Reports of ethnic-minority students with near-perfect STPM results not getting a place at the local university have become the norm, and yet objections are often ignored - the government claims that it is a fair game for all.
Personally, I had no choice but to go overseas to study, and my parents had to spend their entire pension savings on financing my undergraduate degree in Australia. After graduation, most of my Malaysian classmates chose to either stay in Australia or work in Singapore, where equal opportunities and fair competition give them better job prospects.
Before coming to the London I did my masters degree in Singapore, where I met many Chinese Malaysians in this situation. Most of us would like to return to Malaysia, but we know that research prospects for minorities are limited. No matter how talented we are, it seems we still have to travel outside our country to seek opportunities.
Unless we all vote in a more representative and responsible government, more Malaysians will leave.
I know a couple, the guy was a finance director in one of the big local banks while the wife was a finance manager and they had 4 children. They emigrated to New Zealand and the children were very happy with the new education system.
Mostly it was because what he had articulated as his reasons for leaving was somewhat true and reflective of the unsaid feelings of the majority of non-malay citizens of this country.
No one in the current leadership positions appear to have what it takes to bring Malaysia to the era of enlightenment.
My view on the future of Malaysia? Well, basically the same as the current African states, if not worse. Why? Because the government is an expert in coming up with new types of taxes to tax the people and use the money collected to throw at the Muslims literally. But are nuts when come to improving economy and social security.
In another 30 years, all the rich Chinese people will emigrate to China, while the rest of them will go to America, Australia and Singapore. What is left? A rotting piece of land with its inhabitants not any better off.
If the current government does not change their arrogant, lazy and stupid attitude, I will not be surprise that 1 Singapore dollar can buy 10 Malaysia rinngits in another 10 years time. Right, the Malaysia government has said that they have not dropped in their standards, just that other nations are growing faster than them.
This is the difference between Malaysia and Singapore. To the Malaysia government, what I want to say is this, "This tiny red dot (Singapore) has evolved from a piece of mud to become a piece of shiny gold, while in the same time span, you have evolved from a piece of wood only to stone, at the very best."
In the future to come, this red dot will further become a diamond, while its counterpart might just revert back to wood, if not worse.
I guess the racism goes on and on and I do feel for the minority races over in Malaysia if they had encounter a problem or a situation where they felt racially discriminated, and really can prove it.
I feel such sentiments almost everyday but I guess I always have reminded myself that, life is way bigger than the color of our skin and that what is more important no matter how clique it may sound; are families and friends.
First of all, are we (the non-malays, that is) really to believe that the government will abolish or tone down the New Economic Policy in the near future?
We must be realistic, if you have the right to buy a property at a discount and have scholarships for your children, would you let go of these rights?
With Chinese population dwindling in Malaysia, what needs to be done depends on the Chinese themselves.
There is nothing wrong with the brain drain. In fact, we should encourage our children to move to Singapore, Taiwan, China etc, if we disagree with Malaysia government policies that are based on race and religion.
When it comes to the matter of the dwindling number of Chinese Malaysians, we should talk about quality, not quantity.
We should resolve why the Chinese-Malaysian population is reducing. Official figures have more than one million Chinese Malaysians emigrating over the past 25 years. Why did they emigrate? I am sure the government knows.
Straight A students can't get scholarships or university places. Nothing new, it is been that way for the past 35 years. Nowadays, even enlightened malay Malaysians are speaking up on this injustice. The MCA and Gerakan? Busy making money from private colleges.
What is so great about having TAR College or Utar which took more than 35 years of begging? Why should it be so difficult to set up an independent university when we have scores of public ones?
While we push young talented people away, other countries notably Singapore, the US and Australia welcome them with open arms.
Is it logical that we drive away our young talented ones and then invite retired Mat Sallehs to live here and exploit our low-cost of living?
Singapore's success in particular owes much to these ex-Malaysians or their descendants including Hon Sui Sen, Goh Keng Swee, Goh Chok Tong, just to name a few.
About 30 percent of top management in both Singapore's government and corporate sector are ex-Malaysians. We export them so that Singapore can compete with, and then whack us.
Taiwan and Korea, both way behind us in the 70s and 80s are now way ahead. Thailand is breathing down our necks.
Sadly, there is just no integrity in the nation's leadership.
