Refer to Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日報)
date‧2007.04.09, Deputy Minister of Ministry of High Education (MOHE) DatuK Ong Tee Keat said that he not received my complaint email is not true.
Refer to the email address i get from MOHE official wedsite, i had send the complaint email to all MCA minister and deputy minister include Datuk Ong Tee Keat date first time at 21 June 2006, second time at 16 August 2006 and last time at 5 October 2006.
I wonder why Datuk Ong said that he not received my complaint email. Either their totally not read the email or read it but simply ignore? or others reason?
We understand that minister or deputy minister busy sometimes but at least their personal secretary or
political secretary had read the email. If not what use they publish the email on their official website or MCA website? If YB have any personal or latest email please update on their respective ministry official web site or even MCA website so that public can reach them very fast via email.
As government always said that paperless, so email is a very powerful tool to propagate public voice, view, comment and etc.
Last, i hope that respective ministry official website going to alter their work attidute, thinking and action accordingly.
12 comments:
It is the racial division in all facets of the government's racially based policies that has led, and unfortunately, is still forcing non-malay Malaysians to head for overseas for better opportunities in all fields.
I left Malaysia about 20 years ago. I left not because the economy was in a bad shape. It was in a good shape! In fact, I would have done better if I had stayed behind. I left because I was fed up with the divisive racial-based policies of the government that I experienced since as long as I could remember. And I felt there was no way I could change the system.
When I was in lower secondary at a government-aided school, I was wondering why only the Chinese pupils had to buy textbooks and pay the monthly school fees. Some others had it all free. I didn't know the rationale then but could only envy them.
Later on, I was surprised when two malay classmates were selected to proceed to do the then Higher School Certificate (Form Six then) although I had far superior academic results than both of them. I missed the selection.
Every Monday morning we stood shoulder to shoulder at the school assembly and sung the same national anthem with the same gusto and yet we were treated differently. Again, I couldn't understand all that.
I had at great expense to my parents, to do my HSC at a private college before embarking on my tertiary education overseas (you guessed it right - I was rejected by the local universities).
Upon my return, I found to my great disappointment that nothing had changed and that the malay and non-malay concept was still firmly entrenched in all aspects of government policies.
I didn't want my children to compete in such an unfair environment. I wanted them to have 'a fair go' especially in education. For this reason, I left Malaysia. This was the same reason that drove so many well-educated, multi-skilled non-malay Malaysians to leave.
Malaysia simply can't afford to lose so many highly educated, highly skilled non-malays. Other countries will only be too happy to welcome them. Just imagine the benefits they stand to gain without having to outlay any costs to train them.
If Malaysia is to survive competitively at the international level, it has to seriously reassess its racially motivated policies. The polices have failed to uplift the well-being of the malays with the exception of the well-connected elite group.
Admission to all local tertiary courses, the appointments to public office, the tendering of contracts etc, have to be based solely on merit not along racial lines. Public scholarship to higher studies should be likewise too.
Malaysia's future is at stake.
"The chronicle of higher education discussion" of affirmative action in Malaysia, says that it began because "ethnic malays held relatively little economic power" and because of a colonial legacy under which the country "more urbanized Chinese inhabitants tended to prosper."
In reality, under colonial rule the British provided free education to the malays but the Chinese minority had to provide their own - and the Chinese still completely outperformed the malays, both in educational institutions and in the economy.
Performance differences are what slippery semantics try to evade, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere, when affirmative action is discussed.
Again, such semantic gymnastics attempt to evade the obvious: Some groups perform a lot better than others, whether in education or the economy and whether in Malaysia or elsewhere around the world.
Back in the 1960s, when university admissions were based on academic performance, students from the Chinese minority outnumbered students from the malay majority. When it came to engineering degrees, the Chinese outnumbered the malays 404 to 4.
While quotas changed the numbers in Malaysia, they could not change the performances. After three decades of quotas favoring malays, the government finally acknowledged that the universities were simply not turning out enough people with the high-tech skills that the country needed.
In both Malaysia and Indonesia, preferences and quotas were intended explicitly to apply to the majority of the population because minorities - notably the Chinese in both countries - were far more successful.
If we read the Malaysia Federal Constitution of 1957, we will not find the word "bumiputera" - hence some would say the origin of the word is grounded in the political agenda of some politicians to discriminate against citizens not of malay ethnicity.
