The CHANGE we WANT!

by Tan Lee Chin

Sometime ago an article entitled “We, the non-Malays¡” by a Eunice Ong was posted on www.loyarburok.com.

I would like to respond to some of the points raised in the article. Note that what I say here is my personal opinion. I cannot claim to speak on behalf of all the non-Malays.

As a firm believer in the freedom of speech, I fully respect the writer’s view, but I would like to present another perspective on the
matter she raised.

I am a proud product and supporter of the vernacular school system, and have a dream to see progress and changes in my beautiful motherland of Malaysia, the only homeland I ever have.

Ong had attempted to look into the issue of Malay rights from a non-Malay perception and perspective.

Her main argument is that the non-Malays, after complaining so much on the privileges received by our Malay countrymen and making endless appeals for change from our end, still refuse to make sacrifices like accepting Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and Islam as the national religion, or even just sharing a meal with our Malay friends in a halal restaurant.

I believe that we, the non Malays, might have not been 100 per cent perfect in our daily interactions and dealings with our Malay friends, but I doubt many of us object to Bahasa Malaysia as our national language or have any reservation on respecting Islam as the religion of the land.

We will, of course, object and protest if our rights to mother tongue education and freedom of religious beliefs and practices as provided for in the Federal Constitution are violated.

Contrary to Ong’s presumption that some non-Malays might think that going to a halal eatery is a sacrifice, I doubt many will have any thoughts over such a social interaction. Most will just accept it as a matter of fact. I don’t think any sensible person will consider such matters an issue at all.

I, for one, enjoy the halal mamak delicacies as well as ikan bakar served in the Sin Chew Cafeteria. Yes, for a company with a majority Chinese staff, we have a Malay stall catering for Malay workers. The halal food outlet is also very popular with the non-Malay workers I have often contended that a single stream education system is not the solution for the many problems we face, in particular, disunity among the races.

The writer has claimed that social cliques are race based, and the various languages form a barrier to racial interaction.

Let me narrate a real life example of how language need not be a barrier in making friends, real friends.

My mother is less privileged in terms of education opportunity because she only had two years of formal education. She is now in her sixties going into seventies.

Mum speaks Mandarin, Hokkien, Melanau and the most broken Malay one could ever imagine. But Kak Amoy, a Malay helper to our family 20 years ago and who only speaks Malay, has been Mum¡¯s best friend till this day.

How they communicate with each other does not require rocket science, but simply through the heart ¡ª a matter of affection and sincerity.

Over the years, Mum¡¯s Malay has certainly improved by leaps and bounds.

Some might think that Mum is an exception, since she is a Chinese who grew up in a Melanau Kampung at Mukah in Sarawak. She doesn’t belong to our generation, does she? Moreover, she did not really go to school, so she is not very much a product of our education system. We can’t consider her case when discussing our education system, ya?

But, is language the only tool to national integration?

Obviously, language needs not be an obstacle to friendship between the various races.

Now, let us look at Ong¡¯s suggestion on doing away with the vernacular schools.

Here, let me draw the attention of the readers to the current local political situation.

The governing coalition led by Umno is formed by different race-based political parties, each representing the interests of their respective race.

Among them, many politicians will not hesitate to play the racial card to their personal interest, even if it is at the detriment of the nation.

Would it be wise to abolish the vernacular schools now, or integrate them into the national education?

I don¡¯t wish to speculate, but if we are to give up our rights to education via the medium of our choice, what other rights will we have to give up for the sake of national unity in future?

With due respect, Ong¡¯s suggestion of abolishing vernacular schools is an oversimplified unrealistic solution to the complicated state of affair that our nation is facing.

Many Malaysians are angry; they are bothered by many issues like corruption, misuse of powers by the authorities, inefficient government bodies, doubts on the independence of the judiciary, etc. These issues are not racial or religious, but simply basic moral, civil and social matters that affect every citizen whatever his or her
race or religion, or language.

Vernacular schools products like me and most other Malaysians are concerned about these issues, and we want to see a change for the better in our nation. Such a change is expected by all Malaysians.

We will have to make sacrifice for the change, and it starts with us individually.

For a start, let¡¯s stop giving bribes to traffic police, stop greasing hands to get things done at government offices.

Don’t politicise the vernacular school system. Leave the vernacular schools alone. The problems dividing the people of various races are not caused by them, but by politicians exploiting the racial sentiments.

My dream is to see my country progress to be an united harmonious nation, where our politicians dispute on ideals, not playing the racial and religious cards.

That, indeed, is the change we should be striving for -- mysinchew.com

The writer is the deputy head of the Culture & Education Department of Sin Chew Daily