YEW Cheng Hoe is a well-known community leader in Petaling Jaya. The lanky elderly man heads the Damansara Jaya Owners and Residents Association, one of the best organised neighbourhoods in the country.
The 67-year-old devotes almost all his time to serving his neighbours, acting like an elected representative – if not more effective than one. The residents call him up for everything, from domestic disputes to maids running away, and they expect him to solve their problems.
Yew: He had to retire from competitive badminton when he was only 28 because he tore his Achilles tendon. His passion is in organising community protests against the construction of high-rise buildings in Damansara Jaya in the name of redevelopment. It’s a thankless job but Yew, who is still hale and hearty, is familiar with being unrecognised and unappreciated.
Not many in the neighbourhood, including the older ones, are aware that Yew is one of Malaysia’s greatest sports legends.
He was one of the members of the victorious 1967 Thomas Cup team, and they won the prize in what could be described as the fiercest and most emotional contest in Thomas Cup history.
With Malaysia leading four matches to three in the best of nine series, the play had to be suspended during the eighth match due to unruly crowd behaviour.
The 15,000-strong Indonesian crowd at the Senayan sports hall was fanatical. The Malaysian players were abused and jeered while slippers and bottles were thrown at them on the court. Even torchlights and camera flash lights were reportedly shone on them to distract them and make them lose their focus on the game.
Indonesia’s Rudy Hartono, not yet 18 then, had just made his debut in the Thomas Cup, certainly the most important international badminton competition in the world.
The chaotic night ended with the International Badminton Federation giving a 6-3 victory to Malaysia.
Today, members of the 1967 team – Yew, Teh Kew San, Tan Yee Khan, Ng Boon Bee, Billy Ng, Tan Aik Huang and Tan Aik Mong – are still around.
So is Rudy Hartono, now 60 years old and a pastor at the Bethel Church in Jakarta.
But while we have been quick to reward our younger sportsmen and sportswomen with titles and money, we seem to have forgotten, if not neglected, those who did better in the past.
They were international giants in international competitions, not flash-in-the-pan winners at regional events. Swimming the English channel would hardly be a feat compared to what they have done.
Except for Teh, Yee Khan and Boon Bee, who have each received a Datukship, the rest – Yew, Billy Ng and the Tan brothers – are still unrecognised. The fact that they did not seek recognition, such as a Datukship, does not mean we should forget their glorious past.
I am told that they are occasionally invited to badminton events but they normally end up in the stands, not the VIP area.
Another time, one of the 1967 greats took a visiting English badminton player to watch the current national team. A prominent player gave him the cold shoulder but Rexy Mainaky, the Indonesian coach of the Malaysian men’s doubles, recognised the elderly gentleman and took time to show him around.
Yew, for example, had to retire from competitive badminton when he was only 28 because he tore his Achilles tendon. Left without financial support for treatment, it also meant the end of his career.
Teh, who captained the 1967 team, worked as a clerk at the Penang Municipal Council and had to take unpaid leave to play badminton for the country.
In 2008, Yew and Billy Ng – perhaps suddenly remembered by the sports bureaucrats – were inducted into the Olympics Council of Malaysia (OCM) Hall of Fame.
Other former sports personalities inducted were Shaharuddin Jaafar, the 1965 SEAP Games gold medallist in cycling, and Datuk Malek Noor, a six-time winner of the Mr Asia crown in the heavyweight category.
The members of the 1967 badminton team are now in the twilight of their lives. They won’t be around with us for long.
Malaysia owes it to them to recognise this special breed of fighters who refused to be cowed by an intimidating crowd.
They kept the Jalur Gemilang flying even at the most difficult moments because they believed in themselves and the country. They knew they could not let Malaysians down.
Their nerves were certainly made of steel and their mental preparations must have been the toughest in Thomas Cup history.
Let’s not let the 1967 team down, just as they kept our faith and hope in them then. Those who have not been accorded titles should be recognised – and soon.
Lock up the trouble-makers
WE have sick people in our midst. They deserve to be arrested and locked up for their attempts in trying to burn down churches, mosques or any place of worship.
