Malaysia and Turkey

Recently, a politician said that Malaysia should follow Turkey style, a quite developed secular country whose majority of its citizen is Muslim.

Turkey which is the ‘bridge’ from Asia to Europe since long time ago resist the influence of wahabism from Arab and strike to become a succeful secular country. However Turkey is not wholly secular in every governmental aspect, and for example, the government control the mosques and its staff.

Turkey may worth a ‘follow’ in some parts but not in all aspects. It is worthy for me to pick up some points from Andrew Mango’s “The Turks Today” to allow us to understand what really happened in current Turkey and we can have a comparison with Malaysia.

1. Ratio between boys and girls in primary school is quite balance with girls slighly lower than boys, but the gap widen in secondary school. Women labour force in year 2000 is only at 24 percent. – The opposite happened in Malaysia, where girls conquered most local universities.

2. Polygamy banned in Turkey but it does happen in some section of its society. – It is almost the same among non-Muslim in Malaysia. Many Malaysian included politicians have mistress out side, Tun Ling Liong Sik told us about this.

3. The judiciary system is unable to solve much of the cases that most of the ‘prisoners’ in Turkey are not convicts but are being put into prison while in trial process. – Thank God, Malaysia is much better, but there is much for us to accomplish.

4. Jail in Turkey is also unable to accommodate all the prisoners, that government will granting amnesty to prisoners from time to time in order to empty some spaces for new prisoner. - Seldom heard of amnesty in Malaysia, but it do happen from time to time but not in a big scale as in Turkey.

5. Conscript and compulsory military service is applying to Turks. The military is a pressure group in the society. - National service in Malaysia is full of controversy but I think it is still on the right path.

6. Many Turks like to seek job opportunities (never mind with lower wages compare to locals) in neighbour Europe countries who offered a better after service benefit. – Same situation in Johor or maybe Southern part of Pennisular Malaysia, where Malaysians like to work in Singapore.

7. Turkey ordered state owned banks to supply credit to farmers, investors and small traders without consider their ability and willingness to pay back. It is a kind of social consideration and a move to boost the standard of living and economy of certain part of the country.

Malaysia did the same thing actually, SME bank for small and medium enterprise, PTPTN to offer loans to higher learning institutions while Bank Pertanian to farmers. I do not know what happened to the loan offered by SMS Banks and Bank Pertanian, but we do know about PTPTN. As reported, many graduates refuse to pay the loan, after they already use it to pay tuition fees, buying laptop, CDs, DVDs, MP3, MP4 etc.

As developing countries, Malaysia and Turkey share a lot similar thing. We in different extent share the same problems concerning religion, extremist, judiciary reform, corruption (black economy) and impact of globalization. The way we hand some problem, is also similar with Turkey.

Some foreigner might look at Malaysia and Turkey as Islamist, it is true because although Syariah law is not applicable but majority in both country is Muslim, and Islam is playing important part to shape the country.

In political aspect however, I rather use the word conservative but secular.

后殖民时代的政治与种族冲突

当世界殖民强权在世界二战结束后，逐步退出亚洲各国并把政权归还本土政客之时，对外的斗争宣告结束，内在的种族冲突却相续爆发。

后殖民时代的种族冲突虽不能一概归纳为政治因素，但也难免与政治与政客息息相关。殖民者从亚洲诸国撤军后，留下空当的政权，都是各民族领袖所垂涎之物。当代族群领袖都是仗着民族利益为出发点，争取政权为同胞谋福为口号。

此外，当强大的殖民国撤军后，留下的一般上是较弱势的新政府。此势怂恿少数民族争取自治权或是独立权。如果新政府由单一族群主帅，争取自治或独立的浪潮肯定会更强大。新政府考虑到多米诺效应，通常都会拒绝自治的要求，而其要求不得要领的少数民族，最终将使用暴力来争取自治。这是权力共享无法达到平衡点的惨痛代价。

另外在殖民时期，殖民政府是以经济利益为最终依归，即经主政次。殖民者抱持井水不犯河水的原则，他们故此也不会干预偏远少数民族的固有政治及经济体系。相反的，新成立的本土政府希望统一国家政经文教体系以达到一国一政之效。此举直接威胁少数民族的固有体系。当两方互不相让之时，战事肯定避免不了。这是施政者的政策无法达到少数民族共鸣的后果。

印度的后殖民种族冲突为例，就与政治及政权分割不了，也是兴都教及回教徒政客无法对政权共享做出妥协的后果。当回教徒与兴都教徒领袖无法对政权分配达共识，可是又要仓促独立时，两者最后决定分割国土。本以为此策将解决僵持已久的政治瓶颈，不过却带来规模极大的种族大屠杀。

当英政分割印度小大陆为南国印度，北国巴基斯坦时，种族大屠杀随即爆发。当时从北国南下的火车载满血淋淋的兴都教徒尸体，而从南国北上的火车则载满回教徒的尸体。种族的仇杀历史促使两个核武国的诞生，也带来永无休止的战事。

步入冷战时代，美国及苏联更是踏上一脚，使到本是同根生的印巴两国之战再次升温。这也再次印证政权如何影响种族关系，由于种族政党瓜分政权，一国分为两国（过后巴国的种族冲突也致使孟加拉从巴国独立），然后演变成种族大屠杀，再因为世界列强插手而最后演变成国际核武战。

