MT RPK: History, as I see it

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Friday, 17 April 2009 16:53

Source:http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20738/84/

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The British were superb diplomats. And they understood the meaning of ‘gunboat diplomacy’. Would you argue with a Kwailo whom had twenty large ships with big cannons anchored in your harbour?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dr M: The young needs to be taught country’s history

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today the young generations, especially the independence generations, should be taught the country’s history to ensure that they do not repeat past mistakes.

“I’m pleading for the teaching of history,” he said, adding that an American philosopher, George Santayana, once said: “Those who forget the lessons of history will be condemned to repeat their mistakes over and over again” or words to that effect.

“How do we know we are not repeating our mistakes now if we do not know of our mistakes in the past. We need to know. We need to know how we came to be colonised. We need to know how we barely managed to escape from being a communist state.

“We need to know how our rulers were forced to surrender their states to the British. We need to know how the British were forced to rescind the MacMichael treaties,” he said in his blog www.chedet.cc on the topic of “The Generation Gap” today.

He said that with most of Malaysia’s 27 million population being born after 1957 to 1963, it meant that “they had not known anything but being free, being independent, being ruled by their fellow countrymen.”

Stating that he was not trying to say that those who lived under colonial rule are more appreciative of independence, he said: “What we should all be concerned with is that we appreciate our independence and our freedom more, whatever may be our political leanings.”

“But I think we should know where we came from. Otherwise we would not know which way we should go. We may think we are going forward when in fact we are going backward, back to where we started. We would not be making progress,” he said. — Bernama
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THE GENERATION GAP
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

1. When in 1957 we became independent the population was only five million. Even after 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Peninsula to form Malaysia the population was only slightly more than six million.

2. Today, Malaysia's population is 27 million. Obviously most Malaysians were born after 1957-1963. Meaning to say they had not known anything but being free, being independent, being ruled by their fellow countrymen.

3. History is not a compulsory subject in our schools. If at all history is taught it is sketchy, not really giving a clear picture of what it was like to be ruled by foreigners, by the British, the Japanese and in some cases the Thais.

4. I am not trying to say that those who lived under colonial rule are more appreciative of independence, although that is basically true. But what we should all be concerned with is that we appreciate our independence and our freedom more, whatever may be our political leanings.

5. Is it wrong for us to look back on the past? Some think it is irrelevant. That was before; this is now. Don't tell us all those stories about the struggles of people gone by. We have always been independent. All our life we have been independent.

6. But I think we should know where we came from. Otherwise we would not know which way we should go. We may think we are going forward when in fact we are going backward, back to where we started. We would not be making progress.

7. I am pleading for the teaching of history. George Santayana, an American philosopher once said; "Those who forget the lessons of history will be condemned to repeat their mistakes over and over again", or words to that effect.

8. How do we know we are not repeating our mistakes now if we do not know of our mistakes in the past? We need to know.

9. We need to know how we came to be colonised. We need to know how we barely managed to escape from being a Communist state.

10. We need to know how our Rulers were forced to surrender their states to the British. We need to know how the British were forced to rescind the MacMichael treaties. And so on and so forth.

11. Somewhere along we would recognise the mistakes we had made. And knowing them we would be better able to avoid making them again. Our country would continue to grow and prosper.

12. The independent generations have enjoyed the independent country they inherited.

13. Surely they would want their children and grandchildren to inherit the same.

14. And this they can ensure by knowing the history of this beloved country and the mistakes of the past.
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In response to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call that Malaysian children should be taught history, (in fact, even adults do not know Malaysian history), I am going to walk you through a short history lesson.

First of all, Malaya was not a British Colony in the real sense of the word. The Sultans ruled the many Malay states and the British presence here was mainly through a business enterprise called the East India Company. It was actually a British trading post rather than the British government setting up shop in Malaya.

Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis were Thai vassals and they paid the annual ‘bunga emas’ (golden flower) to the Thai king as an act of submission to Thailand. Even Perak came under the protection of Thailand. One day, when Perak came under attack from one of my ancestors of the famous Five Bugis Brothers fame, Thailand sent its army on elephants to drive the Bugis out. The same went for Kedah where Thailand defended the state against the Bugis and killed one of the Five Bugis Brothers.

Selangor, in turn, was a Perak vassal of sorts. The First Sultan of Selangor was installed by the Sultan of Perak in Lumut. You could say that Selangor was ‘created’ by Perak and came under indirect Perak ‘rule’. At that time Selangor had no Sultan and was not really owned by anyone so Perak sort of ‘looked over’ Selangor’s interests. (Now do you know why the Selangor Palace is angry that I acted in a ‘treasonous’ manner against the Sultan of Perak?)

There was no country called Malaya then, and for sure there was no country called Malaysia yet. There were many independent Malay states that were ruled by Sultans. The British came in to the Malay states to do business through a company called the East India Company -- and with them came the private army that was paid for by the company to protect its business interests (just like the private guards that most companies hire today). The Chinese too came in to work the tin mines -- and with them came the secret societies that enforced ‘Chinese clan laws’ on the Chinese community. That’s when the Malay states began to see turmoil in the form of Chinese clan wars that fought each other for control over the businesses.

