Wednesday, December 03, 2008

What is wrong with Mukhriz's comments?

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's statement that vernacular schools are to be blamed for causing a polarised society.

It is not wrong for Datuk Mukhriz to even directly say that the education system which allows the Chinese and Indians vernacular school system to be part of the Government's curriculum plan are hindering an integrated society which DAP and Anwar has been boasting about, a Malaysian Malaysia.

I do not understand why DAP and many opposition leaders are making a big fuss in the media. There were some who lodged report against Datuk Mukhriz and sent in waves and waves of attacks or criticisms day after day.


What happened to the "tsunami" in March 2008? Wasn't that a wave of change from race based politics to a Malaysian Malaysia?

Why is DAP and the other politicans saying that Datuk Mukhriz's statement is seditious? What happened to a Malaysian Malaysia policy?

Are we to say that we should maintain our identity as Chinese or Indians and then tell the Malays that we want to be called Malaysians only - no more Chinese or Indians?

Wasn't that what the Opposition and the so called rakyat were singing since March 2008? Then why are the Chinese, Indians and the political parties (who slammed Barisan Nasional for a power sharing and racial unity formula) now standing up with sharp criticisms?

Now I see the hypocrites in DAP, Pakatan Rakyat, the Chinese and the Indians.

A Malaysian Malaysia is defined as a Malaysian race where it will no longer be a social norm to call ourselves Chinese or Indians or Malays.

Imagine if we continue our current education system and parents still send their children to vernacular schools.

As a Malaysian Chinese, I know why parents continue doing that instead of sending their kids to national schools.

They want to maintain the elements of being a Chinese and impart these values through the education system into their kids.


Of course there are some typical Chinese who give the excuse that "China economy is so strong and many people deal with China, so Chinese language is important".

Understanding all these and the temperature on the ground of a single Bangsa Malaysia, I do not see any truths in what many bloggers or news portal have been reporting - that Malaysians want a single race.

If we continue our mindsets now, we will still call ourselves Malays, Chinese and Indians. Yes, we will, with vernacular schools. We will maintain our cultures and identities of our roots of origin.

It is not race based politics that brings about the failure of Bangsa Malaysia, my dear SAPP. It is because of schools.

Unity can never be achieved if since young we were segregated and "programmed" to be comfortable with our own race only.

I see no wrong in Datuk Mukhriz' statement. No, not because I am a supporter of Dr M and Datuk Mukhriz. But because of the truth and logic behind the statement.

After all the criticisms of Barisan Nasional and their formula, I almost believed in the statements like "rakyat wants a Malaysian Malaysia", "Pakatan Rakyat practices a single Malaysian agenda" and many more.

Now, I see not only hypocrites among the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat but also among my own Malaysian Chinese people.


So much for a Malaysian Malaysia. One statement from Datuk Muhkriz and every Chinese rise to defend their cultures, identities and language.

Then why slam Barisan Nasional and sing the tune of Malaysian Malaysia when all of you still wants to protect respective races' cultures, identities and language?

Pakatan Rakyat says that Malaysians reject race based politics. But Malaysians accept race based education?

If I see things rationally, it seems like maybe the politicians are singing tunes also for their own political mileage, instead of thinking about inter generational issues and provide a better platform of a united Malaysian race for the years ahead.

Again, I stand by Datuk Mukhriz's comments.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

After Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election, DAP was among the first to suggest that Msia should be ready to have a non-Malay PM. Not long before that, MCA Youth made a proposal of creating a new post of second Deputy Chairman of BN. MCA president also referred to Obama's victory when he gives his comment about the appointment of the acting GM of PKNS. He stressed that Msian should free themselves from the shackles of racial issues.

I would like to remind all of us that Obama barely made race an issue in his campaign. He is a Christian, speaks very fluent english and didn't go to any African-American school. I doubt this type of school exists in US. During the election, he portrayed himself as a charismatic leader and the future president for the Americans, regardless of their races; whites,blacks,hispanics etc.

Back in our country, some people always refer to Obama's victory and say race shouldn't matter anymore. However, some of them don't realise that they are not leaders for all races, only fight for and champion the issues of their own races, cannot speak malay language fluently, don't want to send their kids to national school and many other things that don't represent what Obama did.

Still they keep talking about Msian unity, stay away from racism and some of them even want to be the future PM of Msia.

Yes, it's true, race shouldn't be a matter anymore. However, if you want your fellow Msians to sacrifice, shouldn't you sacrifice as well? If you want the other race to change but you want to stay the same, then in the future we will still hear the politicians chanting the issues of malay supremacy, the Chinese are not satisfied, the Indians are treated as second class citizen and so on.

Unknown said...

TQ sir, after when throught your posting and all my anger to a lot of peoples just vanish.
melayu mudah lupa may be. But your word show me that there is a hope for a better malaysia for all malaysian
TQ again

Jimmy Tham said...

lol. melayu mudah lupa. There's nothing wrong with that statement. Had said it once and will say it again.

I for once agree in principal with the creation of a national learning instution. Let us not forget these institutions are affected by market forces as well, I'm pretty sure all parents want the best for their children and if these institutions are on par or better than those vernacular schools, I don't see any reason why I want to send my kids to these schools.

The problem I have with Mukhriz is his timing and his capacity as an aspiring UMNO youth leader candidate. If he is all for changes, I'm fine with his statement, but if he has an intention to play up an issue to his side and nudge a few votes towards his favor, I will just ignore his statement.

Let's not harp on racial issue anymore. Establish a blueprint and revamp the education system. Make it a must for these learning institutions to offer these languages as part of their curriculum but not all students are obliged to take it. It's more of an issue of learning some thing extra to make urself competitive and not think of it something as a racial issue. The rise of chine and india are inevitable, make use of it.

All in all, my point is, let's stop the who's right game. If these national learning institutions are that good, people will just flock to it. You don't have to boast and force people to come. It's that easy.