Petikan dibawah ini adalah monologue antara Saudara YB. Ti Lian Ker dengan Tun Mahathir. Saudara YB Ti Lian Ker adalah penulis blog Think A Loud. Baca dengan hati yang tenang dan renungkanlah. Tulisan warna hitam adalah article asal Tun Mahathir(Generation Gap) dan warna merah adalah monologue saudara YB Ti Lian Ker.
1. When in 1957 we became independent the population was only five million. Even after 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Peninsula to form Malaysia the population was only slightly more than six million.
2. Today Malaysia's population is 27 million. Obviously most Malaysians were born after 1957-1963. Meaning to say they had not known anything but being free, being independent, being ruled by their fellow countrymen.
tilianker: More than 20 million Malaysians were born after 1963. Many are still made to feel like Second Class citizens with deep rooted resentment. The Racial Card which culminated into the May 13th racial riots was played and is still being played repetitiously. Who is to be blamed?
You Mahathir, are the master in this racial game...Many countrymen do not feel free and are living in fear of other countrymen till today as a result of your repeated reminders of our origins but you have forgotten your origin or have you?
3. History is not a compulsory subject in our schools. If at all history is taught it is sketchy, not really giving a clear picture of what it was like to be ruled by foreigners, by the British, the Japanese and in some cases the Thais.
tilianker: History was reshaped and edited to suit the national sentiment of the Malays. Facts were adjusted and tailored according to the feelings of the author or the political masters. Villains and murderers in history, in the likeness of Rosli Dhobi were transformed as local heroes by the stroke of a pen.
All these happened during your rule Sir! If history is taught in this manner, Malaysians will be divided further as history was manipulated to remind the Indians and the Chinese that they were immigrants and ada hutang sejarah pada orang Melayu. All these were piloted and captained by you, Sir!
4. I am not trying to say that those who lived under colonial rule are more appreciative of independence, although that is basically true. But what we should all be concerned with is that we appreciate our independence and our freedom more, whatever may be our political leanings.
tilianker: Tun spoke as if we are going to be under colonial rule. Possibly by proxy in the name of...soon?
The problem is that many did not enjoy the fruits of independence and the joys of freedom. Instead, many felt that there was no freedom under your authoritative rule. Their political leanings changed when they couldn't stomach the attack on the judiciary, perceived abuse of authority , nepotism, cronyism , corruption etc
Realizing that they should acknowledge the true meaning of freedom and independence, they had decided to put aside their political leanings in pursuit of the fruits of independence and true freedom. Thus, Chinese are now unafraid to vote PAS and Malays are also voting for DAP.
5. Is it wrong for us to look back on the past? Some think it is irrelevant. That was before, this is now. Don't tell us all those stories about the struggles of people gone by. We have always been independent. All our life we have been independent.
tilianker: What about denying the struggles and contributions of fellow Malaysians? Why are you not speaking up and telling us the truth?
6. But I think we should know where we came from. Otherwise we would not know which way we should go. We may think we are going forward when in fact we are going backward, back to where we started. We would not be making progress.
tilianker: We have not moved forward as a nation since Tun M wrote the Malay Dilemma and incited the Malays against Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Chinese. There have been continued abuse and Chinese have been referred to as Pendatang for the umpteenth years and they were afraid to speak up until lately when the younger educated generation could not stomach it anymore as they would rather move forward than backwards.
Did you referred to us as Pendatang back in the 70s or 80s?
7. I am pleading for the teaching of history. George Santayana, an American philosopher once said; "Those who forget the lessons of history will be condemned to repeat their mistakes over and over again", or words to that effect.
tilianker: The only historical lesson I have learned is that a nation or dynasty will fall when the rulers or the powerful elites continued to use their power to gain wealth at the expense of the country. This mistake had been repeated by UMNO under your authoritarian rule. How many millionaires have been created via political connection under your authoritarian rule? The elitist became richer and the poor relatively poorer.
Today we are witnessing a middle class uprising against all that was wrong during your time.
8. How do we know we are not repeating our mistakes now if we do not know of our mistakes in the past. We need to know.
tilianker: Have you admitted the mistakes of your past or are you that perfect? We need to know your mistakes to avoid repeating the same but you never will admit to your mistakes except when you are using it on the offensive.
9. We need to know how we came to be colonized. We need to know how we barely managed to escape from being a Communist state.
tilianker: Are we under seige ? By whom? Americans or Chinese? Are we going to be colonized again? I don't understand why Tun must continue to instill fear into the political psyche of ordinary Malays.
Is it your intention to trap their minds and be dependent on Malay heroes like yourself? Isn't it time to free their minds and allow them to assert their individual independence? Or must the Malays continue to be berjiwa hamba in order for Masters like you to survive?
10. We need to know how our Rulers were forced to surrender their states to the British. We need to know how the British were forced to rescind the MacMichael treaties. And so on, and so forth.
tilianker: Do we need to know how businesses, banks and corporations were forced to succumb and surrender to powerful personalities and authorities? Was there any such manipulations during your era? Is there any handover of equities, Multi-Purpose? UMBC Bank? etc etc
How about the Constitutional Crisis in the 80's where you have forced the Malay Rulers to surrender their constitutional powers?
11. Somewhere along we would recognize the mistakes we had made. And knowing them we would be better able to avoid making them again. Our country would continue to grow and prosper.
tilianker: How can our country continue to grow and prosper when you continue to drive a wedge between the people along racial lines? Maybe you should let the present Prime Minister do his job without undermining him or being perceived to be dictating to him the way you have dictated to previous and past Prime Ministers irrespective of whether you are senior or junior.
Maybe you should allow YAB Dato Seri Najib A. Razak to evolve his concept of One Malaysia without public distractions or public growls or rants from a retired senior. Of course you are still powerful and influential but let's accept that today is not your call anymore.
12. The independent generations have enjoyed the independent country they inherited.
tilianker: Yes and rightly said! We need to change in accordance to the changing times. So let the independent generation move on independently without the trappings or dictates of past leaders or the old school of thoughts. Maybe you should advise and talk through the proper channel as advocated by you during your time.
13. Surely they would want their children and grandchildren to inherit the same.
tilianker: Yes Sir! So please don't create further political instability by questioning the Cabinet or Prime Minister unfairly...providing ammunitions to the opposition to strengthen your political relevance?
14. And this they can ensure by knowing the history of this beloved country and the mistakes of the past.
tilianker: Yes indeed! But it must be history based on truths and facts. Not the history in the textbooks written during your time . There have been too many manipulations and distortions.
Maybe we should start by rectifying the mistakes of your past?By the way is Hang Tuah and
Hang Jebat of Chinese origin ? And is Mahathir of Indian origin? Why must we be made to pay for our historical debt? How long must we pay our historical debt? By the way must the Africans continue to be slaves? By reason of history? Were they born or bought as slaves...
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