In short there is no constitutional legitimacy in the use of the term "bumiputera" except for its purpose which is to discriminate for the sake of discriminating.
Some fifty years after independence from the British, the demographic profile of its population has changed. Most of the Chinese/Indians today are no longer foreign born, and through the principle of "jus soli" (Latin meaning "right of the soil") are citizens by birth.
The word "bumiputera" (Sanskrit meaning "son of the soil") which came into popular use after the riots of 1969, is a convenient term not grounded in the science of anthropology but in the politics of race - in other words its use is a convenient invention by malay politicians and malay leaders to justify the policies of Umno which dominated the ruling alliance, which came to be known as the New Economic Policy (NEP).
It could have been called "The Great Affirmative Action Policy" but the architects of the NEP are visionary leaders whose motives go beyond affirmative action.
It is not a coincidence that post-1969 saw the rise of business oriented leaders in Umno and the political demise of the malay school teachers whose hold over power in the party suffered a setback. The labeling is important as events many years later are to demonstrate to us that more is envisaged rather than just affirmative action.
Let there only be one class or let Malaysia be a nation of the "classless". Malaysians do not need a caste system like we find in India.
Enough is enough. The word "bumiputera" creates a class of Malaysians based not on ethnicity but on some dubious criteria with religion factored into it.
It is conceptualized for the convenience of policy makers who rode on the wave of malay nationalism unleashed after May 13, 1969 to maintain their position of power and influence.
The faster we do away with the word "bumiputera" the better it will be. The use of the term "bumiputera" post-1969, I submit, has less to do with affirmative actions but more to do with politicians who see in it the opportunity to maintain their hold over power.
It is time power be handed over to a fresh breed of Malaysians who think less in terms of Malay, Indian and Chinese or "bumiputera" and "non-bumiputera" but more in terms of Malaysians of different ethnic descent.
But let us not lose our perspective. The United States has been independent for more than 200 years but is still today struggling with racism. Malaysia is still politically a toddler learning to walk. Success is about what happens when we fall rather than in the walking.
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 doctors and scientists are working overseas. A number of my school alumni are actually working overseas and not in Malaysia. Some are doing well in Boston, London, 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.
The writer shows a serious lack of knowledge and understanding of the role of MCA in the pre-independence era. Not only was MCA was a political tool of the British colonial power, other Alliance parties like MIC and Umno were also political tools of the British.
The British made use of MCA, MIC and Umno to fight the Malay Left and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) in order to protect its economic interests in the then Malaya.
The Chinese were confined to various Chinese new villages under the Briggs' plan to curb the influence of the communist party. MCA was then granted a licence to run the Million Dollar lottery scheme by the British authority to make easy money from the Chinese community. In return, the MCA had to use part of the profit to win the hearts of the Chinese in the new villages. This strategy worked well to serve the interests of the British master during the pre-independence days.
When the time has come to give independence to Malaya, the British kept its promise by working only with Umno, MCA and MIC. On the other hand, the real independence fighters, including some prominent Malay Left leaders, were arrested and locked up in prisons. And the war against the MCP continued with greater intensity.
But true leader like Tan Cheng Lock were sidelined by other MCA and Umno leaders in the run up to the independence negotiations. Cheng Lock had promised the Chinese community to present the general demands of the Chinese community to the British. But he was barred from attending the final round of talks in London. The MCA was represented by HS Lee and Tan Tong Hai.
According to the late Tunku Abdul Rahman (in one of his writings), Tan Tong Hai threw the entire general demands document into a wastepaper basket in a London hotel room instead of bringing it up at the negotiation table. That is the reason why I often tell the young people that the betrayal of MCA could be traced back to its inception. As a result of this unforgivable sell-out, Chinese Malaysians were treated like second-class citizens in our land. The Chinese were stuck with the 'non-bumis' label thanks to MCA.
It is people like Leong Yew Koh who instigated Tunku to strip the citizenship and teaching licence of foremost Chinese education pioneer Lim Lian Geok. Check with Loot Ting Yee. He is one of the mother tongue education pioneers who can verify my story.
The entire history of MCA is filled with betrayals, crimes and sins. They have failed to preserve and protect the interests and rights of the Chinese community which they have claimed to represent.