When things got out of control, the British private armies stepped in to end the wars and to restore peace. But they did this only when British business interests were under threat. If Malays killed Malays or Chinese killed Chinese or the Malays and Chinese killed each other, as long as it did not affect British business interests, the British very much left them alone to wipe each other off.

Eventually, the British decided that the Sultans needed to be ‘guided’. The Malay states were becoming quite chaotic. There were fights breaking out everywhere. In some of these Chinese wars the Malays were now getting involved because the Malays and Chinese were in partnership, especially in the tin mine business, so the Malays and Chinese were now in alliance against the ‘other side’, which was again a Malay-Chinese partnership. In short, the wars were no longer Chinese versus Chinese. It was Malay-Chinese versus Malay-Chinese. And it was not about ideology or politics. It was about fighting over control of the business interests.

Within the palace there were also fights over succession to the throne because whoever sat on the throne would control the tin mines and would be the new Chinese partners. The Chinese did not care who sat on the throne though. They just worked with whoever happened to be sitting on the throne as long as they made money. (Now do you know why the Chinese will support Barisan Nasional as long as Barisan Nasional controls all the business?) The British, however, very cleverly supported the ‘losers’ so that those on the throne could be ousted and the claimant to the throne could be installed as the new Sultan.

So, many Sultans were ousted. Some were ousted even while still just the Raja Muda and before they became the Sultan (like in Selangor) so that when the existing Sultan dies the new Sultan would be ‘their boy’. (Isn’t this what umno also did in some states like Negeri Sembilan, etc?)

In short, wherever possible, the British marched up to the palace with their guns and cannons to force the Sultans to accept ‘British Advisers’. If the Sultans resisted, they would be forced off the throne and replaced him with a younger brother who, after becoming the Sultan, would agree to appoint a British Adviser to the Royal Court. In some cases, the Sultans were forced to sack the Raja Muda and to replace him with a younger brother who already made a deal with the British that when he takes the throne he would accept a British Adviser.

And where were the Malays or umno when all this happened in the 1800s and early 1900s? Did the Melayu ‘bangun’ and resist the British? Did they defend their ‘maruah Melayu’? Did the Malays or umno take out their little keris and face the British cannons and fight to the death? Or did the Malays put on British uniforms and go work for the British and call the ‘Tuan’?

In fact, when Tok Janggut of Kelantan opposed the British, it was Malay policemen who arrested him and put him to death and hung his body to rot along the banks of the Kelantan River (see the two pictures below).





The Malays actually worked for the British and helped kill the real Malay warriors who resisted the British. And many members of the Royal Family were killed or sent into exile for opposing the British (my grandfather, Sultan Musa, being one of them).

That is the real history of the Malay resistance movement, not the story that umno is spinning. The Sultans were not traitors to the Malays who sold out the country to the British. Just like how the British took China and India by force, that is also what happened in the Malay states before this country transformed into the Federation of Malaya.

That brings us to one crucial argument. If Malaya was not really a British Colony in the true sense of the word, then how could it have obtained Merdeka? Was that so-called Merdeka just a grand feel-good show put on for the sake of the gullible country folk?

This is something even renowned historians can’t seem to agree on.

Anyway, back to the issue. If the Sultans were the authority in the states, then this means the British was not really the government. Is that why the British acted as advisers and were called such, Advisers?

Of course, when you have the army behind you, you can ‘advise’ those with no army and they would listen to your ‘advice’ -- the way the Agong (and Sultans), today, listens to the ‘advice’ of the Prime Minister and has no choice but to agree to this ‘advice’. That would be the same case when it comes to the Loong Foo Tong or Sap Pat Loh Hon who, because of their ‘army’, the people, including the village headman or penghulu, would listen to their advice.

In short, the British were gangsters just like the Loong Foo Tong or Sap Pat Loh Hon and they had the power to ‘advice’ because they had a strong military force. Might is right, as they say. And is this not also so today in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, etc?

The British demonstrated the power of money. (The Thais say: no money, no honey). And this money bought them an army and with their army they could tell the Sultans (and the Indian Rajas and Chinese Emperors as well) what to do and what not to do.

The British were superb diplomats. And they understood the meaning of ‘gunboat diplomacy’. Would you argue with a Kwailo whom had twenty large ships with big cannons anchored in your harbour?

The British just told the Sultans: show me yours and I will show you mine. And the one with the biggest calls the shots. Invariably, the Kwailo’s were bigger than the Sultans’ (I mean their cannons of course).

That was basically it. It was not about the Sultans ‘selling out’’, as what umno is fond of saying. It was about a group of heavily armed men coming to your home and aiming their huge cannons at your throat and saying: your money or your wife. I would keep my money and let them take my wife of course. But then this was not up to me to decide, as I was not even born yet at that time.

Yes, let us learn, or relearn, history. But let it be the correct version of history. True, the Sultans let us down by allowing the British to come into this country and act as their ‘Advisers’. But did the Malays resist the move? No, the Malays just bowed and called the British ‘Tuan’ and acted as ‘boys’ and ‘syces’ to the Kwailo Tuans and Mems.

Come on. Stop grumbling. And stop blaming the Sultans. Sure, the Sultans did not resist the British. It would have been impossible to resist the British without guns and cannons. But then neither did the Malays. And what can one Sultan and his 25 wives do against the dozens of British gunboats manned by armed and desperate sailors who have not seen real women for nine months and their only gratification being the 16-year old cabin boy dressed in his sister’s red dress?

I had written a few days ago about my grandfather, Sultan Musa of Selangor, who tried to resist the British and was sent into exile in the Cocos Islands. I don’t remember umno coming to his defence then. You think the other Sultans would dare resist the British after that when they realise that the Malays would stand by and do nothing?
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The East India Company (also the East India Trading Company, English East India Company, and then the British East India Company) was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading with the Indian subcontinent and China. The oldest among several similarly formed European East India Companies, the Company was granted an English Royal Charter, under the name Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies, by Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600.

After a rival English company challenged its monopoly in the late 17th century, the two companies were merged in 1708 to form the United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies, commonly styled the Honourable East India Company, and abbreviated, HEIC; the Company was colloquially referred to as John Company, and in India as Company Bahadur ("bahādur": Hindustani, lit. "brave").

The East India Company traded mainly in cotton, silk, indigo dye, saltpetre, tea, and opium. However, it also came to rule large swathes of India, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions, to the exclusion, gradually, of its commercial pursuits. Company rule in India, which effectively began in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey, lasted until 1858, when, following the events of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and under the Government of India Act 1858, the British Crown assumed direct administration of India in the new British Raj. The Company itself was finally dissolved on 1 January 1874, as a result of the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act.

The Company long held a privileged position in relation to the English, and later the British, government. As a result, it was frequently granted special rights and privileges, including trade monopolies and exemptions. These caused resentment among its competitors, who saw unfair advantage in the Company's position. Despite this resentment, the Company remained a powerful force for over 250 years.

From Wikipedia

Comments (62)Add Comment
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written by Ken Liew, April 17, 2009 16:59:35
HEY~! the umno gay EDU minister, had crap out the REAL HISTORY and beautifulise Malaysia history...... Just like wat Japan did.

So all the fighting for honor are all hi-jacked by umno...... how can the people learn from history, when the history books are as crooked as the crooked bridge itself??

Plus, The umno NOW~! are nothing like the umno of our 1st PM. Now its just a master, telling wat the slaves should do and wat should not. GIVE US BACK OUR FREEDOM TO KNOW THE TRUTH~!! MORONIC UNMOrals~!

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written by ahmadneil, April 17, 2009 17:01:58
umno have maginalised the minorities and what the shit is so great about them.
They have presided over the most corrupt administration in our history.
To say about our history,umno MUST recognize Chin Peng as true freedom fighter and should duly award him a TUN in recognition of his bravery.
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written by ahmadneil, April 17, 2009 17:07:59
And what about those Orang Asli,who were long forgotten.History never mention that it was these Orang Asli ,the original owner of this Bolehland,that should be fully granted the rights to this ownership.Like the aborogines in Australia,who are given due recognition.
So the malaysian gov't must find a day to be declare as Orang Asli Day and all gov't lands must be return to them and they must be compensated accordingly.
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written by gycgocnt, April 17, 2009 17:16:33
This old horse (in fact donkey) ask us not to repeat to past mistake. Yes it's right, we won't repeat past mistake to support a party called umno! This party practice like British colonial to implementing the Divide and Rules policy. We are human-being and Malaysia is a beautiful country; but these umno leader think we are animal and this country like a zoo, so they need to differentiate us to rule this zoo! While this zoo has 3 general, one called umno, another called mca, the last called mic!

This is what I've known for our history. Divide and Rule like Zoo Negara is our history!



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written by sorosapril, April 17, 2009 17:17:35
yes, we should study history of Malaysia and see the real picture, that is provided the History book to be published is the correct version,NOT like the one published by Japanese Education Department with distorted facts.

hopefully by studying history, those goons in umno will stop calling other people ' pendatang' and so forth.

Mahatir himself needs to attend the school also, Muhiyidin can arrange for him to attend history lesson so that he will know nobody ever question anybody's rights to live in this land called Malaysia and hopefully he can be more humble and be grateful that as a descendant of immigrants, he now enjoys much better benefits those who came to this part of the world earlier than his grandfather.
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written by BennyG, April 17, 2009 17:25:01
This article makes me think that the Monarchy is now being threatened by umno and the Monarchy is no longer the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces and thus has no army to defend itself.

It seemed that the Monarchy's decision is no longer valued by umno and that umno could dictate whatever decision & words from the Monarchy.

Also pitiful is that umno wants the people to think that umno is the protector instead of the one holding a big cannon to the Monarchy's head.

