Big Plate Restaurant @ Subang Permai,

Want food served in big portion? Try BIG PLATE

Ox tail soup



chicken...

BIG PLATE
No. 27, Jalan Alfa F U6/F
Pusat Perdagangan Subang Permai
Shah Alam
Tel: 03 - 7845 8073. (They also have branch in Melawati)

Contesting Malayness - Michael Chick

.....interesting article......

Contesting Malayness
Michael Chick

It's been interesting to read such free-flowing comments on an all "Malaysian" free for all. While we are on the subject, how many of you have read the book entitled "Contesting Malayness"? Written by a Professor of National University of Singapore. Cost S$32 (about).
It reflects the Anthropologists views that there is no such race as the "Malays" to begin with. If we follow the original migration of the Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago, they moved into Taiwan, (now the Alisan), then into the Phillipines (now the Aeta) and moved into Borneo (4,500yrs ago) (Dayak). They also split into Sulawesi and progressed into Jawa, and Sumatera. The final migration was to the Malayan Peninsular 3,000 years ago. A sub-group from Borneo also moved to Champa in Cambodia at 4,500 years ago.

Interestingly, the Champa deviant group moved back to present day Kelantan. There are also traces of the Dong Song and Hoa Binh migration from Vietnam and Cambodia. To confuse the issue, there was also the Southern Thai migration, from what we know as Pattani today. (see also "Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsular")

Of course, we also have the Minangkabau's which come from the descendants of Alexander the Great and a West Indian Princess.(Sejarah Melayu page 1-3). So the million Dollar Question. Is there really a race called the "Malays"? All anthropologists DO NOT SEEM TO THINK SO.

Neither do the "Malays" who live on the West Coast of Johor. They'd rather be called Javanese. What about the west coast Kedah inhabitants who prefer to be known as "Achenese"? Or the Ibans who simply want to be known as IBANS. Try calling a Kelabit a "Malay" and see what response you get. You'll be so glad that their Head-Hunting days are over.

The definition of "Malay" is therefore simply a collection of people's who speak a similar type language. With what is meant by a similar type language does not mean that the words are similar. Linguists call this the "Lego-type" language, where words are added on to the root
word to make meaning and give tenses and such. Somehow, the Indonesians disagree with this classification. They refuse to be called Malay. Anyhow you may define it. Watch "Malays in Africa"; a Museum Negara produced DVD. Also, the "Champa Malays" by the same.

With this classification, they MUST also include the Phillipinos, the Papua New Guineans, the Australian Aboriginies, as well as the Polynesian Aboroginies. These are of the Australo Melanesians who migrated out of Africa 60,000 years ago.

Getting interesting? Read on.
"Malay" should also include the Taiwanese singer "Ah Mei" who is Alisan as her tribe are the anscestors of the "Malays". And finally, you will need to define the Southern Chinese (Funan Province ) as Malay also, since they are from the same stock 6,000yrs ago. Try calling the Bugis a "Malay". Interestingly, the Bugis, who predominantly live on Sulawesi are not even Indonesians. Neither do they fall into the same group as the migrating Southern Chinese of
6,000 years ago nor the Australo Melanesian group from Africa .

Ready for this?
The Bugis are the cross-breed between the Chinese and the Arabs. (FYI, a runaway Ming Dynasty official whom Cheng Ho was sent to hunt down) Interestingly, the Bugis were career Pirates in the Johor-Riau Island areas. Now the nephew of Daeng Kemboja was appointed the First Sultan of Selangor. That makes the entire Selangor Sultanate part Arab, part Chinese! Try talking to the Bugis Museum curator near Kukup in Johor. Kukup is located near the most south-western tip of Johor.. (Due south of Pontian Kechil)

Let's not even get into the Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Lekir, who shared the same family last name as the other super famous "Hang" family member. Hang Li Poh. And who was she? The princess of a Ming Dynasty Emperor who was sent to marry the Sultan of Malacca. Won't that make the entire Malacca Sultanate downline "Baba" ? Since the older son of the collapsed Malaccan Sultanate got killed in Johor, (the current Sultanate is the downline of the then, Bendahara) the only other son became the Sultan of Perak. Do we see any Chinese-ness in Raja Azlan? Is he the descendant of Hang Li Poh?

