An open letter to the PM
一封给首相的公开信
Jacqueline Ann Surin
Dear Prime Minister Abdullah, When you first came into power after the 2004 general election, you promised us that you would be prime minister for all Malaysians.
亲爱的首相阿都拉先生，当你在2004年选举后第一次得到政权时，你曾经答应过我们你会成为全民的首相。
In fact, I still have the letter you sent out to voters before the elections that promised you would fulfill your duties with sincerity, integrity, efficiency and fairness.
事实上，我仍然保留着你在选举前寄给选民保证你会真心，正值，公平和有效率地完成你责任的那封信。
It was a letter that moved people, including staunch Opposition supporters.
那是一封打动了人们的信，这些人包括了在野党（在这里我不用反对党）忠实的支持者。
There was hope that a new leadership which was more conciliatory, more willing to listen to differing views and more just was in store for the country.
人们希望会有一个更容易妥协，更愿意听取不同意见还有为国家着想的领导人。
And people invested in that hope by voting the Barisan Nasional back into power with a clear majority.
还有，大多数人很明显地把选票投资在国政以让他们得回力量。
But recent events, including your administration’s reactions to these events, have been deeply troubling.
当时最近的事件，包括你的政府对这些事件的回应，让我觉得很困扰。
The most recent has been the disruption of a peaceful and legitimate public forum in Penang organised by a group of non-governmental organisations that wanted to help people reclaim their rights under the Federal Constitution.
目前最让人困扰的事情就是那个中断一场在槟城有一个非政府组织举办的和平并合法的公开论坛以便能够帮人们根据宪法恢复他们的人权。
It was unfortunate, but really no longer inconceivable, that those who opposed such a civil discussion should frame their opposition in ways that incite hostility, threaten violence and make false accusations in the name of Islam, a religion that in fact promotes peace and justice.
这真的是很不幸，可是却真的不敢加以想象，那些反对这个民间讨论的人，会以提倡和平和公正的伊斯兰教的名义来以煽动，暴力威胁的不实指控。
What is actually more troubling is that as prime minister, you have also publicly announced that these issues of Constitutional rights are “sensitive” and the organisers of such events must be careful not to tread on “dangerous ground”, lest the government has to use the Sedition Act against them.
其实最让我困扰的是生为一个首相，你还公开宣布这些关于宪法权利的话题是“敏感”的以及警告那些主办者必须小心以免踩到“地雷”，不然的话政府将会以煽动法来对付他们。
Why would you lend legitimacy to the argument that Malaysians should steer clear of discussing issues which affect us all as citizens, whether Muslim or non-Muslim?
为什么你要引用宪法来避开我们对作为一个不论是穆斯林或非穆斯林的讨论呢？
By continuously telling Malaysians these issues are “sensitive” and “dangerous”, isn’t your administration really creating a self-fulfilling prophecy? Aren’t you in fact supporting the argument that these issues should not be discussed?
然后继续不断地告诉我们马来西亚人哪些是‘敏感’和‘危险’的话题，那难道是你的政府在制造一个自我实现的预言吗？难道你是事实上是支持对这些话题的争论不该被讨论？
Additionally, Malaysians have been reminded by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz that it’s not for no reason that the word “amok” comes from the Malay community.
另外，马来西亚人民被首相署部长Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz提醒amok这个字从马来社群来的不是没有原因的。
Non-Muslims – and that easily translates to non-Malays in this country – are told we cannot speak out about the way Islam is used to formulate laws and public policies in this country even though they affect all of us.
非穆斯林，或者更简单的说是这个国家的非马来人，被告诉说我们不能讲出伊斯兰教在这个国家影响着所有人的制定法律和公共政策的方式。
We are told that not just the Sedition Act can be used, so can the Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial.
我们被告诉说不只是煽动法可以用，内安法也可以用来不经审判地拘留我们。
In fact, I found it deeply paradoxical that Nazri could repeat the threat of the ISA at an international meeting of experts on Islam and human rights last month.
