Malay Special Rights: What and Why I Oppose
The following has been taken from a comment of mine on Bakri Musa's blog post commemorating Tun Abdul Razak's death. For further context, check this, this, this, this and this. The people talking cock here aren't cronies or UMNOputras. They are your typical urban Malays. I think that speaks for itself.
I don’t have much problems with the NEP. The NEP was and is the correct policy to implement, IMO. I see the problems associated with it as more of a symptom, and not an underlying reason, for our problems when it comes to national unity. IMO, Article 153 of the Constitution, ketuanan Melayu and the endless harping on the social contract cause more trouble than the NEP ever can.
The NEP is founded on the correct premises - ending poverty regardless of race, and giving the hobbled a chance to catch up. Ketuanan Melayu and the social contract with its quid pro quo “we give you citizenship in return for our special rights” are founded on incorrect premises - especially the belief that some people are inherently entitled from birth to something others don’t.
I don’t mind having to pay a little extra to give my fellow man in the kampung a hand up. What I do mind is being told I’m a “pendatang asing” who has no right to be here or being told to balik tongsan (or cross the causeway). This is a blatant insult to my Malaysian nationality, the Malaysian passport I carry, the blue IC in my wallet, the Malaysian heart that beats in my chest, and the Malaysian belief in equality in unity I was brought up with. You want to know why so many Malaysians choose to be discriminated in White Man’s Land, or go south? It’s not because of the NEP. It’s because our right to be Malaysians has been questioned. It’s one thing to have to sacrifice for your fellow citizen. It’s another thing to sacrifice for a citizen of a country where you don’t even belong.
(Infernal Ramblings is a Malaysian website focusing on current events and sociopolitical issues. Its articles run the gamut from economics to society to education.
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| Related comments from forum thread "Preview of a book on Malaysian schools": | |
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johnleemk
Infernally Rambling Thoughtless Mind Head Administrator Posts: 953 IP Logged | Posted at 12:01:56 pm Sep 10, 2005
Hey y'all...as some of you may or may not know, I have been writing a book about Malaysian schools, tentatively titled Why Your Kid Hates School. I've completed the first draft already, which I will not be making public (duh) as of this time. However, I do have a preview of the fourth chapter online. I am particularly seeking feedback for this book, as it is very much anecdote-based. This means...I want you to send me your stories about your school life. Anything that sticks out in your memory may just be worth including in the book. If I do decide to include your story in the book, you will be given credit in the acknowledgements, so get cracking!  Edit: So I don't lose my mind keeping track of pertinent writings, I've decided to use this post to list helpful articles that I plan (or hope) to incorporate into my manuscript.
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bentmw
Gamemaster Member Posts: 219 IP Logged | Posted at 1:07:39 am Sep 28, 2005
haha! |
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natalinasmpf
Member Posts: 39 IP Logged | Posted at 3:30:54 am Jan 10, 2006
Say, ask me to copyedit your book when you're done. Or let us give you input (you can delete the files later). Because for one, there needs to be more buildup in the punchlines (although it seems mainly an reform advocacy book, of couse). I suppose Singaporean school experiences can't contribute much. |
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whodhellknew
Member Posts: 17 IP Logged | Posted at 11:38:48 pm Apr 14, 2007
Your kids hate school probably for nearly the same reason you hate your office. Although I must say, where western unis are concerned, with all the drinking and shagging, isn't really a hated institution. Anyway, here's an anecdote: Three dudes (well a dude and two girls) were real devout SDA(Sevent Day Adventists. They WILL freak liberals out with their clean, Mormonish, caffeine-less, alcohol-less existence) adherents. They probably are so devouted as a reaction against the oppressive environment of the traditional Malay boarding school Islamisation. I was there and I clearly remember how I was just as motivated to go to church every week and sing my heart out during gatherings. But that's not the point. See we had a paper on a saturday, and the SDA dudes revere saturday as the Sabbath like the Jews, and observe them in the same manner as well, that is weighing your a** down on a chair without manual labour for the whole day. Okay that was potentially offensive. So they objected to taking the said exam on that day and voiced their concerns with The Man. The Man's reaction: to go over their heads and ask their parents, who subsequently gave consent. They stood their ground and didn't graduate, which was a big deal, because the boarding school in question is given privileges where government sponsorships are concerned (wonder not why I'm 18,000 miles away from our fair land). Now, apart from the very fact of religious non-accommodation, the biggest gripe I have with this event was the weight given to parental consent. Parents, with all due respect (I love you mom), do not own us and for issues such as these I think the student should be given full authority to exercise their own judgement. We keep being told that "when you get to university, you'll have all the freedom to do <<insert activity here>>", and this can be extrapolated simply by substituting "university" with some other stage in life. Hence the sense of invidualism and responsibilty keeps getting postponed, and Malaysians essentially turn up to be adult-sized children. And that's it. I also have an anecdote about a teacher who likes to knee our balls (we reciprocate) and tell of alleged dalliances with your mom (we reciprocate) if that helps. cheers |
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johnleemk
Infernally Rambling Thoughtless Mind Head Administrator Posts: 953 IP Logged | Posted at 5:31:33 am Apr 15, 2007
Hence the sense of invidualism and responsibilty keeps getting postponed, and Malaysians essentially turn up to be adult-sized children. Indeed. When we grow up, our parent becomes the state - and unlike Singapore, our government isn't even competent at being a nanny state. I also have an anecdote about a teacher who likes to knee our balls (we reciprocate) and tell of alleged dalliances with your mom (we reciprocate) if that helps. Sure. I haven't been doing much work on this for a long while, but I've been filing away relevant items for when I plan to start writing again. Feel free to email me or post a comment here. |
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tanstaafl
Member Posts: 10 IP Logged | Posted at 2:31:47 pm Sep 15, 2009
lolz John. If you're wondering what the lolz is about, it was my reaction after reading your post http://www.infernalramblings.com/articles/Malaysian_Education/247/ and thinking about our past discussions on why I decided to send my kids to vernacular rather than national school. congrats on getting into Dartmouth. oops think I posted in the wrong topic ... :P |