Next question. If the Baba's are part Malay, why have they been marginalized by NOT BEING BUMIPUTERA? Which part of "Malay" are they not? Whatever the answer, why then are the Portugese of Malacca BUMIPUTERA? Did they not come 100yrs AFTER the arrival of the first Baba's? Parameswara founded Malacca in 1411. The Portugese came in 1511, and the Dutch in the 1600's. Strangely, the Baba's ere in fact once classified a Bumiputera, but a decided that they were strangely "declassified" in the 1960's. WHY?

The Sultan of Kelantan had similar roots to the Pattani Kingdom making him of Thai origin. And what is this "coffee table book" by the Sultan of Perlis claiming to be the direct descendant of the prophet Muhammed? Somehow we see Prof Khoo Khay Khim's signature name on the book. I'll pay good money to own a copy of it myself. Anyone has a spare?

So, how many of you have met with orang Asli's? the more northern you go, the more African they look. Why are they called Negrito's? It is a Spanish word, from which directly transalates "mini Negros ". The more southern you go, the more "Indonesian" they look. And the ones who live at Cameron Highlands kinda look 50-50. You can see the Batek at Taman Negara, who really look like Eddie Murphy to a certain degree. Or the Negritos who live at the Thai border near Temenggor Lake (north Perak). The Mah Meri in Carrie Island look almost like the Jakuns in Endau Rompin. Half African, half Indonesian.

By definition, (this is super eye-opening) there was a Hindu Malay Empire in Kedah.. Yes, I said right. The Malays were Hindu. It was, by the old name Langkasuka. Today known as Lembah Bujang. This Hindu Malay Empire was 2,000yrs old. Pre-dating Borrobudor AND Angkor Watt. Who came about around 500-600yrs later. Lembah Bujang was THE mighty trading empire, and its biggest influence was by the Indians who were here to help start it. By definition, this should make the Indians BUMIPUTERAS too since they were here 2,000yrs ago! Why are they marginalized?

So, in a nutshell, the "Malays" (anthropologists will disagree with this "race" definition) are TRULY ASIA !!! (main continent and West Asia included)


Part 2

Here are some comments from Michael in answer to some Malays who have
attacked him for penning this commentary.

Greetings. This is Michael Chick.. Unlike others who hide behind
"anonymous synonyms" I came clear with my real name. The post which I
put up was not a figment of my imagination but the end result of 3
years extensive research. As such, the facts presented are
clear-cut, straightforward and unassuming. Perhaps you would all like
to chat with any anthropologist at UM before sending-off any
flaming sparks in my direction again. These Professors should be
as Malaysian as any of you. The subject matter is fact-based. To Bayi,
"Contesting Malayness" is available at Kinokuniya at
Takashimaya 4th floor, Orchard road. At a cost
of S$32.. It is also available at National University of Singapore .
Why? Coz it's their textbook. Let me repeat; "Contesting Malayness"
is an NUS textbook, published by NUS Press, written by Professor
Tony Milner .

To Achmad Sudarsono, calling the Malays a "race" is akin to calling
the Hokkiens or the Javanese a "race". Please do not confuse the term
"orang" with "Bangsa". What do I mean? The term orang is used by
Malays to describe Orang Bugis, Orang Acheh, Orang Laut, Orand
India , Orang Melayu. And here is where the confusion was.. Orang
Melayu merely refers to the residents of Kampung Melayu near Jambi,
near Palembang . Please use Google Earth to find its exact
location.

Unless you can say that all "Orang melayu" are descendants of that
village, you simply cannot be called orang Melayu. In fact the name
"Malay" has been traced to Lembah Bujang, where the Indian traders
used to call the locals "Malai" (in Tamil) to describe the locals.
The locals were animistic pagans at that time, and readily
adopted Hindu practices and Indian customs. "Raja" and "Sultan"
are Indian titles. The adat bersanding with the pelamin are of
Indian origin. Even the "gifts-bearing" walk by the groom has its
Indian roots. Please attend an Indian Wedding before flaming me
again. Or have a chat with Prof Nik Hassan who is in charge of the
Lembah Bujang archaeological excavations.

