REACTION TO MAHATHIR'S REMARKS
In Singapore, we don't kowtow
I READ with concern Tuesday's report, 'Malaysian Malays might kowtow to others if...', in which former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad claims that even though Malay Singaporeans enjoy the benefits of a more developed country, they have to 'terbongkok-bongkok' (kowtow) to others.
Tun Dr Mahathir could have been more sensitive towards the feelings of Singapore Malays.
As a Malay Singaporean living and working peacefully with fellow Singaporeans of all races, I cannot agree with what he said.
Singapore's leaders worked hard for many years to achieve racial harmony, tolerance and understanding among Singaporeans. Today, we live and work together as one family; and we have reaped the rewards of being one of the safest and most developed nations in the world.
While Dr Mahathir's opinion on Malay Singaporeans enjoying the benefits of a developed country is spot-on, we have never kowtowed to others. Singaporeans of all races, including Malays, engage in healthy debate and discussions with our Government. The decisions made by the Government, after hearing feedback from its people, are respected as we trust it is in the best interests of all Singaporeans.
Through community support and hard work, Malay students in Singapore have bettered their results in various national examinations. Such achievements are celebrated by all Singaporeans.
With better education, Malay Singaporeans have achieved a better lifestyle for their families compared with a large percentage of Malays in Malaysia. We worked hard to be where we are today and in no way kowtow to anyone to gain success. Meritocracy remains the benchmark of our society. While this works in Singapore, it may not work in Malaysia.
Having many relatives, friends and business associates of all races in Malaysia requires me to travel frequently across the Causeway. Over the years, I have seen and learnt that for the minority to succeed in Malaysia, they need to kowtow to others.
The irony is that many ordinary Malaysian Malays who have no connections, or fail to share their potential success with the 'right' people, will never have it easy to succeed. Perhaps, favouritism, cronyism and bribery are problems Dr Mahathir may want to address in his country.
As for me, a Malay Singaporean, I would like to say thank you to my Singapore leaders. You have made Singapore the best place to live peacefully in for me and my family.
Mustaffa Othman
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'Like others, Malay Singaporeans work hard for the benefits in a meritocratic system.'
MR AHMAD ABU BAKAR: 'I strongly object to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's remarks. Like others, Malay Singaporeans work hard for the benefits in a meritocratic system. They are not born with a crutch of ethnic rights, quotas and 'unfair' opportunities. When Singapore Malays graduate from universities as doctors, engineers and scientists, they can hold their heads as high as the others, because they have done so by their own hard work and merit.'
'The Malays in Singapore stand shoulder to shoulder with other Singaporeans.'
MR NIAZ MOHAMED: 'The prosperity of Singapore is proof enough of its internal stability achieved through excellent inter-racial and inter-religious harmony. A non-Muslim can visit any mosque in Singapore where he will not only be welcomed with hospitality, but also given a guided tour. Similarly, any person may visit any house of worship if he is modestly attired and receive the same hospitality. The Malays in Singapore have made great strides in all areas and stand shoulder to shoulder with other Singaporeans.'
'Singaporeans of all ethnic backgrounds have come a long way since 1965.'
MR JEFFREY LAW: 'Most people will dismiss Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's remarks as merely political rhetoric. Singaporeans of all ethnic backgrounds have come a long way since 1965, having embraced the system of meritocracy in all aspects: education, employment and social standing. Most important, our ability to be a developed country within such a short time is due to the concerted effort and sacrifices of all Singaporeans - Chinese, Malays, Indians and others.'
AMERICAN PIT BULL
mahathir jus trying to create dispute anong our ppl.
we may be a rojak country.
but our guns are always unitedly pointed outwards
ultralib
Mahathir is just very jealous of Singaporeans.
He has created a whole generation of Malaysians who cannot speak English and will continue to rely on the govt for handouts.
Their English vocab is one two three, yes boss, no boss, I love you.
