We need you, young Malaysians abroad!
By FABIAN OOI
I graduate from the University of Melbourne in a week or so. Soon I will return home and it will be a time for one too many goodbyes.
The overwhelming majority of my Malaysian coursemates will be remaining in Australia to seek employment and permanent residence. I know that I am going to miss them. And surely, Malaysia must too if it is to control the outflow of Malaysian talent overseas.
I was recently browsing the Global Malaysians Network website. The website had profiles of many Malaysians who “have made an impact overseas.� I was impressed by the number of Malaysians abroad leading highly successful lives in various fields including research, business, finance, social work, and entertainment.
However, what baffles me is that these Malaysians are furthering the frontiers of scientific knowledge, conquering the challenges of the business world, and providing entertainment anywhere but Malaysia. Being slightly cynical, I was even considering doing a nationality check on all the listed profiles to see if there was a need to rename the website http://global-ex-malaysians.com.
If you haven’t gotten my drift by now, I am trying to say that the outflow of Malaysian talent overseas is a serious problem. There is no question about the negative implications of the brain drain from the country. If this persists, we will lack the human capital required for nation-building.
Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. However, it is no longer viable to merely be an exporter of commodities. Commodities are generally prone to fluctuations in market demand and in the case of oil, it is a depletable resource. The global economy today thrives on knowledge, technology and innovation. For the sake of global competitiveness, we need our brightest brains on the job.
While globalisation has enabled the international transmigration of talent, a country needs to ensure that the amount of talent flowing into the country surpasses the amount of talent leaving the country. The net inflow of quality human capital will continue to propel the country forward even when depletable natural resources become scarcer. This may be achieved by attracting more foreign talent into the country. However, it would be unwise not to check on local talent leaving the country.
Talent is naturally attracted to an environment that appreciates, nurtures and rewards it. It is imperative that the government aggressively implement policies that reflect such ideals. Malaysia should be the destination of choice for Malaysians.
It is natural for young and ambitious Malaysians to explore career opportunities abroad. The lure of more attractive remuneration and an attractive lifestyle are certainly motivating factors.
Apart from that, international employment broadens our world view and provides much opportunity for professional and technical advancement. Such experiences can contribute very much to nation-building.
The problem begins when Malaysians don’t come back. So here’s my pitch to Malaysians studying or working abroad:
1. Decide where home is
In the words of one of my very wise friends, “You’ve got to decide where you want your kids to grow up in!� While working abroad for a period of time is without a doubt a bright option, I guess young Malaysians need to decide where home ultimately is. Sesame Street taught me a lesson or two about home with this song.
2. Set an exit timeframe
Realistically speaking, get out before you make a huge investment on something like a house or even marriage. It will be difficult to uproot once such investments have been made, especially taking into account how difficult these are to plan. But still, a five-year get-out-of-here plan (with an option for a two-year extension if you promise that you will definitely come back) is what we need if we are to fix the brain drain.
3. Believe
Why would anyone take a significant pay cut to come home to Malaysia? Why take a detour on a promising career abroad to come home to Malaysia? I am very fond of those Petronas advertisements screened during Raya, CNY, Deepavali and Merdeka. They seem to perfectly capture the ideals we all cherish as Malaysians. It is worth coming home to Malaysia because we believe that these ideals are truly part of our country.
As young Malaysians (and as corny as this sounds), the future really is in our hands. And to build a competitive, progressive, prosperous and peaceful nation, we need our best talents working for the country. We need all of us.
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FABIAN OOI is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Fabian, who is a recent engineering graduate from the University of Melbourne, will be embarking on a career in the oil and gas industry. He looks forward to contributing to the securing of the nation’s energy future as well as playing golf and fishing on oil rigs.
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Comment of the week
I defend my right as a Malaysian to talk about anything that concerns Malaysia.
I think that Malaysia, in tandem with countries like Ireland and South Africa, is becoming a nation with a great emigre tradition. Like the Irish or South Africans of old many Malaysians are choosing to settle in different lands for various reasons.
While other’s may lament the ‘brain drain’, the fact is that once a Malaysian, always a Malaysian. Your friend’s who have decided to set roots in other shores (and I don’t think we can judge their decision in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’/'right’ or ‘wrong’) will never be able to escape the marks (or scars, some might say) on their identity that growing up in this country has made on them.
The ‘brain drain’ is a global phenomenon, even in developed countries like Australia. It’s newspapers are filled with columns or articles on how talented Australians are choosing to leave its shores, very much like their Malaysian counterparts.
It kinda makes you wonder where everyone is really going to?
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Maybe the strengthening of the Ringgit will create an adverse effect, assuming most malaysians are the economic-rational type. If RM1=AUD1, it suddenly doesnt seem that attractive anymore. Im assuming money is the main motivater in many of our decisions. The economic performance of countries are bound attract foreign investment as well as talent. If Malaysia is performing well and one day boast a GDP larger than the US, maybe americans would want to apply for a Malaysian PR, not to mention many more indonesians and bangladeshis. However, there are a few who migrate due to political and social differences. A few, because they fell in love with a foreigner. A few, because of the weather. DAMN, its HOT here!
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Some because “monkey see, monkey do”…..
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Hi Fabian,
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation. I graduated in Engineering from the University of Melbourne ages ago, and I’m now a senior manager in an electronics manufacturer in Malaysia. I have worked as an expatriate before, and have travelled a lot in the course of a long career, but Malaysia is always my home. My take on this issue ?
No one owes us a living, we make the best of what life deals us. With the right skills and attitudes, and if you are willing to put in all your energy, you can succeed anywhere, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere. Of course, there’s the risk of failure, too, and that can happen anywhere. There are specific specialised fields where opportunities in Malaysia are limited, primitive or non-existent. I can think of advanced research in science or engineering, or the entertainment industry. But for the average guy who’s trying to make a go in the commercial or industrial world, Malaysia still offers a lot of opportunities. Sure, we always complaint about the formalised discrimination in Malaysia. And it can be a real drag on your career if you find yourself faced with a specific situation. My advice in such a situation is - make sure you keep your skills and qualifications top notch, and find other opportunities.
Western countries are officially non-discriminatory but the “colour ceiling” is invisible but real. Anybody who tells you it doesn’t exist is lying. Sure, there are specialised areas where your skin colour matters zilch, and Asians have succeeded brilliantly in fields such as research, advanced engineering and creative arts. But in the vast majority of career situations where how succesfully you manage people and how people react to you is important, the “colour ceiling” is a real barrier.
So to sum up, if you are willing to put in the effort, there are opportunities for success anywhere, including Malaysia. But there are no guarantees in life.