Malaya, was therefore a derivative from Himalaya . "Sejarah Melayu"
therefore was describing the Kampong Melayu origins. But here is where
from pages 1-3 tell you that Kampong Melayu are descendants of
Iskandar Zulkarnain (Alexander the Great) through the bloodline of
a West Indian Princess. This came from Sejarah Melayu. This book
is cheap. You can buy it at the University Malaya Bookstore
for a mere RM35. It is published by MBRAS (Malaysian Branch of the
Royal Asiatic Society). Its patron member is Tun Hanif (ex-IGP)

Please speak with Datuk Prof Zuraina Majid , who excavated "Perak
Man". She will tell you that Perak Man is a descendant of the
Australo-Melanesian stock African. National Museum of the
Phillipines will verify that they came from Taiwan . And National
University of Indonesia will confirm that they came from the
Phillipines. Nik Aziz (PAS leader from Kelantan) will tell you
that his grandfather came from Champa. To all Kelantanese, please
explain the newly changed name of a Kampong near Bachok (close to
the Pengkalan Chepa airport) to "Kampung Champa" to our friends here.

Please also visit Museum Negara to see the exhibits on the "Dong
Song" brass drums and Gua Cha in Kelantan near Gua Musang to see the
Hoabinhian Caves . Dong Song and Hoabinh are in Indochina . And
therefore, the locals are descendants from that region. The entire
Northern States also have their roots from the Pattani Kingdom ;
which today we call Thailand . In fact, please visit the Kelantan WWII
museum to see the article on how Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and
Terengganu was part of Thailand from 1943-1945. Then walk over to
the Kelantan State Museum to see the exhibit on Gua Cha to read
their explainations of the Hoabinhian Cultures of Early Kelantan
settlers.

Malaysian Archaeologists call the early settlers Proto Malay. And
the current settlers Deutero Malay. The scientific term is actually,
Australo Melanesian (African) and Austranesian (Chinese, or
Mongoloid).This is a DNA and bone structure classification. Even the
term Negrito transalates from Spanish to mean "mini Negro".

I hope that I've made myself comprehensible enough. Feel free to ask
any further questions to help clear the air. The "Malays" are NOT a
race. I'm so sorry that you are only hearing this now. The rest of
the Academic World has known it for years.

By: Michael Chick on May 30th, 2007
At 2:44 am

To address Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Kasturi, Hang
Lekir and Hang Li Poh.. They were all related by the family name of
"Hang".

Please visit their graves in Malacca. Their graves are clear-cut
Hindu. This was during the "Great Malacca Empire" when Parameswara was
supposed to have converted to Islam. Why are "Legendary
Defenders of the States' " graves Hindu? They are not having the
spiral headstones, or the Batu Acheh type headstones. Instead, they
are solid concrete blocks with traingular holes for incence and
oil-lamp burning. Hang Tuah's grave (Kampong Keling) is another
"conspiracy". Please read the inscriptions on the side, ". they
found a large stone marking a grave, and therefore it must be Hang
Tuah..". This grave was merely designed to be a tourist
destination. Note that there are no names engraved anywhere. Just
a big non-descript stone marking that a human body lies underneath
it. Lastly, why is A muslim buried in Kampong Keling? keling
meaning Indian?

The subsequent question is why is Hang Tuah removed from current
schoolhistory textbooks? One of two suggestions come to mind. He was
pure fiction (please read Hikayat Hang Tuah before flaming me again),
or as the Bugis Museum Curator in Johor will insist, that Hang
Tuah was Chinese. So were the rest of his "blood brothers". They
were all Chinese; and related to Hang Li Poh.

Let me pose a simple question to you, Why is it, that when you
visit Malacca to see the great historical Malaysian City/ State,
you see the Portugese "A-Famosa" gateway, or the Red Dutch
buildings like Christchurch, or even St. Paul's Church on St.
Paul's Hill? Where is the evidence of "The Great Malaccan
Empire"?

Let me help you with that answer.. Published by Dewan Bahasa Dan
Pustaka in a publication called "Melayu Journal" in 2005.. ".. we had
to look for an icon by which the Malays would be proud of.." Since
Majapahit, Acheh, Lembah Bujang (Langkasuka) were either Hindu, on
Indonesian soil, or both, Malacca was the only location left.
The great Parameswara is, by the way buried on Fort Canning Hill
downtown Singapore , for those of you who want to visit it.. They
call it the "Keramat" immediately behind the National Musuem of
Singapore .

Please enlighten me by showing me ONE single piece of evidence of
"The Great Malaccan Empire". Even Dewan Bahasa couldn't. Perhaps any
one of you could. Evidence, and not mere gut-feeling please.

Saba Middle Eastern Cuisine Restaurant @ Cyberjaya

Fancy a middle eastern restaurant in the heart of Cyberjaya?chicken beriyani

lamb kasbah

barbican drinks (not beer lah!)

map of SABA

Saba Restaurant
Block A1, Jalan Perdana
CBD Perdana, Cyberjaya
Tel: 03.83202544

Dubai Images

The Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM)

The Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM) is on Route 66, El Ain Rd, about 25 minutes from the Burj... well I bunked at the palace at Old Town, thats the journey time from there. I can see the construction of the Universal Studios theme park next to the DOM. What you can find there? Columbia, Timberland, PUMA, Converse, Bally, Kenneth Cole, Dr Marten, Ferragamo, Bally aghh the list is endless.


You can find more info here: http://www.dubaioutletmall.com/

The Palace The Old Town, Dubai

The hotel is really impressive , have to drive through 2 big gates before I arrived at the main door, impressive lobby and yet it has that homely feel, check in was swift and I was in my room in less than 10 minutes.

Room is sizeable with balcony overlooking the lake and I can see the Dubai mall dubbed the largest mall in the world across our room and the Burj that tallest thinghy in the world on the other side.

Breakfast was a feast, yummy, so many choices and so was lunch. View from cafe is overlooking the pool and the lake, looks like a postcard :).Service - excellent, the concierge was very helpful, guide me with taxi and how much to pay if I ant to go to certain places/areas. No noise from the construction, the only noise is from the 'dancing fountain' at Dubai mall every night at every hour... which u can see and hear right from the hotel balcony.. beautiful show... Nothing to fault, it was excellent.

The address: Burj Dubai Boulevard, The Old Town Island, Downtown Burj Dubai
P.O. Box 9770, Dubai, UAE
T: +971 4 4287888
F: +971 4 4287999
E: reservations@thepalace-dubai.com
http://www.theaddress.com/en/hotel/the-palace-old-town#

Welcome to Jakarta

The health screening procedure at Sukaro Hatta Airport, Cengkareng

KL Village Kopitiam, Jl Jaksa, Sabang, Jakarta

Ibis Tamarin, Jakarta

Maybe my 1st and last time there. Room is just too small

Iga (ribs), Jl Wahid Hasyim, Jakarta

Nice little iga (ribs) mini restaurant selling soup and fried menu.

Bangsa Malaysia yang memartabatkan Satu Bahasa Satu Negara dan berlandaskan Satu Bangsa Satu Negara.

another interesting article I found on d net:

The minorities must be infused with a sense of responsibility (which comes with the Kerakyatan package) to help forge a civil, progressive society, a common, irrepressible Bangsa Malaysia yang memartabatkan Satu Bahasa Satu Negara dan berlandaskan Satu Bangsa Satu Negara.


Quote from a speech by MIC President and Works, Telecom and Posts Minister, V.T. Sambanthan in the Dewan Rakyat on June 1, 1965:-

… in 1955 we won the elections with a great majority. Then we obtained freedom in two years time. During this period, we had to discuss citizenship and various other things. Now what did the Malays do -- since we are speaking on racial lines -- what did the Malay leadership do? They had 88 percent of the electorate still with them. What did they do with citizenship? If we look around in Asia and East Asia, particularly, you will find that my race the Indian race, is not welcomed in Ceylon, is not welcomed in Burma.

Look at my brother Chinese race, it is not welcomed in Thailand, in Vietnam, in Cambodia, in all the other areas. What help do they get for citizenship in all these territories? In Burma, as we know, Indians have been send packing, in Ceylon they refused them citizenship and in Burma it is likewise. I know it, you know it. And yet in Malaya what happened? Here we found that the Malay leadership said, "We shall take them unto ourselves as brothers, we shall give them full opportunity to live in this country, we shall give them every opportunity to become citizens." And so, in 1957, for the whole year, we waived language qualifications, and tens of thousand of Indians, Chinese, Ceylonese and others became citizens ...

As I said, it has been my great good fortune to have been born in this country. Where else can you find a more charitable, a more polite, a more decent race than the Malay race? Where else can you get such politically decent treatment for any immigrant race? Where else in the history of the world? I ask you. These are the facts. Who are you to safeguard us? I am a 10 percent minority race here. But I am happy here.