Take a closer look at these scandals - the deposit-taking-cooperative scandal, the Aik Hua Holdings scandal, the Chang Min Thien Fund scandal, the MCA JE Fund scandal, it is a never-ending list. And guess what? Most of the victims of these scandals were MCA members and supporters.
Mind you, it was MCA leaders that instigated the closure of the original Bai Xiao (SJKC Damansara) in Petaling Jaya. It was also the efforts of SOS Damansara Action Committee and the pressure mounted by DAP, DongJiaoZong and the entire Chinese community that brought about the unprecedented speedy construction of the new SJKC Damansara in Tropicana.
It is a great shame that MCA leaders do not even bother to get accreditation for the certificates, diplomas and degrees courses offered by TAR College (TARC). Recently, a young Malaysian Chinese boy's application was rejected by the Royal Malaysian Police simply because the academic qualifications he obtained from the MCA sponsored TARC were not recognised by both National Accreditation Board and Public Service Department.
Under the current MCA leadership, the Chinese community can only request for a new Chinese primary school when one is 'dead'. And all these years, the allocation of funds for Chinese primary schools remains unfair and unjust; only about 2.4% of the total budget is given to the Chinese stream and about 1% given to the Tamil stream. The rest was all given to the malay (national type) primary schools. None of the MCA 'tai kohs' (mainly Chinese educated) dare to make noise on this subject.
Yes, Lee Kuan Yew was not totally wrong. The Umno-led BN government has been systematically marginalising the Chinese and other non-malay communities. And what did MCA leaders like Chan Kong Choy and Ong Ka Ting do about it? And why were they keeping so timidly quiet when Umno ultras like Hisham and Khairy make all sorts of racist remarks and even waved a keris time and again shamelessly?
MCA is indefensible. That is why none of the MCA leaders dare to show up for the debate in Machap. And for the same reason, none of them have the courage to rebut me on all the historical facts I raised in my book entitled 'Accomplice? Coward? Culprit? The role of MCA in the Chinese community'.
Take a look at Finland. They have one of the best education systems in the world, pawning even Singapore. Their literacy rate is 100%! Although their universities are not that good as compared to those at Singapore, their economy is still in a very good shape.
I think the difference sort run deeper than the educational institutions. I think the education system plays a major role too.
I raised the possibility of emulating the US education system, where people who are proficient in certain subjects can take advanced classes for it.
Put it this way. There is an 18 years old professor at MIT. He is super good at mathematics. He was home-schooled. He probably won't do well in other subjects, and if he were in Malaysia - it is bye.
I remember there are specialized schools for certain subjects at other countries. Certain European countries have mathematics schools, America has mathematics and engineering high schools……….
Of course there are other factors too, but I think that applies too when we compare Malaysia to Singapore. We all know what they are - the sloth, the policies, the mindsets, and inefficiency of the Malaysia government……….
As I've said, a good comparison would be Biovalley vs. Biopolis. Do we have the talents? Well - I think we do. My cousin sister was qualified, but there were no jobs here. So she is in Singapore now.
Another factor in this problem is the brain drain. We have lots of talented and accomplished Malaysians everywhere in the world, but none are very keen to come back.
I am sure if we can tap about 10% of our foreign Malaysians, our economy will be better by a lot. Would any sane Malaysian do so? Here maybe but look at the brilliant professor KS Jomo……….
Lots of Singaporeans on the other hand, return to serve their country upon graduation. One has pointed out a friend who could went to MIT but didn't, instead opting to return to Singapore.
Another good example would be professor Ruimin. He got his MIT degree, master and PhD in 4 years! Instead of opting to teach there, he returned to Singapore and now is a professor at one of the Singapore university.
So what are we going to come up with?
Nope. You got the equation wrong.
BN won was because there is no equal playing field. In a free democratic country, all parties are given adequate airtime on national television, newspaper, Late Show with David Letterman, etc.
Here, coverage is only for BN. Each time you switch on the TV, you will see our Bapa Slogan sleepy face. You don't have a chance to catch a glimpse of any of our oppositions figure. Tell me when was the last time you watch Anwar on national TV?
All the draconian laws in Malaysia prohibit free speech, and our local mainstream media will have to abide by it. Try to switch on to any of our TV news at 8 o'clock later and the answer is very clear there.