Migration and emigration of human beings is a pre-requisite of human progress and development. Without migration, human beings would be doomed to an existence worse than that of animals. Even animals migrate to seek a better habitat.
Patriotism is not a one-way thing, it is a two-way commitment. If one finds that one's loyalty and patriotism is not reciprocated as having to live with a corrupt government, discriminatory policies, inhumane and repressive laws etc, one has a right to review one's commitment and patriotism if one so chooses.
Why would people stay if their talents are not recognised in their own country and they do not have the opportunities to develop their potential? Why remain when they can have these opportunities in another country?
Indeed, it is very fortunate that we all live in this day and age of globalisation where we are free to live and work anywhere in the world as long as we have the skill and talent.
There is much less reason now to put up with bad governments, or corrupt, oppressive and racist regimes, anywhere in the world.
Of course the grass is never greener on the other side. You still need the same energy, enterprise and sometimes luck to make it. But there is no doubt in my mind and in those who have worked here and overseas - the playing field is more level abroad.
Whilst, I may add that most lower middle-class Malaysian citizens and professionals are the main bulk of immigrants to countries abroad. They need to get settled first and have a few contacts to start life anew.
To expect them to be millionaires in businesses will take a generation or more and we are beginning to see that now. If they had not emigrated, they would have been hard pressed to send their children abroad and everybody knows the quota system for universities, jobs, job opportunities and promotions back home.
In Canada, we experience the best there is in life. Every citizen has equal rights. They have done well in every aspect of life.
In the US, anyone whether black, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican etc, has the right to run for president. There are no restrictions, one only needs to secure the votes.
Nobody should operate under the assumption that migration is a bed of sweet, smelling roses. Roses have thorns.
Certainly, migration is not a dirty word. In fact, migration is the reason for this multiethnic paradise I call home today. The question is, can Malaysia retain its talents?
We are simply losing good people to the more developed countries, and this problem is also faced by other countries such as India and China.
Singapore has been absorbing our talents regardless of the medium of instruction they have been taught in.
Perhaps the biggest slap on our face is the fact that thousands and thousands of Malaysians have been recruited to bloom in the Lion City's workforce, while our own industry leaders have done nothing to help the government keep these investments from going abroad.
Many people leave the country for a variety of reasons. Some leave for economic reasons, some for better education, some over concerns for the climate of democracy in their home country.
There is no reason to deride any migrant for their choices in life. Every human being is entitled to the right of physical, social and geographical mobility - you seek your place on earth and call it home.
So leave if you must, go while you can, but don't give up on the march. That is a worthy sacrifice that requires courage.
Congratulations to those who have found a better future in life.
Many countries have tried to develop an IT industry much earlier, and with more and better resources and better government than us Malaysia, and have not succeeded.
The chance of us succeeding given our handicaps was never good and will never be good. It begins with poor politics, then poor government, then poor education, and then poor business environment (e.g. small market).
What is remarkable to me is that some people have managed to make good money and build companies despite our problems - Mobif, Jobstreet, Green Packet, etc. These people proof that the government is more in the way for developing the industry than helping it.
In fact, the government would do better to get out of the way rather actually have any sort of grand plan like MSC. The real only way the government can help is by having open competitive bidding in government procurement of IT and putting competent people in charge of that.
Nothing else they do would really mean anything much. I would argue all the spending on grand projects, computer labs, computer courses etc, amount to basically waste.
There is no hope of the MSC really succeeding, but we can still benefit from better IT and that perhaps is, would be better because at least it means less waste.
The truth is there - it is no real strategy. MSC was never a great idea - it was an opportunity for government spending more than anything else and as Bill Gates told us very politely, it would not work because of that.
A couple of years ago, there was this idea of attracting Malaysians overseas to come back to run Malaysia GLCs. Among my extensive overseas network of business and personal associates abroad, they discussed it and unanimously shot down the idea.
The reason? Quote: "Smart people can't stand inconsistencies in fact they rely on it. Malaysia politics make things too inconsistent to do the kind of work they do."
You want to know why they will never attract the best in public service? At one time, we all agreed what the future of Malaysia was and will always be - secular, rule of law, multiracial, meritocracy. Today, even among those in power, there is no agreement on these basic things.
Why would the best people subject themselves to these inconsistencies? Maybe naivety but how long will that last and how many?
