Perhaps our UMNO Penang Malay supremacist, Datuk Ahmad Ismail, should read Tun Haniff’s letter (The New Straits Times, November 19, 2008) and more usefully he should read an article by Professor Datuk Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman entitled “Current issues on Prehistory and Protohistory in Malaysian Archaeology” in June 2007 (Volume 80 Part 1, No. 292) in the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS).
Dr. Rais Yatim too should understand Malaysian history, not those written by some Malaysian historians who are closely allied to the politicians in power. There are quite a few of them around in Kuala Lumpur. They write Malaysian history not to present historical facts, but glorify men of power, past and present. Perhaps, this “erudite” UMNO politician, Dr. Rais should revist E.H. Carr, What is History? (Basingstoke, Hamsphire: PELGRAVE, 2001 with New Introduction).
To me, as a non-historian, Malaysian history is about the struggle towards liberation of our people (collective) and as such it did not begin in 1957, or for that matter in 1981. Liberation of our people, not just political, which began thousands of years ago, is an ongoing journey towards building a united Bangsa Malaysia.
Therefore, does not it matter whether we are pendatangs or not? That is irrelevant. Our differences exist. They are often exploited by zenophobic politicians but without much success in recent years, more so since UMNO is in crisis post March 8, 2008. After 50 years of independence, we have been able to rise above ethnicity with the return of Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Rakyat. This is not a development to be sneered at. But the question is how do we sustain it.
The key is to focus on our common destiny as a Malaysian nation. Concentrate on what unites us, celebrate our diversity and our rich cultural tapestry and let us not accentuate our differences. We must strive to be Malaysians with our fundamental rights guaranteed under our constitution (I would call it our Malaysian social contract). We must be free men and women with opportunities for all of us to be the best that we can be. That is a vision worth of our effort. It is, in fact, every Malaysian’s duty. We must not be bystanders anymore.—Din Merican
source: www.nst.com.my
Nove,mber 19, 2008
by : TUN MOHD HANIFF OMAR, Kuala Lumpur
I REFER to your report “Rais takes a swipe at Lian Hoe” (NST, November 17) wherein UMNO supreme council member Datuk Seri Rais Yatim accused Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Dr Tan Lian Hoe of being celupar (loudmouthed) over her statement that Malays were also immigrants from Nusantara.
Sixty years ago, when I was 10, I came across a history textbook apparently used in the St Anthony’s School, Teluk Anson, that had details about the Malays coming to Malaya in the wake of the Orang Asli. Thus when Lee Kuan Yew, then prime minister of Singapore, said in the mid-1960s that only the Orang Asli were the original people of Malaysia, I thought nothing of it. He must have read a similar history book.
But was that book correct? The Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS) published an article by Professor Datuk Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman entitled Current issues on Prehistory and Protohistory in Malaysian Archaeology in June 2007 (Volume 80 Part 1, No. 292). Nik Hassan is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Malay World and Civilisation, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He has a BA in history from Universiti Malaya, and a MPhil and PhD in archaeology from the University of London.
In that JMBRAS volume, he wrote that one of the issues “concern the origin of the indigenous people of Malaysia, including the Malays”, which “is related to the migration theory postulated in the 1930s by Heine-Geldern. This theory tried to show that the peopling of Southeast Asia took place in two waves. Therefore, according to this theory, the Orang Asli were the earliest inhabitants of the Malay peninsula and were different from the Malay.”
Heine-Geldern was supported in this theory by a series of archaeologists. They included Peacock, Dunn, Adi Haji Taha and Nik Hassan Shuhaimi. In essence, their finding, for a variety of reasons, was that the Malay and the Orang Asli are one and their differences were due to “environmental and cultural influences and neighbourly contacts… made via various inland routes which began during the Metal Age 2,500 years ago.
“These changes were made by the various ethnic groups, who were the ancestors of Bumiputera living in Malaysia since the Paleolithic era, and not by the process of migration. Benjamin’s quote on the relationship between various ethnic groups of Bumiputera, including the Malays and their origins, is apt:
“There is, in fact, other evidence to support the view that a significant portion, at least of the peninsular Malay population, has exactly the same origin as the Orang Asli …. The view that the Malays are in some fundamental sense Orang Asli is not, I think, one that would greatly surprise those who have kept their heads out of school and university text books (Benjamin, 2002).”