On the question of income disparity - of course absolute income in US or Australian dollars are vastly higher. But you have to consider purchasing power parity. A successful professional in the US lives well. A successful professional in Malaysia lives relatively well, too. The cost of everything from property to daily expenses are simply lower in Malaysia.
Cars are another matter - you could write a whole book about the distorted car market in Malaysia
As a fellow University of Melbourne graduate from years ago, I think you have a solid foundation on which to build your future, whichever country you choose to live in. Keep learning, keep upgrading. There are plenty of “soft” skills which University doesn’t teach you but are important for success. Good luck !
Kit P
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Home is where the heart is. This is so ironic, I’m actually flying home tonight! It must be a sign.
Well done fabs!
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Well what we usually hear is the we-should-have-a-pay-raise-for-talented/overeas-graduate and “it’s not their fault they wanna stay there, the incentives are clearly so much better” argument. I agree to this a hundred and one percent, but come to think of it, providing higher incentives and salaries or taxing less is gonna make them say, but for all the wrong reasons. Ok well, its not exactly BAD but “ideally” we’d want people coming back because they wanna serve Malaysia.
So I salute Fabian and others who realizes that Malaysia really can (technically) do better without the brain drain problem.
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I heart Malaysia. No place can ever replace home. Well done Fabs. And hope to see more of your work in cicak.
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I hear you, at least you’ve decided Fabian, i’m often limbo between “Yeah of COURSE im going back” to “Please why would i do that if someone will hire me here”? Frankly at a personal level, at risk of sounding braggarty, i believe that my hiriing opportunities are far better in malaysia. The degree i have from where i am will be a dime in a dozen, but with my university credentials in malaysia, it’ll be an easy hire. But then there’s the money (here) vs the familiarity (msia) issue, the discrimination in both places (frankly is being discriminated against in msia for being non-bumi worse than being discriminated against here for being foreign? One wonders.) etc etc…i dont know.
Oh and then there’s msian fooooooooooodddddd…hahaha
Well yes this is a serious issue, but food is serious too.
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what a refreshing read, fabian. thank you.
wishing you the best in your career!
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Well you’re assuming these people want to get married. If you have a chance to work in a country where the exchange rate is favorable, why not ? you can actually do the country a favor by working in another country. Here’s how it works. You work all your life in another country, say you make US$500,000. Then when you retire, you come back and all that money comes into the country. This will increase the inflow of funs into the country, and will be a good thing. So don’t think working in another country is such a bad thing.
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I think for some, the salary difference or the currency exchange rate is hardly always a crucial factor in making the decision to stay or leave Malaysia.
Sometimes, it is the feeling that Malaysia is no longer the country that you hoped and once believed it to be. The limited freedom of speech in the media, the general inefficiencies of the government that has widened the income gap, and most importantly the race-based politics that permeates almost every aspect of life. All these makes your heart ache because you know the country could be so much more if only things could change.
So you try to help - be more politically aware, actively help the community, or even exercise your vote for a new (and hopefully better) government - but things still don’t change. In fact, the state of the affairs in Malaysia has gone worse over the recent years. Crime rates have gone up, the poor still languishes, and politicians spout racial rants while waving a weapon and get scot free with it.
You may wonder, surely if we come back with the money we earned overseas, we could help fuel the economy at home. But seriously, how much of that hard-earned money will be going to the needy rakyat and how much to the privileged few sitting at the top rungs of the society?
Sure, we gotta decide where we want our kids to grow up in. But hey, you know what, maybe not in a country where schools are segregated racially, where meritocracy isn’t practiced, where the streets aren’t safe for the kids.
Yes, home is where the heart is. But sometimes, there can be a second home when all there’s left in the first home is nostalgia. It’s not that we’ve forgotten Malaysia. We just merely found another home that we feel suits our needs and believes better, at least for now.
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Guys, I am Malaysian, just chucked in my job a Professor Malaya , worked in global consulting there and here. Studied in the UK and US, got my PhD in the US on a competitive fellowship.
My advice, keep our options open. Don’t be too naive about just honing you professional skill sets while you’re in Malaysia.
The system can drain you of you of energies, sap your motivation and unless at your age you burn it off with consumerisms. But that’’s also dangerous. In the end you should be the owner of your life. House, cars etc, should not own you by tying yourself down in terms of mortgages. So please think carefully. I made the mistake of returning years ago, but thankfully I’ve a Green Card and am back now in the US
If you’re Indian Malaysian , my suggestion is please stay overseas and develop professionally and financially then go back to see for your self. But don’t return immediately. Ethnocentrism isn’t just confined to the majority indigenous, but also to the other major group.
Even hard up Brit and Ozzie expats in Malaysia will quickly learn the pecking order to marginalize you especially if you’re ethnic Indian . Why? These expats are not the best but they’re given or lured to Malaysian postings, and they will come, desperate for the jobs markets and contracts. In the 11 years I was there, I was told that skin color matters by 4 Brits , 3 Dutch men, and 3 Malays and 1 Chinese , when I was working as senior consultant for blue chip global technology consulting firm run by Malaysian Chinese in the KL office , and also my dean in a public university which lost 1.5 million dollars to a Brit university. I stayed on for my parents and yes I love Malaysia .
My Malaysian affiliations were increasingly challenged even damaged. So there you have it. Be warned and think carefully. Unlike the US, where ethnic Indians do exceedingly well amongst all ethnic groups, and where even other white expats lose out to these ethnic Indians. By all means keep Malaysia in your heart but don’t trade off difficult to come by opportunities for development here in the US.
I was idealistic but was burned severely. My idealism, innocence and passion are still there for Malaysia
The country is truly culturally and ethnically polarized. You will find the same names and people that make up the cosmopolitan chic hanging out in Bungsar, Hartamas, Damansara etc, but this gets stale and old very quickly. Its s sign of diminishing returns and a fragile and fake cosmopolitan image of Malaysia that is totally out of whack with reality. Only suits the advertisers. Obviously there is no correlation with demographic destinies of this 21 st century. So the Yasmin Ahmads and all are just as patronizing you, enjoying the a false liberal image that has been earned by sucking up to cronyism in the past and being the benefactors of the NEP.
I have published academically and once defended the NEP. Not anymore.
So be very careful, be very, very careful.
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yeah, u can bring back US500,000(depends which country u are in…countries like China has strict rules on the outflow of money). But the work done in another country may be worth more, 1000 times over if u take the multiplier effect into consideration.
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Typo above , meant professor in a Malaysian university.
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I can’t help but detect a trace of naivety I read Fabian Ooi’s article above.
He seems to be saying that the onus lies on overseas Malaysian students to come back to Malaysia in order to stem the brain drain.
I am of the opinion that the writer is missing the whole point as to the reason for this trend in emigration right now.
