From: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad)
Subject: Re: Malaysia's racial policies
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 06:15:03 GMT

Mr. Thaddaeus (ins774h@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au) wrote:
: 	Actually, it is the EMSS (Equity and Merit Scholarship Scheme).
: It is offered to overseas student as part of the Australian Gov's overseas 
: aid, with the objective of educating people so that they can return to their
: country to help develope it (therefore cannot stay in Australia).
: 	How do I know? I am one of them and how do you think it feels to tell
: people your government is providing ZERO cents towards your education and that
: you are sponsored by a foreign gov?

What is wrong with that? Do you want Malaysia to reject EMSS?

: 	The NEP is a failure because it failed in one of it's objectives, to

You consider failing one as the absolute failure for all. Strange logic.

: foster a greater unity among the races but so far my generation has grown up
: resenting the system. The gov should provide aid based on merit and needs, 

The minority will resent anything the governmet does. What matters is the
majority. We cannot please everyone. What happens to "unity" if the majority
were uneducated and poor, will be create more UNITY. Just look at what 
happen prior to 1969. There was no NEP, and yet there was  BLOODY RIOT.

: keeping the quota in mind, NOT by skin colour and ignoring someone's merits.  : The focus of NEP should have been the eratication of poverty irrespective of : race, not just blindly say just because you are a bumi you get this and that.  : 	The ASN shares should be issued to bumis with low income (or preferably,

You can only do that if you have unlimited resources, or there is no obvious
pattern for poverty. Look at the Australian government policy towards the
Aborigines.

: everyone with a low income irrespective of race) and those who are well to 

Then the ASN will surely fail because the poor cannot contribute enough.
	The relatively rich guys are important because they can provide the
leadership to the other bumis. In fact this is the secret of the Chinese and
Indian communities. They have a few highly successful businessmen that uplift
their local economic structure. They have their lines of supply which ensure
their success among Malaysians, including bumis. It is the bumis who spend
money toward the success of some of the non-bumi businessmen.
	Of course there are those with international contacts that can do
exports but their number is small but the multiplying effect is significant.
However the mulitplying effect is highly localised because of the strong
family oriented styles.
	This may break when big corporations like Telekom, Uniphone, Tenaga,
become the norm, provided they have to compete with each other.

: do should compete with outer people on an equal footing. It is absurd when 
: people who are rich get to plunder the system to make a quick buck. 

So you think the ASN is a government SUBSIDY scheme? HAVEN't it occured to 
you that it is a trust fund? It can also go bankrupt. It must earn itself
in the share market.

It is strange that someone with a scholarship can have distorted logic.
I'm strongly against spending a lot of money on scholarships(financial
assistance) based solely on needs. It is a waste of money. merit should be
the main criteria.
	You obviously got it based on needs.

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

Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean