Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob wrote in ASIA SENTINEL..
Ethnic Chinese, who make up 23.7 percent of the population according to the CIA World Factbook, have been disenchanted by rising Malay bellicosity and widespread reports of corruption.
This is the sort of half-truths, sometimes even 'lies' that's spread in the international media about the Malays, Chinese and Indians in Malaysia. By saying 'Malay bellicosity' the writer inadvertently lumps the entire race as 'fight-lovers'. In one sentence the Malays are portrayed as the hooligans in this so-called peace loving country. The Chinese disenchantment with widespread report of corruption is almost a misnomer. Questions should be asked as to who is corrupting whom? Chinese businessmen are well known for their tenacity in making profits and they have little regard for legalities and procedures, if they can get away with it.
The rich have always looked down on the poor. The haves always think they can buy themselves in and out of everything. In Malaysia, the public sector are almost entirely staff by the Malays while the business sectors are held by the Chinese. This structure in the society ensues an almost unavoidable blossoming of corrupt practices by people in hurry or people simply wanting to circumvent the system or by people mis-using their position and power.
That is why we find stories of illegal factories exporting millions ringgit worth of products to overseas market and illegal gambling and nite clubs opened just next door to a police station etc. It has been so almost since the day Malaya got her Independence. It has always been 'I scratch your back and you scratch mine' relationship between the business communities and the public sector - between the Malays and the Chinese. The trouble lies not with the people, the trouble has always been with the government! Not very much have been done to inculcate better or higher values in the society. There have been a lot of talk but no real 'walk'.
That was why when the present PM DS Abdullah won the last General election, he got a thumping majority. The people wanted a change in the government way of doing things. The Chinese have gotten tired of vying one another trying to 'buy' favors and the Malays were fed-up of being 'beggar' a community because a few bad hats were selling their souls and the entire race. Everyone had their hopes high. That was 3 years ago, coming to 4 now - and alls not well but for a few lucky ones.
Somewhere between Tun Razak and Tun Mahathir, there was a working formula that had all the races in harmony and looking towards a workable future. And then somebody got really clever and forsake everyone but himself and his 'clan'. Nation building was the least of their concerns. Getting rich by whatever means was the order for the century. Vision 2020 better get its eyes checked - the future isn't looking so good now!
The fight for Malaysia is no longer a fight for all the boring stuff such as freedom, democracy, unity and race relations. It is now a fight for richness by the ruling elite - Malay, Chinese or Indians! The pawns are the little people who only wants a chance to live an ordinary life. These citizens are really not interested in big conglomerate mergers or billion dollars projects. They just want a little corner of the country where they can earn enough so that they and their children can survive.
Malaysia is the 34th largest economy in the world. As a country it is relatively rich and yet, the way it is governed is as if it is some Banana Republic and the people should understand that the government can't afford to help them. On the contrary, it is the people that are expected to help the government! Its crazy!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Stereotyping the Malaysian People - Part 1
Malaysia has promoted herself as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. In fact, the country (or rather in this case, the Government of the day) prides itself by labeling Malaysia as ‘Truly Asia’ testifying to the cultural diversity of its people and success of variety. Yet, the governance of Malaysia lies in the hands of political parties whose foundation is set on the singularity (almost) of a particular race. Admittedly, these component parties come together to form the ‘Barisan Nasional’ (BN) or National Front party which by a unique power sharing formula has managed to stay in power for 50 years.
Muhibbah literary means 'Love (one another)'
Overall, one is almost dazzled by the prosperity that has oozed through out the land of milk and honey. Ever since independence, wooden shacks have been replaced by brick bungalows, coconut-trunk bridges by concrete ones, dirt roads by multi-lane highways and the population has grown to 25 million people. Schools are everywhere, small towns have become cities and everyone is gleefully happy!
Yet, of late, Al-Jazeera news reels show the World demonstrations after demonstrations of people (ordinary people in civilian clothings and sometimes with children) expressing some kind of unhappiness for one reason or another in Kuala Lumpur central. One cannot help but begin to wonder if the ‘story’ told is really as good as it made out to be.
Often, foreign media and even some local bloggers tell similarly stereotype conditions of the Malaysian people in particularly the alleged racial disparity due to the Malay-Muslim led BN government. The insinuation here is that because of the so-called official policy of affirmative preference towards the Malays, the other major races of Chinese and Indians have been deprived of various citizenship rights. Some of the more radical elements of the Chinese communities even label themselves 2nd class citizens much to the ‘delight’ of foreign based human rights group interested in righting the wrongs in 3rd world countries. Some of the individuals in the Indian community even call themselves 3rd class citizens for want of greater sympathy than the Chinese.
