Dear all,

Another comment I just posted at Tun’s blog

Dear PM Tun Dr Mahathir,

Please allow me to quote below what are and aren’t Nationalism, Racialism, Patriotism and how it feel being Chinese

https://www.britannica.com/topic/nationalism

Nationalism, ideology based on the premise that the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over another. The term may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against other people because they are of a different race or ethnicity. Modern variants of racism are often based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples. These views can take the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems in which different races are ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities.

https://www.thoughtco.com/patriotism-and-nationalism-4178864

While the words patriotism and nationalism were once considered synonyms, they have taken on different connotations. While both are the feelings of love people feel for their country, the values upon which those feelings are based are very different.

Feelings of patriotism are based on the positive values the country embraces—like freedom, justice, and equality. The patriot believes that both the system of government and the people of their country are inherently good and work together for a better quality of life

History had told us, Hitler openly proclaimed his racialism as nationalism in order to gain support/blind royalty/power with “you are either with me or against me (the nation)”, the poison indoctrinate of racialism as nationalism which lead Nazi to power and blinded the whole German Nation into world war II.

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism,” Macron said. “Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests first, who cares about the others, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values.” https://www.vox.com/2018/11/13/18091202/trump-macron-nationalism

I beg to differ with @Mubarakchan’s stereotype of Chinese Malaysian

I think this article by Chan-Lui Lee, on Subject: Being Chinese is more reflective of the feeling of being an Oversea Chinese.

The simple plain truth about the Chinese

This Chinese-Australian professor has a funny but true explanation about the Chinese people.

Why do Chinese people work so hard to succeed in life?

Chinese people don’t go about bombing, terrorizing others and causing religious hatred. We live peacefully with everyone on Earth.

Here is the plain truth.

#1. There are over 1 billion of us on this earth. We are like Photostat copies of each other. You get rid of one, 5 magically appears (like ballot boxes). Yes, it is scary, especially for us. We acknowledge that we are replaceable, thus we are not particularly ‘special’. If you think you are smart, there are a few thousand more people smarter than you. If you think you are strong, there are a few thousand people stronger than you.

#2. We have been crawling all over this earth for far more centuries that most civilizations. Our DNA is designed for survival. Put us anywhere on earth and we will make a colony and thrive. We survive on anything around us and make the best of it. Some keep migrating but others will stay and multiply.

#3. NOBODY cares if we succeed as individuals or not. But our families take pride in knowing we have succeeded. Yes, some will fail. We take nothing for granted. We don’t expect privileges to fall on our laps. No one owes us anything.

#4. We know we have nothing to lose if we try to succeed. Thus, we have no fear trying. That is why Chinese are addicted to gambling. We thrive on taking risks. All or nothing.

#5. From young we are taught to count every cent. What we take for granted like money management, I have found out recently, is not something other cultures practice at home with their children. It surprised me. But truth is not all societies or cultures teach their young this set of skills because it is rude to them. Yes, most of us can count because we are forced to and the logic of money is pounded into us from the beginning of time (when mama tells us how much she has spent on our milk and diapers)

#6. We acknowledge life cycles. We accept that wealth in a family stays for three generations (urban myth?). Thus, every 4th generation will have to work from scratch. I.e. first generation earns the money from scratch, second generation spends the money on education, third generation gets spoiled and wastes all the inheritance. Then we are back to square one. Some families hang on to their wealth a little longer than most.

#7. It is our culture to push our next generation to do better than the last. Be smarter. Be stronger. Be faster. Be more righteous. Be more pious. Be more innovative. Be more creative. Be richer. Be everything that you can be in this lifetime.

#8. Our society judges us by our achievements… and we have no choice but to do something worthwhile because Chinese New Year comes around every year and Chinese relatives have no qualms about asking you straight in your face – how much are you making? When was your last promotion? How big is your office? What car do you drive? Where do you stay? You have boyfriend? You have girlfriend? When are you getting married? When are you having children? When is the next child? When you getting a boy? Got maid yet? Does your company send you overseas? etc etc etc. It NEVER ENDS… so, we can’t stop chasing the illusive train – we are damned to a materialistic society. If you are not Chinese, consider yourself lucky!

#9. We have been taught from young that if you have two hands, two feet, two eyes, and a mouth, what are you doing with it? “People with no hands can do better than you!”

#10. Ironically, the Chinese also believe in giving back to save their wretched materialistic souls. Balance is needed. The more their children succeed in life, the more our parents will give back to society as gratitude for the good fortune bestowed on their children. Yes. That is true. And that is why our society progresses forward in all conditions.

Nobody pities us.
We accept that.

No one owes us anything.
We know that.

There are too many of us for charity to reach all of us.
We acknowledge that.

But that does not stop us from making a better life.
This life time.

Opportunity is as we make of it.
So, pardon us if we feel obliged to make a better place for ourselves in this country we call home.
It is in our DNA to progress forward for a more comfortable life.

But if history were to be our teacher, look around this globe.

Every country has a Chinatown (seriously) but how many government/countries are ‘taken’ over by the Chinese people.

Don’t be afraid of us overwhelming your majority, we are not looking to conquer.
If we have moved away from China and Chinese governed countries, we are NOT looking for another country to administer.
Our representatives are only there to look after our collective welfare. They are duty bound.
We prefer to blend in and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
We enjoy the company of like-minded people of all races.
After all, we are only passing through a small period in the history of time… so, use our skills and we can all progress forward together.

I do agree with @Mubarakchan on the different between English/Taiwan educated Malaysian Chinese, majority are arrogance, egotism, lordliness and loudmouth whereas the local SJK(C) educated Malaysian Chinese majority are humble, empathy, civil minded, filial piety, peace loving, soft spoken and at time ignorance.

Personally I am a strong supporter and believer of Mahathir’s Perdana Global Peace Foundation http://www.perdana4peace.org/ in criminalized war and against any form of violent.

To me Chin Peng and CPM had committed many war crimes; “I am sure if Robert Kuok will to fall into CPM hand he will be killed for working in Japanese company during Japan occupation”. I can understand and sympathy with those against Chin Peng's ashes been brought back to Malaysia and his relative/sympathizer out of ignorance and filial piety secretly fulfilled his last wish. But I cannot understand why politicians had to milk the controversial and stirred up so much hatred and animosity among Malaysians. So please politicians from both sides: Please stop the politic of hatred, politic of one-upmanship, gutter politics, politic of front door, backdoor or any door to Putrajaya. Malaysians are tired of politicking, so please spare us of all the nonsense and please pull up your sleeve start to do the real work of saving our economy, unite us as Patriotic Malaysians, raising the peoples’ standard of living and better quality of life.

I would like to end this letter with my profound and sincere apology if any of my pervious comments had offended or hurt anyone feeling. As I said before we cannot change history but together we can help to shape the future. So what kind of future you would like your children and children’s children to inherit?

Would you prefer to leave a legacy of unity, love and respect or a legacy of a nation divide, hate and suffering?  For me the choice is obvious hence lets us work together as patriotic Malaysians to reform and rebuild our beloved Malaysia and set it on course towards unity, justice and prosperity.

Thank you

Yours truly,

SS LEE.