1,500 rally to defend Malay rights, ISA

Malaysia prides herself to be a country with multiple races and religions. A multicultural melting pot in Asia. However, she may be the only country where the majority race, Malays, finds themselves constanly fighthing and defending their rights from being "taken away" by the minority races. For the rest of the world, the oppossite is always true. The minority races always have to do the fighting. That speak volumes for the Malay as a race.

Compared to other countries, Malaysia can be considered to have succeeded in having her citizens living "peacefully" and "harmoniously", albiet under constant reminders that things should not be taken granted.

Racism, without doubt, exists in every society. However, in contemporary Human Conscience, racism is a bad thing and should be actively countered. Anti-discriminatory actions are taken to ensure that the basic human rights of all persons are protected. That no person should be discriminated based on the skin colour, faith, gender and political views.

However, it would be immensely shallow to believe that people today discriminate another simple based on racial divides and skin colour. It goes deeper than that. Each race in Malaysia has its own unique attributes and value systems which are the roots for such racial discrimination to begin with.

Allow me to share one narrow perspective, for the interest of brevity. Take the job market, for example.

The average Malay couple produces an average of 4.2 children. Having a lower disposable income and a more relaxed attitude towards education, each child grows up without having accumulated necessary knowledge and skills to be attractively employable. The person would likely be able to master one language, Malay, which is unfortunately, not the lingua france for international trade and commerce. In short, Malay kids are groomed to be future office boys, toll collectors, and factory workers.

The average Chinese couple produces 1.5 children. Each child has a timetable that rivals the Prime Minister with additional tuition on Sunday evening. The person is required to master three languages, kung-fu, ballet and play the piano. The child would have attained knowledge and skills that are marketable and employable in Malaysia as well as other countries such as Singapore, London and Shanghai. Chinese kids are groomed to be future doctors, lawyers, and scientists.

Thus, the gap can only widen.

To state that the Chinese couple would have an unfair advantage over the Malay couple is not entirely fair. I have seen a Chinese widow raising her children to become doctors and engineers while working as a seamstress. I have also seen a wealthly Malay child that doesn't seem promising despite returning from UK with a degree.

Speaking from a foreigner's point of view. My company would readily employ a Chinese over a Malay. Not that my company seeks to practice racial discrimination. It merely needs to be responsible to its shareholders to make the best economic decisions. I am of course, making very generalised statements which undermines the fact that we do have very valuable Malay workers under our employ.

Sometimes, we discriminate others. Mostly, we disriminate ourselves.