‘We want to be empowered’

by Dina Zaman

"To understand (Malay)sia, one needs to leave Klang Valley or their home and explore the country. In fact, if one is predisposed to not adventuring out of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, I would advise the person to explore neighbourhoods different from his or hers and strike up a friendship with the natives of those communities".

Class wars pending?

"I had mentioned earlier that reactions to our work from a certain Malay demographic ...... have been emotional and biased, to say the least. I have also commented before that there will be class wars within the Malay community because the wealthier Malays do not care for the B40 and want their bubbles untouched. I find it appalling and fascinating that they can compartmentalise their interactions with poor Malays: CSR project. Social policy study. Donations. We just don’t want them in our sphere.

[Now, many non-Malays also isolate themselves this way. The rich bananas don’t seem to want to have much to do with their problematic, poorer brethren either. Finally, we are united in some things!]

This is why populism is on the rise. The religious wealthier Malay who have these Mufti Menks and all these English-speaking usrahs will never get why PAS is gaining ground by the second, simply because of their blind spot, that their wealth and exposure would protect them from the hillbillies. They may think they have one thing in common, Islam, but how they are mistaken."