Race and Ethnic Relations in Malaysia

This paper will probably land me in trouble, but I think....what the heck.

Term paper for Race and Ethnic Relations.

 

Introduction

Malaysia is a plural society where racial differences have been the focal point of politics in Malaysian each having their own fundamental differences in their main political causes. However, the Malaysian government is now saying that Malaysians should stand united and make Malaysia a nation that is forward moving by focusing on national unity and ethnic tolerance under the concept of “1Malaysia”. In this paper, I would like to take a closer look at the concept of 1Malaysia, and the concept’s feasibility in Malaysia’s future.  This paper will attempt to discuss the concept through 3 items:

1.      The concept of 1Malaysia and race

2.      Hindrances and issues pertaining to 1Malaysia

3.      Current state of ethnic relations and pertaining events

The Concept Of 1Malaysia And Race

1Malaysia is a concept born in September 16, 2008 by Dato’ Seri Najib bin Abdul Razak (here forth, Najib bin Razak or Najib) the current Prime Minister of Malaysia. The concept which speaks of “a principle of fairness toward all races that takes into account the level of development of each race” and “continuing the agenda of nation building”.

In the first part of this concept, as explained in page 5 of the 1Malaysia booklet (Appendix A), speaks of equality for all races in Malaysia and no one will be marginalized. It takes into account the progress of each race at different levels, therefore government policies and constitutional allocations will be given out to protect to those in need.

In the second part of the concept, it speaks of building the citizens by forming an attitude of race tolerance, which will lead to a stronger sense of unity; because when the people are united, nation-building would be a much easier task.

Fields (1990: p.117) opines that “Race is neither biology nor an idea absorbed into biology by Lamarckian inheritance. It is ideology, and ideologies do not have lives of their own. Nor can they be handed down or inherited: a doctrine can be, or a name, or a piece of property, but not an ideology. If race lives on today, it does not live on because we have inherited it from our forebears of the seventeenth century or the eighteenth or nineteenth, but because we continue to create it today.”

Hindrances And Issues Pertaining To 1Malaysia

“No unity means no political stability, and no political stability means we’re all in trouble. All the races would be in trouble. The Malays would be in trouble, the Chinese would be in trouble and the Indians too, would be in trouble.”

“Some people forget the struggle our forefathers went through to make this country a success story today. We must defend this success and not risk destroying it, for the sake of our future generation. We must not take racial harmony and unity for granted. It has taken us a long time to strengthen this racial fabric.” –Najib bin Razak

(New Straits Times, 12 January 2009, in New Image Bank)

The main problem in Malaysia is not so much of race relations of its citizens itself alone, but rather the politics of identity/ethnicity which then manifests as the state of race relations in Malaysia. The reason is that Malaysia has an issue of contradiction at the higher political level. Issues regarding race relation in Malaysia, such as religion and special rights, are often sung out by the nation’s leaders who came up with the concept of 1Malaysia in the first place. Gerakan[1]-turned-PKR[2] politician Dr Tan Kee Kwong said it best with, “BN[3] on one hand is promoting 1 Malaysia, it is a good concept but on the other hand, they are promoting Perkasa[4] – their group was registered in six months.” (Malaysian Insider, 8 July 2010:http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-small-chip-off-the-old-opposition-bloc/)

In her column “1Chameleon” (Malaysiakini, 25 October 2010), Mariam Mokhtar noted that the current Prime Minister, Najib bin Razak, has spoken a message at the recent UMNO[5] general assembly which contradicts his brainchild, 1Malaysia. She remarks that Najib’s “leadership and professionalism are questionable” on his remark “Even if our bodies are crushed and our lives lost, brothers and sisters, whatever happens, we must defend Putrajaya.” I concur with her. In my opinion this remark reflects his insecurity in the UMNO’s leadership which led to his recycling of old and proven-effective tactics, that is through playing up the people’s insecurities which are economic, religion and race. Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Malaysia’s first prime minister), comment on the White Paper in the 1980’s put it succinctly:

For the Prime Minister (Dr.Mahathir) to repeat [the story of] the violence of the May 13 Affair as a warning of what would have happened if the government had not taken appropriate action immediately is like telling ghost stories to our children to prevent them from being naughty. This is not a childish matter, but a matter of national importance. The tale should not be repeated because it shows us to be politically immature. (Das, 1989:p.5)

To people outside of Malaysia, Najib’s statement on Putrajaya may seem to be just another political exhortation, but this carries rather serious consequences in Malaysian society because it raises racial hackles. How so?

