Strange, I don’t recall such marches under Mahathir. Was freedom won from him or just largesse paid for ? With sufficient violence, removing an autocrat is not hard, instituting reforms afterword is. Malaysians do not yet have the concept of genuine reform, which means self-sacrifice and not scapegoating, a blood-sport in Malaysia.
Moshe Yegar has been an interesting and essential ingredient of the Rohingya Inc. which is itself a formidable industry almost equivalent to BP if you consider all the politicians, journalists of sorts, ubiquitous “Rights” workers, lobbyists. All have vested interest in the smoldering s with occasional fanning.
Apart from the Rohingya themselves everyone seems to be having a ball.
I don’t think one becomes an “instant Zionist” anymore than one becomes an “instant Buddhist”. Perhaps in San Francisco or Berkeley (“instant Buddhist”), but not in Israel or Myanmar. By the way, one of the world’s experts on Myanmar is Israeli and he is also very pro-“Rohingya” (just to suggest stereotypes can be broken at times), but then Israeli academics are little different than Australian or American ones. I think China and Japan are way ahead of Americans, Europeans, Australians and “Zionists”…..If President Xi could literally make Burma an additional Chinese province, like he has done in Cambodia and Laos, he certainly would. which is why China has been aiding the Wa people for eons.
Yes, Armenians are everywhere and successful, and the Sarkis Brothers fought with my Great, Great Uncle for ownership of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The Armenians won.
Not just Kan-da-ya-bin. In 1960, Burma was the largest exporter of rice in Southeast Asia thanks to Israeli hydrologists and horticulturists who U Nu invited to Burma and reciprocated with Burmese scientists (yes, they existed at one time) studying in Israel. It was Ne Win and not Tel Aviv that caused Burma to go from #1 to number #7. The IDF (it was not Mossad that trained Burmese Intelligence, by the way) did train the Singaporean Air Force, which rarely uses torture these days. Only the BJP is pro-Israel, many Congress Party and Communist Party of India members are not. India may be 50 % pro-Israel (a lot of people), but hardly 100 %. Bose did make that flight and a damn good thing too. Finally, the Japanese were quite enthralled with Hitler during the war, and one current Japanese neo-Fascist group’s symbol is the NAZI Swastika (rotated 45 degrees) on top of the red rising sun “borrowed” from the Japanese National Flag. As Marayu has correctly pointed out there are Jews in Manipur and Mizoram who’s DNA is quite close to Bamar DNA (this is published research), and are considered fully Jewish by all Jewish authorities.
Unlike the Rohingya, the Jewish Bnei Menashe are indigenous tribal people in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram. Makes one wonder how they got there ?
You mentioned here about those borderland Jews before. Not just Jews, Armenians, Portuguese, etc. are still around as in their descendants just like as claimed Eric Blair’s very distant relatives in Moulmein.
But what Burma did not have was systematic brain washing the young, commonly termed education, of how bad the Jews were sort of things. So for general populace on the street they are absolutely neutral not because they like or unlike the Jews. They just do not know.
It is interesting, with this new Burma opening up etc., those coming across with Jewish experts and specialists become instant Zionists while those working for mostly Muslim owned business feel sympathy for them. But they are isolated cases.
This is a new perspective to judge the popularity of mass rallies. I agree with your point where in past, we could only rely on the aerial view pictures captured by official authorities which often did not represent the true picture. With drone journalism becoming a trend, especially those that are operated by the rally-goers, it actually gives a better illsutration of the real situation happening on the ground. Drone journalism & sharp yellow-shirts definitely not a good thing to the authoritarian regime in Malaysia.
Guilty as charged. Not Jew, not historian and to top it not academic.
Still interesting for Burma stories abound that even ubiquitous thorny shrubs prevalent in the middle Burma are thanks to Israel because your U Nu apparently dropped the seeds from air. “Kan-da-ya bin” (Desert plant) or “Suu-le-pwae” we call them. very prickly and un-eradicable. Another story is the feared MI (military intelligence) being trained by mossad including shaking.
India is still the “biggest” Zionist country now. Bose, the wannabe Fascist, did not make that flight. Or may be he did. Rather like Lin Biao.
Sasakawa though was more into Mussolini than dear Adolf. But it is interesting how much “kin-ship” exists across the populace between Japan and Germany of today.
You refer to the Bnei Menashe in Manipur and Mizoram, whom I know well. Many have moved to Israel. They are considered genuine Jews, regardless of their Asiatic appearance. I am well familiar with the Iraqi Jewish community in old Rangoon; my cousin was one of them. I am an Iraqi-British-Dutch Jew born in Singapore, just before Malayan Independence. In fact, Malaysians are as ignorant as Burmese, perhaps more so. More Burmese know who Thakin U Nu was than Malaysians know who Kassim Ahmad is or who Ishak Haji Muhammad was. I will remind you, in 1960, Burma had the HIGHEST literacy rate in Southeast Asia for both men and women. It is not U Nu’s fault it dropped by 20 % and is now about 68 %. Anyway, I have several Bnei Menashe friends in Imphal, Manipur and Israel. My Doctoral Supervisor was born in Rangoon, as his father was in the Burmese Rifles during British times (as mine was in the Malayan Division). My Supervisor spoke fluent Burmese, rare even today, for an expat, let alone a Burma Expert (Professor Emeritus David Steinberg excepted).
Unfortunately the media and this thread is making much more about the 2 brief Mahathir visits than is warranted. Where he appeared people were in thrall, but there were also people (some with witty signs) pointing out Mahathir’s hypocrisy in attending (esp. on facebook and twitter). I think the bigger message was that a large peaceful rally was possible and it marks the beginning of a process of reforming some aspects of governance in Malaysian politics (maybe only within UMNO, maybe only with a view of unseating one PM).
To be fair every politician who turned up was mobbed for a while for wefies, pictures etc. Mahathir has celebrity status in Malaysia and uses his ‘elder statesman’ status for his own historical whitewash and his family dynasty. Neither of these things should be surprising considering the historical family connections of the present parliament; one need only look as far as Najib himself who is the son of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister and the nephew of Malaysia’s third PM…
One last point, Ohn. From Independence until the late 50s, only three Asian nations recognized Israel: Philippines, Burma and Japan. The Philippines and Japan were the only independent Asian nations at Israel’s establishment, that recognized it in 1948. This was followed by Burma. The very close friendship between U Nu and Israel is well-known; U Nu begged Soekarno, Nehru, Nkrumah, Nasser, Jinnah and others to allow Israel to attend the Bandung Conference of 1955. ALL but U Nu, demurred. Only U Nu, Jose Rizal and the nascent LDP in Japan defended Israel.
This friendship lasted, under the clearly indefensible regimes of Ne Win and the Tatmadaw and there is still an Israeli Embassy in Yangon (or maybe in Naypyidaw).
I am not here to defend any autocratic Burmese regime, but instead to include Myanmar along with the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia, as nations with negligible anti-Semitism, in part thanks to the great Burmese leader U Nu. I know some on NM want to criticize anything Bamar or Burmese (and you know who you are).
Fine, I will stick with my admiration for U Nu, the only half-democrat (albeit somewhat imperfect, and very susceptible to being duped by Ne Win) Myanmar has ever had as ruler.
The Indian Nationalist Subash Bose was an ardent Fascist and admirer of Hitler. Anti-Semitism has always had a small, albeit influential, following in Japan and South Korea. Chiang Kai-Shek was an admirer of Hitler. Anti-Semitism may be more prevalent in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, but hardly restricted to it. Your inference that anti-Semitism is unknown in the East is wrong, just because in the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos, it happens to be particularly absent. There is more anti-Semitism in Japan, China and South Korea, than in Denmark, Iceland, Albania and even Mongolia, which was historically accustomed to bombastic Fascists. As you are not a Jew, your knowledge is limited. As a Jew and Asian, I speak from experience and scholarship. Soros is immaterial. There is not a day goes by that some Malaysian official utters a stupid anti-Semitic comment. Malaysia experts will know this well. If you claim it is due to Islam, you will have to defend against “Islamophobia”, but then why does the Catholic Philippines have very little anti-Semitism, Malays (like the Filipinos, of Malay stock) quite bigoted, and non-Muslim and non-Christian (mostly) Japan has a fair amount, as does increasingly Protestant South Korea. Your simplistic view is incredulous.
Jews really do not feature in Asian mindset. Malaysia is unique because of Mahathir hated Soros who did drop the 1997 “Cash bomb” on Asia but with Asian finances being what they were, Soros jsut needed to blow like a candle and the whole Asia went dark.
In Burma no one knows Jews except Hitler is taught in schools as bad. And everyone know that ubiquitous number 6 millions. And no one knows or care about the global taboo about swastika which is exactly the same as cool things like Hello Kitty or now Colonel Sanders.
Chinese conquest of Burma is though almost complete.From funerals to celebrations to even mahayana style clapping the hands at the temples.
It is spelled Mahathir, in English, Malay and Malayalam. As you know little of Malaysia, you know little of Mahathir, Mr Smith. Your cynical and ignorant comments are superfluous. I only need quote Tunku Abdul Rahman: “My worst decision ever made was to allow Dr Mahathir a position in UMNO”. I have spent 44 years in Malaysia and have seen the people destroyed by this man, you have not. Even on the one issue of Mahathir being a rabid anti-Semite and Nazi admirer, I should think one as sensible as you would not find that of value; then again, who knows, maybe you do admire that quality in him. That you should ask what Mahathir is asking in return reveals your ignorance in full display. Leave Malaysia to Malaysia specialists, Mr Smith.
How evil is Mahatir? As evil as the dozens of military strongmen the US has propped over the century?
Change will come about Malaysia when UMNO is fractured, and when the Malay vote is divided. Allowing Mahatir to attach his bandwagon onto Bersih might divide UMNO. What is Mahatir is asking in return? What is Bersih giving him in return?
What does the opposition gain by kicking Mahatir out? How much power does he have?
Bersih 4.0 was a loss for all Malaysians, but one, Dr Mahathir, who easily manipulated the rally into (again) affording unprincipled adulation to a man, who should have been jailed long ago. No, this was a display of craven selfishness and idiocy by both the government, failing to recognize they are not wanted, and by the rallying crowd, failing to recognize they had been duped, or worse, willingly fawned upon the very man, who ultimately made such protests, necessary. A very sorry and rancid display of cravenness, cupidity and corruption.
No, everyone does not know and it was Bersih 4.0 organizers who invited him. He could have been disinvited. The mere fact that he was adulated by thousands of attendees makes your comment silly and superfluous. That you even defend his attendance is obscene and typical of Malaysian “main-main”. SO, he Mahathir is a free member of society, but it’s OK that Anwar and Kassim Ahmad are not free, for doing nothing ? Mahathir destroyed Malaysia and Malaysians are UNFREE. Your argument is both noxious and specious.
He knows he does not have many years left, that is why he is so desperately trying to pave the way for his son. He is not compromising his racist and dictatorial political position. He has made it crystal clear that he does not support Bersih 4, he went to the rally “to be with the people.” In other words he went there to get some stupid votes for his son.
Mahathir has the agenda to establish his son. He tends to follow Lee Kuan Yew. However, given the current situation in Malaysia, it is positive that he endorses the protest, not the least as this will reduce provocation and police actions. Perhaps, as another perspective, he might have learned!
In any case, the problem is that there is no vialble united opposition in Malaysia. The elite policies functioned quite well.
Nevertheless, one has to admit that multiculturalism works in Malaysia, at least to the degree that:
1. so far no progroms took place since 1969. This is already quite an achievement!
2. Political conflicts are non-violent. Something quite distinct from what we experience in Thailand;
3. the number of political prisoners is very low. Just think, for comparision of 112!
4. In Malaysia the day when the modern state was formed (Merdeka Day) is a day for celebration. Again, quite different to Thailand!
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Why we marched for Malaysia
Strange, I don’t recall such marches under Mahathir. Was freedom won from him or just largesse paid for ? With sufficient violence, removing an autocrat is not hard, instituting reforms afterword is. Malaysians do not yet have the concept of genuine reform, which means self-sacrifice and not scapegoating, a blood-sport in Malaysia.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Moshe Yegar has been an interesting and essential ingredient of the Rohingya Inc. which is itself a formidable industry almost equivalent to BP if you consider all the politicians, journalists of sorts, ubiquitous “Rights” workers, lobbyists. All have vested interest in the smoldering s with occasional fanning.
