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Myth-makers in our midst PDF Print
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Friday, 05 December 2008 09:17

Shape of a Pocket

In a 2 Dec 2008 press statement, the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) also pointedly asks if Najib was implying that blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, Selangor state exco and Member of Parliament (MP) Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who were arrested under the ISA in September, were terrorists.

By Jacqueline Ann Surin, The Nut Graph

ONE of the common beliefs I sometimes grazed against as a child in a Catholic family was that menstruating women were unclean, and hence unfit to serve in church.

It didn't matter that this belief contradicted what I had learnt from catechism about how God made everything. Including, I presumed, the female body and all her menstruating parts, and that all good things came from God.

Still, despite the irrationality of the menstruation myth, it was the gospel truth for a long while especially for my mother and the generation before her. Thankfully, by my generation, that myth was being displaced by other forces spurred by women's growing economic and political rights.

The dictionary defines myth as any invented, imaginary or fictitious story, idea, concept, thing or person. Why make myths? The same dictionary definition gives us a clue when it says myths are “an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution”.

Myth-making is, indeed, powerful. Just look at how it has kept women out of positions of authority within the church, and continues to do so.

We need the ISA

In contemporary Malaysian politics, myth-making is a constant. The most recent example of the perpetuation of a myth, in order to prop up the status quo, was when our prime-minister-in-waiting reiterated the need for the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Commenting on the Mumbai tragedy in an interview with Al Jazeera, Datuk Seri Najib Razak stressed that it was because Malaysia had detention-without-trial laws such as the ISA that the nation was protected from terrorism.

It's not a new argument for sure. The Malaysian government has consistently tried to justify unjust laws such as the ISA. Acts of terrorism such as 9/11 and now the Mumbai attacks are used as proof of how much we need these laws.

Except of course, the truth is that the ISA has been consistently used not against terrorists but political opponents and government critics. Former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who resigned from cabinet to protest the continued use of this legislation from our Emergency period, very eloquently proved this was the case.

In a 2 Dec 2008 press statement, the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) also pointedly asks if Najib was implying that blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, Selangor state exco and Member of Parliament (MP) Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who were arrested under the ISA in September, were terrorists.

GMI also notes that a majority of the ISA detainees currently in Kamunting are linked to the Jemaah Islamiah and Darul Islam movements. Most have been held without trial from two to seven years. “Although the government claims they have sufficient evidence to show that these detainees are linked to terrorism, until today none of them have been charged in an open court,” GMI says.

And without an open trial, the public will never be able to ascertain if these detainees are really terrorists. Instead, we are asked to trust in our government not to abuse near-absolute power.

The police are fair

The other popular myth of late has been that the police do not practise double standards when dealing with demonstrations. In defending the force, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the police would take action against anyone who broke the law.


Those supporting ISA detentions were not detained

And yet, on 23 Nov 2008, two different groups — one protesting against the ISA and another that supported it — clearly received different treatment. The anti-ISA protestors were arrested while the pro-ISA group wasn't. This led the Bar Council to observe that the police practised “selective persecution”.

The truth is, this wasn't the first time that the police have responded differently to demonstrations, depending it seems, on what the demonstration is about. On 1 June 2008, a walk comprising less than 100 protestors calling for press freedom was watched over by police and FRU personnel. It was eventually dispersed under the threat of arrests. The walk organisers were told that they would not get a police permit even if they applied for one.


14 Aug 2008 news clipping from TheSun

However, much larger student demonstrations against the proposal to open up Universiti Teknologi Mara's doors to non-bumiputeras proceeded without incident. Indeed, the police were reported to have said in theSun on 14 Aug 2008 that the UiTM students who demonstrated on 12 Aug had a police permit.

We will take over government

It's not just the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and its state agencies which are adept at myth-making.

Even Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which leads the opposition in Parliament, has demonstrated its ability to use the power of myths to sustain people's belief and trust in a Pakatan Rakyat government.

The most notable myth was that of 16 Sept. Despite repeatedly broadcasting that he had enough BN MPs to cross over to enable the Pakatan Rakyat to form government by 16 Sept, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim only succeeded in proving that he couldn't deliver.

But still the myth continues, albeit with modification.

It's not about superiority

The notion that “ketuanan Melayu” is firstly, constitutional and secondly, not about racial superiority has also been creeping into the national polemic. Thankfully, this myth is being contested within the BN itself by Gerakan and MCA before it takes root as the truth in our collective consciousness.

Additionally, all anyone has to do to dismantle this myth is to look up the meaning of “tuan” in the dictionary. My Sasbadi student dictionary defines “tuan” as lord or master.

 

Jacqueline Ann Surin believes that Malaysians need to dismantle the myths in our midst lest our lives are ruled by imagined threats and fictitious benefits.

 

Comments (11)Add Comment
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written by Birdbrain, December 05, 2008 09:26:12
ISA is a myth created by UMNO to protect Ketuanan Melayu, like the pariah from Paisr Mas called Ibrahim Ali!ISA is a weapon used by those bullies in UMNO! ISA is meant for the pariahs to protect their Ketuanan.

Cuckoo!
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written by rajaphillips, December 05, 2008 09:29:50
1)Ketuanan Melayu is feudal and UNISLAMIC. I challenge anybody to prove this statement wrong

2)Ketuanan Melayu is actually an Umno propaganda tool created by and during a half Malay (Mahathir a/l Mohamed Iskandar Kutty) ruling and NOT by the Malays. Mahathir allowed it to take root

3) Majority of true Malay Muslims would NEVER concoct such a thing esp since it is UNISLAMIC. Munafiq...munafiq...munafiq

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written by techgeek, December 05, 2008 09:56:59
Ketuanan Melayu is a myth! How many of our Malay folk actually feel like 'Tuans'? Ketuanan UMNO is more like it. These UMNO bastards are making slaves out of ordinary Malaysians!
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written by ssathia, December 05, 2008 10:00:58
"Menstruating women were unclean, and hence unfit to serve in church"".

