‘Samseng’ behaviour is everywhere in Malaysia This writer laments that Malaysian rage is apparent on the road, in politics and now on the football field. On the road we witness rage. On the political circuit we see ‘samseng’ behaviour especially at rallies and ballot centres or in front of the homes of civil society leaders. Now on the football pitch too we are running amok. When someone from outside the country criticises us, we are quick to scream back at them asking them to “look at your own backyard”. When citizens criticise us, we are quick to retaliate with talk of race rights and religious sentiments or a reminder that someone’s position is being questioned and therefore punish we must. And the police swing into action almost immediately. As for the menacing Mat Rempits on the roads, they are praised and even collaborated with or showered with sympathy. How sad that we cannot accept losing a game. We cannot imagine losing power and control. We cannot bear losing privileges. We cannot tolerate this, and we cannot tolerate that. And if we do lose, we feel threatened. We must fight back. We attack. Malaysian fans attacking Vietnamese fans on Malaysian soil cannot be undone with an apology Mr Honourable Youth and Sports Minsiter, KJ. It is a manifestation of what has been going wrong for a long time in the country. We have been witnessing social rot and yet have not had the strength to admit it. It is therefore not surprising witnessing the ‘samseng’ behaviour on the football pitch last Sunday. After all, have not our politicians been brandishing this behaviour these past thirty years and especially in the last two General Elections? Look at the way they shout and scream at each other even in parliament. If we can shout and threaten our own citizens with demeaning words like “pendatang”, “balik negara”, “pengkhianat” including other such expletives, let alone vulgarity in body language, what is there to be surprised at when Malaysian fans attack innocent foreign fans in a football pitch? How long more can we as a nation survive, let alone progress, in the eyes of our neighbouring citizens with such behaviour? As it stands, almost every one of these countries are aware of the track record we have in abusing, taking advantage of and ill treating immigrant labour in our country. The arithmetic is simple. Do not take heed of these “isolated incidents” of abuse reported. Just take into account the tens of thousands who came into the country with legal papers and ended up with agents swindling them of their renewals. The ball has been kicked into the centre of the nation’s leadership pitch. So Mr Honourable Prime Minister, are you going to treat this football attack with your trademark silence or slam those who invite national discussion with the Sedition Act? l.facebook/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffreemalaysiatoday%2Fcategory%2Fopinion%2Fcomment%2F2014%2F12%2F09%2Fsamseng-behaviour-is-everywhere-in-malaysia%2F&h=DAQFoUhpKAQFJ_pGrlYyj-UdsZpB72CcbVLJYZakUSnZ4aA&enc=AZPMMOuusGOYEyqupVEFzXaTpU1gVqoV184OSQISPzzFfIXPDkiXmLAKGA0vNj04lSwDwcHi6747XMR27u6vIrurPoawYY74sjCMnwFdipSnlnAOeU9fPODtc94EbUneIX2qz61wcp65L6BSORbY4YtwrO8r4XvPas9XGhA_gZ2DNg
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 02:08:02 +0000