Political gratitude defined

Politically sentient Malaysians especially netizens are fully aware of BN's shenanigans as well as scams and are raring to make the opposition form the federal government via the imminent 13th GE.
Lately, BN honchos are using another 'weapon' for political mileage and it is none other than asking for gratitude to the ruling coalition for what it did for Malaysia and her people.

Rural folks, especially, are duped into pledging unwavering affinity and gratefulness to UMNO, that their future is only secure and would only flourish under BN's empire and the only way for them to express thankfulness is by voting it into power time and time again. Anything opposing BN is considered pestilent. Such is the face value conjured up by BN to win provincial votes.
As much as it is pathetic, it is also illogically effective. Numerous dumbed down Malaysian would buy BN's sloganeering 'Show your gratitude for what we had done and sacrificed for you' wholesale.
BN did do and sacrifice much for the people who put them in power for donkey's years. Equality, mass media transparency and the freedom of expression were sacrificed in the name of democracy. Corruption, elitism, cronyism, nepotism, the subversion of national unity, the compromises in the education system not to mention the judiciary system and the "tidak apa" attitude were commited in the name of service to the rakyat.
 Political gratitude is topsy turvy in Malaysia and we are the international laughing stock, I'm sorry to say. It has everything got to do with hoity-toity politicians, asking the rakyat to remember their policies and deeds that has 'benefitted' the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and others. So much for 1Malaysia!
Yes, we are indeed grateful. We are grateful for the heavy handed police SOP at all 3 of Bersih rallies calling for free and fair elections, for all the money politics, for all the abuse of power, for all the high profile scandals involving collosal amounts of RM, for all the deprivation and adversity the average Malaysians are going through while ministers live large and last but not least, for giving all right-minded Malaysians all the right reasons to not vote for BN in the looming GE.

In order to be relevant and trustable again, BN must fully comprehend one fact, that is, it is not the rakyat who must be grateful to the government; it is vice versa, being true to democratic tenets.

The people pay ministers their salary and entrust them to govern the country by adhering to the people's righteous demands. That is why the incumbents got elected in the first place; the people are the masters and the incumbents are put in public office to serve the people. That is the correct democracy working order.

But, what do we have here? It is what is termed as 'democracy, Malaysian style.' Ministers are the Patricians and the rakyat are plebeians. This is the present day state of Malaysia where draconian laws and opression and the silencing of dissent reign supreme.

All of it stems from one irrefutable reason. A government that has been in power for too long that it couldn't bear the thought of not being to lord Malaysia no more.

It is terrified should the years of tapping Malaysia dry to fill their pockets would end with a bang and all their past misdeeds would come out in the open, tried in upright court of law and the doers be counting incarcerating bars instead of their ill gotten money.

Malaysians have been grateful to BN for over more than half a century by voting the political coalition to hold the nation's helm and it is more than enough.

 For a country so rich in natural resources and no natural disasters, Malaysia would have become a first world country by now if only our leaders thus far used half of their zoetic grey matter to propel the country to the crux of overall development instead of clandestine self-enriching agendas by the means of mainstream media propogation of whitewashing the rakyat and by creating a fake impression that they are doing a supernal job of governing the country.

It is time for Malaysians abandon their gratitude to BN. It should be non existent in the first place. Please don't be grateful to our PM who serves us empty bones, having devoured the flesh and sucked the marrow dry. We deserve better and let's serve BN right this time around.

It is, indeed, long overdue but better late than never!

Indian prioritizing

Message flagged

Sunday, June 24, 2012 3:33 PM

“The government must undertake serious efforts to ensure Indians are not left behind. The same with temples. Schools and temples have been a major problem for Indians since independence"

And, that's exactly why Indians' present status quo here is made inherent. Underscore the phrase 'made inherent'. That's why Indian school dropouts, unemployed and prisoners number is high as opposed to the Malaysian population ratio. In line with that, it is roundedly alterable and changeable if only Malaysian Indians shake their one-dimensional agendas, ficklemindedness, temerity, ignorance, apathy, blinkered mindsets, mob mentality and the failure to prioritise off.

Let's zoom in into the perennial fiasco of Hindu temples issue primarily which is riddled with hypersensitivity rather than sensibility. Although the majority of Indians here are Hindus, this case scenario makes the impression that all Indians are Hindus and all of Indians' places of worship are Hindu temples. This perception fragments Indians internally, screwing unity up from within.

