No, the vast majority of us is not fooled, but we Chinese mentality is, above all else, do not rock the boat.
It is public knowledge that even malay patients favor visiting non-malay doctors. And in the long run, it is to the detriment of our beloved country as a whole.
The truth is most middle-class Chinese have at least given up on local universities. The only people I know who hope to get into local universities are dirt-poor relatives.
My hawker relatives, who scrap by with small income, save every penny they get to send at least one child abroad so that eventually all of them can move over.
Among those who attend local universities, each and every one of them head down to Singapore as soon as they graduate for jobs and only when they fail, do they try to get a job locally.
Comparing the education received by my relatives in the US, Singapore, Australia, and even China, I can simply tell non-malay parents: Your children are screwed from the day they step into primary school.
Compared to the rest of the world now, everyday he spends in school here is falling behind everyone else. If you can afford private school here, they at least don't fall behind too badly that they can catch up later but otherwise, it is likely they will never catch up with others for the rest of their lives.
Even education is not spared from the dirty and manipulative politics of race and religion. How low would one go to achieve one's goals in life by hook or by crook?
This is most shameful and disgraceful by any reasonable standard of fairness and decency. It makes you want to throw up.
The ethical and decent malays must speak up and distant themselves from this totally unacceptable practices and behaviour in a decent society - tak ada maruah.
I spent my primary and secondary in Malaysia. After studying and living in overseas, I realised our common knowledge about the world are so little.
From western countries such as US and Canada to developed territory in Asia such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, children have approached some world history such as Jewish holocaust or the great Alexandra in primary/elementary School.
I was surprised to see how serious the insufficiency was in our Malaysia education and found huge difficulties to just catching up the history when I studied humanities. I don't know how is the primary and secondary school syllabus now.
But every time I went home to visit my nieces, I worried about them. Because each of them has talented and potential but the unfortunate truth is, they are non-malays and in Malaysia. Maybe I sound too pessimistic but it is what I think in my deepest heart.
There it is. It all started very soon after our so-called father of development PM, started the NEP and all discriminatory hell broke lose after that.
By my reckoning, it is been a whole generation 30 years where our tertiary education selection process has been twisted to the detriment of deserving students whose sole fault was that, they were unlucky to be born non-malays.
Ever since statistics was used to rationalize the cause of May 13, Umno has perfected the art to lie with statistics, or to create statistics to lie.
Top scoring students not getting scholarships? This is not new in Malaysia. It has become a recurrent national news every year after the release of SPM and STPM results.
What is indeed sad is to find less qualified students of Mara getting scholarships to pursue their studies overseas. There are many qualified Malaysians who will eventually end up leaving the country.
Foreign countries like Singapore would treat the minorities of this country better than the nation of Malaysia itself. It is much easier for someone like top student to secure scholarships overseas than locally.
I feel sorry for talented people like that. It is the whole education system that is failing in our country. And I personally don't see it improving even by year 2020. Very unfortunate and sad.
If everyone who is trying to make this country a better place is asked to emigrate elsewhere, then I will have to say that this country is truly doomed.
Pak Lah rhetoric about making Malaysia a fair country to all should be stuffed into the dustbin. He should pull up those parochial malay bureaucrats feasting in our Malaysian civil service a public scolding or a sack, instead giving the citizens the usual political crap about racial fairness.
There is obviously discrimination in the higher education system here, both in selection of entry as well as scholarship. It was institutionalised under the quota system in the past. I can and have lived with that.
I can live with quotas. At least we know where we all stand. But I can't stand hypocrisy. And unfortunately, whenever this issue is brought up, someone invariably asks the aggrieved party to leave the country.
This is not an isolated case. This scenario is one that is repeated year after year after year, where a bright, apparently deserving student is denied a scholarship to further his education, the common factor being their non-malay status.
We talk a lot about brain drain, loss of human resource and all that, but if we were really serious about arresting this, we'd be doing a couple of things. I am a fourth generation Malaysian, and I think I have as much say in the country as you or anyone else. Unfortunately reality isn't like that.
Thus we get people like you. It is people like you that make people like me say - "Fine, if I am not appreciated here, then I will go." Thank you ultra malay and all your kind, for driving away people that are much needed now in Malaysia, especially in the current economic climate.
If there is no opportunity to progress or grow in this country, I think we are given the choice to leave this country.
My brother is a straight 10As student and he did not get a scholarship. We don't care! We just pool some money and send him overseas and he was able to get scholarship in the second year.
Guess what? He is doing very well and he doesn't intend to come back to Malaysia because he is being treated very well overseas. I am sure better than he would possibly be in Malaysia.
Well, I am sure top student can do it as good or better. Go to places where people appreciate you and give you the opportunity to grow!
It is not about too many graduates but too many unqualified graduates. While it is true that many would be better off doing vocational training, the same problem will occur even if vocational training is provided.
We have a national skill crisis that is not addressed by our education system but it is not just our education system, it is also our economic and administrative system and other factors as well.
Fantastic social manipulation! People, wake up, play the smart games! Don't expect accountability, transparency etc, stuff from our Malaysia government.
The truth is our government has no idea what it takes to really develop the right skills. The truth is for the last few decades that burden has fallen on shoulders of MNCs exploiting cheap labours.
Skills relevancy in Malaysia has been an accident of foreign direct investment (FDI) which is in no way benign or on purpose. With no new FDI, upgrading of skills is just not going to happen.
The complication started when there are more than one way to enter the universities. Adding entries through matriculation and to compare it with STPM is like comparing apple to orange.
The government should realise there is no black cat or white cat approach of Deng Xiou Ping - be fair to all. Don't try to maladjusted the education system until it become ludicrous!
