Tag: Bumiputera

Jin Tanah

~ The Koboi Project

The first propitiation of this performance (see notes) was to the spirits of the earth (jin tanah, also called hantu tanah, hulubalang or jambalang tanah), specifically the land (bumi)  where the performance takes place. Soil from the ground below was gathered and placed in a woven basket and brought up to the roof of the Kapallorek Artspace, where the performance took place. A lighted candle was placed in this basket of soil while the following was uttered,

Aku minta’ ampun kapada kramat yang memegang tanah disini!
I beg forgiveness from the sacred spirits that hold this land!

This appeasement of spirits was performed wholeheartedly (dengan bersungguh sungguh) as magic (in terms of its metaphysical or spirtiual dimension), but not without an awareness some socio-political implications. The propitiation sets up a hierarchy of asspciation with the land – first there are the spirits (kramat) of the land, then the people who recognize and propitiate these spirits, and only then the others. In other words, first kramat yang memegang tanah disini!, then the orang Pribumi yang mengakui keunggulan Kramat tanah, and only after, the non-indegenous (orang baru datang or pendatang) who do not know (mengenali) the kramat .

An interesting implication of this model of primacy is that, as the Malays lose their connection with the Semangat of their land in the course of modernization (due to both Islamic modernism and secular modernity), they too get alienated from the land and lose their place in the hierarchy. Conversely, the pendatang who becomes attuned to this Semangat might, arguably, rise up. I belioeve that this aspect of the performance discretely problematizes the notion of the bumiputera that informs the Malaysian social contract.

Merdeka 3

~ The Koboi Project

Mariam Mokhtar makes a scathing criticism of Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani agenda. While I completely agree with her in terms of the ideals of the liberal democratic nation-state, I must point out that the liberal secular state is not the only legitimate outcome of the democratic process. Generally, a liberal democracy will exhibit the following characteristics – governance based on a constitution, universal suffrage, regular elections, multiple political parties, the separation of powers, the rule of law, the freedom of information, and the equal protection of human rights for all members of the nation. There is a further expectation of a liberal democracy to exhibit these additional traits, it should be a market economy, enshrine private property and practice secularism. While I believe that Malaysia must remain a democracy, and while I personally would prefer that we tend towards the ‘liberal’ form of governance, there are many variations of democracy in the world. These forms tend towards diverse poles including collectivism, ethnocentricity, and theocracy. We might wish for a more liberal democracy, but we must, nevertheless, acknowledge that even a less liberal democracy can still fulfill the essential requirements of that form of governance. Indeed, I believe that demographic trends and the consequential machinations of opportunistic party politics will likely conspire to take Malaysia towards more exotic forms of government in the future. However, in the meantime, Anwar should heed Mariam’s list of criticisms –

1. Non-Malays fear the Green Wave, so they will fully support Anwar Ibrahim but he has not bothered to hide his Islamic credentials.

2. Anwar claims he is a reformer but there have been no reforms, especially in the areas of the cost-of-living crisis and religious extremism.

3. Anwar will have been a disappointment if he delays reforms.

4. The Hadith Module will impinge on non-Muslim students and even Muslims will loose out in terms of time for science, technology an IT.

5. Anwar himself has said he would focus on needs-based rather than race-based quotas for University entrance and so he should be more respectful of those who raise questions on this matter.

6. The Malay population is badly divided in terms of access to the purported Malay privilege, particularly in the area of education.

7. Madani, Hadhari and all other forms of political Islam, particularly the more extreme versions of PAS and Perikatan Nasional are empty slogans that confuse the people and fail to further a true Islam.

8.Contrary to his purported liberal and multicultural agenda, Anwar has given more money to JAKIM and wants them to be involved in policy.

9. Anwar’s bid to harmonize sharia and civil law is troubling as constitutionally, Sharia law only relates to “family matters” for Muslims.

10 Freedom of speech is being restricted blatantly, as when the Minister of Communications issued a threat that the police would knock on our doors if we criticized the administration.

11. When a bumiputera company fails, taxpayers should not have to bail them out.

12. Anwar has been slow to criticize PAS for their outrageous claim that Muslims must vote for PAS, or else they will go to hell.

Forms of Government 14

~ The Koboi Project

14. Thanatocracy: A form of government associated with death, including one founded on politically organized mass killing. This is a common scenario in polities divided by ethnic and sectarian divisions. While the scale of killing was small when compared to the allegedely genocidal scale of death involved in countries like Rawanda or Sri Lanka, the establishment of a new power relationship between the races in the Malaysian polity, post May 13th, 1969, might said to be Thanatocratic.

https://www.malaysianbar.org.my/article/news/legal-and-general-news/general-news/the-tragedy-of-may-13-1969

Forms of Government 12

~ The Koboi Project

Bureaucracy: Not a form of government but an aspect of governance, one that can, nevertheless, dominate all others. In Malaysia it serves to effect an Ethnocracy.

Forms of Government 7

~ The Koboi Project

7. Plutocracy: A form of government exercised by the few (the 1%). It is a global phenomena but in Malaysia we can see clearly how its the same small bunch of friends, or rather frenemies, that has ruled us for decades.

Forms of Government 6

~ The Koboi Project

6. Idiocracy: A form of government familiar to Malaysians. Beyond corruption and communal interests, it is carelessness, waste and stupidity that are the greatest impedements to the achievement of good governance. Of course, there is no denying that corruption and the shameless expresession of communal inerests can lead to Idiocracy.

Forms of Government 5

~ The Koboi Project

5. Meritocracy: A form of government based on fair competition and excellence. Of course, while claims are made for this form of governance, it can not exist without equality of opportunity. This is a reflexive relationship. The more opportunity a community or class has, the more capacity for merit its members might accrue. Less opportunity for the group will make it harder for individuals to achieve thge so called ‘meritorious’ results. Unmitigated meritocracy might bring what I call synchronic justice, but it might be unjust in terms of the history of opportunity. This historical dimension can be addressed by affirmative action, which might enable what I term diachronic justice. Malaysia’s NEP is a case in point. The problem, however, is that it is very difficult to ascertain when diachronic justice has been done and the goal must be reset to synchronic justice .

Updated 22.11.2023

Nahvin Muthusamy used his speech as a Royal Education Award winner at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka’s (UTeM) 19th convocation ceremony, to call for an end to racial quotas and a turn towards Meritocracy in Malaysian higher education. Is it time to pivot from diachronic justice to synchronic justice? Are the Malays ready to compete without a handicap? If, as the infamous exchange between another young Indian student and the Prime Minister of Malaysia at the Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang confirms, the answer to these questions is a resounding -NO!; are we at least ready to modify our ethnocentric quota system, to better ameliorate the devastating narrowing of opportunity it brings to the least fortunate non-Malays?

https://says.com/my/news/prioritise-meritocracy-not-quota-system-says-recipient-of-utem-s-royal-education-award

https://www.malaysianow.com/news/2023/08/06/social-media-reacts-with-anger-over-pms-behaviour-to-girl-who-asked-question-on-meritocracy

Forms of Government 2

~ The Koboi Project

2. Ethnocracy: A form of government based on communalism. It is more widespread than you might think. Sometimes it is an explicit premise, at other times, it is just an unstated reality. Wherever the communal organization is stated explicitly in law, we find the formal ethnocracy that we call apartheid.

Here are three instances of legislated ethnocracy –
1) Canada, the quintessential settler-colonial ethnocracy, based on the Indian Act, status identity cards, and native reservations, upon which South African apartheid was based.
2) Malaysia, where there is a constitutionally enshrined ‘special position’ for the indigenous Malays by which they assert their supremacy over immigrant Indians and Chinese who settled under the auspices of colonial rule.
3) Israel, where there is an ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands effected through an apartheid system that involves limiting the Palestinian’s right to movement, denying them the right to vote, and subjecting them to a separate legal system. The seal was set on this ethnocracy, when Israel passed a law in 2018, symbolically affirming that it was the nation-state of the Jewish people.


Teka Teki: Malaysia, Canada, Israel; Apa Persamaannya?
Jawapan: Semuanya mengamalkan Ethnocracy!

UPDATED 13.11.2023

https://en.everybodywiki.com/Apartheid_in_Malaysia

https://troymedia.com/politicslaw/indigenous-apartheid-system-canada/

https://www.vox.com/23924319/israel-palestine-apartheid-meaning-history-debate
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/7/31/17623978/israel-jewish-nation-state-law-bill-explained-apartheid-netanyahu-democracy

PETRONAS vs Wet’suwet’en

~ The Koboi Project ~ 1 Comment


If PETRONAS goes ahead with its new LNG Terminal investment in BC, the Malaysian crown corporation will hold a 25% stake in LNG Canada’s CAD $ 40 billion project. This investment will be closely aligned with the Coastal GasLink pipeline that TransCanada is building to transport the natural gas from Dawson Creek to Kitimat. A further enmeshment to note that much of the natural gas will come from PETRONAS’ own North Montney fields. All the parties involved in this set of developments, the corporations, the provincial government and the federal government have their eyes on the burgeoning Asian market for the LNG .

There remain, however, some unresolved and under reported conflicts with First Nations in connection with both the terminal and the pipeline. Although there are reportedly signed benefit agreements with 19 of the 20 First Nations involved, there is some entrenched opposition. Some members of the Wet’suwet’en Nation have built the Unist’ot’en healing camp in the path of the pipeline. So once again, the interests of the exemplary Malaysian bumiputra (indigenous) led enterprise is contrary to the those of a group of indigenous peoples from British Columbia.

http://www.coastalgaslink.com/

http://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-ndp-celebrates-petronas-return-but-lng-canada-hurdles-remain

Bumiputera Juga!

~ The Koboi Project ~ Leave a comment

lax chiefs

Lax Kw’alaams Chiefs

https://www.thenorthernview.com/news/nine-allied-tribes-of-lax-kwalaams-sign-benefits-agreement-with-eagle-spirit-energy-question-authority-of-mayor-and-council/