Hey, I need to make a disclaimer as the words may be twisted to become seditious. It's only a feeling not a statement. Sigh. Even I have no guts to stand up against the armed tyrant.
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written by michael, April 17, 2009 17:28:22
Ah, in short, umno also like the the British were gangsters just like the Loong Foo Tong or Sap Pat Loh Hon. So, not to repeat our mistakes, like history has shown we must rid those umno gansters now.
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written by amjoem, April 17, 2009 17:30:12
Quote:
1. When in 1957 we became independent the population was only five million. Even after 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Peninsula to form Malaysia the population was only slightly more than six million.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I beg to differ: In 1957 I was in standard one at La Salle School, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. I remember my teacher, 'Ms.Marshal teaching my class that the population of Malaya was 7,000,000(seven million) and that Indians made up 10%(ten percent)or 700,000(seven hundred thousand). A lot of the histroy that I learnt during that time were true facts. Today it has all been twisted to suit umno's agenda.

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written by uxzee, April 17, 2009 17:35:22
Mahathir had 23 full years to teach history or move the nation in the right direction. Yet he taught Malaysia croynysm, corruption, mega projects, privatisation, arrogance, screwed up education system and all the ills we see today.

Now he talks about History, yet he hides the facts about his Indian origins, about umno Baru being umno. He wants History as how Mahathir sees fit to con Malaysia.

If he could not achieve his crookish dreams in 23 years, nobody is waiting for his advices or ideas now.

Is he waiting for Malaysians to tell him off ?
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written by Pakyeh, April 17, 2009 17:39:17
By Allah,we have been conned.The Merdeka is a freud and Malaysians have been conned.The British installed umno,mic,mca to protect their East India Company bisness,
Rise up Malaysians,rise up and fight to get our Merdeka from the Britih proxies(umno,mic,mca).
Read more "The real heroes of Merdeka" at...

http://warongpakyeh.blogspot.com
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written by ibabonma, April 17, 2009 17:40:46
umno will ride a dinosauric journey of no return, while my father (IK) and Sdr Ahmad Boestamam are laughing in their graves for history will be rewritten, in them Tunku and umno were no more than mere couriers compared to those pre-merdeka Emergency Ordinance (ISA) detainees of Pulau Jerejak who were the real heroes of MERDEKA.

Ahmad Boestamam, Ibrahim Karim, Maharajelela, Si Puntum, Pandak Pah, adalah orang Perak, pejuang kemerekaan yang tulin ... bukan orang umno haprak.
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written by SamSan, April 17, 2009 17:57:19
Pete, Our present Sultans who are born after 1957 need to understand their heritage and that they were never the reason for Malaysia states being surrendered to the British. In fact, the way they are potrayed badly by AMENO as the cause of British invasion and control should be changed. Their grandfathers are the true heroes just like the Thai Monarchs.
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written by ilovepakatan, April 17, 2009 17:59:05
Pete,

I love history. More articles of this sort. It's interesting. Thanks for this.
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written by apa jadi, April 17, 2009 18:00:45
Why is this old mahatail telling people to learn only the "colonial" history? Wouldn't it be better asking his umno gangs to learn the fall of the Malacca Empire? It will be more interesting.
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written by apa jadi, April 17, 2009 18:04:12
Btw, RPK, if Sultan Musa was not put into exile, Sultan Petra could be in the lineage. Just a wild thought. Well, history could be painful lesson.
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written by benny loh, April 17, 2009 18:06:36
We need to know HIS STORY too
http://malaysiancartoons.blogs...plied.html
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written by countryman, April 17, 2009 18:09:09
Would have been even more interesting if you had also included that period before the sultanates. That would give an even clearer picture of where we all came from and put into better perspective what Malaysia is and should be all about.
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written by Proud_2b_Malaysian, April 17, 2009 18:13:12
The history Tun M was referring to was probably the one slanted that will promote umno. History, if told as facts without emotion, is the same to everyone but is not the same when there is ulterior motive.

I like RPK's dissertation of the real history, the motives behind what we never read and how, in defense of the sultans, they really had no option and the rest is history.

Our education system has selective history lessons in our books. It's no longer the way we used to have SEJARAH but highlighting what the MOE wants the students to know and leave out the rest that is considered "unimportant".

Perhaps it's time to review the way history is taught and the facts that must be said about our country, whether it be good or bad, for lessons learnt from history is needed to pave our future so that the wrongs are not repeated.

http://proud2bmalaysian.wordpress.com/
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written by Raja Petra, April 17, 2009 18:23:33
Dear apa jadi, my grandmother was the ELDER SISTER to the Sultan. But (1) she was from the SECOND of TEN wives of the Sultan. She was not from the Tengku Ampuan (Sultan Musa was). (2) Even if she was from the Tengku Ampuan, the eldest SON, not the eldest CHILD (meaning girl) succeeds the throne.