For every one brain that comes in, fifty brains will leave the country. With the affirmative policies in place, do not talk about attracting the brain. For decades, Malaysia was losing its best peoples to developed countries and taking rejects from developing countries.
Please forget about bring back those lost brains, while we can keep those bright students now and love them and care for them!
First, the government and country has to figure out what it want to be first before it can really retain the best, otherwise we are merely exploiting those who do not have better choices elsewhere.
I still remember of my junior wanted to serve in our Malaysia air force and he was able to design war fighters, but instead he was not retained, he headed south Singapore and he was happily married down there, has a happy family and no way back!
People with the best brains inadvertently mean they know how to think. Therefore they are wise enough not to choose Malaysia as their destination, as it could spell disaster to their reputation as we work differently. Singapore will still be the ideal landing point of such calibre people.
Malaysia will forever be suffering from a massive "brain drain" so long as the Umno-led government keeps in place the malay agenda. To forego the agenda is too costly sacrifice which the Umno-malays cannot make. A clear symptom of an inferiority complex.
Congratulation to you. You are a great man, may God bless you in all your hard works.
You would make Mahathir to cry again. Though Malaysian Chinese students are discriminately barred from entering into the local universities in spite of outstanding results, they are forced to study overseas.
Nowadays, the degrees obtained by these students are widely accepted, they can face the world-trend of globalization.
They are not accepted by their own country, but they are welcome by all countries throughout the world.
Singapore is not that great, but look at Malaysia; lots of natural resources, a larger population, yet still a third class world country.
Come on, we achieved independence at the same time……….
In Malaysia, you just need two things for survival - work hard for any given opportunity and have a right religious belief. The rest is history.
Malaysian Chinese have no future in Malaysia. That corrupt, incompetent and lazy majority will run our beloved country to the ground.
Emigrate if you have the chance to do so.
Well, I am also one of them victim of brain drain and all my fellow friends.
I wish I am not a Malaysian and never wish that my next generations would suffer the same faith as I do.
In Mahathir's Malaysia, over 40% of the population lives under constitutionally mandated and perpetual state sanctioned racism. It is verging on illegality to even bring up the subject - even in parliament.
Non-malays live under widespread and considerable electoral, educational, economic and even religious restrictions and also have to live with the risk of racially motivated stirring from malay politicians who could put one nation to shame. And don't ask about illegal aliens, they are safely locked up in detention centres.
Unsurprisingly, some malay policies have played upon resultant fears of racial tensions and the difficulties non-malays face in creating their own political voice to shore up a captive vote in the ethnic electorate.
Starting up a company or even purchasing land and property is harder and more expensive for non-malays. The only way to alleviate their permanent designation as a second-class citizen is to convert to Islam and thus enjoy partial legal acceptance as a bumi.
This Malaysia, a land where racism is used to justify racism, is Mahathir's creation and if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, then I need a new palette.
Perhaps you may have heard of the axiom making its rounds among the Malaysian bloggers:
"If it is a malay issue, it is a national issue. If it is an Indian issue, it is not an issue. If it is a Chinese issue, it is a racial issue."
That is the problem with Malaysia. The Indians and Chinese are made to feel as if Malaysia is for the malays, and not for the citizens of Malaysia. Even the textbooks are often written as if addressing the malays instead of Malaysians, with references to Islam and other malay cultural aspects.
Just look at Singapore. In spite of their being a multiracial society completely lacking in national resources, they are now a developed country. Why?
Because the people there are united. There is no presumption that the average citizen is a Chinese or any serious programme giving a particular race special rights.
The presumption that greed, dishonesty and betrayal are innate qualities of a Chinese is simply as abhorrent as the presumption by some Chinese that malays smell bad, are lazy and are extremely religious to the point of martyrdom. Such stereotyping accomplishes nothing.
If Chinese kids won't die for Malaysia, we should not jump to the conclusion that Chinese cannot be trusted. Instead, we should consider it equally among other possibilities, such as the government's policies creating a feeling of unfair treatment despite the premise that we are all equal as citizens of Malaysia.
We know what the original intentions of the malay special privileges provision in the Merdeka Constitution were, but to maintain that it is a carte blanche for all manner of discrimination based on the bumi/non-bumi divide is certainly straining credibility.
