Racial quotas divide Malaysians

RACIAL QUOTAS DIVIDE MALAYSIANS

HELP ALL POOR MALAYSIANS REGARDLESS OF RACE

Malaysians are generally fair-minded. Unfortunately, decades of racial and religion-based quotas have resulted in a majority Malay class that takes their “special rights” for granted. 

If Malaysians are serious about forging national unity, as a nation we need to focus on modifying existing government programs with a reduced emphasis on race and religion, and instead, focus assistance on programs for ALL Malaysians who are poor, suffering from disability, or extraordinarily talented Malaysians who can contribute to the nation in exceptional fashion.

There is nothing more poisonous to relationships than unequal treatment. Siblings treated unequally by parents become estranged for decades. Employees being paid lower salaries for the same job done by another colleague find methods to punish their employers by leaving or by sabotage.

These are truths that are self-evident to all of us. So why have Malaysia’s pro-Bumiputera policies persisted for decades?

The answer - of course - is many Malay elites and middle class do not care that there is unequal access to education, lucrative government contracts and cradle-to-grave civil service positions, as long as they benefit. If enough moderate Malays clamor for equal treatment among the races, politicians would be forced to comply. Unfortunately, the basic instinct is to not question the status quo and simply blame politicians for "the system" or say there is a “social contract” mandating race-based discrimination forever. 

Unequal treatment of races in Malaysia is not just a barrier to national cohesion, Malaysia's Malay-first policies undermine the nation's moral authority to question the genuine discrimination suffered so many others: poor and disenfranchised Malaysians in Malaysia especially in Sabah and Sarawak, Rohingayas in our ASEAN backyard and the millions of displaced Muslims in the Middle East. Hypocrites are hard to taken seriously - how can Malaysian Muslims champion equality and justice - when they discriminate against fellow citizens who are non-Malay or non-Muslim, in their own country?

The solution is not difficult. The Malaysian government should simply help all Malaysians who are poor, disabled or have disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a broad group that invariably includes poor Malays in kampungs and poorer states like Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. Children of rich Malay Datuks, Chinese tycoons and wealthy Indian families living in million-ringgit Bangsar or Bukit Tunku homes need not be granted scholarships unless on the basis of pure merit. 

We are not optimistic that Malaysia’s institutional racism can be overturned in the near future. Neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Harapan coalitions support measures to eliminate race and religious-based quotas. 

And yet, if we do not first DISCUSS such issues, we will never take the necessary steps to DEBATE and DECIDE ON the key steps Malaysia needs to take to reform its political system, to enhance democracy and to broaden economic prosperity.

If enough Malaysians - especially the majority Malays - question the status quo, eventually Malaysian leaders will accept that the nation is ready to move forward as ONE nation, not a country with First Class, Second Class and Dan-Lain-Lain classes of Malaysians with different political rights and protections.

Posted by MalaysiaWorks on 16/1/2018.