By saying that UMNO needs to defend Putrajaya in the recent UMNO general assembly, he was stirring a hornets’ nest also, because it implies that Malaysia belongs exclusively to the Malays. If he had said this in a BN meeting, the focus of criticism would have been centered on the Opposition. It was aimed to the sense of insecurity in some of the Malays, who believe that it is their sovereign right to rule in Malaysia, although it is not in the laws of Malaysia to do so. This remark has also irked many Malaysians, regardless of race as it may pose as a threat to their personal safety as the church burning[6] and cow head incident[7] are still fresh in their minds.

Prior to Najib’s remark, UMNO Division Chief Johari Abdul Ghani said in a closed door UMNO meeting in July 2010 that the Titiwangsa constituency does not need the votes of the Chinese and the Indian communities. (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n5sYVZTTKQ, Free Malaysia Today, http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/barisan-nasional/12212-non-malay-votes-not-needed-umno-bn-leaders-see-red) This has again shown that the nation’s leaders’ (or more appropriately, UMNO, the ruling coalition’s main power) insincerity in committing to the concept they touted since its conception. It certainly did not help when Johari Abdul Ghani responded in his blog (please refer to Appendix B for his whole response) to the backlash he received though email feedback that “There will be people who are unscrupulous and will not have any qualms in using the same technology (internet) to manipulate a perfectly innocent situation into that which will suit their own agenda; regardless of the effect it may have on the individual person whom they are targeting” and “I would like to sincerely apologise to you for being offended by the extract of my speech”.

In a separate case, on the 19^th of October 2010, the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia sent out a circular to all universities to postpone reschedule the examinations because some parties had complained that it clashed with the Deepavali celebrations . The question posted by the students across the universities was: why didn’t the universities anticipated this? What happened to the “principle of fairness toward all races” as proclaimed by under the concept of 1Malaysia?

Current State Of Ethnic Relations And Pertaining Events

The current state of relations between the races is not clear. On one hand the relations seem to be antagonistic while on the other hand, the citizens show that the situation is not as bad as some have portrayed it to be. What are the evidences?

In “March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up”, Mohammad Khairie (Kee, 2008:p. 84-87) noted that the walk for BERSIH rally in November 10, 2007 consisted of Malaysians from different races and all walks of life for a single cause: the demand for a free and fair election. Malaysia has also seen candlelight vigils by Malaysians for causes such as the abolishment of the Internal Security Act on 1 August 2010 and 13 September 2008, and against the cow head incident 5 September 2009. In  more recent news (Malaysiakini, 22 0ctober 2010, Malaysian Chronicle 26 October 2010), Malaysians of all races and walks of life united again for another cause: a safe and continuous virtual protest against the building of Menara Warisan estimated to cost MYR 5 billion via the social networking site, Facebook. The site (http://www.facebook.com/#!/NoMegaTower) has garnered 250413 members at the time of writing. It has been featured on AlJazeera (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zuXp0iP8vU ) on the 21^st of October 2010 and the result of the first virtual “march” on Sunday, October 24^th, can be watched on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpLfwMHZblk).

Apart from that, the mushrooming blogger community has also implied that many Malaysians of all races are not playing to the tune of racial politics. In fact, they have been rather critical towards the politicians and policy-makers. Bloggers like Haris Ibrahim (author of “The People’s Parliament[8]”), Khoo Kay Peng (author of “Straight Talk[9]”), Sivin Kit (author of “Sivin Kit’s Adventures[10]”) and Amutha Ramadas (author of “tulipspeaks[11]”) speak out against the politics and hope to promote understanding in minds of their readers through their writings.

This shows us that although Malaysians have their various differences in both physical and cultural characteristics, they will unite for the cause they believe in. This has been shown to us in the peoples involvement in the causes mentioned regardless of race. It seems that Malaysians, especially those from the middle class background, is starting to use their state-given rights to voice out against racism in politics, criticize its effects on Malaysian society and also the Malaysian government’s inability to keep to the concept conceived by them.

Conclusion: Is 1Malaysia Feasible?

From the above mentioned issues and public reaction toward certain issues show that the concept is already in place within the hearts of many Malaysians. I believe it would be safe to say that the concept was always there without the need to give it a fancy name like 1Malaysia. As long as issues such as religion and superiority of whoever’s race are not touched, ethnicity and race are very much an identity the individual associates with culturally.