Take a good hard look at Malaysia’s current national policies right now. While every other country is now trying to retain their bright students (ie: Singapore, China, Europe, etc) through various policies aimed at making ‘home’ the sweeter option, the Malaysian government chooses to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the corner of its room. Pretty soon, M’sia will be well known as a source of other country’s recent immigrants.
We just can’t expect overseas students to return home after their education solely on the reason of patriotism. This has to be a 2-way thing for it to work. It’s unrealistic for the government to rely on their patriotism when in fact, many of these students are overseas courtesy of their parent’s own hard-earned money. In what way has the government assisted them in this process, pray tell? Coupled with certain government policies which doesn’t exactly help certain communities which these students belong to in a variety of fields back in Malaysia, it will be a bit much for the country to use JFK’s quote as a rationale for their student’s return:
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”
Since it seems to me that Malaysia does relatively little for some of her citizens anyway.
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I’m a Malaysian, residing in Malaysia. I’m also what many UMNO members would call ‘pendatang’. For many non-Malay Malaysians, two reasons dominate the decision to stay overseas: (1) the fear of an increasing tilt towards radical islamisation and (2) ultra-conservative racial politics.
It would be reasonable to fret over the former in view of the fact that religious authorities can just intrude into a household’s privacy or constantly take the moral highground without feeling any shame despite the hypocrisy, all in the name of religion.
In a similar vein, it would be normal to feel anxious over the state of ethnic-relations, which is perpetually in flux because non-Malays are frequently singled out as scapegoats for every failure experienced by the Malays. As such, there is always a spectre of racial riots breaking out, abetted by the youth wing of the largest political party in the country. Their recent overtures to mat rempits could be read as a desire to form an alliance that could be used as a private army to instigate race-based hate crimes.
It may have always been true that racial discrimination is present everywhere, but in developed countries, the institutional structure (judiciary etc) ranks roughly on par with the power of the state so that (at least in theory) the former can put a check on excesses of the state. On the other hand, ours is a country with a strong state and relatively weak institutions that tend to be subservient to the state. With the increasing influence of the internet and the rise of NGOs, there may be more pressure on the state to not to as they please. But it is naive to suppose that such pressures would be strong enough to moderate the state’s power. Hence, one more than frets when some representatives of the ruling party start spewing racial trash. Who then, would come to the aid of the minority groups? Who will protect them from the bloodthirsty mob?
These two issues are two of the many push factors. Naturally, I would feel inclined to stay on in the country to fight for a better Malaysia but this is one fight that I cannot win. Undoubtedly, Fabian may have been aware of such issues but judging from the tone of this posting, he is clearly ignorant of the magnitude and seriousness of such problems in the country. To decide on staying or leaving the country isn’t the same as making a decision on what to have for dinner. His pitch to Malaysians (decide where home is, set exit time frame, believe) sound as silly as the Petronas advertisements that he admires so. A more objective essay would have highlighted how it is possible or worthwhile to return home despite all its problems and whether one ought to stay on if the values one believes in no longer holds true in the home country.
One final matter. Looking at paragraphs 3-4, one reason why Malaysians made it overseas is mainly because there is a right mix of soft and hard infrastructure for their professional activities. Would, say, Prof Danny Quah (of LSE, and a Malaysian whizz kid) have reached the pinnacle of his career had he remained in, say, UM? Would Yasmin Ahmad have fared better in a more open-minded society? Clearly, ours isn’t yet a society that possesses the environment for higher intellectual and aesthetic pursuits.
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I wonder if I could be the devil’s advocate for just a moment.
For all that has been said about our discriminative policies, it was only fairly recently that it started to get worse. Even then, it only means something when compared to the favoured race.
What I mean is that, imagine if we were from Cambodia, Myanmar, even Vietnam. Even if there is no discrimination, there are also far fewer opportunities that would have allowed citizens to earn a degree from a foreign university. Only when compared to our friends from the favored race in Malaysia, we feel that we are owed something and we are bitter bacause of it. However, it is still true that had we been in another third world country, we have a good chance of doing worse.
A few people from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan or Korea that I have spoken to, had never thought of emigrating. I mean, it never cross their mind at all until I asked them, even when they hold good jobs with good prospects elsewhere.
Maybe it is strange and an uncommon thing after all. To leave and never come back. In history, this kind of mass emigration only happens when there is great famine, religious persecution and the likes, when people actually died.
Without those tragedies, going away just feels funny just because one cannot get promoted or failed to get a scholarship. Especially compared to people from Cambodia.
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As a Malaysian who is currently studying overseas, who inteds to be part of the brain drain, I find that this article is missing the point.
I was born and raised in Malaysia, but I find that I am unable to identify with my country’s values. Of the people in this country, there are those who encourage the government’s blatantly bad social and economic policies, policies responsible for the brain drain (and I mean the NEP, Syariah law, sodomy laws and anti-integration rheoric); there are people who are too apathetic to give a damn about the situation; and there are activists and politicians fighting for things to change for the better. I do not see myself identifying with any of these roles, as I would not make for a successful politician, even if we had liberal democratic values instead of the racist patriarchy that dominates.
As long as I am in Malaysia, I will have to put up with threats of racial violence against other Malaysians spouted openly at televised UMNO assemblies, live with the fact that the majority of this country is uninterested in upholding basic religious rights like renouncing Islam, and I will never be able to openly love anyone of my sex. The idea of me returning to a country which will deprive me of my rights is repulsive.
Now, you tell me, do you think I should return?
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kampongbouy,
the people of vietnam, thailand, korea and japan feel a sense of belonging. but on the other hand, if a non-Malay here criticises the government because the former truly cares for the country and does not wish it to go to the dogs, his/her actions are always seen through a racial lense (e.g. non-Malay citizen criticising a pre-dominantly Malay government). This racialisation has motivated people like ‘Msahaja’ (who writes frequently to Malaysiakini) to complain that Malaysian Chinese are troublemakers who give endless problems to the Malay-dominated government and if the Malaysian Chinese are unhappy about the state of things at home, they should leave. People like Msahaja reflects a callous school of thought that cast non-Malays as rootless immigrants who leave when things go bad. And this stereotyping hurts a lot. After countless generations of settling in the country, there is still a ‘we’ vs. ‘them’ mentality. I’ve mentioned in the previous posting, that politicians always have a tendency to blame the non-Malays for every failure suffered by the indigineous race. While on the grassroot level there is no emnity between races, fiery and racially-bigoted speeches do stir up powerful emotions of hatred. Whenever a non-Malay stands up for truth and justice, s/he is usually racially castigated. Why can’t they be seen as just another Malaysian citizen of equal status? Where is the sense of belonging?
I don’t think the other races feel that they are owed something. What they truly want is fairness and fair treatment. But that does not seem to be forthcoming. I’ve had a very bright Malay classmate who tops his form all the time. Upon finishing his SPM, he was offered a chance to go through the metriculation path to UM medical school. While we feel happy for him, this also leads us to question why a student of his calibre should be given such an easy entry route to med school. Ethically speaking, the easier route should have been reserved for the less privileged indigenous students who, through circumstances beyond his control, could not compete with others on equal ground. To give privileges to the less privileged sounds like a pretty fair deal. But to give privileges to the well-equipped and already-privileged, is baffling. Why provide more wealth to the wealthy when this only prevents one less privileged person to get a chance at education?
Lastly, you mentioned mass immigration in history. We’re seeing a different kind of diaspora here, motivated by the fact that one possesses the skills/human capital to choose the way of life best suited for oneself, and not by famine, disease etc. Such a diaspora is made possible by the greater mobility of labour brought about by globalisation. So emigrating isn’t ‘funny’. Humans are after all,homo economicus. They react to incentives (and disincentives) to make certain decisions. Given this reality, governments have to compete for human resources in a wider pool of talent. The best that they can do is to really try to attract talents, not rave and rant about why talents aren’t coming.
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Dear Lily,
I don’t dispute anything you say. However, that does not mean something cannot be done. Most people or brains nowadays see a difficult path ahead and they change course. Many wanted to go to the US for example, but had the blacks not come out in the late 60s to fight for their civil rights, I doubt Malaysians would be welcomed or feel welcomed in the US now because we are all colored people.
Fairness etc. are not always given but have to be fought for and defended. There are responsibilities that a country (not the government) ask of its people. I am afraid many Chinese Malaysians have neglected those responsibilities, especially the younger generations. Many of my friends while doing very well in their respective jobs, have zero political awareness. They just think that politics is dirty so they want to keep　their hands clean. It is of course true that we all feel powerless against all the bad things that we see happening to our country. But I hope the right course of action is not turn tail and run.
Just because others ask us to leave does not mean that we have to leave. We have the right to be here just like them. Of course, the black americans did not identify with the segregation laws or all the discriminative values of the US in the 1960s, just like we do not identify with the values of the body snatchers and the keris-wavers.
But honestly, how can we expect a group that is benefitting and that is on average poorer to come up and fight for our rights to freedom and justice? Personally, if I were a crony and can collect tolls from any one of the highways, I would just keep quiet and enjoy the ride, wouldn’t you?
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It’s hard enough as it is already for top-notch people to work in a developing country, such as Malaysia. It’s harder even when a government does whatever it can to stifle the employment of these top-notch people.
Wake up and smell the coffee people. Brain drain will not stop unless the government does something. The onus is on the government.
C’mon. This is Malaysia we’re talking about. The government sets the policies, not the people. It does what it thinks is best for the people. It does what it wants.
So, indeed, let us appeal to these ‘talents’ using well-considered 3-point plans. In fact, let us all appeal to these ‘talents’ with crys of nationalistic patriotism as well. And once they return, we can all welcome these returning graduates with crappy pay, escalating inflation, pervasive corruption and the like.
Of course how can we forget the welcome-home banners?! We should all write HUGE banners like “Welcome Home!” or “Welcome back to Malaysia” or whatever.
But really, all they would be seeing is ‘Welcome to the suck, loser’. or something to that effect.
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I agree with kampongbouy, we should stand up and fight, but not being insensitive to the otherside. I came from a generation deprived on educational opportunity. “Generally we chinese are to be blame, because our “dog attitude” of running away whenever we need to make a stand for our future generation.
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kampungbouy: “What I mean is that, imagine if we were from Cambodia, Myanmar, even Vietnam. Even if there is no discrimination, there are also far fewer opportunities that would have allowed citizens to earn a degree from a foreign university. Only when compared to our friends from the favored race in Malaysia, we feel that we are owed something and we are bitter bacause of it. However, it is still true that had we been in another third world country, we have a good chance of doing worse.”
Your reasoning is decidedly odd, to say the least. We are now talking about the Malaysian government’s inequitable treatment of its citizens, along the lines of ethnicities. Cambodians, Burmese and Vietnamese may be poorer to us comparatively at present, but that doesn’t mean that their governments are treating their citizens differently along ethnicities.
Following on, you said that:
“Even if there is no discrimination, there are also far fewer opportunities that would have allowed citizens to earn a degree from a foreign university.”
It may be that in this generation, your parents may still have been able to afford to send you overseas for your tertiary education, and thus sparing you from feeling the full brunt of Malaysia’s policies in regards to this issue. But can you be so certain that you’ll be able to repeat your parent’s success and thus be able to send your kids to foreign unis when the time comes? Many people would question the point of staying trapped in this perpetual cycle of injustice and uncertainty. Would one be willing to risk their kid’s chances for tertiary education by staying on and trying to change things for the better?
Anyway, the issue that Malaysians have more opportunities to pursue their tertiary education overseas compared to the people in those countries is besides the point. Shouldn’t we instead ask ourselves why is it that there are currently so many Malaysian students studying at overseas universities? True, like many other countries, some of those students really had always been planning to study at foreign unis, due to factors like such as increased prestige, Western-educational experience, independent living, etc. These students generally consist of wealthier students, students from ‘elite’ backgrounds (such as politician’s children who makes a beeline to institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge or Ivy League unis to further their future political careers), bright students on scholarships, etc. However, the majority of students from certain communities in Malaysia did not choose to go overseas unis for these reasons at all. Instead, they were forced to study abroad by certain policies in Malaysia regarding educational issues.
Considering the exorbitant fees that foreign unis charge foreign students, I think it’s safe to say that to those students in the last category above, they couldn’t give a rat’s ass’s about the so-called increased prestige, etc that one garners from graduating those overseas unis. They would instead be very happy to accept places to do the courses of their choice at Malaysian unis. But they are prevented from doing so by our government, and hence their regular working-class parents have to fork out humongous sums of money to enable them to obtain a tertiary education at an overseas university instead.
And, IMO, therein lies the largest problem which many student from certain communities faced every year. With no alleviation in sight at the moment.
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First off, I would like to congratulate you on your upcoming graduation in the field of engineering. Considering it is a daunting subject to read, it is quite an achievement which definitely humbles me, a local graduate of a separate field altogether.
I do not agree with this insistance from several parties that we need Malaysians living abroad to to come back. I strongly advise any Malaysian comrade of mine who is studying overseas to come home just simply because of our government.
Patriotism does not pay the bills, and it is not an excuse to force a person to sacrifice the comfort and success they have overseas, to simply serve the needs of a nation which refuses to evolve in terms of human resource.
