Its funny how within a country that is always promoted with smiles and warmth to outsiders, there's still turmoil amongst the different race of a country. To think that we categorize each other according to their ethnicity, calling each other based on racial background instead of the land where you are born.
It just doesn't make sense when you call each other chinese or indians, because those two words represent people of China and India nationality respectively. People are just proud of the colour of their skin, thus trying to label themselves differently. Not wanting to categorize with others under the group "Malaysians".
It isn't help by the government at all. Whenever we are filling forms, these details came up:
Name:
Date of Birth:
RACE:
.
.
.
.
And we would gladly fill in MELAYU, CINA, IBAN or INDIA based on what we are. Heck, even babies are taught how to be racial, if you don't believe go check your birth certificate.
First of all, what does a race have to do with say, applying for a driving's license? I've never known a particular race is better in driving than others, do they have statistics that shows such? They might as well arrange university application forms to such way:
RACE:
Name:
D.O.B:
Education qualification (optional):
Then there exists certain individuals or groups that still trying to hold onto such pre-civilized thinking. Take this individual for example. Look, i have nothing against the Malays. In fact, i have lots of malay friends, people that i know through uni or forums. But it's this small group of people that is afraid of change, afraid that they will not survive without the privilege given. To hell with your privilege! Saying stuff like "This is our land basically. And we have already given one special privilege to the non-Malays, that is citizenship,". Filthy bastard.
Again, why categorize into Malays and non-Malays? and don't think that citizenship is being "given", that just shows how much he lacks in his history knowledge. Citizenships are granted just because everyone wanted to be indipendent. It is required in the constitution before being approved by the British, don't make it sounded like it's out of your own generousity. If we were not granted indipendence in the first place, chinese would have done better in the business world, looking at the power of China now. If such people are future leaders, sorry to say i see no future in Malaysia.
And not to be biased, the same goes to other races. I grew up in a chinese community, knowing friends and people that have the mentality that everything we earn are for our own sake. That means whatever i earn, i have to keep to myself and my family. The more i earn, the better i will be. Chinese is superior because there's 1.3 billion of us. Chinese > Malays > other races. Screw Malays because i pay tax to government, and government = Malays.
Again, why dragged racial sentiments into this issue? I was given the excuse "They did nothing to us, why should we do something for it?" when people are asked about being connected to the country. Sad to say, this is how majority chinese thinks, and i admit i used to think this way before looking at it in a wider view.
The thinking is simple. I study, i grow up and work, i save money for my children, then i die. This is all thanks to my parents and relatives, so they deserve my respect. Also have to thank business counterparts who make good deals. All these are not wrong at all. But don't you think i left out something important? Did i mentioned about the land that i was born in, grow up in, and for most, study, work, grow old and die in? Did i mention about the air that i breath is being released by the trees grown on this land, the water i drank runs in the river of this land, food that i eat grown on this land? This piece of land is called Malaysia, in case you are just concentrating on the history of Mainland China.
I know we chinese and also fellow minorities Indians feel we are being under-treated by the government, because we are not malays. And then we start saying government = malays. And then we start to shun the malays. Think again. We always say that rich malay leaders got their money from the money paid from tax, while rich chinese leaders earn their hardwork. Bull la! This is all down to individuals, stop stereotyping just because Zakaria owns a mansion and Ong Tee Keat does not have one. Stop justifying your argument based on the colour of their skin and the size of their eyes.
And then there's political party based on race. UMNO for malays, MCA for chinese, MIC for indians etc etc. Grouped together as BN, but everyone minding their own business. No difference with the Malaysia we all know now. While other countries have political groups based on how the country will be run, we have political groups that decide which towns or cities are being overlooked by which race.
The solution is simple: erase the word Race from our dictionary. What we try to keep alive, what we try to keep as a tradition, what we are proud of is not our race, but in fact our culture and heritage. In fact, i can't seem to think of any benefits of being categorized into races. If you start to call me a chinese outside Malaysia, i would probably be offended because for me, chinese is not a race, but a nationality.
Sad to say i can't see that happening in the near future.