This race stereotyping is actually the work of the present day government, headed by the Umno racist using race and religion as a tool to stay in power.
The native of this land a.k.a. son of the soil are the Orang Asli (Dayak, Jakun, Sakai, etc) in Peninsula and the natives (Dusun, Iban, Kadazan, etc) of Borneo. Not you malays arrogant pieces of shit!
Before the arrival of Islam into Malaya, the different races live in harmony without questioning religion or race. They may be cultural different but they accepted each other.
After independence, race was used by the Umno racist, and then formulated the NEP, which divided everyone. The Umno fascist use Islam in schools, universities and workplace to segregate, and in the name of fighting PAS.
The modus operandi of Umno has always be, divide and rule, and the devil is in the details and implementation of the religious department.
Umno is king creating diversion when they are cornered, use race and religion. Race and religion is the most explosive issues and they have used it successfully since independence.
All this is done to perpetuate their hold on political power. It is for Umno benefits to play the race card, because this is the only way to ensure their hold on to political power. And 50 long years have proven them right. The race card works well and works every time!
They have succeeded in keeping the races apart socially, and fanned animosity amongst the races with their racist and discriminatory politics.
All give politically reasoning - well here goes a correct one - malay is lazy because of Islam.
How can one pray 5 times and yet be expected to be productive? Wait for the foreigners to come and set up their factory and having to cater for Islam needs!
If malays embrace other religion then there is hope for Malaysia……….otherwise your hope is in the existence of Umno terrorist liars - don't count on them being there forever - we are factoring in Umno racist absence in our business plan!
The problem with malays is that they forget too easily. It was the Chinese, Indians and Malays who fought for the independence.
The NEP was design to help malays catch up with the Chinese and the Indians. Now looks like after 40 years, the malays are still behind and very proud of it.
Still want to receive handouts from the government! Still afraid to fight it out on fair ground with the Chinese, Indians and other races! Fearful is the malay race!
Without the government subsidies and support - I don't know how many malay businesses will still stand? So when can we see some towering malays and who dare to refuse government help and still succeed?
Grabbing other people success and call it your own success is not success but a disgrace!
Their laziness caused the nation's economy to slump and resources are wasted. They take 5 days to complete a day work. Malays always think that they are helping the other races when they are lazy. For God sake, please wake up! You are doing it for your own, not for anybody!
Majority of the nation need to be educated again. On the meaning of Malaysia.
Seems like Malaysia do not require or value highly skilled workers but prefer unskilled labours especially those from Indonesia.
Maybe it is all about social engineering or to be blunt racial/religious discrimination. The obvious is staring straight in your face but can you see it!
The objective is clearly to uphold the supremacy of one particular community oblivious to the globalized competition among nations. No wonder, Malaysia is beginning to lack behind other nations.
That favoured community stands little chance to compete in the global market. The main beneficiaries are few with ill-gotten wealth, in power, who use such rhetoric policy to gain support from this majority community.
In contrast to developed nations, where citizens of all colour belong to the nation. Where ethnicity and religious followers are groups within the community with diverse cultural background. Where the marginalized and the poor are the favoured group to be singled out for deserving handouts and support.
How can the ruling elite be so blind? Could it be because of their strong faith in their religion, hence blind to the commonsense, fair play and reality?
If in America, a superpower nation with its intelligent society still able to vote a dummy for a 2nd term, then what more Malaysia? The general public is naive and uninformed. They are easily sweet-talked for their votes.
Unless we are going undergoing tremendous physical torment (e.g. civil war), the public will still go with the majority and its sugarcoated promises.
Doing the right thing in Malaysia is extremely difficult because of the different perception by different races. This is aggravated by the limited interaction between the youths of different races today.
The fact that students do score a CGPA of 4.0 but do not get the course of their choice further deepen the resentment and strengthen the perception. It will be like opening Pandora's box. To confirm our worst fears would be disastrous for the country.
It is heart wrenching in a lot of ways, but I truly believe we can work on improving things without having to compare our unique situation with others.
Malaysia prides itself as a melting pot of cultures. Hypocrisy is always raising its ugly head along with its twin brothers, greed and hatred, and all the problems they bring with them.
Personally, I believe that if our government or national bodies in power persist to discriminate and exploit groups and individuals of citizens, whether implicitly or openly in favour of the majority, then the time will come when they must answer for their actions.
The citizens of Malaysia are not stupid. Regardless of our cultural backgrounds and hometowns, race and religion, more and more, each of us is capable of discerning friends from enemies, right from wrong, and unity from covert attempts to disintegrate our society.
I was born and bred in this country. I am as much a Malaysian as the next person and we must learn to stop falling into the traps of racism set by those in power.
I have friends whom I care about who happen to be Chinese. And Indians and Malays, and Americans and Australians and French. So many labels, so little loves.
Racism is a crime any where in the world, but that is not why we are upset. We are upset for have fallen into the same old webs of lies, the same old traps, and the same old manipulative tricks in the bag.
The difference is, now more of us have come to be aware of the lies and traps and tricks.
The article really is a message to the prime minister rather than to the public. It even suggests how to do it - goad the Mahathir into making mistakes by talking too much.
It is absolutely a failure of the prime minister to allow people who are unelected, unaccountable, for the people to influence him in major decisions. It is dangerous, it is a breakdown of our political and governmental processes no less.
Malaysians have a right to know who makes the decision in their government and whether it is accountable to them.
Mahathir knows little about economics. Just one example will suffice. Any economics course will tell you that you cannot have high economic growth and zero inflation at the same time over sustained period. Period.
So, don't give the old doctor credit he does not deserve. In fact, he is lucky in that some times, he did the right thing for the wrong reasons. We know why he imposed the peg - to help those cronies and in particular certain people running consortium……….
