BUGINESE FOR ALL MALAYSIANS?

The recurrent Malaysian leadership debacles of UMNO origin for the past four decades or so almost made me ashamed to be a Malay. Nevertheless, being a Malay of Bugis sub-ethnic ancestry, it’s a comfort to realize that since the general period in question, we have always been counted upon to effectively lead every time the odds against the nation were simply too great.

Upon appointment to the powerful Director of Operation post in the wake of the May 13 1969 racial disturbance, the late Tun Abdul Razak had to recall Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, a full-blooded Buginese, from retirement. The latter Tun who was then on premature retirement owing to certain coronary condition while serving as Home Affairs Minister under the Tunku Abdul Rahman administration, had managed to prove his mettle by stopping the nation’s multi-racial society from further sliding into anarchy following the worse ever racial riot.

Let it also be known that the illustrious Tun Abd Razak himself is of mix Pahang Malay-Buginese ancestry.

Presently, when a little but highly influential band of UMNOputra elites are being metamorphosed into virtual beasts that’s bent on plundering and pillaging our nation and its plural society with impunity, there emerged another set of Buginese super hero duo to save the day. And, this time around, the duo are of glorious blue blood: reigning Sultan of Johor, DYMM Sultan Mahmood Iskandar al Mutawakkill Allalah ibni Alhamrhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim, and cyber scribe extraordinaire YM Raja Petra bin Raja Kamaruddin. Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Allahu Akbar!

The former shook us Malaysians from our pathetic tidak apathy when he made a surprise media coup through live national TV by expressing reservations on the Wilayah Pembangunan Iskandar (WPI) project that he was called upon to officiate.

To the horror of the TV3 producer in charge of the nationwide live telecast then, Sultan Mahmood had even gone to the extent of disagreeing with the decision by the Dolah regime to name the sovereignty sell-out that is the WPI after his namesake; implying that he didn't want to fall into the same deceptive trap of the Western imperialists as endured by his grandfather, the late DYMM Sultan Sir Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Temenggong/Maharaja/Sultan Sir Abu Bakar did during the turn of the 20th century.

And as for YM Raja Petra of Selangor royal Buginese ancestry, history is bound to accord him the distinction for inspiring us patriotic Malaysians to, at long last, stand up and give the “up yours” to a desperate regime under siege; a very gallant act indeed.

By standing up to the shamelessly corrupt UMNOputras through his web portal Malaysia Today, the full time critic of the bumbling Dolah hand-over regime had irreparably shattered the myth of the nice guy premier. Dolah Kepala Bataih and his bunch of comical little rascals desperadoes had to even dispatch their best and most experienced political hit man, the bumbling and semi-literate former party vice-president Muhammad son of Muhammad Taib, to deal with our Buginese super hero, only to be seriously back-fired in doing so.

In retrospect, it is no wonder that a certain Mat Salleh explorer of a bygone era had decided to coin a term which kids across North America loved to fear until today, boogeyman (variation: Bugi(s)man); based on that particular Mat Salleh’s own experience in dealing with the sharp, silent and ninja-like Buginese assassins/bucaneers in this part of the world.

To KJ: Booo!!! Gotcha in ye wet Oxford-red knickers!