(Source: Tan Sri Khalid Awang Osman, Malaysia - An Anthology, Vantage Press, New York, p. 60)

Quote of statement by Tan Siew Sin, MCA President and Finance Minister in a local daily titled, "Tun Tan Answers Critics on Special Previleges" dated April 30, 1969:-

The Malays, through UMNO, were generous enough to relax the citizenship laws of this country to such extent that within 12 months of independence, 90 percent of the non-Malays became citizens. This was different to the situation before Merdeka whereas 90 percent of the non-Malays were still non-citizens after nearly 100 years of colonial rule in the Malay States. In return for this major concession. the MCA and the MIC agreed to continue the policy of preserving the special position of the Malays while at the same time upholding the legitimate interest of other communities.

(Source: Tan Sri Khalid Awang Osman, Malaysia - An Anthology, Vantage Press, New York, pp.38-39)

So there you have it. In no uncertain terms. In the public record. Unequivocal. Edged for posterity.

Melayu By a Malay

Another interesting article I found on the net..

I'd like to challenge your article on the origins of the word Melayu.

(I hope you will not be emotional about this email and create an issue about it, but rather treat this as an intellectual argument between two matured individuals. I have presented facts here for you to review ,and if you disagree please substantiate it. Since you have come out with a blog to attempt to tell us the origins of the word Melayu, and as a Malay if you are really and truly keen in your own heritage and roots, I am writing to you with the facts of the origins of the word Melayu, in fact there are many scholars of yesteryear's, Malays, who will tell you that the only original words in the Malay language are "Tanah" and "Melayu")

Melayu is derived from the Javanese word Melayu, there are many other words in the Malay vocabulary that actually come from the various Asian languages mostly those of Sanskrit Origin.

The Sanskrit in Malay is derived from the Indian influence of the Majapahit, Srivijaya and other Indian influences in South East Asia. This particular word in Bahasa Malaysia is derived from the word Melayu from Javanese. Javanese was the lingua franca of the people in the region having had its own script, which was actually taken from the Arabic script, the bugis and the rest have dialects close to Javanese.

The Malay language in its romanised context only evolved in the early part of the 20th century. In Javanese the word Melayu means running away, or a runaway , that is why if you go to Java and ask a Javanese if he is Melayu he will feel very insulted. The word Melayu found on the statue as claimed in your URL; http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/malays4.htm thus denotes that this person was a Melayu, a "Runaway.

These people the runaways whether in Sumatra or in the Malay Peninsula referred to themselves as orang Melayu, it is therefore no coincidence that the word orang is placed before Melayu, people who ran away so to speak.

In the Malay Peninsular it was gradually accepted as the word to describe the Javanese, the Bugis, the Menang, the Achinese etc. and even the Kelantanese who are actually Yunanese and have their origins in China, because they recognized the fact that at the end of the day they were all Melayu, or Run Aways from their respective homelands the word was accepted by all these communities to describe themselves. In fact before the formation of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) it is a fact that all the people in the country had referred to themselves as Menang, Achinese, Bugis, Java etc. etc. and we all know that the Kelantanese used to treat the other Melayu, that is the Menang, Java the Bugis etc. as foreigners.

Well for that matter even Mahathir Mohammed was registered as Indian in King Edwards College where he studied medicine. The Malay therefore very much like the Indians, and later the Chinese are Melayu in the very true sense of the word because they all left their respective countries to come to this location in South East Asia called Malaysia today.

The real natives of the country are the Orang Laut, the Jakun, the Kadazaan, the Iban, the Senoi and the rest, and not the so called Orang Melayu, because these people are actually Javanese, Achinese, Bugis, people from the Mollucas islands, and other parts of neighbouring Indonesia, including those from Cambodia and even China (Yunanese). That explains the word Melayu in various parts of Sumatra too.

The Javanese people in particular were referred to as Java Kontra a term they despised and today in Sumatra they are referred to as Orang Transmigrasi which is more acceptable to the Javanese in Indonesia then the term Melayu.For Malay citizenship and for permanent residence reasons, the Orang Java, be they Sundanese, Orang Java Barat, Orang Java Tengah or Orang Java Timor, or any other Indonesian for that matter recognises the fact that the day he becomes a Malaysian citizen he is now an Orang Melayu that is a new word coined by Malaysians of these origins to legitimise their Bumiputraism. And to become Bumiputra this way that is by becoming a Melayu he has to profess the Islamic faith. This privilege is not extended to Dayaks, from Kalimantan, or Christian Filipinos, or for that matter Christians from among the peoples of Sumatra, Java or any other Indonesian Islands.

The irony of all this is the fact that if you look at the real Orang Asli of Malaysia as a whole you'll find out that the majority of them are not from the Islamic faith, and that is one of the reasons why in Sabah the registration department of the Federal Government legitimised and gave citizenship and permanent residence status to hundreds and thousands of illegal Fillipina immigrants from the Southern part of the Philippines.

