THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Nationalist showmen and the inconvenient truth of mongrel blood

Nationalist showmen and the inconvenient truth of mongrel blood

A firebrand Malaysian columnist more famous for racist rants than his much-touted academic achievements found himself denied entry to Singapore recently.

Professor Ridhuan Tee Abdullah also whined about being “treated like a terrorist” after his photograph and thumbprint were taken by Singapore Immigration. He claimed Singapore was violating his right to free speech – but if he expected sympathy, he was disappointed when even civil-rights champions opted to ignore his case. 
Ridhuan has plainly chosen to forget the words he wrote  three years ago in a Malaysian newspaper: “It is fortunate that I was not the PM during the dispute over Pulau Batu Puteh [Island]. If I were, I would definitely have not brought it to the International Court of Justice. The only resolution to the dispute over the island is to wage war [against Singapore].”
If he expected red-carpet treatment from Singapore, then he needs to see a shrink. If he complains he was treated like a terrorist, then he should check the dictionary definition of someone who preaches the use of violence for political ends.
And if he feels he can draw sympathy for his Malay-nationalist cause from moderate Malaysians with this latest incident, we think he is trying too hard.
Through his writings and public speeches, Ridhuan has carved a reputation for being more Malay than Malay and more Muslim than Muslim.
Yet however hard he tries to be Malay he cannot change the fact of his ethnicity – which is Chinese. Ridhuan was given the name of Tee Chuan Seng by his parents at birth.
Before he makes more racist remarks against Singapore, he should recall he is also not welcome in Sarawak. Early this year Chief Minister Adenan Satem declared Ridhuan persona non grata and instructed that his scheduled talk at a Sarawak mosque be cancelled.
Adenan had said previously that Sarawak was tightening its immigration rules and stepping up scrutiny of visitors from the peninsula to keep out “extremists, religious bigots and racists”.
While people like Ridhuan may have a limited sphere of influence, we can see the greater danger when individuals with a greater role on the world stage subscribe to such views.
Prominent among these is an uber-bigot who’s making global headlines daily in his campaign to be elected next US president.
It’s a frightening thought that a loose cannon like Donald Trump could be elected to the most powerful position on Earth and get his finger on the nuclear button.
Trump thinks exclusively in terms of business deals, as revealed by the language he uses at his rallies. As such, anyone who doesn’t agree with his directives is “fired” and ejected – a policy his red-neck supporters are only to willing to carry out on the campaign trail.
While a good leader brings people together, he is single-handedly dividing American society and talking of building walls against the world. He has spewed racist remarks at immigrants and even poked fun at how the Chinese speak in business meetings. But like Ridhuan, he appears to have forgotten his ancestors came from elsewhere – in Trump’s case, Germany.
Politicians who play the race card always face this danger.
They thump their chests, declaring their super-pure racial stock, while blithely ignoring their mongrel blood.
In Malaysia, every prime minister up to the present day can trace his lineage abroad – to the Siamese, the Bugis, Turks, Indians and Chinese. Even certain members of our royal family have Western blood flowing in their veins.
Playing the cards of race and religion is a fast route to political popularity with your own kind, but the long-term implications can be grave for the nation – especially one as diverse as Malaysia.
Moderation is more relevant than ever in Malaysia and on the world stage. In the name of tolerance and reason, we want The Donald to be trumped on his march to the White House. Luckily the American people hold all the aces in ensuring that moderation does triumph.
We Malaysians are enormously proud of our multi-ethnic heritage. We must not succumb to the forces of mono-culture and religious nationalism.
Like Americans, we hold also the trump card in charting the destiny of our democracy.
The silent majority of Malaysians who value harmonious diversity as the country’s core value must speak up and drown out the voices who seek to divide rather than to unite. In these fractious times, that is our only hope.
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