'Rais Yatim warns of stern action against those who produce videos containing racial slurs. What about those who spew racial insults in front of a live audience?'

Rais warns of stern action on racial slurs

KSN: Here comes the wise guy with a doctorate in law. Where was he when the principals of the two schools were pouring scorn and contempt on the Chinese and Indians with blatant racialism? This video maker (Namewee) has challenged Puteri Umno to an open debate. What about that, Rais Yatim?

Where were you when a cow's head was paraded along the streets of Shah Alam? Where were you when Ahmad Ismail and Nasir Safar and others were doing the same thing, insulting non-Malays with religious and racial condemnation?

Please, for a change, talk some sense and with intelligence. You are, after all, a PhD holder and a minister in the government.

Roland Shen Loong: Rais Yatim today warned of stern action against those who produce videos which contain racial slurs. What about those who spew racial insults and racist remarks in front of a live audience? The two school heads in Johor and Kedah performed live in front of their schoolchildren as audiences.

Dood: Once again, they are going after the messengers and the people who speak out against the wrongdoers, while the real culprits roam free and protected.

Be fair: Minister Rais Yatim, why no action taken on the two racist Malay school officials? So it is okay if the non-bumiputeras are racially attacked but action must be taken if a racist bumiputera is verbally attacked? If you want the rakyat to respect you, you need to be fair.

SaveMalaysia: Rais may not be wrong to warn against inappropriate videos and vulgarities, but how about the real perpetrators of racism? I don't see him commenting about real racists and newspapers that often stir racial feelings.

Urban Malaysian: Rais, when Utusan Malaysia and the racist school principals of Johor and Kedah made outright derogatory outbursts against non-Malays, you kept quiet. When Ridhuan Tee Abdullah made equally racist remarks, you kept quiet.

Now, Namewee, a non-Malay, is brave enough to make a video, and you suddenly found your voice. Bloody double standards. Is the BN government for Umno Malays only?

Namewee cans video, but wants tango with Puteri Umno

Myrights: This guy has got guts! He reminds me of Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who is like a one-man army challenging an entire battalion of the government machinery. I would prefer, however, that Namewee tone down on his vulgarities.

SayaAnakBangsaMalaysia: Namewee did not have to withdraw his video. Sure, it was rude, but it was an entirely valid response to the openly racist remarks repeatedly uttered not just by the school principal but also by a long list of Umno-linked people like Ibrahim Ali, Nasir Safar, Hishammuddin Hussein, Ahmad Ismail and Muhyiddin Yassin - all of whom get away scot-free with making their racist remarks.

Yet, when Namewee makes a video to protest against these racist remarks, Puteri Umno disingenuously accuses him of ‘having no respect'. Puteri Umno's accusations are openly hypocritical.

Nicole: About time a Malaysian face them squarely and tell them to bugger off. Cheers Namewee!

Geronimo: Three decades ago when I was working for a large hotel group, my CEO ran into a tiff with the then-Tourism Development Council (TDC). For many months, he had been writing to them to discuss about the state of tourism in the country and how it was affecting the hotel industry. Several letters were sent, still no reply. He decided to do the next best thing.

We have a monthly newsletter which was being distributed to multinational companies, including the TDC. Right from the inception of its publication, the cover always carried photos of Malaysia's scenic views.

For the next issue, he instructed his PR department to select one of the worst photos she could find in the collection and have it published as a front cover. It was photo depicting a dirty beach in Kuala Trengganu with rubbish strewn over the place. There was a rotting sampan in the foreground tucked underneath a dried up coconut tree.

This immediately drew flaks from TDC and my CEO in return asked the officer, "Can we now talk?"

Namewee's style is no different. The problem is that Umno has been in power for so long that they have become desensitised to the non-Malays' feelings. As a youth, Namewee's approach may appear a bit unorthodox, but bears the same objective as my CEO, i.e. to get the message through to the thick skulls of those in charge.

Sabah 12: Telling the men from the boys

Equinox: There was a Parti China Sabah many years ago set up by stragglers from the discredited Sabah Chinese Association, a component party of the Usno-led Parti Perikatan before the 1976 state election.

The PCS faded into oblivion in double-quick time for want of support from the Chinese community. From the newspaper report on the PKR's ‘Dirty Dozen', there was hardly a Chinese in the list that supposedly tried to form the new Parti Cinta Sabah.

My first reaction is that the PKR leadership should sack (not suspend) these nomadic political tribesmen. Let them go ahead and form the Parti Cinta Sabah. See how far they can go. And if Jeffrey Kitingan had anything to do with the "application", sack him too.

It is better for PKR to start on a new slate with people committed to bring sustainable political reform to this country. Devious opportunists and party hoppers should be identified early and eschewed from the party leadership structure.

Proarte: Umno has destroyed any notion of a Malaysian identity through its divisive 'Ketuanan Melayu' modus operandi. PAS is now trying to do the same through its 'Ketuanan Islam' antics. PKR, through Anwar's machinations, is trying to foist a double whammy of 'Ketuanan Melayu and Islam' on the Sabahans.

The rebellious 12 represent a non-Muslim and secular-minded Muslim grouping who resent Anwar's 'control freakery' and desire to establish Muslim hegemony in East Malaysia. The 20-point plan for Sabah, if put into practice, will reinforce the secular nature of our constitution and be a beacon for racial harmony in Malaysia.

Unfortunately Umno and PAS are just not capable of uniting the nation with a common philosophy. Sabah is our only hope and Anwar is desperately trying to undermine Jeffrey Kitingan, who is committed to restoring rights of Sabahans which have been usurped and abused by Muslim-Malay hegemonic aspirations. Anwar seems to be working in Umno's interest, the price I suppose, for escaping jail.

Peterson: Is Jeffrey Kitingan trying to hold PKR to ransom? This guy is an opportunist. He ‘frogs' and cannot be trusted. He can create a lot of problems to PKR now and after GE13. This untrustworthy leader should be sacked from PKR and replaced with people who loves to see Sabah prosper under Pakatan Rakyat.

The above are a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only Malaysiakini subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .