We will see the keris until we are de-sensitized

November 1, 2007

Hishammuddin and the Keris
Pic taken from Answers.com

Keris tradition to continue

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth will continue to use the keris as its symbol at the coming party general assembly and believes that with time the non-Malays will become de-sensitised to it.

Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said there was no need for the movement to be apologetic or defensive about it.

He believed there was “nothing sensitive with carrying on” the tradition started by the movement two years ago.

“I feel it is important we continue to do it so that the issue becomes de-sensitised over time.

“We will explain our position without any fear and with time, God willing, people will understand that there is no personal, sensitive and ulterior motives for doing it,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing the Umno Youth executive council meeting.

Hishammuddin said that he would touch on the keris and explain what it means to Umno Youth and the Barisan Nasional Youth in his policy speech at the party assembly next Tuesday.

Last year, Hishammuddin had unsheathed and kissed the keris at the assembly.

This later caused uneasiness among non-Malays when one or two speakers at that Umno Youth assembly made racially slanted remarks about using the keris.

At yesterday’s press conference, Hishammuddin said that carrying a polystyrene keris, too, could become sensitive if people allowed themselves to be sensitive about it.

“I think Umno Youth is mature enough that when Gerakan Youth carried two plastic keris it doesn’t raise any concern,” he said.

At the recent Gerakan Youth assembly, a delegate had wielded and waved two keris over his head, in an apparent spoof on Hishammuddin. This had tickled delegates at the Gerakan assembly.

Discussion:

Well, the moral of the story is: Continue doing something if you’re convinced it is right, and soon enough, people will become de-sensitized to it.
With this in mind, should we continue slaughtering cows on Parliament grounds (1-year old ‘tradition’, note the keris ‘tradition’ is now a very very old 2-year old tradition in comparison)?
To hell with those Hindu and Buddhist MPs, maybe they will become de-sensitized and come to their senses soon enough.

Should we also continue making sexist jokes in Parliament (x-years ‘tradition’)?
Those pesky women should know that the Parliament is a man’s place. We’ll just keep on making those funny as hell jokes until all women and the world become de-sensitized.

I could go on and on, but my point is, there are real traditions that are worth keeping (Malaysian open-houses) and there are traditions that really need to be eradicated (Female genitalia mutilation).
It’s really not the keris that people feel threatened by. I mean, the Agong seems to wear one during official functions, and people do not feel threatened by that.
It’s what you do to the keris (holding the keris with a facial expression of someone who has gone amok) that puts fear and doubt into people’s minds.

So if Hishammuddin wants to continue this ‘tradition’, then all power to the guy. But please remember, the keris is not just a symbol, it is a weapon, and weapons kill people. Don’t use the keris to make a point in an irresponsible manner.
People might get a bad impression. And Malaysians will not be de-sensitized. It’s just going to strengthen a lot of stereotypes that they already have, and that’s not going to do much good to unity in this country.

Hishammuddin says the darndest things!

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