Merdeka!!! Continued….

Readers are advised to read the original Merdeka article below before reading this article.

It was a little bit disheartening at first when no one gave any comments to my Merdeka Article.
Was it old news? Boring? Or didn’t people care anymore? It is none of the above actually.

In light of the most recent, controversial and racist remark made by the now famous Mr. Ahmad, comments came in through emails, sms and even phone calls. I would like to acknowledge readers and those who shared their views on the subject matter. I guess it is easier and safer to talk about these sensitive issues in private to avoid going behind bars.

As bizarre as it sounds, I will attempt to write about racial disintegration in the hope of achieving racial integration. The main issue at hand is the NEP/DEB where non-Malays feel that it is an unfair policy whilst the majority of the Malays feel that it is god given right policy. I have said before that there is a clear mismatch of expectations between the races in Malaysia and to prove my point further read the very contrasting and differing point of views shared by many Malaysians:


1. On History

Non-Malays
Malaysia is not owned by the Malays to begin with. Just like the Non-Malays the Malays came from other parts of the world, came to Malaya and called it their home. Therefore the Malays are also originally foreign to this land. The real Bumiputra’s of this country are the orang asli’s.

Malays
This country is historically owned by Malays and even the British acknowledge this. In recognition of the Sultans rule, the British signed treaties with the Malay Rulers and not with the other races. Further proof is that Malaysia was previously known as Tanah Melayu & Malaya.


2. On the Economy

Non-Malays
This country developed and flourished economically because of the hard work of non-Malays. The non-Malays are the fabric of this nation that allows this country to propel forward. They had to struggle, study and work hard to earn a living in this country. If it wasn’t for the Non Malays the Bumiputra’s would be living in jungles and trees. The Malays have it all easy with the support of the government and NEP.

Malays
The Non-Malays have a culture that is aligned to earthly success. They have a civilization that survived the test of time. Malays on the other hand have just started moving forward 60 years ago therefore requiring more time to succeed. It was the British that brought in foreigners into this country. The Malays never invited them into the country.As a race they made many sacrifices such as changing this country’s name from Tanah Melayu to Malaya to Malaysia. This is to help other races feel part of this country. Even the Bahasa Jawi was shelved for the same reason.


3. NEP

Non-Malays
The NEP has failed to accomplish what it was set out to do. I.e. to ensure that the country achieves some balance in terms of economic distribution. Instead, it has only benefited a small no of bumiputra’s. Contracts are only given to a selected few.

Malays
The NEP has benefited the Malays in many ways. Based on the stats, there are now more Malay Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Architects and Businessmen than there was 30 years ago.


4. On Competitiveness

Non-Malays
Non-Malays are not willing to employ Malays because they are slow and not competitive. The NEP is the reason why Malays are not competitive. It has served as an ineffective crutch that cripples the Malays.

Malays
Malays have different values then the non Malays. The non Malays only think of Money while the Malays believe that there is more to life than money.


5 On Opportunities

Non-Malays
There should be equal opportunities for every Malaysian no matter the race. It is a human rights issue. There should be equal opportunities in terms of education and contracts distribution.

Malays
The Non-Malays are impatient and greedy. Even after owning more than 80% of the economic cake they demand for more and more.
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I personally feel embarrassed (not in an arrogant way) that the Malays have to ask for extra help in order to be competitive. As a Malay, I am not proud that after 50 years of independence Malays are still struggling to stem a mark in the economic pie. Even with the NEP the Bumi’s only own 17% of the economic pie. Just have a look at newly developed housing areas, how many Malays actually own a piece of the action? How many Malays own luxury homes? How many Malays own a bungalow or a semi-d home? Everywhere you look property is owned by non Malays. The majority of the Malays own property in some kampong which is negligible in value in comparison to the market value of properties in the city.

I would be lying if I said that I did not benefit from the NEP. In fact no successful Malay can claim that he or she did not benefit from the NEP. It would be selfish of me to say that we should wipe out the NEP policy totally when I know for a fact that there are many Malays that still need support and help. If the wealth of the nation is not distributed fairly and equally I fear that there will be more tension amongst the races.

Having said that, it would be totally unfair for the NEP to be in existence forever. The government should have a specific target date to achieve the desired results. Non Malays who are in need should also be helped.

I obviously don’t have all the answers but I hope this article will help Malaysian’s understand each other a little bit better.

Merdeka???

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

The spirit and feeling of this years Merdeka celebration is not quite the same as the celebrations before this. This year we celebrate Merdeka with some tension rising. We cannot hide or sweep under the carpet what is actually brewing in the hearts and minds of the younger generation no matter the race.

The racial tension is worsening by the day. People cursing at each other, making fun of their own national anthem, questioning their rights and rights of others etc. I can only imagine what it will look like ten years down the road if something is not done now and I am not just talking about the muhibah spirit and rhetoric speeches. Thanks to the wise management of our leaders today (sweep everything under the carpet policy) we will have an uphill task in managing racial problems in the years to come.

I grew up in Penang and studied at a National Primary and Secondary School. There I mixed and befriended everyone and anyone no matter the race. It was great and I had a lot of fun. Even when I was working in Penang, I did not feel like a social outcast even though majority of my colleagues were non Malays. Hanging out at coffee bean and mamak stalls with my friends no matter the race on a weekly basis was a norm for me back then.

Things however changed in 2002 when I moved to work in KL. It was as if I moved to another country. I suddenly felt that everyone was cold and I could feel the racial tension in the air. I resented that feeling. Call me naive but I then finally realized that many if not majority of the people in KL are racist and are only interested in protecting their own neck and race.

The racial tension in KL and most parts of the country is bad. I have received direct feedback from my non Malay friends that the reason they do not hire Malays is because they are slow and inefficient. My Malay friends on the other hand say that the Chinese are greedy and everything just boils down to money. After speaking to my Malay, Chinese and Indian friends I have come up with the following conclusion about their views, opinions and frustrations.

1. The Malays are upset with the non Malays for questioning their special rights.

2. The Chinese and Indians resent the Malays for treating them like second class citizens and not allowing equal opportunities.

Rightly or wrongly, there is clearly a mismatch of expectation. To be continued……