事实上，我对Nazri重复地在一项讨论着伊斯兰教和人权里，在专家们面前以内安部来威胁我们感到奇怪。
How can an unjust law be Islamic? We know it cannot, and yet, it would seem your administration is wielding it as a way to silence citizens in a democracy.
一个不公正的法律怎么可能是伊斯兰教义呢？我们都知道它不能，可是，你的政府好像利用它来压制人民的自由民主。
The way I see it, naming something “sensitive” and “dangerous” is just a disingenuous way of saying, “This is not open for dialogue and discussion. We might tolerate your views but only to a certain extent.”
以我的方式来看，以“敏感”和“危险”的字眼来命名一些东西是很不真诚的说法，“这不是拿来公开讨论的。我们会忍受你的看法，不过只是到某个阶段。”
What that extent is, is left to be seen. We hope your election promises will be kept for all Malaysians, but really, many of us are more fearful than reassured.
那个阶段是什么，我们都看得到。我们希望你的选举诺言能为所有马来西亚人实现，还有，我们大多数现在真的害怕多过放心。
From a non-Muslim perspective, the events leading up to the need for public discussions such as the Article 11 forum in Penang, have been disconcerting and troubling.
以一个非穆斯林的角度来看，一些事件真的需要社会的讨论，例如在槟城对第十一条款的论坛，被中断以及骚扰。
The painful injustice suffered by S. Shamala who found that her estranged husband could unilaterally convert their children to Islam, and the widow of M. Moorthy who discovered she could not bury her husband according to Hindu rights, are real and frightening.
S. Shamala发现她的丈夫在离婚是可以单方面地把他们的孩子转为伊斯兰教并痛苦地遭受不公平对待，一名寡妇M. Moorthy发现它不能以印度文化来埋葬他死去的丈夫，这些都是真实地而且吓人的。
But those instances of injustice are not being framed as “sensitive” by non-Muslims. They are not being used to threaten violence or incite hostility in order to silence discussion of the issues at hand.
可是这些即时的不公正却没有被非穆斯林框为“敏感”的话题。他们并没有被用来煽动或暴力威胁，以便为自己的利益讨论得到一些好处。
Additionally, when you upheld the decision for the tudung to be used in police parades, did you consider how it would make non-Muslims feel? How can it still be a surprise then that most non-Malays will not join the police force?
另外，你做出警察必须在巡逻时必须穿戴tudung的决定时，又没有想过非穆斯林的感受？那你怎么会为大多数非穆斯林不愿加入警队感到惊讶呢？
Really, I don’t need to be a Muslim or a Malay to have a stake in this country. But even that might be delegitimised because in more ways than one, I’m a minority.
真的，我不需要成为一个穆斯林或一个马来人来在这个国家里得到利益。可是虽然那可能是不合法的，不过我是少数。（这句我真的翻译不了，帮帮忙）
And I’m constantly reminded that my views and concerns must give way to the privileges and rights of the dominant race, and a specific interpretation of the faith they profess.
还有我不断地提醒我自己我的想法和关怀必须给让给那些大多数族群的权利和权益，还有对他们有信心。
But really what I want to ask you is this: Why do I have to constantly feel afraid in my own country? Why am I continuously told I have less rights to discuss important issues affecting my community?
但我其实是想问你：为什么我会不断地在自己的国家感到害怕？为何我不断的告知说我拥有比较少的权力去讨论那些对我的族群事关重大的话题？
You promised to be prime minister for all Malaysians. We hope you will remember that promise.
你答应过成为全民的首相。我们希望你会记得你的诺言。
A Malaysian citizen.
一位马来西亚公民。
Jacqueline Ann Surin believes that you cannot be neutral on a moving train. She is an assistant news editor at theSun.
Jacqueline Ann Surin相信你不能在一架火车上保持不动。他是在theSun的新闻编辑助理。
