GE-13 - snakes galore

Kacang ready? Fried chicken wings ready? F&N ready? Then sit down, relax and read. It's one of kaytee's tng k'ooi (chong hei, long winded) post, wakakaka.

There is a terrible so-called joke in Malaysia of a blatantly racist nature that has been rendered for decades, openly in earlier years but more restrictively in recent ones.

It's about a snake and a person of a particular race, with the thrust of the so-called joke on the alleged treacherous character of the race of the person, and not so much the person per se, hence it should be recognized for its blatant racism.

The so-called joke would only be a joke among the teller and the selected listener (both could be of Race X or Race Y, or one of Race X and the other Race Y), usually with the story told in the absence of the victimized race (Race Z), but sometimes as an in-your-face insult deliberately in the presence of a person or persons of Race Z. It reeks of damning blind prejudice, one of a sweeping nature, without any shred of evidence as to its justification or veracity, as all racist insults or jokes would be.

The racist insult would usually be posed as a rhetorical question (meaning no answer is required from the listener as the answer is implicit in the question) asking: What does one do when one sees a poisonous snake and a person belonging to Race Z?

I came to hear of this (let's not pretend it's a joke - it's bloody not - but just a) racist demon-ization or insult in KL where I first started working after school. Now, could this be because Penangites in my days weren't aware of or didn't favour this particular racist demon-ization? Well, I don't know.

Additionally, in Chinese culture the snake is not viewed in the same way as the Judeo-Christian religions see it as a symbol of evil, treachery, wickedness, slyness or untrustworthiness.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel - Genesis 3:14-15 (KJV)

But to the Chinese, the snake has been perceived as a creature of wisdom, with people born in the Chinese year of the Snake believed to have the potential to be great thinkers as well as endowed with wisdom and sagacity.

Some famous people born in the Snake year were Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty, who ascended to the Chinese throne when he was 7 years old and died in 1722 after ruling China for 61 years, making him the longest reigning monarch in Chinese history, and Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alfred Nobel, and Chou En Lai.

Sob sob, no, kaytee wasn't born in the year of the snake.

As a kid, I recall my mum and lady friends talking about the Year of the Fire Snake in 1977(?) as a wonderful year for girls to be born, as she would be beautiful, charming and clever, and would make a lovely, wise and good wife like Bai Suzhen, the immortalized Madam White Snake of Hangzhou in the 7th Century. Since then I have been seeking a sweetie born in 1977, wakakaka.

Madam White Snake (Bai Suzhen) in the battle with Fahai

My mum's belief was not so unusual as I read somewhere that in Japan (which borrowed or adopted Chinese culture and folk beliefs and therefore the Chinese would share many same cultural beliefs), Japanese paying a woman a compliment on her beauty would say: "My dear, you are a real snake".

Now, that's not the sort of sweet nothing one could whisper to a Western woman. The equivalent in modern western language should be "My dear, you are real foxy!", but which in turn would be an insult to Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese women implying they're huli jing (vixen demons) thus evil, lecherous and demonic, wakakaka. Yes, a clash of civilizations!

Apparently, those born in the Snake year are not people who can be easily ignored - wakakaka, we'll come to this aspect shortly. They possess an irresistible personality which has been described by some Chinese astrologers as charmingly 'bewitching' or 'beguiling'. Snake people (male and female) are reputed to have an insight on their sweeties' desires, and known as experts in the art of seduction gasp.

So back to my post topic - Thus I doubt the racism we mentioned at the beginning would have its origin among Chinese. But that doesn't mean it was not from Chinese MALAYSIANS. After all we Malaysians of all races are among the world's most lamentably vile, vitriolic and vicious racists. I believe the 'snaky' racist story or insult originated in Malaya but definitely not from Race Z, wakakaka. It's likely to have been coined by either Race X or Race Y.

In true life ophidian stories (of Malaysian origin), I read about three cases of snake versus man, with snake winning one (but losing in the end), man winning one, and a draw.