Apart from the Rohingya themselves everyone seems to be having a ball.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
I don’t think one becomes an “instant Zionist” anymore than one becomes an “instant Buddhist”. Perhaps in San Francisco or Berkeley (“instant Buddhist”), but not in Israel or Myanmar. By the way, one of the world’s experts on Myanmar is Israeli and he is also very pro-“Rohingya” (just to suggest stereotypes can be broken at times), but then Israeli academics are little different than Australian or American ones. I think China and Japan are way ahead of Americans, Europeans, Australians and “Zionists”…..If President Xi could literally make Burma an additional Chinese province, like he has done in Cambodia and Laos, he certainly would. which is why China has been aiding the Wa people for eons.
Yes, Armenians are everywhere and successful, and the Sarkis Brothers fought with my Great, Great Uncle for ownership of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The Armenians won.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Not just Kan-da-ya-bin. In 1960, Burma was the largest exporter of rice in Southeast Asia thanks to Israeli hydrologists and horticulturists who U Nu invited to Burma and reciprocated with Burmese scientists (yes, they existed at one time) studying in Israel. It was Ne Win and not Tel Aviv that caused Burma to go from #1 to number #7. The IDF (it was not Mossad that trained Burmese Intelligence, by the way) did train the Singaporean Air Force, which rarely uses torture these days. Only the BJP is pro-Israel, many Congress Party and Communist Party of India members are not. India may be 50 % pro-Israel (a lot of people), but hardly 100 %. Bose did make that flight and a damn good thing too. Finally, the Japanese were quite enthralled with Hitler during the war, and one current Japanese neo-Fascist group’s symbol is the NAZI Swastika (rotated 45 degrees) on top of the red rising sun “borrowed” from the Japanese National Flag. As Marayu has correctly pointed out there are Jews in Manipur and Mizoram who’s DNA is quite close to Bamar DNA (this is published research), and are considered fully Jewish by all Jewish authorities.
Unlike the Rohingya, the Jewish Bnei Menashe are indigenous tribal people in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram. Makes one wonder how they got there ?
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
You mentioned here about those borderland Jews before. Not just Jews, Armenians, Portuguese, etc. are still around as in their descendants just like as claimed Eric Blair’s very distant relatives in Moulmein.
But what Burma did not have was systematic brain washing the young, commonly termed education, of how bad the Jews were sort of things. So for general populace on the street they are absolutely neutral not because they like or unlike the Jews. They just do not know.
It is interesting, with this new Burma opening up etc., those coming across with Jewish experts and specialists become instant Zionists while those working for mostly Muslim owned business feel sympathy for them. But they are isolated cases.
The medium of people power
This is a new perspective to judge the popularity of mass rallies. I agree with your point where in past, we could only rely on the aerial view pictures captured by official authorities which often did not represent the true picture. With drone journalism becoming a trend, especially those that are operated by the rally-goers, it actually gives a better illsutration of the real situation happening on the ground. Drone journalism & sharp yellow-shirts definitely not a good thing to the authoritarian regime in Malaysia.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Guilty as charged. Not Jew, not historian and to top it not academic.
Still interesting for Burma stories abound that even ubiquitous thorny shrubs prevalent in the middle Burma are thanks to Israel because your U Nu apparently dropped the seeds from air. “Kan-da-ya bin” (Desert plant) or “Suu-le-pwae” we call them. very prickly and un-eradicable. Another story is the feared MI (military intelligence) being trained by mossad including shaking.
India is still the “biggest” Zionist country now. Bose, the wannabe Fascist, did not make that flight. Or may be he did. Rather like Lin Biao.
