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: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 08:04:53 GMT

TSE THAM (projs8@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz) wrote:
: 
: 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

What has it got to do with racial bias? If he were a PAS supporter, do you
think he has any chance of being offered the scholarship?
	Is it race or something else?

: 
: 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,

If you can afford it, you can afford it. There are a lot of Malays who cannot
afford it at all. Let alone sacrifice anything. They do not have enough food
to eat, not enough place to stay etc. There are more poor malays than the
other races, still.
	The reasons are due to government policies. If you are paid, 
survival wages, M$150.oo per month, how can you afford to send your children
overseas? And the government is trying to maintain that wage levels and no
attempt to increase it at all.
	Even in established government bodies, the minimum wage is $300.00,
which admittedly is below the poverty line in Malaysia. Most Malays and 
bumis are satisfied with these wages and believe that the government is
doing something good for them.
	The chinese like these situations because they do not have to 
sponsor expensive governments but they have to suffer in other ways.
	Admittedly it is not so bad in Malaysia, it is even worse in
Indonesia. You cannot even survive with their wages.

: 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 

So you are against the "affirmative action" in USA to help the blacks,
or any special assistance to develop the Black schools or even raise their
standard of living to make them competitive.
	After all, the richer gets richer. It would be a pity if even the
richer can also get assistance instead of the poorer ones, or groups of
poorer ones. Sometimes we have to develop a community/race so that they
can later help their family members. We must be realistic that family ties
are important elements in business, or even in providing a proper environemnt
for development.

: 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.

If he get get all these scholarships, why bother to get one from Malaysian
government? In Malaysia, it is not allowed to get more than one sholarships.
We need the money for other people.

--
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