The police must be commended for their swift action in arresting the eight men aged between 21 and 26 for their alleged involvement in the arson attack on the Metro Tabernacle Church on Jan 8.
Last week, police arrested seven men, aged between 17 and 29, for two attempted arson involving the All Saints Church and SMK Church in Taiping on Jan 10.
Police have said that with these arrests, they have solved the arson cases involving these locations.
In both cases, there were similarities as they appear to involve misguided young people who acted after reading in the media about the controversy on the usage of the word “Allah”. They do not belong to any group and are certainly not religious leaders but appear to be mainly trouble-makers.
But one thing’s for sure – they are dangerous because their stupidity can lead to social disorder.
They may like to think that they are acting on religious principles but they have actually shamed their own religion and culture with their mindless and provocative actions.
Several other churches were also similarly attacked following a High Court ruling on Dec 31 last year allowing the Catholic Herald to use the word “Allah” in its publications. The court has since allowed a stay of execution pending an appeal against the decision by the Home Ministry.
But while the attacks against churches have stopped, it is highly disturbing that surau have now become targets.
On Thursday, two separate surau in two villages in Muar were partially damaged in two arson attempts while on Friday, a surau in Klang was attacked three times within two weeks.
Four men, including the son of a policeman, were nabbed in Johor yesterday for attempted arson and vandalism of two surau in Muar.
The case in Taman Menara Maju in Jalan Kampung, Klang, is outrageous because it started on Jan 9 with a stone being thrown at the surau, shattering a sliding glass door. Liquid believed to be urine was also found at the side entrance.
Police have since received more reports on Thursday and Friday.
The police must act equally swiftly against those who attempted to destroy or vandalise these surau.
It is important that non-Muslim politicians and religious leaders have spoken up against those responsible.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat described the incident as a “despicable act and an affront to inter-racial harmony”, adding that such attacks not only damaged physical structures but also undermined the social fabric that had bound Malaysia since independence.
Ong expressed sadness over the attacks which had taken place so soon after the arson attempts on churches.
Besides church leaders, Ong’s deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has called for a thorough police investigation as the highly irresponsible acts had tarnished the image of Malaysians as peace-loving people.
Whether such acts are the work of mentally disturbed people, copy cats, mischief makers or religious extremists, those who vandalised the surau must be arrested as soon as possible.
The quick arrest of such perpetrators by the police, in the case of the church attacks, have certainly renewed confidence in the police.
There were many who doubted that the police would be able to arrest the culprits of the church arson attempts.
But the work of the police isn’t over. Keeping these suspects under remand for further investigation is the first step but gathering enough evidence to charge them in court would be the next step.
They are being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code for causing mischief, and Section 295 for defiling a place of worship to insult the religion of any class, which carry a jail sentence of up to 20 years and two years and a fine respectively.
They should consider themselves lucky that the Internal Security Act is not used against them. Certainly, there are many Malaysians who feel that the ISA remains relevant and should be used in cases involving national security.
We must guard our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural way of life jealously because that has made Malaysia special.
Our plural society is an asset and never shall we let misguided fools tell us otherwise.
The view from the other side
We all want an early settlement to the controversy over the use of the word “Allah”. The country needs to move on with other issues, particularly economic concerns that need our attention.
There is this perception that seeking an appeal at the Court of Appeals to overturn the decision of the High Court would be a quick fix.
It won’t be because confidence and trust have been shaken. Angry Muslims feel the High Court decision was reached because the judge was a non-Muslim.
So, we can expect the same kind of reactions if the majority of the three sitting judges are Muslims, even if the judgment is legally sound.
The Muslims would be receptive to the decision if it favours them but the Christians, who want to use Allah in reference to God, would be dejected and make assumptions that the court hasn’t been fair.
Religious differences, especially theological ones, have gone on for centuries without any conclusion and, in most cases, we just respect each other’s beliefs. But one fact remains – we hold on to the principles of our faiths.
Whatever decision the higher courts make, it would be almost impossible for the Government to impose on Christians how they should refer to God in their prayers, especially within the premises of the churches.
But we cannot let this issue stop the various religious groups from working together. They must learn to agree to disagree and then move on to other areas of cooperation.
