Sikap Kaum China Terhadap Artikel 153 Perlembangaan Malaysia

Slip mesej “Sapu Melayu” seperti dalam gambar telah disebarkan melalui angpow Tahun Baru China 1969. Yang jika benar tuduhan ini, membawa implikasi puak cauvanis China telah rancang satu pesta "ajar Melayu" sejak awal tahun lagi. Watak yang memberitahu saya perkara ini telah lama meninggal dunia, tetapi untuk memahami konteks gambar dan tuduhan sila lawati laman ini [i].

Terus terang saya akui, saya bukan seorang ahli sejarah. Saya tidak tahu metode kajian sejarah dan tidak pernah belajar. Saya cuma seorang Melayu celik huruf yang lulus Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. Maka itu saya terima apa juga kritikan terhadap pengkisahan sejarah yang saya bawa di sini dan dalam posting selanjutnya berkenaan subjek ini .

Tetapi dari atas sejadah tempat saya bersimpoh, dalam maraqobah saya, punca 13 Mei adalah cukup mudah – sikap kaum China terhadap Artikel 153 Perlembagaan Malaysia [1], [2], [3].

Amnya kaum China tersangat benci kepada Artikel 153.

Bagi China Artikel 153 meletakan bangsa Melayu yang mereka pandang rendah dalam segala aspek di satu aras tinggi yang tidak wajar. Kerana Artikel 153 bukan setakat mengisytiharkan ketuanan bangsa Melayu ke atas bumi Malaysia, bahkan menjamin kedudukan itu [4].

Artikel 153 Perlembagaan Malaysia memberikan tanggungjawab kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong menjaga hak keistimewaan orang Melayu dan peribumi Malaysia, secara kumpulannya dirujuk sebagai Bumiputra. Artikel mengspesifikkan bagaimana kerajaan pusat melindungi kepentingan kumpulan-kumpulan ini dengan mendirikan kuota kemasukan ke dalam perkhidmatan awam, biasiswa dan pendidikan awam. Ia juga biasanya dianggap sebagai sebahagian daripada sosial kontrak, dan biasanya dikatakan sebagai pertahanan legal bagi ketuanan Melayu — kepercayaan orang Melayu bahawa mereka adalah tuan Malaysia.

Sebutlah apa perbalahan kaum antara Melayu dengan China, baik di Sungai Manek, Batu Pahat [5], [6], Rusuhan Maulud Nabi di Singapura dalam tahun 1964 [7], dengan kemuncaknya pada 13 Mei di Kuala Lumpur; atau carilah punca terbakarnya semangat cauvanis dan ethno-centric China yang diklimakskan dengan Operasi Lalang [8], [9] -- Artikel 153 Perlembangaan Malaysia adalah puncanya.

Cuma, kaum China tidak berani berterus terang menyebutnya. Serang secara sipi.

Kerana terlalu acap kali bila tersepit dalam berhujah tentang apa juga isu kaum, mereka akan mengungkit kebebasan bersuara sebagai dijamin oleh social contract. Tanpa menyebut Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia, mereka menyeru kontrak sosial.

Sebaliknya mereka menyerang Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) [10]. Dan selama ini menyerang dan mempertikaikan apa juga penzahiran dan perlaksanaan Artikel 153 Perlembagaan Malaysia. Dan terkini cuba menyerang insan yang dilabel sejarah sebagai pencetus dan pengarang Dasar Ekonomi Baru. Menyerang Almarhum Tun Abdul Razak [11]. Yang sekali imbas memang nampak ada justifikasi [12], tetapi sebenarnya itu satu kesilapan dalam membaca fakta.

Sehubungan ini, izin saya catit dan tekankan di sini bahawa DEB dan apa yang UMNO perjuangkan sepanjang ianya tidak menjadi sekorup wujudnya hari ini, bukanlah sesuatu yang baru. Bukan satu inovasi,bukan satu bid’ah yang bertentangan dengan kontrak sosial yang dipanggil Perlembagaan Malaysia.

Sebaliknya. PAS dan UMNO berserta umat Islam-Melayu lain dalam isu-isu kepentingan bangsa yang dipersetujui bersama cuma ingin melihat Artikel 153 dihayatkan, direalisasikan, diimplementasikan. Itu saja, dan tidak lebih dari itu.

Tetapi perhatikan ironi dan hipokrisi penaakulan (reasoning) barisan intelek kaum bukan-Melayu khususnya China. Mereka tidak teragak-agak bersandar kepada apa juga artikel perlembagaan yang lain, selagi perbuatan itu boleh memanjangkan dan memenangkan hujah mereka. Perhatikan perbuatan ini dalam kes mempertahankan kebebasan untuk murtad atau kebebasan mempertikaikan segala sesuatu yang dilihat istimewa tentang kaum Melayu.