在中国，对外的战争结束后，随部而至的是连年内战。国民及共产两党的战事结束后，汉人与少数民族的战事也接踵而来。当西藏及新疆纷纷争取独立，而被报以强硬的同化政策之时，宗族冲突一发不可收拾。

新疆的清真寺改建成养猪场，西藏的佛寺成为和尚的囚房。日后，政府加强汉化政策，控制少数民族的人口增长率并把大批的汉人引入西藏及新疆，以期达到同化的作用。铁腕政策固然成功按住了少数民族顽抗的手，却无法磨灭他们仇恨的心。为此，中国政府在举行2008年奥运之际面对两个区域少数民族的暴动及示威，为该辉煌的盛事留下历史的瑕疵。

东南亚各国也难逃种族冲突的厄运，泰国及菲律宾皆面对南部回教徒的暴动。泰国早期成功同化华人，但却无法同化南部的回教徒。多种安抚回教徒的措施也无法平息南部回教徒对曼谷的仇恨。还有缅甸的嘉仁族争取自治，印尼的回教徒与基督教徒之间的暴动更是时有所闻。

看来无论是民主的印度，共产制的中国，军制的缅甸，还是皇室具有极大影响力的泰国都无法摆脱种族冲突的危机。其中冲突的原因更是形形色色，难以分解。不过其中必与政治及政权有着密不可分的关系。石在，火种是不会灭的！

13 May 1969

If we want to study history thoroughly, the first thing that we have to do is study all the details thoroughly. This included the prime source (such as documents from archive), secondary source (books and articles written by academician) and the debatable oral source.

It is quite hard for me to look on all the materials in local and England archive concerning about 13 May 1969, but I do have the opportunity to read some books including memoirs and academic readings either from well known historians or the grass root people who experience the tragic event.

I must said that, all academician using different approach to study 13 May 1969, Kua Kia Siong in his well known monograph focusing on what he called “unclassified” documents from England archive while former UKM lecturer, James Ongkili studied 13 May as part of the process in nations building in Malaysia.

Tunku Abdul Rahman who is the Prime Minister at the time described in his memoir how the tragic event changed his life and the politics in Malaysia. Among the first badge writers of 13 May, Leon Comber however in his book on the same event, start with the arrival of Chinese and Indians into Tanah Melayu.

Beside that, the well known ex-Universiti Malaya lecturer, Ramlah Adam in her Biography of Tunku Abdul Rahman also touched on the 13 May tragic and its impact to Tunku.

Indeed, 13 May incident is a racial riot among Malays and Chinese which we can (and should) trace the root cause of it since the arrival of Chinese at Tanah Melayu.

Therefore when we study the issue, we must not over look this factor. Bear in mind that, we cannot make history in one day! The outcome of a major history event is an accumulative of several minor events.

In the first world war, historians agreed that the murdered of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne as the immediate factors of the war, but it is also undeniable that the murder is not the sole factor. Political scientist would analysis the power imbalance in Europe. Sociologist might look at the ethnic rivalries at that continent, while economist will focus on economic imperialism and trade barriers during that time.

Therefore, we must not over look any factors when studying the details of 13 May and I would like to draw some points from some writers on the tragic event. All the points however is relate to the outcome of 1969 elections.

Ongkili

A Kadazan from Sabah, James Ongkili in one of the chapter in his book wrote comprehensively on the opposition party parade after the 1969 election. According to him, when the parade which is made up of Chinese entering Kampung Baru, a Malay settlement in Kuala Lumpur, this causing uneasiness among Malay settlers.

Ongkili said, the parade shouted that the Chinese was the victor in the election while Malays should go back to kampung or get out from Kuala Lumpur. Some Chinese according to Ongkili even so excited that they put down their pants and “parade” the penis to the Malays.

Ongkili at the same time wrote about how Malays response to the parade.

Kua Kia Siong

Kua insist that the tragic event as planned by some extremist of UMNO including the notorious Harun Idris. Uneasy with the parade of opposition party, UMNO who is still a winner in the election hold another parade to celebrate their victory. For Kua, extremist from UMNO is the one to be blame.

He also pointed out that the security force during the emergency lean towards UMNO.

Leon Comber

If you like to read about the “soul stiring” thing during the tragic like how many kill and how they kill, Comber will definitely fail you. When I first glance on the first chapter, it really bored me with things that I seem to know but when I read and read deeper, it changed my mind totally. For me, this is the book that every Malaysian must read.

Likewise Ongkili, Comber never blamed the Chinese or Malays, he neither made is conclusion about the tragic. For him, 13 May is worth a look from the day Chinese landed on Tanah Melayu. How the inter-racial relations go on from time to time and how the major events like Japanese occupation and Malayan Union leaving major impact to the racial relations.

Tunku Abdul Rahman

The first Prime Minister of Malaysia see the tragic as an outcome of Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).


A Simple Conclusion

After reading several accounts of the tragic, the only thing I can conclude is that the immature people (both Malays and Chinese is to be blamed) for the tragic. It is time for us to think in a more mature manner, stop being annoying to others!