The actual picture cannot be any further from the truth. Poor is poor and rich is rich. These do not recognize race, color or creed. Even religion does not come into play. Policies are political excuses for people in power to justify certain peculiarities in their decisions and judgments. In the beginning, the euphoria of being a citizen of the Malay race did come to roost in the minds of simpleton village folks who had no piped water or electricity. It seemed that the government were doing their most to provide real comfort and ease for the down trodden.
The British knew that if they didn’t put up a social contract of sorts for the newly independent Malaya, the Malays would end up just like the Red Indians in America – lost and left behind. The British feeling guilty of their mass immigration program bringing Chinese and Indian workers to Malaya needed to ensure that they too had ‘safety’ and a future. A compromise was reached and so Malaya and then Malaysia was born!
Let’s skip twenty years after independence and come to the eighties. Several thousands of Malay students are sent overseas to further their studies. These would be the nation’s assets once they graduate and return to work for the government and for the people. For every 1 Malay student that the government sponsored there were 2-3 non Malay student who were self sponsored overseas, mostly these were Chinese students. There were some Indian students who went on their own but these were relatively few in numbers.
The government was keeping their side of the social contract i.e. giving opportunities to those without with there was not a glimmers hope of studying overseas. In those times, higher education was not readily available to the masses particularly the Malays. The Chinese forefathers knew of this constraint for their community and acted pro-actively. They garnered the support of their numbers and setup numerous social and economic entities to support their own kind particularly their children. Chinese associations sprang up like mushroom after the rain. Every kind and any sort of excuse were taken to create bodies that catered for its members.
Chinese Associations are strong economically
Family based associations were easily supported – by surnames, by creed, by mainland China territory, by business headings etc. The Chinese were very successful in this venture. Until today, this strength by association has made the Chinese community in Malaysia an economic force. Their organization is better run than the government’s offices or bodies. Take MARA for instance – it is a government body created solely for the benefits of the Bumiputras or ‘Sons of the Earth’ – a term coined because the Malays were too polite (even afraid of offending the non-Malays) to admit that this was affirmative preference. Yet, MARA is only one institution created purposely for the betterment of the Malays but relying solely from government grants. The Chinese had no less than 200 bodies or groupings that could support their people.
MARA - main body to help the Malays
A poor Chinese family could borrow against the future of their children to send their sons and daughters overseas using loans from these associations. The father would borrow but the children would pay when they graduate. Similar arrangements had never existed for the Malays nor does it exist now, The Malays were larger in numbers and the government had limited resources so only a small percentage of the Malay students was lucky enough to be sponsored. In return, these students had to work for the government as ‘repayment’ for their sponsorship.
It is highly commendable that the Chinese forefathers had managed to turn a little opportunity (granted citizenship) into major successes in their social standing such that they could compete and win in numbers and monetarily. This was evident when the number of Chinese professionals was significantly more than Malays across the board. Conversely, it is puzzling that a government couldn’t compete with the tenacity of the Chinese associations. Was the government then poorer than the Chinese associations put together or was it because the government had other obligations that limited their spending capabilities?
In any case, the owning of the economic pie of Malaysia continued to be a predominantly Chinese pre-occupation till today. Sometime between 1995 and 2000, the elitist Malay had more or less established their strangle hold on the direction of the Government. What had been an almost religious conviction to ‘help’ the Malays turned to helping themselves, their kindred and their friends. The Malay agenda was merely a front to sustain their stay in power. Realising that the Chinese hold on the economic could never be reduced much less taken away, those Malay in power dealt what they can to secure a piece of the action. The Chinese being shrewd businessmen in return dealt with whomever had the upper hand. The Indians too joined the fray and so Malaysia Inc. was revealed to the nation and the world at large.
Petronas Towers - Malaysia Inc Icon
The departure of Dr Mahathir from the PM’s office have made the future prospect of the Malays even worse. Whilst, Dr Mahathir’s Malaysia Inc. isn’t ideal it had some merits in the fact that there were knock-on effects as Malaysian dealt with each other to keep the economy going. The Chinese though reluctantly had to share some of the economic pie still had a major portion of it. So while Malays began buying new middle class Japanese cars as a show of their prosperity the Chinese began buying the more expensive Japanese and European cars signaling their even greater wealth. And so the so-called 1st and 2nd class citizens were happy and the gloomy future was more or less brushed aside.
Projects after projects were awarded to Bumiputras while their ‘non-bumis’ counterparts completed the tasks. While Bumiputras earned their 10% project owner's commission their ‘non-bumis’ got their fair sub-contractor's 90% share of the project's value. Seldom could any Bumiputra company really deliver a project without their non-bumi partners at the side. The economic food chain that existed in the country guaranteed that almost all sources of supply were in Chinese hands. Everyone had a chance of prospering at their own pace and no one really wanted to rock the boat.
Muhibbah literary means 'Love (one another)'
Overall, one is almost dazzled by the prosperity that has oozed through out the land of milk and honey. Ever since independence, wooden shacks have been replaced by brick bungalows, coconut-trunk bridges by concrete ones, dirt roads by multi-lane highways and the population has grown to 25 million people. Schools are everywhere, small towns have become cities and everyone is gleefully happy!
Yet, of late, Al-Jazeera news reels show the World demonstrations after demonstrations of people (ordinary people in civilian clothings and sometimes with children) expressing some kind of unhappiness for one reason or another in Kuala Lumpur central. One cannot help but begin to wonder if the ‘story’ told is really as good as it made out to be.
Often, foreign media and even some local bloggers tell similarly stereotype conditions of the Malaysian people in particularly the alleged racial disparity due to the Malay-Muslim led BN government. The insinuation here is that because of the so-called official policy of affirmative preference towards the Malays, the other major races of Chinese and Indians have been deprived of various citizenship rights. Some of the more radical elements of the Chinese communities even label themselves 2nd class citizens much to the ‘delight’ of foreign based human rights group interested in righting the wrongs in 3rd world countries. Some of the individuals in the Indian community even call themselves 3rd class citizens for want of greater sympathy than the Chinese.
The actual picture cannot be any further from the truth. Poor is poor and rich is rich. These do not recognize race, color or creed. Even religion does not come into play. Policies are political excuses for people in power to justify certain peculiarities in their decisions and judgments. In the beginning, the euphoria of being a citizen of the Malay race did come to roost in the minds of simpleton village folks who had no piped water or electricity. It seemed that the government were doing their most to provide real comfort and ease for the down trodden.
The British knew that if they didn’t put up a social contract of sorts for the newly independent Malaya, the Malays would end up just like the Red Indians in America – lost and left behind. The British feeling guilty of their mass immigration program bringing Chinese and Indian workers to Malaya needed to ensure that they too had ‘safety’ and a future. A compromise was reached and so Malaya and then Malaysia was born!
Let’s skip twenty years after independence and come to the eighties. Several thousands of Malay students are sent overseas to further their studies. These would be the nation’s assets once they graduate and return to work for the government and for the people. For every 1 Malay student that the government sponsored there were 2-3 non Malay student who were self sponsored overseas, mostly these were Chinese students. There were some Indian students who went on their own but these were relatively few in numbers.
The government was keeping their side of the social contract i.e. giving opportunities to those without with there was not a glimmers hope of studying overseas. In those times, higher education was not readily available to the masses particularly the Malays. The Chinese forefathers knew of this constraint for their community and acted pro-actively. They garnered the support of their numbers and setup numerous social and economic entities to support their own kind particularly their children. Chinese associations sprang up like mushroom after the rain. Every kind and any sort of excuse were taken to create bodies that catered for its members.
Chinese Associations are strong economically
Family based associations were easily supported – by surnames, by creed, by mainland China territory, by business headings etc. The Chinese were very successful in this venture. Until today, this strength by association has made the Chinese community in Malaysia an economic force. Their organization is better run than the government’s offices or bodies. Take MARA for instance – it is a government body created solely for the benefits of the Bumiputras or ‘Sons of the Earth’ – a term coined because the Malays were too polite (even afraid of offending the non-Malays) to admit that this was affirmative preference. Yet, MARA is only one institution created purposely for the betterment of the Malays but relying solely from government grants. The Chinese had no less than 200 bodies or groupings that could support their people.
MARA - main body to help the Malays
A poor Chinese family could borrow against the future of their children to send their sons and daughters overseas using loans from these associations. The father would borrow but the children would pay when they graduate. Similar arrangements had never existed for the Malays nor does it exist now, The Malays were larger in numbers and the government had limited resources so only a small percentage of the Malay students was lucky enough to be sponsored. In return, these students had to work for the government as ‘repayment’ for their sponsorship.