Common values
As men and women of God, they need to demonstrate to their flock that there are many paths to God. We can call Him different names but in the end, He is the Creator and it is His work that we need to uphold.
Upholding the principle of God and the unity of Man – instead of preaching conflict and separation – is surely shared by all faiths. Which right-minded person would quarrel over this?
Worshipping God is surely more important than worshipping personalities, whether they are politicians or bloggers.
We cannot claim to be faithful and pious with the strictest standards on our dressing, rituals and diet, yet close an eye to racial chauvinism, fanaticism and all the ills in this country, especially corruption.
How do we reconcile our belief in God if we openly allow such practices to go on?
Why would corruption be so rampant in this country if we are such a seemingly religious and pious nation?
There are areas of common values that all religious leaders should channel their attention to, namely corruption, poverty, injustice, poor planning and implementation, racial discrimination and blatant stealing of our country’s resources.
Surely, we expect them, as Muslim or Christian leaders, to make such pronouncements in their speeches or sermons regularly. Aren’t all these values important?
All of us are guilty in some aspects by focusing on the narrow-minded interpretation of our religious beliefs and ignoring the universal values.
Worse, most of us dare not point out the mistakes of our religious leaders when they are wrong, especially in their interpretation of the holy books, because we think ourselves inadequate theologically.
But we need to move on, as we try to seek a consensus over the Allah controversy, and that includes the setting up of a National Consultative Council on Religious Harmony.
There is no one body that encompasses all faiths at present, which means that contentious and critical issues involving inter-faith relations have not been resolved at the onset.
Such a body, if it exists, would be able to propose ideas and suggestions to the Cabinet and Parliament for consideration.
The Consultative Council should be headed by the Prime Minister, the minister in charge of religion and national unity, the leaders of the main political parties representing the ethnic groups, opposition leaders and various relevant religious leaders.
The Yayasan 1Malaysia, headed by Dr Chandra Muzaffar, has pushed for this proposal as it would be an effective channel of communication among the different religious groups.
We need to hear each other out, especially our fears and anxieties. Over the past weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak to the country’s top leaders, Muslim editors and colleagues on the frustrations of the Christians.
Many were genuinely surprised that Christians have difficulty setting up churches and that many churches are located above coffee-shops and in factory areas which are hardly conducive for services.
At one discussion, one Muslim newspaper editor openly supported my call that local authorities should stop throwing the spanner at Christians who want to set up churches.
In fact, many churches have been renamed “pusat or centres”, replacing the word “churches” because of the insistence of these local authorities but churches have never created a row.
The crosses on the front portion of many churches have long disappeared because of rules imposed by bureaucrats. This must be another surprise to many of our Muslim friends.
Keeping an open mind
They, in turn, have told me of their concerns why Allah was regarded as exclusive by them in their usage, and fears that Allah, a term so sacred to them, would be abused by others.
They understand the references made in Arab countries and even in Indonesia but they also want Christians to look at it in the Malaysian context, especially in the peninsula.
They want their Christian brethren to appreciate that they do not want to emulate the Arabs and that the local texture and environment needs to be understood.
It would not be wrong to say that this is the majority view.
The fact remains that there are many issues we need to sit down to discuss, hear each other out and resolve, including terminology to ensure consistency.
For example, non-Muslims cannot use the word “Allah” but the state anthems of most states have the word “Allah”.
An all faith council would allow the leaders to interact and understand each other better, and in the process, perhaps forge a friendship which would enable issues to be resolved more effectively.
Irrespective of our religions, our ego, pride and prejudices are certainly regarded as sins, and perhaps we can look at issues better if we start with that understanding.
Douse the fire of madness
IT’S the sort of religious madness that one might expect in India or Pakistan but certainly not here in Malaysia.
Except for a few cases in the past, destruction of places of worship is unheard of as we have long learnt to respect each other, way before cross-culturalism became a fashionable word in the Western world.
Last week’s torching of the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati in Kuala Lumpur was a rude jolt to religious relations in the country. It was a black day in our history, to put it bluntly.
In the name of God, people have gone to war, slaughtering innocent people as their self-righteous leaders quote selectively, often wrongly but convincingly, from their holy books to justify their actions.
