The Colour of Loyalty
I was at the meeting of the Bumiputra NGO today. It has the same objectives as The NGO, except that it focuses on the Malay and Bumiputra community in this domain.
I've hardly been active in this organization lately. The reason that I prefer The NGO, as opposed to the Bumiputra NGO, is because it's a national organization that represents all races and the Malaysian interest as a whole.
Not that I think any lighter of the Malay economic agenda. It's just that I believe that the Malay economic agenda is not really the province of the Malays alone. The Malay economic agenda is a national agenda - it is the lynchpin of the political stability in this country.
I believe that the Malay economic agenda can be done as effectively through a multi-racial based organization, as it is via a purely Malay organization.
This is because the Bumiputras make up over 60% of the population in this country - there is hardly any national economic measure that you take on a general basis in this country, that will not benefit the Malays, as a direct effect or on a spill-over basis.
This is because aside from insitutionalised preferential policies, over 60% of this country are made up Bumiputras. They make up the dominant political party in the Government in the country with 3 million people, close to 12% of the population and makes up close to 20% of the entire Bumiputra population.
As a ratio to population, for countries of with a similar sized population, it's probably one of the largest political parties in the world.
If you address graduate unemployment in public universities, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras. If you create a program to encourage innovation in GLCs, the main beneficiaries will be Bumiputras. When you give out Government contracts, the main beneficiaries will be Bumiputras.
If you address poverty eradication in Malaysia, the main beneficiaries, are the Bumiputras. When you focus on improving R&D in universities, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras. When you are looking at improving the performance and pay within the civil service, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras.
You get the point, right? But I'm digressing.
Sometimes, it's easier to be in a national organization and just do things for the benefit of Malaysia. This way, you get to utilize the best talents in this country, for the benefit of everyone. No one will begrudge what anyone else gets, as long as they benefit in some way, too - on a meritocratic basis.
Splitting things by race is counter-productive in the long run. It splits your talent pool and encourages us to "fight" one another, instead of combining the best talents that Malaysia has, to expand the economic pie and better distribute the country's wealth. Not to mention to prepare an economically stronger Malaysia against the rest of competing world.
Even that is digressing. I'll come to the real point in a while.
*******************************************************
As I sat in the meeting today, I advocated a new direction for the Bumiputra NGO. It's a necessary direction and it's a big holistic issue that has to be addressed.
Because otherwise, the creation of a thriving Bumiputra Science and Technology Community, will remain a pipe dream.
Ignoring these structural problems will leave our universities weak, our innovation capacity in GLCs diminished, our talk on human capital development and Bumiputra participation in the high-value added entrepreneurship and innovation, pure talk. It will leave the Bumiputras not strengthening the areas which they are strong, preferring to play in an area where they are relatively weak and of limited impact, to a smaller comunity of beneficiaries.
But someone needs to address the issues. Some organization should.
And the Bumiputra NGO is exactly within the right space to help solve part of these problems, at least. There's no one else in this space, within the private sector - who will be willing to step forward.
But to my great disappointment, they preferred not to address the issue. They preferred to play in a smaller world and a smaller niche, with a smaller impact and benefitting an even smaller community. Even though there is a bigger problem that needs to be tackled. Even though this is where their efforts would greatly benefit the most number of people they represent.
About 2 years ago, I would have fought that decision tooth and nail, because it is an important decision to make. But now, I find myself - unwilling - to fight the majority on their decision. Even though I realize that the important decision and direction taken today, would greatly affect the Bumiputras in the long run - causing them to lag behind.
And whether we'd like to admit it or not, if the Bumiputra community lags behind (from an economic, knowledge and/or entrepreneurial sense), then Malaysia will lag behind.
I was unwilling to fight the majority in the Bumiputra NGO - because I can't move this mountain alone, if no one wants to help. And because I realized that some things are best learnt the hard way - because otherwise, you'll look like the only madman in the world, proclaiming that the sky shall fall on us. Sometimes, you have to allow the learning to take its course - because no one forgets the hard lessons.
If I push this case, I will look like an unreasonable lunatic. I'll be labeled difficult and disagreeable. Or perhaps, just a loud-mouthed troublemaker who just can't leave things be.
I'd rather carry on this battle in the national organization - The NGO. Sometimes, initiatives that we do on a national basis and for the benefit of all, is far more impactful for the benefit of the bulk of the Bumiputras - than initiatives that we carry out, in the name of the organizations that brand themselves as Bumiputra champions.
At the end of the day, it's about real impact and your ability to effect gradual but widespread change, on a mass level. It requires you to have the interests of those outside of your own (or directly related to your own) vested interest, because you care enough to change it and because it's necessary.
It requires you to love your country and your people, more than you love yourself. At least, some of the time, if not all.
