By Yin
Editor’s note: Yin’s heartwrenching plea must be the saddest piece written thus far…
Yin: In all the betrayals, counter betrayals, bluffs and counter bluffs it is very clear that the non-Malays do not count.
This is a Malay fight for Malay interests among Malay politicians, like they are the only ones in this country. The non-Malays do not count – they never did for a very long time now.
When the dust settled, it has become clear that the Malays (most of them anyway) has achieved what they wanted all along – A Malay Nation Governed by Malays for the Malays.
The Perikatan Nasional Cabinet, is entirely a Malay Party (with a few token non Malays).
I wonder what is going through the non-Malay minds. They must be thinking:
“…I won’t stay where I am not wanted even though it is my birthright to do so. You have made it abundantly clear – not once, not twice but for sixty years. You discriminate against me at every turn, you discriminate against my children and I dare say you will discriminate against my grandchildren. We will always be second class. Good enough to pay most of the taxes that run the country; good enough to provide the services needed to keep things going; good enough to put our lives on the line to serve the country but not good enough to be treated as an equal citizen.
Yes I know we have to sacrifice in the name of ‘affirmative action’ so that the Malays can catch up. I believed it and was all for it. But sixty two years later there is still no end to it – in fact it’s getting worse.
But since you do not want me in this country, I leave you to steal from each other and stab each other in the back.
We are not beggars and we are not prostitutes like you call us; we are not guests. Our ancestors left a poor country to seek a better life. We have helped build the railroads in the United States, worked on the gold mines in Australia. In very country we have been to we have contributed to it economically and have not caused trouble. Swettenham was reputed to have said that the Chinese are the easiest people to govern; they cause very little trouble, they work hard and contribute to the economy of the country.
When the Chinese got rich they opened hospitals and donated to schools all of which benefitted every community. Even the Perak Chinese Maternity Hospital (despite its name) was opened to all communities without discrimination. What about the Loh Guan Lye, Lam Wah Ee, Seventh Day Adventist hospital, Fatimah Hospital (largely from Chinese donations)– all are open to every race and religion. We donated to the national mosque, a Chinese doctor (Muslim) built a mosque in Ipoh We wanted to be part of the community.
We want to be part of the country as full and equal citizens but you do not want that. You want us only as second class citizens. You want us for what you can get out of us and nothing more.
There’s a limit. Enough is enough. We too have our dignity which is built on honest hard work. If we don’t make it we don’t blame anyone else but ourselves and we double up to work harder and smarter next time.
You on the other hand blame us and everyone else for your lack of application and you stretch your hand out for money – most of which have been provided by the very people you want to kick out (Mahathir’s own word that the Chinese pay the bulk of the taxes).
I told my children not to be angry about being discriminated against when they could not get into public univeristies or get a government job. I assured them that it was only a temporary thing – part of the affirmatiive action. Have they to lie to their children too.
How many tears must I wipe away when my children cannot get into the football team because they are of the wrong colour. How do you console those who climbed Everest and their prime minister only congratulated them as an after thought. You know full well if it were Malays they would have all got titles and money.
How do you feel when your idea is rejected by your own country and another country benefits from it. Every time you take a Grab think about that; every time you use a pendrive think about that.
We are discriminated against in every facet of public life.
We have to work doubly hard to be recognised; or to be successful in business.
We cry out to be full citizens of this country. The country we were born in and the country we want to die in. Yet you push us away at every turn.
You would rather accept an Indian fugitive preacher and give him land; hand out Blue ICs to Muslims from another country when those born here cannot get one because they lack a piece of paper...”
I used to criticise those who left . I used to urge those who remained to stay and fight. Now I am not so sure anymore; and if I am not convinced myself how do I convince others?
While I won’t ask every Chinese to leave; unlike before, I won’t persuade them to stay either. I can’t keep selling them a nightmare and tell them it is a dream.
Now that there is an All Malay Government there is no one else the Malays can blame but themselves. With the Malay leaders busy backstabbing each other who is going to govern the country?
Let’s see where the country heads – to the Fourth World as an Islamic Nation is my guess.
In which case the non-Malays don’t need my coaxing. They will leave in droves and with them the liberal Malays.
For a moment in 2018 I thought there was a glimmer of hope after GE14; all that changed with the recent coup d’etat. But even then; the head of PH was a self professed Malay First prime minister.
Those who think that the future generation Malays will be different and that with them will come a true Malaysian nation; should think again.
A young Malay friend of mine (young enough to be my grandson) in one of our discussions said that “Religion is the most important thing in the education system” and that Muslims and non-Muslims cannot be brothers/sisters.
How do you convince others like him about the need for a Malaysian nation. He (and those of his generation) are a product of the national school system. They are the ones who will run the country.
