Friday, March 04, 2011

Parables of the Constitutional Chinese

“I would not say I am a Chinese or Malaysian of ethnic Chinese origin. My mother tongue and home language is Chinese, my culture and tradition is Chinese and I am a Christian.

The constitution defines a Malaysian as a person who is a granted citizenship by operation of law or by virtue of any of the provisions of the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1948. Once he is a Malaysian citizen, he is a Malaysian, not an immigrant. He can be a Malaysian of Chinese origin, or Malaysian of Indian origin, or Malaysian of Bugis or Javanese origin; but he is Malaysian, and no more an immigrant, just like Mahathir.

That's the same with those other who were immigrants and whose mother tongue and home language is now Malay, not his ancestor's mother tongue who may be Tamil or Javanese, who claim his culture and tradition is now Malay and is now a Muslim.

The Malaysian Constitution defines a Malay as a Malaysian citizen born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay customs, and is domiciled in Malaysia (or Singapore).

NOTE: Habitually speaking Malay language, practice Malay customs and being a Muslim isn't sufficient - he must also be a Malaysian citizen born to a Malaysian citizen.

The criteria to be a Malaysian citizen are:

  1. Any person born before Malaysia Day who is a citizen of the Malaysia by virtue of these provisions; or
  2. Any person who immediately before Merdeka Day, was a citizen of Malaysia by virtue of any of the provisions of the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1948, whether by operation of law or otherwise
  3. Any person born within Malaysia on or after Merdeka Day and before October, 1962
  4. Any person born within Malaysia after September 1962, of whose parents one at least was at the time of the birth either a citizen or permanently resident in Malaysia, or who was not born a citizen of any other country
  5. Any person born outside Malaysia on or after Merdeka Day whose father was a citizen at the time of his birth and either was born in Malaysia or was at the time of the birth in service under the Government of Malaysia or of a State
  6. Any person born outside Malaysia on or after Merdeka Day whose father was a citizen at the time of the birth if the birth was, or is, within 1 year of its occurrence or within such longer period as in any particular case was or is allowed by the Malaysian Government, registered at a consulate of Malaysia or, if it occurred in Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei or North Borneo, registered with the Federal Government
  7. Any person born on or after Malaysia Day, and having any of the qualifications specified below
  8. Any person born within Malaysia of whose parents one at least is at the time of the birth either a citizen or permanently resident in Malaysia and
  9. Any person born outside the Malaysia whose father is at the time of the birth a citizen and either was born in Malaysia or is at the time of the birth in the service of the Federation or of a State and
  10. Any person born outside Malaysia whose father is at the time of the birth a citizen and whose birth is, within 1 year of its occurrence or within such longer period as the Malaysian Government may in any particular case allow, registered at a consulate of Malaysia or, if it occurs in Brunei or in a territory prescribed for this purpose by order of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, registered with the Malaysian Government.
Gaining citizenship

A person can become a citizen of Malaysia either by registration or naturalization. In cases by registration, where a person is by operation of law is a citizen but have yet to be registered, such person is entitled to citizenship upon application and be registered as a citizen of Malaysia. For cases by naturalization, this refers to the process of admitting a person not a citizen of Malaysia to citizenship. This is subjected to the requirements and conditions of the Federal Government. Any person holding Malaysian citizenship is also disallowed to hold any other country's citizenship. Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship.

Those applying for citizenship by registration must have "an elementary knowledge of the Malay language". Those applying to become naturalised citizens must have "an adequate knowledge of the Malay language" and have resided in the country for ten of the past twelve years, including the twelve months immediately preceding the application. These requirements are set out by Part III of the Constitution; however, as there is no objective definition of what constitutes elementary or adequate knowledge of Malay, in practice, the tests are often subjective, sometimes even varying in whether a written knowledge of Malay is required.

Mahathir said it was obvious some Malays were descended from people of the Indonesian islands, India and the Arabian peninsular.

“Having come here they were assimilated after they identified themselves completely with the Malays by adopting the Malay language, their customs and traditions and by being Muslims."

Do we become Constitutional Malaysian through assimilation or by virtue of the law of the land?

My ancestor is Chinese and I am a Malaysian by Chinese origin. My Indian friends who are Malaysian citizen are Malaysians too, and they are of Indian origin. My Indonesian friends who are Malaysian Citizen are Malaysians too; but they told me they are Javanese origin, Bugis origin, etc - ALL ARE MALAYSIANS WHO WERE ACCORDED WITH MALAYSIAN CITIZENSHIP BY OPERATION OF LAW!!!

So what is the problem? Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years; yet he seems to have a problem with this, is it or is it not?

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REFERENCE ARTICLE:

Malays are not immigrants, says Dr M

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

See how this mamak is playing with the words of the federal Constitution!

He claimed he is a Malay through the assimilation part of the relavent clauses. & yet he CONVENIENTLY ignored the portion related to parents' citizenship when referring to those Sabahans under his ingenious Project M.

Forked tongue!

He should re-read what he wrote about others calling him racist, in front of a mirror. The same applies adequately for him.

hasilox said...

Lunatical crook always loops back to the same crooked way.

When are we going to be done with
skewed political definition of a race?

Read the definition carefully again. "...adheres to Malay customs...."
It's like defining UFO by saying UFO adheres to UFO custom. What is UFO custom if UFO is yet defined?

"..domiciled in Malaysia (or Singapore)...."
Bruneian malay is not malay? Indonesian malay is not malay? Thai malay is not malay?

Lets try to identify bolehland's billionaires. Never mind the curiaires (aka curi billions).
- got malay
- got non-malay
So, malay and non-malay are billionaires. If you're malay or non-malay then you're bolehland's billionaire. But where the fuck is my billions? Only in my testicle!

Lets try to define lunatical crooked mamak. I think it's easier to just point with your finger.

Anonymous said...

I think you two should go back to primary school. You guys giving stupidity a bad name

moot said...

WTH wrong about "immigrant".

I am not surprised that bigot like mahathir both the contradiction arrogant and inferiority characteristic.

Go ask a citizen of United State of America, what's wrong about "immigrant". USA citizen never denied that their country is a immigrant society.

And contradict to 3rd wolrd country like Malaysia, USA and many Europe country allow dual citizenship.

Anonymous said...

Lost my Malaysian passport and birth Cert many years ago but the Malaysian High com in Canberra couldn't get a replacement despite a three year wait. So I applied for an Australian passport and got one in less than three weeks. Best move I made!!!!

Greener Grass

green green grass of home said...

Greener Grass

Our tourism minister also knows this lah!