___________________________________________________________

Malaysiakini

Fadli KC 12:40PM Jul 19, 2012

The Home Ministry has begun an investigation on the publishers of the 1Malaysia comic which included a cartoon featuring ‘Awang Arang’ or ‘Mr Charcoal’, which NGOs and human rights groups have argued could cause racial tension.

The Malay Mail daily, which raised the issue, was invited to the Home Ministry’s head office in Putrajaya to hand over ‘M1Malaysia Magazines for the People’ comics in its possession.

According to a source from the daily, the reporter was asked to hand over the comics, the third and fourth editions, found in the Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1Ma) event at Bukit Jalil, on the 25th June.

“They (the Home Ministry) asked us not to touch on racial issues after this”, the source told Malaysiakini yesterday.

The comic, emblazoned with the 1Malaysia logo, contains a segment titled ‘1Malaysia vs 1PATI’, which shows little boys appreciating the diversity of this country’s society.

However, the boys were later shown running away from a group of dark-skinned men labelled as ‘Awang Arang’, or ‘Mr. Charcoal’.

www.malaysiakini.com/news/204075 – Cached

———————————————————————————————————-

Malaysia Chronicle

“Sir, you can forget about getting Malay people to work during the fasting month (the holy month of Ramadan). Even if you pay them three times more than what they usually get, they will not work for you because they are very lazy people,” said a taxi driver to me recently on a trip back from school in Cheras.

This surprised me as it was an unexpected outburst from the taxi driver and really a form of racial abuse which was being unnecessarily revealed to me.

‘Belacan,’ ‘cina kui,’ and ‘keling

Muslims all over the world celebrate Ramadan with the intention to practice their faith while going about their usual daily activities despite having to fast. It’s a real test of their faith whereby Muslims are taught values that are lofty and noble.

But while my journey back to Bangsar was a long trip, the taxi driver went on to hurl abuse after abuse over the “failings” of a particular race prompting me to tempt with the idea of getting off and paying him the fare and hailing another taxi.

But since there are hardly any vacant taxis on the Connaught to Federal Highway stretch, there was no choice for me but to endure his ranting and raving as he went on to say why the government should be blamed for spoiling and pampering this particular race until they seemingly can’t pull their weight.

When racial abuse of this kind takes place, it always upsets and troubles me. Why on earth should we use terms like ‘belacan,’ ‘cina kui,’ and ‘keling,’ to describe in a bad and evil way with a sweeping generalization how the different main races in this country are like?

…………..
Silly fear of the unknown

Racism is an evil malaise and a tacky, thorny subject but a topic which Malaysians must face up to owing to the worrying trends in racial polarization in the country today.

The root of racial discrimination and discord is ignorance or fear of the other or fear of the unknown. This is why it is important to shed our inhibitions and engage each other to avoid misunderstandings and enmity among the races.

In Malaysia, unfortunately, people of all races practice racism. The only surefire way to eradicate and eliminate racism is to put into place the practice of fair play or meritocracy.

The BN government over the last fifty-five years has failed dismally to ensure equality among the races by engaging in partisan politics leading to racial disharmony which has by now reached alarming levels.

Undoing the damage of the past, by the implementation of the hastily and ill-conceived New Economic Policy, where much thought and consideration or feedback from all parties were not heeded, might be now a difficult hurdle to surmount.

Blame falls on the BN

The drawing up and implementation of the NEP put a lop-sided structure towards policy planning in ensuring that all races benefitted from the economic growth of the past and has now caused the root of dissension, disharmony and discord among the races.

The blame game, if any, should fall squarely on the BN government for failing to adhere and practice the basic tenets and obligations of democracy in ensuring that all races were given equal treatment in every aspect and sphere of life.

By the BN government engaging in partisan politics, their well meaning ploy of wanting to assist the ‘bumiputra’ community has backfired very badly.

What has evolved after the implementation of the NEP is really the emergence of the minority ‘bumiputra’ elite while the major portion of ‘bumiputras’ till today have cultivated a “crutch mentality” and are heavily dependent on the BN government for aid.

………….

Need to establish common ground

It is high time and imperative for every Malaysian to look into the issue of race relations.

