KUALA LUMPUR, 8 June 2009: Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the re-screening over Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) of photos and documentaries about the communist movement in the country had proven to be effective.
He said since the screenings began in the middle of last month, awareness about the dangers of communist idealogy leading to deaths and suffering among the populace then had a deep effect on the people, especially on the younger generation.
“The effect has been very good, and we do not want to go overboard screening the films, but I see understanding of the matter,” he said here today.
Rais reminded society, especially the young, not to look at communism as something that was noble and had values.
“The communists in the country were betrayers, killers, and they will be remembered as such.
“We have to look back at history and remind people that the country became independent and prosperous not through communism, and that the communists were traitors,” he added.
Rais cautioned the young to not be obsessive with the proposal to allow Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng to return as it would unsettle the races.
“Chin Peng can’t return as there is no basis for it; this is the final decision of the government and the issue does not arise,” he said when asked about the possibility that the former communist party chief would be given permission to return.
On former Malaysian student in Australia, Wee Meng Chee, 26, who used the national anthem in a rap song in 2007, Rais said the ministry would get the opinion of the attorney-general for follow-up action.
He said the National Anthem Act does not provide any provison to punish a citizen of the country for making fun of the national
anthem.
“We will see in this development whether action should be taken according to the law under the Sedition Act or the Penal Code for scorning or belittling the national anthem,” he said, urging people to condemn the action of the student for not respecting the Negaraku. — Bernama
Hafidz Baharom says
Eh? The rapper case not settle yet ker?
Gopal Raj Kumar says
It is dangerous to go overboard with the perceived threat of communism especially by raking over photos and film clips made for propaganda purposes during a period in Malaysia’s history when discredited individuals such as Lt. Gen Peter Walls (Ret) had a hand in the ‘hearts and minds’ counter insurgency campaign.
Walls had later been outed as a psychopathic sadist who under the cover of his position and the full backing of the British in Malaya (then) actually had many of the brutal slayings of innocent villagers and other civilians carried out by a third force he created for the purpose (Black Operations) blaming these on Chin Peng and his men. The aftermath was filmed and photographed in great detail to shock the public into not supporting the communists.
There is sufficient evidence out there from Walls’ own admission in his later works of a similar nature in South Africa (Buffalo Brigade) and in Rhodesia (Selous Scouts) for a younger generation to research and learn about in the seamless world of the internet.
Perhaps there should be a greater move towards uniting people and in inculcating in them better values than Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie or credit cards and SMS.
People need to belong. They need to connect and to have the security of knowing who they are. Communism has successfully in the past provided these in poorer and oppressive environments with that alternative to consumerism and hollow political rhetoric.
We cannot on the one hand slavishly adhere to everything China does or tells us to do because it is mired in and cloaked with respectability in consumerism. China remains Communist. The ground work has been done just like born-again Christianity where multi-level marketing preceded it and softened the ground for its takeover.
Zaider says
Yet another example of an authoritarian govt threatening to suppress the voice of the citizens by using the Sedition Act.
Siva says
The spin master is hard at work.
lucia says
Come out of it, Rais! Wee Meng Chee’s case is finished! Ended! Tutup! No more! Anyway do you know many people instead of condemning his ‘Negarakuku’ praise him as he was boldly speaking the truth there!
RTM showing photos and doccos of the communist movement is the most stupid action of the government, particularly Rais. As Gopal said it is only a propaganda.
Rais, why you blame the young people not to talk about Chin Peng’s return as it would ‘unsettle the races’, when it was you all along who was the racist one. Chin Peng can’t return because he is C-h-i-n P-e-n-g not Muhammad or Hamid or Othman.