from malaysiakini website -Letters to editor

Blame directed wrongly

Alvin Yeoh
Penang
5:40pm Fri Jan 31st, 2003

I refer to Pro-Assimilation's letter Hands off bumiputera policy.

As a Chinese Malaysian eloquent in English and Malay but not in Mandarin, I too am denied opportunities of working in companies that advertise jobs stipulating "Mandarin/Chinese speaking preferred".

I do not complain about this as I realise that the advertisers do not mean to discriminate non-Chinese Malaysians but had to place this requirement based o­n the realities of their businesses. If the company does business in China/Taiwan or if their customer base is mostly Chinese-speaking Malaysians, would it not make more sense for them to hire a person who speaks and reads the language?

The issue with the bumiputera policy is not about comparing rich Malay Malaysians with poor Chinese Malaysians or rich Chinese Malaysians with poor Malay Malaysians. The issue is when the policy creates rich Malay Malaysians who become richer and richer while the poor Malay Malaysians and other Malaysians remain poor.

I do not think any Malaysian will gripe if the policy helps poor Malays obtain an education so that they are able to improve their lives and the lives of their families. But they will surely object when a Mercedes-owning Malaysian's son or daughter (whether Malay, Chinese, Indian or whatever race) is given scholarships to study abroad.

Pro-Assimilation states that the Malays will be angry, harbour hatred and jealousy if the non-Malays succeed because they are a favoured race. Actually I find this idea laughable because it is the opposite that is happening - the Malay Malaysians are the favoured race.

Malay Malaysians should not be angry with their non-Malay brethrens if they remain poor despite the bumiputera policy. They should be angry instead at the policies that ensure that the riches of the country are not equitably shared out among the poor Malays themselves as well as the poor of the other races. It is o­nly when policies are implemented right to balance the inequalities in our society that we will be able to remove all threats of unhappiness, hatred and jealousy.