Cakap cakap...Tony Pua

I have recently posted my comment on Tony Pua’s visit to Adelaide. At no juncture did I endorse, support of say anything complimentary about Tony. Part of what I wrote was this:

“It does not matter if you are pro or against the DAP. Whether you are a Malay, Chinese or Indian -  from Sabah or Sarawak! What gender or religion you are too does not matter. This is an opportunity to dialogue with a young and articulate politician”.

I do not know this Tony Pau. I have posted information about his visit because for me, as a Malaysian, if he will take the trouble to come to Adelaide to meet with us, then the least I could do is to extend the courtesy of making him feel welcome and try and get Malaysians who are in Adelaide to turn up at the meet so that we can all see for ourselves who this Tony Pua is. I would extend the same courtesy to any UMNO or Barisan Nasional Politicians – if they too chose to visit Adelaide instead of just Melbourne, Sydney or Perth!

Predictably I did receive feedbacks from both side of the fence – one side being those for DAP and Pakatan Rakyat and the other side against that “bloody racist DAP”. Fair game you are entitled to your opinion. Here are two comments I received – the others are not fit to be published!

"…. you Melayu tak sedar diri. Bloody racist DAP. You think they'll gonna defend your rights mate. The first thing they gonna to do is to chuck Malay liberal like you out ....."

"….why don't you ask the self centred bloody rascist to join your boat instead mate. At least we have one less in our hand back home to deal with……"

Is it not worrying that there are people who diligently go through the blogs to look for things they disagree with and then sit down to write shallow and racist drivel? Have they got nothing better to do? If they give me information and facts to back up their claim that Tony Pua is a “self centered bloody racist” then at least I could use that information to engage Tony in a dialogue and ask him for clarification of that particular incident.

They also call me a “Malay liberal” – the only thing I am liberal about is putting my thoughts liberally onto the public domain. My name, pictures of me, my email, where I stay and details of my background, my family are all there for people to see. I do not hide behind “anonymous” when writing articles, comments or sending emails to people. These people do.

Are they embarrassed at the things they say that they need to hide their names lest people know them for what they are? A racist idiot left far behind by the changing time? These are the pitiful Malaysian that does so much damage to our people. Two faced and they do not have the courage of their convictions! 

This is where we are at now. We have individuals, not necessarily just Malays, but people across the board that are filled with hatred and narrow opinions based on race and religion. Their race and their religion. Anybody who is not with them is against them!

I want to meet with Tony Pua because I want to know him. I want to listen to what he has to say. I want to see how he takes questions and answers them. I wish I could do that with Najib or Muhyiddin – or any BN Member of Parliament but in my time here I have yet to hear of any of them making the trip to Adelaide.

But I can tell you all this. I have no fear of meeting with anybody to have open and free dialogue on matters of mutual interests. I have no fear in listening to these people because I can think for myself and decide for myself if what they say is reasonable and rational. At the end of the day I will decide for myself if the time spent in listening to them has been worth my while and if I have been converted to their way of thinking or them to mine.

I would even go to meet with Jesus in his second coming for I am sure of who I am and can speak for myself of my own beliefs.

Men harm others by their deeds, themselves by their thoughts. 

Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827


The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. 

Sonya Friedman