The Malaysian Insider

NOV 9 — Dear Tony (if I may, or Dear Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes)

I have been meaning to write to you. I know you love getting notes from your AirAsia customers. You have a blog, several websites, wiki page and even Facebook, all for people to get in touch with you. I decided against writing you a direct email because I think what I have to say is widely shared by other people as well. So if you do reply to me, I can share your reply.

NOV 2 — In the past week, newspapers in Sarawak have been covering a story of an Iban-Chinese girl who was denied a place in the matriculation programme because she was deemed a “non-Bumiputera”. This is what the Borneo Post (Oct 29) reported:

“KUCHING: Getting her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) result was the best — and the worst — thing that could happen to Marina Undau.The 18-year-old science stream student of SMK Simanggang scored 9As and 1B in the SPM examination last year. She thought she was on her way to university, especially being a Bumiputera and all, but that was not to be. Born to an Iban father and a Chinese mother, Marina’s life was turned upside down when her application to undergo a university matriculation programme was rejected by the Ministry of Education. The ministry determined that she is not a ‘Bumiputera’...

OCT 28 — I always laugh when I hear politicians claim that Sabah and Sarawak epitomises 1 Malaysia. In the main, Sabah and Sarawak are supposed to be fine examples of places where race and religion do not matter, and where all ethnic groups and religions live happily side by side. Paradise on earth. Malaysians living in the peninsula would do well to go, see and learn from Sarawakians and Sabahans on how to apply 1 Malaysia.

OCT 19 — I spent most of last week watching the Umno AGM. Several things struck me (I’m sure you feel the same way).

a) There was hardly any Ketuanan Melayu speeches — yes, bits and pieces here and there but nothing like what we saw in the past few Umno gatherings

b) The keris disappeared from Umno Youth meeting

OCT 14 — If today’s news and blog entries are correct, Ong Tee Keat will resign tomorrow and Liow Tiong Lai and Kong Cho Ha will be the new Number One and Two respectively. There will be no special election to elect a new leader. Ong and Chua Soi Lek will be moved out to the pastures, hopefully a happy retirement.

This is going ahead despite the clear evidence that the majority of party members and the Chinese community want a re-election. A new election would also put to rest the issue of political legitimacy. Otherwise whoever emerges as the new president and deputy will have no legitimacy whatsoever.

We have a problem in this country where people are trying to justify getting into power using the “constitutional” route, that is, the legal route. The problem of political legitimacy is exactly that — it is political and cannot be solved by legal means.  Let me give a simple example.