In conclusion, our oppositions are not weak. It is the unfair level of playing field. Period.
As a post-independence-born Malaysian, I would like to offer my thoughts on Article 153 of the federal constitution which mentions the special position of the malays. Please note that there is no mention of the words 'special rights' or 'special privileges' in the constitution.
For too long, there has been a lack of understanding of what our forefathers had in mind when they included this clause in our much talked about social contract. To gain a better understanding, let us take a trip back in time to 1957 to actually visualise the scene then.
In a scenario where the immigrant Chinese and Indians were seeking citizenship rights in Malaysia, it is reasonable to presume that they would have had to understand and acknowledge the difficulties faced by the majority malays.
And this is where the meaning of the words 'special position' comes into focus. What did our forefathers mean by the special position of the malays? Did they mean that the malays would enjoy a higher status than all the other races? Did they mean that the malays would have special rights and privileges in perpetuity?
If this is what our forefathers had intended, then our constitution would have mentioned this specifically. However, the constitution or social contract does not say so.
What then, could the words 'special position' mean? It is reasonable to infer that our forefathers were concerned first by the fact that the malays were left behind economically despite being the indigenous majority in the country.
Secondly, they were concerned by the fact that, despite being immigrants, the Chinese and a small segment of the Indian community were relatively much better off.
The clause was therefore more so of an acknowledgment by the non-malays of the disadvantageous economic situation of the malays. The consideration given by the former to the latter when entering into the social contract for citizenship rights was to agree to provide some measure of support for the malays to improve their economic standing.
If our forefathers had meant for these preferences to last in perpetuity, then there would not have been a request for a review in 15 years.
When I see the compulsory requirement for non-malay companies to hand over a certain portion of their equity to the malays for no input at all, I am tempted to ask: Is this what our forefathers had in mind? I can go on listing the abuses forever because there are plenty of them.
It is intriguing to hear senior BN and Umno leaders repeatedly asking the people to adhere to the social contract. What contract they are referring to? It cannot be the federal constitution. It is most probably some contract that they have entered into unilaterally without the agreement of the non-malays.
So it seems to be incorrect to firstly equate the words 'special position' with 'special rights and privileges'. Secondly, it also seems incorrect to suggest that the malays have special rights and privileges in perpetuity and therefore, that they have a higher status than everyone else.
The non-malays only agreed to allow them preferences over the others for a finite period of time. It has now been almost 50 years since independent but has such a meaningful review of those preferences taken place at all? Absolutely not.
In fact what has happened is that successive BN governments, dominated by Umno, and especially after the 1969 tragedy, have taken the liberty to very liberally interpret Article 153. This has led to the wholesale abuse of the consideration provided by the non-malays in 1957 for their citizenship rights.
It seems to me that the real social contract of 1957 was torn up long ago by the BN government with the way in which the NEP was implemented from the 1970s onwards.
To me, the real social contract of 1957 has long been dead. I hope the day will come when the people of Malaysia in the true independent spirit will make it live again.
Then perhaps, we would not have to spend hundreds of millions ringgit on nonsensical projects like the National Service to inculcate unity amongst the races.
I think most people have missed the real issue in the Mahathir vs. Abdullah dispute.
Although there is some truth to Mahathir's assertion that Abdullah is weak and indecisive, ultimately it all boils down to one issue - a dispute over whose relatives and cronies benefit from the government treasury.
Mahathir is upset because his cronies have been largely left out in the current dispensation. At the end of the day, that is all there is to it.
Abdullah had a wonderful opportunity, when he took office, to set things right after 22 years of Mahathir indifference to business ethics.
Sadly, he has not only perpetuated most of the harmful policies of his predecessor, but there is a case to be made that he has even surpassed the wily and corrupt doctor.
I am very confident that Vietnam will overtake us Malaysia before 2020. Their citizens are having the determination of moving forward and not looking backward.
Do not look down on Vietnam mental strength. Even in chess, they already produced few grandmasters, while we still remain behind with some international master titles only.
What Vietnam did is not comparable to our Oxford goon here training racist and mob future leader for the preparation of the 2020.
We should not compare to Vietnam because the standard is too high, we should compare to Afghanistan since we are also in the process of 'Talibanising the nation' and I guess we will reached there before the Afghanistan. Poppy will be our main export in future.