Not because you stand to make money out of it. Not because it's easier. Not because it seems that that's what the majority of your compatriots want.
It's not your colour, your language or your racial origin that determines how loyal you are to your own community.
More importantly, it's your willingness to fight the tough battles that have to be fought for the benefit of all Malaysians, including the Bumiputra majority.
If you fight the good fight for the benefit of all Malaysians, you are a more loyal Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, etc. than any of those who fight under the name of racial loyalty. The national interest must first prevail, for the racial interests to be preserved.
For where would each of our racial loyalties bring us, in a Malaysia, which 20 years down the road, may look like destitute present-day Jakarta?
Get your eyes off your skin colour and keep your sight focused on the coming tide. No one will care which race you came from, if we've all drowned. You need to keep alive, for the differences to matter, at all.
I've hardly been active in this organization lately. The reason that I prefer The NGO, as opposed to the Bumiputra NGO, is because it's a national organization that represents all races and the Malaysian interest as a whole.
Not that I think any lighter of the Malay economic agenda. It's just that I believe that the Malay economic agenda is not really the province of the Malays alone. The Malay economic agenda is a national agenda - it is the lynchpin of the political stability in this country.
I believe that the Malay economic agenda can be done as effectively through a multi-racial based organization, as it is via a purely Malay organization.
This is because the Bumiputras make up over 60% of the population in this country - there is hardly any national economic measure that you take on a general basis in this country, that will not benefit the Malays, as a direct effect or on a spill-over basis.
This is because aside from insitutionalised preferential policies, over 60% of this country are made up Bumiputras. They make up the dominant political party in the Government in the country with 3 million people, close to 12% of the population and makes up close to 20% of the entire Bumiputra population.
As a ratio to population, for countries of with a similar sized population, it's probably one of the largest political parties in the world.
If you address graduate unemployment in public universities, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras. If you create a program to encourage innovation in GLCs, the main beneficiaries will be Bumiputras. When you give out Government contracts, the main beneficiaries will be Bumiputras.
If you address poverty eradication in Malaysia, the main beneficiaries, are the Bumiputras. When you focus on improving R&D in universities, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras. When you are looking at improving the performance and pay within the civil service, the main beneficiaries are Bumiputras.
You get the point, right? But I'm digressing.
Sometimes, it's easier to be in a national organization and just do things for the benefit of Malaysia. This way, you get to utilize the best talents in this country, for the benefit of everyone. No one will begrudge what anyone else gets, as long as they benefit in some way, too - on a meritocratic basis.
Splitting things by race is counter-productive in the long run. It splits your talent pool and encourages us to "fight" one another, instead of combining the best talents that Malaysia has, to expand the economic pie and better distribute the country's wealth. Not to mention to prepare an economically stronger Malaysia against the rest of competing world.
Even that is digressing. I'll come to the real point in a while.
*******************************************************
As I sat in the meeting today, I advocated a new direction for the Bumiputra NGO. It's a necessary direction and it's a big holistic issue that has to be addressed.
Because otherwise, the creation of a thriving Bumiputra Science and Technology Community, will remain a pipe dream.
Ignoring these structural problems will leave our universities weak, our innovation capacity in GLCs diminished, our talk on human capital development and Bumiputra participation in the high-value added entrepreneurship and innovation, pure talk. It will leave the Bumiputras not strengthening the areas which they are strong, preferring to play in an area where they are relatively weak and of limited impact, to a smaller comunity of beneficiaries.
But someone needs to address the issues. Some organization should.
And the Bumiputra NGO is exactly within the right space to help solve part of these problems, at least. There's no one else in this space, within the private sector - who will be willing to step forward.
But to my great disappointment, they preferred not to address the issue. They preferred to play in a smaller world and a smaller niche, with a smaller impact and benefitting an even smaller community. Even though there is a bigger problem that needs to be tackled. Even though this is where their efforts would greatly benefit the most number of people they represent.
About 2 years ago, I would have fought that decision tooth and nail, because it is an important decision to make. But now, I find myself - unwilling - to fight the majority on their decision. Even though I realize that the important decision and direction taken today, would greatly affect the Bumiputras in the long run - causing them to lag behind.
And whether we'd like to admit it or not, if the Bumiputra community lags behind (from an economic, knowledge and/or entrepreneurial sense), then Malaysia will lag behind.
I was unwilling to fight the majority in the Bumiputra NGO - because I can't move this mountain alone, if no one wants to help. And because I realized that some things are best learnt the hard way - because otherwise, you'll look like the only madman in the world, proclaiming that the sky shall fall on us. Sometimes, you have to allow the learning to take its course - because no one forgets the hard lessons.
If I push this case, I will look like an unreasonable lunatic. I'll be labeled difficult and disagreeable. Or perhaps, just a loud-mouthed troublemaker who just can't leave things be.
