A MESSAGE TO MALAYS, CHINESE, OTHERS : Special Position of the Malays, Article 152 Of The Singapore Constitution.

 

Lately I have been receiving messages, articles and comments from non-Malays about the bumiputra quotas, affirmative action, bumiputra racist policies, Article 153 of the Federal Constitution etc. The latest was just this morning. There seems to be plenty of anxiety especially among the Chinese and other non Malays about these 'racist' policies. 

First I must give due regard to old time reader Mr Lee who sent me this comment a few days ago.

Hi Tuan Syed

When will IT stop? "IT" is Malay Special Privileges.

Everything has a shelf life. And for a long time I wanted to ask this question. 

So one day, about 16 years ago I asked my old classmate (we were classmates in Form 6 in 1963 in Sultan Abdul Hamid College), a Syed like yourself, a retired head of a National Organization....

"Please don't misunderstand, but when will Malay Privileges end? 5 Years? 10 Years? 25 Years? 100 years? or Forever?"   He was taken aback. Glared at me. And said, "Let us remain friends. Please don't ask me THAT Question again.

As an old man, I am afraid of losing my friends, the few that are left. So Tuan Syed can you please ask that question in your Blog?

Thanks

lee

My Comments : Thank you Mr Lee. I believe in freedom of speech. You have the absolute right to ask anything you want. But how others may choose to answer or not answer your question is also up to their freedom of reply and choice of expression. Of course you will have to judge what they say.

The other article I received this morning said things like:

• Bumiputraism plagued us for a long time
• politicians, columnists, ignore it.  
• quota system spine of Bumiputraism
• politicians, academics equate it with affirmative action. 
• Bumiputraism is not affirmative action
• it is racial discrimination.
• Bumiputraism is biggest problem facing our country 
• It is the wedge that divides our country.
• IT CORRUPTS THE NATIONAL PSYCHE.

Well at last, the Chinese and the other non-Malays are beginning to question more loudly. 
They are beginning to voice their opinion more frankly. 
I hope this conversation will become more current. 
That more people will speak about this frankly.

Because as I have said many times before, the most powerful force in the world is the voice of the single person. Collectively it becomes the voice of the people. It becomes the will of the people.  So do speak up. The Chinese are long overdue in voicing their true feelings.

• Please do not go overboard
• Do not lose control. 
• Just say things frankly and politely. 
• Just get the message across.
  

 

Confusing the situation are the Chinese politicians (MCA and now the new world champions ie DAP) playing enablers, helpers, go-between, expediters in the "bumiputraism". 

As an example did the DAP say anything about that Matriculation quota issue? 
No they did not. Their silence was deafening.
Ok MCA's Wee Ka Siong made a good statement. 

But throughout the decades, the Chinese politicians have played out the Chinese people.

And too many Chinese politicians in Malaysia, like too many other politicians in Malaysia, are millionaires.  So ordinary Chinese people, you are way down "their" line of priorities.

• Yes I have some views.
• And let me blow my trumpet up front ok
• I believe my views are the only views that will work. 
• So just hear me out. 

The Singapore Constitution has exactly the same article as our Article 153 (Malay Special Rights). In the Singapore Constitution it is in Article 152.

Overview of Article 152: Article 152 of the Singapore Constitution delineates several key provisions regarding the Malay community and the Malay language. It affirms the special position of the Malay community as the indigenous people of Singapore and recognizes their contributions to the nation’s development. Furthermore, Article 152 designates the Malay language as the national language of Singapore, while also acknowledging English as the working language. 

Many years ago, when  Mr Lee Kuan Yew was still alive, this Article 152 was debated in the Singapore Parliament. The debate was whether Article 152 should be abolished - exactly the question raised by Mr Lee above.  (I think the debate in the Singapore Parliament was initiated by Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, presently the Foreign Minister of Singapore).

But the debate did not last long. Mr Lee Kuan Yew stepped in and just stopped the discussion. Mr Lee said the subject was not up for discussion. He said the Malays in Singapore will need a very long time to catch up with the rest. I believe he mentioned something like "100 years or more" and the words he used was 'they will never catch up'. Meaning without Article 152,  the Malays in Singapore will be left out completely. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was very blunt, Article 152 on the Special Position of the Malays will remain. End of discussion.

I have said exactly the same thing but with an added warning. I have said before and I will say it again, if we abolish Article 153 of our Federal Constitution (Malay Special Privileges etc) this country will burn down to the ground. 

PLEASE DO NOT PLAY WITH FIRE.

And yet the solution is so simple. The only reason the simplest solution has not worked is because the politicians on all sides have no guts. They have no cojones. Or the politicians are looking after their own pockets. 

So what is the simplest solution? 

Let the Malays and the bumiputras have the "quotas". Actually it is not quotas. Bumiputra special privileges (in education) simply means lower qualifications to enter university, to get scholarships, student loans. 

All Malaysians regardless of race receive free school education until they are 17 years old. 
All Malaysians get free school textbooks (there are many billions of Ringgit worth of reasons why this is so - it has to do with school book publishing contracts)
All Malaysians get free medical treatment at the government hospitals.

