Racism in sports is nothing new under “Ketuanan” rule
By Mariam Mokhtar
WHEN I took part in a Bersih rally, a few university students confided that they were very good at sports during their secondary school days, but their coach said that their inclusion in the school teams would exceed the quota meant for their particular race.
It appears that the excuse given for rejecting the students concerned despite excellence in their chosen sport was that the race quota has been met.
Affirmative action policies will create mistrust and anger when talent is not recognised. Why do we divide our students in this sickening and discriminatory manner?
And who authorised this unwritten policy? Few people in the authority will want to admit it exists.
Teenagers who juggle their training with their studies and work hard – both physically and mentally – just to be the best in a sporting field will be thoroughly demoralised when in the end they lose out to politics.
I wrote an article in January about this. The responses I received from various civil servants are:
To these former civil servants and current civil servants, I say:
It appears that the excuse given for rejecting the students concerned despite excellence in their chosen sport was that the race quota has been met.
Affirmative action policies will create mistrust and anger when talent is not recognised. Why do we divide our students in this sickening and discriminatory manner?
And who authorised this unwritten policy? Few people in the authority will want to admit it exists.
Teenagers who juggle their training with their studies and work hard – both physically and mentally – just to be the best in a sporting field will be thoroughly demoralised when in the end they lose out to politics.
I wrote an article in January about this. The responses I received from various civil servants are:
- You are incorrect to claim that there is Ketuanan racial discrimination in school sports.
- How do you know it exists?
- How can you say there is discrimination? Many of the top players representing Malaysia are non-Malay like Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Nicol David. They received much support from the Government.
To these former civil servants and current civil servants, I say:
- Which school head who practices Ketuanan Melayu is going to advertise this fact? Most people at the top either know about it and close both eyes, or at worst, are not told anything by their aides.
- Do you think any student will dare to complain? There will be repercussions.
- Do you think any teacher who disagrees with the Ketuanan policy will also complain? He/she will be out of a job or transferred at the earliest opportunity.
- Any parent who complains on behalf of their child will face repercussions.
- The culture of fear and hate in Malaysia starts in schools. Racism is the curse of Malaysia.
- The presence of Lee Chong Wei or Nicol David does NOT mean that there is no racism in school sports.
Just think! If we have no Ketuanan policies – and allowed talent to thrive and excel – we could nurture more international quality sporting stars, not just mediocre athletes, who qualify only because they are from one race.
To the civil servants and people who think there is no racism in school sports, read the excerpt from a news piece below:
To the civil servants and people who think there is no racism in school sports, read the excerpt from a news piece below:
SMK Dato’ Bentara Luar listed the racist and sexist criteria for the registration of co-curricular activities in student sports.
- Football and sepak takraw club which are open for Malay males only.
- Basketball club: Only for Chinese males and females.
- Hockey: Only for students living in dorms.
- Netball: Only for Malay girls.
- Handball, bowling, petanque and badminton are open to all.
First Cop-out: The school’s principal Abdul Razak Hamid claimed that the “conditions” were necessary because of the lack of sporting facilities for the students.
Second Cop-out: Free Malaysia Today contacted the Johor exco for education, information, culture and heritage, Mazlan Bujang. He declined to comment and told the press to contact the Education Minister instead.
One school was exposed. However, the school reversed its racial segregation policy after a public backlash.
But how many are still silently promoting Ketuanan racism and sexism in sports? I wonder. – April 18, 2021
Second Cop-out: Free Malaysia Today contacted the Johor exco for education, information, culture and heritage, Mazlan Bujang. He declined to comment and told the press to contact the Education Minister instead.
One school was exposed. However, the school reversed its racial segregation policy after a public backlash.
But how many are still silently promoting Ketuanan racism and sexism in sports? I wonder. – April 18, 2021
Six decades of racist policy starting from the top. BN was made up of single race parties. Every one of our Education Ministers since 1957 have been Malay-Muslim. What sort of headmasters or schools do you expect to produce?
