MGG Pillai Commentary View

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Where the tourist is respected more than a Malaysian, but not much more

THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT IS in disarray. It tries to do what it can, but not what it should. It now takes what it must to divert attention. The Malaysian home minister, Dato' Azmi Khalid, has apologised to Beijing on his arrival there. He went in secret after that telling the press he could go on December 20, postponed after China was not informed of the visit. But the issue of the nude Chinese woman doing an illegal ear squat affects Chinese tourists as well as Malaysians. China does not allow its tourists into Malaysia because government agencies and authorities mistreat its citizens. An MMS videoclip, taken by a policeman probably for enjoyment, has spread like wildfire. The government tried denying, in various ways, that it mistreats tourists. But this is standard police procedure for any woman asked to go to a police station for, for example, leaving her passport at home. Malaysian women - housewives, who believe the former deputy prime minister, Dato' Anwar Ibrahim, students, illtreated over the years - confirm that they had also been asked by the police to undress and do the ear squat. The lock-up rules do not allow illtreating anyone the police had arrested, but the police justify it because the women might be carrying drugs on their person. The MMS videoclip has gone around the world. The official explations to show that the nude woman ear squat did not happen are not believed. It has become a Chinese issue, and even the non-Malay parties in the National Front has commented on it to the detriment of the government. The government accuses the Chinese, Indian and other non-Malays to be racist because they do not support it. Multiracialism in Malaysia means the races would eat together on racial celebrations. At other times, the races go their separate ways. There is nothing in common among the Malay, the Indian, the Chinese and others, who live their separate lives, often oblivious of the others. The government does not understand this. Its education policy, at best aimed at Malay as the language for all. ignores this trend and forces the races to teach, for instance, science and mathematics in English. If a Malaysian does not support Malay, he will be a fish out of water in a government department.

This videoclip has taken centre stage now, because the woman in the videoclip may be a Chinese tourist, and the Chinese government has taken a dim view of it. It has taken decisions that makes Malaysia even more on the defensive. The home affairs minister, Dato' Azmi Khalid, was ordered by the Malaysian cabinet to visit China, a decision taken finding out if China would receive him, but released to the press all the same. The Chinese ambassador here, Mr Wang Chung, passed on his government's message that it be postponed to 20 December 2005, and that the inherent problem of Chinese tourists being manhandled by Malaysian authorities be solved. From that moment, the Malaysian government lost the initiative. It cannot tell the Chinese government to shut up. The issue is serious because the Chinese tourists are not coming in large numbers. The Malaysian government is diverting attention, bringing in 100 Chinese journalists to show them the beauty of Malaysia, and if the past is any guide, they would not be speaking to the Malaysian unauthorised by the government, and they will go home knowing little of the problem. But the problem is real. The foreign non-Caucasian is treated like a local, but whereas he can complain to his government, the Malaysian cannot. The Chinese government however listened to its citizens manhandled by the Malaysian government in the country, and discouraged them from coming here.

Two-thirds less Chinese tourist has come to Malaysia this year to September than the same period last year. Malaysian tourist facilities are empty because of it. Earlier this year, Genting Higlands casino lost millions of ringgit because high-rolling Chinese tourist did not visit it because other Chinese tourists have been illtreated. The government reaction is to talk of 50,000 Chinese tourists did not return, and have melted into the crowd in Malaysia. But this shows only that it does not make sure the tourist returns home. The laws are not strictly applied. It is applying the laws now only in vengeance, but it shows at the same time it is lax about it. Most of these tourists would not have returned, because local political figures, usually from UMNO, has joined with China to bring them in for prostitution and other nefarious activities. The Chinese tourist is money for these people here, and the government allows this to happen. The Indonesian overstayers were brought in to boost the Malay population, or promised an extension by these political figures on the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia. They would get citizenships soon enough, much sooner than non-Malays in the country who have been here for decades.

The Indians, the Pakistanis, the Bangladeshis, the Nepalis, the Burmese, the Vietnamese have also come in on these terms, but their governments do not interfere for reasons of their own. The Chinese government did. The Malaysian government did not expect it, and is on the defensive where possible. But this is how the tourist not a Caucasian is treated. The tourist from China is treated exactly as a Malaysian Chinese is. What the Chinese tourist suffered is what the Malaysian Chinese have suffered.

The Malaysian is mollycodled into voting the National Front, which then illtreats them. In the last 35 years, the rules and law has to take second place to a hidden policy of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Dominance). This allows the office boy or policeman to ignore the rules and law so long as the non-Malay is put into place. Non-Malay government servants are not given their rightful promotions. I know of one brilliant police officer who retired as an assistant superintendent of police but his Malay batchmate ended up as Inspector-General of Police. This can happen at the best of times, but since 1970 when Ketuanan Melayu became a hidden policy of the Malaysian government, this has occured more often than not. Malay civil servants are promoted for adhering to this than laws and regulations. This group is more powerful than the normal heirarcy that even the secretary-general of a ministry would think twice of going against it. It is an easy step into the present crisis. The government has taken all Asians to reflect its population, and threats them as such. China remonstrated against ill-treating its tourists, but Malaysia at first ignored it.

The Malay government servant can illtreat the tourist. The deputy internal security minister, Dato' Noh Omar, told tourists not to visit if it did not agree with what the authorities do to them. He was castigated, but not sacked, by his minister, who happened to be the prime minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. But government reaction to the fallout of the MMS videoclip has been at cross purposes. It cannot abandon Ketuanan Melayu policy. So it will fumble. It cannot order the decisions which will treat the tourists from Asia fairly. That would mean it would have to, God forbid, treat the Malaysian fairly! It is under pressure from its backers to get Chinese tourists back. So far, there is no indication that they would make the policy changes that would treat the Malaysian differently. Now the problem over the Chinese tourist is seen in the government at the facilities going to waste if he did not come. If it reaches a solution, it would at best be temporary. Nothing would change permanently unless the Malaysian is treated on par with the tourist. Because China is prepared to fight for its citizens - this is not how Malaysia treats its citizens - the Ketuannan Melayu policy is dented. It would not be erased yet. There will be other occasions when it would be dented further. Chinese tourists being treated fairly, as China demands, is a start. But it will be a long while before a Malaysian is at part with the tourist.

M.G.G, Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com