It is highly commendable that the Chinese forefathers had managed to turn a little opportunity (granted citizenship) into major successes in their social standing such that they could compete and win in numbers and monetarily. This was evident when the number of Chinese professionals was significantly more than Malays across the board. Conversely, it is puzzling that a government couldn’t compete with the tenacity of the Chinese associations. Was the government then poorer than the Chinese associations put together or was it because the government had other obligations that limited their spending capabilities?
In any case, the owning of the economic pie of Malaysia continued to be a predominantly Chinese pre-occupation till today. Sometime between 1995 and 2000, the elitist Malay had more or less established their strangle hold on the direction of the Government. What had been an almost religious conviction to ‘help’ the Malays turned to helping themselves, their kindred and their friends. The Malay agenda was merely a front to sustain their stay in power. Realising that the Chinese hold on the economic could never be reduced much less taken away, those Malay in power dealt what they can to secure a piece of the action. The Chinese being shrewd businessmen in return dealt with whomever had the upper hand. The Indians too joined the fray and so Malaysia Inc. was revealed to the nation and the world at large.
Petronas Towers - Malaysia Inc Icon
The departure of Dr Mahathir from the PM’s office have made the future prospect of the Malays even worse. Whilst, Dr Mahathir’s Malaysia Inc. isn’t ideal it had some merits in the fact that there were knock-on effects as Malaysian dealt with each other to keep the economy going. The Chinese though reluctantly had to share some of the economic pie still had a major portion of it. So while Malays began buying new middle class Japanese cars as a show of their prosperity the Chinese began buying the more expensive Japanese and European cars signaling their even greater wealth. And so the so-called 1st and 2nd class citizens were happy and the gloomy future was more or less brushed aside.
Projects after projects were awarded to Bumiputras while their ‘non-bumis’ counterparts completed the tasks. While Bumiputras earned their 10% project owner's commission their ‘non-bumis’ got their fair sub-contractor's 90% share of the project's value. Seldom could any Bumiputra company really deliver a project without their non-bumi partners at the side. The economic food chain that existed in the country guaranteed that almost all sources of supply were in Chinese hands. Everyone had a chance of prospering at their own pace and no one really wanted to rock the boat.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Democracy is a game
Two opposition leaders, four lawyers and several others are now in police custody for participating or organizing or attending illegal gatherings in the previous weeks in Malaysia. The days to come will probably see more arrest as the government begins to gain back its confidence and recoup the losses of shameful public display of dissent.
The non-interference policy of the Asean states play well to the needs of the government of today. After all, nipping trouble at the bud had always been the cardinal rule of control and power. Didn't your parents do the same to you when they caught you with your first 'Benson' box. Or your teacher gave you a mouthful for failing to hand-in your assignment. Aren't all the anti-something campaign meant to avoid future problems and malady. So the government being the legal representative of the people has every right to ridicule, humiliate and abuse citizens who they deem as troublemakers on behalf of the rest of the citizens.
The instrument of control is of course the domestic peace-keepers, the police. If not for the police how can law and order be kept? But frankly, I pity the police - maybe not the top guns who have comfort chairs just as their political masters do - but the 'ordinary' policeman whose only guilt was that he thought he was serving the nation and keeping everyone safe. What can that little private, or corporal or even sergeant do but to follow orders? They are doomed actually - damned if they do, damned if they don't! So the next time the police comes round your neighbourhood, ask them - how do you do it? It must be hard having to shut your mind and conscience from judging what is right and wrong. Sometimes they even have to put religious beliefs aside so that they can carry out an order.
So just as the ordinary public are afraid of losing their daily income, the policemen too are just as scared. Here's where democracy comes in. The public are enticed to participate in what is called an election process. This voters turn-out will be used to endorse the results of the election. Under great scrutiny, the opposition are let to flourish albeit in handicapped circumstances. This will prove how liberal and free the country is in giving opportunity (no one said equal opportunity) for anyone to oppose the government. Then there is freedom albeit only in some quarters and for some groups, there is freedom in the country. The only thing that's not freely allowed is the unbridled yearning to change the government.
Just as Henry Ford offered his customers - "You can have any color as long as its black!" - democracy in Malaysia as its stands is simple - you can have any government as long as its THEM! And so, the game begins - how to be part of THEM. The truth is there are no discrimination of race in Malaysia - you can be a Malay or a Chinese or an Indian or a Dayak or Kadazan, but if you're not one of THEM - you not in, mate.Period!