The only way for racial harmony to move up to a higher and healthier level is for Malaysians to do the hard work of soul searching before voicing their needs and wants and feelings and allowing for a common ground to be reached.

Once a common ground is reached there will then be able to be accomplished bonding and goodwill among the races which in turn will serve to push the nation naturally forward to embrace and welcome fully the ideas and ideals of a globalized world.

This is when the world will pay fitting tribute to Malaysians and the nation as a whole for setting aside petty differences to be able to live in peace and harmony with one another, for not only Malaysians, but the whole wide world to cherish and savor.

Malaysia Chronicle

HEY YOU ‘belacan,’ ‘cina kui’ and ‘keling’: Dark harvest from BN & the NEP

———————————————————————————————————

‘Pati’ is the acronym for illegal immigrants in the Malay language – pendatang asing tanpa izin.

Malaysiakini

7:50AM Jul 14, 2012

A coalition of non-governmental organisations has condemned a comic book distributed at a government function as “racist and xenophobic”.

Its distribution should be stopped and the government should take action against its publisher, said the Working Group on National Ratification of International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

The Malay Mail in a report yesterday said the comic book, ‘M1 Malaysia – Majalah Untuk Rakyat’, was distributed at the Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1MA) event on June 24, which was officiated by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The comic book has a segment titled ‘1Malaysia vs 1Pati’, which begins with a boy appreciating Malaysia’s multiracial society, but then runs from a group of dark-skinned people.

“Haa… this is not 1Malaysia but 1Pati who wants to destroy the country. Keep yourself away from Mr Charcoal (Awang Arang),” the comic character says.

‘Pati’ is the acronym for illegal immigrants in the Malay language – pendatang asing tanpa izin.

www.malaysiakini.com/news/203612 – Cached

———————————————————————————————————–

Malay Mail

THE Home Ministry said it was still collecting evidence before it could initiate an investigation into a comic book which had a derogatory cartoon against “charcoal” people.

The Home Ministry, which was alerted by The Malay Mail to the magazine yesterday said it was looking to work together with the paper in its investigation.

Home Ministry yet to investigate racist comics

———————————————————————————————————-

Malay Mail

NOT FUNNY: The cartoon strip that shows a man running away from a group of dark-skinned people, which he calls ‘Mr Charcoal’

“KEEP yourself away from Mr Charcoal,” says a cartoon character running away from a group of dark-skinned people in a strip of a comic book distributed during an event recently.

The M1 Malaysia – Majalah Untuk Rakyat, bearing the 1Malaysia logo, was discovered by The Malay Mail to have been distributed at the 1Malaysia People’s Taxi (TR1Ma) programme in Bukit Jalil on June 25, which broke the Malaysia Book of Records by hosting the largest gathering of 10,000 taxis.

It has a segment, titled 1 Malaysia vs 1 Pati, in which the strip begins with a boy appreciating the country’s multiracial society, but runs away from a group of dark-skinned people.

“Haaa … this is not 1 Malaysia but 1 Pati who wants to destroy the country. Keep yourself away from Mr Charcoal,” the cartoon character says in the caption.

The Home Ministry’s publication control and Quran text division secretary, Abd Aziz Md Nor, told The Malay Mail yesterday they were unaware of the publication.

………..

The comic book’s publisher, Blue Pipe Studio Enterprise, could not be reached for comments.

derogatory cartoon against “charcoal” people.

————————————————————————————————————

Malaysiakini

Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani 6:30PM Jul 13, 2012

…………

Rights groups livid

Non-government organisations and human rights groups have criticised the publication and questioned how it was allowed to be distributed at a public function.

Human rights move ment Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (Komas) executive director Johann Tan said the government must apologise for insulting the international community and embarrassing the country.

“I feel ashamed that it came from our country. I understand the fear that some Malaysians have but it is not the colour of the skin but who the person is,” he said.

“Delinquents exist in all races. It is shameful that the publication was distributed during a government event because it does not represent all of our views.”

Suaram executive director Nalini Elumalai said allowing such a publication to be distributed would only create racial tension.

“While Malaysians are coming out and resisting racism by calling for solidarity, there are some who are ignorant and can easily be influenced by the racist message,” she said.

www.malaysiakini.com/news/203596 – Cached

————————————————————————————————————-