Having said that, certain current political leaders’ tendency to continue their use of the old tactics of race privileges in their rhetoric, it most certainly stirs doubt about the realization of the concept at the national level. However, it is my personal belief that the 1Malaysia concept is already within the hearts of Malaysian society, and one day will come into fruition, provided that the Malaysians themselves do not lose hope and continue to work together for changing, until change they hope for in the political climate comes. Therefore, the concept of 1Malaysia is still feasible.

                                                                                                                              

Bibliography:

Das, K. 1989. Introduction. The White Paper On The October Affair And The Why? Papers. Compiled and Edited by K. Das and SUARAM. Kelana Jaya: SUARAM KOMMUNIKASI.

Fields, Barbara Jeanne. 1990. Slavery, Race & Ideology in the United States of America. New Left Review. I/181, May-June 1990 p.95-118. London: New Left Review Ltd.

http://www.nib.com.my./archives/text/view/16906033?pos=29&hide_header=1&resultset=nstpec%3Awww/cross-search/search.php%3A_1288609054%3Aresultset [Accessed: 28 October 2010]

Kee, Thuan Chye. 2008. March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up. Shah Alam: Marshall Cavendish Editions.

Mariam Mokhtar. 2010. 1 Chameleon. Malaysiakini. http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/146301 [Accessed: 25 October 2010]

New Straits Times. 12 January 2009.  Racial unity essential for stability, says Najib. News Image Bank. http://www.nib.com.my./archives/text/view/16906033?pos=29&hide_header=1&resultset=nstpec%3Awww/cross-search/search.php%3A_1288609054%3Aresultset [Accessed: 26 October 2010]

Electronic Resources:

http://www.1malaysia.com.my/

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/index.php

http://joharighani.blogspot.com/2010/10/youtube.html

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/

http://www.malaysiakini.com/

http://www.thenutgraph.com/

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/

http://www.ukm.my/e-pelajar/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/

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[1] Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia or “Gerakan”: A component party in of Malaysia’s ruling political coalition, Barisan Nasional. Also known as the Malaysian People's Movement Party.

[2] Parti Keadilan Rakyat: the opposition political party also known as the People’s Justice Party.

[3] Barisan National: the ruling political coalition since Malaysia’s independence consisting of communal parties, also known as the National Front.

[4]Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia or Perkasa is a non-governmental Malay Supremacy organization that was formed by Ibrahim Ali in the aftermath of the Malaysian general elections in 2008. They claim to be "protectors of Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia" and to defend the rights of Bumiputera from being eroded by certain quarters. Perkasa is said to be fighting and defending the rights of the Malays which they feel are being challenged by non-Malays in Malaysia.

[5] UMNO: United Malays National Organization

[6]The church burning incidents (on Metro Tabernacle and attempted burning of Assumption Church and Life Chapel in the Kuala Lumpur) on Malaysian churches in early January 2010.

[7] The cowhead incident happened in August 28, 2009 where some 50 Malay residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head.

[8] http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/

[9] http://khookaypeng.blogspot.com/

[10] http://sivinkit.net/

[11] http://www.tulipspeaks.com/

Three Simple Things the PM Can Do to Win Our Support for Mega Tower

by 1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower

Due to overwhelming public discontent including those coming from this page, proponents and supporters of the Mega Tower have now tried to dismiss public opinion by claiming that this is a private investment after the PM announced it in his Budget Speech in 2011.

On one hand, they want to "privatise" the issue that only PNB investors can talk about this. On the other hand, they try to appease the public by making vague claims about "multiplier effect" - meaning the money invested in the Mega Tower will create more jobs and increase GNP because everyone who can pay will further spend.

They want to sound sophisticated and dismiss ordinary Malaysians as emotional, misinformed, lost and even jealous.

Here are the three simple arguments - (a) public fund; (b) national priority; (c) town-planning - that we ordinary Malaysians can easily debunk their propaganda. And we are showing the PM what he can do to win us over.

1. Public Fund

The Private Investment argument implies first and foremost that the private investors will bear the loss should their investment fail. But so often Malaysian Government-linked Companies (GLCs) have been privatising profits and socialising losses. Do we need another Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)?

Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is wholly owned by Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera (YPB) whose Trustee Board Chairman is none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak. It manages the politically critical Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) and Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN).