ReplyDeletePM and DPM must be Malay-Muslim from UMNO. No matter if someone from another race is more capable to govern. It’s like saying Nicol David or Lee Chong Wei cannot be number 1 because they are not Malay. Or that fler cannot be the first Malaysian to conquer Everest because he is Indian. Or Guanee cannot be FM because he is Chinese.
So if we are upset over this school sports discrimination why are we not upset with all of the above?
And that Ronnie still insist on pushing Chinese-ness......instead of Malaysian-ness.
Our leaders practice racism and we accept it.
ReplyDeletePM, DPM even FM must be Malay Muslim. Same with IGP. When Tommy Thomas was appointed AG all hell broke loose. Malanjum was also not welcome to be CJ. Chinese can only get Transport. Indians Buruh. Not the best man/woman for the job. No meritocracy.
All this we accept....it's the reality we say...........Majority Malay-Muslim must be ketua. Minorities must be subjugated. Since Merdeka we have practiced it.
So why are we upset when a school principal applies the same racial-religious segregation rules?
I don't agree with what this headmaster has done but I think we are all being hypocritical when we pretend to be shocked at what he has done.
ReplyDeleteThis school is a microcosm of what Malaysia is today. It practices racism, bigotry, misogyny, segregation, apartheid, you name it. It's all here in Malaysia and this headmaster is just a product of the system that our system has produced.
So Mah Hang Song.....MCA has held the Deputy Education Minister position for DECADES, the system your party has allowed to fester has produced this headmaster and this school. Don't PRETEND to be shocked.
NB: I note Wee KHAT Siong is keeping very quiet over this. He was also in the long list of MCA Deputy Education Ministers....
OK, everyone agrees with you that MCA and Gerakan ministers and deputies were cowards. But they never did boast.In contrast, DAP pollies boasted, bragged, for example, that UEC would be recognised within a year - came into govt, diam diam kuai kuai like lap dogs, wakakaka, orang Cina kata: Kepala harimau, ekor tikus - in other words, boe laam phar, wakakaka again
DeleteBeing cowards is an understatement.
DeleteMCA and Gerakan were accessories to the rape and plunder of the country's resources and the racism we see today.
MCA, Gerakan and MIC allowed corruption to reach unimaginable levels. To this day they will deny there was any crime in 1MDB. But they never made any noise or tried to stop Jibby.
All those scandals involving Toonsie 1.0 that KT likes to regurgitate from the 80s and 90s. Were not MCA and Gerakan in BN? Are they not responsible for these scandals as well?
Why just focus on DAP's 22 months of overconfident bravery? How about 60 years being partners in crime & scandals? It's not just cowardice.
DAP is what it's today has many factors.
DeleteThe prevailing sopo trilemma circumstances in bolihland is the main factors that no political parties can circumvent w/o incurring any grievances from its supporters.
DAP has a bunch of bleeding-heartish Samaritans & sopo freshies young Turks both r unable to think out of the box to navigate those never-ending racial ingredients. Many of those greenhorn first timer govt ministers r just too naive by half to be misled by the melayu senior ministers within the component setup.
It's only fair to say that ALL political parties face the similar "boe laam phar" pressure points. The only difference is those hegemony melayu parties could outplay their stand with maybe 85% of the 'WANTS' that their supporters demanded. There was/is never a 100% compliance!
But the 15% achievements obtained by DAP is never truly appreciated by some of it supporters. Many of its detractors would use the excuses to curse/condemn DAP - w/o telling how they could do better under the similar conditions.
Fart is indeed very easy until the process of farting r been put into play in the fart chamber!
DAP's 22 months of overconfident bravery?
DeleteYou mean phor laam phar-ism in an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for true reforms but which provided us with KHAT instead of a meow-meow Tigress' claim DAP would have UEC approved within a year, and the continuation of LYNAS, diam diam kuai kuai in 3rd car proclamation, wakakaka
Can u do better?
DeleteDon't avoid the question by saying u r no politikus!
If u dare to condemn others for 'inactions' then show yr cards.
Otherwise it's just fart - same as that phor laam phar-ism u quoted.