So what do Tun want to let us know about this? Want to stop the chinese and indians from developing the country and make way to the malays?
ReplyDeleteIs this what the country wants? most of us (non-malays) are already out of the country, finding for a greener pastures, and leaving Malaysia to the Malays. Is this not enough, we cant even enter the uni, to leave a place for the Malays, what more do you want.
Do the Singapore Malays look up to their Malaysian brothers and sisters or do they look down to them as handicapped who needs tongkat in everything such as buying a bungalow?
ReplyDeletemaybe he shld enlighten us how "bad" the singapore malay is faring
what is their per capita income compared to our malays esp the rural malays & fishermaen ?
i am told even malays are migrating precisely b cos of ultra malayism
the man who had many admirer those days is nw very senile and very racist maybe he felt he is running out of time to meet his creator he want to creat a mass in malaysia and creat another may 13 before he meet his creator,,this guy should be put in prison for the sake of malaysian who want to leave in peace,,
tak habis-habis with his racial card and scare tactics.. why can't he understand and accept that we can co-exist with each other? Or is he choosing not to understand? stop living in the stone -age and come out of your shell, old man!
The old man is up to his old tricks again. Please don;t use Singapore Malays as the scapegoat again.
ReplyDeleteI am a Malaysian working in SIngapore and the Malays here fight for their own survival as do all other people. They don;t line up outside government offices looking for handouts and they are more than happy to be a Singaporean Malay. If not, they would have gone back to Malaysia a long time ago to be spoon fed.
I would encourage all Malaysian Malays to come to singapore and visit their Malay counterparts here and see how these people lead their lives. Judge for yourselves whether you have been hoodwinked or not by your leaders in Power.
Wonder what Mahathir is implying with his statement.... splitting along racial issues again. Through his rule, Malays have stayed protected (economically and politically) but the world is currently changing and NOT because of PR or BN. The main problem with this Perkasa/Gertak group is they are not willing to accept the new "world" of being relevant and competitive in terms of economic competency and meritocracy.
I think Tun is 120% out of order here. Malays losing their political grip in Malaysia? Not today. Unlikely next week and impossible in the future. Malays, like other Malaysians, are facing the fear of many things already. Rising cost of living not matching wages payment, traffic congestions, not so efficient public services etc etc. Tun please help to improve in these areas not wild talks that put unncessary fear in our people
Yes, Singapore are rule by non-Malay government but the rights of the Malays are protected. The Singapore Malays are happy there with higher standard of living. Having lower corruption rate means more for the Singapore citizens. Look at their exchange rate which is nearly two and a half times more than Malaysia. We did not know that we have a racist Prime Minister for 22 years and yet unable to built Malaysia like Singapore. Don't be envy of Singapore if you are not capable. Your only ambitious is to get rid of Anwar and to attack some of your UMNO colleagues.
Dr M loses stature and credibility dailoy - so sad he has to stop so low. To Champion Malays and Maly RIghts, is not necessary because of our Federal Constitution.
ReplyDeleteBut, he has deceived the Malaysian Malays of this and say things which is racialistic - WIth a population of 60% Malays, how can they be overthrown. In addition, it is ENSHRINED that Malays, Rules and Religion in Malaysia Constitution.
So all this rhetoric lends credence to so-called NGOs to create Racial Disharmony and blame PAS or PKR.
Fiction: He then blamed PAS and PKR, instead of Umno, for the predicament he claimed Malays were now in.
Fact: 53 years of BN administration and yet BN are powerless to do anything? I assume that government have the means to change policies to help uplift any segment of the society (as you did, Tun, for 22 years). They have voted you in (at least 50 years with 2/3 majority) and you could've done something. Do not point fingers at anyone when you're being incompetent, or corrupt.
`What a load of crap he is spilling! Whatever remaining bit of respect people has of him is flushed down the toilet in the winter of his life.Has he become so senile that he is not aware that he is spewing out toxin to poison the minds of the Malays?