Will PM Najib allow PNB to suffer loses and ASB and ASN holders to have their hard-earned money burnt should the Mega Tower becomes another Plaza Rakyat?

To make this private investment argument credible, the least the PM can do is announce that Government will not bail out PNB and PNB and whoever it partners with will be investing on their own risk.

It's a simple pledge of "no bail out". Do this and you have one third of the objection gone. But will you dare, Datuk Seri Najib Razak?

2. National Priority

PNB is a GLC and by its name, its task is to invest for the nation. The DPM said, almost every Malaysian including the non-Malays is a PNB investor. Correction, Mr DPM, it's every single Malaysian, not almost every. All Malaysians are PNB investors because PNB was set-up and is still supported by the tax-payers' money in many ways.

PNB is a not a private company owned by its investors. The Government is its immediate boss and we the people, being the boss of the Government, its ultimate one. Stop talking about pure business decision. In the language ordinary Malaysians use: "It's not your grandfather's propertylah!"

PNB must be economically patriotic and talk about national priority. If you want to be selfish, cease to be a GLC. Period.

That's why most ordinary Malaysians are protesting: If we have RM 5 Billion, why don't we use it in other better ways: building more roads in Sabah and Sarawak; investing to mitigate floods in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu; taking over the PLUS highway so that Malaysians can pay less when traveling; or improving the public transport system to reduce jam in KL?

PM and PNB talk about "multiplier effect". Now, will investing in East Malaysia or the Northern States not create more jobs there? If jobs and growth are needed, aren't those poorer states deserving more stimulus in economy?

Mr Najib, show us a benefit-cost analysis that demonstrates that RM 5 Billion should be best used in building the Mega Tower and why this will not crowd out development funding in more deserving areas than downtown Kuala Lumpur, and the second 1/3 of our objection will be gone.

3. Town Planning

Even if the Mega Tower is to be built by YTL or Berjaya or any private company, you still can't bulldozer it with a simple line, "this is a purely business decision!"

Why? Because there are externalities. Mr PM, you studied economics and surely you understand what all first-year Economics students are expected to know.

Externalities, which may be positive or negative, refer to external effects suffered by the third parties when a transaction is made or activity carried out. Why can't heroin be sold on the market if there are willing buyers and wiling sellers? Because it negatively impacts others.

Externalities are basically the reason why market fails and governments are needed. In the case of Mega Tower, externalities are regulated through town planning. Every development project needs to be examined on the ground of town planning - traffic jam, pollution, population density, living quality to name a few aspects. And the losers in development need to be fairly compensated.

Now, have the local communities been consulted? Have the parents, students, teachers and alumni of the five schools (Victoria Institution, Methodist Boy School, Confucian Private High School, SM Confucian and SRJK (C) Jalan Davison been consulted? Have the traders and others who make their living at both sides of the Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Jalan Pudu been consulted? And what about the architectural integrity of the oldest part of Kuala Lumpur?

PNB or any company cannot just build any building because they see profit. Again, in simple language that ordinary Malaysians use, "This country is not owned by your grandfather!"

Dear PM, present a feasibility report, do a proper consultation with the local communities, convince them that the project is good for them and have their concerns addressed, and you can win the last 1/3 of objection.

People First, Accountability Now

We, a quarter million of Malaysians on Facebook and many more out there who oppose the construction of Mega Tower are reasonable people. We love our country therefore we speak up.

Don't talk down to us. Don't dismiss our objection as misunderstanding or jealousy. Only colonial governments did that. There can be no greater irony if a tower named Merdeka is to be built in a colonial manner of governance.

We may speak humbly but we are ultimately your boss.

We are glad that you have recovered and hope you are now strong enough to lead. We request you to hold public meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and all other state capitals to convince us why this Mega Tower project is well-though and justified. Facing the public and winning them over is what democratic leaders are expected to do when they have an unpopular policy or project to go ahead.

Mr PM, give us three things and we may turn out to be the most passionate supporters of the Mega Tower:
1. a pledge of no-bail-out for PNB;
2. a macro-economic benefit-cost analysis; and
3. a town-planning feasibility report.

We want to hear you, Mr PM. Please hear us.

People First. Accountability Now.

