Excerpt from Malaysia-Today website:
And this is where the Mamaks come in. Mamaks are Indian Muslims. Some years back, the Indian Muslims and Indian Hindus in Penang clashed over the proximity of a temple and a mosque which both sides alleged was 'disturbing' them. Resulting from this misunderstanding, some bloody clashes erupted which threatened to turn into a blood bath such as what we have frequently-enough witnessed in India. Anwar Ibrahim was forced to personally go down to the ground to prevent what was about to turn into another 'May 13'.
Last Friday, 1,000 or so Mamaks organised a demonstration in front of the Penang State Government headquarters. They were upset that a 'Chinese' Chief Minister had announced the end of the New Economic Policy in Penang. The Malays were not upset. The Malays did not come out to protest. In fact, PAS even endorsed the announcement and said that it agreed with the proposal. But the Mamaks were upset and they demonstrated their displeasure last Friday.
The Mamaks want the government to pass a law that makes calling them 'Mamak' illegal. They want laws passed so that those who continue calling them Mamaks can be sent to jail. And they want a new law passed to declare all Mamaks as Malays and to call them Malays and not Mamaks from thereon.
The Mamaks, therefore, have to demonstrate that they are more Malay than the Malays and more Muslim that the Arabs. And to prove this they came out to demonstrate against Lim Guan Eng's announcement that the NEP in Penang would end even if the Malays themselves could not be bothered and even if PAS supports Guan Eng's announcement. In a nutshell, the Mamaks are ashamed that they were born as Indians and insist they be classified as Malays.
But the Malays will not respond to the Mamaks' call to take to the streets, in particular the PAS and PKR Malays. In fact, the only reason the PAS and PKR Malays come out is to ensure that the Mamaks do not run riot and start spilling Chinese blood. Yes, May 13 can never happen again in spite of the rise of the Mamaks. The Malays will ensure that no wannabe Malay Mamaks will upset the peace, stability and tranquillity that exists between the Malays, Chinese and Indian Hindus. As for the Indian Muslims.....well, they need to earn their Malayness so allow them this little sideshow to enable them to go to the government and say, “Are we Malay enough for you now?”
That explains the Indians there!
Excerpt from Malaysia-Today website:
And this is where the Mamaks come in. Mamaks are Indian Muslims. Some years back, the Indian Muslims and Indian Hindus in Penang clashed over the proximity of a temple and a mosque which both sides alleged was 'disturbing' them. Resulting from this misunderstanding, some bloody clashes erupted which threatened to turn into a blood bath such as what we have frequently-enough witnessed in India. Anwar Ibrahim was forced to personally go down to the ground to prevent what was about to turn into another 'May 13'.
Last Friday, 1,000 or so Mamaks organised a demonstration in front of the Penang State Government headquarters. They were upset that a 'Chinese' Chief Minister had announced the end of the New Economic Policy in Penang. The Malays were not upset. The Malays did not come out to protest. In fact, PAS even endorsed the announcement and said that it agreed with the proposal. But the Mamaks were upset and they demonstrated their displeasure last Friday.
The Mamaks want the government to pass a law that makes calling them 'Mamak' illegal. They want laws passed so that those who continue calling them Mamaks can be sent to jail. And they want a new law passed to declare all Mamaks as Malays and to call them Malays and not Mamaks from thereon.
The Mamaks, therefore, have to demonstrate that they are more Malay than the Malays and more Muslim that the Arabs. And to prove this they came out to demonstrate against Lim Guan Eng's announcement that the NEP in Penang would end even if the Malays themselves could not be bothered and even if PAS supports Guan Eng's announcement. In a nutshell, the Mamaks are ashamed that they were born as Indians and insist they be classified as Malays.
But the Malays will not respond to the Mamaks' call to take to the streets, in particular the PAS and PKR Malays. In fact, the only reason the PAS and PKR Malays come out is to ensure that the Mamaks do not run riot and start spilling Chinese blood. Yes, May 13 can never happen again in spite of the rise of the Mamaks. The Malays will ensure that no wannabe Malay Mamaks will upset the peace, stability and tranquillity that exists between the Malays, Chinese and Indian Hindus. As for the Indian Muslims.....well, they need to earn their Malayness so allow them this little sideshow to enable them to go to the government and say, “Are we Malay enough for you now?”
That explains the Indians there!