The reason we have a brain drain when being surrounded by nations which are having high percentages of professional unemployment is baffling. However, this is the very cause of why the Malaysian administration insists on asking those abroad to come home.
The stone cold truth is that the government does not want professionals from other nations to come to Malaysia and join the professional work force. They would prefer to close the doors on legal immigrating professionals and waste time calling our citizens abroad to come home and contribute to the nation.
A ridiculous calling, if you ask me.
Our citizens overseas are thriving whereas we staying here in our own borders are on the verge of racial distrust due to the shooting foul mouths and tongues of politicians. I would rather have my countrymen contribute for the good of where they stay than come home and be scorned upon by the little napoleons of our nation’s politics.
The truth is simple. Home is wherever you are. Be it London, China, Australia, America or even Brasil, as long as you contribute to making your life and the lives around you better, I consider that a service to our nation. And we should be proud of that.
PS: And our local talents are very good. It just depends on where you look for them.
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Dear Sigma,
My point was that there are in fact two separate issues to consider when we talk about brain drain or home-coming. One, like you had rightly pointed out is racial discrimination. The second, which I tried to highlight is just plainly due to us being a 3rd world country.
If we ignore the first issue for the moment, given that our economy is still stronger than most other third world countries, we have better education for our people, in general. So, in fact, Malaysia has not been too bad towards us and maybe there is some obligations we need to perform.
Now, coming back to the first issue, we only feel the impact of the first issue when we compare ourselves to the favored race. In this case, we cannot expect this group who is benefitting and on average still poorer to fight for our rights to freedom and equality. They might sympathize with us, but those discriminated against should have taken the lead and initiative. So, basically, the same conclusion is reached just as when we neglected the first issue previously. We need to do something about it ourselves by performing our obligations towards our country, which in this sense is a struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all.
Having said that, the freedom to choose any place to live and work is an individual choice that we should respect. It is just that we should not muddle the reasoning behind this choice.
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I was educated in the late 70’s during the initial NEP era in a local Uni. Luckily for me, all students from my batch were given JPA scholarship if we failed to obtain any. From hindsight, now I wonder if I was just lucky enough to be one for the statistics.
One good thing lead to another and I was in the civil service due to the bond of the JPA scholarship. This was where good things ended. I left after serving 10 years not because of job pressure but the mistreatment that a non-bumi faces in the civil service. Let me give you some incidences that I experienced while in the civil service.
Incidence 1
There was a foreign Government offer for 2 persons to go for a 17-month specialized oversea training and one was given to me because the person selected (a Malay) had resigned and I was the next in line in that department. The other colleague selected was a non-Malay Bumiputra. While making preparation for this training, I was one day called up to see the training officer and was told that a Bumiputra has to be sent in my place and this was an instruction from JPA. I argued that the other colleague is a Bumiputra (technically speaking). I was then bluntly told that a Malay has to be sent. Eventually they could not find any one who was willing to go because the 17-month stint was too long to be away from family commitments. In the end the other colleague went alone.
Incidence 2
My department bought some new equipment and oversea factory training was one of the conditions that came with the contract. Since this equipment was bought for the department I was in, naturally I thought I would be sent for the training. Out of the blue there was a minor staff reshuffle and I was exchanged with another Malay colleague from another department and he was sent to attend the training. What infuriated me was that this colleague was leaving very soon on a Mara Scholarship to further his first degree studies in the US and everybody knew about it. Of course he left for US after coming back from the factory training. Later in my career in the civil service, two more incidences of transferring me away because of factory training occurred.
The sad part of the whole episode is that there were so few non-Malays in the civil service (even fewer now after those senior non-Malays retire) and we are not treated equally. How naĂŻve I was when I thought that I could serve my country in the civil service.
To Fabian Ooi above, please come back by all means since you have the enthusiasm to contribute positively to this country. But be prepared to face this type of “we do not need you� attitude. Welcome back and Good luck.
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This has been an extremely fascinating, if not refreshing discussion. At the same time, I am very disheartened by the harsh inequalities that exist in Malaysia.
It just so happens that I am a Malaysian Graduate in Canada, awaiting an appeal for a work permit.
I have not decided on returning home permanently, but definately look forward to any opportunities for work in North America.
For starters, I’m a musician; and it just makes sense to be in an environment that HAS a developed entertainment industry and an openness to music. My plan was to gain relevant skills in Canada for a few years, to eventually impart my experience in the Malaysian entertainment industry with a wealth of knowledge to back me up.
However, I can’t help but feel restricted in Malaysia due to the lack of civil rights and an over-emphasis on religion.
Let’s just say, a (technically categorized)Muslim with very liberal if not generally considered ‘atheist’ views(even though I am very much a spiritual person) does NOT get much freedom in Malaysia.
It’s interesting how I exist as a minority within a majority; Basically, I don’t really fit anywhere in the ‘Malaysian scheme of things’, but I am very aware and understanding of ALL cultural viewpoints.
I want to change Malaysia, but my ideal Malaysia might not be accepted by all Malaysians. I am a firm believer in racial equality(the idea of race, is a constructed one; we’re all humans!), and freedom of religion, so as it does not impose or harm other individuals.
I just wish Malaysians could eventually realize that we DO have an extremely distinct Cultural Identity that binds us regardless of race/religion.
Unfortunately, the Brits with their colonial ‘legacy’, have left us with a very messy situation, as we are currently experiencing its direct repercussions.
As such, I can’t see myself raising kids in such a polarized and problematic environment, but then again, I was raised in Malaysia, so maybe it is viable…?
Expect the worst, and hope for the best.
I believe that ‘Nationalism’ is a constructed boundary that doesn’t really exist, but our cultural experience within our ‘cultural past’(personally,historically)and ‘cultural present’ are what truly make us ‘Malaysian’, regardless of where we reside.
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kampongbouy,
you are either naive or very naive in your unrealistically optimistic appraisal of the current situation in the country, which is dire.
you talk at great lengths about fighting. my challenge to you is to ask a simple question of ‘how to fight’? let’s have some strategy on how one can tackle discrimination and injustice, shall we? waxing lyrical about staying on to help the country, will not sound convincing at all. at best, empty talk is as beautiful as a mushy love song. at worst, it sounds as bad as the rhetoric that our not so liberal racist politicians are so wont to hurl out liberally.
you may realise that there is a limit to how much one can fight for one’s rights in the country. after all, the effectiveness with which one can fight depends on the strength of one’s political voice. and the strength of one’s political voice, is a function of numbers. you have mentioned that the Malays will not side with us. therefore, the only source of support is ourselves. however, even as I am typing this response, the non-Malays are being out-bred by the Malays, given the high birth rates of the latter. very soon, you’re going to find yourself fighting alone, much alike the little Gaulish village surrounded by hostile Roman camps in the Asterisk comics. when that time comes, you may like to die a hero. one word on equality or justice will bring hordes of ultras and right wing extremists (on amok) on you.
you mentioned the civil rights movement in the US. no doubt, the fact that continued and persistent pressure on the administration actually resulted in fairer treatment of the minority race. but i feel more affinity to the circumstances in Liang Yu-sheng’s novel: Seven Swords of Tianshan. In the story, seven valiant heroes left their mountain retreat to fight for their country against the marauding Manchurian invaders. In the end, the battle was lost. The Manchu (Qing) dynasty fell not because it caved in to pressure from rebels. It fell because the government imploded. Hence, the rationale that many non-Malays are leaving the country. They saw that it was much better to wait for a corrupt and inefficient government to implode than to stay and fight a losing battle.