I'd rather carry on this battle in the national organization - The NGO. Sometimes, initiatives that we do on a national basis and for the benefit of all, is far more impactful for the benefit of the bulk of the Bumiputras - than initiatives that we carry out, in the name of the organizations that brand themselves as Bumiputra champions.
At the end of the day, it's about real impact and your ability to effect gradual but widespread change, on a mass level. It requires you to have the interests of those outside of your own (or directly related to your own) vested interest, because you care enough to change it and because it's necessary.
It requires you to love your country and your people, more than you love yourself. At least, some of the time, if not all.
Not because you stand to make money out of it. Not because it's easier. Not because it seems that that's what the majority of your compatriots want.
It's not your colour, your language or your racial origin that determines how loyal you are to your own community.
More importantly, it's your willingness to fight the tough battles that have to be fought for the benefit of all Malaysians, including the Bumiputra majority.
If you fight the good fight for the benefit of all Malaysians, you are a more loyal Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, etc. than any of those who fight under the name of racial loyalty. The national interest must first prevail, for the racial interests to be preserved.
For where would each of our racial loyalties bring us, in a Malaysia, which 20 years down the road, may look like destitute present-day Jakarta?
Get your eyes off your skin colour and keep your sight focused on the coming tide. No one will care which race you came from, if we've all drowned. You need to keep alive, for the differences to matter, at all.
posted by Stingrayz | 6:35 AM
7 Comments:
Sejak dulu lagi orang dah kata: Melayu ini pemalas. Melayu penuh dengan sikap hasad dengki. Melayu hanya mengharapkan bantuan kerajaan.
Sayangnya, ramai lagi orang Melayu yang tidak mengambil iktibar daripada kata-kata itu dan cuba untuk membaiki nasib mereka.
DEB juga tidak dapat membantu orang Melayu. Melayu masih gagal menguasai 30% peratus ekonomi negara walaupun dasar itu telah diperkenalkan lebih 30 tahun yang lalu.
Hakikatnya, kebanyakan ahli UMNO masuk parti bukan untuk bangsa, tetapi untuk dapat kontrak. Ahli Promuda dan Majlis Belia Malaysia (yang ramai ahli Melayu) juga begitu. Masing2 masuk persatuan untuk kepentingan sendiri.
Macamana Melayu nak maju?
ps./ Btw, I'm still a Bucky fan. Tak salah kan? I jst don't feel like rooting for anyone else. Hmm.. and I think either Elliot or Paris will be kicked out this week. How unfortunate if this happens.. kan? (Ish! I so can't stand the Pickler girl!!)
Pixie:
Wah, Pixie - what brought about the UMNO General Assembly Speech-lah? ;)
I think the Malays are a product of their environment.
If they come from a family that generally encourages hard work and the value of knowledge, they'll be different.
If you put them to work in a foreign MNC, they'll turn out differently.
If you put them into a non-Malay dominated corporate, you'll have an entirely different worker.
If you put them into some of rthe best univerisities in the world, a private college or university or UITM, they'll come out different (and perhaps, a tad more competitive) than if they were in a local university.
Put them in an environment where the culture is strong and you will produce strong and able Malays.
And with the exception of UITM, the Army, the Navy and the Armed Forces, etc., almost always - a strong, dynamic, competitive culture is born out of a dynamic environment with a diversity of races and nationalities.
Look at Shell. Look at Microsoft. Look at Intel. Look at DHL. Look at our very own CIMB and Air Asia.
It's generally not mono-racial (let's not talk about the Chinese as the exception, here - it took hundred of years for their culture to evolve and many generations of migration, to shape them into what they are today).
The exception to this, is unless you have a strong leader that enforces strong competitive values.
Macam mana Melayu nak maju in Malaysia?
Create an environment where there is a strong, dynamic and competitive culture - regardless of the racial base of the organization.
The more Malays you create with the correct knowledge-based and competitive values, backed by a strong integrity - the more you are helping the Malays to progress. In substance.
Respect in today's globalized world has to be earned. It cannot be forced by strength of political numbers or pressured by the loud voices of a mono-racial grouping.
It's the substance of what you contribute to the Malays, that really matters.
And honestly, you don't have to be a Malay, to do that. You can be of ANY racial origin or nationality. There is no monopoly on having a strong culture.
p.s. Yes, I know you're a shallow Bucky fan, Pixie. ;) Agree with you on Elliot and Paris - but I think Kellie Pickler will go to top 3.
That'll really make your day, wouldn't it? ;)
Ahhh, I think you are mistaken. It seems the North Asians have a strong monopoly on hard work and resourcefulness. This seems to be almost genetic because wherever they are in the world, they are able to not only survive but also thrive. In any case, don't get me started on Melayus. Thankfully, I am not all Malay...muhahahaha.