I had a dream that ours will be a rainbow nation where everyone is accepted. Where a person is judged on his merit and his contribution but not on the colour of his skin or how he worships. But that is not to be.
Despite all this, I hold my Malay friends no grudge or anger. I just feel sorry for them.
We can move away and seek our fortune and a new home elsewhere where we will be welcomed and treated as equal citizens. We will contribute our hardwork to that country; like our forefathers have done here.
You on the other hand cannot leave because of the education system and the “entitllement” mentality your Malay leaders have brainwashed you with.
Of course we want to stay; but only as equal citizens. No more Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra – just Malaysians.
Together we can make this country great – pooling our talents together. Trusting each other; helping each other; accepting each other.
It’s up to you (my Malay friends) what it is to be, because you call the shots. The fate of the country is in your hands.
My fate is in mine; do not think that I have to take this apartheid any longer. Six decades is a long time.
Please tell me you want me to stay.
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(The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rebuilding Malaysia.)
By Yin,
Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan
I would like to thank you for the time you have made in writing this blogpost. I am hoping the same top-quality work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skill has inspired me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a good example of it.
Chinese are survivors. A single mom
of four is capable to send all to
Australia for further education.
Very seldom heard of from other
cultures.. God is fair. The more
you suppress the people HE will
lift them up!.
Where is your faith in GOD??
I am like, and as aware, as Yin, an unwanted and exploited child of Malaysia. I am not angry nor disappointed. I just feel sorry for those who cannot leave and those whose minds are blind.
You are so glib.
Aren’t you ashamed?
Don’t you understand?
You are the one who is to be pitied the most.
You!
Every non Malay person pities you.
Because you are weak and corrupt and refuse to work hard and take advantage of the gifts you have been given by God.
But instead of shame, you smoothly ask us to leave.
You are a fool.
The worst kind of ignorant fool.
Not sure of the point of it if there is no Bahasa Malaysia version.
When you ‘exercise affirmative action’ for the benefit of one race (to the exclusion of others) – the Constitution becomes a worthless piece of paper! And this has been going on for the past 60-odd years!
Nobody stops you to leave….
Datang tak dijemput,
Pergi tak dirindui.
Don’t just say that you wanna leave… please, please, please… do leave.
You are so glib.
Aren’t you ashamed?
Don’t you understand?
You are the one who is to be pitied the most.
You!
Every non Malay person pities you.
Because you are weak and corrupt and refuse to work hard and take advantage of the gifts you have been given by God.
But instead of shame, you smoothly ask us to leave.
You are a fool.
The worst kind of ignorant fool.
They are even very proud of their crutches as Tun M said.
Spoken like a true loser! Losers don’t like competition.
I’m glad I made the decision to leave more than 30 years ago. I wonder how I could have put up with the way the non-Malays are treated. I was treated fairly where I emigrated to. My children are both graduates without me spending a fortune. If you have qualifications and young (40 and below), leave for your children and grandchildren’ sakes. They will thank you for it. My children are happy I left Malaysia
You are very lucky. Like me without a degree (result of discrimination) and not that rich, no where to go. Just have to rot here.
In the whole recent political crisis,the backdoor change of government,the appointment of the new PM and the formation of the new cabinet,the biggest losers are the minorities, who seem to have been marginalized from the corridors power.
It is sad and painful that after over 6 decades of sacrificing so much for our country that we love so much,we are made to feel alien in our own land.Each and everyone of us have contributed so much for making the country what it is today, but these are just forgotten and gone.
As we go through this painful and disheartening period,let us not give up our hope but continue to strive to return our country to what it used to be,a racially united,progressive and harmonious Malaysia.
Did we pretend all those sixty two years that we are of equal right Malaysian? I think we got to be honest to ourselves at least!
And can you believe that even at this kind of situation there are nons who bodek!
I hear you, yin. Don’t leave. No matter where we are abd how bad it is, there will be challengers. So happen I’m a road engineer, thru the sieve there are big stones on top of the sieve, while small stone and particles at the bottom. But when we build a road towards a nation, these stones blend together to make the foundation, binded by the asphalt of respect and understanding. Of course there will be potholes along the roaf but patch it huminity.
Is this article written by Mariam Mokhtar herself or someone else using the pen name Yin. What significance of ‘letters from ward 5 TR
I have seen through this long tine ago, when I worked in Malaysia Airlines after leaving military service after 7.5 years. In the 70s, they already practiced Malay Supremacy. Many positions were reserved for malays only. You can be the best but your boss is a useless corrupt melayu and nothing you can do about it. I quit and went to work in Singapore better pay equal opportunity and no racial issues. I made-up my mind that my children will not go back to Malaysia and go through what I went through. I am glad I sebt them away to study in America and told them never to return except as tourists.. Today they are doing very well in America. We will never be treated fairly and equally, regardless of what we do or pay in taxes. So, if you have the ability and opportunity, go ! why stay to be bullied and called names that qe so not deserved. They want our businesses and our har earned wealth, all for nothing. They are corrupt in every department and ftom top down as seen the corrupt charges going on !! So get out if you can !!!