There are Indian Christians and Indian Muslims and these brethrens are left out by the sum of Indian Hindus. In other words, they are plainly dianak-tirikan. There is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction amongst Indian Christians and Indian Muslims in similitude with the dissatisfaction non-Malays have over Bumiputran status and the special rights that come with it. Ironical, isn't it?

Mindsets need to evolve to meet needs which morph through time. Petty sentimentality should not be allowed to get the better of logical, timely and sound judgement.

Maybe temple issues were relevant say, 20 to 30 years ago but now it has festered into a red herring, steering Indians away from things that matter now and in the long run. Instead of erecting one temple for one estate or residential area and spending much valued money in maintaining the buildings, use the existing temples as operational hives for beneficial activities besides fulfilling one's spiritual needs. This way, decadence in the Indian community can be doctored to say the least.

Convert a part of a temple into a library, conduct free tuition for those children who can't afford tuition fees, organize motivational speeches on weekends, hold sporting events for youths and make those activities available not only for Hindu Indians but for all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion. Make the effort! For the holier than thou units who think that these activities as highly sacrilegeous, I have just the phrase for you, "Makkal sevai, Mahesan sevai." Translated literally, it means service to people is akin to service to God.

Now, let's shift our sight to Tamil schools. Tamil schools have been existing from the British colonial times. The age is over but some of us are stuck in the era either by refusal to move on from times gone by or plain ignorance or the static belief that Tamil schools would do wonders to unite the Indian people.

Historically, the British built separate vernacular schools to maintain racial divide and prejudice to lord over us. It is indeed expedient and shrewd and one of the things that should have been kicked out right after Malaysia gained independence from the British if our leaders truly want to see a united Malaysia turn up without jeopardising our national language, our official religion, our monarchy and our Rukun Negara.

Vernacular schools impede national unity at the primordial stage; there is no room for vernacular school in a multi-racial society. I can further break down the Indian community who have known no land except Malaysia and helped build her together with fellow compatriots, that are besides Tamils who make up the majority of the Indian community, Malayalis, Telugus and Punjabis in that descending order.

I'm a Telugu and I hail from Teluk Intan. There was a single roomed Telugu school at Simpang Empat if I remember correctly. The school has ceased to exist now. It should be the case of vernacular schools by now. I want to make one thing crystal here. I am not against Tamil and Tamilians. Although I went to a national primary school, I taught myself to speak and read Tamil but I can't write Tamil effectively though.

All I'm saying is to have vernacular schools abolished and vernacular language literacy be achieved by the means of languages' subjects integration in national schools like English. But, unlike English, make it an option; students can either take the subject up or omit it. The government doesn't need to split monetary allocations into 3 separate schools no more; it would be single pronged. Ethnic gratification level would augment alongside with over-reaching racial unity.

For those who fear that Islam and Bahasa Malaysia would be compromised, I say not to worry. The two factors are already solidly established. I'd like to quote Madame Marie Curie, " There is nothing to be feared. It is only to be understood."

France and Germany were more divided than Malaysia in the past, different dialects were spoken in different provinces. Their leaders, succession after succession came to the realization that for solidarity to prevail, a bit of identity sacrifice must be made for greater good and for encompassing development to accelerate.

Rome wasn't built in a day. From independence day to the present day the separatist notion has been it's an Indian problem, it's a Chinese problem and it's a Malay problem. It is high time we call our problems a Malaysian problem and seek to solve it as Malaysians.

The Trouble with Malaysian Indians

As much as I hate race discrimnation, I have to be exclusive here to illustrate why Indians are failing in the Malaysian society. I am not going to sugar coat facts. Instead, I'll deliver truths as naked as they are and that all is not well.

Ignorance, the lack of drive, bad prioritising and apathy take precedence in this issue I am highlighting. This, as a package is the self-inflicted plague that besets the Indian community here.

Many Indian parents don't give much importance to see their children through varsity, being blind to the fact that a solid education would secure their children's future and make them hot commodity for employment both locally and internationally.

The average Indian household' clime here is devoid of acute attention for education. While some parents entrust their children to tuition classes, a substantial number of them just don't care whether their children is going to school properly or playing truant at their whim and fancy. Some don't even know the name and the location of the school their children attend what more the subjects they are studying, their teachers and circle of friends.

Many stay home as well as working mothers, spend their evenings watching Tamil serials while fathers get self-indulgent with alcoholism while expecting their innocent and impressionable children to study, blissfully ignorant that they are setting all the wrong examples.

In due course, after being imbibed by the rotten exemplary their parents display, these children would begin not to take their studies seriously. Since their parents show not even an infinitesemal concern on their studies, the perception that "Why should I study when no one cares my education seriously?" would take deep root in their plastic minds and all will go downhill from there.