The first was a Chinese bloke who went to her betrothed's house (in the boondocks) to discuss wedding arrangements. While there, he nipped off to the back for a quick dump (or so he thought), but then didn't return. After the alarm was raised and a hastily assembled search party went looking for our missing future bridegroom he was found almost completely swallowed by a huge python (just his legs sticking out of snake's mouth). Unfortunately for him, he must have encountered the hungry snake while on his way to the outdoor WC. Naturally the python was massacred.

The second was a Malay rubber tapper who like Ah Chong above was attacked by (also) a hungry python who had serious ambitions about lunch. Pak Cik struggled with the coiling reptile and was about to lose the battle when a nearby Mak Cik (incidentally his Mak Cik), having heard his cries, came to his aid with a machete. When Mak Cik got mad (or frightened for her man) 'twas no match lah. Snake inevitably was sashimi-ed by her Zatochi-ish swirling whirlwind of parang slashes.

The two snakes above were boa constrictors, better known as the infamous and most dangerous Malayan reticulated pythons which would sneak up silently or drop suddenly from above on their victims and constrict them to death by asphyxiation rather than the incorrect belief of the constrictions crushing their bodies, bones and all.

Perhaps this may explain why I titled one of my previous postsPAS - from Progressive to Pythonic, suggesting death of secular democracy and its freedom by a sneaky silent and sinister hudud-ish constrictions, asphyxiating secular Constitutional rights and non-Malay cultural practices and traditions like the saucy koe-tai, wakakaka.

koe-tai, wakakaka

Third case was also a Pak Cik who was bitten by a snake of unknown species. Pak Cik chased snake who wisely disappeared. Newspaper reported Pak Cik swearing eternal enmity with snake and vowing to get the slithery sneaky snaky one sooner or later. I wonder what would have been the outcome of that vowed vendetta?

In Penang Hokkien, the word for snake is chua, wakakaka ...

... which brings us after my tng k'ooi (chong hei) meandering above to two Chua's, namely our once favourite martyr-wannabe but now PKR-snaky Tian Chua and also PKR-snaky Chua JM.

Please note, as they're Chinese, their 'snaky' attributes should be viewed favourably as positive values of their character, like those of Abraham Lincoln or Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi, wakakaka.

In a previous post PKR and its arrogant tokong I wrote:

The truth is that PKR (if we leave out the PRM component) has been KeADILan has been UMNO. It undeniably possesses UMNO genes and characteristics but it claims to be multi-racial, a claim somewhat discredited by Anwar Ibrahim's poor treatment of many of its erstwhile Indian members who left in droves - now, if they hadn't, would Azmin Ali have a chance of becoming party deputy president and eventually party president?

So while the ex-UMNO members represent the core of PKR and dominate party policies and decision making, and precisely because of all these, the nons want so desperately to demonstrate their relevance in the party.

And, hey hey hey, there's the PKR Chinese faction, with its unspoken faction leadership reputed to have been assumed by Tian Chua.

Tian Chua is of course not his birth/legal name, which is Chua Tian Chang. It's obvious he has clung on to his Aussie-given name.

Western nations have this (culturally) bad habit of westernizing Chinese names by relegating the Chinese surname to being the last name (where the western surname stands), thus Chua Tian Chang became Tian Chang Chua, and under the Western-Christian naming concept, which has First name (Personal or as Malaysians know it, Christian name), then Middle name, and finally Last name (or Surname), Tian was believed to be his 'First' name, thus Tian Chua, not unlike Elvis Presley from Elvis (1st name) Aaron (Middle name) Presley (last name) wakakaka.

Hmmm, I wonder what his parents or siblings call him? Probably Chai or Chang.

For more of Australian (western) mangling of Chinese names, please read my post What's in a name! wakakaka.

And I wonder what role/status former MCA man Chua Jui Meng has in PKR, and what threat he poses to the current leadership of Tian Chua? But sorry, thus has to be another story.

[for CJM, see further down]

Anyway, long before the current 'Lim GE is an arrogant and cocky tokong' brouhaha, courtesy of PKR's Mansor Othman wakakaka, Tian Chua had been well aware that his Heavenly Snake faction in PKR might not have a role at all, or at best only a token one, if Anwar Ibrahim were to see DAP as the Pakatan component to be given responsibility for Chinese and Indian majority constituencies.