The history of religion is littered with such extremism although the perpetrators know that killing is unacceptable. In contemporary history, Muslim Bosnians have been killed by Christian Serbs and today, al-Qaeda operatives blow up buildings in the name of Allah.
But even as we try to come to terms with the arson at the church and attempts at two other churches, it is heartwarming to know there are many Malaysians who readily stand up and condemn the despicable acts.
It is important to note that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein have led in the condemnation of the arson.
Many Muslim personalities encouraged others to join them and show up at the Metro Tabernacle Church to give moral support by sending out text messages and Tweets.
The witnesses, who readily came forward to assist the police, included Muslims in the area, according to senior pastor Rev Ong Sek Leang, whom I spoke to on Friday evening.
The gang who threw the home-made explosives into the Metro Tabernacle Church had done it brazenly. It may have been well after midnight but there were still people in the area.
The Muslims in the area were familiar with the activities of the church and the people who run it. After all, the church has stood there for the last 12 years, co-existing peacefully with a surau across the church.
There was no animosity between the Muslims and the church, and the church does not even have a Bahasa Malaysia worship session.
Located in a predominantly Muslim area, the church was certainly aware of its minority status and has certainly been sensitive to its surroundings. It has plans to move to new premises near Batu Caves but is still struggling with bureaucratic problems put up by the Selayang local council. The church could certainly do with speedier approval from the Selangor state government, under which the council comes. There would be much goodwill if financial support also came from the federal and state governments.
As I write this article, several Muslim corporate figures have called to say they wanted to make donations to the church. These are gestures that we should commend. But in the minds of many Malaysians, especially Christians, the question is where we move from here.
As minorities in this country, non-Malays and non-Muslims are aware of their precarious positions and no one can argue that they put up much self-restraint for obvious reasons.
They know the backlash if they are too vocal or too demanding but they also feel that they enjoy the protection of the constitution. Many a time there is the perception, rightly or wrongly, that they have been taken for granted.
Many of the decisions reached on certain contentious cases involving the church may have the support of the leadership but along the way, they are sometimes ignored by lower ranking bureaucrats. This is where misunderstandings or pent-up frustrations begin to start.
Unless our leaders have the political and moral courage to take principled decisions on religious issues involving the church, we would merely postpone the problems.
Take, for example, Christian literature; the reality is there is now a whole generation of young Malaysians who are more proficient in Bahasa Malaysia. This is the product of the school system which replaced English with Bahasa Malaysia.
We cannot possibly tell them that they cannot read the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia. Their option is Bahasa Indonesia and that version of the Bible is also confiscated.
The largest number of Christians today are Sabahan and Sarawakian bumiputras, who prefer Bahasa Malaysia. The fastest growing church has a Malay name – the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) – which also enjoys the same popularity in the peninsula.
Indonesian workers also attend church services here every Sunday. Certainly, we don’t expect them to read the King James Version of the Bible, which even the English educated struggle with.
Setting up churches and getting approvals from the local councils is, to put it mildly, extremely challenging.
Reading through the many messages posted by young Malaysians on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, there is a sense of pessimism. We should be providing hope and assurances to them.
More than ever, there is a need for regular consultation between Muslim and non-Muslim groups at formal and informal settings. At present, there is none at a structured level between learned Muslims and non-Muslims. Prominent personalities with strong links to Christian and Muslim groups should also meet regularly to forge bonds and emphasise common areas.
The church groups need to also understand that the majority Muslims do not want other non-Muslim groups to use the world “Allah”. We have listened to the arguments of both sides, including the historical perspectives but there is no logic when it comes to matters of faith.
But a court decision should not be the end of all matters. Consensus could still be reached if the right initiatives and compromises are taken. The challenge to our Malaysian leaders, whether political or religious, is simple – have the courage to do what is right for Malaysia and not just try to say the right things. That’s all Malaysians ask for.
Get out of the time warp
ANOTHER year gone. Just like that, in the blink of an eye. But in Malaysia, there is always this recurring frustration that we are trapped in some kind of a political time warp.
A new year is supposed to bring new hopes, new commitments and new aspirations.
