In respond to The Star's Views, dated 12 September 2018, Page 25, " Racial profiling must stop" by Datuk Halimah Mohd Said, I can't be more agree with him that racial profiling must stop but only when racist policy is repealed. It is not without reason why Malay derision is gaining ground in the media. The 'verbal persecution' come as an effect of its own cause, New Economy Policy and its thereafter evolution.
It is to worth point out that the 'Racial Profiling he mentioned is not officially against the Malay whereas the 'Racial policy' is a national policy. The difference is the former is not applicable to all Malay but more of a feedbacks to certain groups or individual of Malay, but the latter is a national policy, affecting life of all non-Malay; non-bumiputra; from housing, business opportunity, education opportunity, job opportunity in the public sector and the list go on. It is no doubt a 'grand apartheid' silently swallowed by the non-Malay under the threat of May13 reanimation, where hundreds, if not, thousands of non-Malay had been massacred without any justice in sight.
Furthermore, freedom of speech, as enshrine in Malaysia's Federal Constitution is indisputably allow for grievances to decent freely. What is so wrong if It is merely a reflection of reality and how democracy works to restore the sanctity of racial equality.
Undeniably scorning Malay as lazy, dumb, corrupted, immoral, and parasite is hurtful and emotionally disturbing which definitely invite for retaliation of some sort whether clandestinely or openly but what make it so different with NEP to exist in the first place? of which I belief the main cause of the problem.
All human have great amount of genetic similarity, close enough to classified under the same species, Homosapiens. What more interesting is the lineage haplogroup O-M119 is frequently found in Austronesian (Malay and most of the Borneo Aborigines are Austronesian) and Han Chinese(most of the Southeast Asia Chinese). Language wise, Malay, a subgroup of Austronesian, can trace back to the same origin with the Sino-tibetan's Chinese language called Austric. moreover all Malaysian speak Malay language and sharing the same custom, such as celebrate festival together, food, fashion, and architecture. Therefore, it is absurd to segregate us based on race label and unequally distribute national wealth ensued.
Having mentioned race labeling, Malay under the definition of Malaysia Federal Constitution, Article 160, is based on social construct rather than phenotype, meaning it is not hereditary basis but based on criteria; speak Malay language, practice Malay custom and profess in Islam. This imply any person not necessarily born from a Malay parent can also be converted into Malay race, as long as fulfill the criteria. Since all Malaysian speak Malay and having the same culture then what left to prevent one from becoming a Malay is profess in Islam. thus the question of religious freedom surfaced. It is contradict to the Constitution and United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Right, 10 December 1948. Ironically, Constitution Article 161 defined included Malay as one of Sarawak Aborigines based on hereditary basis is direct contradict to the preceding Article, in which if a person is a Malay from West Malaysia but not profess in Islam, should he still considered as 'Malay' under Article 161 and thus continue to enjoy the same privileges? And should the prevalent trend of Malay follow Arabian culture nullify their privileges? What is logic of having such racist policy in the first place?
I notice there is great amount of congruence between what had happened in Malaysia(May 13 riot followed by NEP) and Quran Chapter 9 verse 29: Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled. In which Malay (defined as profess in Islam) is asked to fight non-Muslim until they give jizyah (NEP/ tax/ benefit arrangements) to Malay. Unequal distribution of national wealth and clandestinely force non-Malay to absorb the cost of Malay's privileges, such as the bumiputera 6% discount on property is already factor into non-malay's property regardless whether is low cost apartment or million ringgit factory lots, since developer is a profit driven business. Worst is when 10% compulsory reserve unit for the Malay is not taken up, who bear the loss? This is just one example of NEP ramifications. By the way, Malaysia is a secular country thus adherence to a particular religion law is idiosyncrasy of how a secular country function.
Individual faith is a personal choice (freedom)and may change from time to time, no other people know for sure which religion is that. So how can a national policy based on something so fluid at the expense of others? And how can it based on religion?
If the reason for such policy to exist is to reduce poverty gap then it should formulated in such a way that help the poor regardless of race. Only by treating everyone equal can a balance race equity achieve in all sector harmoniously and prevent what Datuk Halimah term as 'Verbal Persecution' from happening.
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