Sasakawa though was more into Mussolini than dear Adolf. But it is interesting how much “kin-ship” exists across the populace between Japan and Germany of today.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Marayu,
You refer to the Bnei Menashe in Manipur and Mizoram, whom I know well. Many have moved to Israel. They are considered genuine Jews, regardless of their Asiatic appearance. I am well familiar with the Iraqi Jewish community in old Rangoon; my cousin was one of them. I am an Iraqi-British-Dutch Jew born in Singapore, just before Malayan Independence. In fact, Malaysians are as ignorant as Burmese, perhaps more so. More Burmese know who Thakin U Nu was than Malaysians know who Kassim Ahmad is or who Ishak Haji Muhammad was. I will remind you, in 1960, Burma had the HIGHEST literacy rate in Southeast Asia for both men and women. It is not U Nu’s fault it dropped by 20 % and is now about 68 %. Anyway, I have several Bnei Menashe friends in Imphal, Manipur and Israel. My Doctoral Supervisor was born in Rangoon, as his father was in the Burmese Rifles during British times (as mine was in the Malayan Division). My Supervisor spoke fluent Burmese, rare even today, for an expat, let alone a Burma Expert (Professor Emeritus David Steinberg excepted).
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Sorry, I forgot the link to the YouTube video. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IabE7HSe29c
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Here is an interesting article about Iraqi Jews in Rangoon:
http://www.economist.com/node/21549988
and here a YouTube video by Lillian Frank, an Australian lady, who was born in Burma into a Jewish community.
Of course, there has been Jewish settlements in Mizoram, an Indian State, bordering Burma for many centuries:
http://www.ibtimes.com/aliyah-tribe-lost-jews-northeastern-india-seek-migrate-israel-1554816
Burmese nowadays are quite ignorant about the history of their own country.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
Unfortunately the media and this thread is making much more about the 2 brief Mahathir visits than is warranted. Where he appeared people were in thrall, but there were also people (some with witty signs) pointing out Mahathir’s hypocrisy in attending (esp. on facebook and twitter). I think the bigger message was that a large peaceful rally was possible and it marks the beginning of a process of reforming some aspects of governance in Malaysian politics (maybe only within UMNO, maybe only with a view of unseating one PM).
To be fair every politician who turned up was mobbed for a while for wefies, pictures etc. Mahathir has celebrity status in Malaysia and uses his ‘elder statesman’ status for his own historical whitewash and his family dynasty. Neither of these things should be surprising considering the historical family connections of the present parliament; one need only look as far as Najib himself who is the son of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister and the nephew of Malaysia’s third PM…
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
One last point, Ohn. From Independence until the late 50s, only three Asian nations recognized Israel: Philippines, Burma and Japan. The Philippines and Japan were the only independent Asian nations at Israel’s establishment, that recognized it in 1948. This was followed by Burma. The very close friendship between U Nu and Israel is well-known; U Nu begged Soekarno, Nehru, Nkrumah, Nasser, Jinnah and others to allow Israel to attend the Bandung Conference of 1955. ALL but U Nu, demurred. Only U Nu, Jose Rizal and the nascent LDP in Japan defended Israel.
This friendship lasted, under the clearly indefensible regimes of Ne Win and the Tatmadaw and there is still an Israeli Embassy in Yangon (or maybe in Naypyidaw).
I am not here to defend any autocratic Burmese regime, but instead to include Myanmar along with the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia, as nations with negligible anti-Semitism, in part thanks to the great Burmese leader U Nu. I know some on NM want to criticize anything Bamar or Burmese (and you know who you are).
Fine, I will stick with my admiration for U Nu, the only half-democrat (albeit somewhat imperfect, and very susceptible to being duped by Ne Win) Myanmar has ever had as ruler.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
Ohn,
The Indian Nationalist Subash Bose was an ardent Fascist and admirer of Hitler. Anti-Semitism has always had a small, albeit influential, following in Japan and South Korea. Chiang Kai-Shek was an admirer of Hitler. Anti-Semitism may be more prevalent in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, but hardly restricted to it. Your inference that anti-Semitism is unknown in the East is wrong, just because in the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos, it happens to be particularly absent. There is more anti-Semitism in Japan, China and South Korea, than in Denmark, Iceland, Albania and even Mongolia, which was historically accustomed to bombastic Fascists. As you are not a Jew, your knowledge is limited. As a Jew and Asian, I speak from experience and scholarship. Soros is immaterial. There is not a day goes by that some Malaysian official utters a stupid anti-Semitic comment. Malaysia experts will know this well. If you claim it is due to Islam, you will have to defend against “Islamophobia”, but then why does the Catholic Philippines have very little anti-Semitism, Malays (like the Filipinos, of Malay stock) quite bigoted, and non-Muslim and non-Christian (mostly) Japan has a fair amount, as does increasingly Protestant South Korea. Your simplistic view is incredulous.
