Recent readers of this blog may have noticed that I have strong opinions about Malaysia, the form of apartheid practiced in Malaysia (called 'the Bumiputra Policies' on this blog, aka NEP), and the man who more than anything else enabled that grossly unfair system, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
I waxed much wroth about him in recent posts.
See these posts:
1. http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/malaysia-racism-bigotry-and-boycott.html
2. http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/anti-us-and-anti-israel-round-up.html
3. http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/malaysian-racism.html
Note that by the third post, an ongoing scrimmage seemed to have developed.
I disagree with several of the commenters. Which does not mean that I wish them to cease and desist. There is no conversation when the participants agree. Dispute is necessary - not only to further understanding (your own, not that of the person with whom you disagree), but also to sharpen the mind.
This post is neither an apology, nor an expression of sympathy for Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's points of view. By no means!
I shall continue to find his ideas odious (except, of course, for the ones with which I happen to agree - please see comment above about 'conversation').
It is, however, an acknowledgement that the man writes very well.
As can be seen from his former blog:
http://test.chedet.com/che_det/archives.html
And his current blog:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/
On his blog, Dr. Mahathir discusses a wide variety of subjects. Not all of which are political.
Without giving credence or weight to his loathsome views on the western world and Israel, to which I would not wish to draw further attention either, let me just mention that I did not know that Malaysia made Mozzarella cheese till I read it here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/01/mozzarella-cheese-ii.html
And further regarding Mozzarella cheese, see this:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/12/mozzarella-cheese.html
Mozzarella Cheese? Malaysia? Oyvavoy!
Flabbergasting.
But no more surprising than sambal badjak and sambal oelek being manufactured by Huy Fong Foods in Los Angeles (also manufacturers of Sriracha Hotsauce, affectionately called 'Cock Sauce' by its fans), a popular brand of kroepoek oedang for the Dutch Market coming from Chekiang, or ketjap manis made in Den Haag.
Not to mention Mooncakes from Eastern Bakery on Grant Avenue being sent to kinfolk in Guangzhou......
Dr. Mahathir also discusses the Bumiputra Policies and the race situation in Malaysia here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/11/racism-and-2008-elections.html
Here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/09/racialism.html
Also here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/08/affirmative-action.html
And most particularly here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2008/06/multiracial-malaysia.html
Please understand, I am absolutely not endorsing his views. But if you wish to understand the Malaysian Bumiputra policies, the posts referenced above are a very good place to start reading.
[You should probably also look up the terms NEP, Bumiputra, Orang Asli, Peranakan and Pribumi (as well as the Indonesian 'Peraturan Pemerintah 10/1959') - these are all explained in Wikipedia and elsewhere.]
Go on, browse over to his blog - it is well worth visiting. Did I mention that he writes well?
Many posts are in English, some are in Bahasa Melayu.
And if you are looking for texts in Malay to sharpen your ability with the language, you could hardly do any better.
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One of the more recent posts on Dr. Mahathir's blog is the fisking of one of his commenters, Rob.
The fisk-post is here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/01/rob.html#more
Clickable link:
ROB
The comment by Rob is here:
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/01/open-letter-to-barack-hussein.html
Clickable link:
Open letter to Obama
It is one of 164 comments - some less than intriguing, some almighty curious indeed.
I myself am somewhat baffled at the relevance of Rob's comment. The points he brings up seem to have been lifted directly from the most ill-informed Fox News talking head. And are less than germane.
Having waded through my share of propaganda, I think I can recognize the stuff, even when it is regurgitated by someone who has internalized it. Especially if the regurge is instinctive, and unoriginal in its format.
For those who are curious about Rob's comment, yet do not wish to wade through the string untill they find it, I paste it below.
"Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants the United States to weaken ourselves because he is intimidated and fearful of our more advanced society. Many countries are becoming obsolete due to advances in technology and don’t know how keep up.
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad pretends the United States did NOT suffer an attack on our homeland where 3000 of our innocent citizens were incinerated in their place of employment. He wants us to let dictators, governments and terrorists organize and plan their acts of evil.
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants the United States to stop defending itself and to stop killing terrorists. He thinks the United States is to blame for evil in this world, and it has absolutely nothing to do with primitive cultures, archaic religions, aggressive and torturous fathers who know nothing about how to raise boys to be good and productive adults. The fact that terrorists hide behind women and children is irrelevant to him.
He wants us to stop supporting Israel, who’s citizens are regularly terrorized by suicide bombers and are regularly bombed from Hamas operatives launching rockets from civilian garages.
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad thinks the United States should stop punishing bad behavior and thinks we should have continued to allow Saddam Hussein kill people with poison gas and bury them in mass graves. According to him, the rape and torture rooms should still be open and people continue to be fed to the lions (after all, lions have to eat also).
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants us to stop defending ourselves with advanced technology, like missile defense systems and weapons which kill fewer civilians. He also wants the United States to end capitalism, which shares the basic human need for freedom and liberty. He does not want us to have any allies in this world that share these ideals and wants us to sign international agreements to weaken the United States and appease his anxiety over his countries weakness and incompetence. Finally, we should apparently join him in appeasement, incompetence and wasting time and money through the United Nations.
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad should go back to school, perhaps in the United States, and start informing himself somewhat better."
Please note: all thoughts expressed in Rob's comment are his alone. Though precisely the same as the average viewer of Fox News. Who is an idiot. And probably thinks that Irak had something to do with 9/11 (it didn't), that UBL was a friend SD, and that the Oil-Industry isn't a major player in our foreign-policy (it is). There is a reason why Fox News is nicknamed 'The Ministry of Propaganda'. It has nothing to do with geese of either gender.
FUCK YOU.
SAME AS ABOVE, FUCK YOU U UNCOUTH BASTARD.
Please note that both of the last two commenters display the vocabulary and reasoning capabilities which trailer park trash in the U.S. and racist Malay villagers share. Dislikeable in either gender and all ethnicities.
That said, I find it remarkable that they did not use the verb as punctuation, adverb, or adjective. Kudos.
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