So, no, I am NOT in the line of succession. And neither is the present Sultan whose grandfather was younger to my grandmother. That was why the late Sultan called my father 'Abang Din' and the present Sultan should actually call me 'Abang Peter' like my other cousins do (even if they are older than me because I am Abang by pangkat and not by age).
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written by clarity, April 17, 2009 18:27:38
I would prefer my children to learn more about the present so that they can prepsre themselves better to face the future. I don't see how knowing more about the past would help. The xchools are already teaching history and I can tell you some of the stuff is just not true. Making a living is the most important aspect. Polticians are very good at telling lies and the poor innocent children are brainwashed and that's why we are where we are today with racial problems. Even in colleges they are feeding the students all this bullshit. I am just a ordinary Malaysian. Enough history and hidden agendas for me, thanks.
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written by Raja Petra, April 17, 2009 18:36:32
Dear clarity, it is that type of attitude that put the non-Malays in this dilemma in the first place. If you don't know history how can you counter BTN's propaganda that the Chinese came to this country to rob the Malays of their rights and privileges? Remain ignorant if you wish but many others want to be enlightened.
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written by Angel, April 17, 2009 18:37:59
When I was in school I found history so interesting and got distinctions for history in both my Form 3 (LCE) & Form 5 (MCE) exams. Today, when I picked up my children's history book, I found it so boring and I pitied them. However, it was a necessary subject which had to be passed. I believe certain main hero characters have also been inadvertently left out of our Malaysian history.

I believe that whatever it is history has to be reflected as it is. And we must know the truth to be able to not repeat mistakes. If we work on false premises, the end result will be different as well.

Please make our Malaysian history more interesting to our kids and give them the TRUTH, for Heaven's sake!!!
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written by Tornado, April 17, 2009 18:45:42
Kalau tak silap, Raja Thai pun terima penasihat British tetapi tidak beerti ikut semua cakap depa.

Raja Thai masa tu bijak, dia serahkan negeri melayu utara untuk selamatkan negara dia. Bila WWII, dia geng lak dengan Nippon. Nippon berbesar hati bagi macam2 senjata moden.

Bila WWII tamat, British dah letih tak berani nak kacau Thai. Thai ada banyak senjata moden, hasil pemberian Nippon.
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written by karyeowl, April 17, 2009 18:48:33
Good history lessons.

Sad thing is umno never learn. They even sack their own founder! Talking about ungrateful, who is more ungrateful?
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written by cruzeiro, April 17, 2009 18:55:17
There is a contradiction in what you wrote, Pete!
If East India Company was dead by 1874, who then ruled Malaya? You can indulge in semantics and try to redefine "colony" - but that doesn't change the fact that they grabbed power (just like what umno is doing in Perak) and RULED their subjects, who may have been glorified as "Rulers" officially.

umno was created by the Brits as collaborators, while they snuffed out the nationalists (of all races) through their Emergency Ordinance- post WW II - so that they can pass the govt to some "cronies".
This was in line with the agreement between Churchill and FDR for a new world order of nation-states.
The real war for independence was fought on the beaches of Normandy, and the allies in the "west" shed their blood for it. In Malaya we only had boy scouts who were happy eating ikan masin, belacan & tempoyak, who needed the white man to teach them how to fight. The exceptions are of course the leftists and those who took up arms against the Brits after the WW II.
"Malaya/Malaysia" never really "fought for independence" as such - the elite simply negotiated terms with the colonial powers.
It is my belief that the "Malayan Union" was just a smokescreen to fool the commoner, created by the Brit educated heroes for umno - which was nothing compared to the leftist patriots they conspired to finish off with the Brits . There was no need to officially declare Malaya a crown colony when they were set for Independence which was guaranteed by the US of A anyways.

You guys remember the Ho Chi Minh story by Syed - about how all agreements signed "under duress" needs to be discarded?
Now you get Mahathir talking about history ....

Do you see the pattern in umno's agenda?
They wish for a new Federal Constitution, after having chewed spit out the current. They will spin history so bad to make it look like they were forced to accept "pendatangs" in this country.
So now the agenda would be to "take back the country" and redeem their racist pride - demi Agama, Bangsa dan Negara.
For that to happen, we need another 513 - that's why there are plans for the Askar Wataniah in each parliamentary constituency.
This is the "1Malaysia" strategy"

You'll soon see the BTN version of history in the school textbooks .....
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written by kinistau, April 17, 2009 18:57:16
"..... It was about a group of heavily armed men coming to your home and aiming their huge cannons at your throat and saying: your money or your wife. I would keep my money and let them take my wife of course......"


Hey!.... bad RPK!...
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written by apa jadi, April 17, 2009 18:57:44
Thanks RPK, for the clarifications. I honestly do not know your family tree. Just some wild thoughts.

Angel, you are right. I used to get almost full mark for history during my lower secondary. I was not given the chance to study this subject in my upper sec, which I would have scored too. My kids complained the subject boring with uninteresting petty characters in the Sejarah subject. It is a vast departure from our days. They sometimes failed this subject in school exams, for they don't even bother to read them. Fortunately, they find the world history taught in Independent schools interesting. Well, what can we say about Malaysian education system?