RPK'S Bodoh Sombong Article

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's father is one example of an English language teacher from India who came to Malaya and eventually married a Malay woman, resulting in the birth of Dr Mahathir. Many Indian and Chinese immigrants married in Malaya, sometimes to fellow Indians and Chinese and sometimes to local Malays (that is why many Malays look more Indian and Chinese compared to their Indonesian cousins). And understandably they sired children born in Malaya. And these local born sons and daughters of the immigrants are those Malaysian Indians and Chinese of today, many who have never stepped foot in India or China since the day they were born. Their parents and grandparents (some are third or fourth generation Malaysians while some, like the Melaka Chinese, have been 'locals' since 500 years ago) came to Malaya to serve the country and died in this country. And some of these 'immigrants' have been in the country longer than even Malays who are only second or third generation Malaysians.

The question of who came first is an arguable issue. There are Indians and Chinese who have been in Malaysia for hundreds of years and there are Malays who have been in the country less than 100 years. Nevertheless, this articleis not to argue about who is more Bumiputera - the Malays, Indians or Chinese. Everyone - Malays, Indians and Chinese alike - are sons and daughters of immigrants. It would be very difficult to dissect the three different races based on generalising. You would have to look at it on a case-to-case basis. My family came to Malaya in the mid-1700s. Tian Chua's family came to Malaya much earlier than that. Dr Mahathir and Khir Toyo are merely second generation Malaysians although one became the Prime Minister and the other the Chief Minister of a State.

Okay, the purpose of this article is not to argue who is more Bumiputera as we can argue till the cows come home and will never reach a consensus...What I want to talk about is who has served this country and, therefore, can be considered a true patriot. The railway, roads, bridges and buildings, right up to maybe the 1980s or so (that means for more than 100 years), were built by the Indians and Chinese (not the Malays). I still remember even as recent as the 1970s when Indians would work in the hot sun building the roads and laying the railway lines. They also worked in the estates and plantations. And the same goes for the tin mines and the construction industry, which were mainly a Chinese affair. And many died. There were numerous cases where entire Chinese communities were wiped out by disease and war and they had to bring in fresh loads of Chinese workers from China to replace those who had died. And the living conditions of these workers were pathetic.

Trust me when I say detention under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting is luxurious compared to what these Indians and Chinese had to endure. The Malayan civil service, legal system, education system, and whatnot, depended on the English educated Indians brought in from India. It was not until the 1920s or so, when the immigration policy was tightened, that the Malays were educated enough to start filling the ranks of the civil service. Even by the time of Merdeka the country still depended on the immigrants because there were not enough seducated Malays to serve the country. And almost all these people died in this country (only some went home to die) and their Malaysian-born children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are those Indians and Chinese you see in the country today.

To sum up: this country was built by the non-Malays. What we see today is the result of the contribution by the non-Malays. Initially, Malay's economy depended on rubber and tin, long before we had factories and heavy industries. And it was because we had immigrant Indians and Chinese is why we saw a thriving rubber and tin industry. If not because of rubber and tin, Malaysia would be amongst the poorest countries in this world. Then we had three wars - the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Konfrantasi with Indonesia. And not just Malayans, but many foreign 'Mat Salleh' (white skins), as well as Africans, Fijians, Gurkhas, Indians, Punjabis, Bengalis, and many more, died in these wars. Of course, Malays died as well. But Malays were not the only ones who died in these three wars. But is the contribution of these patriots ever remembered? The Malays scream, rant and rave that this is a Malay country. They declare that this is Tanah Melayu (Malay land). But we might not even have a country, at least not in the form that we see it now, if not for the fact that many not of Malay origin laid down their lives for this country. If the non-Malays, including the 'Mat Salleh', had not died for this country, Malaysia would no longer be an independent nation but just a small province of Indonesia.

When Malays talk about dying for your country, they just look at the three wars. But the death toll for these wars does not even come close to the death toll of those who died serving this country in other ways. Some died defending the country in wars. But many more died in the effort to build this country to what it is today. And many also died of mere old age after serving this country their entire life and then retired here as citizens. But how do we repay these patriots or children and grandchildren of patriots not of Malay origin? We insult them. We threaten them. We discriminate against them. We oppress them. We persecute them. We treat them as second-class citizens. We refuse to recognise the patriotic contribution of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents in defending this country and in building this country to what it is today. So, these people feel hurt. So, they feel that the sacrifices and contribution of their forefathers are not remembered and appreciated. So, they decide to leave the country and go to another country that can better-appreciate their talents and skills instead of threatening and subjecting them to screams of "go back to your own country".

