THE MALAYSIAN MALAY
by Dr Syed Alwi of Singapore
Dear Editor,
As you know, I am an avid watcher of Malaysian affairs. I must confess that lately, Malaysia appears to be failing. Not a day passes by without more events that clearly highlight Malaysia’s race-religion fault-line. If things keep going this way, I fear for Malaysia’s future.
Today, schools in Singapore celebrate Racial Harmony Day. I can visibly see the joy in the children’s faces as they wear their ethnic costumes and have fun together at school. But in Malaysia - even the right to choose a religion has become a sensitive, national issue. No doubt, there are manyin Malaysia who hate my liberal views on Islam, family included. But I will say what I must say openly. I have come to the conclusion that Malaysiacannot progress any further without first addressing fundamental questions regarding its identity and soul.
I remember the days when we can laugh at Lat’s cartoons on everyday Malaysian life. But sadly, the Islamic tide has polarised Malaysians. Somepeople ask why I should bother about Malaysian affairs since I am a Singaporean. May I remind Malaysians that it was Tan Siew Sin who once saidthat Singapore and Malaysia are Siamese Twins. Should Malaysia go down - it would hurt the region tremendously. Especially Singapore.
Where do you think Malay apostates would head for if Lina Joy loses her case? Singapore of course! I find the Malaysian Malay to be very under-exposed. For them, it’s all Islam and the NEP and everything under the sun would sort itself out. I am sorry to say this - but Islam and the NEP may be the cause of the undoing of the Malaysian Malay.
There is nothing wrong with religion or affirmative action. But, like everything else in life, they must be taken in moderation and with a pinchof salt. A little doubt is good. Unfortunately in Malaysia, emotions over Islam have overcome reason. What we see today is the result of the NEP andIslamisation policies of the past thirty years or so.
No one owes Malaysian Malays a living. Let me assure you that should Malaysia fail - the Malaysian Malay will suffer enormously. And rightly so. After all - they have been pampered with all sorts of goodies over the years. They cannot now expect more goodies. Perhaps the day of reckoningfor them, is near. Whatever it is, Malaysia had better wake up to the realities around her. The globalised world of the 21st century has no NEPto offer the Malaysian Malay. And humans cannot live by religion alone.
Regards,Dr Syed Alwi
S’pore Malays worse off than Chinese here
Baki Minuddin Apr 25, 07 4:44pm
Strangely, I have to strongly agree and disagree with Ronnie Liu, with regard to the history of the MCA and its ‘betrayal’ of the Chinese community, the Chinese education movement, etc.
I agree with Ronnie’s argument that Umno, MCA and the MIC were created by the British because this was the only formula in order to perpetuate their strategic and commercial interests in Malaya. This is quite obvious. No colonial power would just leave their plantations, mines and trading houses, unless they are forced to do it like in Indonesia, Kenya or Vietnam.
But I would totally disagree with Liu’s argument that due to the ‘betrayal’ of the MCA, the Chinese community and Chinese education have suffered in the last 50 years. One must be quite naive to agree with Lee Kuan Yew that all these years, the Umno-led BN government has been systematically marginalising the Chinese and other non-Malays. What is true this is what has actually happened to the Malays and Malay education in Singapore.
For instance, will LKY allow the Malays - or even the Indians - to form their own political parties and then join the PAP to form a coalition government rather than this Chinese-dominated PAP government where the position of the Malays are worse than the Indians?
I have always blamed Umno for not helping our Malay brethren in Singapore by insisting on a Lebanese formula in the government set up when Singapore was to be kicked out of Malaysia in 1965. Thus, since 1965, has there been another Malay president or a Malay senior minister, let alone deputy prime minister, defence minister or foreign minister in Singapore? I guess the only prominent Malay in Singapore now is the portrait on the Singapore dollar.
In so far as the Chinese in Malaysia are concerned, the DAP, by now, should have dissolved itself and joined Gerakan because the DAP has already achieved everything it was fighting for beyond any imagination. For instance, in terms of economic achievement, who is leading Malaysia’s richest persons list?
As for education, Liu should go to the newsstands to see for himself whether the Chinese newspapers and periodicals are showing any signs of decline. Can Liu also tell me whether all the Chinese dialects - Cantonese, Hokkien, Toechew, Hakka, etc, in addition to Mandarin, are dying in Malaysia?
On the other hand, the Malays themselves, over the years, have become what I call language spastics. They can’t speak their own (good quality) Bahasa Malaysia and at the same time indulge in trash English.
Well, this kind of things I have already read it thousand of times but somehow there will be some idiots denying the actual facts. They are Malays but somehow they have different views. 1 of them spot-on the actual situation of M'sia, another denying it. I do not wish to talk much about this topic. I know some of my Malay friends or other Malays that i do not know are reading this but, no matter what, I hope you all will think about it. Which is true, which is false i hope you all can differenciate.
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