When Mahathir wins, it is his brilliance. When he loses, it is evil people like Soros, Singapore, Jews, anybody but him. So now see someone championing transparency, press freedom, democracy, etc, etc.
Mahathir has a particularly strong attachment with Singapore for obvious good reasons. He just cannot accept the fact that Singapore is not part of Malaysia. He is as "kiasu" as any old Singaporean and he cannot even see Malaysia being taken advantaged off, what more by Singapore. He is also jealous of Singapore's tremendous achievement. Therefore he exploded on the crooked bridge issue.
Talk about legacy, perhaps Proton is synonym with Mahathir. Of cause there is much more than just Proton. It is the proton vendors, contractors and partners who are at stake in the wake of liberalisation of the automotive market. Of cause, whose cronies are these? He exploded again. In short, it is all about being an old man. A selfish old man.
To be fair, if the mainstream newspaper were to give space to Mahathir, there would be no end to the matter. Mahathir will never be satisfied with any answers given and it is best to ignore him.
For every reply he has an answer; ask him questions and you will get silly answers and he expect you to be satisfied. He has always had a distorted sense of logic and morality.
How are you going to argue with him if he thinks negotiated tenders, giving huge projects with guaranteed to win clauses to favoured few, bailout of MAS at way above market prices are all good and noble things. He can't tell right from wrong! Nobody can talk sense with a guy like him.
While Pak Lah vowed to be a just leader of Malaysians (not just malays), 9th Malaysian plan has limited allocation for minority races, stakeholding continues to be pro-majority race, despite the plead and appeal of citizens; while Pak Lah said whatever he did was for the good of Malaysian, taxpayers money is being used to compensate the highway/infrastructure/toll companies continue (to make sure they are profitable), to subsidize the loss of government owned companies; And the list continues on.
So tell me, what have Pak Lah and his administration achieved? When Pak Lah took over as prime minister, everything has gone up, petrol, electricity, daily necessities……….And yes, another interesting thing, Pak Lah may be filling another 20K government servant vacancies to curb "unemployment" (bright idea, he is such a bright leader with first class mentality).
This is not a blackout of press. Just that those who voted the ruling have not achieved the standard of civilisation, maturity, openness, and competent to assimilate what Mahathir said. To cut it short, we are not ready for it. We have a new hope now with another dog to fight for Vision 2020.
We could perhaps engage in long debates about what Mahathir did right or wrong, or if his "successes" over the past 22 years were down to a large element of "luck". We could also debate about whether an Islamic studies graduate (Pak Lah) can adequately manage the finance portfolio.
Anyway, my point is that nothing has changed with Pak Lah. In fact, I suggest that things have gone backwards, and in a more hypocritical manner where promises were made and blatantly ignored when reality bites.
If the present administration can impose a blackout on a former prime minister, where does that leave us, the ordinary citizens? Freedom of speech comes with unbiased, independent reporting. Both must come together, as either one on its own is meaningless.
From time immemorial, people move from place to place for one reason or another. After the formation of nations, the mobility of educated and highly skilled professionals affects nations. Brain drain means large numbers of these people emigrate to another nation.
The government should form a special commission on the movement of educated and highly skilled people to study and monitor their staying, leaving from and returning to the country. A country that has more talents is certainly better than the one without.
For decades, we have broached the subject of brain drain within and outside parliament. Large numbers of educated and highly skilled people leave this country to live and work in another one where pay and conditions are better.
In the beginning, some ministers and civil servants boomed out big words, saying that those who left were not loyal to the country and that their departure was good riddance.
Now, there are some people saying one thing and meaning another in government departments and universities. They mouth meritocracy and talents and yet they are mediocre, feudal and bloody-minded. They talk nine words at once, but they undermine highly skilled people. Hence, it is not surprising that returning scientists experience the delay in immigration clearance.
However, the crux of the matter is finding the factors that determine the mobility of highly skilled people, whether brain drain or the other way.
Because the Malaysia government imposes racial quota in education and government departments, therefore Singapore and other countries take fortune at the tide. For years, there has been brain drain to our neighbour.
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.
Show me when do the malays consult or ever extend their hands in friendship. Do the malays really treat non-malays with equity and fairness?
Seriously, I think all races in Malaysia treat each others at arms length. The malays expect other races to kowtow to them and never the way around. For example, Chinese and Indians were made to study and learn malay culture but the malays are not made to study or learn Chinese or Indian culture.
Why do the malays have to be in a superior position (oppressive one at that) all the time? What is wrong for Malaysia to have, say a Chinese chief justice or Indian chief of armed forces or even a prime minister!
How do we expect them to continue with their goodwill if we do not ever treat them fair and with equity? I think the malays are paranoid and are projecting their own insecurity onto others.
That is my point and it is time that we begin to envision the land of ours from an inclusively point of view instead of exclusivity point of view. We have to begin this starting point somehow, somewhere and the time is now.
As an adult, trying to make it in the real world, I have developed a clear understanding of what goes on around me.
And this what I believe is the real situation in Malaysia. As long as the malays get their way in how things are done in Malaysia - there will never be any serious development in Malaysia.
This is the fundamental. Please avoid giving example of successful malays, because economically, the numbers are too darn low to mean anything. Negligible they call it.
Malays must realise that as humans - they are I suppose equal. But as people, they have attitude that is exactly like the aborigines of Africa. Completely hopeless, no matter what you give them.
The malays can never win - for as long as they chose to do things the way it is done now. Eventually, the other races would consume them economically, and they would be second class citizens. This is a matter of time.
