Are The Malays Able To Catch Up? part I

NEP = Nine Elegant Potatoes

As of late, the newspapers have been plastered with reports regarding UMNO's general assembly. Why, you can't even turn a page without coming across yet another article on yet another reason why the NEP should be revived, why the Malays are still lagging economically and on why there's no way a 62 year old woman could have possibly given birth at the age of 10.

Ahhh, the NEP. The source of such controversy, the catalyst for endless debates and the reason why Malaysia is stagnating/progressing (depending on which camp you're in). What are my thoughts on it then? Before I begin, let me just share with you a quote by Benjamin Franklin which I feel is really relevant to our current situation (politicians take note).

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"

Benjy Franklin sure knew what he was talking about.


NEP = Not Enough Panadol

Just how far are the Malays lagging behind the other races? Pretty much, if the local newspapers are to be believed. It seems that on average, Chinese earn a monthly income of RM4,200+, with the Malays only averaging RM2,800+. That's a pretty big gap by any measure. Also, Malays make up more than 50% of the population, yet only 18% of our nations equity are in their hands. Even after almost 30 years of 'specialist' policies tailored to assist them.

What about education then? Surely all races are on almost equal footing since we came from the same primary schools, the same secondary schools, have access to the same libraries, facilities and colleges/universities? Not quite so, according the The Star, Malays are beginning to disappear from our colleges/universities ever since meritocracy was introduced. There is even talk of setting up a local medical university which caters solely for the Bumis (a pretty dumb idea if you ask me, but more on that later).

Please bear in mind that I'm saying all this not to 'hentam' the Malay race. I'm merely repeating what was reported in our local (government sanctioned, mind you) newspapers. Sooooo, after so many years of help from the government, after billions of tax payers money have been expended and after numerous contract hand-outs, we find that we are still struggling with the same problem as our forebears.

I wonder why?


NEP = Now Enjoy Protein

Let me first state that I do not truly believe that Malays are an incapable race. I do not believe that they suffer from any genetic disposition which prevents then from learning, working and succeeding in life. I do NOT believe that they do not harbour dreams and ambitions, just like any other race, or any other human being for that matter.

I believe that all these articles in the newspapers (although sprouting from good intentions) regarding how badly the Malays need help are just plain detrimental to the race as a whole! I know the government wants to highlight the socio-economic situation in our country, but please be careful with the words that are used and the tone in which they are presented.


Imagine with me....

Imagine this for a moment, you were born in a loving family up north in Malaysia. Your childhood was a blissful period. A happy period spent in the company of your siblings, parents and relatives. As you grew up, you began harbouring dreams and ambitions. Being young, you thought that the sky was the limit. That there's nothing that cannot be attained if you worked hard enough. However, as you grew older, you also began to notice that not everyone shared the same optimistic outlook on life as you do. You read in the newspapers that the your race is languishing behind, that the only way that your race could succeed was by relying on government hand-outs. You hear your parents whispering about it in the dark of the night. In hushed voices, they talked about how unfair the situation is, about how other races are striving forward at the expense of your race.

Needless to say, your confidence takes a hit. Your dreams and ambitions begin to look like silly, diaphonous childhood fantasies. You begin to develop an inferior mindset. Your drive to succeed fades away as you grudgingly accept this so-called reality which is shoved down your throat. You find yourself thinking, it must be true if everyone is talking about it, it must be true that my race is somehow lacking compared with others. You begin to feel defensive towards to other races. You suspect that they look down on you, that they are laughing at you behind your back.

Imagine if you grew up in this kind of environment. What would you be today?


It affects all races

If I were put in that situation, I definitely would not be as optimistic as I am today. The above scenario which I just described can apply to any race. However, due to the well-meaning but misguided speech and actions of some of our promiment politicians today, the Malays are the ones who are affected the most by it.

I believe that what the government should and must give to the Malays more than anything else, is a sense of self-worth, pride and confidence. Yeah, they try to put individuals such as Nasimuddin and Nazir Razak on pedestals, hoping that they would serve as a beacon of hope for all the Malays. But what about the Malays who are not as well-connected as these individuals? What do they have to hold on to?

I don't mean to imply that all Malays are suffering from self-esteem problems. I believe that by nature they are a very optimistic, positive and proud (in a good way of course) race. What I am saying however, is that no matter how confident an individual intially is, being exposed to such things will definitely take its toll. I know it will definitely take its toll on me. To say that you are not affected at all by such things is just pure denial.

So how do we go about helping the Malays and our country as a whole? More on that in my next post. Watch this space...