Now that the commanding heights of the Malaysia economy have fallen into the hands of malay capitalists 49 years after independence, is it wrong to appeal for a new consensus based on social sector and need instead of race?
From the above, it is clear that the question of the constitutionality of the quota system as it has been practised since 1971 especially in totally bumi institutions has never been tested.
Because the government imposes racial quota in government departments and education, therefore Singapore and other countries take fortune at the tide. For years, there has been brain drain to our neighbour.
I called my newfound friend earlier who works in Singapore. Somehow, the conversation ended up on Malaysians holding top positions in Singapore.
Well, I have a good friend who is currently working with a top-notch investment company in Singapore. When my new friend found out, immediately said, "No wonder that Pak Lah person was mentioning about the brain drain in Malaysia!"
Well, I know a lot of scientists and doctors are working overseas. A number of my school alumni are actually working overseas and not in Malaysia. Some are doing well in London, Boston, to name a few. It is even funnier to hear stories of some of my school alumni to accidentally meet each other when they are overseas. Yes, my school is guilty for contributing to the brain drain……….
Closer to home, I wonder if Pak Lah knows about our own Malaysian companies that are also contributing to the brain drain. No name mentioned, but I know of one company, due to the change in business process has forced a number of the disgruntled staff to leave the company.
The worse thing, these staff left and joined the competitors that are not Malaysian owned. And even worse, some staff actually decided to leave Malaysia and work at greener pastures.
They could have stayed in Malaysia, but no company in Malaysia could afford to pay the expected salary due to the staff being former scholars and studied overseas during the economic crisis.
Sad really. Now wonder why Pak Lah has an uphill task.
Clearly, there has always been movement of highly skilled people in and out of a country. If there is brain drain from a particular country, it can scarcely develop. On the other hand, if it can keep its talents and successfully attract its skilled citizens to return as well as foreign talents to come, it will prosper.
这里不讲种族歧视,你可以SHOOT政府的无能,政客的贪腐。你若认为有无限的冤情无处可发泄。呵呵,对不起。你来错地方了。阿东不是种族歧视者,我对事不对人。你请自便!!!!!
U r welcome to shoot government failure,stupid policy..etc.
But,please no racist statement.
If you think that you need a place to vent your frustration,here i recommended a link to you ;
http://forum.cari.com.my/forumdisplay.php?fid=4
Go and convince them.
I'll delete those racist statement.
6 comments:
Reports of ethnic-minority students with near-perfect STPM results not getting a place at the local university have become the norm, and yet objections are often ignored - the government claims that it is a fair game for all.
Personally, I had no choice but to go overseas to study, and my parents had to spend their entire pension savings on financing my undergraduate degree in Australia. After graduation, most of my Malaysian classmates chose to either stay in Australia or work in Singapore, where equal opportunities and fair competition give them better job prospects.
Before coming to the London I did my masters degree in Singapore, where I met many Chinese Malaysians in this situation. Most of us would like to return to Malaysia, but we know that research prospects for minorities are limited. No matter how talented we are, it seems we still have to travel outside our country to seek opportunities.
Unless we all vote in a more representative and responsible government, more Malaysians will leave.
I know a couple, the guy was a finance director in one of the big local banks while the wife was a finance manager and they had 4 children. They emigrated to New Zealand and the children were very happy with the new education system.
Mostly it was because what he had articulated as his reasons for leaving was somewhat true and reflective of the unsaid feelings of the majority of non-malay citizens of this country.
No one in the current leadership positions appear to have what it takes to bring Malaysia to the era of enlightenment.
My view on the future of Malaysia? Well, basically the same as the current African states, if not worse. Why? Because the government is an expert in coming up with new types of taxes to tax the people and use the money collected to throw at the Muslims literally. But are nuts when come to improving economy and social security.
In another 30 years, all the rich Chinese people will emigrate to China, while the rest of them will go to America, Australia and Singapore. What is left? A rotting piece of land with its inhabitants not any better off.
If the current government does not change their arrogant, lazy and stupid attitude, I will not be surprise that 1 Singapore dollar can buy 10 Malaysia rinngits in another 10 years time. Right, the Malaysia government has said that they have not dropped in their standards, just that other nations are growing faster than them.
