Words
Ahmad Ismail, divisional Umno chief of Bukit Bendera, uttered an offending word last month about the Chinese during the recent keenly fought Permantang Pauh by-elections that returned Anwar Ibrahim to parliament as the new Opposition leader.
The word was so offensive that it put the country’s race relations into reverse gear, and prompted the party’s deputy president, Najib Razak, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, to apologise on behalf of the party on Tuesday (2 Sept).
But what was the offending word? No one really knows for sure as the newspapers actually reported two words; pendatang (migrant) and penumpang (well it’s a bit difficult to translate this word). To complicate matters, Ahmad has not said a word on this since.
All newspapers gave the Umno apology front-page treatment except the two main Malay dailies, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian which relegated it to page two.
Both quoted Najib as referring to the offending word as penumpang although Berita Harian also rendered it as pendatang when referring to what Ahmad had said earlier.
The official news agency, Bernama, quoted Najib as referring to the word as penumpang but translated it awkwardly as “passenger.”
“The statement is his (Ahmad’s) personal statement and is not the stand of Umno and the government. We do not regard Malaysian citizens of Chinese, Indian or other descent as passengers.”
Bernama also referred to the word as pendatang (immigrant):
“In the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election, Ahmad Ismail had said at a ceramah that the Chinese community were mere immigrants in the country and thus were not entitled to be given equal rights in Malaysia.”
The English dailies also differed in their translation of the offending remarks. While both The Star and the New Straits Times quoted Najib as referring to it as penumpang but both translated it as “lodger” and “squatter” respectively. The Sun chose to use the word pendatang over penumpang.
“We have never considered the Chinese, Indians and other races in Malaysia as lodgers (penumpang). They (the non-Malays) are citizens with full rights and we will continue to protect their rights and dignity. “(The Star).
“Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail had alleged at a Permatang Pauh by-election ceramah that the Chinese were penumpang (squatters) who would not treat the other races equally.” (NST)
The whole episode was first reported by Sin Chew Daily which rendered the word penumpang as 寄居者(ji ju zhe or lodger). All other Chinese dailies have since used this term in their reports.
So what’s in a word? By themselves, penumpang and pendatang, are neutral and non-emotive. But it the heat of an over-zealous electioneering, like in Permantang Pauh, the nuances of the word reveals the speaker’s bigotry and even racism. This makes the situation even more volatile.
Although the root word of pendatang is derived from “come” or “arrive” hence immigrant in this context, it is also derogative when applied to non-Malays as it implies one does not really belong here. So it is not uncommon to hear taunts like “balik Tong Shan” or “balik India” thrown rudely at Chinese or Indians. Like any other taunt, it is meant solely to hurt. Hurt it has in this case. Just as in the numerous other instances when it has been used so wantonly.
The other word is penumpang which in the media reports mean, squatters, lodgers or passengers. Or even a sojourner. This is open to many interpretations. To those whom this term is applied it can mean either of the following or both:
“This country is not yours, you are just passing through, so be grateful.”
“You are just a passenger, don’t try to get a free ride, no free-loading.”
It is interesting that Utusan carried a lengthy opinionated piece on the same day entitled: Malays Are Not Racist in which the writer says there has never arisen a Malay group that is racist or ultra nationalist which hates non-Malays.
He said even if there are two or three Malay politicians who are perceived as racists, they do not represent the nature of the true Malay.
He concluded by urging: “Let’s find ways to put out this spark so that it does not conflagrate and consume the feelings of the people.”
Words can be hurtful and dangerous. A Chinese saying has it that words are like water, once poured out, it is difficult to gather back. Another is like this. Words are like knives but it can cut without drawing blood.
The Bible tells us: “ Do not to let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen to it.”
Pendatang or penumpang, it makes no difference. The less uttered, the better. Maybe we should stick to Selamat Datang.
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