hak55 has left a new comment on your post "Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia? ...dream on !":
One united people, regardless of race, language or religion
I am a Malay, raised in Singapore until I was 19 years old and still keeps returning to Singapore regularly and I saw many important events during that 19 year period; the merger with Malaysia, the confrontation, the separation, and the direct telecast on TV showing Mr Lee Kuan Yew crying after Tunku Abdul Rahman announced the separation, the racial riots that went on for almost a week that erupted on 21 July 1964 on the occasion of the celebration of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) birthday; the last big flood in Singapore in the late 60's and the many non-stop campaigns by the PAP government since they took over in 1959, broadcast in Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English and participated in many of Singapore's youth building, education and development programmes and the national service, amongst others.
I moved to Malaysia in 1971 and became a citizen of this country, by choice, due to events and circumstances that happened to me and in what I believe, where my future lies, in 1979. I am just like Malaysians who move to Australia and become an Australian citizen, Malaysians who move to the US and become a US citizen, Malaysians who move to Singapore and become a Singapore citizen, Singaporeans who move to Malaysia and become a Malaysian citizen, etc. We all have our own special reasons and circumstances that led us to do so.
As the Berita Harian editor Guntor Sadali said, "For Malays in Singapore,power is not about wielding the keris. For us, knowledge is ... THE real power ... We do not believe in getting any special treatment, because it would only reduce the value of our achievements and lower our dignity ...Dr Mahathir [Mohamad] and some Malay leaders across the Causeway do not like the way we do things here and have therefore warned Malaysian Malays not to be like us. On our part, there is certainly no turning back. Meritocracy has proven to be a good and fair system. It pushes us to work hard and makes us proud of our achievements". These and all the rest that he said are all very true.
The Malays in Singapore, no crutch mentality — Guntor Sadali
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/the-malays-in-singapore-no-crutch-mentality-guntor-sadali/
Malays in Singapore have since a long time ago assimilated into the general Singapore society very well and we do not care what race people are or what religion they belong to, even amongst Malays there who are not Muslims anymore or Malays who claim to be Muslims but do not practise the religion.There's never been a case like 'Lina Joy' in Singapore. This, to them, is a private matter between the individual and God. The 'Natrah' case, if some insist, was an ancient one, so to speak. As long as they are not troublemakers, they will be accepted by the society, regardless of race, language or religion.
The Muslims in Singapore are all very well, thank you and they do not need to be told what to do and what not to do by anyone, any organisation or any institution or even the government, and as a matter of fact, the government of Singapore listens to them. Muslims in Singapore comprise a multitude of races, not just Malays. Many, if not most, of the mosques and madrasahs in Singapore are self-financing though they do receive some grants from the government and they do receive a very good support from the government on education including studying Islam up to the highest level. Their relationship with people from other communities and people from other religions is excellent and they do mix and exchange ideas regularly. Mind you, being a very small country, Singapore has more religions than most country in the world, including some ancient religions.
There's a lot that Malaysia can learn from Singapore.
Read more here: http://hak55.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-united-peopleregardless-of-race.html
my friend,
ReplyDeleteWhat nonsense are you talking about, come on la..Malay in singapore assimilate? That's because they have to as the chinesse are holding the marble. Are they any Malay minister in the s'pore cabinet I would like to ask you, are there any Malays millionaire in s'pore richest list?
Yes, the Malay s'pore have well embrace into the PAP government all this while not because they want to but because they know nothing they could do can ever change s'pore politics especially since Mr Lee Kuan Yew is still rigidly overseeing his son's shoulder all this while.
there's no Lina joy's case there? since the main government are non Muslim, i should think that they would have no care in the world whether the Muslim s'pore becomes a murtad or not whereas Malaysia is a Muslim country by right which is why we are very concern about this kind of problem.
Malays in Singapore and Malaysia although same religion but we are worldly apart because here in Malaysia, the power that be matters...
looks like Anonymous has a hard time believing that Malays can be independent, smart, self thinking people.