Waywardness, ruthlessness and anarchy would then breed freely and rowdism and crime would become the order of the day for these hot-blooded kids who would take the vices to adulthood. Is it any wonder that prison inmates here brim of Indian male youths, their prime and potential wasting away?

Gangsterism is another burden that is weighin Malaysian Indians down

Me!!

The name's Hema,
Her game is writing in an imaginary hoopla,

She can be saucy,
To her family and friends mercy,

She knows that she is intelligent,
And sometimes belligerent,

She is outspoken,
Given a token,

With a strong heart,
She pushes real hard,

She is determined,
All the weight of the world won't have her broken,

Need I say more?
All is said and there is no more.

What Malaysians Really Want

Malaysians are generally simpletons and do not demand much, some, too complacent for their own good. We carry ourselves mannerly, graciously and accomodatingly , mingling with our fellow compatriots of differing races in schools, work places and neighbourhood occasions, sharing banters, food and exchanging and understanding cultures.

Of late, many Malaysians are politically caught up, including me. It has become a part of life which we cannot run away from simply because the knowledge that politics determine the making or breaking of life of the Malaysian hoi polloi is now more prevalent than ever.

The recent claim that Bersih 3.0's motive is to topple the government earned the rage of right-minded Malaysians both at home and abroad as well as the silent critics hiding behind their computer screens and those who got to downtown Kuala Lumpur and got 'clean'.

All Malaysians want is a government that listens and reacts in accordance to its bosses' orders, that is, Malaysians who voted politicians into public office and placed trust on them to run the engines of the nation through responsible, accountable, credible, integral statecraft.

When the mentioned wants fail to be met, it is only natural for anybody to rise up and clamour for an exhaustive explanation and when it is found dubious, misleading and untruthful, emotions will run high and dissatisfaction would translate into votes during elections, true to the democratic system Malaysia boasts of.

When the rakyat discover that democracy and election procedures here is grossly flawed and utterly manipulated to be oblique to one coalition party that held the helm of the nation for over a half century, isn't it righteous for Malaysians, irrespective of age, social status and ambulatorial ability (I'm ommiting the mention of race here because I believe most Malaysians especially urbanites have mentally transcended racial bounds) to take to the streets to make their high dudgeon reverberate worldwide?

The people of Malaysia don't want much; we only want our rightful rights and the abolishment of obsolete and redundant policies and for policy makers to engage in deliberations with the rakyat and to keep tabs with time and ever-evolving needs instead of being dreamily grandiose, smugly hebetudinous, callously belying and maliciously partial.

The sincere and progressive phasing in and the active implementation of equality, mass media freedom, freedom of expression, meritocracy as the basis for the furthering of education and at holding posts would benefit Malaysia as we can retain our brains from draining out to overseas and progress at all levels would gain also much wanted momentum.

While the Malaysian Ideal is still out of reach, Malaysians are willing to work towards it to see a not only physically developed Malaysia but a country of professional ethics where heavy handed approaches, shenanigans and errant indulgences are not allowed to ferment to lay way for the best that Malaysia can be. That is what we want for Malaysia.

Malaysians want their fair share of the economic pie. To channel all the coffers have to offer to develop only a particular, segmented part of the nation is not munificent and beneficient. It's not develoment; it's a disease, akin to elephant foot disease where only one part of the body grows out of proportion and stunts the growth of other parts of the  body. Development must be even and sweeping and Malaysians want to taste the prosperity that they rightfully deserve as taxpaying citizens.

Malaysians want a better future for their children and their children. We want to leave a legacy where our posterity's future is secured and is able to proliferate healthily as well as propel the nation to great heights. Is it too much to ask?

