Urban Sensibilities versus Rural Perspectives

I had the opportunity to get away for a week in the east cost to the beautiful island of Redang off the coast of Trengganu; after enjoying a lovely 3 days of bliss away from all the politics and talks about politics helped me gain a better insight when I spent 1 full day touring the city of Kuala Trengganu interacting with the locals there.

Going to a Malay heartland, where 95% of the population consist of Malays, and 4% Chinese. It does strike me in a realization that in the eyes of these folks; how important the perceived Malay Special Rights are to them. It also dawn on me that it would be very difficult for an Urban Chinese from the big city of Kuala Lumpur to understand their needs and challenges they are facing. Indeed perhaps to lead them as a Prime Minister or Menteri Besar that you will have to understand their customs and religious needs a little more indepth than at the cursory level.

Speaking to these folks, its easy to understand their confusion on the so called "New Economic Policy" has helped them or rather not helped them. Most of them see the daily survival and economic issues as key priorities. They are concerned about getting jobs, able to conduct business and low inflation. All which as I see it, the NEP does not address these important issues. The people are fed up with the politicians who are playing the race card, and declaring that the Malays need NEP. But really, who really needs and benefit from the NEP. It is the politically connected, and cronies of those in power who help themselves to the benefits to extend of taking the poor peoples land and building for themselves private palaces and fiefdoms.

I had a wonderful time in Kuala Terengganu with an elderly taxi driver named Pak Uda who was so kind to be my tour guide for the day Terengganu who showed me around town and to the various beautiful Mosques such as the Crystal Palace, and the Floating Mosque.

And also I had an interesting chat with the Malay taxi driver who took the travel time to send me home to give me his two cents about how corrupted the BN-UMNO government; and he mentioned that he was happy that the Selangor state government is now led by the opposition and he and a bunch of his Malay friends voted for DAP and that some chinese in areas where PAS was contesting the chinese voted for PAS. Truly, this came from a Malay then time for racial politics is indeed over.