Many people tend to date the Malay presence with the beginning of the Malacca sultanate but this is wrong. Demang Lebar Daun’s ancestors long pre-dated that event.
In fact, in his welcoming speech to Tun Abdul Razak in Beijing on May 28, 1974, Chinese premier Chou Enlai said Chinese records showed that China had been trading with the Malays for over 2,000 years, which means that the Malays were here before then.
But what is even more important for us to remember as we try to forge a united nation is what Chou further said: “Between the people of China and the people of Malaysia, there has been a traditional friendship for over 2,000 years. Both of our peoples have always been sympathetic to one another ….”. He was right. Just read the letter from China’s emperor to Sultan Mahmud of Malacca on the latter’s report that his capital had fallen to the Portuguese.
Demang Lebar Daun was a Malay? Did he even exist? And what does it matter who came first? We are all stuck here in this country aren’t we? Do we have any other place to go?
__________
How true, art! We are in the same boat on a perilious course because some have decided to exploit our differences. Yes and no, we can uproot and go–in fact, some have–or we can stay and be part of the movement/fight for change. You are a smart lawyer and can operate anywhere in the world, if you opt to go abroad, but you and I have made a choice. We intend to stay and make Malaysia a great place for all us, my generation, your generation and future generations of Malaysians. Can we do it? Of course we can, we believe we can.—Din Merican
We need to study and treasure history but we need to move on with the changes of the day. There is only one race and that is the human race and the faster we come to agree that all citizen of Malaysia are Malaysians, we will continue to turn this lovely country upside down.
Just for argument sake.
“One day out of the blue some historians dig out some proofs that the Chinese were here even before the orang asli. What will we do then?”
___________
Makes no difference; we swim or sink together as Malaysians. Take care, Richard.—Din Merican.
If the gomen esp. the AG, PDRM and the powers behind them are so keen on making DNA profiling as an Act of Law for political persecution/assasination, then it is best for them to engage pre-eminent geneticists like Spencer Wells, Stephen Openheimer et al to reveal the anthopological & genetic migratory patterns in prehistory. I can assure you, that with the findings made public, it will be labelled ‘false’ by these flurs, despite the scientific proof!
Stop ethic issues period!? That’s impossible Din. I was having having dinner with some South African whites the other day; and they were of the opinion that ethnic issues will never go away, as long as there are official discriminatory policies. Malaysia reminds them so much of their country, with escalating crime rate, erosion of nationlistic zeal and ‘brain-drain’ at epidemic proportions.
The ‘Apartheid’ has morphed into “Reverse Apartheid”, like swings of the pendulum. Zimbabwe/Mugabe hubris is exactly what reminds them of this present bUMNO and their own ANC regime! In case anyone has missed out, South African Politics is also in a quagmire. All in all, they just couldn’t help being rascists…, yet they hope for a truly ‘enlightened’ person like DSAI to lead them, even if ‘Colored”.
So you are absolutely right, Din - focus on UNITY in Diversity, not ethnicity - lest we go the way of Zimbabwe/Myanmar.
____________
Thanks, pal. We can learn from the experiences of countries like South Africa (ANC problem), Zimbabwe and Myanmar. I will remain a Malay (in fact a mamak), but with liberal education and exposure to friends and associates who are different ethnically and culturally and of various religions, I have been able to able to respect the dignity of difference. Since I am comfortable with who I am, at least I think so, I can deal with all sorts of people.—Din Merican
Demang Lebar Daun,
now this is a Malay name. Now most have Arab names.
Salaam
It does not matter whether we are Malay,Chinese, Indian, Mamak, or Rojak. As long as we are Malaysians we should all enjoy the same rights. If we rise, we rise together and if we die, we all die together ! The rain falls on both good and evil and the sun shines on both the strong and the weak ! It is only the greedy and evil designs of the mutated among us that want to have the cake and eat it as well !!!
oops! Malay,Chinese,Indian,Mamak, Dayak or Rojak.
You sure, you didn’t have a bitter beetle in your rojak meal?
I might be in the lot about to fly up, but I sure as hell hope, someone different than me would save us all, as I would, him and others!
Was that beetle nut that got mixed up in your rojak?
“One day out of the blue some historians dig out some proofs that the Chinese were here even before the orang asli. What will we do then?”
