From: mlt@gdwb.oz.au (Mee Teng)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: Malaysia's racial policies
Date: 16 Nov 92 04:59:09 GMT

azran@leland.Stanford.EDU (Azran Osman Rani) writes:


>I have but one more thing to say to this flea circus of a newsgroup.

>Ok, I can't and won't speak for other Malays but I can say that I for
>one think that it absolutely sucks to receive these so-called 'special
>priviledges'. Makes me feel like a handicapped invalid. Does anyone
>actually think that, well, since I can't speak for all Malays, I *like*
>to have these special privileges given to me? When I talk of these
>privileges, pride is the last thing that comes to mind.
>Its not the best feeling to have all my achievements belittled by
>people saying things like "Well, the only reason you managed to do that
>is because you have all these priviledges and advantages."

>Does anyone think its cool to be labelled "bangsa subsidi", to belong
>to a group that allegedly cannot achieve anything significant without
>gov't assistance??? How about having adjectives like "helpless", "pathetic";
>"unproductive", "slow" be associated to your group of people???
>Hey, I'd like to get out of this mess as soon as any of you want to.

This is still a very sensible article even though you seemed to contradict
yourself with what your have written above. 

I believe that in a multicultural society like Malaysia, receiving
special aids & privileges from the gov't are necessary, & there is
nothing to feel handicapped or inferior. What concerns many is
the ways they go about it. For examples :-
  Pushing any 'TOM , DICK & Harry', to be engineers, doctors &
  what not. What they should do is to set certain standard even
  for Malays to enter into professional cources. eg. If a non
  bumis's requirement to enter an engineering course is 4As, 
  then for bumis should at least be 4Bs. The gov't could help
  the bumis by giving them extra coaching, tuitions  , etc.;
  but not just simply pass them even if they fail the final
  exams in Unis.

  Secondly , the special residential schools are a big hindrance
  to racial harmony in the country. They should take in a good
  % of non bumis (say 40%).

  Thirdly giving special discount (up to 15%) for bumis to buy
  sub-urban houses really stinks, because these are the above
  average Malays & many of them are rich. The money could have
  been much better used to help the genuinely needy Malays or
  other non-bumis.


These are just a few of the many ridiculous examples one
can list.


>I realize that the implementation of the NEP and the "special priviledges"
>hasn't been in the fairest and smoothest sense. But from
>what I see it, without the NEP, I don't think my friends and family might
>be able to move up, out of our kampungs. I probably might not have
>all these educational opportunities given to me. 
>Its not the most perfect system but this is also an extremely complex
>and sensitive issue. Just simply banging on it without giving any thought
>to how other people feel, to its history, to its bare essence, is not
>going to help at all.....

Yes, I think you and your friends deserve the help form the NEP.
And all those who work hard and obtained reasonable grades. But because 
the policy is carried out indiscriminately, it stinks . On top of
that , the names of good Malay students & those who genuinely need
help, are being smeared, giving everybody a bad name; and there is
no incentive for them to persevere , to work hard. If I can enter
a Medic course and pass, even though I flung my STPM, why bother
to work hard ? So the gov't is not helping the Malays really. 


Then of course I think there should be a time frame set for 
the NEP. You can't go on forever. After all THERE IS NO
SUPERIOR RACE, agree ?


>All my love,

Good on you.
`