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written by astina, April 17, 2009 19:01:14
Dear All

I would also like to share a piece of real history.

one upon a time (somewhere) in Kedah ..a local Malay lady fell and got married to an immigrant Malabari from Kerala .
They had many children and one of them was named M...Son OF Kutty MohaMAD..
THis M..son OF Kutty MohaMAD went MAD when he got riled at school by fellow malabari and some malay students as kutty boy... kutty boy .
He was very ashamed of this nick ..so he planned early on to run away to faraway land and change his identity..
The only outlet available from his strict and fearsome father was studies abroad.
And thats how he landed in SingaPURA ...
When he arrived there he berPURA-PURA behaved as amalay instead of a mixed malabari .
But me thinks the University found out and his enrollment details states M.. SON OF Kutty MohaMAD .( pls clarify with T. R Hamzah)

Finally it dawned on him that he could not berPURA-PURA in SingaPURA.
His devious mind then decided...if he becomes a doctor and splashes his money around town in Kedah and drove a fancy car ..he can pass off as a BIN..

With that idea in mind he managed to infiltrate umno and to cut the HISstory short he changed to umno bBAru and he too became a malay Baru ..

now thats history 101
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written by sampalee, April 17, 2009 19:07:59
The deeds of umno[good or bad]will come back to them.History show us the cause and in the next few weeks,we shall yet see the effect as the karma ripens.The toal destruction of umno,You harvest what you sow OK?
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written by cruzeiro, April 17, 2009 19:13:56
astina,
You're right about the chameleon which became "indian" when he causeway for studies, and "malay" when returned to lord over the kampung folk....
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written by Raja Petra, April 17, 2009 19:18:28
Dear cruzeiro, after the British secured Singapore from the Dutch through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the British aimed to centralise the administration of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. In 1826, a framework known as the Straits Settlements was established with Penang as its capital. Later, in 1832, the capital was moved to Singapore. While the three holdings formed the backbone of the Settlements, throughout the years Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Labuan and Dinding of Perak were placed under the authority of the Straits Settlements.

Until 1867 the Straits Settlements were answerable to the British administrator of the East India Company in Calcutta. The Company however was dissolved in 1858, and India was made into a crown colony. With Calcutta's waning power and after intense lobbying by the Settlements' administrators, in 1867 the colony was placed directly under the power of the Colonial Office in London and was declared a crown colony.

In 1946, after the Second World War, the colony was dissolved. Malacca and Penang were absorbed into the Malayan Union, while Singapore was separated from the Union and made into a new crown colony on its own. The Malayan Union was later replaced with the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and in 1963, together with North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore, formed a greater federation called Malaysia.
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written by defendermalaysia, April 17, 2009 19:22:38
Dear RPK,
I am already 50 plus and this is exactly the histroy which is written in our early histroy books. What happen now is umno is going to wipe out the real histroy and spin into their own version.Tell Krissamuddin to learn histroy from you and tell Muhiddin to learn the meaning of " gratefull" from you since he does not understand what is the meaning of "greatfull".
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written by apa jadi, April 17, 2009 19:38:21
It will be interesting to have someone to put up an article about the formations of the Malayan Union and the anti-Malayan Union. Then relate this to those who were anti-Malayan Unionists after they inherited the "independent" Malaya. I missed this part out from my history lessons and still have not the time to dig into it.
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written by my oumrie, April 17, 2009 19:53:24
"I had written a few days ago about my grandfather, Sultan Musa of Selangor,..."

Dear RPK, I thought your grandfather was the late Raja Sir Tun Uda, the first governor of Penang.....? smilies/cheesy.gif
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written by foresight, April 17, 2009 20:05:03
How much does the old man know about Malaysian (or Malayan) history ? He can't even get the basic figure correct or is he twisting it? What I learned in school was 7 million Malayans (in 1957)and 11 million Malaysians (including Singapore) in 1963 and the composition of the major races is roughly 50%, 40% and 10%. Yes, even then, not much was mentioned about Orang Asli or the Dayaks and other minorities in East Malaysia! Looks like that old man needs to study history first instead of telling other people to do it.
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written by my oumrie, April 17, 2009 20:05:51
Astina, actually the kerala boy's real name was m...... s/o mohammed SIKANDAR kutty from kerala. He changed it to m.... bin mohammed (and if pressed further would admit to bin mohammed iskandar) to protray himself as melayu through and through! What a hypocrite. PTOooOOIiiIIII!!
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written by MalaysiaBaru, April 17, 2009 20:21:03

    Dr. Mamaakutty, "But I think we should know where we came from..."