This is the difference between Malaysia and Singapore. To the Malaysia government, what I want to say is this, "This tiny red dot (Singapore) has evolved from a piece of mud to become a piece of shiny gold, while in the same time span, you have evolved from a piece of wood only to stone, at the very best."
In the future to come, this red dot will further become a diamond, while its counterpart might just revert back to wood, if not worse.
I guess the racism goes on and on and I do feel for the minority races over in Malaysia if they had encounter a problem or a situation where they felt racially discriminated, and really can prove it.
I feel such sentiments almost everyday but I guess I always have reminded myself that, life is way bigger than the color of our skin and that what is more important no matter how clique it may sound; are families and friends.
First of all, are we (the non-malays, that is) really to believe that the government will abolish or tone down the New Economic Policy in the near future?
We must be realistic, if you have the right to buy a property at a discount and have scholarships for your children, would you let go of these rights?
With Chinese population dwindling in Malaysia, what needs to be done depends on the Chinese themselves.
There is nothing wrong with the brain drain. In fact, we should encourage our children to move to Singapore, Taiwan, China etc, if we disagree with Malaysia government policies that are based on race and religion.
When it comes to the matter of the dwindling number of Chinese Malaysians, we should talk about quality, not quantity.
We should resolve why the Chinese-Malaysian population is reducing. Official figures have more than one million Chinese Malaysians emigrating over the past 25 years. Why did they emigrate? I am sure the government knows.
Straight A students can't get scholarships or university places. Nothing new, it is been that way for the past 35 years. Nowadays, even enlightened malay Malaysians are speaking up on this injustice. The MCA and Gerakan? Busy making money from private colleges.
What is so great about having TAR College or Utar which took more than 35 years of begging? Why should it be so difficult to set up an independent university when we have scores of public ones?
While we push young talented people away, other countries notably Singapore, the US and Australia welcome them with open arms.
Is it logical that we drive away our young talented ones and then invite retired Mat Sallehs to live here and exploit our low-cost of living?
Singapore's success in particular owes much to these ex-Malaysians or their descendants including Hon Sui Sen, Goh Keng Swee, Goh Chok Tong, just to name a few.
About 30 percent of top management in both Singapore's government and corporate sector are ex-Malaysians. We export them so that Singapore can compete with, and then whack us.
Taiwan and Korea, both way behind us in the 70s and 80s are now way ahead. Thailand is breathing down our necks.
Sadly, there is just no integrity in the nation's leadership.
Migration and emigration of human beings is a pre-requisite of human progress and development. Without migration, human beings would be doomed to an existence worse than that of animals. Even animals migrate to seek a better habitat.
Patriotism is not a one-way thing, it is a two-way commitment. If one finds that one's loyalty and patriotism is not reciprocated as having to live with a corrupt government, discriminatory policies, inhumane and repressive laws etc, one has a right to review one's commitment and patriotism if one so chooses.
Why would people stay if their talents are not recognised in their own country and they do not have the opportunities to develop their potential? Why remain when they can have these opportunities in another country?
Indeed, it is very fortunate that we all live in this day and age of globalisation where we are free to live and work anywhere in the world as long as we have the skill and talent.
There is much less reason now to put up with bad governments, or corrupt, oppressive and racist regimes, anywhere in the world.
Of course the grass is never greener on the other side. You still need the same energy, enterprise and sometimes luck to make it. But there is no doubt in my mind and in those who have worked here and overseas - the playing field is more level abroad.
Whilst, I may add that most lower middle-class Malaysian citizens and professionals are the main bulk of immigrants to countries abroad. They need to get settled first and have a few contacts to start life anew.
To expect them to be millionaires in businesses will take a generation or more and we are beginning to see that now. If they had not emigrated, they would have been hard pressed to send their children abroad and everybody knows the quota system for universities, jobs, job opportunities and promotions back home.
In Canada, we experience the best there is in life. Every citizen has equal rights. They have done well in every aspect of life.
In the US, anyone whether black, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican etc, has the right to run for president. There are no restrictions, one only needs to secure the votes.
Nobody should operate under the assumption that migration is a bed of sweet, smelling roses. Roses have thorns.
Certainly, migration is not a dirty word. In fact, migration is the reason for this multiethnic paradise I call home today. The question is, can Malaysia retain its talents?
We are simply losing good people to the more developed countries, and this problem is also faced by other countries such as India and China.