Namun juga amati, perhatikan, tafakurkan, dan tawajuhkanlah jika biasa dengan kaedah ini – bahawa dalam berbuat itu semua mereka langsung tidak mahu menyebut Artikel 153. Seolah-olah Artikel 153 tidak wujud.

Di bawah ialah paparan Artikel 153 selengkapnya [13]. Maaf ianya dalam bahasa Inggeris kerana saya tidak bertemu sumber internet dalam bahasa Melayu yang mudah di cut and paste. Saya ada menyimpan senaskah bahasa Melayu Perlembagaan, tapi seperti ramai Melayu lain, saya juga pemalas. Malas nak menaip panjang-panjang.

Article 153

1. It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

2. Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, but subject to the provisions of Article 40 and of this Article, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall exercise his functions under this Constitution and federal law in such manner as may be necessary to safeguard the special provision of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and to ensure the reservation for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak of such proportion as he may deem reasonable of positions in the public service (other than the public service of a State) and of scholarships, exhibitions and other similar educational or training privileges or special facilities given or accorded by the Federal Government and, when any permit or licence for the operation of any trade or business is required by federal law, then, subject to the provisions of that law and this Article, of such permits and licences.

3. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may, in order to ensure in accordance with Clause (2) the reservation to Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak of positions in the public service and of scholarships, exhibitions and other educational or training privileges or special facilities, give such general directions as may be required for that purpose to any Commission to which Part X applies or to any authority charged with responsibility for the grant of such scholarships, exhibitions or other educational or training privileges or special facilities; and the Commission or authority shall duly comply with the directions.

4. In exercising his functions under this Constitution and federal law in accordance with Clauses (1) to (3) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall not deprive any person of any public office held by him or of the continuance of any scholarship, exhibition or other educational or training privileges or special facilities enjoyed by him.

5. This Article does not derogate from the provisions of Article 136.

6. Where by existing federal law a permit or licence is required for the operation of any trade or business the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may exercise his functions under that law in such manner, or give such general directions to any authority charged under that law with the grant of such permits or licences, as may be required to ensure the reservation of such proportion of such permits or licences for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable, and the authority shall duly comply with the directions.

7. Nothing in this Article shall operate to deprive or authorise the deprivation of any person of any right, privilege, permit or licence accrued to or enjoyed or held by him or to authorised a refusal to renew to any person any such permit or licence or a refusal to grant to the heirs, successors or assigns of a person any permit or licence when the renewal or grant might reasonably be expected in the ordinary course of events.

8. Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, where by any federal law any permit or licence is required for the operation of any trade or business, that law may provide for the reservation of a proportion of such permits or licences for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak; but no such law shall for the purpose of ensuring such a reservation-

* (a) deprive or authorise the deprivation of any person of any right, privilege, permit or licence accrued to or enjoyed or held by him;

* (b) authorise a refusal to renew to any person any such permit or licence or a refusal to grant to the heirs, successors or assigns of any person any permit or licence when the renewal or grant might in accordance with he other provisions of the law reasonably be expected in the ordinary course of events, or prevent any person from transferring together with his business any transferable licence to operate that business; or

* (c) where no permit or licence was previously required for the operation of the trade or business, authorise a refusal to grant a permit or licence to any person for the operation of any trade or business which immediately before the coming into force of the law he had been bona fide carrying on, or authorise a refusal subsequently to renew to any such person any permit or licence, or a refusal to grant to the heirs, successors or assigns of any such person any such permit or licence when the renewal or grant might in accordance with the other provisions of that law reasonably be expected in the ordinary course of events.

1. (8A) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, where in any University, College and other educational institution providing education after Malaysian Certificate of Education or its equivalent, the number of places offered by the authority responsible for the management of the University, College or such educational institution to candidates for any course of study is less than the number of candidates qualified for such places, it shall be lawful for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by virtue of this Article to give such directions to the authority as may be required to ensure the reservation of such proportion of such places for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak as the Yank di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable, and the authority shall duly comply with the directions.

9. (9) Noting in this Article shall empower Parliament to restrict business or trade solely for the purpose of reservations for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak.

1. (9A) In this Article the expression "natives" in relation to the State of Sabah or Sarawak shall have the meaning assigned to it in Article 161A.

10. The Constitution of the State of any Ruler may make provision corresponding (with the necessary modifications) to the provisions of this Article.

Amati peruntukan Artikel ini dengan teliti, dan saya pasti tuan/puan akan boleh teka apa hujah saya selanjut.

Nota: Segala pandangan, tafsiran dan interpolasi fakta oleh Rudin X tentang insiden 13 Mei adalah semata-mata luahan peribadi dan tidak berkaitan dengan sesiapa atau mana-mana kumpulan. Rudin X bertanggung jawab sepeniuhnya akan apa yang ditulisnya.

Posting ini juga boleh dibaca di laman Boneka, Penyu & SPR.