An Open Letter to our Beloved Prime Minister
 
Date : 
Sat, 01 Jun 2002 06:49:58 +0000
 
Dear Sir,
I am a Malaysia Chinese graduated from a US University many many years ago.
I have read your news yesterday with my heart and blood boiling. I am a
nobody in Malaysia and have never met you face-to-face before. I have no
way of contacting you, and so I hope your press secretaries or special branch
officers could pass you this note. I really hope you have a chance to read my note.
Sir, I must say that you have again made a somehow misleading statement
yesterday. You implied that if the number of bumi students were to be
reduced in the public universities through the so-called meritocracy admission system,
non-bumi, especially Chinese and Indian Communities would be very happy about it.
Sir, you also mentioned that there are only 800 bumi students (government
sponsored) out of a total of 17000 Malaysian students studying in US. And
80% of our private colleges' students in Malaysia are non-bumi.
I strongly feel that you, as our beloved Prime Minister have again missed
the point. Yes, there are more non-bumi, make it clearer, there are more
Malaysian Chinese students in private colleges, and in US universities.
But, all these Chinese students are fee-paying students. 99.99% of them do not
get scholarships and study loan from our government which collect taxes
regardless of races. These Malaysian Chinese students are trying every
possible way to pursue a good education. Their parents sell houses, cars,
jewelry, and make a lot of sacrifices to make sure that their children
receive good education. Their effort should be commended.
I find it hard to understand what is it going to do with the public universities'
controversial meritocracy admission system if more fee-paying Chinese students,
compare to Malay students are going to study in private colleges or overseas
universities. If Malay students want to pay their own fees to enter private colleges
and overseas universities, I will be the first one cheering for them.
Private colleges in Malaysia and overseas universities are taking in
fee-paying students irrespective of their nationality and races. If Malay
students want to pay their own fees to attend private colleges and
overseas universities, Go ahead. I do not think any Chinese in Malaysia
would say single word against it. This is a free world. If you have financial mean,
you can do anything you like, as long as it is legal. So, getting a good
education is a legal thing. I do not see why each time, when local
universities' admission system is in question, the Malay politicians will
start comparing the number of Chinese students in local private colleges
and overseas universities, and then come out a laughable conclusion that
Oh!, anyway, total number of Chinese students receiving higher education is
still more than Malay students. The foreign press always makes fun or makes
unfavorable comments on our politicians. You know why? Because our
politicians always make laughable conclusion, or sometime, ridiculous
comments.
Please do not give the excuses that Malay students have less financial
resources to study in private colleges and overseas universities. I see
most of my Malay colleagues have bigger car, bigger house, nicer furniture in
their house and more jewelry than myself, and yet they are not willing to
spend their "own money" to even attend a short course which will help
them in their career. I have Malay colleagues who could spend Rm429 to buy a
branded handbag and few hundred a month for beautiful clothes, but when
come to attending a once-in-a-while RM500 three days external seminar, they
would request for the company to pay for them. To them, personal outlook is
more important than self-enhancement and development. Sadly to say, nowadays,
a lot of Chinese youngsters are also prefer to chasing for materialistic
things than going after good and better quality education. So, I would
not be surprise, there will be more fee-paying Malay students in local
private colleges compare to Chinese students in the future, if Malay parents are
willing to sacrifice a bit to send their children to attend private
colleges and overseas universities.
So, my point is. This is an attitude problem. Malay students are not dumb
or stupid. This is just that their parents' priority is different from Chinese
students' parents.
So, dear Sir, please do not make the wrong comparison again. IF you want
to have 100% Malay students in local universities, just tell us in advance.
We would then find a way or sell our proton to send our sons to private
colleges after they finish their SPM. But if you want to use quota or
your own version of meritocracy admission system to give
an advantage to Malay students, then don't blame or jealously imply us for
sending our children to private colleges and overseas universities. We have
no choice. Please don't give us a hope, and then dash it in the end.
DO you think we have too much money but no place to spend, so we have to
waste our money to send our children to local colleges and overseas
universities?
We in fact don't want uncertainty. Life is too short for wasting time to
guess what will be your government's next step in coming out your
version of university admission system which will again favor your Malay
students.
I am sorry if I have said something rude here against you. I always
respect you and so I hope you could take my words as a True Stateman.
 
drpower..