We can see and feel that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is setting new targets and plans to take the country ahead.
The plans are there for all to see and for the first time, the public is encouraged to question the goals of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) and to give their input.
They may just be plans at this stage but we all should give Najib a chance to implement these initiatives.
Certainly, there is a consensus on the drive to reduce crime, combat corruption, expand access to quality affordable education, uplift the living standard of low income groups, strengthen infrastructure in rural and remote areas, and improve public transport.
But all these can only work if we adopt a fresher – if not a bolder and radical – way to make them work without being bogged down by bureaucratic resistance and obstacles.
A group of dedicated and empowered professional overseers need to be set up to execute this comprehensive plan.
With just about two years to the next general election, the stakes are high and this could well be the Government’s last chance to meet a demanding electorate in the new political landscape.
Some of us have wasted enough time and energy in the past year with incredulous, mindless politicking, some bordering on provocative racism in the name of race and religion.
Press statements with racial overtones do not help stimulate the economy, stupid. Instead, they generate ill-feelings and definitely will not help the Government, if the intention is to win votes.
Issues such as schools, languages, labels such as pendatang and quotas, the political language of the turbulent 60s, are still being used. Such thoughtless statements have made many Malaysians feel like we are trapped in a time warp, giving rise to pessimism.
The NKRA must succeed. There is no other choice because the figures and numbers are disturbing.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah sent a wake-up call recently, saying: “Malaysia is trapped in a low value-added, low wage and low productivity structure. While Singapore and Korea’s nominal per capita GDP grew within the last three decades by nine and 12 times respectively, ours is only by a factor of four.”
Among our neighbours China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, our real GDP growth in the last three years was the second lowest at 5.5%. If this is not worrying, we don’t know what is.
Last month, former minister Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi provided more figures – foreign and domestic investment declined significantly with outflow of capital at RM117bil for 2008 and RM54bil for the first half of 2009. In simple language, money is being taken out of the country.
We can have the best plans but without the best talents, we will never be strong enough to compete.
We can argue that Japan, South Korea and China do not use English but their scientific and educational institutions are already so established that they are able to produce enough skilled workers.
Let’s be honest. If Malaysia is good enough only to attract unskilled foreign workers to be maids and restaurant workers, then there is something wrong with our country.
In short, we are not attractive enough because the wages are too low to attract the best talents here. Singapore and China, and even Thailand and Vietnam, are the preferred choices.
In 2008, 2.062 million unskilled foreign workers entered Malaysia and in the last seven years, the entry of these foreign labourers has increased by 300%, forming 30% of our workforce. That’s only the official figures.
But the number of skilled workers and professionals entering Malaysia has dropped by nearly 60% – 85,000 in 2000 to 35,000 in 2007. The migration pattern of Malaysians, which includes all races, is also disturbing.
Obviously, we cannot allow this slide to continue. Our strength is our plural society with our ability to speak and write in a few languages, even if our proficiency in English has dipped.
Instead of driving a wedge into our plural society, our politicians and media should be encouraged to capitalise on our diverse backgrounds and talents.
We cannot attract the best expatriates to work in Malaysia or our young Malaysians to come home if the wages are low. The fact is that Malaysia has been in the middle income group for 15 years now and to move up the ladder, we need to improve on our per capita income.
Again, we are not going to achieve this if our political brats continue with their erratic behaviour, which often sends jitters to fellow Malaysians and investors.
Neither can we attract the good workforce if they feel that our cities are not safe enough and the political setting appears unfair.
Singapore, for example, competes for investors by providing scholarships for their children and its immigration department does not make it a hassle for their spouses to renew their visas, especially if they have a professional background.
Malaysia has been lucky in many ways but we cannot take for granted what we have achieved. Most analysts, not feng shui experts, expect 2010 to be a volatile year.
But there are good signs too. Our infrastructure development would help stimulate the economy with our economy predicted to rebound 4.2% this year after contracting 2.5% last year.
Most of us are getting tired of the excessive politicking in Malaysia with little debate in our national media and in Parliament on the state of our economy despite the many warning signs.
Wake up, the New Year celebrations are over. By the way, this is 2010, not the 60s any more.
