“Alcoholics Anonymous” (AA) will only work with those who approach the organisation, of their own volition. AA will not help those who are referred by family members or friends.
The same is probably true of other addictions. If the person who is affected wants to seek treatment, he can only do so, if he wants to cure his problem. Others cannot do it for him, and it will be a waste of time to encourage him to seek a cure. That person must do it himself.
A parent who spoils his children will find that they will never become independent. When they do not get what they want, they will blame others. This has happened to many Malays.
Whilst it is true that the affirmative action policies have created an enormous Malay middle class, it is a pity that many of the middle-class Malays are also silent about the many injustices and abuses of power.
Malays betray other Malays
A Malay lady, who runs a successful business overseas said, “The people who are betraying the Malays, are the Malays themselves.”
Hers has been the most frank admission I have heard from another Malay. Just think about it. Who robbed the taxpayers of their hard earned cash? FELDA? Tabung Haji? Who took the money which should have paid for the milk meant for poor pupils in schools?
On the other hand, in the previous week , three successful, professional Malays, living in Malaysia, told me that the non-Malays should not demand too much, if they wanted to live in Malaysia.
It appears that Pakatan Harapan has a lot of rehabilitation to do, especially among the Malays.
Not exactly the three musketeers, but the three Mansors…
Poor Image
Prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has been vocal about his criticism of the Malays. He has called them lazy and accused them of seeking the easy way out. Is he right?
In November 2018, the Terengganu police chief boasted that the state has no gangsterism problem, because the state is overwhelmingly Malay. Aidi Ismail claimed that the community showed respect towards figures of authority, like village elders, village chiefs and imams because the state population comprised 97-per-cent Malays.
Why is Aidi so shallow? What did the Malays say about large scale corruption, the high rates of pornographic internet viewing on the east coast, the drug taking, the rates of incest and the high percentage of people infected with sexually transmitted dieseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS in the area? The 1MDB has its origins in the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA). The former disgraced prime minister, Najib Abdul Razak brought Malaysia to its knees.
The Malay social fabric is at risk of disentangling. Religion has not managed to reduce the drug taking, incestuous relationships, teenage pregnancies or big-scale corruption and theft of public money. The majority of Malay women are afraid to speak out against child marriages or polygamy. Unlike in other Asian countries, few Malays stage public demonstrations demanding the authorities immediate action, when a girl is gang raped. Did the Malays bother to protest when they heard that their pilgrimage fund (Tabung Haji) had been looted? No! Many Malays scream about Malay rights, but keep silent about the great heist of the Pilgrimage Fund (Tabung Haji), the theft of tax payers’ money by their Umno-Baru leaders. The high wages paid by the former, disgraced PM, Najib Abdul Razak to his cronies which he hand picked to lead various GLCs and public institution.
Feudal streak
When Dr Mahathir, or any member of royalty, chides the Malays for being lazy or for wishing to be more Arab, and forsake their cultural heritage, most Malays would nod in agreement.
When ordinary Malays admonish other Malays, in more or less the same manner as the titled or privileged, many Malays get worked up and words like “traitor”, “forgotten his roots” or “heathen” are hurled at them.
Why is this? Why won’t the Malay community accept criticism from a fellow Malaysian, but will nod, bow, scrape and agree, with those who are often described as “somebody in society”? Is the feudal streak in the Malay, so deeply entrenched?
When a non-Malay comments about a vile practice, which has no place in modern Malaysia, such as child marriage, the Malays are quick to threaten the non-Malays with execration, or violence.
Perhaps, Dr. Mahathir should have added that there are many Malays who are intelligent, hard-working and amiable, but the ones who get in the news are those who shout the loudest about maintaining the affirmative action policies and their special rights.
Has Dr. Mahathir finally realised that decades of affirmative action policies have caused many of the problems which affect our society, especially among the Malay community? Why won’t he end these policies?
Malays are easily influenced
Ever since the 1970s, the Malay mind has been a fertile ground for Umno-Baru to sow the seeds of self-doubt. The Malays have been brainwashed into believing that they are weak, that their religion is ineffective, and that the Umno-Baru brand of Islam is better. These tactics keep the Malay ignorant and feeling inferior.
