Critical Thoughts

Following some trends over the weekend, I notice that some people are initiating a “boycott” against PPS simply because I now own it through my company, VCTech Network. Some have even been touting that a particular, relatively new blog aggregator will be a potential “challenger” to PPS. I did my homework and I can tell them right now that they are wasting their time in trying to boycott a local giant. You can see the PPS statistics if you don’t believe me.

But one of the reasons given for this “boycott” is because of their unwarranted fear that I would ban anyone who disagrees with me publicly on PPS, on the premise that I banned one uncivilised lout from it. Unfortunately this notion is simply mistaken, because that thug was the only person I have banned from the system thus far. I did unban several blogs from the system and of them was Sze Hau’s blog, who was banned (unfairly, in my opinion) for a technical glitch which was not his fault. Its good to see that someone appreciates my efforts to improving PPS. Its not like I am getting any monetary benefit from unbanning him or anyone else who was previously banned by PPS.

If banning an anonymous, uncivilised bastard who was born from the gutter is going to eclipse the fact that I unbanned a decent person, so be it. If this is going cause me to be labelled as an “extremist”, so be it. I really do not care. So be it.

With statements like this coming from “friends”, who needs enemies? I am beginning to wonder if my faith in a two-party system where a certain Chinese-inclined party is part of is totally misplaced. What is the purpose of raising such issues in the Dewan Rakyat which clearly goes against the Federal Constitution, in particular Article 152? I had thought that with the coming of the new guard, a much “softer” image of the party in question will come forth and that they will shed their extreme Chinese chauvinism.

Apparently, I was mistaken. If this continues, I hope that the Pakatan tripartite leadership council will come to a directive disallowing any such statements that reeks of chauvinism to be made by any Pakatan MP….or risk getting censored and kicked out.

The Devils After Power is rearing their ugly head.

And about time that it is, too. Its probably the only sane thing done by the Pak Lah administration ever since it took power in 2003. I understand that the Malaysian Indians may have grievances and grouses about the way they are treated and I can sympathise with them. Such problems can always be alleviated through existing political parties and associations, but not through this semi-terroristic, racist group which calls itself “Hindu Rights Action Force”.

The name “Hindu” in there already tells you that the group is staunchly pro-Hindu and adheres to the ideology of Hindutva. It reminds me of terrorist groups such as the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers or the VHP and RSS in India. They have already caused more trouble than they are worth in their respective countries. How is Hindraf going to be any different?

I am a bit disturbed by the actions of Hindraf as of late (and no, I am not referring to the memorandum they delivered to Pak Lah when they gate-crashed the party for Eid Fitri). One particular incident which bothers me as a long-time blogger (I have been blogging since 2003) is how they had made a fuss over an obscure posting by a relatively unknown blogger who made racist remarks against Indians. Now, I am not excusing the particular blogger in question for those remarks which I think is stereotypical and uncalled for. Labelling any racial group as “thieves” or “robbers” is simply just unacceptable. But had Hindraf not made so much silly noises about the blog post and left the blogger alone, the issue would not even have surfaced in the first place. And for my part, I have seen many anti-Islam and hate-incitement towards the Muslims in Malaysia, should I go around making police reports for each and every one of them?

So while I do not condone any racist remarks from any person, I certainly dislike the actions taken by this extremist group called Hindraf to make a fuss out of a minor issue of racism.