ReplyDeleteHe cannot take the fact that they need to be herded like goats in everything they do.
Ouch! What say you anon 10.30? Anon 12.38 has a point! Camna?
ReplyDeleteIn almost any measurement, the natural curve applies. Bulk of it remain in the middle and a little at each of the ends.
ReplyDeleteFor eg the chinese or indians, bulk of them belief in a particular religion, while some belief one or another or probably an atheist.
I can't for the life of me see how all people of a race belonging to a particular religion. Surely there are those who want to and choose to belief differently.
Question is how do we handle such -leave it to these people themselves or to be decided by some authorities/bodies/govt?
"The Malays in Singapore" is a direct response to Tuan HH's "Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia". In the latter's article, Tuan's inspiration came from his recent visit to Singapore.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:30 makes some salient points since Singapore is predominately Chinese and neutral on matters pertaining to the Muslim faith like proselytizing unless it disrupts public harmony.
However, if Singapore is so "restrictive" to Malays and to the Muslim faith, then they have a choice to immigrate to Malaysia where there is so much freedom. However, do we see them rushing over in droves?
Secondly, I personally find that Singapore Inc. encourages more technocrats & bureaucrats than entrepreneurs. How many super tycoons are there in Singapore even among the Chinese? However, holding high positions, many have become millionaires. Again, Singaporeans don't go around shouting their wealth especially if they are commanding high salaries and working for big conglomerates.
Whereas, we are daily bombarded in the newspapers in regards to the "orang baru kaya" in Malaysia through government hand me downs (eg. NFC, Iskandar Project dll). Does the failed NEP give Malays a sense of meritocracy? Sure, there are many Malay millionaires (& genuine hard working, honest business people) in Malaysia but are you one of them? A small percentage are millionaires and a smaller among them by true hard work, not through freebies.
In Singapore, I haven't seen a Malay family still living in an attap house, their children without education and running around without shoes. After 50 years, the Malays have been left behind and the wealth gap among them is still very wide.
Besides talking about the Malay Dilemma we should be talking about the Malaysia Dilemma. Malaysia does not just exist for the Malays. Barring the "pendatangs", we must account for our social responsibilities to the Orang Asli, Sabahans & Sarawakians unless we call for a breakaway of these states, if the Malays cannot accept the fact of the Malayan Union. Again, it has been established that even the Melanaus, Bajaus & Sulus do not consider themselves to be Malay but are proud of their own ethnicity.
What rights do we have when we are bombarded by proselyting propaganda on a daily basis? The dakwah movement is very strong in the interiors of Sabah & Sarawak. Very little headway is made because these missionaries cannot face the hardships - travel into the interior for days by boat & trekking, living among the people (who rear dogs & pigs under and in the long houses), eating the food (haram), minum tuak (as a gesture of hospitality) dll. So for every Lina Joy we have 10 more cases on the other side of the spectrum involving Chinese, Indian, Iban & Kadazan families.
Lastly, we would advise Anon to travel overseas and interact with Malays living out of the country. A majority silently do not wish to return and be shackled by the visible & invisible walls of restrictions. Please do not think that this is some non-Malay propaganda to psycho the Malays. Many quietly express their views when they feel "safe" to share them openly.
If these cultural wars & divides continue to be used for political expediency on all sides, then Malaysians will be the greatest losers. We will only be left with a fragmented society where suspicions will be cast against others. Malay will also be against Malay and the cracks will be more difficult to heal. In many ways, the British would have accomplished their mission – to divide and rule.
TR
Did you all know that there is a lot of Malays like anon 10 30 in UMNO?For them meritocracy is not in their vocabulary.....these are the Malays that will make sure the Malays in Malaysia stays as idiotic as they are now......sad but true.
ReplyDeleteNice to read your blog on this website. different experience to read this blog. i get some awesome information throw this article.
ReplyDelete