Are racial problems caused only by them, says PSM Chief
PSM chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj said he fully supported a non-racial approach but the reality of the country’s divisions could not be ignored.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians and political leaders were urged today to take a hard look at themselves when discussing racial problems and not merely demonise “the other side”.
Sixty years of race-based politics had left all Malaysians with “dark forces” within themselves, said Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), at a public forum.
“But do we imagine that only the Malay population has these dark forces?” Jeyakumar said. “What about the non-Malays? Aren’t we all affected by racial and ethnic policymaking (as well)?”
Jeyakumar was speaking as a panellist at a forum titled “Dark Forces Towards GE15” in conjunction with the launch of books written by Murray Hunter and Lim Teck Ghee.
He said racial disparity ran across the board and was not confined to any one community.
“For example, 60% of employment in Malaysia is in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but 90% of the people employed by local industrial SMEs are Malaysian Chinese.
“Is this something that the country should be looking to resolve, given that the SMEs take up about 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP) but are almost entirely Chinese?” he said.
Jeyakumar said he fully supported a non-racial approach to economic and social policies, but the reality of the country’s divisions could not be ignored.
He said there was discontent with the New Economic Policy (NEP) of the 1970s-1990s. However, the policy was a fair attempt at affirmative action despite its flaws, given the circumstances at the time.
“In the 1960s, only 5% of doctors were Malays, and that had to be addressed. For us to throw (the NEP) all away as being racist is not being empathetic to the reality of what they want,” he said.
“We need empathy and to stop demonising each other. The other side demonises us and we do it back to them, but (we end up) not talking.”
He also questioned the view that Barisan Nasional had “messed up the country since 1957” and asked if this view was valid.
There was not enough appreciation of what had been done, he said. Since 1970, Malaysia’s GDP had grown 30-fold, while for social protection, Socso had been introduced in 1969.
“These guys made mistakes, yes, they’re kleptocrats, but has it been completely negative?” he said. “Because if you want to negotiate with the other side, you have to recognise the good as well.”
He called for self-reflection among opposition members.
Pointing to the drop in Malay voter support for Pakatan Harapan from 25% in May 2018 to 7% two years later, Jeyakumar asked:
“Was that drop caused by Bersatu leaving? Or was Bersatu’s departure caused by that drop? Think of it clearly, we were in control; why couldn’t we consolidate support for 25% of Malays?”
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians and political leaders were urged today to take a hard look at themselves when discussing racial problems and not merely demonise “the other side”.
Sixty years of race-based politics had left all Malaysians with “dark forces” within themselves, said Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), at a public forum.
“But do we imagine that only the Malay population has these dark forces?” Jeyakumar said. “What about the non-Malays? Aren’t we all affected by racial and ethnic policymaking (as well)?”
Jeyakumar was speaking as a panellist at a forum titled “Dark Forces Towards GE15” in conjunction with the launch of books written by Murray Hunter and Lim Teck Ghee.
He said racial disparity ran across the board and was not confined to any one community.
“For example, 60% of employment in Malaysia is in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but 90% of the people employed by local industrial SMEs are Malaysian Chinese.
“Is this something that the country should be looking to resolve, given that the SMEs take up about 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP) but are almost entirely Chinese?” he said.
Jeyakumar said he fully supported a non-racial approach to economic and social policies, but the reality of the country’s divisions could not be ignored.
He said there was discontent with the New Economic Policy (NEP) of the 1970s-1990s. However, the policy was a fair attempt at affirmative action despite its flaws, given the circumstances at the time.
“In the 1960s, only 5% of doctors were Malays, and that had to be addressed. For us to throw (the NEP) all away as being racist is not being empathetic to the reality of what they want,” he said.
“We need empathy and to stop demonising each other. The other side demonises us and we do it back to them, but (we end up) not talking.”
He also questioned the view that Barisan Nasional had “messed up the country since 1957” and asked if this view was valid.
There was not enough appreciation of what had been done, he said. Since 1970, Malaysia’s GDP had grown 30-fold, while for social protection, Socso had been introduced in 1969.
“These guys made mistakes, yes, they’re kleptocrats, but has it been completely negative?” he said. “Because if you want to negotiate with the other side, you have to recognise the good as well.”
He called for self-reflection among opposition members.
Pointing to the drop in Malay voter support for Pakatan Harapan from 25% in May 2018 to 7% two years later, Jeyakumar asked:
“Was that drop caused by Bersatu leaving? Or was Bersatu’s departure caused by that drop? Think of it clearly, we were in control; why couldn’t we consolidate support for 25% of Malays?”
When minorities are pushed against the wall, you can expect defences to be raised.
ReplyDeleteThe NEP was really the beginning of the division of Malaysia in racial lines. Ketuanan Melayu solidified that division as the nons are seen as pendatangs. The nons are allowed to attain citizenship due to the "generosity" of the ketuanans; thus the nons must be grateful to have a place in the Malaysian sun.
Jeyakumar seems to imply that a 90% Chinese SME employee population is a manifestation of the "dark forces" he references.
The thing is he forgets that opportunities in the civil service is practically closed to other races except malays.
The Chinese being entrepreneurial sought refuge in SMEs - a defence mechanism for survival.
If the ketuanans would stop talking about protecting their race and religion and accord equal treatment for the nons, the issue of a racial divide would diminish.
Has Jeyakumar come across any political nons trying to muster and "unite" the nons to protect race and religion?
Just imagine if the DAP tries to tell the Chinese they have to be united to protect their culture, race and beliefs? You can be sure the ketuanans will froth in the mouth and threaten another May13.
That is the reality.
PAS openly stated the government must be a malay government. What has Jeyakumar to say to that?
The most racist, most uncompromising period of New Economic Policy implementation was actually in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
ReplyDeleteFor that generation of Nons who reached young adulthood, Malaysia was really like , not their country.
That was the worst period of University Quotas, Employment Quotas. Many jobs were openly advertised as Only Bumiputras Need Apply. The employers had no choice, they had to meet mandatory Bumi quotas, else there would be severe repercussions.
And thus left a toxic legacy for future generations.
It would have been wise to define a sunset timetable on the NEP, but it has warped into the Never Ending Policy, a built-in, permanent Race-Based Special Rights.
The remaining survival corner for Chinese and other Nons was the Small and Medium scale enterprises and industries.
It's a very tough business , which almost all Bumis lack the determination and hard-headed resolve to struggle through. Why suffer so much, when it's Kuch easier to live on milking Government contracts ?
Afghanistan also wants it back...hahahaha
ReplyDelete