Do Malaysians have an ‘inclusive’ mindset?

 

Inclusiveness is not an ideology or a philosophy. It is the way of life. Do we, as Malaysians, have this mindset? The incline in our country is very much towards 

exclusivity,

 instead of inclusivity.

As a nation, we start off our 

exclusive way of life

 when we are children.

Malaysia has specific schools for specific races. I’m sure people will debate 

ad infinitum

 about the pros and cons of this system that we have inherited. The parochially-minded Malaysian will always seek to continue with these 

exclusive

 schools. And, often the argument is that these race-based schools, especially the Chinese schools, are needed because our national school system is broken. This, they say, is why people opt for these schools. Should we fix the national schools, or do we encourage Malaysians to send their kids to vernacular and exclusive religious schools?

Then, as our kids move on to tertiary education, they are confronted with more 

exclusivity.

 Again, the selectivity is not determined by merit or ability, but simply by the providence of the race they were born into. Higher education matriculation places, plum opportunities for government sponsored study-abroad arrangements, and lower entry requirements for coveted further education courses, are exclusively reserved for one race of Malaysians.

Upon completion of their schooling, these young adults are faced with ongoing exclusion.

In seeking jobs, they will see positions reserved for 

Mandarin speakers,

 which is a code-phrase for 

this job is only open to one race.

 Or, they will confront race-based quota systems for cushy government jobs.

As they start off with independent life with their partners, like many of us, they might seek to rent a home, before being able to purchase one. But 

exclusivity

 will limit their choices. Many will hear statements from real estate agents like 

…don’t get the landlord wrong, but they just would prefer non-Indian tenants.

 Some will claim that this sentiment is deservedly so, because Malaysian Indians are 

allegedly

 known as serial rent defaulters. I don’t know where these people get their statistics from, but it is a common narrative.

Then, when our kids are ready to purchase their first property, they will find that discounted rates are offered to one race over others. All are Malaysians but obviously some are deemed more 

Malaysian

 than others.

As our young people progress in life, they may feel the desire for some form of entrepreneurship. This is when they will realise that there are more 

exclusive

 offers for government funding, micro credit facilities, and business upliftment schemes set up by 

our

 government using 

our

 tax ringgit, but set aside specifically for one race or another.

At an age when our children begin to aspire for reform and change in our nation, they may turn to politicians and political parties for leadership. But once again, they will find that the vast majority of political parties in Malaysia are 

exclusive

 to one race or another.

Even the ones that profess to be multiracial and stand on soap-boxes, screaming platitudes like 

Justice for all Malaysians

 or 

Malaysian Malaysia,

 ultimately have been unmasked as either dominant Malay, or parochial Chinese, or simply Indian political parties. None of these parties really stand up for what is right for us, as a people. They all focus their efforts and energy on their own support base, which is inevitably race determined. Or, they just do what is expedient for their political party, and political masters.

Every so often, as a nation, we get galvanised by a sporting event. Perhaps it is the only time we consciously forget the race that we were randomly born into, and think of ourselves as 

Malaysian.

But nowadays, even this pure form of sporting patriotism gets tainted with religious and racial narratives. 

Why are our female badminton players not covering up, or how can we allow our swimmers and divers to don such abhorrent swimwear?

As a nation, we have successfully tainted every flipping occasion, including international sporting events, with our uniquely Malaysian 

race and religious

 myopic lenses.

Eventually, those of us who hanker for an inclusive Malaysia, struggle, fight, and vote for reform-minded leadership (or so they claimed for decades.) But soaked in perennial 

exclusivity

 with the regular stoking of racial embers, unbridled religious bigotry, and opportunistic politicians, it was impossible for this so-called reform-minded political coalition to get a clear mandate to govern.

So, we ended up with a hybrid government that’s neither here nor there. With stunted political will, it is a government of mollification, appeasement, and clearly not centred on reform.

We do not have a government that plans to retain power by showing Malaysians that in five short years, they can start the foundations of a new Malaysia, with institutional reforms, economic rejuvenation, societal reconstruction, and by crushing religious extremism as well as ending racist policies.

Instead, we have a government that wants to cling on to power, worryingly, by further pandering to the 

exclusive

 demands of a certain race, and of select interest-groups. The current leadership is just deft at revisiting old, archaic policies, and giving them new and confusing monikers or acronyms.

So yes. Inclusiveness is not an ideology or a philosophy. It is the way of life. And, I ask again, do we, as Malaysians, have this mindset? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.