Chinese from Ustaz Ridhuan Tee`s point of view

I took the initiative to translate the original text which is in Bahasa Melayu.

Is Non Malays being neglected?

Deputy Chief Minister of Penang, Dr. P. Ramasamy has point his finger toward the old state government regime and UMNO`s policy on the issue of vast racial distribution differences in the precentage of civil servant.

In the view of this event, the accusation of reaping up the non Malays job application forms was very serious indeed. Ramasamy should know better before open up his mouth and making such accusation since he used to be Professor in one of the public University. He should aware the whereabout and the procedures of a job application in the civil services.

It`s known to most of us that all civil servant application is processed and handled by Public Service Department of Malaysia (PSD) which is headed by an Sri Ismail Adam. He has made a statement not to long ago that PSD major task is to close gap the racial distribution in civil service yet they still failed to do so due to the lack of interest from the Chinese and Indians to join in.

No so great number of application form the non Malays are the major factor the gap is still wide. The statistic from Public Services Commission of Malaysia reveal that only 1.78 percent Chinese and 2.5 percent Indians out of 486,802 number of application applied. In addition the criteria for the selection were based on merit not race.

But the statement from PSD were objected by MCA in their bulletin, The Guardian. The Chinese has a perception that their rights to be in the public services and the opportunity to attain scholarship plus the career apraisal were denied by the Government. According to it, it is not true that the Chinese were not interested to join in the services due to lact of interest and low income payout compared to the private sector.

The following statistic studies were done by MCA regards to the public services application based on racial distribution as an act of objection to PSD (The Guardian, Vol 6, December 2007)

Statistic

I`m not so sure about how reliable this figures but according to MCA, the is major racial differences percentage on public service job application, (Musa Ile Chong dan Christina Seah, 2007). According to another statistic report for 2005, here are the racial distribution in public services in Malaysia; Malays 77.4%, Chinese 9.37% and Indian 5.14%.

Compared to year of 1971, the figures for Chinese in public services is about 20.2%. In 35 years, these figure decreased for about 10%, and now it is even less than 3% not only in the entire Public Services but in the Police alone.

A study from a former MCA Youth Chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai shows that the Chinese are not interested to pursue their career in Public Services as a lower rank officers. If there are any of them interested, they will only go for a fruitful segments such as the Police. For instance out of 250 youth, 80% of them are going for Inspector compared to Constable.

From all these report, we can come up with a conclusion that Chinese preferred to be in the higher rank positions. Being in the lower rank positions were the least on their mind and thoughts. And this is what I called Ultra Kiasu.

I forsee these as a trend that purposely to highlight the negative aspect and in the same time neglecting all the positive elements available. Sort of fishing in troubled waters especially during the peroid of time when Malays politic are in the lesser state as what we see today. Futhermore the Government are less likely to be stern in their ruling and policy execution.

When there are any extreme demands were made, they won`t address it, in the righly manner, most of the time they would only anounce that "we will look into these matter". Unfortunately there are no positive measurement taken by the respective parties while others will continue to do the actual research and continue to dig more dirt and reveal it to the public. And again the positive side of the stories will remain untold.

All those negative side of stories were again manipulated until it became one big national issue and it definately will create a social time bomb if relevant parties does not act to it with wisdom. When one particular sensational issue became a headlines, only then our political leaders are stuggling their effort out like no body business. I consider this as a very effective and briliant strategy being used to ask and gain something which they have already attained so they could be asking for more and more in the future.

But again as we are aware, the Government already paved a way for non Malays to be in the Public Sectors. The high rank positions in higher public institute of learning and other Public Services are being offered. We have seen the non Malays there and if the number of us in the high rank positions are not that great, i still consider it as fair, mainly because our percentage compare to the Malays are much lesser. The most important thing here is the road already being paved by the Government.

Some other reason that i would like to share with the readers are;

1) from studies conducted, the Chinese prefer to be in the private sectors or running their own business because it is much more profitable compared to be working in the public sectors.

2) the hardship of a career development in public sectors due to the greater number of Malays.

3) Chinese are considered as high spirited, proud of their civilisation, arrogant (Comber, 2007) and prefer to stand on their own feet. In short, their involvement in the world of business has been and always be in their blood. Therefore it is not suprising that the Chinese monopolised 70% if private economy in Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia (Amy Chua, 2003).

4) Chinese already have a perception that it is hard for them to gain entry into the public services which have been monopolised by the Malays of Malays working environment. Even if they manage to be in the position, they might find it hard for their career development and

5) Chinese are not used to work in the Malays working environment because of the Chinese bringing-up or social politics are very racial centric such as education, place to stay, media and etc.

These scenario may actually be the real reason why the majority of Chinese (and maybe Indians) fond to mingle with their own people compared to other races.

These also prove that we have failed to intergrate and assimilise those who migrated into Malaysia or previously known as Tanah Melayu. Again we have to address to this issue with full of wisdom.

Far more extreme demand were made by MCA on 25% of Chinese must be in the public sector to reflect the actual racial population distribution in Malaysia.(The Guardian, Vol 6, December 2007).

Studies

But Why non Malays does not look at the DEB from the same point of view? MCA, DAP and Gerakan want DEB to be demolished while Bumiputera equity ownership only at 18% (45 % according to a study conducted by Lim Teck Ghee), compare to their population which is 65%.

Why MCA does not bring up the point that equity ownership distribution based on racial population formula, 65% of Malays, 25% of Chinese and the rest goes to others as what they claimed and asked for in the public service issue?

A question we have to think together, if Malays are the majority in the public sectors, who would be the majority of their services? The answer would be the non Malays who is involved in the business sector. Such as the construction and properties business segments.

We have seen how many Malays are actually employed by the Chinese in their companies. As what i have said before, if there is any, they are being employed for the reason to gain profit from the Malays comsumer or clientele, especially in the services sectors and food & beverage (F&B) sectors. For instance, in the Islamic Banking, the Muslim are " being used" to gain Muslims as their client. It also goes to the F&B segmentation where Malays are being potrayed as symbols to increase the sales of certain f&B products.

Let not forget about the number of Malays being appointed as a chairmain of the company owned by chinese. The appointment were made simply because to enable them to go for Government projects and tenders. Malays are being used as a puppet to gain multi billion profit where as it is known to all of us, the Malay Chairman were only paid only for a few thousands.

For me, it is not suprising that the lesser percentage of non Malays going into the public sectors because it is part of Chinese culture, being not interested to gain entry in the public services and far more beyond we should think of being in the police or in the army. Its a culture for a Chinese not only to become Kiasu (affraid of loosing) but as well as Kiasi (affraid of dying).

Therefore, the DAP`s demands which will also being supported by MCA & Gerakan in the near future will only just be another decoy for another demands, not because of the number of unprocessed non Malays public service application.

There is another issue which the Chinese didn`t take for granted which is the population rate or the birth rate of Malays are increasing compared to them. In
another word the Malay rights will be getting merrier while the situation might goes the other way around for the Chinese. Chinese will again be in the hot water thus multiple of demands must be brought forward. (Lee Boon Kok, Temubual, 8 Januari 2007).

I did not object the UMNO political interference in the public services, but not to the extend that they will tore apart your job application form. This is the ultra kiasu mentality which i always highlighted on the political leaders and followers of DAP whom they claimed to be the champion for the rights of all race and community in Malaysia. As a matter of fact they are still considered as an ultra Chinese based political party.