Raja Petra Kamarudin and playwrights Kee Thuan Chye and Jo Kukhatas will be appearing on the Riz Khan show at 10.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December over Al Jazeera English (Channel 513 Astro). They will be discussing Malaysian politics and culture and touching on the ISA among other things.
People can also join the chatroom by watching on livestation.com and entering the chatroom.
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Hi,
Can you please help me to send this to UMNO flers ? Thanks.
Being Malay Muslim fast becoming a disadvantage
Hazlina | Nov 28, 08 4:10pm
The Malaysian government went on a drive a few years ago to entice Malaysian professionals working abroad to come back to this beautiful country to work and live.
The government feels that they are losing our educated, progressive and well-exposed citizens to other countries; not benefitting our country in the long-term. They however, found out that their marketing has not been quite so successful.
Isn’t it obvious why? Apart from the intention to pay pittance to your own citizens, would anyone in their right mind return to live here amidst the repression, the racism, the sexism and the need for the religious authorities to exercise their ‘godliness’ at every single move you make?
At a drop of a hat, making a lot of sweeping statements and issuing fatwa and whatever else at their whims and fancies? Isn’t there anyone to rein them in?
As a working professional, I made a decision some time back to finally return to Malaysia – with a vision in mind – to want to start my business in my own country.
I felt the need to bring my professional and personal experience home to benefit my countrymen and women, to assist young Malaysians regardless of race to achieve their utmost capability on the global stage, to possibly share ideologies and philosophies of life with the initiative to grow and make informed decisions and choices.
Unfortunately, it has been difficult at every turn. First and foremost, there is the stumbling block which is the lack of communication skills especially in English. Even proper spoken Malay is halting and not many speak Mandarin. I’m beginning to think we have language barriers in this country.
Second, a lot of students, graduates and working professionals are uneasy discussing ideologies. They lower their voices and widen their eyes in alarm over the audacity of discussing anything seemingly ‘radical’. Is this coming from the fear we live under the threat of ISA looming over us? The threat of being a ‘common’ citizen as opposed to being ‘well-connected’?
Third, there are so many terms that we need to be careful about using. It never occurred to me that many words have become ‘sensitive’ over the years. ‘Sensitive’ to Muslims only, mind you.
A simple example. I asked a Chinese friend what he was cooking today and he did not want to answer me. It took me about three days to figure out why. He did not want to mention the word ‘pork’, ‘bacon’ and you know the rest. Over the phone? It has become unreal.
Malaysian society has become a backward society. Instead of progressing, we have digressed tremendously. We have become a country of people afraid to have ideas, afraid to explore possibilities, afraid to look beyond the obvious, afraid to offend, afraid to have friends of all races, in summary…afraid to live.
Gone are the days when we as kids had sleep-overs at our friends’ houses regardless of race and of course, waiting by the dining table for Auntie to cook her famous chicken vindaloo and another Auntie to cook her famous char koay teow. Our parents then never bothered to ask if the chicken was halal or the koay teow was bought from a Muslim vendor.
But let’s not digress. Back to my main point. Being a Malay Muslim is fast becoming a complete disadvantage in Malaysia.
I cannot enter a beauty contest. Well, not that I want to but the choice has been made for me. My point is, if Malaysia is a multiracial country then all races should be given the opportunity to be represented on the world stage. Why only limit it to some? Why hide our Malay beauty? Oh wait. For the Muslim men only to savour, of course.
I cannot adopt a child without naming the real father. Don’t you think abandoned babies need a home and without having to emphasise their abandonment their whole lives? Would you as a human being, like to live like that?
If I were to marry someone outside of Malaysia, a foreign man – he will have great difficulty applying for a work permit, visa or citizenship.
I am fast feeling that I cannot do exercise the way I want to. My choice – Pilates, yoga, you name it. Come to think of it, I don’t see too many Malays exercising in the gym. Economics maybe? Not quite. The gym doesn’t cost that much. Is that possibly why there are so many fat Malay men and women around?
Would the religious authorities one day ban stretching for women? How about lunges, splits, and spinning classes – well, after all Muslim women on bicycles could lose their virginity – research for six months, please.
The list goes on.
There are many Malay professionals like me who wants to flee the country now. We have encountered difficulty living here, not being able to express ourselves fully. At every turn, we are at a disadvantage. We feel stifled and unable to breathe. And we have to listen to idiotic comments from politicians’ day in, day out.
Politicians who insist they are representing us and speaking on our behalf. Well, not people like me, that’s for sure. I don’t want to be Muslim first and everything else second. I want to be all encompassing. And I know there are others like me who feel the same way.