Who are the traitors here? Are the traitors those who hijrah in search of a better life like what the Prophet Muhammad did? Or are the traitors those who ignore the patriotic contribution of Malayans from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s?
The Umno Ministers should be made to pass a history test before they can be appointed as Ministers. And they should also be made to pass a lie detector test every time they make a statement. As the Malays would say : bodoh (stupid) is bad enough. Bodoh sombong (arrogantly stupid) is unforgivable.
And Umno Ministers are just that - bodoh sombong.

Hitler on Mega Tower issue

Straight Talk: PM Najib Should Create More Towering Malaysians an...

Straight Talk: PM Najib Should Create More Towering Malaysians an...: "The 100-storey building under the Warisan Merdeka mega project will have a multiplier effect on the economy and generate business opportuni..."

Starhill, YTL and the Force Behind Them

Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur prides itself as the centre of luxury retailing-home to prestigious (and pricey) brands such as Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Jaeger La-Coultre, Armani and Van Cleef & Arpels, just to name a few.  
So it may surprise you, as you browse through the exclusive offerings in this posh mall, to come across a Christian bookstore. Glad Sounds Bookstore opened its 12th outlet on the ExploreFloor of Starhill Gallery last December, selling its books, Bibles, CDs and DVDs on very prime real estate. 
This sounds unusual because we're so used to Christian bookstores tucked away in obscure comers of shopping centres. Such was the experience of one Malaysian businessman, who decided to do something about that. 
"When I want to go to a bookshop in Singapore, I go to Suntec City," says Tan Sri Francis Yeoh.  
"The Christian bookshop there is very popular. But it's next to a toilet, and it always puzzles me
how the Christians are always relegated to spaces right at the wrong ends-the smelly ends. Can't they afford a prime space in any shopping centre?" 
He lamented the price of progress. When, several years ago, a church had to move from Wall Street, the newspaper headlines screamed, "Even God cannot afford Wall Street."
 
This burdened Yeoh, 56, so much that he earmarked valuable retail space in his shopping mall for the express purpose of opening a Christian bookstore and searched for the right people to run it. After two months of meetings and prayer, Starhill Gallery welcomed Glad Sounds as its newest tenant.
 
"It's truly a miracle in God's wonderful plan," Yeoh tells Asian Beacon in an exclusive interview.
 
"This is a mighty big event. Glad Sounds is now in Starhill with all the Louis Vuittons of this earth. And why not?"  
 
The Morning Star and Calvary's Hill
 
Why not? Well, one might ask, "Why would something as seemingly trivial as a Christian bookstore be high on the priority list for a tycoon who heads a RM33 billion business empire?" It doesn't make much business sense, but then again, Tan Sri Francis Yeoh is not your typical businessman.
 
Besides his tremendous corporate success and passion for arts, culture and the finer things in life, the other much-touted fact about Yeoh- one that probably sets him apart-is his unapologetic, unwavering faith in God.
 
It's hard not to find him mentioning God when he is being interviewed, be it by The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. Recently, Yeoh unabashedly declared in The Star, "Without my Lord, I am nothing!" and "My personal goal is always to walk in the footsteps of God."
 
Yeoh is renowned for his contrarian investment approach, embarking on buying sprees while others are shying away. In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, he swooped down on  
98 acres of Bukit Bintang prime real estate, including Starhill, Lot 10 and JW Marriott, for a song, and transformed it into a luxury and lifestyle destination.
 
Unknown to many, Yeoh had dedicated the entire stretch to God when he took stewardship of those properties a decade ago. "People often forget the meaning behind Starhill," he says. "Jesus is the Morning Star, and the hill is the Hill of Calvary."
 
Thus, it seems very apt for a Christian bookstore, promoting God's word, to be sited in Starhill Gallery. Yeoh had also allocated space on the same floor for Shalom Cafe, which complements the bookstore and allows book lovers to lounge in.
 
Yeoh, an avid reader, opines that many Christians are not well read and that reading is a way of loving the Lord with our mind. He is frustrated that the devil seems to know more Scripture than most Christians. Through Glad Sounds' literature ministry, believers can arm themselves with the sword, God's Word.
 
"God's love is not quacky," says Yeoh, who recommends books by CS Lewis and Lee Strobel.
 
The latter wrote The Case for a Creator. “A well-read Christian would be able to intelligently defend the truth. It's a big mistake for Christians to cop-out!"
 
