What the.....

Got this from Star.

Wonder where was he during this year's GE. A 'leader' saying this kind of thing. In front of Deputy PM lagi. Remember this guy's name and if ever PR becomes 'government'...see what position he will holding.

Ahmad didn’t mean it, says Abdullah

KEPALA BATAS: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will personally see to it that Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail does not repeat his remarks about the Chinese community.

“I will tell him not to do it again. You know in a campaign all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to use it again,” the Prime Minister said after chairing the Bertam Umno division meeting yesterday.

Ahmad had allegedly called the Chinese pendatang (immigrants) and was also reported to have said that “as the Chinese were only immigrants it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races” during a ceramah in Permatang Pauh in Aug 25.

He had allegedly uttered the remarks in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Penang Gerakan Youth committee member Dr Thor Teong Gee lambasted Ahmad and charged that Umno was still using racial ideology to achieve its own personal political agenda.

Bukit Mertajam MCA division chairman Lau Chiek Tuan called for disciplinary action against Ahmad.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik also called on Ahmad to immediately retract his statement and apologise to the community.

Ahmad could not be reached for comment.

Tanjung Gerakan Youth division chief H’ng Khoon Leng lodged a police report at the district police headquarters in Patani Road over Ahmad’s alleged remarks.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said there was no reason for Ahmad to stir racial feelings with his remarks.

“This is the Merdeka month and such a racist remark should not have been made,” he added.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Umno leaders should stop using racial sentiment to seek support from the people.

If i am not wrong, those who study history will tell him that Parameswara was also a 'Pendatang' and he made Melaka famous and from there the seeds was sown for Malaya and Malaysia.

Got this from here and wikipedia.

First Ruler of Melaka : Parameswara 1394-1414

Parameswara was a prince of Palembang. He married a daughter of the Majapahit Emperor and became a vassal of the his father-in-law. Not long after he threw off his allegiance to the Majapahit Emperor, who at once sent warriors to drive him out of Sumatra. Parameswara fled to Tumasek, which was actually old Singapore with his family and followers. During this time Singapore was ruled by a Malay chief from Patani, who was appointed by the ruler of Siam. The Malay Governor treated Parameswara well, but Parameswara killed the Governor a few days later and made himself Chief of Singapore and the neighboring islands. Parameswara ruled Singapore for about five years as a sort of pirate captain.


During the middle of the 14th century, the Siamese who were expanding their territorial power in the north of the Malay Peninsula as far as the state of Pahang, failed to extend their powers to Singapore although attempts were made to attack Singapore. This was because the kingdom of Majapahit at that time was at the peak of its strength and power and was feared by other kingdom in the Malay Archipelago. Several states along the Straits of Melaka including Tumasik or Singapore, as it is now known were under the control of Majapahit. A Javanese fleet from Majapahit attacked Singapore during Parameswara?s reign of Singapore. After defeating Singapore, the Javanese returned to Java. Owing to this, it was believed that the attack made by the Javanese from Majapahit on Singapore did not result in the downfall of the kingdom of Singapore and Parameswara?s flight from Singapore but had however, continued to rule it in its declining condition.


When Parameswara failed to establish a kingdom at two places in Muar, that is, Biawak Busuk and Kota Buruk, he led his followers to a place known as Sening Ujung or now known as Sungei Ujong. He continued his journey from here until he came to the mouth of the Bertam River where he founded Melaka and became the first ruler around the year 1394. However, during this time, Parameswara was still a Hindu. Hence a Malay kingdom was therefore established in Melaka to continue the existence of the Malay kingdom of Singapore which had fallen.


After Melaka was founded, Parameswara began to develop the place and ordered his men to cultivate the lands with banana, sugar cane, yam and other crops for food. Parameswara himself carried on trade in Melaka. Within a short period of time, news about the town of Melaka begun to spread all over Malaya, Sumatra, Java and India which resulted in a large number of traders coming to trade in Melaka. Two years after Parameswara founded Melaka, the population had soared to two thousand.


Not long after, news about Melaka becoming a center of trade and commerce reached China. Yung-Lo, the Emperor of China who reigned from 1402 till 1424 send his envoy known as Ying Ching to Melaka in 1405. Yin Ching?s visit opened the way for the establishment of friendly relations between Melaka and China. Chinese merchants began calling at the port of Melaka and they can be said to be among the first traders to set up bases here. When the envoy of Melaka paid homage to the Emperor of China, the emperor praised Parameswara and acknowledged him as the rightful ruler of Melaka. Emperor Yung Lo then presented Parameswara with a seal, silk and a yellow umbrella as a symbol of royalty and also a letter appointing Parameswara as the ruler of Melaka. Melaka was then recognized as a kingdom by the Emperor of China. The envoy returned to Melaka together with a fleet led by Admiral Cheng Ho who was the first Chinese man to sail and explore the areas in the southern region.


It was during Parameswara?s reign that a large number of Javanese, Indians, Chinese, Burmese and other foreigners came to settle in Melaka. In 1409, Parameswara was converted into a Muslim and adopted the name Parameswara Iskandar Syah. Two years later, in 1411, Parameswara Iskandar Syah himself, his wife and son with a royal party of 540 people left for China with Admiral Cheng Ho to pay homage to Emperor Yung Lo.