My opinion is - the only way for them to succeed, is to take away all special rights, and learns to get by on their own abilities. The weak and stupid malays would die - and only the bright ones would survive.
They are doing themselves a favour by taking away their special rights. Because look around you, the other races are getting stronger because our weak ones are dying.
We will continue to get stronger. And there will be a day, when we control all the financial means in the country. Then it is a matter of buying off each one of you puny malays……….and then take over the country.
You are wasting your time by presenting the facts. Fact means nothing to them and you should know that by now. The Malaysian Muslims are seriously stupid and severely retarded. I am simply having fun. I work with them everyday and I cannot describe to you their inability to formulate simple logic.
Prime minister Badawi, as the head of the government, should just give us the citizens complete and clear answers to the questions being raised about what the government did or did not do.
It matters not which citizens raised the questions, be it a former premier or some simple fisherman. It is extremely disappointing that we are still not getting any real answers but only attempts to distract us from the real issues.
We are being distracted as Malaysian politicians avoid answering by attempting to turn things into some tiff between prime minister Badawi and Mahathir or turn around pointing accusing fingers at the questioner.
We do not need our deputy prime minister or his present cabinet members or other personalities expressing support for the present prime minister, or the Umno division head asking that deference to Mahathir as an eminent former leader who contributed immensely to this nation.
All these merely distract us from the real issues for which Malaysians are still waiting patiently for an open and frank disclosure.
Some who did not have the guts to raise the questions or criticise Mahathir when he was the boss are now suddenly coming out now bravely asking Mahathir questions and lambasting him for the policies and decisions during his premiership.
In fact, one recent report listed about 22 questions that were directed to the former premier and another was the shocking disclosure about a secret plan - codenamed Project Mahathir - to pad the electoral rolls with foreigners who were fraudulently given identity cards.
Who should be answering all these questions? Surely it is not some ex-premiers. The answers must be given by prime minister Badawi and the present government.
Let us not forget that it is the same BN government which was in power then and today, and our present premier - as most of his present cabinet - were also members of the cabinet when Mahathir was prime minister.
Badawi and the present BN government cannot now avoid responsibility for the wrongdoings, sins, failings and corruptions of the past.
So let us stop all these attempts at distraction and get down giving the citizens real and complete answers about all the matters that have arisen of late. Be transparent and accountable Mr prime minister.
If all comments are senseless and worth nothing, how come he thinks that his comments are worth something!
Just highlighting the problems can be done by any 7 years old.
To give constructive feedback includes highlighting problems and offering solutions, that is what differentiates you as the opposition compared to the nodding BN ministers donkeys.
It shows that you and the opposition care to seek improvement for the country, by offering solutions.
God bless our politicians!
Just forget it! With the bunch of ministers monkeys around, our problems won't vanish for generations to come. Plan for an exit emigration plan is more meaningful, at least it gives us hope and motivation.
All Malaysia students should strive to become global citizens or Malaysia will not have a critical mass to compete in the global economy.
If the leaders wake up and give all their citizens the opportunity to help the nation progress, I am sure many will return to serve with distinction.
But there has to be a complete change of mindset. Meanwhile I shall be sending my youngest child to a foreign university just like his three siblings.
If they don't return to Malaysia, that will be Malaysia's loss.
Let us not over dramatize. Let us keep it in perspective.
Like I said before, all you need to leave the country for greener pastures is a suitcase full of old clothes, a spirit of adventure of "nothing lost nothing gained" and a month supply of money. Since, you have lost everything then make it, "nothing to lose but everything to gain".
Hey, migration happens all over the world, all over the time and all over the century. Aren't your parents themselves - the product of an immigration wave from Mainland China?
The Chinese are after all migratory birds - and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense either.
Nobody is running away. We are merely leaving in pursuit of a better life elsewhere - and then when there too does not work out, we then pack up our suitcase full and keep moving until we are ready to put those down for good - either because they have grown fat and old or we are just ready to sit themselves down, and die.
The government does not have a magic wand to create graduates from inferior candidates and the sooner we move towards a meritocracy system, the sooner all Malaysians will benefit.
For one we will not have so many graduates who are really unemployable. Some enlightened malays have even chosen to send their children to Chinese schools as they believe their children will do better there.
God will know all the bad things they all have done - punish them soon……….!
I have been somewhat apprehensive that quite a number of commenters has praised their adopted new countries no end. Nothing wrong in that, if that is what they and their families are experiencing living in better circumstances. It is good to see many have upped-and-away successfully.
Peace be with you all.
My parents brought us up with the intention that we may emigrate if we so choose. Hence my first language is English. I recently learned to speak Mandarin, ironically in Australia a predominately English speaking country!
Practically almost all my English speaking friends have left the country by the time I reached Form 4, leaving me at the mercy of my own Chinese speaking kind.
Those who can't make it out, drive home the importance of English to your children. Especially with jargon rich courses, like engineering and medicine, a top-notch grasp of English is essential in order to be incorporated into one's vocabulary.
My Chinese speaking friends now regret a poor mastery of English. With children, it is like a vicious cycle. Who knows, English could just be that springboard as it was with me.
Perhaps I am lucky. I have relatives helping with funding. I am not the first in my family to benefit from this either. Soon, I will join this "family diaspora" and help another lucky, chosen relative. Enough said.
My heritage was "sacrificed" so that we can race (pun intended) ahead and when we did emigrate, better adapt to our adopted home. It is quite a huge regret as well, learning Chinese only very recently, since I could only now start communicating with my grandmother. Only very recently is she able to tell me stories from her good old days!
It is fate that brought us together. We all have our problems, stay or leave is just a matter of choice. It won't change the fact that we are coming from the same land and once breathe the same air. Be united, be cool!