Singapore has been absorbing our talents regardless of the medium of instruction they have been taught in.
Perhaps the biggest slap on our face is the fact that thousands and thousands of Malaysians have been recruited to bloom in the Lion City's workforce, while our own industry leaders have done nothing to help the government keep these investments from going abroad.
Many people leave the country for a variety of reasons. Some leave for economic reasons, some for better education, some over concerns for the climate of democracy in their home country.
There is no reason to deride any migrant for their choices in life. Every human being is entitled to the right of physical, social and geographical mobility - you seek your place on earth and call it home.
So leave if you must, go while you can, but don't give up on the march. That is a worthy sacrifice that requires courage.
Congratulations to those who have found a better future in life.
Many countries have tried to develop an IT industry much earlier, and with more and better resources and better government than us Malaysia, and have not succeeded.
The chance of us succeeding given our handicaps was never good and will never be good. It begins with poor politics, then poor government, then poor education, and then poor business environment (e.g. small market).
What is remarkable to me is that some people have managed to make good money and build companies despite our problems - Mobif, Jobstreet, Green Packet, etc. These people proof that the government is more in the way for developing the industry than helping it.
In fact, the government would do better to get out of the way rather actually have any sort of grand plan like MSC. The real only way the government can help is by having open competitive bidding in government procurement of IT and putting competent people in charge of that.
Nothing else they do would really mean anything much. I would argue all the spending on grand projects, computer labs, computer courses etc, amount to basically waste.
There is no hope of the MSC really succeeding, but we can still benefit from better IT and that perhaps is, would be better because at least it means less waste.
The truth is there - it is no real strategy. MSC was never a great idea - it was an opportunity for government spending more than anything else and as Bill Gates told us very politely, it would not work because of that.
A couple of years ago, there was this idea of attracting Malaysians overseas to come back to run Malaysia GLCs. Among my extensive overseas network of business and personal associates abroad, they discussed it and unanimously shot down the idea.
The reason? Quote: "Smart people can't stand inconsistencies in fact they rely on it. Malaysia politics make things too inconsistent to do the kind of work they do."
You want to know why they will never attract the best in public service? At one time, we all agreed what the future of Malaysia was and will always be - secular, rule of law, multiracial, meritocracy. Today, even among those in power, there is no agreement on these basic things.
Why would the best people subject themselves to these inconsistencies? Maybe naivety but how long will that last and how many?
For every one brain that comes in, fifty brains will leave the country. With the affirmative policies in place, do not talk about attracting the brain. For decades, Malaysia was losing its best peoples to developed countries and taking rejects from developing countries.
Please forget about bring back those lost brains, while we can keep those bright students now and love them and care for them!
First, the government and country has to figure out what it want to be first before it can really retain the best, otherwise we are merely exploiting those who do not have better choices elsewhere.
I still remember of my junior wanted to serve in our Malaysia air force and he was able to design war fighters, but instead he was not retained, he headed south Singapore and he was happily married down there, has a happy family and no way back!
People with the best brains inadvertently mean they know how to think. Therefore they are wise enough not to choose Malaysia as their destination, as it could spell disaster to their reputation as we work differently. Singapore will still be the ideal landing point of such calibre people.
Malaysia will forever be suffering from a massive "brain drain" so long as the Umno-led government keeps in place the malay agenda. To forego the agenda is too costly sacrifice which the Umno-malays cannot make. A clear symptom of an inferiority complex.
Good article!
Congratulation to you. You are a great man, may God bless you in all your hard works.
You would make Mahathir to cry again. Though Malaysian Chinese students are discriminately barred from entering into the local universities in spite of outstanding results, they are forced to study overseas.
Nowadays, the degrees obtained by these students are widely accepted, they can face the world-trend of globalization.
They are not accepted by their own country, but they are welcome by all countries throughout the world.
Singapore is not that great, but look at Malaysia; lots of natural resources, a larger population, yet still a third class world country.
Come on, we achieved independence at the same time……….
In Malaysia, you just need two things for survival - work hard for any given opportunity and have a right religious belief. The rest is history.
Malaysian Chinese have no future in Malaysia. That corrupt, incompetent and lazy majority will run our beloved country to the ground.
Emigrate if you have the chance to do so.
