郑丁贤：全民反高潮

出处　　∶星洲日报
原题　　∶全民反高潮
英译题目∶Anti-climax
作者　　∶郑丁贤
发表日期∶16-04-09
翻译　　∶DOMINIC LOH

又是《马来西亚前锋报》；它好像是一个失去控制的自走炮，任意轰炸。

它前日的封面版，刊登一张首相纳吉出席锡克族人过节的照片。当时，纳吉前往吉隆坡的锡克庙，在锡克族的簇拥下，现场还亲手烧了一块煎饼（Capati）。

这张照片，各报都有；也很配合纳吉宣导的「全民的马来西亚」，塑造一种团结友善的气氛，也营造新首相亲民的形象。

到这里，一切正常。

但是，照片上端，是「Bangkitlah Melayu」（站起来吧，马来人），特大字的標题，从读者眼瞳直透脑部，在中枢神经炸开。

这是它当天的封面头条。明眼人一眼看出，这根本不是新闻，而是编辑人员刻意安排的“非新闻”，说穿了，就是製造某种特定的议程。

配合议程，它访问一些马来右派团体的人物，包括搞风搞雨的依布拉欣阿里，述说马来人分裂，族群政治力量被削弱，华人和印人趁机提出各种“非分”的要求。

它的重点是，马来人必须团结一致，站起来，面对非马来人日趋过分的要求。

看到这个封面，再对照纳吉出席锡克族节庆的照片，是哑然失笑，还是摇头嘆息？

我自己的感觉，是哭笑不得。

这是一种「反高潮」（anti-climax）。好比电影院里，剧情进入高潮，大家全神贯注时，突然，旁边的小孩一声尖叫，嚎啕大哭。

完了，情绪散了，氛围没了，戏也看不下去了。

纳吉一番苦心经营的「全民的马来西亚」，被这家巫统控制的报章，当头浇了一盆冷水。

新任首相千叮嚀，万交待，要人民走出种族思维，不要有肤色之分，要团结互助……此时，感觉有点走味。

我不敢想像，如果一家华文报打出「站起来吧，华人」的標题，它的后果是如何。

不过，可以確定，《马来西亚前锋报》会安然无事，继续搞风搞雨，玩弄族群对立。

它可以独立在「全民的马来西亚」之外，拥有自己的马来西亚。

而且，它的记者编辑，不需要回到学校，重新学习。
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It's Utusan Malaysia again. Like an automatic artillery that has gone out of control.

On its front cover two days ago, it published a picture of PM Najib attending a Sikh festivity.

Najib was at a Sikh temple in KL, and surrounded by enthusiastic Sikhs, he made a capati on the spot.

The same photo, which was published in almost every other newspaper, augurs well with Najib's "One Malaysia" concept to mould a truly united and amicable environment, while protruding the new prime minister's approachable image.

Everything has been perfectly normal, up to this point.

But on top of the picture, there was this bold headline: "Bangkitlah Melayu!" (Rise up Malays).

These two words were transmitted from the reader's pupils straight up to the brain, and got blasted off in the central nervous system.

That, was the cover story on that day.

Any sensible soul could tell this was not news, but "non-news" willfully designed by the newspaper's editors.

To put it in a more crude manner, some kind of specific agenda had been created.

In line with that agenda, the newspaper interviewed some controversial figures from a few right-wing Malay organisations, including Ibrahim Ali, who talked about disunity in the Malay community and weakening of their political forces, paving way for the Chinese and Indians to bring up "excessive" demands.

The main point was: the Malays must rise up and stay united to oppose the increasingly excessive demands from non-bumiputras!

Reading the headline, and comparing that to the picture of Najib attending the Sikh festivity, I couldn't help but shook my head in bewilderment.

I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry over such a glaring antithesis.

This is some kind of "anti-climax," like a child suddenly shrieks and bursts into tears just as the movie reaches a climax in the cinema hall.

Good heavens, the emotion is lost, the atmosphere gone, and the movie no longer captures the audience's hearts.

The "One Malaysia" concept so painstakingly designed by the prime minister is now poured with cold water by this UMNO-controlled daily.

The new prime minister has repeatedly urged Malaysians to walk out of their racial confines and stay united.

I can't imagine what will happen if a Chinese newspaper has churned out a similarly toned headline: "Rise up Chinese!"

But one thing we can be sure of: Nothing is going to happen to Utusan Malaysia, and the newspaper can continue to play up racial issues and manipulate racial emotions.

It can stay solitarily outside the "One Malaysia," and embrace its own version of Malaysia.