12 comments:
No, the vast majority of us is not fooled, but we Chinese mentality is, above all else, do not rock the boat.
It is public knowledge that even malay patients favor visiting non-malay doctors. And in the long run, it is to the detriment of our beloved country as a whole.
The truth is most middle-class Chinese have at least given up on local universities. The only people I know who hope to get into local universities are dirt-poor relatives.
My hawker relatives, who scrap by with small income, save every penny they get to send at least one child abroad so that eventually all of them can move over.
Among those who attend local universities, each and every one of them head down to Singapore as soon as they graduate for jobs and only when they fail, do they try to get a job locally.
Comparing the education received by my relatives in the US, Singapore, Australia, and even China, I can simply tell non-malay parents: Your children are screwed from the day they step into primary school.
Compared to the rest of the world now, everyday he spends in school here is falling behind everyone else. If you can afford private school here, they at least don't fall behind too badly that they can catch up later but otherwise, it is likely they will never catch up with others for the rest of their lives.
Even education is not spared from the dirty and manipulative politics of race and religion. How low would one go to achieve one's goals in life by hook or by crook?
This is most shameful and disgraceful by any reasonable standard of fairness and decency. It makes you want to throw up.
The ethical and decent malays must speak up and distant themselves from this totally unacceptable practices and behaviour in a decent society - tak ada maruah.
I spent my primary and secondary in Malaysia. After studying and living in overseas, I realised our common knowledge about the world are so little.
From western countries such as US and Canada to developed territory in Asia such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, children have approached some world history such as Jewish holocaust or the great Alexandra in primary/elementary School.
I was surprised to see how serious the insufficiency was in our Malaysia education and found huge difficulties to just catching up the history when I studied humanities. I don't know how is the primary and secondary school syllabus now.
But every time I went home to visit my nieces, I worried about them. Because each of them has talented and potential but the unfortunate truth is, they are non-malays and in Malaysia. Maybe I sound too pessimistic but it is what I think in my deepest heart.
There it is. It all started very soon after our so-called father of development PM, started the NEP and all discriminatory hell broke lose after that.
By my reckoning, it is been a whole generation 30 years where our tertiary education selection process has been twisted to the detriment of deserving students whose sole fault was that, they were unlucky to be born non-malays.
Ever since statistics was used to rationalize the cause of May 13, Umno has perfected the art to lie with statistics, or to create statistics to lie.
Top scoring students not getting scholarships? This is not new in Malaysia. It has become a recurrent national news every year after the release of SPM and STPM results.
What is indeed sad is to find less qualified students of Mara getting scholarships to pursue their studies overseas. There are many qualified Malaysians who will eventually end up leaving the country.
Foreign countries like Singapore would treat the minorities of this country better than the nation of Malaysia itself. It is much easier for someone like top student to secure scholarships overseas than locally.
I feel sorry for talented people like that. It is the whole education system that is failing in our country. And I personally don't see it improving even by year 2020. Very unfortunate and sad.
If everyone who is trying to make this country a better place is asked to emigrate elsewhere, then I will have to say that this country is truly doomed.
Pak Lah rhetoric about making Malaysia a fair country to all should be stuffed into the dustbin. He should pull up those parochial malay bureaucrats feasting in our Malaysian civil service a public scolding or a sack, instead giving the citizens the usual political crap about racial fairness.
There is obviously discrimination in the higher education system here, both in selection of entry as well as scholarship. It was institutionalised under the quota system in the past. I can and have lived with that.
I can live with quotas. At least we know where we all stand. But I can't stand hypocrisy. And unfortunately, whenever this issue is brought up, someone invariably asks the aggrieved party to leave the country.
This is not an isolated case. This scenario is one that is repeated year after year after year, where a bright, apparently deserving student is denied a scholarship to further his education, the common factor being their non-malay status.
We talk a lot about brain drain, loss of human resource and all that, but if we were really serious about arresting this, we'd be doing a couple of things. I am a fourth generation Malaysian, and I think I have as much say in the country as you or anyone else. Unfortunately reality isn't like that.
Thus we get people like you. It is people like you that make people like me say - "Fine, if I am not appreciated here, then I will go." Thank you ultra malay and all your kind, for driving away people that are much needed now in Malaysia, especially in the current economic climate.
If there is no opportunity to progress or grow in this country, I think we are given the choice to leave this country.
My brother is a straight 10As student and he did not get a scholarship. We don't care! We just pool some money and send him overseas and he was able to get scholarship in the second year.
Guess what? He is doing very well and he doesn't intend to come back to Malaysia because he is being treated very well overseas. I am sure better than he would possibly be in Malaysia.
Well, I am sure top student can do it as good or better. Go to places where people appreciate you and give you the opportunity to grow!
It is not about too many graduates but too many unqualified graduates. While it is true that many would be better off doing vocational training, the same problem will occur even if vocational training is provided.
We have a national skill crisis that is not addressed by our education system but it is not just our education system, it is also our economic and administrative system and other factors as well.
Fantastic social manipulation! People, wake up, play the smart games! Don't expect accountability, transparency etc, stuff from our Malaysia government.
The truth is our government has no idea what it takes to really develop the right skills. The truth is for the last few decades that burden has fallen on shoulders of MNCs exploiting cheap labours.
Skills relevancy in Malaysia has been an accident of foreign direct investment (FDI) which is in no way benign or on purpose. With no new FDI, upgrading of skills is just not going to happen.
The complication started when there are more than one way to enter the universities. Adding entries through matriculation and to compare it with STPM is like comparing apple to orange.
The government should realise there is no black cat or white cat approach of Deng Xiou Ping - be fair to all. Don't try to maladjusted the education system until it become ludicrous!
