The Lost Jews Of Penang

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My Comments : 
During my school days in Penang I used to walk past Jalan Yahudi numerous times. I was aware that there was a Jewish cemetery and I knew a little about the Jewish people's involvement in the rubber industry in Malaya. There was also a Jewish community in Singapore where they had Synagogue Street. 
The first Chief Minister of Singapore (1955 - 1956) was David Saul Meshal (later changed to David Marshall) who was born in Singapore to Iraqi Jewish parents. They spoke Arabic (and some Hebrew) at home.

          David Saul Meshal aka David Marshall, the Jewish Chief Minister of Singapore


What I find sad is that the politicians changed the name of Jalan Yahudi in Penang. They do not seem to understand that you can erase the name of the road but you cannot erase your history.
There were Jewish people living in Penang at one time and their numbers were enough to have a street named after them.
No one recalls the Jews in Penang as being corrupted thieves, gangsters who went around throwing acid on people, psychos who sodomised everyone (literally), killed and blew up women using C4 plastic explosives, stole billions of Ringgit of the peoples' money through unfair monopolies and other such satanic behaviour.
The video says the Jews in Penang were tradesmen (tailors), petition writers and business people. They were productive and useful members of the society.
There is something known as   the ebb and flow of history.   This means a cyclical series of ups and downs. Put in more simple terms, the victors rewrite the history to suit their politics.
Wouldnt it be really fantastic to restore Jalan Yahudi to its original history? Complete with that synagogue? Imagine the tourist interest and the positive impact it would have as a showcase of our past? A quite successful past. We have achieved what we have achieved because of the sum total of our past. You cannot change your past.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
By Syed Akbar Ali 

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