Almost Somewhere

The World is An Expedition of Words: The video of Dato Sri Syed Albar’s interview with Sarah Montague

Someone forwarded an email to me about the link above. After reading it, I am forced to reply. Such a waste of time, actually – considering that I have a lot to do at that moment. Well, here’s my reply in the following.

Nothing makes me more mad than uneducated debate by a racist who thinks others are racists!

I’m not interested to hear anything like these, especially if it is written by one who have not the faintest idea about economics and society. I am trained in those fields and it seems that the comment made by the writer is shallow an uneducated. There is always a reason behind everything. I can go on and on about the reasons. Just remember this: what may seem like favor to one race and an injustice to other races, is only being seen that way for political reasons – the Malay politicians want to be seen as the Malay champions, the Chinese politicians need issues to raise support (but seems willing to compromise in cabinet), so on and so forth.

That’s how power is held: engineer social perception that there is injustice and that you are the champion. The moment it seems that this country is already stable and all races can live without any prejudice, there will then be a “stability” period where it will seem like a good time to try out the opposition as the government. Instead, it is better to keep things at edge. That way, the BN will always rule. That’s politics.

The real reason the NEP is there is real-economics and social order – race is a major factor but not the reason. Remember May 13. People look at the surface, try to look at the heart. Why do people kill each other? Just because of wealth? Not really. Wealth is a factor, yes. People kill due to envy and a feeling on injustice. Sometimes, you may need to pacify the feeling in one people, while slowly try not to let the other side burst into flame. But explaining that will take a whole year – when market forces, globalization, population, demand, supply, and everything falls into place…

When someone is an outsider looking in, you can see objectively and that’s true. But when you are living it, you’ll understand that it’s not about objectivity. It’s a matter of the heart and the heart is never rational. Other races may think that it is unjust today since the NEP seems like it is not needed anymore (objectively), but usually forgot to look at the heartfelt pain that the Malays still nurse today for agreeing to grant citizenship to other races. It is not rational, I agree, for the Malays to hold this grudge. After all, all races here worked together for the independence. And yet, the heart is never rational. Never.

I ask this question: would you, Malay, Chinese, or Indian today give citizenship to all Indonesians in our borders without any conditions? After all, it’s their sweat that actually build this modern nation.

Another example: Sabah and Sarawak gave a lot of conditions before they join Malaysia – why don’t we argue on that? Why isn’t anyone going all out to argue that nowadays – these special priviliges given to Sabah and Sarawak should be removed that today these are not needed anymore? Because it’s already agreed at joining? Well, that’s quite some time ago, like the NEP. That was agreed on independence, wasn’t it?

So, if we are not going to argue about the special privileges granted to Sabah and Sarawak because that’s their condition for joining Malaysia, why are we arguing on the special privileges given to Malays when that is one of the conditions of granting citizenship to all other races for independence? Read more on the history of independence in DEEP detail. You’ll see between the lines.

You’ll also see that the NEP is not really meant to HELP the Malays.. hahaha… it’s just meant as the patch to help the wound heal – and a patch to the eyes, of course. That’s why the Malays don’t really benefit much economically by the NEP… only to blind them and if there are Malays (the ultra-malays…) who feel that they deserve special privileges, then the NEP can be used to pacify them. The actual benefactor of the NEP are the businesses, no matter what race. A population with a higher income means more expendable income and savings – means more people buying and more capital in the bank to borrow!

It will take a few more generations before our children will not hold these grudges anymore – when all Malaysians are at the same level. When Malays are comfortable and not worried that the other races will take away their land (a foolish assumption, that… the land’s already gone due to globalization), when the other races too will not look at affirmative action as only benefitting the Malays (actually, all races get some form but not called NEP). That time will come but maybe not in our lifetime. What we can do now is to stop fanning the flame. Let the scars heal first. It will take time.

So, send me not these anymore – for my heart called to debate, but time allows me not.

See how long I wrote? Hmmm… Wasted time…

P.S. – I remember in 2005 it was a debate on eggs and petroleum prices ? someone suggested to buy less petrol every visit to the station in order to drive the price down. Heh! Hahaha! Will never happen! I felt called to debate it back then too. You can read that at: Of Eggs and Petroleum Prices.