This I can agree with… as an American, I have only came back to MY twice in the past almost 17 years….I have been here in the good ole USofA. I am very proud of our diversity in Malaysia, my parents took us to all kinds of religious places to pray and offer thanks and stuff, you know? We Celebrated all festivals in our home including raya because we have Malay, friends and neighbors. Now, the only place we couldn’t go is the mosque, well obviously because we are “kafir” we can’t enter the mosque and pray and offer our gratitude to God. And here in America, we celebrate Christmas in our house like full blown even though I am an American Punjabi Sikh. It’s beautiful, our kids love the many celebrations and I want to keep them appreciating this kind of events for different people and cultures.
we are human beings first and then all our religions and races come in play- we should teach our children to appreciate our colors and be kind and nice to everyone as much as we can, there is already so much bad in this world, why should we contribute more bad juju, know what I mean?
I tell people all the time, but ppl then ask why did you leave? Number 1 answer:- Land of opportunities = USA, and that’s true to the last drop no matter what dumb trump and the media tell you, seriously. And then I say where I come from is a land of opportunities too and a lot of potential- but I’ll never get any opportunities in my own country there because I am a non Malay. How messed up is that!? Yeah- blatant apartheid at its finest.
Honestly, Islamic countries besides the “sheikh” Middle East countries are all devastated because this people fight among themselves because of their Islamic tribes. Geez. Seriously? Why, right? They all the same people…. lol, true…. but guess what? That’s where our good ole Malaysia is heading.
Instead of weaponizing our diversity in a good wholesome way to be a stronger giant bulldog nation (just better than Singapore…hmmm? That’s a good standard to build upon, am I right?), Malays have weaponized their race and religion against their own “Malaysian” brothers and sisters. And that my friends, is very sad.
Malays: Appreciate one another, not just Malays, but all races in Malaysia, because you did not build Malaysia, everybody else did.
Say what you want of the MCA. But the Chinese community never objected to the admission of any Malaysians into KTAR UC or UTAR.
. At a post seminar, dinner, a Japanese Economics Proffessor who sat next to my Malaysian friend said: “I really envy you Malaysians, you have so much potential!”
My friend was surprised, this was in the mid-90s when the Japanese economy was booming and they were the no. 2 economy in the world! So my friend asked the Professor why, despite all of Japans success.
His reply was this:
“Look at your population, you can Malay, Chinese and Indians. Your people share a cultural identity with the 3 most largeat countries in the world! You can easily do business in any of these 3 countries! Even I as a Japanese, have many cultural barriers!”
Our riches was our diversity or some will call it differences. But our so called leaders are too stupid to see that, instead sticking to their “Jaguh Kampung” (Villagr Champion) mentality and adopting a “Tall Poppy” method (pull everyone down to the lowest standard, instead of pulling everyone up).
We have squandered our opportunity, time to leave. LKY was right, when he predicted that whatever political change happened, it wouldn’t last, as long as the underlying racists psyche doesn’t change. It happened in GE14 in 2018, it didn’t even last 2 years!
Perhaps the “Jaguh Kampong” psyche is too ingrained in the Malays, and the educational system and it’s indoctrination of the younger generation makes it even more difficult to change.
It’s not impossible, talk to any Singapore Malay, but our politicians don’t want it, they want a populace that is easy to manipulate and steal from.
I totally agree with Yin. Now the cards are open. They have suceeded to achieve the “Malay Agenda”.
We have Malay leaders who champion Islam, but, do not follow the teachings of the Holy Quran. We the non-Malays are also created by GOD. Why are the Malay leaders discriminating GOD’s creation? The Malay Agenda is the cause of our unity problems. There are rich and poor people of all races. Results speaks for itself eg. Let us compare with Singapore and China. They do not promote Islam, but, the wellbeing of their citizens (GOD’s creations). Over here, we promote Islam without follow the teachings of the Holy Quran and the results is corrupted leaders who accumulate so much wealth. Malays need to wake up and ask how is it only a handfull are so rich and yet many are poor? By the way, which part of the Holy Quran teach about racial discrimination? Need I say more.
We the non-Malays got to decide what we want for the future generation. No point crying.
A German friend once told me, ‘the Chinese are often regarded as the Jews of East, found everywhere living their lives but never ever accepted by the local inhabitants who enjoyed their fruit but resented their success