Najib storm in X’mas teacup: Non-Malays over-reacting
By Sharifuddin A. Latiff
The PM’s special officer who made the ‘no-crucifix request’ expressed her “heartfelt regret” in a statement yesterday.
Datuk Hardev Kaur clarified that she had merely “requested” for a rostrum to be free from any Christian symbol at the Dec 25 Christmas party where Najib was guest-of-honour.
Hardev is a former NST group editor – it figures that the thought would have crossed (pun intended) her mind and that she should issue the ‘request’ (it was a ‘request’ and not a command, yar).
It just comes from her long newspaper training. It is almost second nature for senior media people to second guess what would or would not offend the PM about coverage that appears in the pages of their paper.
The Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, when asked to comment on the controversy, had said the directive was the act of an “overzealous officer”.
As I had speculated earlier, it’s not in character for Najib who was enrolled in mission school (St John’s) and studied in England to be so hung up over the sight of a cross. And it was not a Malay who was fluttering around like a worried hen waving away crucifixes.
If it was a Malay guy, I’d have said, ‘Relaks lah bro’. Now we know that it was a Punjabi woman.
The non-Malays are simply being over-sensitive and over-reactive in anticipation of what we Malays might take offence at. Next time, just ask us (Malays) first. Isn’t it better to get it from the horse’s mouth? You’ll find we are more reasonable than you give us credit for.
We had two reader responses (reproduced below) to EWO’s Jan 5 posting:
Mohd Nahim
Submitted on 2011/01/05 at 5:32 pm
Engkau orang sedar tak yang manusia yang extremis dan racist selalunya melayu celup seperti mama kerala and Ah Pek Tee ini. Aku pikir mereka ini terlebih lebih racist sebab mereka ini celup dan kurang confident dengan “kaum” mereka. Jadi terpaksalah buat sandiwara sebagai pembela melayu.
Kesian……
Pendatang
Submitted on 2011/01/06 at 7:33 am | In reply to Mohd Nahim.
Saya setuju dengan pendapat anda. Melayu-melayu celup dari kaum Pakistan, India, Cina dan lain-lain yang melampau-lampau memperjuangkan agenda rasis mereka.
Real Malays who are born Malay, i.e. people who don’t have to make a big show of our Malayness, are in reality more easygoing. It’s the Icker-Tee celups who are giving Malays a bad name.
Hardev over-reacted on Najib’s behalf when the man himself would have been a lot cooler about the whole thing.
We’re all getting tired of the much ado about nothing that’s finding place in the media, and which in turn creates openings, like for the pack of jackals from Pakatan who jumped at the chance to snap at Najib’s heels.
In my own posting on the Santa Cross matter, I highlighted a Malaysian Insider reader comment by ‘Daniel’ saying:
“In the National Service camps, all the trainees are instructed to lift up their hands in prayer (an Islamic prayer) during the opening and closing ceremony. What if the students objected to this? And why should non-Muslim students be made to participate in an Islamic prayer?”
Instead of taking easy potshots at the Umno president, why are Pakatan supporters (who were so happy to sink their teeth into Najib) not daring to take up real issues like this one raised by Daniel. Compared to the over-reaction to Najib, why no reaction to issues like the above ‘doa’ business?
What does Teresa Kok – who complained about the ‘de-Christianising Christmas’ – have to say about the reverse religious consternation (non-Muslim trainees forced to berdoa)?
What does the Caliph Umar Lim Abdul Aziz have to say? Oh, but he already introduced the doa at his own DAP convention in Penang, so I guess the non-Muslim NS trainees instructed to lift up their hands like Muslims in doa is alright by him.
hartalmsm.wordpress.com 
The fact that the non-Malay official had given the directive reveals the extent of the on-going brainwashing that non-Malays/Muslims have to be sensitive to Malay/Muslim. It is the others who must be sensitive. It is the others who must apologize. It is the others who do not understand. We are greater than thou. Our god is the real god.
leekh, give some thought to what Oneofthesedays says (below) about who also is to be blamed for the situation you describe.
IMHO Non Malays like the Caliph Umar Lim Abdul Aziz, Chua of the Soiled Leg, Semi de Value et al are at least 50% to blame for the mess this country is in.
Don’t get me started on the Chi-maks (TM) and the Ma-maks.
This Datuk lady was the former NST group editor: that tell us all we need to know about her.
To be honest, Shar, I’m really skeptical. Everytime there is a crime committed, the fall guy is almost always a Chinese or an Indian.
Sharifudin,
Well written like an NST UMNO propagandist. Don’t suggest the non-Malays over react and don’t blame them for what you suggest is their [your] over-reaction. Blame all the moves by UMNO to out-Islam PAS that have adversely affected people like the Archbishop’s aides who are extremely careful lest they end up stirring the hornet’s nest of Perkasa and UMNO.
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Thank you, Adam Kontiki but you should ask Rocky Bru on what I’m capable of. Your comment revised as requested – shar101.
sorry error in 2nd line. “your” should instead be “their”. apologies
I know that I have already mentioned sometime ago that it is the non-Malays, especially Indians who are ‘over’ in their chanting of the 1Malaysia slogan. Sometimes it really gets on your nerves. It is really embarrassing and nauseating! The lady is grateful for her Datukship but she really does not have to stoop so low as to show her gratitude. The !Malaysia slogan is fast becoming a cliche. People like Ridhuan Tee Abdullah and Hardev Kaur need to realise that sincerity is a honourable quality that should never be compromised.