What do Chinese Malaysians want? — Lee Yew Meng

We have been Chinese Malaysians a long time after our forefathers accepted being described as Malayan/Malaysian Chinese.

It has been over 57 years since Malaysians took charge and more than 100 years since earlier generations settled here, principally from China, Indonesia, India and the Middle East.

Vernacular, independent high schools

Although vernacular schools are part of our education system, their budget allocations, have been consistently disproportionate based on student enrolments.

And in the last 15 years the national type school enrolment has been exceeding capacity in the urban locations. More Chinese Malaysian students study in the national type schools than in the national schools. In fact non-Chinese students now comprise some 12 per cent.

Right wing Malay Malaysians have repeatedly asked for the abolishment of our dual system. The authorities are fully aware of the reasons for the vernacular school appeal. And it is not just based on its sheer scholastic achievements alone.

The Independent schools are the Chinese medium secondary schools that receive no funding from the government. The long running contentious issue is the non-recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) first introduced in 1975. The UEC – Senior Middle certificate is recognised as an entry qualification by many good universities worldwide, including whose qualifications are accepted by our Public Services Department. But the UEC is not recognised by the country of its origin for entry into public universities.

That is why virtually all UEC candidates also take the SPM at the same time. The 60 Chinese Independent High Schools survive on school fees and public donations.

Our authorities are fully aware what can be done with the national type and independent schools to sharpen our competitive edge, in view of the new China. Alas, the political will is missing.

The ‘Chinese-educated’

I was enrolled in an English medium school in 1961. My Chinese-educated father, who speaks fair English, thought he wanted to give his son “a leg up”. It is true that in the 50s through the 70s, the English educated were considered “educated”, while those who went to the Chinese schools were, regrettably regarded as merely “Chinese educated”.

The English educated always felt somewhat superior to the Chinese educated. We laughed at their tenses, and at how they just couldn’t pronounce the “L” and the “R” and always mixing up the “S”.

The “S” thingy is still quite funny till today. The chorus of the Elton John hit which goes — Its no sacrifice… would be sung as, it’s no sa-cris-fy!

The fact that those from the national type schools have to do a one-year remove class for adjustment, just added on to the mocking treatment. They will graduate one-year later, meaning behind time. 

The kind of personal relationship would have been vastly different had the MCA leadership in the Alliance Coalition spoken  “Cantonese English” in discussions with the Tunku, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Dr Ismail. Hence the topper most leadership of the MCA were English speaking and a somewhat anglophile, while the Chinese speaking were relegated to grassroots leadership.

The Chinese educated had their last laugh when the top leadership evolved and the English educated now have to learn Chinese to move up. 

Many non-Chinese educated do express some regrets in not fully comprehending their culture and traditions. And it hasn’t helped that they have moved to the cities for career and business advancements, disconnecting with the older folk. I know that many are ever so thankful there are Google and Wikipedia to explain the rituals and significances.

Lack of opportunities

I have never heard any Chinese Malaysian aspiring to be the prime minister. Chasing rainbows is not an ambition. Perhaps one day, after a female Malay Malaysian?

Prosperity cannot beckon in an environment of various acute inequalities that can only worsen over time. That’s why the NEP was enthusiastically welcomed. But the affirmative action programme shifted goals and the implementation became like a “penalty” for not being a Malay Malaysian.

All advantages aimed at catch-up are correct. But when implemented in perpetuity or to enrich, it becomes an affront to Malaysians, Malay Malaysians included. It becomes discriminatory.

The special discounts based on race for built properties priced above RM500,000 is another continual affront. So is being rejected by public universities even though sufficiently qualified. It is quite normal to score a 3.93 CGPA and not confident of securing places in actuarial science or engineering courses or even in universities of choice. Their scores for the two-year STPM are matched with the one-year matriculation for Malay Malaysians — when an equally diligent Malay Malaysian can match a Chinese Malaysian any time! So Chinese Malaysian applicants always add on a last choice, i.e. Physics (an unpopular course), to even the unfair odds.

The huge Chinese Malaysian population in private universities is not nearly a reflection of their economic status as it is of the lack of opportunities available in the public institutions.

We also resent issues raised from a racist’s platform. Aiming to turn the clock back is a destructive action, however viewed.

Postscript

The NEP introduced 44 years ago as the lynchpin solution to our inherent woes had been “sabotaged” and the consequence is that we are now pushed back further than 1971, in so far as race relations and competitiveness are concerned.

Even a cabinet minister, plausibly with good intentions, had to suggest an anti-profiteering initiative through clear racial tones!

Chinese Malaysians already have Malaysian DNA in their system for at least two generations. In Hong Kong, we have been long known as “Malai Chai” or Malay (guys), even with our quite similar features, names and proficiency in Cantonese! We are also seen as foreigners in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Taipei.

We founded our nation together and all have the exact same “ordinary shares” and aspirations.

- malaymail