Today, let us look at our country Malaysia and summarize what is wrong with her. The fact that Malaysia came from Malaya and have the word 'malay' in it speaks much of the country herself. yes, MALAYsia and MALAYa all have the word malay in it. yes, i have no qualms and do not hate the word malay nor malaya nor malaysia. The difference between bumiputera and non-bumiputera and its subsequent criteria and privileges have certainly went against the core principals of justice and equality. Well, as 'non-bumiputeras', we can still certainly accept that. Fine if the government wants to help the rural malays and the poor malays. Chinese and Indians are okay with it. We live together, eat together and play together. No problem. We can tolerate this 'injustice'. Raja Petra Kamarudin wrote in his article entitled America : A Shariah-Compliant State clearly states that it is USA who actually follows the Islamic fundamentals while Malaysia does not. Regardless, we have live peacefully ever since independence and apart from the racial riots instigated by political parties in 1969, there are no major riots like those in Indonesia and the Phillipines. We the non-bumiputera can live with the bumiputera. In fact, I don't feel threatened in a Malay kampung although I am the only Chinese there. So firstly get it clear that there is nothing against them.
What is actually wrong in Malaysia is actually the mismanagement and incompetency by the public sector. By this I mean corruption and laziness. It so happens that majority of workers in the civil sector are Malays, thus the stereotype. Malays are seen to be corrupt and want fast money. Okay, I say Chinese are also corrupt. Why? The Chinese businessmen 'feed' the Malay administrators and get to make more money. China has a reputation of being a corrupt country and thus the steteotype by Western media although communism states equality and justice for all citizens. Even America itself, a Shariah compliant state, does not treat blacks and Muslims humanly. But watever it is, there is a black and white document underlining the principals of USA. It is the administration who is going against it. In Malaysia, the constitution has already stated The Social Contract agreed by our forefathers. Whenever somebody questions the social contract, one will be threatened by arrest and warned that it was planned by our forefathers of independence. What they had failed to see is that rules and regulations can be amended all the time. Many officials argue that we do not need to change for the sake of changing. But if it's already a corrupted system, would you not change it? Would you allow it to destroy you inside out?
Government ministers and officials say BN has done a tremendous job in managing the country. Opposition cannot even run the country, so they say and time and again, don't change for the sake of changing. Who said opposition cannot run the country? They haven't been given a chance. Yes, you may argue that Kelantan has been under PAS rule for so many years. Yet Kelantan is still backward. It is not because the leaders made it backward, it is because the federal government refused to send money to the people for voting PAS. As long as PAS holds Kelantan, Putrajaya would not be so favourable towards Nik Aziz, least they could do is prepare air transport for Nik Aziz to fly to KL Hospital and make him and everyone in Kelantan happy and know that BN still cares for the people of Kelantan. Look at Penang. Political pundits say DAP-Keadilan may have a big chance to win in Penang this coming GE. For your information, many people are really unhappy with Dr Koh's lacklustre in his leadership and the people of Penang don't really care who is the Chief Minister as long as he is a Chinese. But once this Chinese is being 'threatened by keris' and stuff like that, the Chinese in Penang will vote for opposition. Chinese just want to do business, there goes the stereotype. Remember that Chinese can tolerate UMNO-business based people but once their position are threatened, they can always turn to the DAP. Much more like 'the lalang phenomena' you may say.
Whatever it is, the scenario mentioned above clearly summarizes the problem with Malaysia. Where a main political party holds almost absolute power, then 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Change first, talk later. After all, elections are every 5 years. If the people are so unhappy with the opposition, they can always change back to BN. And don't ever rubbish to me that since political parties always change, therefore the country's development will be on hold and the people will suffer. That's just plain lies to put those who stay in power...stay longer in power, what an efficient propaganda! If things go this way, I may also vote for the opposition OR rather not vote at all. Bear in mind that politics is always about perception.
Whither Malaysia?
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3 comments:
The Badawi Administration is doing everything it can to give Malaysians a reason to vote against it, something that hasn't happened in a long time.
And yet, I'm pretty confident that the Opposition will do everything it can to screw it up.
We've read reports of infighting, inter-party turmoil, and a supposed PM candidate who took forever to deny whether or not he's going back to UMNO (in fact, has he actually denied it?). No wonder voters keep insisting on electing the "devil they know".
If BN is going to suffer a setback, it will be because of its own inadequacies, and not because voters think so highly of the Malaysian Opposition. The Opposition has done nothing to impress me.
The public service is politicalized. You do not have to be surprised because the politicians is the government and the government employs people and so politics is everywhere and it is all interconnected. It is not right to say that the public service is incompetent and lazy because not everyone follows the crowd. There are those who work like anything but because they lack the skill in politics of another sort, they fail to get anywhere. Those who have some skills in politics get to be the bosses and you can imagine that if they spend more spend in politiking, they do not spend time in work and how good are they when they work ? They are worse than those who fail to get anything. Stereotyping is wrong. But there is this Malay worker who is in the professional and management category in the public service. The category sounds so great. Everynow and then, she says she has asthma. Everynow and then, she says she has gastric problems. She even sleeps on places where people come in and go. She tells her boss not to give her work that requires she to be responsible. She is always on her handphone. Brain wise , she is not lacking. A good government would fire this sort of worker immediately. But with the present scenario, this sort of good for nothing worker is still being kept. And this sort of useless worker is only wasting the nation's money when she is paid her salary. The Malay boss do not want to take any disciplinary action against her. Is it because of the Malay politic thing again ? Or is it just because of the cowardice of this Malay boss ? The present ruling government has always been screwing itself up. So don't blame others for pointing fingers. Blame the ones who are supposed to make things right because they have the power and yet refuse to do so. So much for Barisan Nasional. Sigh !!!
As you most probably understand, being an Indonesian who already have enough problems within my own, naturally I've got nothing to do with your government's internal affairs. But I'm sure my fellow Malaysian friends and relatives do.
I found your Kedai Kopi very interesting and therefore - if you let me to - would very much like to have it linked with my "under construction" Kedai Kopi which was initially built for similar purposes as yours.
I hope you'll agree with me to say that at least we have one thing in common.
Until then, thank you for your fine consideration.
With kind regards,
NS
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