I therefore disagree with your attempt to legitimize the term Orang Melayu as a race, it is not and never will be. The so called Melayu must own up to their own heritage the way the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia proudly do. And if we are to use this word called Melayu, it should be a term used to refer to all Malaysians except the ethnic Malaysians who are orang Asli.

The term Bumiputera was coined and the Malay placed in that category to legitimize the fact that he is ethnic when he is not. It is a shame, and in fact a disgrace that they are the only group of people who by this very act, show the world that they are ashamed of their own heritage.

And who else can be so? Only those who run away or are banished from their own lands , for it is only such people who are ashamed of their own heritage. Even the customs, the traditions, the dressings, the architecture etc. point to the fact that the so called Orang Melayu of Peninsular Malaysia are actually not one and the same people.

Factory Outlets in Bandung

from top left: Diaz, Secret, Renariti, 18th Park Distro, Oasis, Branded Club, FO (past of DSE), DSE at Dago, Blossom....

D'Cost Sea food, Bandung

As per its motto," Mutu Bintang 5, Harga Kaki lima"this restaurant really lives up to its slogan. Service is fast, cheap price and delicious food.

The address is at:

D' COST Bandung (Jl. Sukajadi no. 197, BANDUNG)
Telp : (022) 204 4200 ; Fax : (022) 203 1856

Cabe Rawit Cafe, Bandung

Nice cafe in Dago local and international food, price is OK, food is yummy.

Cabe Rawit

Teuku Umar 7

Bandung

Jawa Barat - Indonesia

PH 1: (022) 250-1452

Sapu Lidi Restaurant, Bandung

So you want to try having your lunch or dinner in the paddy field, or by a stream or by the lake. This is the place to be, its a 1/2 hour drive from Bandung city along some road with pot holes but the visit is worth the pain in the butt :)

Jl. Sersan Bajuri, Kompleks Graha Puspa
Cihideung, Bandung, Indonesia
Tel. (62-22) 2786 915, Fax. (62-21) 2787 499

KLM KUL-JKT 3 April

KLM are now using Boeing 777 for AMS-KUL-JKT sector replacing the ageing 747

Batu Alam sold around Jakarta

various black volcano rock on sale around Jakarta especially around Senayan area.

Bumbu Desa, Jakarta

Nice Sunda restaurant with beautiful food and 'hot' sambal'
This Bumbu Desa outlet is at : Jl. Suryo no.38, Kebayoran Baru , Jkt.
Tel: +6221 7201244 www.bumbudesa.com/

We are all immigrants - *Antara pendatang dan penumpang (English Translation)

something I found... which I find interesting. I believe this was written sometime ago .. 2008?

Syed Imran, an Arab-Malaysian born in Penang, Malaysia, an ex-Bernama journalist ( 1971-1998) and former press secretary to the Minister in PM's Department, posted a great blog days ago, which was translated into English.

*Antara pendatang dan penumpang (English Translation) *
To begin with, I was quite reluctant to comment on the mess created by the statement made by Ahmad bin Ismail, the head of the Bukit Bendera, Pulau Pinang UMNO Division. Whether he made the statement in reference to Chinese Malaysians is no longer the question, as the issue has spread and has been hotly debated.
If it is not handled carefully and smartly, this issue could make clear water murky, giving opportunity to parties who are keen on seeing this country crash, not to mention falling into the hands of foreigners. In today's borderless world, international electronic media coverage makes it difficult for any country to hide or deny any given event.

The main issue brought up by Ahmad Ismail revolves around the question of "squatters", that is, that Chinese Malaysians are squatters in this country. He explained that he was referring to pre-independence days. However, it had hurt the sensitivity of the Chinese Malaysian community.

I don't know Ahmad Ismail personally, but I was quite close to his late elder brother, Abdul Rahim Ismail, the owner of Rahim Construction Company that was once famous as an "Earth-Prince" (Bumiputra) construction firm in Pulau Pinang. I don't know what has happened to the company after Abdul Rahim passed away. Personally, I don't agree with what Ahmad Ismail said for the following reasons. To me, nearly 90 percent of Malaysians, especially those in the Peninsula, are immigrants, and all of us are actually squatters in the land of Allah anyways. We are anything but permanent owners, we are merely squatters. For example, I come from a family that squatted in this blessed land. My paternal grandfather and grandmother migrated from Mecca and Brunei, while my maternal grandmother came from Hadramut, Yaman. We are immigrants and squatters, as are almost everyone else in this country. As for Ahmad Ismail, he is also an immigrant having descended from an immigrant's family who squatted in this country. Ahmad Ismail cannot deny the fact that his grandfather and grandmother moved from India to this country in search of a better life in this blessed land.

