take it in the spirit of the good faith and noble intentions that it was intended. I would, however, like to reciprocate and offer you some of my own advice.

You need to be very careful with what you say because not everyone is as magnanimous as I am. Sometimes my magnanimity even amazes me myself and I wonder how I can have such a big heart unmatched by those others of my station in life.

I mean, in spite of my breeding and my standing in society, I still waste my valuable time to read what you say and give you my reply when thousands of others may find you unworthy of even the time of day, as if you are mere dog shit on the sole of their shoe.

I say be careful because Muslims might get very offended with what you say and you never know what an angry Muslim is capable of. They might feel you are insulting Prophet Muhammad who ran away from Mekah instead of staying put so that his enemies can kill him.

Together with Abu Bakar, Muhammad sneaked away in the middle of the night and hid in a cave while his enemies went all over looking for him. And then, when the coast was clear, he escaped to Yathrib, now called Medina, and stayed there for ten years until he managed to build a huge army and return to Mekah to occupy it.

The Christians, too, might get offended with what you say. The night the Romans came to arrest Jesus his 12 disciples all ran away and abandoned him. In fact, one Roman soldier recognised Peter, the man who Jesus said his church would be built upon. The Roman then asked Peter whether he was one of themachai of Jesus and Peter replied, “Who, me? A kunchu of Jesus? No way man!”

So the Christians might think you are saying that the 12 disciples are cowards for running away and for not daring to surrender to the Roman and also die on the cross like Jesus. I mean, the Christians read the books written by these people who abandoned Jesus and ran away every Sunday and they might feel very offended by your allegation.

The other people who might take offense are Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent. From 1850 to 1920 their ancestors also ran way from China, India and Ceylon because life was very difficult in those countries.

No doubt they were economic and not political immigrants or refugees but they, too, were cowards who could not endure the hard life in their own country. Many died of starvation so they ran away from their own country to settle in British Malaya that was booming because of tin and rubber.

Today, about one million descendants of those people who ran away from China, India and Ceylon to come to British Malaya have themselves run away to other countries such as Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, England and so on. Some even ran away to non-English speaking countries such as France, Germany, etc.

Of course, they ran away from Malaysia because they can earn better salaries in these other countries and, therefore, enjoy a better life compared to life in Malaysia. In a way they are not loyal Malaysians because they would rather migrate for a better life instead of suffering in their own country.

On top of that, many of these Chinese and Indians who abandoned Malaysia, the country of their birth, have joined ABU, SABM, Bersih, and so on, to protest against the Malaysian government. Since, as you say, they have already run away, why are they so kaypoh about what is happening in Malaysia?

As you have rightly pointed out, they should “stay out of Malaysian politics, as they do not belong here.” Just stay quietly in your new adopted country and jangan sibuk sangat about Malaysia. So I support your spirit of if you do not live in Malaysia then stay the fuck out of Malaysian politics, especially those Chinese and Indian Malaysians living overseas whose ancestors ran away from their own country.

If you were to study the last 500 years history of Europe you will know that many French ran away to England and many English ran away to France because of politics. If not they would have been killed in their own countries.

Even in modern times we had people like Dr Sun Yat-sen, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, Ruhollah Khomeini, Fidel Castro and his brother, Raúl, all heroes of the revolution, who ran away and went into exile to continue their struggle instead of staying in their own country and face arrest. Only when it was safe did all these people return to their country.

As I said, Chandrah Na, I am open to criticism because I was raised in a very different manner than, say, you. But not many people are as civilised as I am and they will certainly be very offended by what they might view as your insult. So be very careful lest they take what you say the wrong way.

Oh, and do reply because I really do not mind engaging you in an intelligent and intellectual discourse. I do not want people to interpret your silence as a coward who runs away from a debate because he did not know his history and is not able to respond to what I have said.

Till we talk again, take care and do read up a bit on history if you can find the time.

Oh, and one more thing. You said I should thank God. Which of your many Gods should I be thanking? Or should I thank the whole lot of them?