Witch hunts and woe in Malaysia
#1.1.1.2.1
Jews really do not feature in Asian mindset. Malaysia is unique because of Mahathir hated Soros who did drop the 1997 “Cash bomb” on Asia but with Asian finances being what they were, Soros jsut needed to blow like a candle and the whole Asia went dark.
In Burma no one knows Jews except Hitler is taught in schools as bad. And everyone know that ubiquitous number 6 millions. And no one knows or care about the global taboo about swastika which is exactly the same as cool things like Hello Kitty or now Colonel Sanders.
Chinese conquest of Burma is though almost complete.From funerals to celebrations to even mahayana style clapping the hands at the temples.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
It is spelled Mahathir, in English, Malay and Malayalam. As you know little of Malaysia, you know little of Mahathir, Mr Smith. Your cynical and ignorant comments are superfluous. I only need quote Tunku Abdul Rahman: “My worst decision ever made was to allow Dr Mahathir a position in UMNO”. I have spent 44 years in Malaysia and have seen the people destroyed by this man, you have not. Even on the one issue of Mahathir being a rabid anti-Semite and Nazi admirer, I should think one as sensible as you would not find that of value; then again, who knows, maybe you do admire that quality in him. That you should ask what Mahathir is asking in return reveals your ignorance in full display. Leave Malaysia to Malaysia specialists, Mr Smith.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
How evil is Mahatir? As evil as the dozens of military strongmen the US has propped over the century?
Change will come about Malaysia when UMNO is fractured, and when the Malay vote is divided. Allowing Mahatir to attach his bandwagon onto Bersih might divide UMNO. What is Mahatir is asking in return? What is Bersih giving him in return?
What does the opposition gain by kicking Mahatir out? How much power does he have?
Bersih 4.0: a win/win outcome?
Bersih 4.0 was a loss for all Malaysians, but one, Dr Mahathir, who easily manipulated the rally into (again) affording unprincipled adulation to a man, who should have been jailed long ago. No, this was a display of craven selfishness and idiocy by both the government, failing to recognize they are not wanted, and by the rallying crowd, failing to recognize they had been duped, or worse, willingly fawned upon the very man, who ultimately made such protests, necessary. A very sorry and rancid display of cravenness, cupidity and corruption.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
No, everyone does not know and it was Bersih 4.0 organizers who invited him. He could have been disinvited. The mere fact that he was adulated by thousands of attendees makes your comment silly and superfluous. That you even defend his attendance is obscene and typical of Malaysian “main-main”. SO, he Mahathir is a free member of society, but it’s OK that Anwar and Kassim Ahmad are not free, for doing nothing ? Mahathir destroyed Malaysia and Malaysians are UNFREE. Your argument is both noxious and specious.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
He knows he does not have many years left, that is why he is so desperately trying to pave the way for his son. He is not compromising his racist and dictatorial political position. He has made it crystal clear that he does not support Bersih 4, he went to the rally “to be with the people.” In other words he went there to get some stupid votes for his son.
Bersih 4.0 takes over Kuala Lumpur
Mahathir has the agenda to establish his son. He tends to follow Lee Kuan Yew. However, given the current situation in Malaysia, it is positive that he endorses the protest, not the least as this will reduce provocation and police actions. Perhaps, as another perspective, he might have learned!
In any case, the problem is that there is no vialble united opposition in Malaysia. The elite policies functioned quite well.
Nevertheless, one has to admit that multiculturalism works in Malaysia, at least to the degree that:
1. so far no progroms took place since 1969. This is already quite an achievement!
2. Political conflicts are non-violent. Something quite distinct from what we experience in Thailand;
3. the number of political prisoners is very low. Just think, for comparision of 112!
4. In Malaysia the day when the modern state was formed (Merdeka Day) is a day for celebration. Again, quite different to Thailand!