Why Did We Fight the Communists?

Virtually every Malaysian knows that some time ago we fought a war with the communists — the Malayan Communist Party, to be exact. But why did we fight this war?

Was it to protect our civil liberties from the cruel oppression of Maoists and Stalinists? Considering we now live in a virtual police state, this doesn't seem likely.

Was it to protect our peaceful way of life from a reign of terror? Considering how so many Malaysians are afraid to speak their minds, it's doubtful.

Was it to protect our cherished market system from the encroachment of government regulation and interference in the economy? Considering that our domestic economy is actually based on government largesse rather than private enterprise, I don't know.

Was it to protect our country from being overrun by men preaching an irrational ideology of hate and discrimination? Considering that we live in a state of apartheid, I'm not sure.

Was it to protect our poor from being kept in their place by an uncaring government seeking only to uplift a privileged few? Considering we have people starving to death, it doesn't sound likely.

Was it to protect our government from being run by leaders who only know how to talk, rather than to act? Considering our blatantly unqualified officials who can only promise that "we are looking into this" rather than taking concrete action, it's not probable.

Was it to protect our religious practices from being overborne by an ideology of subjugation to one religion (or lack of it)? Considering the government's theocratic tendencies, this sounds doubtful.

Was it to protect our schools from being turned into nothing more than factories of indoctrination? Considering all the propaganda our schools are being used to disseminate, I doubt it.

Was it to protect our freedom of speech and information from being trampled upon by self-righteous censors? Considering the government's efforts to shut up the masses, this does not seem right.

Was it to protect our multicultural nation from being ruled over by men of only one race with a few token members from other communities? Considering how we have a de facto Malay, instead of Malaysian government, you've got to be kidding me.

Was it to protect our peaceful populace from the ravages of an overbearing law enforcement body? Considering the tyrannical tendencies of our reform-resisting police, I don't think so.

Or was it to protect the powers-that-be so they could take over Malaysia from the British and colonise the country as if it were their own personal fiefdom? This sounds like it.

Of course we fought the communists for a reason. We fought them for all the reasons given above. But what good was this fight, if it only meant giving in to a slightly less worse version of the communists?

Today, instead of being ruled by the maniacal communists, we are ruled by ingrates and idiots in Barisan Nasional. We are better off than we would have been under a communist regime, no doubt.

But is this the future our forefathers imagined for us when they died fighting the communist terrorists? Is this the future they envisioned? A future where we are ruled by ethnic chauvinists, corrupt bigots and incompetent dunces?

We fought the communists for a reason, yes we did. Please don't dishonour that reason by keeping a government our forefathers do not deserve in power.