Apparently, a portion of the population, less than 5% perhaps are the fortunate THEM. So in a total population of 25 million, 5% is quite a lot of people - some 1.25 million to be precise. So, if we counted all the big shots we know from whatever race does the total come to 1.25 million do you think?
Nah, I think not! Probably, a figure like 125 thousand would be more realistic. This is the number of people who can consider themselves as part of THEM - those people in power. So that's means only 0.5% of the population are THEM! And they play us off against one another under various headings such as race, religion, culture, poverty, business, industry, education etc etc. When all the while it is just a game to them - something they take out for display every 4 to 5 years -DEMOCRACY!
Dato' Nazri would then say - you're saying that the Malaysian public are stupid because they elected a 'bad' government! Well, I think the better word is 'afraid' rather than stupid. The Malaysian public is genuinely afraid that the prevailing government will harm them (the public) in one way or another if the public were to cast an opposing vote. The art of the game is to get enough people afraid to make that change. Just as criminals take hostages, governments take prisoners! Family and friends will cringe at the prospect of losing their freedom and so the government wins!
The world is a stage and we are the actors. In this country called Malaysia, the people are the extras, while the scripts are with THEM - the play is called DEMOCRACY and its only a game!
The non-interference policy of the Asean states play well to the needs of the government of today. After all, nipping trouble at the bud had always been the cardinal rule of control and power. Didn't your parents do the same to you when they caught you with your first 'Benson' box. Or your teacher gave you a mouthful for failing to hand-in your assignment. Aren't all the anti-something campaign meant to avoid future problems and malady. So the government being the legal representative of the people has every right to ridicule, humiliate and abuse citizens who they deem as troublemakers on behalf of the rest of the citizens.
The instrument of control is of course the domestic peace-keepers, the police. If not for the police how can law and order be kept? But frankly, I pity the police - maybe not the top guns who have comfort chairs just as their political masters do - but the 'ordinary' policeman whose only guilt was that he thought he was serving the nation and keeping everyone safe. What can that little private, or corporal or even sergeant do but to follow orders? They are doomed actually - damned if they do, damned if they don't! So the next time the police comes round your neighbourhood, ask them - how do you do it? It must be hard having to shut your mind and conscience from judging what is right and wrong. Sometimes they even have to put religious beliefs aside so that they can carry out an order.
So just as the ordinary public are afraid of losing their daily income, the policemen too are just as scared. Here's where democracy comes in. The public are enticed to participate in what is called an election process. This voters turn-out will be used to endorse the results of the election. Under great scrutiny, the opposition are let to flourish albeit in handicapped circumstances. This will prove how liberal and free the country is in giving opportunity (no one said equal opportunity) for anyone to oppose the government. Then there is freedom albeit only in some quarters and for some groups, there is freedom in the country. The only thing that's not freely allowed is the unbridled yearning to change the government.
Just as Henry Ford offered his customers - "You can have any color as long as its black!" - democracy in Malaysia as its stands is simple - you can have any government as long as its THEM! And so, the game begins - how to be part of THEM. The truth is there are no discrimination of race in Malaysia - you can be a Malay or a Chinese or an Indian or a Dayak or Kadazan, but if you're not one of THEM - you not in, mate.Period!
Apparently, a portion of the population, less than 5% perhaps are the fortunate THEM. So in a total population of 25 million, 5% is quite a lot of people - some 1.25 million to be precise. So, if we counted all the big shots we know from whatever race does the total come to 1.25 million do you think?
Nah, I think not! Probably, a figure like 125 thousand would be more realistic. This is the number of people who can consider themselves as part of THEM - those people in power. So that's means only 0.5% of the population are THEM! And they play us off against one another under various headings such as race, religion, culture, poverty, business, industry, education etc etc. When all the while it is just a game to them - something they take out for display every 4 to 5 years -DEMOCRACY!
Dato' Nazri would then say - you're saying that the Malaysian public are stupid because they elected a 'bad' government! Well, I think the better word is 'afraid' rather than stupid. The Malaysian public is genuinely afraid that the prevailing government will harm them (the public) in one way or another if the public were to cast an opposing vote. The art of the game is to get enough people afraid to make that change. Just as criminals take hostages, governments take prisoners! Family and friends will cringe at the prospect of losing their freedom and so the government wins!
The world is a stage and we are the actors. In this country called Malaysia, the people are the extras, while the scripts are with THEM - the play is called DEMOCRACY and its only a game!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
