Two Can Play The Game

It speaks volumes of a person’s mental capacity and a sad reflections of today’s educational system when an undergraduate of mass communication studying in Taiwan can conveniently explains away why he is making fun of the muslims call to morning prayer by merely saying that “I did not mean to insult the malays or the muslims” , to “interpret his lyrics in context” and that “it was just my attempt at humour aimed solely for the pleasure of the chinese community” Refer to the New Straits Times of 10 August 2007 page 6.

It is sad and pathetic that as an undergraduate of mass communication, he doesn’t know that cultural differences between sender and receiver of a message can create barriers and misunderstanding. That even amongst best friends you don’t discuss politics and religion as it can cause rifts, Or maybe he was sleeping away (like some leaders I know in Malaysia) when his Taiwanese professor is lecturing.

Who am I referring too? Who else but Wee Meng Chee @ Namewee that malaysian studying mass communication in Taiwan who’s making fun of our national anthem and more dangerous, ridiculing the muslims morning call to prayers. Please, I am not being racial or anything but I hate it when non muslims or non malays makes fun of matters close and sensitive to a malay or muslim hearts especially in matters of religion. Why is it that when malays/muslims sensitivities are enroached, the muslims/malays are asked to be open minded but not when the same things are done to the non malays/non muslims.

What happens if I write in the Bahasa Melayu newspapers (I refuse to use the term Bahasa Malaysia as it was always Bahasa Melayu since the days these lands was known as Tanah Melayu or the Malay Archipelago) that I find it strange that a large hindu temple is part of a giant shopping complex while there is only a small cubicle for muslims to pray in, in the same shopping complex, where else muslims are the majority in this country. Hey! Don’t get angry, “it was just my attempt at serious discussions aimed solely for the consumption of the malay/muslim community”

What if I go into a church and turns the cross upside down and then explains that “I did not mean to insult the christians” and that “it was just my attempt at humour”. What if I write a song making fun of the chinese pantheon of gods and goddesses and chinese beliefs and customs and then asked the chinese community to “interpret my lyrics in context”. What happens if I dress the Indian Lord Murugan in skirts and bagpipe? Common guys, remember, let’s be open minded and not too sensitive. Answer me that.

So you see, all of you open minded and liberal souls out there. If you can give you must also be able to take. Otherwise shut up.

Oh! by the way, Wee Meng Chee @ Namewee, I’ll accept your apologies ……... after I give you one very tight slap for being a naughty boy. Thank god you’re not in Iran.