Malaysians in Fear

THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHERE THE MINORITIES HAVE TO SUBSIDISE THE MAJORITY

A very frightened Malaysian abroad writes... I HAVE been meaning to pen some thoughts for some time now, to let people actually read the views of the typical 'overseas Malaysian' who is kept away. I realise that my email is rather long, but I do hope that you would consider publishing it (and also keep my name private!). I shall start by telling a little about my background. Mine is a rather sad tale – of a young Malaysian full of hope and patriotic enthusiasm, which is slowly but surely trickling away. I am very different from many other non-bumiputeras, as I was given tremendous opportunities throughout my childhood. Born into a middle-class Chinese but English-speaking family, I grew up with all the privileges of imported books, computers, piano/violin lessons and tuition teachers. My parents insisted that I should be exposed to a multi-racial education in a national school. In my time, my urban national school (a missionary school) was a truly happy place – where the Malays, Chinese and Indian students were roughly equal in proportion. We played and laughed with each other, and studied the history of the world together during Form 4, with one interesting chapter dedicated to Islamic history. Though 75% of my teachers were Malays, I never really noticed. My Malay teachers were the kindest to me – teaching me well and offering me every possible opportunity to develop. I led the district teams for English and Bahasa Malaysia debating competitions. I was the only non-Malay finalist in the Bahasa Malaysian state-level elocution competition. My Malay teachers encouraged me to transfer to a government residential school ( sekolah berasrama penuh) so as to enable me to maximise my academic potential. I refused because I was happy where I was, so they made me head prefect and nominated me as a 'Tokoh Pelajar Kebangsaan'. Till this day, I am absolutely certain that it was the kindness of all my Malay teachers which made me a true Malaysian. I excelled at school and was offered a Singaporean government scholarship to study overseas. I turned them down because I wanted to ensure that I would remain a 'true Malaysian' in the eyes of Malaysia . So I accepted a Malaysian government scholarship to study at Oxford University . Throughout my three years as an undergraduate, the officers at the MSD looked after me very well, and was always there to offer support. I graduated with first class honours, and was offered a job with a leading investment bank. The JPA released me from my bond, so as to enable me to develop my potential. I shall always be grateful for that. I worked hard and rose in rank. My employer sent to me to Harvard University for postgraduate study and I climbed further up their meritocratic ladder. Now I am 31 years old and draw a comfortable monthly salary of US$22,000. Yet, I yearn to return home. I miss my home, my family, my friends, my Malaysian hawker food and the life in Malaysia . I have been asked many times by Singaporean government agencies to join them on very lucrative terms, but I have always refused due to my inherent patriotism. Crushing down I really want to return home. I have been told by government-linked corporations and private companies in Malaysia that at best, I would still have to take a 70% pay cut if I return to Malaysia to work. I am prepared and willing to accept that. My country has done a lot for me, so I should not complain about money. But of late, my idealistic vision of my country has really come crashing down, harder and faster than ever before. I read about the annual fiasco involving non-bumiputera top scorers who are denied entry to critical courses at local universities and are offered forestry and fisheries instead. (My cousin scored 10A1's for SPM and yet was denied a scholarship). I read about Umno Youth attacking the so-called meritocracy system because there are less than 60% of Malay students in law and pharmacy, whilst conveniently keeping silent about the fact that 90% of overseas scholarship recipients are Malays and that Malays form the vast majority in courses like medicine, accountancy and engineering at local universities. I read about the Higher Education Minister promising that non-bumiputera Malaysians will never ever step foot into UiTM. I read about a poor Chinese teacher's daughter with 11A1's being denied a scholarship, while I know some Malay friends who scored 7A's and whose parents are millionaires being given scholarships. I read about the brilliant Prof KS Jomo ( left), who was denied a promotion to Senior Professor (not even to Head of Department), although he was backed by references from three Nobel Prize winners. Of course, his talent is recognised by a prestigious appointment at the United Nations. I read about Umno Youth accusing Chinese schools of being detrimental to racial integration, while demanding that Mara Junior Science Colleges and other residential schools be kept only for Malays. I read about the Malay newspaper editors attacking the private sector for not appointing enough Malays to senior management level, whilst insisting that the government always ensure that Malays dominate anything government-related. I read that at our local universities, not a single vice-chancellor or deputy vice-chancellor is non-Malay. I read that in the government, not a single secretary-general of any ministry is non-Malay. The same goes for all government agencies like the police, armed forces, etc. I read about Umno screaming for the Malay Agenda, but accusing everyone else of racism for whispering about equality. I tremble with fear I read about a poor Indian lady having to pay full price for a low-cost house after being dispossessed from a plantation, whilst Malay millionaires demand their 10% bumiputera discount when buying RM2 million bungalows in a gated community. I read about my beloved national schools becoming more and more Islamic by the day, enforced by overzealous principals. I read about my Form 4 World History (Sejarah Dunia) syllabus, which now contains only one chapter of world history, with Islamic history covering the rest of the book. As I read all this, I tremble with fear. I love my country and long to return. I am willing to take a 70% pay cut. I am willing to face a demotion. I honestly want to contribute my expertise in complex financial services and capital markets. But really, is there a future for me, for my children and for their children? I am truly frightened. I can deal with the lack of democracy, the lack of press freedom, the ISA, our inefficient and bureaucratic civil service, our awful manners and even a little corruption. But I cannot deal with racism in my homeland. I think this is the single biggest factor which is keeping people like myself away. And bear in mind – there are so many of us (researchers, scientists, bankers, economists, lawyers, academics, etc.). What people read about in Malaysia (like Dr Terence Gomez) is but the tiniest tip of the iceberg. You will be amazed to know about Malaysians denied JPA scholarships (which would have made them civil servants), took loans to attend Ivy League universities, but who are later asked to advise our government (on IT, economics, etc.) at fees running to millions of US dollars. Such information will never be published because it is politically incorrect. As a Christian, I pray for God's blessing on this great country of ours. I pray that He blesses our leaders with the foresight and humanity to see that this will not work and cannot continue. I pray that they will have the strength to make our country a home for all Malaysians and that they will have mercy for the poor, including the non-Malays. I pray for true racial harmony and acceptance (not just tolerance) in Malaysia . - Yours sincerely, A very frightened Malaysian abroad.