I am not Oxbridge but postgraduate from one of the world's top universities (non Malaysia). I can easily reel off a dozen reasons why Vietnam will overtake us and sooner than you think.
Sleep on Malaysia! I can't imagine any country that foolishly shoots itself in the feet. All the talk about human capital development is humbug - unless if you are thinking of only one race that seems perennially 'behind', decade after decade.
All the Umno politicians for the last 49 years have been perfectly useless not to be able to uplift its own kind.
And all that talk about the BN spirit and solving BN problems closed doors - absolute baloney! Wish I can just pack my bags and leave this swill and hogwash.
Malaysia is happy to be overtaken by any country in the world so long as malays can overtake non-malays in Malaysia. That is the 'Jaguh Kampung' mentality which has guided Malaysia since 1969.
And I glad I am out of this country. I would feel much better when I get citizenship elsewhere. Currently I only have permanent residence. Every single time I see the farce that all these BN idiots come up with - I laugh my ass off.
We will work and strive our hardest to contribute to the country that accepts us as we are regardless of our skin color and race. The funny thing is we are treated more like first class citizens in our adopted country as opposed to being second class citizens in the country we were born in.
Good luck to those who are still stuck in this God-forsaken paradise. Malaysia truly is a beautiful country. Unfortunately it was destroyed by a bunch of nincompoops.
Just look at the red tape in Malaysia, the state sponsored segregation laws, the state of the police force, the education system that is exploited by Umno members to, and how can we forget - the crime rate. Can we be proud?
Patriotism does not mean keeping mum while the government destroys the country. If it is not working, change it. People are the government, choose your right one and don't whine after the next election.
I can bear the above if malays are using their true ability, persistence, intelligence, hard work and other proper means to over the non-malays. But in actual fact, you all know. The malays will bring down this country in no time!
Yes, instead of building towers they are building holes in the ground.
I have worked in Vietnam, worked with them, have many I call friends, and I will tell you this - It is not a question of it but when! In fact we don't have to look at Vietnam. Thailand will likely achieve Vision 2020 which we already know we will fail.
Malaysia being in such a sad state, I can only see decline for decades to come.
May be even for centuries.
May be the rise of China can give the bright sparks of Malaysia some leverage to change society, but I doubt whether the ingrained culture of failure can be reversed.
Not the UK, not the US, not in most parts of the world, the culture of failure always reproduced itself generation after generation.
Change has to come from external influence and not from the inside.
On issues of all national importance, there is almost a non-existent response from the leaders of the Gerakan and MCA. How true. They are actually the puppets whose strings are firmly attached to the malay Umno.
It is true what the ex-PM Dr Mahathir has been proclaiming - newspapers in Malaysia are under the control of government - so where can anyone find true news in Malaysia?
And what about the non-malay party of MIC? This party is being monopolised by Samy Vellu who is another puppet of Umno.
I am ex-citizen of Malaysia. I came to Singapore in 1989, become a citizen of Singapore in 1997. Unfortunately, my education was did in Malaysia where unfair education regulations and rules are faced by Chinese, Indians and other non-malays.
The malays are allowed to enter their A Levels even if they get a Grade 3 for SPM. As for the non-malays, they can only enter A Levels with a Grade 1. The malays are automatically given scholarships, while the others are required to apply and play the waiting game.
To enter into local universities, non-malays need nothing less than excellent results. If one is taking history as a subject for A Levels, Islamic history is a compulsory topic. But English, a global tool, is a non-compulsory passing subject.
That is why I left. I left a country where there is no system, an unfair government which only cares for malays interest with no equal opportunity or equal treatment for the others.
What have Gerakan, MCA or MIC done for us? Nothing. Only the opposition DAP says the things which are truly happening in Malaysia. Who is Khairy to talk about Penang? What does he know about being marginalized?
The Indians in Malaysia, especially in the rural areas, are in pitiful state. Who is supposed to care for them? The MIC just leaves them to rot away.
Senior minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew has done a favour for the Chinese in Malaysia by voicing his views recently. Who is going to voice out the plight of the Indians in Malaysia? We non-malays have tolerated the government for far too long.
Come the next elections, I hope many will awaken from their dream and vote for the right people to bring Malaysia to greater heights. They so far have been failed by the money politics of Barisan Nasional.
Post a Comment