This race stereotyping is actually the work of the present day government, headed by the Umno racist using race and religion as a tool to stay in power.
The native of this land a.k.a. son of the soil are the Orang Asli (Dayak, Jakun, Sakai, etc) in Peninsula and the natives (Dusun, Iban, Kadazan, etc) of Borneo. Not you malays arrogant pieces of shit!
Before the arrival of Islam into Malaya, the different races live in harmony without questioning religion or race. They may be cultural different but they accepted each other.
After independence, race was used by the Umno racist, and then formulated the NEP, which divided everyone. The Umno fascist use Islam in schools, universities and workplace to segregate, and in the name of fighting PAS.
The modus operandi of Umno has always be, divide and rule, and the devil is in the details and implementation of the religious department.
Umno is king creating diversion when they are cornered, use race and religion. Race and religion is the most explosive issues and they have used it successfully since independence.
All this is done to perpetuate their hold on political power. It is for Umno benefits to play the race card, because this is the only way to ensure their hold on to political power. And 50 long years have proven them right. The race card works well and works every time!
They have succeeded in keeping the races apart socially, and fanned animosity amongst the races with their racist and discriminatory politics.
All give politically reasoning - well here goes a correct one - malay is lazy because of Islam.
How can one pray 5 times and yet be expected to be productive? Wait for the foreigners to come and set up their factory and having to cater for Islam needs!
If malays embrace other religion then there is hope for Malaysia……….otherwise your hope is in the existence of Umno terrorist liars - don't count on them being there forever - we are factoring in Umno racist absence in our business plan!
The problem with malays is that they forget too easily. It was the Chinese, Indians and Malays who fought for the independence.
The NEP was design to help malays catch up with the Chinese and the Indians. Now looks like after 40 years, the malays are still behind and very proud of it.
Still want to receive handouts from the government! Still afraid to fight it out on fair ground with the Chinese, Indians and other races! Fearful is the malay race!
Without the government subsidies and support - I don't know how many malay businesses will still stand? So when can we see some towering malays and who dare to refuse government help and still succeed?
Grabbing other people success and call it your own success is not success but a disgrace!
Their laziness caused the nation's economy to slump and resources are wasted. They take 5 days to complete a day work. Malays always think that they are helping the other races when they are lazy. For God sake, please wake up! You are doing it for your own, not for anybody!
Majority of the nation need to be educated again. On the meaning of Malaysia.
Seems like Malaysia do not require or value highly skilled workers but prefer unskilled labours especially those from Indonesia.
Maybe it is all about social engineering or to be blunt racial/religious discrimination. The obvious is staring straight in your face but can you see it!
The objective is clearly to uphold the supremacy of one particular community oblivious to the globalized competition among nations. No wonder, Malaysia is beginning to lack behind other nations.
That favoured community stands little chance to compete in the global market. The main beneficiaries are few with ill-gotten wealth, in power, who use such rhetoric policy to gain support from this majority community.
In contrast to developed nations, where citizens of all colour belong to the nation. Where ethnicity and religious followers are groups within the community with diverse cultural background. Where the marginalized and the poor are the favoured group to be singled out for deserving handouts and support.
How can the ruling elite be so blind? Could it be because of their strong faith in their religion, hence blind to the commonsense, fair play and reality?
If in America, a superpower nation with its intelligent society still able to vote a dummy for a 2nd term, then what more Malaysia? The general public is naive and uninformed. They are easily sweet-talked for their votes.
Unless we are going undergoing tremendous physical torment (e.g. civil war), the public will still go with the majority and its sugarcoated promises.
Doing the right thing in Malaysia is extremely difficult because of the different perception by different races. This is aggravated by the limited interaction between the youths of different races today.
The fact that students do score a CGPA of 4.0 but do not get the course of their choice further deepen the resentment and strengthen the perception. It will be like opening Pandora's box. To confirm our worst fears would be disastrous for the country.
It is heart wrenching in a lot of ways, but I truly believe we can work on improving things without having to compare our unique situation with others.
Malaysia prides itself as a melting pot of cultures. Hypocrisy is always raising its ugly head along with its twin brothers, greed and hatred, and all the problems they bring with them.
Personally, I believe that if our government or national bodies in power persist to discriminate and exploit groups and individuals of citizens, whether implicitly or openly in favour of the majority, then the time will come when they must answer for their actions.
The citizens of Malaysia are not stupid. Regardless of our cultural backgrounds and hometowns, race and religion, more and more, each of us is capable of discerning friends from enemies, right from wrong, and unity from covert attempts to disintegrate our society.
I was born and bred in this country. I am as much a Malaysian as the next person and we must learn to stop falling into the traps of racism set by those in power.
I have friends whom I care about who happen to be Chinese. And Indians and Malays, and Americans and Australians and French. So many labels, so little loves.
Racism is a crime any where in the world, but that is not why we are upset. We are upset for have fallen into the same old webs of lies, the same old traps, and the same old manipulative tricks in the bag.
The difference is, now more of us have come to be aware of the lies and traps and tricks.
The article really is a message to the prime minister rather than to the public. It even suggests how to do it - goad the Mahathir into making mistakes by talking too much.
It is absolutely a failure of the prime minister to allow people who are unelected, unaccountable, for the people to influence him in major decisions. It is dangerous, it is a breakdown of our political and governmental processes no less.
Malaysians have a right to know who makes the decision in their government and whether it is accountable to them.
Mahathir knows little about economics. Just one example will suffice. Any economics course will tell you that you cannot have high economic growth and zero inflation at the same time over sustained period. Period.
So, don't give the old doctor credit he does not deserve. In fact, he is lucky in that some times, he did the right thing for the wrong reasons. We know why he imposed the peg - to help those cronies and in particular certain people running consortium……….
