Tricia Yeoh

It’s my first time in the Middle East, and understandably am trying to absorb as much as possible with all senses. Kuwait is an interesting first country in the Middle East to visit, since it has probably one of the best human rights records amongst its neighbours. It also boasts a relatively independent and outspoken media, willing to challenge the Government.

My first observation was that there are numerous foreigners working here, mainly Indians and Filipinos. My suspicions were true, since based on statistics there are 1.2 million foreigners in Kuwait, out of a total resident population of 2.9 million (estimated). 80-90% of the workforce here is made out of non-citizens, which sounds pretty much like Dubai as well.

My second observation was the utter dryness of the city. As you land from the plane, all you see is brown sand everywhere stretched across the lands. Date and palm trees are replanted all across to “greenify” the place. The heat is sometimes unbearable, reaching 41 Celcius in the day and 35 at night. Skin gets dry and scaly without lotion. A reaction is for the air-conditioning to go the reverse, blasted till I am almost frozen indoors.

Since I am here for the 4th World Islamic Economic Forum (www.wief.org.my), I am acutely aware of the way Islam (or religion in general) is practiced here, drawing comparisons with what we have at home in Malaysia. It’s interesting now being in the minority of people who are not covered by the Niqab. This of course is a culture sociological heritage where in the past sandstorms compelled people to don cloth to cover their faces. (There was a sandstorm just before I arrived). 80% of Kuwaitis practice Islam, and have not yet had full conversations on their understanding of Allah. There are still a sizeable number of Christians in the country (300,000) and on Friday there were throngs of Lebanese Christians traipsing to the traditional Church behind my hotel. Coptic Christianity is evident as well, based on the little tattoo I observed on the hand of one, a mark of their community. This is reminiscent of the way Islam, Christianity and other religions blended harmoniously in the Middle East and Spain before.

Women are less conservative here than in Saudi Arabia, or so I am told. There is a variance, of course, with some dressed in sleeveless tops and dresses. They are certainly very visible in public life, many driving big luxury cars in the city (the ones you cannot find in Malaysia). Of course men still take primary leadership positions and women were only given the right to vote in 2005 (just three years ago!).

Traditional gear is the popular wear here. Men wear white; women stark black. In the souq (market/bazaar) today, shops were displaying rows and rows of flowing material. Compared to Pakistan which I visited for the 3rd WIEF and had the most colourful fabric I’ve ever seen, it was almost initially amusing to find that one cloth would sell white/pale yellow/cream cloth alone; and another plain black alone. From a Malaysian perspective, one sniggers to think of homogenous clothing as outfits that dehumanise a person.

That may be valid, but upon closer inspection I may have reason to change my mind. The black traditional dress has variation in patterns, embroidery, edging, stitching, motifs, cloth texture and so on. It is actually a test of creativity, which tailors unbelievably live up to. How many shadows of black could one possibly innovate, right? But yes – they each have their own uniqueness about them. Really fascinating world, this.

Kuwait’s architecture must be commended! Their skyline is spotted with beautifully designed buildings, each with their own incredible shape. It is a modern city, very clean (it’s just the dust that gets to you), tinged with sophistry. I envision this place becoming a second Dubai in a decade. Their waterfront overlooking the sea – part of the Persian Gulf – is a favourite for locals on weekends (Friday & Saturday) to go fishing, sit alongside on benches to chat, go shopping and chill out.

Yes of course, there are McD’s, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Costa Coffee and all galore. But local cuisine beats all else flat. The flat breads, chickpea and bean paste, fresh yoghurt, fruits, lamb, saffron rice are going to contribute to an exponential hike in my weight.

In all, Kuwait is a great introduction to the Arab world. Learning Arabic here is easy too, since people are responsive and friendly when attempting to speak phrases here and there. I think this will be a good trip, overall. Alhamdullilah!

My friendly anonymous friend Abc wrote in to say the following.

Many thanks for clarifying that the contentious statement (in the context of IHT’s story) was not what you had said.

As for your  ‘wish you would have had the courtesy to leave your name’, I regret that II cannot fulfil your wish much as I would like to.  Pseudonym is, like democracy, a freedom of choice, not necessarily an issue of courtesy.