Tian Chua's fear has now crystallized into reality and thus become a current contentious issue within PKR, as reported in the Malaysia Chronicle’s MUTINY IN PKR: Anwar under fire for "betraying" members over seats. I'll discuss this further in a while.

Oh, BTW, I was told by a friend that Tian Chua has mucho influence in Malaysian Chronicle, wakakaka.

Thus, prior to 2008, in order to prevent such a terrifying Pakatan status quo (of Anwar accepting DAP as the Pakatan component party to be given responsibility for Chinese and Indian majority constituencies) from setting in to the disadvantage of the Heavenly Snake faction, he and his cohorts had the treacherous habit of making pre-emptive strikes against DAP in seat allocations, by making unilateral media announcements of seat allocations for Pakatan (not PKR) which strangely, if you believe in coincidences wakakaka, usually favoured PKR.

Of course those 'unilateral' announcements meant that DAP leaders would, after reading the morning news, invariably exclaim 'WTF!' wakakaka.

Alas, despite all its pre-emptive strikes, the general success (or lack of) by PKR in elections has been noticeably inferior to DAP , especially in Sarawak, and coupled with the avalanche-like dominance of DAP in Penang DUN, have dampened their (Chinese) members' confidence severely, thus it was hardly surprising these PKR members in Penang desperately sought Mansor Othman's assurances that he would not relinquish any of PKR's seats allocated in 2008, even the ones they lost, to DAP.

The Chinese PKR faction’s fears have been realized today, following news of Anwar's agreement with DAP that Karpal Singh's party will contest in the federal seats of Bentong (Pahang) and Gelang Patah (Johor).

The latter constituency was eyed by Chua Jui Meng, a born-again Christian who had shed off his MCA skin (ecdysis, wakakaka) to be born again as a PKR VP. But he wants a seat to get back into the game just in case Pakatan wins GE-13, and he thought his ticket into parliament and a possible ministerial position (Health? wakakaka) was to be Gelang Patah.

In an earlier post Treachery in Johor? my hero Bhai Karpal said what I've been saying all along about Chua Jui Meng (CJM) - see The Malaysian Insider's Karpal says Jui Meng’s intentions ‘suspect’ in Johor DAP-PKR spat.

Chua JM had a tussle with DAP Johor chief, Dr Boo Cheng Hau, precisely because of Gelang Patah. And not only that but Dr Boo had accused Chua JM of organizing an underground campaign against the DAP in Johor.

Alamak, I am beginning to see Tian Chua-ness in him. Maybe both are snakes of the Eden rather than Hangzhou variety, wakakaka.

For that, Bhai mauled Chua JM badly as he roared: “The credibility of Chua Jui Meng is suspect. His long sojourn in the MCA and by extension in the Barisan Nasional (BN), his unsuccessful attempt in 2004 at the MCA presidency and his obvious overzealous enthusiasm to regain a seat in Parliament certainly exposes a credibility problem which may appear to consume the better part of his intellect.” 

Ouch and bloody ouch!

The Malaysian Insider reported: ... an unimpressed Karpal told Chua that a politician who “deserts his own political mother” could not be regarded with approval or pride.

He said that if Dr Boo’s allegation that Chua has been the “black hand” behind a campaign against DAP in Johor were true, the latter must be checked in his tracks as soon as possible.

“An in-depth inquiry ought to be launched to determine who are behind the ‘vicious anonymous attacks’ against the DAP and also determine the ‘black hand’ behind these attacks,” Karpal said.

“The assertion by Dr Boo cannot be dismissed out of hand in the interests of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). 

In riling the Johor DAP, perhaps Chua JM could have misread Anwar's appointment of him as the head of PKR’s campaign in Johor to be the head of Pakatan's campaign in Johor, wakakaka, thus believing he could ride roughshod over Dr Boo. Instead he had a rocket up his ....., wakakaka.