• But let the bumiputras enter tertiary education despite lower exam scores. 
• And let them enter by the bus loads.  
• Otherwise they will lag behind.

But when they graduate please make sure that they graduate with the minimum requirements to graduate for all students, regardless of race. There is no such thing as lower graduation scores for Malay doctors or engineers. 

Likewise the Malays need bumiputra schemes to begin businesses. The MARA assistance, the bumiputra assistance programs etc. Let them have it.  Without the assistance many Malays will not be able to get started in business. 

• So all the bumiputra privileges must remain. 
• For how long? I have a suggestion. 
• Please do read on.
  

But the university 'quotas' must apply only for the bumiputras. 
There must be absolutely no quotas for the non-Malays to enter public university. 
What does that mean?
Every non-Malay who qualifies to enter university should be allowed to enter. 
If they qualify to enter medical school let them enter the medical faculties.

If there are not enough medical schools at public universities then the government must spend money (taxpayers money contributed in large part by non Malays) to build more medical schools. 

(To Malay people, if you want your children to become stupid then please send them to government universities that insist that the VC should only be a Malay. This is the easiest way to ensure that your children remain stupid - forever).

• Malaysia has more than enough money. 
• To build and equip a university costs about RM1.0 Billion.
• Or less if you get rid of the corruption.  

That is far less than the RM9.0 billion paid for six Navy ships that were not even built.
Or the RM5.0 billion losses incurred by that state owned bank in Sabah (latest fiasco).
Or the RM3.0 billion in dubious investments by that human resource fund.
Or the RM40 billion to RM100 billion stolen by the 1MDB kleptocrats.

• Malaysia is a very, very rich country. 
• We can really afford to take care of everyone.

Orang Melayu sila dengar baik-baik ok.
Affirmative action maksudnya membantu kaum bumiputera.
Membantu dengan mengguna kutipan hasil cukai daripada kaum bukan bumiputra juga.

Affirmative action bukan maksudnya menghalang, menyekat atau menyusahkan kaum bukan bumiputra. 
Itu adalah racism dan juga perbuatan berdosa. 
Rezeki yang datang daripada perbuatan berdosa itu tidak boleh kekal.

Many of you Malaysians, or almost all of you, bumis and non-bumis, are going about this the wrong way.

The "bumiputra racism"  is actually promoted very strongly by the Malay elites and the Malay ruling class (the politicians). 
The politicians use racism to get votes (which does not work anymore - it failed UMNO in 2008, 2018, in 2022, in SIX State By Elections and the latest in Sg Bakap). 
The Malay elites (the business tycoons and millionaire politicians) depend on bumiputra racism to make their millions and billions.

Unfortunately these Malay politicians and elites are too frequently assisted by the elite Chinese including the Chinese politicians. They are looking at their own short term financial gain.

The ordinary Malay has little or no part in this type of crude racism for economic piracy. It is the politicians and the elites who use the racist piracy to enrich themselves - at everyone's expense.

That rice monopoly billionaire does not give a shit about the Malay or non Malay rice buyer. They are in it for the easy money.   

 

إِنَّهُمُ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ   -  'surely they have taken the satans to be their guardians.' 

They simply cannot give up their easy money, at the expense of others.

• Ok to answer the question : For how long should the bumiputra policy prolong?
• The median savings of the bumiputras in the EPF is about RM7,000.
• Median Chinese savings in EPF are over RM49,000. 
• SEVEN TIMES MORE THAN MALAYS.
• Indian median savings in EPF are about RM16,000. 
• More than TWICE the Malay savings.

Similarly I am sure the per capita Malay contribution to income taxes is way below that of the Chinese and Indians.

This gap should be reduced or narrowed. The Malays must come up to the same level as the non-Malays in the median EPF savings, in paying income taxes. 

However to reach 100% parity with the Chinese may take forever. Or never.

But if the Malays can reach parity with the Indians then perhaps the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION can be considerably turned down, if not abolished altogether. If the Indians can pay their income taxes and contribute to their EPF savings without AFFIRMATIVE ACTION policies to help them, well so should the Malays.

After they have got their university education, after they get a start in business STOP SHIELDING THE MALAYS FROM COMPETITION.

Remove the monopolies, the oligopolies, the bumiputra licenses, bumiputra permits, bumi quotas etc in the economy. The Malays must learn to compete.

The lazy tycoons ("ty-cons") and the lazy elites have tasted easy money.  They will resist strongly.

So keep this conversation going - politely. 
Chinese people - tell the MCA and the DAP.

If you dont bring up this issue you will not get our vote. 
We will keep voting you out. 

 

Just begin the conversation, with facts, figures and common sense.
Remember we cannot abolish Article 153 on Malay Special Privileges.
The purpose of Affirmative Action is to discriminate positively to help the bumiputras.
It is not the purpose of Affirmative Action to discriminate negatively against the non-bumiputras.

Jangan ter-konpius.

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