Why do you hate me?

They don’t know my name, but they come together every year to talk about me, and what I am apparently doing to them all the time. If you didn’t know any better, and just listened to them, you’d think I’m one mean cuss. I’m just not a good person, according to them.

So thank you, delegates of Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu, or as you prefer to be called in your Anglophile fervour — United Malay National Organisation (Umno). You guys always make me feel like a million bucks, I truly radiate in the sunshine of your love at your general assemblies.

My favourite was the prime minister no less who defied reason, honesty and humour by declaring in his opening speech, accompanied by spittle, that every Umno delegate in the house need not feel insecure about his or her Malayness.

For the benefit of the foreign reader, since a considerable number of Umno leaders are Malays by constitutional definition rather than by a strict scientific genealogy, they tend to get fidgety when the debate of being Malay enough starts.

“Are you Malay enough?” has even predated Malaysia; in the Malacca Sultanate constant haranguing for power happened between the regionally-based natives and those Indian Muslims who had settled into power spots.

So the good son of a line of Bugis royalty decided to set the tone of inclusion by detailing who is Malay: The Javanese and Achehnese need not worry about their Malay credentials. The Jakun and the Banjar are cool too. The Indian Muslim is in the club comfortably (Aryans and Dravidians without distinction I guess). A special mention was made for the Malabari (Kerala is on that coastal line, but I’m not pointing fingers). The Arab makes the cut. And it had to be said, the Mualaf (Muslim convert) automatically transfers ethnicity too. And this must have been in view of the Sabah by-election, the Pakistani is Malay.

This is why Malaysia should supervise the re-writing of global history. Almost all your Western academics, completely missed the added incentive Jinnah had when he was adamant about partitioning India leading to the formation of West Punjab, Sindh and Northwestern Territory into Pakistan, he and his cohorts were looking forward to being designated constitutional Malays.

And for good measure in view of the non-Muslim Umno members in the gallery, the prime minister exhorted that they were of the same racial cluster. All is well in fair Verona.

So it’s really mathematics. Take the population of Malaysia, and minus all those outlined above. That really leaves me, and my ilk.

Because the remainder of the assembly was dominated by that, on how those non-Malays are always making life difficult for the Malays and thank god there is Umno to fight for the downtrodden.

That’s life in Malaysia, where the party that rules the nation gathers its leaders nationwide so that they may give one vituperative speech after another about the bogeyman — the non-Malay.

Which obviously justifies me asking the Umno member, why do you hate me?

I’ll be constructive. Since the main complaint is how I have taken more than the rest, and kept the typical Malay mired in a lesser life, I’ll make a suggestion.

A bit of a “what if”.

I am willing to trade my wealth (home, car, bank accounts, etc) with any random name pulled out of a hat with the names of all Umno delegates who’ve just attended the general assembly.

I really fancy my odds.

No? Then it really is not about the delegates is it? I mean these men and women are not those written about in Umno folklore, travelling to Kuala Lumpur in 3rd-class rail, and “squatting” at family members’ homes. Or holed up in the more colourful Chow Kit motels, down the street from PWTC.

Then it is about the rakyat right, not the delegates.

So the best-intentioned Umno person is talking about the modest income earner and his economic realities. OK, that’s a bit more solid.

Let’s talk about his realities, but let’s talk about the realities of all those in his income class.

It is not like in the San Peng flats, poverty changes face when it moves from one single-room unit to the next single-room unit, because the occupants’ religions differ.

Their kids work part-time in 7-Elevens, or for better tips serve cocktails to your Umno kids in clubs on Heritage Row.

So you want them to have better lives. Education, labour rights, collective bargaining, public transportation, access to technology and a bunch of other stuff gets us a better life.

Why not spend your time talking about that?

Maybe your theory that getting more assets from the privileged non-Malay segment to the privileged Malay segment is just about the rights of the “right rich man”.

If national policy in the last 40 years has failed the poor, a considerable number of them Malay, then the government of that period, a considerable number of them Malay, has failed.

It is not that or this, it is government failure. For the sake of keeping the respect of your grandchildren, who I promise you will be more in tune with the global-think, rather than with your blame-think, you might want to reconsider your position.

Obviously the “moderate” Umno man would object. I’m too harsh and forget about the assuaging forces inside the party.

Najib did talk about letting the moderate Umno man have more space, more opportunities to take the party to a better place.

I am assuming the prime minister considers himself moderate.

But I challenge that supposition.

How can you defend your moderation when you do not speak out — unambiguously and unapologetically — when hate is spewed so effortlessly in all your assemblies?

I’m really not inspired by the obsolete explanation which begins with “I have many non-Malay friends” and ends with “We have to put up with some things for the greater good and things will be better in the future.”

First, if you grew up in 90 per cent of the country which is not mono-ethnic, and not actually have a substantial number of friends from another ethnicity, then shame on you.

You don’t get brownie points for that.

Second, the greater good and the future are really hip ideas, but that does not excuse vilification of fellow Malaysians over days over prime time and in mainstream editorials. There is decency, you know.

If the parents of the kids who play with your kids are brandished as the enemy within, how do you go to PTAs with them and smile? Are you going to tell your mate over a round of golf to just ignore the taunts because the moderates have the party when push comes to shove?

I’ve got news, the madmen have already taken over most of the asylum. It takes a special type of insanity not to recognise the situation.

If you don’t vilify, but you are fine with your party cadres filling the septic tank, what does that make you?

Someone who is OK with me being hated? You are quite the friend.

Praba Ganesan is a Hulu Langat boy with a penchant for durians and debate. He is part of balairakyat, an NGO promoting ideas exchange. More of him at prabaganesan. wordpress.com