During the 1998 CHOGM
Meeting in Malaysia, Lee Kuan Yew was interview by Malaysia’s New Straits
Times. In answer to a question why there are no malay senior officers in
strategic and operational positions in the Singapore Armed Forces, Lee Kuan Yew
replied, “Singapore is a tiny island nation surrounded by muslim majority bigger
neighbours like Malaysia, Indonesia, Southern Phillipines and Brunei. If we put
a Singaporean malay in charge of a machine gun nest, in times of war against
our bigger muslim neighbours, where would his loyalty lies, with Singapore or
with his race and religion”. Well, I could not remember verbatim what was
quoted by LKY but in essence that was what he said. In short, LKY do not trust Singaporeans
malays.
Today, is the eve of
our 56th Merdeka Day. A time when displeasures, mistrust and
perceived unequalities amongst malaysian chinese and indians against the malaysian
malays are at its most volatile. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a racist nor do
I subscribe to racism but I can help thinking like LKY. After all I was brought up in his country.
On this Merdeka eve, a
fleeting thought rush through my mind. If ever Malaysia is at war with
Singapore or India goes coo coo and decides to declare war against Malaysia in
order to rescue the marginalised malaysian indians from ethnic cleansing by the
largely malay PDRM, would the malaysian indians and the chinese joined the
malaysian armed forces in droves to defend their land of birth. For those
already in the armed forces, where would their loyalties lie, with Malaysia or
with their race and country of origin of their forefathers? I wonder.
Just before I penned
off this posting, another question runs through my mind again. Is there any
minister of UMNO origin with balls who dares voiced a similar opinion as LKY
should a foreign news correspondent asked a similar question. I doubt it. They
might have balls but definitely no guts.
Dari Uncle B, Selamat
Hari Merdeka Yang Setakat Bebas Dari Belenggu Fisikal Tetapi Tetap Terjajah Mindanya.
Byee!!!!!.