"CONFRONTATIONAL"? Must the Chinese be docile & vote for BN forever, Najib slammed

PKR leaders slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak for his presumptuous remarks that Malaysian Chinese were "confrontational", advising him to do his homework before jumping the gun and insulting the community.

"What confrontational culture? Is Najib saying that Malaysian Chinese must be docile, continue to support the BN and any other pattern will considered as negative? Is he threatening any backlash or punishment?" PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Najib must clarify what is he getting at, what does he want. You can't accuse people of being quarrelsome and wanting to fight all the time without stating your grounds for such a presumption and generalization."

"Confrontational" because they dared to speak up?

Indeed, Najib's remarks expressed in a Malaysia Day letter sent out to Chinese voters has stirred contempt rather nudged them into self-reflection. Written in Chinese, Najib's letter appeared targeted at younger voters who are Chinese-educated. This group is considered as being inclined to vote for the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

According to the Malaysian Insider, many of those who received the letter were young Chinese voters. It was sent by Selangor BN was signed by Najib as prime minister and state BN chairman.

“After the March 2008 elections, we have found that the non-confrontational culture had vanished into thin air, to be replaced by a confrontational approach.

“Even if we acknowledge street demonstrations and openly debate sensitive subjects as a right of the public, should we not also consider whether a confrontational approach is the right way to solve problems and to push for reforms?” said Najib in the letter.

Najib did not cite examples of what constituted the confrontational approaches allegedly adopted by the Chinese voters.

"How pathetic to resort to threats, bankrupt of ideas," PKR legal affairs director Latheefa Koya said on Twitter.

No longer the boss but the servants of the people

While the Chinese have been vocal and keen to join activist groups to push for change in Malaysia, not all the movements are linked to politics or supportive of the Opposition.

"This is actually a part of the society's development. Young Chinese have taken to the Internet like ducks to water. This is not limited to Malaysia and not to the Chinese people either. In Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Communist China, it is the trend for the people to speak up for green and environmental issues as well as join pro-democracy causes. Same is happening n Korea, Japan and to a extent the Middle East," PKR MP for Gopeng Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

"It is not a challenge to the establishment or to authority but people and society these days see themselves as the boss and not the politicians. Those days are gone. It is the BN, Umno and MCA in particular who have been left behind and blaming everyone else for being 'confrontational' when they should accept that they are mere servants of society."

The blossoming of civil society

In Malaysia, the Chinese have been active in many campaigns including the BERSIH rallies for clean elections, the anti-Lynas rare earth refinery, the anti-cyanide gold-mining in Raub as well as the anti-ISA protests.

But in line with the nation's demographic proportions, the Malays who form 55% of the 28 million population have outnumbered the other races in the same rallies. They too have suffered at the hands of the violent police crackdowns ordered by Najib in a bid to scare the people into a passive and pliant mode.

"My guess is that this letter could have been drafted by a desperate MCA trying to stop the Chinese from turning to the DAP and PKR but it won't work. Firstly, it smells of intimidation, it is insulting. And before Najib goes around setting up the backs of the Chinese community, he better take care of his own backyard. The Malays especially the younger ones are also fed up. They too want change, so don't point the finger," said Tian.

Malaysia Chronicle