 
The Turning Point
 
The YTL Group bears the initials of Yeoh's father, Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, who had set up a small construction company in 1955. Big brother Yeoh and his six siblings grew up at construction sites and started supervising projects in their teenage years.
 
The family business was badly hit during the 1970s oil crisis. Yeoh, then 16, wanted to drop out of school to help his father but the offer was declined.
 
Much burdened, Yeoh wandered around Kuala Lumpur and stumbled into the Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church, located along Cangkat Bukit Bintang.
 
"On that Friday, I vowed that I would dedicate my life to the God who could help me, whichever that was," says Yeoh. The pastor, to whom he had poured out his woes, comforted him by telling him that his problem would be gone by Monday. "True enough, my problem miraculously vanished on Monday! I believe Jesus directed me towards Him and found me worthy to be His servant."
 
Yeoh went on to study engineering in the UK and returned to take the helm of the company at age 24, growing it into the conglomerate it is today.
 
Jesus Will Pay the Bill
 
The YTL Group grabbed international attention in 2002 when it beat a consortium of major contenders in the bid for the UK utility company, Wessex Water.
 
To celebrate the company's first major foray into the international energy industry, Yeoh decided to throw a free concert in 2003 in Bath, England. He invited his good friend Luciano Pavarotti to sing. The tenor's only available date was August 7; unfortunately, August was also the wettest month, and there were concerns that the open-air concert would be a wash-out. Yeoh, however, believed that the Lord would not rain on His own parade; he decided to up the ante by getting Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras to team up as "The Three Tenors" at a cost of 1 million pounds per singer.
 
The Yeoh 'Cabinet', comprising Yeoh's father and siblings, baulked at the expense and the need for three tenors. Finally, Yeoh said, "Don't worry, Jesus will pay the bill."
 
As it turned out, August 2003 was the hottest and driest month in Bath's history!
 
The concert was a success. On top of that, the heat drove residents to use extra water, and
Wessex's profits shot up by 3 million pounds-the exact cost of the concert! "My faith was proven right. Jesus did pay the bill," Yeoh recounts.
  
From Royalty to Fishermen
 
Yeoh, who has rubbed shoulders with prime ministers, royalty and other high-profile VIPs, doesn't hesitate to share his faith with them. "Jesus Christ is the coolest God; we need to articulate God's love to everyone!" he says. He doesn't delve into theology as he believes the key to reach hard hearts is to share God's love. "Melt the stone with God's love."
 
Yeoh recalls his burden, many years ago, for the fishermen in Pangkor Island. His staff had shared the Good News with them but with little success.
 
Subsequently, God told Yeoh to speak to them directly. In obedience, he befriended the fishermen, speaking in his own Hokkien dialect; soon they were won over by his love for them. "There were also wonderful testimonies from Ah Longs and gangsters," Yeoh adds.
 
"The Methodist Church in Pangkor started 20 years ago with only 5 "persons" – the pastor and his wife, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit," Yeoh quips. "But today, it has a 300-strong congregation. God's business is to multiply!"
 
Having fulfilled his desire to open a Christian bookstore, what other plans does Yeoh have up his sleeves?" I don't want to talk about my future plans," says Yeoh. "I'm just a 'midwife'."
 
Well, it'll definitely be interesting to see what more God can do through such a willing instrument.
 
Glad Sounds Bookstore and Shalom Cafe are located at Lot F25 6- F42, Explore Floor, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

I'm Single and Married.

"Huh? What the ****?" was probably the first thing that came to your minds.

Heads up: Today's topic is about I, Me and MY... religion. :D
 I'm single and available by the way.

What did I just mean by saying I'm married?
I'm a Christian, and I'm a part of the Church. And the Church, is known as the bride of Christ. (Revelations 21:9-10* , Ephesians 5:24**, 2Corinthians 11:1-3***)
So in that aspect I am married to Christ, thus the statement "Single and Married" becomes true.

Post comments , questions....whatever. Happy to answer.  And like I have already stated.
Brickbats are welcome. Haters can have teh tarik.

* - Presentation of New Jerusalem (the Church) as the Bride
** - Submission of Church to Christ, as wives submit to husbands
*** - Paul speaking to the people in Corinth about presenting them to Christ as a pure virgin, just like a father would present to the groom a virgin bride in the old days. (Now of course, this aspect is unappreciated by some people)