Ketuanan Melayu...........itz interesting....read it...

It's been interesting to read such free-flowing comments on an all "Malaysian" free for all. While we are on the subject, how many of you have read the book entitled "Contesting Malayness"? Written by a Professor of National University of Singapore. Cost S$32 (about). It reflects the Anthropologists views that there is no such race as the "Malays" to begin with. If we follow the original migration of the Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago, they moved into Taiwan, (now the Alisan), then into the Phillipines (now the Aeta) and moved into Borneo (4,500yrs ago) (Dayak). They also split into Sulawesi and progressed into Jawa, and Sumatera. The final migration was to the Malayan Peninsular 3,000yrs ago. A sub-group from Borneo also moved to Champa in Cambodia at 4,500yrs ago.


Interestingly, the Champa deviant group moved back to present day Kelantan. There are also traces of the Dong Song and HoaBinh migration from Vietnam and Cambodia. To confuse the issue, there was also the Southern Thai migration, from what we know as Pattani today. (see also "Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and theMalay Peninsular")

Of course, we also have the Minangkabau's which come from the descendants of Alexander the Great and a West Indian Princess. (Sejarah Melayu page 1-3)

So the million Dollar Question... Is there really a race called the "Malays"? All anthropologists DO NOT SEEM TO THINK SO.

Neither do the "Malays" who live on the West Coast of Johor. They'd rather be called Javanese. What about the west coast Kedah inhabitants who prefer to be known as "Achenese"? or the Ibans who simply want to be known as IBANS. Try calling a Kelabit a "Malay" and see what response you get... you'll be so glad that their Head-Hunting days are over.

The definition of "Malay" is therefore simply a collection of people's who speak a similar type language. With what is meant by a similar type language does not mean that the words are similar. Linguists call this the "Lego-type" language, where words are added on to the root word to make meaning and give tenses and such. Somehow, the Indonesians disagree with this classification. They refuse to be called Malay.... Anyhow you may define it. Watch "Malays in Africa"; a Museum Negara produced DVD. Also, the "Champa Malays" by the same.

With this classification, they MUST also include the Phillipinos, the Papua New Guineans, the Australian Aboroginies, as well as the Polynesian Aboroginies. These are of the Australo Melanesians who migrated out of Africa 60,000yrs ago.

Getting interesting? Read on...

"Malay" should also include the Taiwanese singer "Ah Mei" who is Alisan as her tribe are the anscestors of the "Malays". And finally, you will need to define the Southern Chinese (Funan Province) asMalay also, since they are from the same stock 6,000yrs ago.

Try calling the Bugis a "Malay". Interestingly, the Bugis, who predominantly live on Sulawesi are not even Indonesians. Neither do they fall into the same group as the migrating Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago nor the Australo Melanesian group from Africa.

Ready for this?

The Bugis are the cross-breed between the Chinese and the Arabs. (FYI, a runaway Ming Dynasty official whom Cheng Ho was sent to hunt down) Interestingly, the Bugis were career Pirates in the Johor-Riau Island areas. Now the nephew of Daeng Kemboja was appointed the First Sultan of Selangor. That makes the entire Selangor Sultanate part Arab, part Chinese! Try talking to the Bugis Museum curator near Kukup in Johor. Kukup is located near the most south-western tip of Johor. (Due south of Pontian Kechil)

Let's not even get into the Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Lekir, who shared the same family last name as the other super famous "Hang" family member... Hang Li Poh. And who was she? The princess of a Ming Dynasty Emperor who was sent to marry the Sultan of Malacca. Won't that make the entire Malacca Sultanate downline "Baba" ? Since the older son of the collapsed Malaccan Sultanate got killed in Johor, (the current Sultanate is the downline of the then, Bendahara) the only other son became the Sultan of Perak. Do we see any Chinese-ness in Raja Azlan? Is he the descendant of Hang Li Poh?

Next question. If the Baba's are partMalay, why have they been marginalized by NOT BEING BUMIPUTERA? Which part of "Malay" are they not? Whatever the answer, why then are the Portugese of Malacca BUMIPUTERA? Did they not come 100yrs AFTER the arrival of the first Baba's? Parameswara founded Malacca in 1411. The Portugese came in 1511, and the Dutch in the 1600's. Strangely, the Baba's were in fact once classified a Bumiputera, but a decided that they were strangely "declassified" in the 1960's. WHY?

The Sultan of Kelantan had similar roots to the Pattani Kingdom making him of Thai origin. And what is this "coffee table book" by the Sultan of Perlis claiming to be the direct descendant of the prophet Muhammed? Somehow we see Prof Khoo Khay Khim's signature name on the book. I'll pay good money to own a copy of it myself. Anyone has a spare?

So, how many of you have met with orang Asli's? the more northern you go, the more African they look. Why are they called Negrito's? It is a Spanish word, from which directly transalates "mini Negros". The more southern you go, the more "Indonesian" they look. And the ones who live at Cameron Highlands kinda look 50-50. You can see the Batek at Taman Negara, who really look like Eddie Murphy to a certain degree. Or the Negritos who live at the Thai border near Temenggor Lake (north Perak). The Mah Meri in Carrie Island look almost like the Jakuns in Endau Rompin. Half African, half Indonesian.

By definition, (this is super eye-opening) there was a HinduMalay Empire in Kedah. Yes, I said right... The Malays were Hindu. It was, by the old name Langkasuka. Today known as Lembah Bujang. This Hindu Malay Empire was 2,000yrs old. Pre-dating Borrobudor AND Angkor Watt. Who came about around 500-600yrs later. Lembah Bujang was THE mighty trading empire, and its biggest influence was by the Indians who were here to help start it. By definition, this should make the Indians BUMIPUTERAS too since they were here 2,000yrs ago! Why are they marginalized?

So, in a nutshell, the "Malays" (anthropologists will disagree with this "race" definition) are TRULY ASIA !!! (main continent and West Asia included)

We should stop calling this country "Tanah Melayu" instead call it, "Tanah Truly Asia"

For once the Tourism Ministry got it right.....

my day is spoiled!!!

Oh god..........juz bout 2 make up my day......was getin ready.....wer dis RAIN started 2 pour n i gotta cancel my plan!!!!!!!!! How long more i ave 2 cancel my plans coz of RAIN??RUINED AGAIN!!! Mayb shud ave plan B.......kua kua kua....

Rain, rain, its always raining,
Rain, rain, I end up saying,
Rain, rain, please go away now,
Rain, rain, just leave right now,
Rain, rain, don’t know how,
I don’t care how,

To make my rainy day just go away…

So I stand, in the pouring rain,
So I can, feel the growing pain,
Of having rain, coming down like the Armageddon flame.

I can see raindrops playing their game,
Even though they look the same,

I know that there is more to rain……

WAIT WAIT N WAIT!!

OK....All I have 2 do now is wait........meanwhile...thinkin what to do?.....n Amway really irritatin meeeeee 2 d max!!!!!Mayb dis is d time 2 enjoy my life.....haizzzz.........................

Sungai Siput folk ponder their future

SUNGAI SIPUT (Feb 29, 2008): A barrage of banners and posters of Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) greets visitors entering the town where Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has been "king" for eight terms as its parliamentary representative. The grind of daily life belies the election fever that has gripped this BN stronghold.

Every now and then, four-wheel-drives and small lorries carrying party flags and other paraphernalia drive into town, indicating that work to put up more banners and posters is still going on feverishly.

On Wednesday, the general election campaign intensified as the battle-hardened Samy Vellu and his opponent Dr D. Jeyakumar of PKR embarked on programmes to meet the constituents.

After "charging himself up" with his favourite cup of white coffee at a local coffee shop here, the MIC president and his entourage went on a lightning tour of about 11 villages which included the Felda settlement here.

Brimming with confidence, despite the toll of recent events associated with the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the 72-year-old party supremo engaged in constant conversation with Umno members, to enlist their support to help him retain his seat.

“It's not about supporting Samy Vellu, but more of wanting the Barisan Nasional, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to continue to lead and administer the government,” he said, cleverly conjuring up the big picture for his supporters.

