Chinese New Year Message
From Sodomy I to Sodomy II – Malaysia regressing to the darkness and repression 17 years ago when the country should be moving forward to greater freedom, justice, prosperity and confidence after the passage of almost two decades
Wishing all Malaysian Chinese as well as Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, a Happy Chinese New Year as it is now a festivity celebrated by all Malaysians regardless of race and religion.
Chinese New Year, which begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice, has been described as the most important holiday for Chinese people worldwide.
In China, it is marked by the world’s largest annual human migrations with 2.8 billion trips made across the country in the mass exodus of students, migrant labourers, factory workers and office employees making their long journeys home to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year in Malaysia has become a very Malaysian affair, despite its ethnic origins and associations.
In Malaysia, the Chinese New Year is also marked by major human migrations, but not confined to the Chinese as it affects other ethnic groups as well.
Many issues will jostle for top attention among Malaysians during the Chinese New Year.
The following are likely to be the top Chinese New Year conversation topics by Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, viz:
- Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s return to incarceration for the fourth time in his life after the Federal Court’s dismissal of his appeal and upholding the five-year jail sentence passed on him. From Sodomy I in 1998 to Sodomy II in 2015, Malaysia has regressed to the darkness and repression 17 years ago when the country should be moving forward to greater freedom, justice, prosperity and confidence after the passage of almost two decades.
- Malaysia is again in the international doghouse for failure to meet minimum universal and international standards of a truly independent judiciary and a just rule of law as Malaysia had not been the subject of such universal condemnation of so many foreign governments and international human rights organisations over the Federal Court’s decision on Anwar’s appeal in the past one week.
- Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri’s racist call to Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businesses and the impotence and lack of political will and commitment to 1Malaysia by the Najib premiership to resolve the issue in a satisfactory and acceptable manner despite the passage of some three weeks.
- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s intensification of his campaign to topple Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister of Malaysia and UMNO President. People are speculating whether Najib could survive as PM till the end of the year, or even by mid-year or even earlier.
- The fate of Pakatan Rakyat, whether with Anwar back in jail and the death of Tok Guru Nik Aziz, the PR component parties could take stock, regroup and reunify to “return to the basics” to be guided by the two fundamental principles of PR Common Policy Framework and consensus operational principle which had brought success to PR in the 12th and 13th General Elections, or whether PR would explode and disintegrate because of the lack of political will and purpose to envision a common longer future of a united, ethical, harmonious, just and prosperous Malaysian nation.
- The continued educational, economic and environmental decline in the country and the unchecked deterioration of all the indices of good governance, threatening to end up with Malaysia as a basket case joining the ranks of the “failed states”.
- Rearing of the ugly heads of extremism, bigotry and intolerance in the public domain, with the voices of moderation remaining muted and silent, resulting in the country seeing the worst racial and religious polarization in the nation’s history.
- Unchecked corruption, greed and abuses of power in top decision-making circles.
- The implementation of GST on April 1.
- The Sarawak state general elections and the redelineation of electoral constituencies by the Election Commission.
In pondering long and hard about these and other issues concerning the future of our beloved nation, Malaysians should reaffirm their resolve and commitment not to be by-standers but to play an active and important role to shape destiny of our nation.
Happy Chinese New Year of the Goat for Malaysian Chinese and all Malaysians.