Elina:
The nature vs nurture argument could go on the whole day, dear. :)
The right genes and the wrong values and culture (even in North Asians) will still have you barking up the wrong tree.
I believe that ANYONE can do thrive, given the right values, culture and competitive environment.
Especially, the Malays. They're a passionate people. You just have to teach them to be willing to live and die, for the right things.
Stingray,
Thank Heavens for a breath of wonderully fresh air!
I think the same thing and I feel slighted that we are not moving ahead as a nation first.
Would love to meet up with you one day.
I frequently take a "taxi survey" whenever I get into a cab in Malaysia.
Whenever, I ask Malays about their families, I find that the typical driver will have 5 or more children (the lowest I came across in a long time is 4). Most will have a few children who have graduated with a University (or at least MARA) degree and some have been sent overseas by the government.
On the other hand, most non-Malay drivers have few children; the median for the Chinese seem to be 2, and mostly not of University age. Most seem to be disinterested in their children's welfare in terms of education. One guy told me that he hopes his son can become a mechanic. Why? "A mechanic can earn a good income and get occassional tips when a towkay brings a big car in for servicing".
I know that the "taxi surveys" are not scientific, but surely the Malays are not doing too badly in Malaysia.
Do you want to level the playing field? Do you want us to end up like Indonesia? It is said that the Chinese, who only make up 3% of the population, own 90% of the wealth. This, even after "the most massive transfer of wealth since communism" from the Chinese to bumiputras in the immediate aftermath of Sunarto's fall and the economic crisis in 1998.
Kazookian:
Thank you. I'm just writing what I think and feel.
Welcome to the blog. :) Do stick around for more fresh air. :)
Yeah, maybe we can meet up one of these days. If I can access your blog, first. :)
Babu:
I take taxis all the time. And the results of my "taxi survey" would greatly differ from your conclusion, bro'.
The Malays have done well, if we compare to the situation in 1970. And we can duly thank the NEP for this.
The Bumiputra poverty rate is now at 8.5% based on 2004 calculation (and it would be much lower for the Malays, if the calculation did not include the Bumiputras from Sabah)
Corporate public-listed equity is up from 2% in 1970 to 19% currently. We could have done better if a majority of the Malays did not sell off their allocated 30% stake, for a quick millionaire exit.
Now, on average, approximately 30% of all secondary schooling Malaysians annually, will pursue tertiary education - the majority are made up of the Malays.
And there is a huge Malay middle-class now.
In some professions like dentistry, civil engineering, law, hotel catering and management, medicine and especially the civil service, they make up a very large and respectable percentage.
It's not rare to see successful Malays now - millionaires or billionaires, be it private or public.
And again, we have the NEP to thank for all this. It is the lynchpin of political stability that will ensure, that we will never become Jakarta.
But could we have done better? Most definitely.
Intra-ethnic income disparity between the Malays, is the worst that it's ever been, since 1984 (and of all the 3 races, we have worst intra-ethnic income distribution).
It shows that the rich Malays are getting richer and the poor Malays are getting poorer.
And those that do get richer, do not necessarily do so by merit - as opposed to political patronage.
Corruption (with so many Malay civil servants and political middlemen expecting kickbacks and a "cut" on concessions) has led rising costs in Goverment projects - lessening the development expenditure, which could have been used for poverty eradication or education.
Yes, we now have rich Malays - through both honest and dishonest financial means. But it has come at a great cost - to so many other Malays and Malaysians.
Indonesia ended up where it is because its leaders were weak, short-sighted and corrupt.
Fortunately for us, we had an incorruptible, hardworking and far-sighted Tun Razak.
But Tun Razak never intended for the NEP to be an instrument of Malay economic dominance - it was meant to be a temporary measure for the Malays to achieve "an equitable share" in their own home soil - which was defined at 30%.
(And this was considered equitable, considering that Bumiputras made up slightly more than 50% of Malaysian population, at that time)
It was meant meant to be the foundation for a level-playing field for competitive middle-class Malay professionals and entrepreneurs who could then stand up on their 2 feet, but one which never neglected to eradicate poverty, regardless of race.
A level playing field was THE original intention for the NEP all along, for the (middle-class and above) Bumiputras that are ready to compete.
It was NEVER meant to be a permanent economic crutch.
Interpreting the NEP in any other way, is a betrayal of the noble intentions of Tun Razak and his peers.
There is only one way to create an economically self-sustainable Malay community - and that's to earn it, to be as knowledgeable as possible and to compete.
Economic dominance built on political influence and patronage is a bit like the USSR after the Cold War - it will disintegrate like a deck of cards, once it opens up to the outside world.
And if that happens, we will be worse off than Jakarta. Believe me.
It's time the Malays built up real economic muscles, as opposed to just pure economic "fat".
Let's make Tun Razak proud.
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