The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Monday November 22nd, 2021
The struggle between two visions of Malaysia – The Malayization of Malaysia by Murray Hunter
Aggregate election figures of votes cast on the peninsula from the last general election show there is a deep polarization in Malaysia. It’s not about a Barisan Nasional /Perikatan Nasional verses a Pakatan Harapan choice for government. It’s much deeper than that. A struggle between a vision for a Malay-Malaysia verses the vision for a diverse and inclusive Malaysia.
Malaya was founded on the premise that power would be shared between the different ethnic groups residing on the peninsula. The constitution recognized the special position of the Malays, in a federation of Malay Sultanates forming the new country. The structure of Westminster modelled governance took on many of the traditional traits of Malay Daulat (sovereignty). These institutions, processes of governance, and conventions were carried over to the formation of Malaysia, which included Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore for a short period in 1963.
The framers of the constitution intended to establish a fully-fledged democracy, where every citizen, whatever his or her ethnic identity was guaranteed equal rights, notwithstanding the special position of the Malays provision. Article 11 of the constitution also guaranteed freedom of religion. These two constitutional guarantees have been encroached upon, debasing the constitution. This lies at the heart of the uneven struggle between the two visions of Malaysia.
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“Between doubt and certainty” #poem #art #artinstallation by Amir Khatib
“Longer distance from death.
To make the point clear:
Take a little love
much sorrow”
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Castes and outcasts by Joseph Gatt
Most, if not all societies in the world, are socially stratified. You belong to certain castes whether you like it or not.
Castes could be inherited. Your parents belong to a higher caste, so do you.
Castes could be related to your level of education. The more prestigious the university you attend, the better you stand out socially in many cultures.
Castes could be related to your ethnicity. Perhaps your ethnic group is equivalent to a higher caste, or perceived as a lower caste by your community.
Wealth. Rich people often belong to higher castes. People less fortunate belong to lower castes and are outcasts. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, as the two castes don’t mingle (often the case).
Then you have a few more subtle markers. Physical attributes can lead to you belonging to a higher or lower caste in some cultures. In others, it’s your degree of eloquence or intellect. In some cultures, being competitive leads to you belonging to higher castes, as in getting better grades in school or ranking high at national examinations.
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Worming 21#22 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
For more Worming HERE!
For more Ovi Cartoons, HERE!
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