When Mahathir wins, it is his brilliance. When he loses, it is evil people like Soros, Singapore, Jews, anybody but him. So now see someone championing transparency, press freedom, democracy, etc, etc.
Mahathir has a particularly strong attachment with Singapore for obvious good reasons. He just cannot accept the fact that Singapore is not part of Malaysia. He is as "kiasu" as any old Singaporean and he cannot even see Malaysia being taken advantaged off, what more by Singapore. He is also jealous of Singapore's tremendous achievement. Therefore he exploded on the crooked bridge issue.
Talk about legacy, perhaps Proton is synonym with Mahathir. Of cause there is much more than just Proton. It is the proton vendors, contractors and partners who are at stake in the wake of liberalisation of the automotive market. Of cause, whose cronies are these? He exploded again. In short, it is all about being an old man. A selfish old man.
To be fair, if the mainstream newspaper were to give space to Mahathir, there would be no end to the matter. Mahathir will never be satisfied with any answers given and it is best to ignore him.
For every reply he has an answer; ask him questions and you will get silly answers and he expect you to be satisfied. He has always had a distorted sense of logic and morality.
How are you going to argue with him if he thinks negotiated tenders, giving huge projects with guaranteed to win clauses to favoured few, bailout of MAS at way above market prices are all good and noble things. He can't tell right from wrong! Nobody can talk sense with a guy like him.
While Pak Lah vowed to be a just leader of Malaysians (not just malays), 9th Malaysian plan has limited allocation for minority races, stakeholding continues to be pro-majority race, despite the plead and appeal of citizens; while Pak Lah said whatever he did was for the good of Malaysian, taxpayers money is being used to compensate the highway/infrastructure/toll companies continue (to make sure they are profitable), to subsidize the loss of government owned companies; And the list continues on.
So tell me, what have Pak Lah and his administration achieved? When Pak Lah took over as prime minister, everything has gone up, petrol, electricity, daily necessities……….And yes, another interesting thing, Pak Lah may be filling another 20K government servant vacancies to curb "unemployment" (bright idea, he is such a bright leader with first class mentality).
This is not a blackout of press. Just that those who voted the ruling have not achieved the standard of civilisation, maturity, openness, and competent to assimilate what Mahathir said. To cut it short, we are not ready for it. We have a new hope now with another dog to fight for Vision 2020.
We could perhaps engage in long debates about what Mahathir did right or wrong, or if his "successes" over the past 22 years were down to a large element of "luck". We could also debate about whether an Islamic studies graduate (Pak Lah) can adequately manage the finance portfolio.
Anyway, my point is that nothing has changed with Pak Lah. In fact, I suggest that things have gone backwards, and in a more hypocritical manner where promises were made and blatantly ignored when reality bites.
If the present administration can impose a blackout on a former prime minister, where does that leave us, the ordinary citizens? Freedom of speech comes with unbiased, independent reporting. Both must come together, as either one on its own is meaningless.
From time immemorial, people move from place to place for one reason or another. After the formation of nations, the mobility of educated and highly skilled professionals affects nations. Brain drain means large numbers of these people emigrate to another nation.
The government should form a special commission on the movement of educated and highly skilled people to study and monitor their staying, leaving from and returning to the country. A country that has more talents is certainly better than the one without.
For decades, we have broached the subject of brain drain within and outside parliament. Large numbers of educated and highly skilled people leave this country to live and work in another one where pay and conditions are better.
In the beginning, some ministers and civil servants boomed out big words, saying that those who left were not loyal to the country and that their departure was good riddance.
Now, there are some people saying one thing and meaning another in government departments and universities. They mouth meritocracy and talents and yet they are mediocre, feudal and bloody-minded. They talk nine words at once, but they undermine highly skilled people. Hence, it is not surprising that returning scientists experience the delay in immigration clearance.
However, the crux of the matter is finding the factors that determine the mobility of highly skilled people, whether brain drain or the other way.
Because the Malaysia government imposes racial quota in education and government departments, therefore Singapore and other countries take fortune at the tide. For years, there has been brain drain to our neighbour.
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.
Show me when do the malays consult or ever extend their hands in friendship. Do the malays really treat non-malays with equity and fairness?
Seriously, I think all races in Malaysia treat each others at arms length. The malays expect other races to kowtow to them and never the way around. For example, Chinese and Indians were made to study and learn malay culture but the malays are not made to study or learn Chinese or Indian culture.
Why do the malays have to be in a superior position (oppressive one at that) all the time? What is wrong for Malaysia to have, say a Chinese chief justice or Indian chief of armed forces or even a prime minister!
How do we expect them to continue with their goodwill if we do not ever treat them fair and with equity? I think the malays are paranoid and are projecting their own insecurity onto others.
That is my point and it is time that we begin to envision the land of ours from an inclusively point of view instead of exclusivity point of view. We have to begin this starting point somehow, somewhere and the time is now.
As an adult, trying to make it in the real world, I have developed a clear understanding of what goes on around me.
And this what I believe is the real situation in Malaysia. As long as the malays get their way in how things are done in Malaysia - there will never be any serious development in Malaysia.
This is the fundamental. Please avoid giving example of successful malays, because economically, the numbers are too darn low to mean anything. Negligible they call it.
Malays must realise that as humans - they are I suppose equal. But as people, they have attitude that is exactly like the aborigines of Africa. Completely hopeless, no matter what you give them.
The malays can never win - for as long as they chose to do things the way it is done now. Eventually, the other races would consume them economically, and they would be second class citizens. This is a matter of time.
