Unlawful Detention of Palestinians
“From the first day I was detained, I always expected I would be released, that one day, someone would work to free me.” ~Nael Al Barghouthi, a Palestinian released after 31 years of imprisonment.
Categories: Palestine Tags: detention of palestinian children, palestinians indefinite detention, palestinians political prisoner, persecution of Palestinians, shalit, torture of palestinian prisoners, unlawful detention palestinians, unlawful imprisonment of palestinians
BM: Key to Civil Society
I found this newspaper clipping while spring cleaning last week. It’s a letter to a newspaper (probably NST), published in 2001.
I am really touched by the letter written by Gloria Benedict (BM and national unity, 16-31 July 2001). It jolted my memory to what transpired in the question and anser’s section of a seminar, which was delivered by two professors from Taiwan, who spoke on various issues.
In response to the pessimistic attitude of one of the speakers towards the civilization dialogue, as propounded by former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his book Asia Renaissance, one of the prominent researcher of Hua Zi (a local Chinese research center), Tang Ah Chai has a dissent view on that.
He enlightened the audience that the concept of “Malays”s according to Anwar Ibrahim is none other than embracing all people who consider Nusantara (Malays Archipelago) as their homeland. Moreover he also revealed that pursuant to a survey he did in few major cities in Malaysia during the uproar of Nanyang Siang Pao takeover by MCA, he discovered that only less than 5% of the Chine populate read Malay paper.
More interestingly a British graduate, Jong Hong, also a freelance writer, subsequently in reference to the survey’s result reprimanded the non-Malay youth’s negative attitude towards the Malay paper though their command of the language is beyond question.
Categories: Malaysia Tags: bahasa malaysia, bahasa melayu, civil society
BM and National Unity
I found this newspaper clipping while spring cleaning last week. It’s a letter to a newspaper (probably NST), published in 2001.
Every concerned Malaysians regardless of his/her race know well that Bahasa Melayu (BM) is our national language which is also a vital tool for national unity. Some of us might not want to accept the fact, but at least need to have some respect for its users.
English is still important as an international language especially in business and technology. That’s the proper and correct fact but inside our own country, English should not be used than in English classes, a conversation with foreigners and to study certain lessons in universities. Despite the improvement of Malaysian’s education quality which enabled more of us to be bilingual or even trilingual, English can hardly replace BM in our country. Malaysia is Malaysia and it is technology, not overused English that would put us on par with advanced countries.
The problem is not the Malays determination to defend their mother tongue — that’s their civil right much like Chines and Indian. The arrogance of some non-Malays on the language issue is one of the obstacles to interracial unity. I am really annoyed with stand by some of my own fellow non-Malay friend that stress the needs of Malays to speak in English to some non-Malays because they don’t want or don’t feel better speaking in Malay. Worse, they even try to ‘reinforce’ that ‘rule’ among their own community members!
Categories: Malaysia Tags: bahasa melayu, malay language