There will always be 3 groups of non-Malay Malaysians: (1) those who stay and prefer to remain apolitical because reading about the rubbish in mainstream media just makes them want to puke. They are the reason why participation in elections are below 100%,(2) those who stay and continue fighting for their rights, which are not necessarily safeguarded by the constitution since the judiciary is always beholden to the strong (and if I may add, prone to racist stance) government; these people fight a losing battle, and finally(3)those who leave the country to escape any prospect of persecution that may end in violence (read: recurrence of May 13).
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Dear Lily lover of long kungfu novels,
If you are wondering what you can do, perhaps reading this article might help.
http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/12/dedicated-educator-ii.html
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It is very interesting to note that even here there are lines of division among race, especially when there was not a mention of racial tendencies in the graduates overseas who insists on working there.
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kampongbouy,
first of all, i am not a lover of wuxia novels. i just happen to read alternative pop literature, that’s all
secondly, you have not answered my question. i agree that one can do something for the community, but my primary concern is the erosion of civil rights in terms of racial cannibalisation and subtle religious persecution. what can you do about these two big issues?
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Aput,
It is hard to de-racialise anything Malaysian because racial division forms the very foundation of our society. It has also been the source of power abuse, corruption and social injustice. Thus, it has to be reformed/remedied before one can move forward. Judging by how social issues are unfolding, it is very obvious that the old social order (social contract, if you will) is growing more irrelevant as globalisation cements its hold on how the world works.
But it is impossible to get a grip on how this social contract can be improved for the benefit of all Malaysians, for the simple reason that those who hope for this reform are in the minority. As I have mentioned, this minority is shrinking relative to the majority who do not support reform. The reason for the lack of support is because they are not empowered to do so, since the majority are still impoverished. And they will remain impoverished because they are the pawns with which the UMNO-led government perpetuate the status quo. Hence, my pessimism and cynicism over those who think that we can still fight for big improvements in how things are run. What compounds my fear is that there is no stopping the UMNO-led government from using physical threats and violence to achieve their objectives.
The only way to survive in this country, is to remain apathetic and compromise one’s ideals and values. Kampongbouy’s recommended that I see this link: http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/12/dedicated-educator-ii.html
After reading the contents in the link, my conclusion is that one can do charitable work for society. But charitable work does not even scatch the surface of a bigger issue: how to create a new social contract and political culture that is blind to race and religion. Charitable work does not remove the threat of racial riots breaking out. Charitable work fails to address the injustices that result from the discrimination of a poor bumiputera in favour of a rich, well-connected bumiputera. These are issues that the ordinary citizens cannot addressed because they are not able to do so. There is simply no room or channel for such grouses to be aired. One more word of dissent, and the ISA/threats of riots will be issued to the dissenter. Question is, does one want to live in this kind of environment?
Then again, one can continue doing charitable work that beneifts society and ‘keep one eye closed’ to larger political issues. If that’s how one wants to live, then staying on is fine.
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Nice article. I wonder if my efforts would be appreciated if I were to return home to work in Malaysia. 2 reasons; Malaysia does not seem to care too much about research in the biological field (not to mention major researches in the field was done by overseas researchers) which I think is a shame as we have such a rich biodiversity. Next, I am not a descend of the natives, so I am not too optimistic about government support.
Regarding the issue of whether one would feel “welcomed” working in another country, come to think of it, I never did felt “welcomed” back home in Malaysia too. “You tak suka, you keluar” from our beloved politician seemed very welcoming. That is just one of the many examples.
I agree with Lily on the matter of staying outside and wait for the corrupt government to collapse. With the amount of corruption and racial discrimination, one might wonder how long will the government last.
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dearest elegant lily,
You do know you are talking about the ‘racial injustices’ which were agreed upon by all our ancestors. I hope you have this in mind whenever we bring about this discussion.
Sure, the social contracts are slowly being ripped apart due to the coming of the globalisation period, but let’s discuss fairly. UMNO, MCA, MIC, they are all to blame, and they all control certain sectors in our country’s governance. So the term UMNO-led government? Switch it to BN-led government, okay?
Just who exactly is the majority and minority? Last time I checked, the Malaysian populous only brought up race as a controversy whenever their families wanted to marry inter-racially, and that was only in one of those dramas on television.
The only reason it becomes racial, is because the people buy into race, can we agree on this? So how do we stop this? How do we stop race politics, a strategy which was used since the British governed the country?
A social contract is still a contract, a binding document, even if it was signed many years ago by dead ancestors whose plight now lay forgotten by certain leaders of our country.
No disrespect to Onn Jaafar, but his grandson is a nutter.
There is always room for grouses to be aired, but none the thing is nothing is being done about the corruption. The bloody blatant corruption of our leaders are gone unchallenged because of the absence of proof and courage to challenge them.
There is always the fear, even when the ISA has not been used in 3 years, other than in the case of what happened in Johor, outside a prison.
You ask how one can live in such an environment? Well, we live in fear. Now answer me this.
Are you daring enough to go gather evidence, find people to testify, and then drag an MP to court on charges of corruption, and hope that justice be served, or will you continue bitching about it here and continue so until we all agree and then drop the subject altogether?
Why not start with the one-eyed Sauron from Jasin.
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dearest elegant lily,
You do know you are talking about the ‘racial injustices’ which were agreed upon by all our ancestors. I hope you have this in mind whenever we bring about this discussion.
Sure, the social contracts are slowly being ripped apart due to the coming of the globalisation period, but let’s discuss fairly. UMNO, MCA, MIC, they are all to blame, and they all control certain sectors in our country’s governance. So the term UMNO-led government? Switch it to BN-led government, okay?
Just who exactly is the majority and minority? Last time I checked, the Malaysian populous only brought up race as a controversy whenever their families wanted to marry inter-racially, and that was only in one of those dramas on television.
