WanSaiful.com

Tomorrow, Saturday 10 September 2005, is White Band Day 2.

I will start working at my local Oxfam from tomorrow. We all need to do something to make poverty history.

Filed under: Misc

1. It is difficult to write about the actual content of discussions I had with the three academics I hosted. The issues we talked about were varied and wide-ranging. What I would do instead is to write in the usual way, while appreciating that I have benefited greatly by their presence.

2. When the name DAP is mentioned, one is almost always led to think of a chauvinistic Chinese party that has less regard for people of other backgrounds. This shows how effective BN is in creating “faces” for their enemies. If one finds Labour acceptable, why is it so difficult to see DAP in the same light? Both are social democrats. Both are secularists. They may differ in the details but their political struggle are based on the same principles. Are there reasons other than preconceived ideas, and perhaps our own misconception?

Filed under: Misc

This is a good column. The choice of people interviewed are generally good.

I am intrigued by YB Salahuddin’s choice of names when answering this question:

Q: If someone produces a calender with 12 politicians on it, who would you want to see on it?
A: Fidel Castro, Ghandhi, Khomeni, Fadzil Noor, Abdul Hadi Awang and Nasharudin Mat Isa.

There are two names I find intriguing. One is Fidel Castro. It is politically unsound for me to state the other name.

Intriguing…

Another thing, is Abba’s music sentimental? Mamma mia!

Filed under: Misc

Discourse on this topic started over breakfast this morning.

The summary thus far, multiculturalism and pluralism are different only in theoretical discussions. When it comes to implementation and practise, they are pretty much similar.

More to come over supper since dinner will be outside.

Filed under: Misc

This bra war is simply ridiculous. The very community that promotes free market is enforcing shameful protectionism when it comes to their own failure to adapt to the competitive globalization.

Protectionism is simply “kezaliman” (oppression) against consumers. It prevents consumers from getting the best deals by protecting uncompetitive business institutions.

I do not blame Mandelson. He can only negotiate based on decisions taken by EU member countries. I blame countries like France and Germany who have continously failed to ensure their textile industry adapt to the opening of European market. They were given a 10 year notice to do so and still failed. This trade quoatas, forced on to Mandelson by a majority of countries with incompetent textile industry, who in turn has no choice but to enforce it, is just bad.

Filed under: Misc

I am hosting three Malaysian academics this week. One is a professor of anthropology and faculty dean, the other an associate professor in Middle Eastern studies, and another from Islamic studies. I plan to exploit their presence to explore three issues:
1. culture vs. religion as a source of group identity
2. multiculturalism vs. pluralism
3. voluntarism in Malaysia

First on group identity. The after dinner discussion last night was a steep learning curve for me, which is not a surprise when you speak to a specialist on the subject!!!

My conclusion:
1. The issue of religion / race / culture is really an issue of identity. People hold on to a certain sense of identity. It is how we define ourselves. Muslim; Malay; from Perlis; speaks northern dialect; went to Sekolah XYZ; work as a lecturer; subscribe to certain political ideology; etc; are all how people define themselves.

2. People tend to give more importance to certain elements of their identities. For example, they may say it is more important to wear suit and tie to show “belonging” to a “professional culture” than actually being professional in what they do (e.g.: getting involved in corruption). In this case, they define themselves as belonging to the “professional” group, but define it as how they dress-up rather than in terms of work ethics.

3. It is also possible for people to give the same importance to certain elements of their identities. For example, for some, being a Malay is just equally as important to being a Muslim. This is prevalent in the Malay Archipelago and is especially prominent in Southern Thailand now, when the Malay Muslims are being prosecuted by the Buddhist government.

4. By clinging on to this sense of identity, people who usually differ in so many things can group together under one banner. They can group together to bring benefit to their identity group, or they can group together to fight off threats.

From the discussion, it became clear to me why people are willing to go to extremes for reasons that may be incomprehensible to others. For example, it is easy to understand why people of various racial and cultural origins are willing to die under the banner of one unifying religion. Once they group themselves into the religious group, and define their identity as Christians / Muslims / Buddhists / etc, rather than Malay or Persian or Arab or British or American or whatever, they will be willing to do whatever is necessary to protect that “self-identity”.

The thesis is, people seek a unifying factor that defines themselves into specific identity groupings. If that identity is threatened, a reaction will result. Different individuals view the world differently and they seek to define themselves according to this worldview. If they feel their racial origin is important, then they will react if their race is belittled. If they define themselves by their profession, they will react if that profession is under threat. It is similar if they define themselves according to religion.

One comment made in last night’s discussion was that, as a marker of identity, religion is unique in that it transcends geographical, ethnicity and cultural boundaries. Many people are willing to die for their religion, but not that many are willing to die for their race, language, profession, culture, etc. Only religion can consistently unite people who are otherwise very different.

I suppose this is why, in commenting to one of Abidin’s postings, I said that I am not too bothered if the Malay culture, or the Malay race for that matter, is lost. I am not that attached to the Malay culture. I am indifferent when it comes to being a Malay or a Chinese or a Tibetan or a Red Indian or an Afro-Caribbean. Issues of race just do not matter to me.

Instead, I prefer to go straight to the very factor that makes Malays proud to be Malays. If we look at the Malay archipelago, stretching from Pattani and Acheh to the Philippines, we Malays are proud of our Islamic history. Acheh, Pattani, Malacca, parts of the Philippines, were all once centres of Islamic learning. It is Islam that makes us who we are, not our race. Our pride to being Malay stems from our primordial instinct that we were once part of the glorious empire of Islam.

Thus, does Malay-ness matter? My answer is no. What really counts is our way of life – Islam. Being a Muslim is much more important than being a Malay. Without Islam, no one knows where the Malays would be.

Filed under: Misc

New laptop arrived today.

Will be back online as soon as I can get used to the smaller keyboard and screen.

A bit tedious at this early stage…..

Filed under: Misc