And wait, don’t you feel like protecting the sweet, slight policemen in Chow Kit? Poor things, they are surrounded by criminals. Give them a hug and protect them by all means before these big bad criminals come to say ‘Boo!’
Dear hazlina,
I am very proud to have a anak bangsa malaysia like you.
you are really absolutely right about the happenings in our beloved country. I think there are a lot of people like you in the same wave length but not being able to express so beautifully like what you said.( or maybe they are holding up expressing themselves )
you see, if you being a malay felt like this, what more we chinese,indian or others ( i hate to mention these racial connotation,as I feel we are all Malaysian) will be like?
I will have a renewed hope if there are many such people like you who think positively, progressive, liberal and open minded.
Maybe i don’t have the appropriate words to express myself but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart that this is the statement I wish to hear from you; as a malay for a long long time.
I would certainly like you to be my MP should you want to run for election. I am very sure there are many peoples who would want to vote for you.
Please feel free to contribute your thoughts so as more people will benefit from your comment.
God bless you and your family. SYABAS!
warm regards,
JTNNN
KNS
I fully empathise with you. I made up my mind 37 years ago when I decided not to return after the completion of my tertiary studies. All my immediate family members are now living in my adopted country. Do I have regrets? Not one bit although I do reminisce the times when I was growing up and mixing freely with my neighbours, friends and classmates during my youth. Colour or race did not mattered then. We were indeed clour blind.
I predicted that Malaysia, despites its many riches (in culture, history and resources) cannot continue to prosper and progress when its citizens are treated with contempt, divided and ruled, when benefits to only the few elites gained through the guise of affirmative actions but in reality corruptions, when members of a certain race is actually weakened by these affirmative actions and were told otherwise is such a tragedy for a beautiful country. I was only partially right. Malaysia is indeed still a very wealthy country but the majority of the “supreme” race still lives in abject poverty and you still have the ISA. Need I say any more?
Ever wondered why Communism failed? This is because some people are more equal than others and the human nature of “Why should I work harder than the next guy when I don’t get any extra if I did. The country will look after me even if I didn’t”.
A fool is a fool because he does not know he is a fool, but a fool is a moron if after proven he is a fool does not accept the fact. Continue to accept the crutches and slurs on your abilities will only result in the continued weakened stage of the so called “Privileged” people. You have to understand the agenda of the power that be.
You have a choice. You can stay and fight the good fight with moderate politicians to change the political scenario or run away like I did. However, remember the times were different when I made my decision. There were no strong opposition parties. It was indeed bleak for non Muslims/Malays. Today, Malaysians are not so apathetic any more and right thinking Malays like you can make a difference.
My innate love for the country of my birth is drawing me back and I hope that one day, we can be all equal, not only in the eyes of the Almighty but in each others. May your God always bless and protect you.
Errata
…..We were indeed colour blind.
and
…continued weakened state of the so called “Privileged” people.
Adding to what Kris above has said, I was chatting with a tour agent from Japan and he said the Japanese are AFRAID to come to Malaysia! (The recent events in Mumbai make it even worse.)
So we are hit with a triple whammy:
1) We are running out of natural resources.
2) We have no technology to sell.
3) The tourists refuse to come here.
Way to go!
Hi,
I’m not an avid blogger, so mine is not a blog worth following, but I’ve just posted a one-off discussion on my blog which I would like Malaysians who frequent blogs to read.
http://soohuey.blogspot.com/2008/11/ground-necessary-for-striding-forward.html
I hope you don’t mind me using your blog to draw attention to it? Please remove this comment if you feel it is inappropriate.
Thank you.
Soo Huey
Hazlina is a brave fella who dares to speak out.
In addition to what she says, isn’t it also funny to require someone to convert to Islam if the person marries a Malay. 2 people can have different faith yet respect each other in marriage.
wwo.. not bad the comments.. Hey Anil, did you go for the DAP dinner, i did not go but i kinda don’t know why but even though it was ok ok price (RM30 a ticket for the dinner), i still feel it should not have been done, and the presence of big businessmen at the dinner like xxx Group Boss and stuff, does this mean even the PR government on Penang is following suit like BN government whereby businessmen pump in lots of money into the state treasury in return for like maybe fast approval for projects (as now we know the Build first then submit plan concept by the state government – which i believe the people need more info about this as its a crazy plan to a certain entent)..sorry for my simple english..
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, Dalbinder. – Anil
wow*
I know there is a ‘build first, sell later’ concept but haven’t hear of build first submit plan later. I don’t think the PR govn. has this or approve this. Big boss attending dinners should be look at positively. Not all rich bosses are bad, many are philantropists and donate generously back to society. If I can be successful in biz I won’t mind to pay back to society at all. What we give out will come back to us in many folds.