I agree with you Dr Mamaakp*k*m*k. Please do not forget about your kerala roots!!!
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written by Raja Petra, April 17, 2009 20:50:46
Dear oumrie, Sultan Suleiman (Kelab Sultan Suleiman in Kg Baru named after him), my great grandfather had ten wives and 44 children. This means I had 44 grandparents. My grandmother was Tengku Badariah and her husband cum cousin was Raja Sir Tun Uda. Sultan Alam Shah (Shah Alam named after him) was my grandmother's younger brother from the second wife.
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written by DreamLady, April 17, 2009 20:56:11
My dear Raja petra, I drop a few lines to say 'hi' and to convey my profound affection for you and family. My daily prayers never fail to include your blessing from God. Please, take very good care of your health and your well-being as well....love you always..
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written by arazak, April 17, 2009 20:56:48
Hmmn. . ., interesting article. History had also taught us that Tun Kutty is a racists, practiced cronyism and nepotism. History had also taught us that Tun Kutty and his cronies had robbed the poor rakyaat to the tune of billions of RM during his 22 years of tyrant ruling over this country.

And that is the real history. . .!
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written by Semut Jantan, April 17, 2009 21:14:13
I don't buy the history of ManHadTail.
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written by Abdul Haq, April 17, 2009 21:15:04
Let's not get racist here by attacking TDM's Kerala roots!!

The Malays have never had a racist attitude towards Indians and Arabs, especially if they are Muslims ( until of course the present BTN induced racism).
Look at all the intermarriages between Malays and Indians begetting the Mamaks and Mamis of Penang, Melaka etc...

Similarly the intermarriages between Arabs and Malays are very common.

I see nowadays intermarriages between Chinese and Malays on the rise, by reading the obituary colummns of newspapers, children and their Muslim Malay spouses mourning their Chinese parents..!!

Even in the olden days of the the Malacca Sultanate you find the Bendahara called 'Mamak Bendahara'...obviously the mamaks were good administrators!!

Even Tun Teja,a princess from Pahang, who was conned by the sychopath Hang Tuah to elope with him to Melaka, to make her a bride for the Sultan , was known as Puteri Bengala...!!

The Malaysian constitution's definition of Malayness is just a reflection of the reality of the ready acceptance of the Malay community of other Muslims into the Malay community....

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written by cruzeiro, April 17, 2009 21:44:07
No offence intended okay -
That still doesn't answer - who ruled after east India Company, Pete.
It appears like they shuffled some papers, passed some resolutions, changed many names, called the same thing different names (maybe throw in some slogans too) and yet never changed a thing. But of course we suddenly got Law school flunkies and aristocrats become umno heroes.
Yeah man - that's history for you!
Well Pete - you know what they say about lipstick on a errr .... never mind lets say a rose by any other name ....
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written by Xpax, April 17, 2009 21:48:28
Now I understand why Mamak choose to become an "Adviser" to the new PM.
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written by Goldfinger, April 17, 2009 23:10:51
Thanks RPK for an advance insight into our country history....for sure these facts will never find it's place into our 'HISTORY' subject.
In short, all those who manipulated our country history should be buried.All whom had gained from all these lies and manipulations should be shame and bury.Those who had with knowledge of our country history and yet,manipulated the true facts and gained from all these lies....the evilish kind's are standing by to watch, the rakyats,being lied,suffered and sacrificed....what are they.....celakas??UM-STARDS..just stone them with your votes,to make them history.Our future generations will read about this Pengkhianat,Penderhaka,BARUAH regime....hhmmm...our history in the making....but what a load of shits from this ruling regime......... smilies/angry.gif
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written by glock17, April 17, 2009 23:43:00
i think the doc prefer to ride thourough breed horses in latin amrica then riding cows in faeces fill kerala streets....
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written by businessman, April 18, 2009 00:19:23
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I SCORED AN 'A' IN MY SPM SEJARAH EXAMINATION
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I DONT KNOW HOW I SCORED AN 'A' BECAUSE I KELENTONG THE WHOLE THING.

IF THE WAY I KELENTONG SEEM SO REAL, THEN ANYTHING CAN BECOME SEJARAH.

MAYBE SEJARAH NEED TO KELENTONG.
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written by rpremkumar2u, April 18, 2009 00:24:18
Mamak Kutty will surely be history one day. How does he reckon history will remember him by? Esp when BN looses power and when shit hits the fan on the atrocities of the likes of Kutty & family? I know of the fact that his Daddy was purported to be a strict fella and we all know the residue that is left in the neuropathways of a young mamak kutty who then blazes his way thru the nation's coffers. He is one pathetic sick senile who doesnt know the word 'retire'- he is recycling himself.
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written by smalluncle, April 18, 2009 00:29:42
Yeh, Malaysian History MUST be taught to our youngs.