The only reason it becomes racial, is because the people buy into race, can we agree on this? So how do we stop this? How do we stop race politics, a strategy which was used since the British governed the country?
A social contract is still a contract, a binding document, even if it was signed many years ago by dead ancestors whose plight now lay forgotten by certain leaders of our country.
No disrespect to Onn Jaafar, but his grandson is a nutter.
There is always room for grouses to be aired, but none the thing is nothing is being done about the corruption. The bloody blatant corruption of our leaders are gone unchallenged because of the absence of proof and courage to challenge them.
There is always the fear, even when the ISA has not been used in 3 years, other than in the case of what happened in Johor, outside a prison.
You ask how one can live in such an environment? Well, we live in fear. Now answer me this.
Are you daring enough to go gather evidence, find people to testify, and then drag an MP to court on charges of corruption, and hope that justice be served, or will you continue bitching about it here and continue so until we all agree and then drop the subject altogether?
Why not start with the one-eyed Sauron from Jasin.
And to the dearest Guo, well, go ahead and stay outside. You see, unlike you or lily here, I only have a second-class upper degree from a local university in Malaysia. Adding to that, I have the word ‘Ahmad’ in my name.
In today’s world, everyone hesistates to hire such people.
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Aput,
Talking about BN-led government, have you ever watched those parlimant session videos? It seems that someone has turned off both MIC and MCA’s microphones and it is only UNMO who is arguing. Sure is a mystery.
Do not mistake me as a racist. I have my upmost respect for Malays. If I don’t how could so many of my buddies be Malays? It is the government I am doubtful about. Look up ‘Malaysian Parliament’ in youtube. Though they are just a small number of videos and I do not take them to be an accurate representation of our parliament, what some of the MPs mentioned there undeniably reflected their respect towards the other races.
Now, let me ask you Aput, what are you going to do amidst this strife our dear country is experiencing? Or are you pretty much content with the way the country is?
Also, the issue of race is not only brought up by inter-racial marriage. Another well-known but less publicized matter is the government scholarship.
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Guo,
I never took you for a racist in the first place. So what if you have a bunch of Malay friends? Doesn’t actually mean you’re not a racist at all, it proves nothing. There are many ways at being racist. To hold your cultural beliefs, language, your race, above others is deemed racist.
Everyone’s a racist to a point. It’s just how major or minor an issue we make it that sticks out.
On what I do about the strife in our country, I’ll talk about it with anyone who’ll listen, and I’ll write about every single wrong move they make to the editors of every newspaper, except The Sun. Haven’t manage to write them yet.
I am not content, but as I pointed out I don’t actually have a choice like you have, to go out of the country to work.
As for the issues of government scholarships, it is a daft issue to begin with because we started it off with the concept of quotas, and have yet to shift to meritocracy, thanks to Jaafar Onn’s keris weilding, maniacal grandson.
It is truly biased, but then, I have no idea on what basis the scholarship system started in the first place.
Was there an agreement on racial quotas by the government coalition? I don’t know, do you?
However, considering that they will be starting a blog about the next bluprint for the country’s education, perhaps you would consider bringing the matter up there.
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Dear Lily,
I find it strange that you refer to the work from the educationblog as charity. I disagree that it is charity. It is nation-building, it is education, it is a lot of things BUT charity. By classifyinng this kind of work as mere charity, you are framing the question such that there will be no answer. The charity you might be thinking of are mostly done by the politically organized Malaysian Charity Association, not individuals like this.
First, to find answers to your 2 questions. To look for answers mean that we assumed that solutions to the questions exist. Basically, your 2 questions is but one question if I am allowed to generalize. That is how does can a minority affect change in a society like Malaysia where the majority dominates. A majority with increasingly differing values, if I might add.
I have been considering this question for some time. Maybe we can share our thoughts.
I think, in the end, whether there can be any solution to the question depends on our most basic believes about human nature. In this case, the human nature of the Malays in Malaysia.
For example, if we were to take the most ideal Islamic state promised by the most idealistic modern Malaysian Muslims (i.e. propaganda catered for the non-Muslims) at face value, we would be guaranteed every right and every freedom that even the minorities in the land of the free would envy. If this most idealistic of ideals can be assumed, your question is answered. Change is brought on through more religion instead of less.
But I am not a Muslim so I don’t buy that. However, that fantasy does bring in sight a possible solution.
Does injustice not offend Malays too? Are their sense of justice different from ours? Would they propagate injustice if it is presented in a clear, understandable and unambiguous manner?
I believe that the Malays are no different from the other races in their moral believes. Injustice offends them too. In fact, if you take a random personal sample of taxi drivers in KL and measure their likelihood of overcharging you as a yardstick on their basic belief in justice; my personal experience favors the Malays.
When faced with information on injustice, how would they react? Would they just remain silent and passive? Would they actively condemn acts of injustice? Would they support efforts for more justice?
On this, I think how they would react depend on: First, the severity of injustice (like punching a defenseless prisoner). Second, the relationship or connection between them and the wronged party. And third, the perceived conduct/righteousness of the wronged party. Finally, sad but, also on how it would affect them in all manners, including materialistically or otherwise.
So in summary, I think that positive change could be brought about by more information, exchanges and understanding (example, must communicate in Malay to masses). It can also be brought about by encouraging closer ties, personal or societal, building bridges etc. It can also be brought about with a vision of shared destiny (we are all rowing a boat advert.). And many other ways such as giving IT skills training school kids regardless of race.
What I think will not work are actions such as: Day-dreaming that Malays who are on average poorer, to actively fight for our rights to freedom and justice, while we concentrate our energies on making more money overseas or locally.
Being so afraid that we are the minority and that we might be slaughtered en-masse to communicate our grievences and to uphold justice.
Waiting for implosion to happen.
Happy new year to everyone.
KB
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actually the taxi driver part is not clear, I meant to say from my personal and limited experience of taking taxis, Malay taxi drivers are less likely to overcharge.
KB
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Actually, I have only one question for you folks out there.
You talk about racial discrimination and distrust, but when was the last time Malaysians took to the streets to chop each other up?
Humour me, will you, when was the last time the English, the French and the Aussies did just that?
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the last racial incident in Malaysia was in KJ a few years back, when a Hindu funeral clashed with a Malay wedding. it was not fully highlighted in the media, but if I recall correctly, deaths numbered around 4 to 6 people.
The English are well known for hooliganism, they don’t kill, they beat people up. Same goes in Aussieland, where there were cases of hooliganism between the Arabs and the Aussies 2 years ago.
Am I humoring you enough?
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“it was not fully highlighted in the media, but if I recall correctly, deaths numbered around 4 to 6 people”
This is fun. You say that it was not highlighted in the media, yet you say that you recall 4 or 6 deaths. Heresay?