In 1414, Parameswara passed away and was believed to be buried on top of a hill in Tanjung Tuan, which was also known as Cape Rachado. Parameswara had turned Melaka into a flourishing trading center during his twenty years reign in Melaka. He also established a strong relationship with the Emperor of China by sending six envoys to China.

The relation with Ming China started in the early 1400s [14] when Parameswara embarked on several voyages to visit Emperor Yongle (Chinese: 永樂)(Wade-Giles name is Yung-Lo). He was escorted by Zheng He, Yin Qing (Wade-Giles names are Cheng Ho and Ying Ching) and other envoys in his successful visits. Malacca's relationships with Ming granted protection to Malacca against attacks from Siam and Majapahit and Malacca officially summited as a protectorate of Ming China. This encouraged the development of Malacca into a major entrepot on the trade route between China and India, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

In 1411, Admiral Zheng He brought Parameswara, his wife and 540 officials to China to pay homage to the Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–1424). Upon arriving, a grand welcoming party was held. Animals were sacrificed, Parameswara was granted a two-piece gold-embroidered clothing with dragon motifs, Kylin robe, gold and silverwares, silk lace bed quilt, and gifts to all officials and followers. Upon returning home, Parameswara was granted the jade belt, brace, saddle, and coroneted suit to the wife. Upon reaching the heaven’s gate (China), Parameswara was again granted jade belt, brace, saddle, a hundred gold & platinum, 400,000 banknotes, 2600 cash, 300 pieces of silk brocade voile, 1000 pieces of silk, 2 pieces of whole gold plait, 2 pieces of knee-length gown with gold threads woven through sleeves….

An extraction from Geoff Wade translation of Ming Shi-lu: [15]

“ You, king (refer to Parameswara), travelled tens of thousands of li across the ocean to the capital, confidently and without anxiety, as your loyalty and sincerity assured you of the protection of the spirits. I (emperor Yongle) have been glad to meet with you, king, and feel that you should stay. However, your people are longing for you and it is appropriate that you return to soothe them. The weather is getting colder and the winds are suited for sailing South. It is the right time. You should eat well on your journey and look after yourself, so as to reflect my feelings of concern for you. Now I am conferring upon you, king, a gold and jade belt, ceremonial insignia, two "saddled horses", 100 liang of gold, 500 liang of silver, 400,000 guan of paper money, 2,600 guan of copper cash, 300 bolts of embroidered fine silks and silk gauzes, 1,000 bolts of thin silks...... ”

Tributes that Malacca paid to Ming included: agate, carnelian, pearl, hawksbill, coral, crane peak, golden female crane peak, suit, white cloth, Western fabric, Sa-ha-la, rhino horn, ivory, black bear, black ape, white muntjac, turkey, parrot, pian-nao, rosebush dew, su-he oil, gardenia flower, wu-ye-ni, aromatic wood, incense sticks, gold silver incense sticks.

Indonesian religious leader and Islamic scholar Hamka (1908–1981) wrote in 1961: "The development of Islam in Indonesia and Malaya is intimately related to a Chinese Muslim, Admiral Zheng He."[2] (see: Zheng He#Zheng He and Islam in Southeast Asia)

Melaka grew into an international trading port and heralded the golden age of Nusantara Islam. 80 languages were reportedly spoken in Malacca: Moors of Cairo, Mecca, Aden, Abyssinians, men of Kilwa, Malindi, Ormuz, Parsees, Rumes, Turks, Turkomans, Christian Armenians, Gujarati, men of Chaul, Dabhol, Goa, of the kingdom of Deccan, Malabars and Klings, merchants from Orissa, Ceylon, Bengal, Arakan, Pegu, Siamese, men of Kedah, Malays, men of Pahang, Patani, Cambodia, Champa, Cochin China, Chinese, Lequeos, men of Brunei, Lucoes (Luzon), men of Tamjompura, Laue, Banka, Linga (they have a thousand other islands), Moluccas, Banda, Bima, Timor, Madura, Java, Sunda, Palembang, Jambi, Tongkal, Indragiri, Kappatta, Minangkabau, Siak, Arqua (Arcat?), Aru, Bata, country of the Tomjano, Pase (Pasai?), Pedir, Maldives.

Malacca became an important port in the far east during the 16th century. It became so rich that the Portuguese writer and trader Duarte Barbosa said "He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice".


Post-Parameswara
Parameswara's Sultanate of Malacca (as a prosperous international port) changed the entire Malay Archipelago. Its success was admired by kings from neighbouring kingdoms. Melaka's dominance in the region also influenced the spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago. In 1447, Kertawijaya became King of Majapahit and converted to Islam on the advice of his wife, Darawati, a princess of Champa. The nephew of Kertawijaya, Sunan Ampel works to spread Islam around Surabaya, and around the same time, Palembang converted to Islam. In 1459, Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca sent Tun Perak to conquer Kedah and Pahang. Pahang became an Islamic sultanate under Malacca. In 1470, Dai-Viet captured Vijaya, the capital of Champa, killing 60,000 Cham and caused a mass Cham emigration to Malacca and Cambodia. The Islamic Kingdom of Demak was founded in 1478 by Raden Patah, son of King Kertawijaya and his Champa wife. An Islamic Sultanate was founded at Cirebon too.