Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: Malaysia's racial policies
From: projs8@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (TSE THAM)
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 22:05:36 GMT
Organization: University of Auckland, New Zealand.

eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad) writes:

>(in reply to an earlier posting)
>: 
>: Yes there are ways besides the local university, but who is going to pay for
>: the expense.  We all know getting into the local university saves us money.
>: Going oversea to get a degree is certainly much, much more expensive unless
>: you have someone to support you financially.  If the govenment can support
>: the bumiputras, why not the non-bumiputras as well?

>What makes you think that the government do not support the non-bumis as 
>well? You have no proof whatsoever. Or rather you only belive your imagination.
>Of course the government only help the people who really cannot afford to 
>go. You are like a communist in demanding that the government support 
>everybody. NO, ONLY deserving ones, that is those who cannot afford. The fact
>that there are more non-bumis overseas students show that they can afford it
>more than the bumis. Figures do not lie. You blatantly lie.
>	Of course there are bumis who have to support themselves overseas,
>if they can afford it, but you FAIL TO SEE IT COMPLETELY. This shows how
>unreliable your statements are.

I take exception to the above statement. I do not have prove that the non-
bumis do not get scholarships but on the other hand have not heard of any
that have (which would probably be a small minority). But, I know for a fact
that financial need is not a pre-requisite for a bumi to obtain a scholarship.
I know of a government scholarship offered through one of the central
government agencies being given to the son of a very high ranking state
official (in the state executive committee), which covered all expenses, for
study in the United Kingdom. Admittedly his SPM results were good, but according
to your logic, he isn't a DESERVING case. His parents can well afford to send
him on their own (ie. support themselves). This shows, in turn, how UNRELIABLE
your statements are. In case you think I got this from a third or fourth
source, I must state that I got it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak
(they were family friends). Other students with comparable or better results
than him did not manage to obtain government funding for their tertiary
education (most of them are non-bumis).

As for your argument that more non-bumis overseas show that they can afford it,
I must again beg to differ. Most asian cultures place great emphasis on
education and therefore parents make great sacrifices to give their offspring
every opportunity they can get. If help is not forthcoming from the government,
then the only option left would be overseas study on a "Father and Mother
Scholarship" (a term used by the YB Menteri Pendidikan when he visited NZ
Universities recently).

I must therefore reluctantly agree with Josef Widjaja's statement (posted in
this group some time back) that scholarships in M'sia are influenced by race,
which I find shocking. I detest divisions based on racial grounds and the
Malaysian government, which is such a fervent opponent of apartheid in South 
Africa would do well to heed its own words in this respect. Would not it be 
better, as Othman suggests, to base it on need and merit? In New Zealand, I 
know of a person (non-bumi Malaysian) who has obtained 5 scholarships, 1 
fellowship and 6 prizes in the last 4 years. These were evidently not given on
the basis of a racial bias and therefore there is no feelings of unfairness.

>--
>Othman bin Ahmad, School of EEE,
>Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2263.
>Internet Email: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg
>Bitnet Email: eoahmad@ntuvax.bitnet

G. Tham
EEE Student
University of Auckland, NZ.