“The English are well known for hooliganism, they don’t kill, they beat people up.”
Ah, so its okay that racial riots exist, so as long as you ONLY beat people up and don’t kill anyone? But actually you might want to check your facts first. People did die.
Maybe you should talk to the Pakistanis and Indians in the UK. You know, if you want to talk about racial issues, we can humour each other till the cows come home, yet it doesn’t make racial discrimination right. All I am saying is that Malaysians who complain that this country discriminates against their skin colour doesn’t know what actually goes on in other countries.
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This is fun. You say that it was not highlighted in the media, yet you say that you recall 4 or 6 deaths. Heresay?
Witness testimony. Brother works in that area. The occurence lasted for about a week, and one of the bodies were found in front of his office building, covered with newspapers.
Sure, people did die due to hooliganism, but it was not labelled as racially descriminatory by the police. Except for the incident in Australia. In the UK, they won’t label it as racial hooliganism.
All you are saying is that Malaysians don’t know what racial descriminations are going on in other countries.
All these guys are saying that racial descrimination should not be written into law and constitution.
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Right.
So I am to listen tou your story and your brother’s story of that so-called death racially motivated death in Malaysia. But on the other hand, you are saying that when people die in the UK, it is up to the police to decide.
And if you think those riots in the UK weren’t racially motivated, you might want to give some thought into reading up on the Birmingham and Oldham riots. And you still neglect to mention France.
I am not saying racial discrimination is acceptable just because it happens everywhere. All I am saying is that before you people dare to claim that you are discriminated against in this country, or that you are ‘afraid’ of returning because of racial issues, you people would do well to realise that you are not going to run away from racial issues anywhere in the world.
And speaking of this ‘afraid’ issue, it cheeses me off everytime I hear a Malaysian say, “I am afraid to return home”. I say, “RUBBISH.” You did spend your first 18 years here, didn’t you? Afraid of what? Do you think the rest of us walk around here living and trembling in fear?
Quite simply, if one chooses not to return, if working overseas and living overseas is a means of fulfilling your dreams and ambitions, so be it. If money is the reason, again, so be it. No one is begrudging you on your choice of how you choose to live your life. You don’t owe anybody an excuse or a justification. Just don’t feel guilty and don’t feel the need to explain your reasons and end up giving stupid excuses.
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You don’t have to listen to anyone, just research it yourself. and yes, france is quite well known for racial riots.
Oldham and Birmingham recorded no deaths, although the Birmingham riot was triggered by the death of one Isaiah Young-Sam,23. I admit, both seem to be racially descriminatory.
It is true that they should not make excuses, and no one is begrudging them for choosing a more comfortable life overseas.
However, like I have pointed out before, racial descrimination should not be lawful and constitutional. Although the Bumiputera Priveleges were designed to help the poor and needy Bumiputeras, it is currently being abused by the greedy, the selfish and the rich.
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[…] y adults’ indifference Defending apathy Vote for the People’s Choice Award! We need you, young Malaysians abroad!
[…]
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Dear Fabian,
there is no point come back here, since you are young..why not try to see the world. Do you want to work here n pay your tax to those clowns who wasted our hard earn money? . Do they(government) really need you?.Your family needs you…they need u to open your eyes ..see the world….
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I am another malaysian abroad in the midst of confusion whether or not to return home. A pay-cut is definitely a problem for us youngsters as i dont see what my country has really done for us. we read about news of racism in malaysia, scholarship matters for malays, quota system for university intakes, we, being a non-malay are really frightened, the idealistic vision of returning in home country is crashing down, feeling no sense of warmth from our nations.
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“It is hard to de-racialise anything Malaysian because racial division forms the very foundation of our society.” [Can’t remember who said that, I’ve read so many comments and have lost track]
I do not tolerate racism of any kind and I am not racist. As in, I do not believe that one person is better than another simply because of their skin and heritage. But my beliefs, it seems, are not shared by the government.
Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that Bumis have far more privileges than the ‘orang China, Orang India dan lain-lain’ in our society. This does not really bother me at the moment because it does not really affect me directly as I am
a)not applying for a scholarship
b)still young and my parents are the ones who are out in the working world, buying property etc. All of which the Malays have an advantage.
The privileges were given to the Malays long ago when the social and financial gap between the blue-collared local Malays and the more affluent Chinese immigrant merchants was discerningly huge.
The gap, as far as I can see, has pretty much closed. There is no more need for the special treatment that the Bumis have enjoyed for far too long.
Like I said, I don’t really care that the Malays benefit from certain perks just because of their skin. Maybe one day, when I’m older and will have to venture out into the Real World, it WILL matter. But by then… I doubt I’d still be living in Malaysia.
Oh, I do love Malaysia, and always will. The food, the sights, the sounds, the people, the excessive amount of holidays we seem to have…
But as a friend of mine says: ‘There is no place in Malaysia for the non-Islamic’.
Cynical. But aptly put.
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Edit to one of my paragraphs as it did not convey my thoughts properly and might be misconstrued.
I do not tolerate racism of any kind and I am not racist. As in, I do not believe that one person is better or worse/deserves more or less than another simply because of their skin and heritage. But my beliefs, it seems, are not shared by the government.
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I’m currently studying at UniMelb as well and will be graduating in August next year. My peers have asked me why I’m not staying to get an Aussie PR. I said, “It’s just where my heart is”. I’ve never felt comfortable in Australia due to racist pressures - seriously, back home in the kopitiams, you’d see old Chinese, Malay and Indian folks talking together. Here, it’s all only the Greeks, Anglos, or Italians sitting in their own national/racial group. Plus I’ve been the target of so many racial slurs. While yes, the money isn’t great for a fresh undergrad in Malaysia, Malaysia (and Asia in general) is the place to be if you want to start climbing in the corporate world. Asia’s fast becoming the world’s supercontinent (hey to China and India). You can’t climb the corporate ladder in Australia, where it’s so out of the way, has so few natural resources, and doesn’t encourage people to make themselves stand out for a promotion. It’s so natural that we need to accomplish things to warrant a promotion or bonus, right? In Australia, doing that is called ‘tall poppy syndrome’, and people think you’re being arrogant and self-centered. Sigh…
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Hi, i’ve been working in UK for almost 6 years. But my heart is still in the piece of land where i’m born…malaysia. Racist happended in every country whether it’s developed or non-develop. If there are choices for me to choose a country where i’m going to work but no matter how best is your performance you still get discriminated, i will choose Uk as i think it will be worth more…in money and return form.
At this moment, my hope is on the coming election….i hope the final result will bring a huge revolution to malaysia future- a fair and bright future.
I will then plan for my journey back to my land…
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