The “Ugly Malays” Becoming the Norm

The “Ugly Malays” Becoming the Norm
M.Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com

In summoning Klang Municipal Councilor Zakaria Mat Deros to the palace
over the issue of the illegal building of his private mansion, the
Sultan of Selangor did the right thing but to the wrong person. The
Sultan should have summoned the state’s chief executive, Chief Minister
Khir Toyo, instead.

The sultan should demand from Toyo what and when he knew of the
affair, whether he believed it was an aberrant incident or part of a
more extensive pattern, and what he intended to do about it.

Rest assured that such flagrant flaunting of the law reflects long
established behaviors that has been tolerated if not encouraged by the
authorities. It also mirrors the Third World mentality of being above
the law that is so prevalent among our leaders.

Being only the symbolic head of state, there is not much more that the
sultan can do except merely express his displeasure. Were he to go
beyond that, he would risk setting a dangerous precedent and raising
significant constitutional issues, quite part from sidetracking the matter.

There is one act that is well within and sole prerogative of the
sultan. He could strip Zakaria of his datukship, assuming of course
that the sultan awarded the honor in the first place. As Malays are
still very much a feudal bunch, that would carry significant shame.
That such a slimy character was so honored to begin with says much
about the current state of Malaysian, in particular Malay, society.
That however merits a separate discussion!


Curiously “Uncurious” Khir Toyo

That such a huge mansion could have been built to near completion
right in the center of a highly visible part of town is indicative of
the sorry state of Malaysian institutions, in this particular case, the
Klang Town Council.

There are hosts of other associated questions. That he managed to
secure a prime real estate from the council for way below market price
should interest the chief minister and the Anti Corruption Agency. It
would also be very revealing to trace who authorized the
non-competitive sale of that valuable public property.

Of even greater interest is how this previously poor, ill-educated
villager could acquire so much wealth so quickly so as to be able to
afford the mansion. I am certain that if some enterprising journalists
were to demand to see the cancelled checks from Zakaria or copies of
the bills from the contractors and vendors for the work done, there
would be none. This again reflects the pervasive corruption.

The remarkable aspect to the whole shenanigan is the curiously
“uncurious” Khir Toyo. As the state’s chief executive, I would have
expected him to be demanding answers from the Council officials. Alas
we now have the sultan having to take that highly unusual initiative.

This dentist-turned politician of humble beginnings has absorbed only
too well the Sultan Syndrome, enjoying the trappings of his office but
is otherwise clueless about being an effective executive.

The sultan should strip Khir Toyo of his datukship for his
incompetence. That would be a powerful symbolic gesture. The sultan
would effectively be challenging the prime minister to get rid of this
joker. Khir Toyo is obviously fit only to fill in dental cavities, not
the chief executive suite.


Lack of Outrage

Equally shocking is the lack of public outrage, especially in the
Malay community, in particular, its establishment. Malay commentators
and intellectuals showed no interest, much less expressed their
abhorrence. This Zakaria mess (and many more yet to be revealed) is
far more destructive and corrosive to the fabric of our society than
the current wildly publicized tiff between Abdullah and Mahathir.

I can appreciate the reticence of non-Malays to this Zakaria scandal.
For one, there is always the fear of being branded as anti-Malay, a
particularly damaging accusation. For another, they could be just as
guilty in tolerating as well as participating and thus encouraging such
corrupt practices. One wonders how many of the contractors working on
that mansion also have simultaneous government contracts and at what
inflated prices.

For Malays however, the damage is considerable. We are sending
precisely the wrong message to our people. That is, in order to
succeed or afford a mansion and other trappings of the “good life,” we
do not have to study diligently or work hard but merely ingratiate
ourselves to the powerful in order to hog our own little spot at the
public trough.

The message we send to non-Malays is equally destructive. That is, we
Malays are a race of rogues. We tolerate such nonsense because we
harbor our own secret ambition to be like them. This more than
anything is what makes me mad and angry with these scoundrels.

By Aristotle’s Nichomechean ethics, it is not enough to be angry. That
is the easy part. We have to be angry at the right people, at the
right time, for the right purpose, and express that anger in the right
way. Slimy characters like Zakaria and his superior Khir Toyo make it
easy. We cannot be angry enough at their types. We must totally abhor
them. They bring dishonor to our race and nation.

Let me assure non-Malays that the Zakaria Mat Deroses and Khir Toyos
are not representative of my race, at least not yet. These “ugly
Malays,” to borrow Syed Hussein’s phrase, are fast becoming and will be
the norm if we do nothing, by in effect tolerating them. We do have our
share of the hard working, the honest, and the frugal. Yes, we are
fast shrinking, that we sadly agree.

It is in the interest of all, Malays and non-Malays alike, not to
tolerate such sinister and shady characters. Unchecked, they would
soon spread to all Malaysians.

The Sultan of Selangor has conveyed his displeasure. He has no wish to
be the Sultan of the “Ugly Malays.” It is up to us to pick up on that
signal, amplify and transmit it widely. Such slimes are a blemish on
and have no place in our society. They are not to be tolerated. We do
not have to wait till the elections to demonstrate our collective
repugnance.