All is well and good. Such is life in Malaysia. Everyday is an elections day, with great sensitivities surrounding our discourse on politics, race, and democracy. 😉

Responsible e-mailing means leaving your name when you provide comments on my quotes. I received the following in the mailbox today. A rather interesting but highly inaccurate reading of what I had said.

“This term of office (by a Chinese, multiracial and Islamic party) is a make or break for them.” Tricia Yeoh, Centre for Public Policy Studies (reported in International Herald Tribune (IHT), 10/3/08)

Note: Notwithstanding the perceptive observation by Tricia Yeoh, her reference pertaining to Democratic Action Party as a “Chinese party” is factually incorrect (unless it is misquoted in IHT), because DAP had fielded Indian and even Malay candidates in the 12^th General Election.  In its website, you will read Lim Guan Eng’s press statement (9/3/08) as follows – “DAP wishes to emphasis that we will be an inclusive government that represents all Malaysians. No one will be discriminated or victimised even if they had supported the BN. We want to be the government as well as a responsible and constructive opposition in other states for all Malaysians.  DAP will continue to build up on our success in winning Malay votes in significant numbers to win seats we otherwise would not have won. We want to prove that we fight for the interests of all Malays, Chinese Indians, Kadazans and Ibans so long as they are Malaysians.” http://dapmalaysia.org/english/2008/mac08/lge/lge865.htm

Thank you, “Abc Abc” for leaving this comment, although I do wish you would have had the courtesy to leave your name, so that I could contact you and explain in further detail. Nevertheless, I am happy to elaborate on my blog the reasons for your error.

Firstly, I commend you for your obvious desire for a multiracial Malaysia. I too believe strongly in a country that transcends bigoted racial politics, a system that has unfortunately for umpteen years dominated the very socio-cultural fabric of the country we know and love. Indeed, the political parties that advocate a multiracial approach are the ones that have emerged the unsuspecting victor in many constituencies. You and I both were probably very surprised at the outcome, one that nevertheless marks well for a democratic future.

However, please be very careful. You do not want to present false information. This is precisely the thing we want to avoid during this politically heightened period of time.  First of all, please read the ORIGINAL article. You can find the link here. (Title of the International Herald Tribune article is: “Malaysian Opposition’s Gains Signal Era of Change”) To my enlightened reader, this is how you read an article. This part of the story was NOT what I said.

The opposition as a whole must show that a Chinese, multiracial and Islamic party can work together on national issues – no mean feat, given their religious and ethnic differences.

The following part of the story (the part with actual inverted commas, i.e. this symbol “) is.

“This term of office is make or break for them,” said Yeoh of the Center for Public Policy Studies.“What is essentially needed is for them to get down to the negotiating table, work out common policies, work out the nitty-gritty administrative details,” Yeoh said.

I’d like to remind everyone that we should strive as far as possible to refrain from making false accusations. This principle applies to any rumour that we hear about any political leader. Verify our sources of information before sending them out on SMS. Do not be rumour mongers. At this stage, the best is to maintain calm, and not be pulled into any fiery conversation that would result ultimately in slander and unnecessary criticism. We must maintain a rational state of mind, to even dialogue and discuss what’s happened over the last couple of days in Malaysia.  

But thank you kindly for your message. And please continue advocating for a Malaysia that recognises the interests of all Malaysians alike, whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban or otherwise. Racial identities should exist for cultural reasons, but insofar as economic access and opportunity are concerned, we should be colour blind, the oft-quoted phrase of late. 🙂

The Star Forum yesterday had a full crowd. But I have to say, another additional negative about the newspaper was its inability to quote people correctly. This is what I was quoted as saying:

“The forum was fair as it allowed the people to present all their views. We have a good panel here and it is necessary to hear the views from across the spectrum. 

“This is the time when Malaysians need to sit down and reflect upon a very significant turning point of our country. We need to come together to decide what we want for the future.  

“The Star has provided a good model to be followed by the state governments and the cabinet to make a civil society.” 

How can “state governments and the cabinet” MAKE civil society??

I said “state governments and the cabinet to meet civil society.”