Well, I am also one of them victim of brain drain and all my fellow friends.
I wish I am not a Malaysian and never wish that my next generations would suffer the same faith as I do.
Read it all.
In Mahathir's Malaysia, over 40% of the population lives under constitutionally mandated and perpetual state sanctioned racism. It is verging on illegality to even bring up the subject - even in parliament.
Non-malays live under widespread and considerable electoral, educational, economic and even religious restrictions and also have to live with the risk of racially motivated stirring from malay politicians who could put one nation to shame. And don't ask about illegal aliens, they are safely locked up in detention centres.
Unsurprisingly, some malay policies have played upon resultant fears of racial tensions and the difficulties non-malays face in creating their own political voice to shore up a captive vote in the ethnic electorate.
Starting up a company or even purchasing land and property is harder and more expensive for non-malays. The only way to alleviate their permanent designation as a second-class citizen is to convert to Islam and thus enjoy partial legal acceptance as a bumi.
This Malaysia, a land where racism is used to justify racism, is Mahathir's creation and if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, then I need a new palette.
Perhaps you may have heard of the axiom making its rounds among the Malaysian bloggers:
"If it is a malay issue, it is a national issue. If it is an Indian issue, it is not an issue. If it is a Chinese issue, it is a racial issue."
That is the problem with Malaysia. The Indians and Chinese are made to feel as if Malaysia is for the malays, and not for the citizens of Malaysia. Even the textbooks are often written as if addressing the malays instead of Malaysians, with references to Islam and other malay cultural aspects.
Just look at Singapore. In spite of their being a multiracial society completely lacking in national resources, they are now a developed country. Why?
Because the people there are united. There is no presumption that the average citizen is a Chinese or any serious programme giving a particular race special rights.
The presumption that greed, dishonesty and betrayal are innate qualities of a Chinese is simply as abhorrent as the presumption by some Chinese that malays smell bad, are lazy and are extremely religious to the point of martyrdom. Such stereotyping accomplishes nothing.
If Chinese kids won't die for Malaysia, we should not jump to the conclusion that Chinese cannot be trusted. Instead, we should consider it equally among other possibilities, such as the government's policies creating a feeling of unfair treatment despite the premise that we are all equal as citizens of Malaysia.
We know what the original intentions of the malay special privileges provision in the Merdeka Constitution were, but to maintain that it is a carte blanche for all manner of discrimination based on the bumi/non-bumi divide is certainly straining credibility.
Now that the commanding heights of the Malaysia economy have fallen into the hands of malay capitalists 49 years after independence, is it wrong to appeal for a new consensus based on social sector and need instead of race?
From the above, it is clear that the question of the constitutionality of the quota system as it has been practised since 1971 especially in totally bumi institutions has never been tested.
Because the government imposes racial quota in government departments and education, therefore Singapore and other countries take fortune at the tide. For years, there has been brain drain to our neighbour.
I called my newfound friend earlier who works in Singapore. Somehow, the conversation ended up on Malaysians holding top positions in Singapore.
Well, I have a good friend who is currently working with a top-notch investment company in Singapore. When my new friend found out, immediately said, "No wonder that Pak Lah person was mentioning about the brain drain in Malaysia!"
Well, I know a lot of scientists and doctors are working overseas. A number of my school alumni are actually working overseas and not in Malaysia. Some are doing well in London, Boston, to name a few. It is even funnier to hear stories of some of my school alumni to accidentally meet each other when they are overseas. Yes, my school is guilty for contributing to the brain drain……….
Closer to home, I wonder if Pak Lah knows about our own Malaysian companies that are also contributing to the brain drain. No name mentioned, but I know of one company, due to the change in business process has forced a number of the disgruntled staff to leave the company.
The worse thing, these staff left and joined the competitors that are not Malaysian owned. And even worse, some staff actually decided to leave Malaysia and work at greener pastures.
They could have stayed in Malaysia, but no company in Malaysia could afford to pay the expected salary due to the staff being former scholars and studied overseas during the economic crisis.
Sad really. Now wonder why Pak Lah has an uphill task.
Clearly, there has always been movement of highly skilled people in and out of a country. If there is brain drain from a particular country, it can scarcely develop. On the other hand, if it can keep its talents and successfully attract its skilled citizens to return as well as foreign talents to come, it will prosper.
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