Don't you think he and Azmin Ali share similar mistaken belief in over-fantasizing their party positions as Pakatan positions, wakakaka - thunderous applause please, wakakaka again.

In another post Fixed deposits? What interests? I wrote of Chua JM as follows:

I am reminded he was once in MCA, and while we shouldn't hold that against him as we shouldn't hold an UMNO past against Anwar, there are conditions for excusing his MCA background, equally as there would be for Anwar Ibrahim's UMNO lamentable track record.

For Chua JM, his move to Pakatan would have been more credible (like Zaid Ibrahim's) if he had left when he was still in power, such as in a party or/and ministerial position, thus indicating his preparedness to sacrifice his power, position and privilege because of his repentance in being a part of an ineffectual MCA leadership or recognizing the BN's general poor performance in governance, transparency and accountability.

He only joined PKR after he lost his bid to be a deputy president of MCA, very much like another sour grape, Anwar Ibrahim, who crooned reformasi only after he was kicked out of UMNO but not while he was in that party for 16 years, ...

... unlike Zaid Ibrahim who voluntarily resigned from his ministerial post under the AAB government to leave UMNO so as to come over to Pakatan.

Remember I had very recently wrote of Anwar as someone so obsessed with the PM-ship that he would do anything, repeat 'anything', to get that position. Ignoring other methods, the most obvious path is to win GE-13.

I suspect and I believe I won't be too far off, that Anwar would have reckoned the DAP brand rather than PKR symbol is more likely to win in some federal seats that were eyed by the Heavenly Snake (Chinese) faction in PKR as their due rights or rewards. Thus Anwar has agreed to DAP contesting in those seats as a more assured prospect to his chances of becoming PM.

Touch luck for the PKR Chinese, coz' Anwar has to look after numero uno, wakakaka.

Is it then any wonder that the Malaysia Chronicle, in sympathy wakakaka with the PKR Heavenly Snake faction, reported:

Disgruntlement within PKR, simmering for months now, has erupted over party adviser Anwar Ibrahim's alleged betrayal of "long-standing" members, dropping them after having indicated they would be selected to contest at the coming general election.

That is what some upset PKR members are claiming. Their complaints and views if not treated with respect can cause a really serious rift in the PKR party and derail its recent resurgence and return to the top spot in the Pakatan Rakyat hierarchy.

"This is a most unpleasant situation with racial overtones. Not all who have been dropped are Chinese but most are Chinese. The Malays in PKR are now also very concerned. Who will be next?" a PKR insider told Malaysia Chronicle on strict conditions of anonymity.

Dear PKR Malay members, don't worry lah about the suggestion that Malays in PKR would be threatened by Anwar's Nalla-fication (wakakaka) and Gobala-fication (wakakaka) of the PKR Chinese (unless of course you PKR Malays are from Team W, wakakaka), because it's just a furphy from PKR's Chinese snaky hissing about their own problem.

Anyway the Malaysian Chronicle report (or the PKR Chinese faction, wakakaka) sounded a warning to Anwar as follows:

Johor PKR, for one, has no intention of letting Anwar get his way without a fight. It is understood that Johor PKR political bureau has called for an emergency press conference at 10am on Monday (March 18) at their office in Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Baru.

They are expected to announce their stand on the "seats allocation" matter. Not only DAP but Anwar can expect to get a real peppering.

Perhaps, it is time for the PKR adviser to come down to earth and realize that his greatness came not only from God but from millions of unseen Malaysians who supported him in good faith and without condition.

Anwar should remember that his multiracial credentials, in particular over the past 4 years, were built largely by minority groups such as the Chinese, Indians, Dayaks and KDM, who were fed up with the Umno-BN and willing to fight for change behind his banner.

To treat them shabbily and discard them now that his goal of becoming the next Prime Minister is in sight would not only make a hypocrite of what he stands for but invite well-deserved criticism and retribution.

Can we then expect 3-corner fights (BN, DAP, PKR) in Johor seats like Gelang Patah to the delight of another chua (snake) wakakaka.

By the by, did I ever mention about the nest of vipers that is PKR? wakakaka