That is not the only myth Jac. Have you wondered if mensturation is considered unclean, how come those urinating and passing motion are not unclean?

In the first place, how did you come to recognise that it is a myth? It must be obviously through your education on the nature of human body and how it functions. So you learnt to reason based on facts and question reasoning based on beliefs. Such education is dangerous Jac because then you would be raising too many questions closer to truth rather than religion.

Religions are in general dead against reasoning based on facts as history has shown on numerous occasions. Religions are based on beliefs first and consequently their reasoning is as derived from those beliefs. So if one can convince that God talked to humans, dead man was resurrected, God writes commandments, God needs angels and prophets to communicate with humans, God takes human forms etc, what is there to stop people from trying other ideas that are equally mystfying: that ISA has always been used as tool to protect public from terrorists, it is alright for a majority community to bully its minority and profit from it, it is alight for unqualified and incompetent people to hold high positions because he or she is from a particular race or religion, it is alright for a judge to base his decision based on his own interpretation of law as dictated by his personal religious inclinations or as commanded by his political masters, it is alright for corruption to flourish especially at high places because somehow the money gets to stay in the country and benefit some people, it is alright for one group to express their protests through the streets but the same thing by another group is considered a terrorist act punishable by detention without trial etc etc etc, etc etc.

Basically when reasoning based on beliefs rises above reasoning based on facts, we will be living in a world of myths brought upon by ourselves. It is only when reasoning based on facts gains prominence, a nation can rise to its salvation.
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written by Tom n Jerry, December 05, 2008 10:06:05
Anything done by UMNO is considered fair in their eyes only;yesterday I was petrified to find out that they had given a new facelift to the new Federal Building which is barely two years old;the walls of Italian tiles worth hundreds of millions were knocked down and replaced with tiles of another design;how incredible & pathetic;its nothing new here in Sabah where conscience is obsolete & extremism rules;I bet the Almighty is watching and perhaps Allah too;watch out for the punishment to be meted out to you people responsible for this dastardly act bearing in mind there are hundreds of thousands of hungry people here while you throw taxpayers money down the drain;how much commission involved in this facelift deal,anyone?
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written by CPY, December 05, 2008 10:10:42
916 may be a myth. However, it represents a NEW HOPE to us! smilies/sad.gif BN plundered our land under the name of Ketuanan Melayu, Kepentingan Melayu &(hak) Keistimewaan Melayu. However, the gap widens as well. smilies/angry.gif
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written by chiongguo, December 05, 2008 10:17:36
A more important question to ask is why do we believe in anything ? How does the belief mechanism find root in our mindstream ? If we understand how this works we will have a good chance of not been manipulated by advertisers, malicious rumonr-mongerer, information chiefs of organisations and government, bosses who spent more time office-politicking than doing work etc.

Why do we believe in what we were told ?

Fear, when present, is a great motivator for us to believe in almost anything. Try this simple experiment. Cover the road with a piece of cardboard. Tell a stranger that there is a hole underneath and he will believe you and avoid it. We never stop to question or even investigate for it is so much more convenient for us to believe. The adage that it is better to believe something bad about a person or organisation and be wrong than not to believe and be sorry. It is a self-preservation mechanism in all of us. How many people really step back and ask if a particular rumour is really true or not or even ask hard and difficult question on the basis of the rumour. This is why malicious rumour-mongerer will always be able to manipulate our thinking and our actions.

We also believe in something because the person saying it has great authority. Religous authority is a powerful force in shaping our belief system. Academic and professional authority also has powerful influence on us. This is more for the so-called educated. And when they believe such authority they think they are sophisticated and beyond manipulation. Market studies had shown that these people are the easiest to manipulate. They are basically too clever for their own good. Academic fraud, scientific fabrication, purveying of lies and half-truths etc. had been routinely carried out by academic and professional authority.

Appealing to authority for our belief regardless of whether it is academic or religious in nature will lead us down the garden path.

There is also an appeal to tradition, history, elders, books, research etc to try to influence us on a particular belief. Beliefs formed from such a source is often found wanting and like everything else we believe in, we can be manipulated by what is within that belief system.

Buddha said it best when he was asked why he should be believed over other teachers. His reply could be found in kalama sutta.

Becareful of what we believe for it is our beliefs that drives our thoughts and our behaviour towards ourselves and others. Always question the basis of your belief and always have the space in your heart and mind to accept that what you belief could be wrong. Such space in our heart is the beginning of wisdom.
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written by batsman, December 05, 2008 10:32:34
ISA is UMNO's security blanket. It is stained with tears of misery. Time to burn it.

Bring ISA detainees to trial or free them. Guantanamo = Kamunting.

Munafiq! Munafiq! Munafiq!
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written by Jan, December 05, 2008 10:43:55
Certain people especially those in govt believed they were terrorists and should be rightfully jailed. These so-called terrorists have been a terror to the well being of BN and UMNOputras in particular.
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written by Melly, December 05, 2008 10:58:51
'It is the loss of blood, which rendered them unclean, since blood was associated with life. Any discharge of
blood or BODILY FLUID rendered someone unclean. It is not a negative statement about sexuality or nature, but emphasied the sacred charecter of the life blood of the individual'.-ewtn.com
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written by Xerxes, December 05, 2008 12:28:52
How about adding the myth that the Malays are still short of their 30% ownership of the national economy? They control the majority of banks, plantations, All the GLCs, majority of Govt infrastructure projects, majority of the auto industry, nearly 100% of the APs - the list goes on.
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