To Speak in your Mothertongue or not to Speak in your Mothertongue

Recently, just after Ugadhi, (Telugu New Year) I received a lament from my uncle via email. His bemoan was about his children inability to speak Telugu; his wife is Tamil and as a homemaker, she raised her children on Tamil and English as the medium of oral and aural communication. He dubs his kids, Tamil-anized, their brains, imbibed with entertainment from Kollywood, Hollywood not to mention Bollywood rather than Tollywood.

My uncle's dissapointment got me thinking. Why such a scenario? What went wrong and can the wrong be amended. The answer is, YES, OF COURSE!! All of it lies in desire, effort and practice; it's not like we are born speaking half a dozen languages. Languages have to be learnt, like everything else in life.

Indians (especially Indian diaspora) are advantageous for being multi-lingual because of India's extant diversity, richly awash with sterling history and pride. An Indian almost always knows to speak at least 2 languages. It's an irrefutable fact. There are no cons for being able to converse in different languages; there are only pros.

Yet, it is the trend among Malaysian Indians, especially the younger generation to refrain from speaking their respective mothertongues, that is Tamil (the majority of Indian population in Malaysia), Malayalam and Telugu, with Punjabis being an exception. For some obfuscated reason, Punjabis in Malaysia don't consider themselves as Indians despite originating from Punjab, India. That's another story altogether that must be told and I shall elaborate about it in my next blog.

Tamil, being the most circulated Indian language in Malaysia is ubiquituously spoken by non Tamil Indians here, not only by those who attended Tamil primary schools but those who go to national schools like myself are eloquent in Tamil. I didn't speak Tamil until I was 11. I picked up Tamil from my Tamil speaking peers in primary school, Tamil movies and songs. Factually, I speak Tamil better than I do my mothertongue. As a matter of fact, I taught myself to read Tamil but I can't write effectively. I also know enough Hindi to survive in Maharashtra without a tour guide.

Intermarriages among Indians in Malaysia decide the fate of their mothertongues; they may keep it alive by speaking it to their progeny or choose to eschew it subjectively, on personal grounds or preference.

My third sister's boys, all 3 of them can't speak a word in Telugu. They speak English at home. They are the high-class Macha group, Westernised lots who frown upon thosai and coconut chutney. My sister married a Telugu man whose parents decided that their son is better off not speaking Telugu and he is continuing the legacy, an inheritance of sorts. They don't speak much Tamil as well so their grandmother, (my mother) who doesn't speak much English resorts to Malay language in order to be understood by them and be understood in return. It is indeed, whimsical to watch.

Partly analogous is my youngest sister's 3 sons language prowess. This sister of mine married a Tamil man and she lives in a joint family and the official language in their domain is Tamil. They are the 3rd class Macha group who only watch Tamil serials on SunTV during primetime and have no clue who Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry is, with my sister being a lone exception. My these 3, rambunctious nephews make fun of Telugu words rather than try to learn the language and what's worse, my sister laughs along with them.

The scenarios I highlighted above is happening in every Indian household here with exceptions being as sparse as the hair on Dr Phil McGraw's head. It is up to the parents to phase in their mothertongues into their kids' tongues. Our children are not incompetent; we think they are incompetent. Guide them in the right trajectory in a positive approach and they will respond by surpassing your highest expectations.

 Knowing one or two extra language makes one go the distance, it gives an edge and leverage. We live in the age of communication, so there is no timely time to have the ability to speak several languages under your belt including your mothertongue. We have nothing to lose but all the more to gain.