The Malay is inundated, daily, with the emotional baggage of race, religion and royalty. Is it any wonder that his confidence is eroded.
The only way that the Malay can challenge those who call him lazy, indolent and prone to blame, is to prove, by his actions, that these criticisms do not apply to him. For proof, he can look to his fellow Malays who left for pastures overseas, and thrived without the crutches of the NEP and other affirmative action policies.
I don’t think Malays can help themselves. Yes they have helped themselves to all the money they can find. But moving up the ladder of success and accomplishments, that is another cup of tea altogether. If Malays could help themselves in this manner, they would have done so 60 yrs ago. In fact, the Chinese are helping them, by providing the tax returns, etc so that malays can have their handouts etc. Malays will not agree to do away with their special rights etc. Why should they. Their predecessors made it rich, powerful etc by helping themselves to the loot they found everywhere and not by intellectual and other accomplishments. In my time, there was blatant cheating in the public universities. Now they are told to work harder, accept higher passing marks, etc. Why should they. They still insist on having the old ways. They cannot see the folly of the old ways. The country has been brought to its knees and are laggard in just about everything. So how do the malays make the change? They will be forced to do so by external forces. Sad, but will happen because of the years of cheating, bluffing themselves, dumbing down their kind etc. has destroyed their spirit and soul. They can make a lot of noise and expand a lot of heat, but that’s about the only thing they can do.
mak cik susah lah! sudah hidup selama begini…nak tukar , ooooi sakit tu!
You have raised many pertinent issues in your article which are not new. These are issues which have been raised repeatedly but have not been honestly and sincerely answered. What you said about the two-tiered conception of how Malays allude to criticisms from eminent persons and from their own peers or others is interesting and this is only too true!! This is evident from their reactions. See how vehemently they react when such criticisms are levelled at their race!! All hell breaks loose!! This tells me that they are a highly agitated people.
You also stated that three successful Malay entreprenuers (if you can call them that!!) reportedly said that non-Malays in this country should not demand too much. Non-Malays demanding too much?? C.mon, let’s face it, who’s doing the demanding?? Please ask yourself this frankly! You just have to look around to answer this question!! In this matter we’re again talking about race-based politics. Why bring up the Malay agenda again?? Whatever happened to the MALAYSIAN identity? Isn’t that what PRU14 is all about? I mean, even if the nons were to make demands, haven’t they the right to do that after all they are born and bred in this country? They have just as much rights to make demands as the Malays have. Is that then so wrong? Those three people need to change their political perceptions! That’s the trouble with this country – too much COMMUNAL POLITICS!! If you ask me, it’s about time we did away with this, after more than 6 decades of it!!
Then there’s that bit about the poor image of the Malays. I mean, c’mon, your image is what YOU make it! Nobody else can do it for you. Good or bad, it’s your own doing, right? So what’s the grouse? Here let me relate a conversation I had with my former boss one day while we were on outstation duty. As we looked out at the surrounding kampong scenery, he pointed out to me and said, ‘Michael, do you see that buffalo in the padi-field, wallowing in the mud? It has been doing that for decades and even so today.’ My former boss was non-Malay and that was his image of the Malays. Of course, he has also acclaimed honest, diligent Malays, but that was the general perception of the people. I could give you myriad examples of this image, but the important thing in all this is – MINDSET !!! If the Malays do not change their mindset, then, as you say, ONLY THE MALAYS CAN HELP THEMSELVES!! Nobody else can!!
Finally, Malays are easily influenced. How true this is! You don’t have to go far to see this. Just look around you and you can see the answer for yourself. The recent anti-ICERD rally was good enough!! I mean, what were they rallying about, milling about the city like a herd of mindless buffaloes?? They didn’t even have the slightest idea of what ICERD was all about. Just because some simpleton came up with the idea that it was something good to kick up a fuss about, the rest of the HERD just went for it!! HERD MENTALITY!! TA’ DAK OTAK!! I think I’ve said enough, and thanks for allowing me space to give my comments.