My opinion is - the only way for them to succeed, is to take away all special rights, and learns to get by on their own abilities. The weak and stupid malays would die - and only the bright ones would survive.
They are doing themselves a favour by taking away their special rights. Because look around you, the other races are getting stronger because our weak ones are dying.
We will continue to get stronger. And there will be a day, when we control all the financial means in the country. Then it is a matter of buying off each one of you puny malays……….and then take over the country.
You are wasting your time by presenting the facts. Fact means nothing to them and you should know that by now. The Malaysian Muslims are seriously stupid and severely retarded. I am simply having fun. I work with them everyday and I cannot describe to you their inability to formulate simple logic.
Prime minister Badawi, as the head of the government, should just give us the citizens complete and clear answers to the questions being raised about what the government did or did not do.
It matters not which citizens raised the questions, be it a former premier or some simple fisherman. It is extremely disappointing that we are still not getting any real answers but only attempts to distract us from the real issues.
We are being distracted as Malaysian politicians avoid answering by attempting to turn things into some tiff between prime minister Badawi and Mahathir or turn around pointing accusing fingers at the questioner.
We do not need our deputy prime minister or his present cabinet members or other personalities expressing support for the present prime minister, or the Umno division head asking that deference to Mahathir as an eminent former leader who contributed immensely to this nation.
All these merely distract us from the real issues for which Malaysians are still waiting patiently for an open and frank disclosure.
Some who did not have the guts to raise the questions or criticise Mahathir when he was the boss are now suddenly coming out now bravely asking Mahathir questions and lambasting him for the policies and decisions during his premiership.
In fact, one recent report listed about 22 questions that were directed to the former premier and another was the shocking disclosure about a secret plan - codenamed Project Mahathir - to pad the electoral rolls with foreigners who were fraudulently given identity cards.
Who should be answering all these questions? Surely it is not some ex-premiers. The answers must be given by prime minister Badawi and the present government.
Let us not forget that it is the same BN government which was in power then and today, and our present premier - as most of his present cabinet - were also members of the cabinet when Mahathir was prime minister.
Badawi and the present BN government cannot now avoid responsibility for the wrongdoings, sins, failings and corruptions of the past.
So let us stop all these attempts at distraction and get down giving the citizens real and complete answers about all the matters that have arisen of late. Be transparent and accountable Mr prime minister.
If all comments are senseless and worth nothing, how come he thinks that his comments are worth something!
Just highlighting the problems can be done by any 7 years old.
To give constructive feedback includes highlighting problems and offering solutions, that is what differentiates you as the opposition compared to the nodding BN ministers donkeys.
It shows that you and the opposition care to seek improvement for the country, by offering solutions.
God bless our politicians!
Just forget it! With the bunch of ministers monkeys around, our problems won't vanish for generations to come. Plan for an exit emigration plan is more meaningful, at least it gives us hope and motivation.
All Malaysia students should strive to become global citizens or Malaysia will not have a critical mass to compete in the global economy.
If the leaders wake up and give all their citizens the opportunity to help the nation progress, I am sure many will return to serve with distinction.
But there has to be a complete change of mindset. Meanwhile I shall be sending my youngest child to a foreign university just like his three siblings.
If they don't return to Malaysia, that will be Malaysia's loss.
Let us not over dramatize. Let us keep it in perspective.
Like I said before, all you need to leave the country for greener pastures is a suitcase full of old clothes, a spirit of adventure of "nothing lost nothing gained" and a month supply of money. Since, you have lost everything then make it, "nothing to lose but everything to gain".
Hey, migration happens all over the world, all over the time and all over the century. Aren't your parents themselves - the product of an immigration wave from Mainland China?
The Chinese are after all migratory birds - and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense either.
Nobody is running away. We are merely leaving in pursuit of a better life elsewhere - and then when there too does not work out, we then pack up our suitcase full and keep moving until we are ready to put those down for good - either because they have grown fat and old or we are just ready to sit themselves down, and die.
The government does not have a magic wand to create graduates from inferior candidates and the sooner we move towards a meritocracy system, the sooner all Malaysians will benefit.
For one we will not have so many graduates who are really unemployable. Some enlightened malays have even chosen to send their children to Chinese schools as they believe their children will do better there.
God will know all the bad things they all have done - punish them soon……….!
I have been somewhat apprehensive that quite a number of commenters has praised their adopted new countries no end. Nothing wrong in that, if that is what they and their families are experiencing living in better circumstances. It is good to see many have upped-and-away successfully.
Peace be with you all.
My parents brought us up with the intention that we may emigrate if we so choose. Hence my first language is English. I recently learned to speak Mandarin, ironically in Australia a predominately English speaking country!
Practically almost all my English speaking friends have left the country by the time I reached Form 4, leaving me at the mercy of my own Chinese speaking kind.
Those who can't make it out, drive home the importance of English to your children. Especially with jargon rich courses, like engineering and medicine, a top-notch grasp of English is essential in order to be incorporated into one's vocabulary.
My Chinese speaking friends now regret a poor mastery of English. With children, it is like a vicious cycle. Who knows, English could just be that springboard as it was with me.
Perhaps I am lucky. I have relatives helping with funding. I am not the first in my family to benefit from this either. Soon, I will join this "family diaspora" and help another lucky, chosen relative. Enough said.
My heritage was "sacrificed" so that we can race (pun intended) ahead and when we did emigrate, better adapt to our adopted home. It is quite a huge regret as well, learning Chinese only very recently, since I could only now start communicating with my grandmother. Only very recently is she able to tell me stories from her good old days!
It is fate that brought us together. We all have our problems, stay or leave is just a matter of choice. It won't change the fact that we are coming from the same land and once breathe the same air. Be united, be cool!
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