Come on, Star! Honestly… I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I think I should just laugh, along with Comedy Court’s excellent renditions of recent songs. 🙂

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SV4ZxKoePM]

There are two trends that I am wary of seeing take place post-Elections. Sure, we have all celebrated the cause of Democracy reigning in, this time. But now the real work begins, people settle back into their offices and rooms to be accustomed back to normal living.

Trend no. 1 is that DAP, traditionally feared by the Malays but this time supported because of its relationship with PKR, might be considered by the Malays as not standing up for their rights. This will be an unfortunate trend because the DAP needs the Malays as much as it can. It will be a horrible first start for DAP if the Malays are not convinced enough that DAP is looking out for their interests. It should be perceived to live up to its theoretical rhetoric of a Malaysia for all Malaysians.

Trend no. 2 is that the media is putting a horrible spin on PAS wanting to implement hudud law, which was quoted out of context. This is sending shivers down the spine of Christians and non-Muslims. However, we cannot be fooled into some of the misquotes and misinformation given to us any longer. We should be as vigilant as possible, put on thinking and questioning caps customary of journalists, and ensure that we get as much information as possible to form a complete picture. The bad thing resulting from this would be that the Chinese and Indians are alienated from PAS. The reality is that PAS itself is divided on its interpretation of Islamic state (which by the way they dropped from their manifesto because they know they have to be more relevant to the non-Muslim community), and have said outrightly that they would defend the rights of minorities. 

My hypothesis is that PAS has not actually had the opportunity of proving itself to any of us Malaysians. Aside from in Kelantan, the rest of us Peninsular folk have always held a distant suspicion of PAS, one that is at times not validated. What has happened is that PAS was a formidable enemy to UMNO in the past, for the Malays. UMNO being the Malay saviour party had to become more of an Islamic party as well, to win back the Malay sentiment. As a result UMNO has had to go under tremendous pressure to go along more of an Islamic trend, putting into place Islamic principles.

So this may sound strange coming from a Christian, but maybe it’s high time we looked at giving PAS a chance to prove itself? Sure, they come up with silly little things (wanting all women in Malaysia to wear a hijab – that was some time ago) but at least, guys, they’re HONEST and clean… I think I’ll be writing something proper on PAS and Christianity soon. I think this is a theme that all of us Christians need to explore in depth.

This was my response to an email that was forwarded, essentially saying:

Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If  that’s the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?” There was no disagreement with my statements and without hesitation, he replied, “Non-believers!” 

Thank you for forwarding this message on. However, I take exception to the way in which verses are quoted out of context, especially in a multireligious society such as ours. The Bible is often quoted out of context as well, resulting in passages requiring people to kill the non-believers to be cited in Christians’ faces as well.
 
As Malaysians come to terms with the new political realities, i.e. with PAS gaining power in one additional state and holding more state seats in other states, I think we must caution against any sort of spin. True that they are an Islamic party, but some quarters would have us believe that they are out to protest Muslims’ interests and no other. The truth is, my humble opinion is that PAS sees its need to cater to non-Muslims and has openly stated its desire to stand up for marginalised groups. So along the political front, I would caution that we take things out of context. PAS for example was quoted out of context in saying it would have hudud law – in fact they said so, inasmuch as it does not affect the interests of other communities.
 
Now on the Quran and infidels. Again, look at context in which the commandment was given to the followers. If my Muslim friend has educated me correctly, it was because they were at war at the time, and non-believers were precisely the group that formed the enemy at the time. This is not necessarily the case that “all non Muslims” are “enemies”. It happened to be that way at the time. Further theological studies are necessary and I do not claim to be an expert, but please please Malaysians, understand context before we spew falsehoods against each other and once again disintegrate the very core of multiracial/multireligious/multiculturalism that we have for so long striven to achieve. This elections, we see a shift against racial and religious polarity and my plea to all of us is to guard against making statements that are not properly thought through. Lest the new fabric being woven is torn apart even before it takes proper shape.
 
If we believe in a new Malaysia, we must be willing to give the “other” the benefit of the doubt. Don’t allow ANY sort of sectarian political statement to divide us.

Finally, the nominee for Perak MB from PAS is apparently a very open minded Muslim who is willing to work with non-Muslims. I am very excited!