Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

There are so many articles on the Ijok by-election, whether on the newspapers, internet news or blogosphere. Some tried to interpret the results and then make some predictions on the voters’ swing on the coming general elections.

Penang is not to be left out. There are several articles and commentaries on the impact of Ijok on Penang.

I was also caught up with the Ijok fever that I spoke on it at two dinner functions I attended last night.

At the Koay Clan Association dinner, I said the voters must not wait for elections to voice their grievances. They in fact can do it everyday for five years before the next general elections. It is imperative for the government to listen to the people and not only during by-election.

But I said the Chinese voters in Ijok were forced to let their votes do the talking as their complaints and dissatisfaction were ignored during normal time.

I then proceed to the second dinner organized by a Buddhist association celebrating Wesak Day.

Cheah Kah Peng (Keadilan Penang deputy chairman) was speaking then and his speech was devoted to Ijok. He spoke with much conviction and received several rounds of applause.

Whatever Ijok may mean to anyone, I do hope that the Ijok experience would bring leaders of PKR and DAP more closely.

In my speech, I urged the people to give Kah Peng a chance in the next election. Kah Peng has visited my blog and posted a comment recently.

Maybe this is the magic of Ijok.

The following e-mail was sent to DAP Malaysia. I have seen the Minister (mis)behaving in Parliament, whether as a Backbencher or a Minister. I am not surprised as he is capable of making such remarks.Another confirmation that Pak Lah’s Cabinet Ministers are half-past-six ministers.

“I am a Malaysian currently living in the USA. I am supporting the
education of my sister who is enrolled at CalPoly, California.

The reason I am writing this letter is to express my disgust and anger
regarding comments passed by the Minister of Science, Technology and
Innovation Jamaludin Jarjis during a working visit to California
recently.

He was present at a gathering organized by the Malaysian Consulate for the
students to meet him. The purpose of this meeting was for them to address
any concerns or queries they had. Being away from home, we all know that
we love to meet our fellow-countrymen regardless of what color or creed
they may be.

And being brought up in the true Malaysian way, we were taught to respect
each other and look beyond the shallowness of skin color.

This was not the case with our minister. He made several derogatory
remarks about Indians in general, about how they were brought in as
‘buruh kasar’ and at one point asked my sister about how many Indians
were in her batch of students.

My sister answered him saying there were two of them. The other Indian
student was fair-skinned and was actually sitting at the same table as
the minister.

He did not realize that this student was also an Indian and went on saying
that he must be a ‘high class’ Indian and then pointed at my sister and
said that she must be a ‘low class’ Indian as she was darker skinned.

I am appalled that we have people like this sitting at the helm and trying
to run a multi-racial country. I urge all Malaysian to stand together and
voice out against weeds like this who give our country a bad image.

I demand an apology from him and I want him to take responsibility for his
words and I believe that DAP is one of the venues to voice my
dissatisfaction.

S M, MD
New York.