In Kampung Pulau Mentimun and Kampung Maamor, villagers took the opportunity to hand over letters, seeking various forms of aid, from cooking utensils to houses, from Samy Vellu, knowing full well that he would be hard put to say no.

The seasoned politician accepted the letters without any qualms and instructed his assistants to compile them in list for resolution later.

“I will scrutinise these requests after the general election. Since a caretaker government is running the country now, no approvals can be given for the time being, so all of you have to be patient,” said Samy Vellu.

The Umno division and branch heads, who included the Women and Youth wings, voiced their support for Samy Vellu and Abdullah.

When approached, most of the villagers shied away, some even requesting that their pictures not be taken and published. They did not say why.

Samy Vellu, whose comment was sought about his popularity having taken a beating, said the so-called unhappy lot among the Indian community are being ‘used’ by the Opposition. He reiterated that the MIC had done its work.

“Look for yourself, Sungai Siput, from a sleepy small town, has grown into a vibrant and developed town,” he said.
He also said MIC had embarked on an advertisement campaign, in a four-part series, to inform the public of the work it had done.

“We have to do this, because many think, since our work is not publicised, MIC had been ‘sleeping’ all this while.”
According to his assistants, the "boss's" itinerary here normally ends at 11pm and after that he would conduct a post-mortem of the trips at the BN operations centre.

See Kuan Poh, who is entrusted with liaising with Samy Vellu on the affairs of the Chinese community in Sungai Siput, said the locals are assessing the performance of their MP.
“In Sungai Siput, it has got nothing to do with him being MIC leader,” he said.

See said during every general election, there were votes against Samy Vellu and that it was quite difficult to extent the percentage of the Chinese community’s support this round.
“They are keeping their lips sealed. A minority of the Indians are unhappy with Samy Vellu due to the Hindraf issue, but the rest are for him.”

Over at the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) operations centre in Taman Orkid, the party which is fielding Jeyakumar on the PKR ticket, has erected a stage on top of an eight-wheel trailer.

Right opposite it is the BN flag and banner cloaked stage, which was set-up by the Information Department. The vibration from the deafening music issuing from the giant speakers placed around the BN stage is overwhelming.

PSM workers, whose centre is located two metres from the two stages, have to speak loudly when communicating with each other; at times causing a great deal of frustration and disrupting the ceramah.

Jeyakumar’s campaign manager R. Rani said they have lodged a police report over the matter, but the volume is kept high.

Jeyakumar, who was busy on his rounds meeting the people, said a feeling of insecurity and fear had been instilled in the people on the consequences should the Oppositon win in the general election.

“They are concerned over the swing of the Indian votes following the Hindraf actions, and to counter that, the BN is using these scare tactics,” he added. “I think I stand a better chance this time around,” said the doctor who works at a private medical centre in Ipoh.

Rani said although they have received much positive response from the locals, they are concerned about the more than 1,000 Orang Asli votes from the Pos Legap and Pos Pia settlements and also the postal votes.
Nor Rizan, the independent, could not be contacted for comments but he is expected to not figure large in this round.

Sungai Siput folk theSun spoke to are not openly expressive of their support for any candidate.
Cheah Seng, 72, from Taman Muhibbah Jaya, said the increase in the prices of essential goods and the prospect of further fuel price rises have caused him to reassess the situation.

“Our wages are still the same despite the recent price increases of some goods; this is hurting my pocket,” said the sundry shop odd-job worker.

Housewife Rapiah Teh Karim of Kampung Tersusun in Kledang Utama said she is content with the situation and that Sungai Siput is a solid bastion of the BN.
M. Ayavoo, 54, a small trader from Taman Orkid, said some of the voters in his area are weighing the options.

“What if we give an opportunity to somebody else to represent us at the parliament level? -- this is the question running in their minds now,” he added.

Alang Baki, 57, an Orang Asli from Pos Legap, said more needs to be done at their settlement and when asked whether he had made up his mind on the choice of his candidate, he just said: “Tengok-tengok lah.” - theSun