Silver platter

By Singa Terhormat

Many UMNO-type Malays are fond of complaining that the Chinese have a major share in the economic pie of this country and that this is unacceptable.

Firstly, such a matter viewed in solely racial terms  is being downright racist and abhorrent.

 That aside though, do they ask themselves how is it that the Chinese were able to acquire their wealth?

Were their forefathers who migrated here or who were brought to work in the mines wealthy when they came?

 Did the wealth of the Chinese just happen to  drop from the sky into their laps?

  Did  it not come about through sheer hard work, the acquisition of business acumen and their ability to save?

 If it did not drop from the sky, then why, if these Malays desire similar wealth, do they not likewise work hard, acquire the business acumen and learn how to save?

In truth,  the  NEP has been a setback for them as it enabled many of them to acquire some measure of wealth through wheeling and dealing and enjoying privileges extended to them without the need to really work hard, build up their business capital and to acquire the necessary business acumen.

For many wealth was acquired the easy way and in the process most of them  lost any competitive edge they may have otherwise had. In that sense the NEP  designed to favour them turned out to be a disservice to them.

They were given the ‘fish to eat’ but not taught ‘ how to fish’ for themselves.

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The complaint as spouted by that retired judge and so many others is nothing but pure envy. Put bluntly, they want what the Chinese have but are not prepared to work for it. They instead expect it to drop from the sky into their laps on a silver-platter.

There are Malays however who have worked hard and are just as successful as many of the Chinese. Why do not the others then follow suit?

The answer is that the ability to compete has been severely blunted through all the ‘handouts’ afforded to them.

My message to these Malays then is, if it is wealth you desire, then why do you not work hard for it instead of continually bitching about how much better off the Chinese are. It did not drop from the sky for them.

- The People's Parliament