It is also the case with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi whose maternal grandfather hailed from Guangdong in southern China. In short, Pak Lah's grandfather, Allahyarhamah Kailan , whose name was Hasson Salleh or Hah Su Chiang, was an immigrant. He moved to Tanah Melayu from Guangdong in the mid-19th century. He stayed in Bayan Lepas as a rubber estate worker, a padi farmer and later became a diamond trader. Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister, is also a descendant of an immigrant Bugis family that came from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Hishammudin Hussein cannot escape the fact that there is Turkish blood running through his veins.

The Malacca Malay Sultanate was founded by an immigrant coming from Sumatra -- Parameswara, a prince who practised Hinduism. A reading of the history of Malay Sultanates would reveal that some of them were founded by Bugis immigrants, while others were of Hadramut and Minangkabau parentage.

Almost all Malays living in this country are from outside Tanah Melayu, but are defined as "Malay Race" by the Federal Constitution. We are "Malay" in definition by the Constitution, that is, we are Muslims; we practise Malay customs and speak the Malay language. Unfortunately, the Malay language itself seems> to have been kil led by the Malays in UMNO when they named it the Malaysian language (Bahasa Malaysia).

Therefore, Arabs like Syed Hamid Albar and myself, Achehs like Sanusi Junid, Indians like Kader Sheikh Fadzir and Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Bugises like Najib, Minangs like Rais Yatim, Jawas like Mohamad Rahmat, and others from Madura, Pulau Buyan, Siam, Myanmar, Yunnan (China) and the Philippines are conveniently categorized as Malays.

They are accepted as Malays regardless of whether they speak Malay or otherwise at home like those of us who speak Arabic, the Jawas that speak Jawa, the Minangs that speak Minang, or the Mamak that speak Tamil.
These languages are anything but Malay if we look at it from the perspective of the Federal Constitution, so they should never have been declared Malays. But for the sake of political correctness, all of them are accepted as Malays and "Earth Princes" (bumiputra).

It is grossly unfair to point to the Chinese as immigrants when the Arabs, Indians, Achehs, Minangs, Bataks, Mandailings, Jawas, Maduras, and Bugises are immigrants no less in this country. We cannot deny the fact that most of the Chinese's grandfathers and grandmothers migrated to this country in the days of the Malacca Malay Sultanante, some of whom did so during the period of Kedah Sultanate, Terengganu Sultanate and Kelantan Sultanate respectively. After Francis Light wrested Penang from the hands of the sultan of Kedah in 1786, more Chinese had arrived here.

We are all immigrants squatting in this country. Only the Negrito, Jekun, Semang, Jahut, Orang Laut, Orang Darat, Senoi, and other indigenous people groups (like the Kadazandusuns, ibans and bidayuhs) can be correctly considered the original inhabitants of this country.

We must never forget the contributions and sacrifices made by all the races in building our nation in all its aspects, including the economy, social structure, national defense and, most importantly, national unity. We are all taxpayers whether or not we are descended from immigrants or squatters.

SJMC ICU 23 Feb

Platelet count at 11,000 (normal average is 150,000)
and I was warded into the NICU
(well the ICU was full so I was sent to Neo Natal ICU)
and stayed there for 2 days.
2nd day - 15k
3rd day - 40k
4th day - 83k and I was sent home to recuperate
... my daughter is still in the ward even though her PC is 100k.

Proton MPV Sighted

Ra Sushi, Jakarta

At Cilandak Town Square Ground Floor, try the 'volcano' dish.. yummy

KUL-JKT 6 Feb

CAK’ TU’ CI Manado grilled fish, Jakarta

hot and spicy Menado food in Jakarta. With their motto
” For taste, we maybe your taste expert. With reasonable and suitable price for your pocket, we are guarantee satisfy is belong to you”
(as written by them without any change to spelling etc)

Cak Tu Ci (Restaurant & Cafe)
Jl. Panglima Polim 5 No. 15
12160 Melawai - South Jakarta

Phone

:

+62-21-7244833