Malaysia The Racist-Phobic State...

I have been reading the news of the resignation of Datuk Nasir Safar with much regret at the hypocricy as well as the twisted values Malaysian leaders and opinion-makers seem to proudly hold. What do I regret? Datuk Nasir's alleged words that seemed to have offended those who attended a 1Malaysia forum? No! I can't quite regret that seeing as the words weren't mine. However, I DO REGRET DATUK NASIR SAFAR HAS RESIGNED SO SWIFTLY! Why?

1. There was much talk of his allegedly causing offence. However, nowhere was it explicitly reported what it was that he actually said. Could it be that he was foolhardy in the words used rather than going out of the way to offend? It doesn't make sense for him to say these 'alleged' things at a 1Malaysia forum, does it? Furthermore, one must know Datuk Nasir to realise this was likely an innocent gaffe... more on who he is after this...


2. If causing offence by hurting the feelings of other races should result in the loss of a government job, why are racist senior members of government still walking around the corricors of power in the Najib era? For instance, why has no action been taken on Datuk Tan Lien Hoe since she insulted Malays by calling us pendatangs? In fact, on recent news, it seems we have replaced one racist Chief Minister with another in Penang.


3. Is being an alleged racist in government worse than being corrupt? It certainly seems so when "icons of corruption", those found to be among the most corrupt but allowed to remain in the corridors of power, are seen frowning at Datuk Nasir Safar's alleged racist remarks! So, if corrupt can stick around, but if racist, have to go! Is 1Malaysia open to corruption as long as it isn't racist corruption?


4. My recent writings on the Allah issue has had me being called a racist too. However, I found a wonderful context of this being shown when chit-chatting with a bunch of friends on the fringes of a wedding. A Malaysian Chinese friend declared,"You're a racist Akhram, but I still support you! At least you're not a hypocrite!". Another then followed up with,"Besides, Malaysia is a Multi-Racist state!". We all laughed... we were not 'racist-phobic'.

Many who now declare Datuk Nasir a racist don't even know him, and have judged him from some 'alleged' remarks. I admit that I know not what words were said, but this man I certainly know of. I know of Datuk Nasir Safar, the nationalist, who rose first as a leader in a multi-racial youth organisation, MAYC, before joining politics. Datuk Nasir who was deployed repeatedly to speak to the Indian community, such as when I bumped into him at the Bukit Gantang by-election.

I know of Datuk Nasir Safar who has not the slightest smear of corruption against his name. A Najib loyalist who curtailed his rise through the ranks of UMNO Youth in Johor by being the first to suggest DS Najib be DS Anwar Ibrahim's successor to UMNO Youth leadership many years ago. Datuk Nasir, who is approachable and still carries a casual air, despite having had an office on the Fourth Floor.

This is the Datuk Nasir Safar I know. Could he have said the things being so 'alleged' against him? Perhaps. Does this make him a racist? No more than the average Malaysian I would wager. Should he have been reprimanded? Sure, why not? But resign? Sorry mate, I think that would be going too far! I'd rather have the allegedly corrupt Datuk Shafie Abdullah resign first! Unfortunately for Datuk Nasir, Malaysia seems to be racist-phobic, but not corrupt-phobic...

Final thought... knowing who Datuk Nasir is, a clean, capable and loyal aide to DS Najib, why is it then we have icons of corruption helping to push him out of the Prime Minister's Office? If DS Najib was to accept Datuk Nasir's resignation, would this be based on wisdom or populism...?