---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ahmad Samantho <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 12:31 PM Subject: Re: [IslamProgresif] Farish Noor: Alleged Abuse of an Indonesian Model: Will Malaysians Speak Up? To: [email protected] Cc: SuaraHati <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Apa yang diperlihatkan oleh keluarga kerajaan kelantan Malaysia dalam kasus Manohara, jelas-jelas menunjukkan bukti adanya sindrom arogansi OKB (orang kaya baru) yang mendadak kaya, sementara intelektualitas-spiritualitas peradabannya masih tertinggal di kelas bawah. Ayolah Pak Cik inteletual seperti Bang Farish bersama kawan-kawan yg lebih tercerahkan di malay, tidak tinggal diam menyaksikan kezaliman tak beradab seperti itu. On Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 6:01 PM, Milis Islam Progresif <[email protected]>wrote: > > > Alleged Abuse of an Indonesian Model: Will Malaysians Speak Up? > Share > Today at 12:21pm > The Alleged Abuse of Mahohara Odelia Pinot: Now is the Time for Malaysians > to Act > > By Farish A. Noor > > There are times when I can only say that I am ashamed to be a Malaysian > citizen. This holds particularly true when I find myself back in Java, the > land of my ancestors, and am asked the same question time and again: "Why > are Malaysians so racist and why do they look down on us Indonesians?" > > I am at a loss for words when confronted with a question so frank and > stark, for the realities are likewise blunt and brazen. The fact is that > Malaysians have developed a reputation akin to Singaporeans, who are seen by > their neighbours in Southeast Asia as racist, arrogant, condescending and > downright uncivilised in their conduct towards others. > > The recent report on Malaysia's treatment of migrant workers and refugees > underscores the bitter truth that Malaysians have been denying for so long: > That racism, abuse and discrimination against foreigners in Malaysia has > become so commonplace that it is now normalised. > > To complicate things further, the recent revelations of the abuse of a > young Indonesian model, Manohara Odelia Pinot, by none other than a member > of one of the royal families of Malaysia, has only added to the image of > Malaysia as a nation with scant regard for the fundamental rights and > dignity of human beings who do not possess a Malaysian passport. Already the > Indonesian press is awash with all the lurid details of the story in > question; of how a girl of 15 was allegedly seduced by a man older than her, > only to end up marrying him and then be made to suffer abuse at the hands of > someone who perhaps felt that he was above the law. Tabloid reports in > Indonesia tell of how the young woman was physically abused with a razor > blade - allegations that can only be substantiated if and when the girl is > allowed to meet her mother, Daisy Fajarina, who in turn claimed that she was > not allowed to visit Malaysia to check on the welfare of her daughter who > had also been summarily taken away from her by a private jet that flew back > to Malaysia from Mecca, Arabia. > > Needless to say, I am speechless at the revelations that have made the > rounds already here in Indonesia. In Malaysia, meanwhile, the news of the > alleged abuse of Manohara Odelia Pinot has hardly made the headlines, and > that is something we have come to expect from a nation that is perpetually > in a state of denial. > > My concern lies in the fact that this case once again demonstrates the > blatant double standards and self-delusion of Malaysians who continue to > entertain the fiction that ours is a civilised country, on the basis that we > have managed to cobble together bricks and concrete to fashion what was once > the tallest building in the world (though no longer). Tall buildings, garish > airports and vulgar shopping malls do not a civilised country make. What > defines a nation as civilised is the level of humanity and compassion that > we can show for our fellow human beings, on a universal basis, that > transcends the boundaries of gender, religion, ethnicity, class and > citizenship. > > How much longer will we - Malaysians - accept and tolerate the abuse of > foreigners in our midst before we realise that distinctions of national > identity and citizenship are artificial political constructs that should not > obstruct our demonstration of humane solidarity with others? The relative > silence of Malaysians in such cases is one of the reasons why my Indonesian > friends and comrades often get the impression that Malaysians are > insensitive and racist, in toto. > > For now, one can only hope that the voice of Malaysian civil society will > be strong enough to break the walls of silence that surrounds the manifold > cases of abuse and ill-treatment of foreigners in the country. The case of > the young model-wife Manohara, however, is set to be a potentially > embarrassing and complicated diplomatic issue as it involves individuals of > high profile and social standing. Furthermore that such alleged abuses could > have been meted out by someone of such social status suggests that the rot > in Malaysian society extends all the way to the top of the social pyramid. > Malaysia is now in the eye of Indonesians who will expect to see the truth > come out and justice done if needed to. > > Will Malaysia and Malaysian society do the right thing and demand the same? > Or will we remain in our state of blissful ignorance and denial, while the > world watches us enact our pantomine of collective hypocrisy for all to see? > > >
