The tale of two houses

A close friend of mine asked me the other day why am I in the DAP when earlier on I seemed closer to the PKR folk.Well, its simply because the notion of a Malaysian Malaysia fixates me.Sure, it may seem idealistic, lofty and even unattainable to many, yet I believe eventually people will see the wisdom in the idea, which is shared by many, yet professed by few.

Its almost taboo to suggest equality among races in Malaysia.The sanctity of Malay rights and the sacredness of the Islamic religion has been placed in such a high pedestal, yet one built on falsehoods, lies and ideas so brittle, a mere sneeze would send the pedestal crashing down, and leave the rakyat agape with what really lies behind the pedestal.

Sure, the Internet helped unmask many of these lies.The pedestal shook a little and many got an ugly glimpse of what was behind.The so-called Muslim champions of faith were not so holy anymore.PAS, the Taliban of Malaysia did not seem so radical anymore.DAP, the Malaysian Satan did not seem so demonic anymore.And PKR, the frail and meek party did not seem so fragile anymore.That was only with a small tremor.

A tremor that revealed that an Islamic state did not mean hosting the most number of halal conventions when the bosses making the money would use the money on bottles of Moet Chandon to celebrate later.Nor that did the Malay rights enshrined in the Constitution that many were feverishly fighting to defend did little to help the average Malay on the street when petrol prices skyrocketed last year.Yet Mercedes driving the 'Ketua Bahagian', 4WD driving 'Ketua Cawangan' and Toyota driving 'Ketua Puteri' did not seem much affected by the change in fuel prices.

So then the packs of lies begin to unravel, only fuelled faster by a dissenting groundswell and increasingly impotent government, only then does members of the government scramble to their feet, while trying to kick their rivals down.And together they try to rebuild the tilted shack once a mighty bungalow called Barisan.Yet on the other side, we see that the dilapitated shack called Pakatan begin to rebuild itself and rebrand itself opposite the road into what looks like a habitable dwelling place.Tenants are beginning to find the other house more attractive.

And suddenly, a Malaysian Malaysia seems a plausible idea.

Perhaps the day will soon come where people identify themselves by nationality first.I am a Malaysian Christian Chindian and not in the reverse order.The species is supposed to be before the genus.

Perhaps even the day where people stop being ignorantly redundant in saying 'Malaysia, termasuk Sabah dan Sarawak'. It sounds as stupid and ackward as 'Malaysia, termasuk Perlis dan Perak' or 'Malaysia, termasuk Johor dan Melaka'

Perhaps even the day where freedom of religion, including freedom from religion if one so chooses, will finally be commonplace in Malaysia.

Perhaps when people are judged by their merits and not the colour of their skin or the type of prayers he or she chooses to recite in the morning.Or if he or she starts the morning reading Nietzche.

Perhaps when the phony pedestal falls.Hopefully.Someday.Soon.