The Strangeness of Malaysian Politics

        "Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend,

                         And do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you;

          Better a neighbour nearby than a brother far away." - Proverb 27:10

"Better be kind at home than burn incense in a far place." - Chinese Proverb

The aforementioned proverbs share the same meaning in that it is more beneficial to have kind neighbours than relatives who live faraway especially in times of emergency.

However, our government seems oblivious to this as they are more interested in safeguarding relationship with the Indonesians rather than with fellow Malaysians; logic being that they are of the same racial stock or what they will favourably term as "serumpun". But most often than not, respect between the two nations is not reciprocal and relationship is not on an even keel.

It has always been mind boggling that our politicians never fail to show excessive deference, obeisance and kow-tow to the Indonesians. Undeniably they are of the same stock but over-sentimentality must stop since Malaysia is a fully independent nation, not the 34th province of Indonesia.

Perhaps, it is with this overt and extreme respect accorded to the Indonesians, they dared to defile our flag, threw faeces at our Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, stopped supplying maids to us and threatened Malaysians with harm. Their media lapped it up by spewing venom at us. Yes we are now in a lull but there is no guarantee the Indonesians will not find fault with us again.

Our politicians should take a cue from America and Australia. Peoples of Anglo Saxon origin in these countries, after emigrating Great Britain; took great pride in their new identity. They do not show extreme and unreasonable deference to their country of origin.

More admiringly, they stopped referring to the British as "Brothers".

Even the Bangladeshis after attaining Independence from Pakistan in a bloody war, now take pride in their newfound identity without holding on too much to emotional baggage.

Alas, our politicians are unable to emulate this. Yet ironically, they have the temerity to accuse the non-Malays that we are distinctive, still identify ourselves as Malaysian Chinese or Malaysian Indians; yet to be fully assimilated into the larger society.

Non-Malay Malaysians are certainly getting a raw deal, aren’t we?

To the politicians, I say get your own house in order first.