The Chinese were in California long before the first Europeans arrived. Still U.S. laws in the 1800s and even as late as the 1940s excluded the Chinese from being U.S. citizens seeing them as “obnoxious” people and a “distasteful class”.
What is history??
History tells us that some 3,000 years ago, there was a man and there was a woman in a garden believed by many today to be in Iraq. It was God who ordered them out “Go forth and multiply and populate the earth” ( an open license to commit incest?). It was an angry God who told his people later that as punishment for their sins, they would speak in different languages and be confused. We are as confused today about ourselves as when our ancestors built that temple to nowhere.
You believe that history, Bean?
Bean could be right, Jong. There used to be a lot of artefacts and other old things. That’s why they bombed the place. As for the years, it could be 30,000 years ago. There were already people in Sarawak Niah Caves then!
Yeah, I knew there was something not right about 3,000 years ago. Comeon Mr Bean, enough of your history lesson!
Wasn’t it Santayana who said “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Does it matter who came when and from where?? They say it was Vespucci who discovered America. Some said it was the Vikings who landed in Newfoundland but never started any permanent settlement unlike those who fled religious persecution in Europe later who put down their roots in a settlement named later as Jamestown? But weren’t there not native Americans before they arrived – and yet where are they today if not mostly confined to their so-called Indian reservations.
The fact is we are here. What are we gonna do about it?
__________
Mr. Bean, V-pucci, my friend. Don’t ideas, jong. He could be Italian, I think. What about Admiral Cheng-Ho (1486?)—Din Merican
Just be rojaks. Make this world a better place to live in!
Reminds me, have to go and see if Rais Yatim responds to my “Supermen and Wonderwomen Vigil”
Is it rojak with pomelos?
Talking abour vigils and ‘men in tights’, I think you guys should adopt the Maori dance when protesting against the ISA. It would make good photo shoots for the international press! Make sure Din Merican leads the group!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0kDxP04eI&feature=related
On second thoughts it would not be a good idea for Din Merican to lead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHW1K2LeQXE&feature=related
Yes, I can’t help but to add, that the destruction of humans amongst humans are worst off than animals. People fight and killed for all sorts of reasons, I was sharing with a blogger mate recently about the genocide ‘ethnically-based hatred’ caused by a backlash of oppression against the Tutsi by the Hutu in Rwanda that saw 100,000 lives wasted back in 1972. Imagine this, Both Tutsis and Hutus shares the same language, skin color almost identical. The only differences between these two groups were clasified for censuses purpose by Germans and later by Belgium before WW1.( Of course genetics studies were conducted to find out the difference between these 2 groups plus other cultural differences )
The point is these, after finding out who or what belongs to which groups, whose minority or majority, so what? The country will still have to feed EVERYONE!!, regardless Hutus or Tutsis. There are plenty of history we can share. Whenever groups of people felt they are being oppress, things will get out of hand.We must lived above ethnicity, its for identity sake, thats all.Other than this, everyone must be given a fair playfield with no special assistance unless medically proven to be handicapped. As true Bangsa Rakyat, all Malaysian, regardless of races must assist another rakyat whenever its needed provided religion must remain ‘personal’ and Let God be God, not humans playing God. (susah already, ya?)
Well, just my 2 sens thought. Din, you got it right. We all stand together in this small island we called Home. Its a long long narrow road, thats less traveled, but one with many hopes of a brighter Malaysia.
Mr. Bean,
“What is history?”
We are all merely bastards with nametags who know not who we really are - which comes first; the chicken or the egg ? Until we have a conclusive answer to that question , we will not be able to establish where our ancestors come from ! Some believe we come from the dust, some believe we come from apes but where did the apes come from - a single atom ,an accident, the result of a galactic catalystical boom ? Or some would like to think that we are created by a divine power or even a UFO !
And as long as we remain mere bastards with nametags not knowing who we really are, we will continue to kill each other because we will not be able to relate with each other as human beings in a unified manner, to really appreciate that we all indeed one human race !!!
Salak,
“Was that beetle nut that got mixed up in your rojak? ”
I was expecting your reaction - left out “dayak” cos was typing too fast,lol.
Ocho,
Are you alright?? You haven’t lost your marbles, have you?
Mr.Bean.
Cheers!
Muy tranquillo, hombre ! I haven’t lost my marbles - yet, but aren’t we a bit too young to play with marbles ?