Singaporeans are never marginalised - actually they are better off than the Malays in Malaysia Economically and can be role models to UMNO!
UMNO only knows how to scare Malays make them feel insecured. SIngaporean Malays are nurtured with Care to Develop their Self-Confidence to compete!
No Malaysian Malay Leaders dare to admit this!!! UMNO is the worse!
Tun is not being honest when he says the "...Malays could end up as a minority in their own country."
ReplyDeleteJust how could 60% of the population, and one which is growing and multiplying at the highest birth rate at that, become a minority ethnic grouping in the country?
And with the constitution firmly in place just how could anybody dislodge and displace the Malays from being the leaders and rulers of Malaysia?
Tun is only trying to create unfounded fears and confusion among the uninitiated and ignorant among his own people. And in the process have them back BN-UMNO to perpetuate their control of the government. What an old trick! Is Gertak / Tun running out of ideas?, if one may ask. Or there is real fear that UMNO is losing grip on the power?
Being a PM for 22 years Tun should have displayed more wisdom than resorting to raising parochial racial sentiments. He should have, instead, used his influence to unite the people and help create more understanding among the various ethnic groups.
Btw, Singapore Malays know better what being a "Singapore Malay" is all about. Malaysia Malay can only look and envy their Singapore counterpart's progress and advancement. A case of sour grapes for the Malaysian Malays?
// Fewer than a thousand people were present at The Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat’s (People’s Awareness Movement) “Melayu Bangkit” rally here. The organisers had expected a turnout of more than five thousand. //
Thought they had projected twenty thousand to attend? The poor attendance speaks volume about the failure of such a useless rally. Don't people have better things to do? Those who did not attend apparently knew better, and proved that they are a sensible lot indeed! Thank goodness.
If the Malays in Malaysia can become like Singapore Malays, Malaysia will have a bright future and may be even overtake Singapore.
ReplyDeleteIf you observe the Malay Singaporeans shopping in Malaysia, some of them drive very nice cars and I am sure they earned it the hard way.
Mahathir will always blame others for his failure to upgrade the status of the Malays even though he has the power for more than 20 years to help the Malays.
What has he done for the majority of the Malays during his rule? The best thing for Mahathir to do is to shift the failures to PAS and PKR so that the Malays will forget about his failures.
This DR M is a doctor of racist. When he was PM, he doctored racism. Now that he is no longer PM, he is still doctoring racism. If he continues to speak, Malaysia will be a country of racism. I sincerely hope and pray that he will just sit at home, do some exercise, connect with his family, anything BUT speak about racism. We are all Malaysians, can't we just live as Malaysians.
A bully mentality will always be a bully. He will always find an excuse to further his bullying, to the extend of blaming others as the bogey-men regardless of progress achieved in a globalised world. Such mentality is digging his own grave deeper than 6 feet and faster than the grave digger can fathom. Nobody can help these bullies except themselves bullies.
There've been lots of talk and assertions about the Malays in Singapore being marginalised. Could someone enlighten us all with actual empirical evidence of this? As someone quite ignorant of Singaporean politics, I am really curious to know the nature of this marginalisation, if any, whether all segments of the Malay Singaporean population are affected, whether this marginalisation is due to the (mis)implementation of policies like Malaysia's NEP, etc., etc. Aside from rhetoric, it'd be good to have credible data/evidence.
The only reason I can think of as to why Mahathir is still barking around like a wild dog, even after retiring is because deep inside him, he realised he had done nothing to improve the lives of all Malays. He retired as PM after looting all that he could for his family and himself, but have achieved nothing for his people. Am I right, Dr M? I know you are reading this. You idiot!
ReplyDeleteMalaysia is a country that have no future the malay is lazy like pig. This country is bound to fail due to all the corrupted minister. He have leave all the problem to the future malaysian. My advise to the indian and chinese is to leave the country as soon as possible. The country is going bankrupt like iceland or greece.
ReplyDeleteAbdul rashid.