RPK has just teach us Malaya (not Malaysia yet) DULU smilies/smiley.gif School must now teach our youngs Malaysia SEKARANG covering the unique Malayan Culcute of Malaysia Boleh, Money Politics, ISA, OSA, SotoMee, Tear Gas, Chemical lade water canon, Bersih, Makhal Sakthi, last but not least how to Do a Kugan smilies/cheesy.gif
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written by charcoy feng, April 18, 2009 00:29:54
Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim is a Malaysian historian and currently is a Professor Emeritus at University of Malaya. He wrote most of the school history books. So what do you people think of this guy??? What should we do with him?? Any suitable river banks????
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written by teohpg, April 18, 2009 01:31:00
RPK: I think you wasted your time to type so long....because 'dei spik no inkeris'
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written by panca, April 18, 2009 01:35:19
Bro Pete,

This is history, alright and we as many others now are glad we get to read this history(more of the actual happenings), whereas falsehood were created by umno to glorify themselves for as long as one have been 'greatly entertained' which 'itu apanama' still want to recycle the old jokes that reacts to a button to a pre-recorded laughter many over.

Recently during Ching Ming, some relative from the island related that the southernmost Sultanate was also protected by Chinese triad as he was also sworn brothers in the triad 'Hong Men' ritual, the time when he had to escape and exile from some outsiders malays that were trying to overthrow him. After the dust had settled he got back to his throne, of course those who had served him had benefitted economically and enormously from this liaison....as he said that was the true history.....

Ever wonder there was a road in Johor Bahru used to be called Jalan Ngee Hin....
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written by Daryl, April 18, 2009 03:29:46

    9. We need to know how we came to be colonised. We need to know how we barely managed to escape from being a Communist state.



Come on everyone can see we are worst than that.
1) ISA suppose to be use for terrorist or communist but now use for Opposition
2) Judiciary and PDRM are all under BN or more specifically umno
3) Freedom of pres is none because the MSM all are government dogs and they dare not unhook the link
4) BN politicians are immune to prosecution for wrong doing
5) Our current puppet PM say that by-election is a waste of time... Shouldn't that be a part of democracy
6) Make non-Malay second class citizens
So, tell me which part of the above make us better than a communist government.
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written by NIDZOM, April 18, 2009 04:52:01
this is my first view of a fallen warrior who did actually fought and resist the british named tok janggut. As a malay, i have only heard of him. Now through the "brief" history lesson from you has actually made a youngster like me to really learn and find out more about the true version of our malaysian's history. thank you rpk for the photos and infos. smilies/smiley.gif
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written by talk2stop, April 18, 2009 08:41:31
Malaysia got to learn history? What crappy thing.
RPK when you mention "Kwailo" can you specified that you are referrring to Englishmam and woman. Do not drag others into the mud.
It is just like Kwailo refer us as slopes. Who are the slopes. Are they referring to? Japs, Chineses, Koreans?
What is there to learn when we assume all Kwailo the same? Or what others to learn when they assume all Asians or slopes the same?
I am very poor in history I turn out not too bad.
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written by Kacang Tanah, April 18, 2009 10:13:59
Dear businessman,

You are very sincere. The fact is you do not need to know the real history to score an "A". Even if you are not answering to the question you will still score an "A" provided your answer is in favour of umno. Believe me, if not the examiner will be C4. I had that experience when I was at secondary school. I almost failed my MCE Exam simply because my karangan irritated the government. I realised my mistake and change my course of writing. You know what? I scored A1 in my BM July paper . Really bull shit punya exam.
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written by Pakyeh, April 18, 2009 12:18:15
This article is a history of RPKs family, but many reader like to hear Mamak kuttys history
For more, lets karaoke a song "Lagu: Aiiyoyo Mamak Kutty" by pakyeh at..

http://warongpakyeh .blogspot.com
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written by cheekhiaw, April 18, 2009 12:53:22
Young Malaysians ought to be taught some history on how some one got to be known as Bapa Pencuri Malaysia.

xxx
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written by Raja Petra, April 18, 2009 15:43:14
Dear talk2stop, please stop being an idiot, as usual. The entire piece is about the British. Who the hell do you think I meant by Kwailo? What's wrong with you anyway?
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written by shatis, April 18, 2009 16:10:07
When talk about malaysian history the influence Hinduism and Buddhism usually ignored. There were big Hindu empires on this land before the Malay sultanate which was even started by a hindu prince Parameswara. The archeological discovery of existence of big hindu empire in jungles of Johor was just coverd up and not publicized. Eventhough Indians brought in by the British to this country, this part of history will make us Bumiputra man. Bangkit lah bumiputra sebenar..ha ha ha.
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written by SamBall, April 18, 2009 16:22:01
Perhaps you are from the East India Company, and have come to colonize malaya; reminisces the old kaka

Please tell the real history, kaka, not some wayang kulit selective show of your own sick interpretation, old man

Perhaps you can tell how you pillaged and raped this land for 22 years; oh yah also how you and your family become billionaires in the process. Now that’s history I like to hear; but not from you
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written by talk2stop, April 18, 2009 17:38:40
Dear RPK
I am sure you are smarter than me. British can be Scottish, Irish or Welsh (your mum?).
I don't think the Irish, Scottish and Welsh were interested in Asia. There have their own problems with the English then and even today. Just that we don't see it. So can I assume that your "Kwailo" is English because we are talking history here?
I am sure Irish, Scottish and Welsh don't give a damn what the English is doing as long the English piss on England.
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