Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Justifying Racial Discrimination
- One man, One vote
- Is freedom a folly of faith?
- MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs??
| Justifying Racial Discrimination Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:37 PM PST
It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Feizrul Nor Nurbi First of all, even though the title of this article is stated as the above, it is not the intention of this writer to even try to justify in any way that racial discrimination is acceptable. Racial discrimination – in every form and nuance - is wrong; no amount of justification can change this. The intention of this article is to highlight the seemingly worrying trend of Malaysian society accepting racial discrimination as a normal and acceptable way of Malaysian life and in some ways even coming out with points to justify their arguments. It is shocking to note that in the wake of a study by two academicians - Lee Hwok Aun of University Malaya and Muhammed Abdul Khalid of University Kebangsaan Malaysia - that tries to investigate the existence of racial discrimination in the hiring process of privately-owned companies in Malaysia, vocal Malaysians have come out to voice their opposition to the study, insisting nothing is wrong and racial discrimination is non-existent. Some even went to great lengths in attacking the 2 researchers, insinuating that their study was conducted with ulterior motives in mind, mainly political. Some question the sources of funding, some even rubbish the findings as inconsequential in line with the general perception on the quality of our local universities. But above all, the somewhat united voices of the opposition to the study tries to provide justification for the unfair practices discovered during a hiring process here in our country. Some justify by saying the Malay graduates are 'lazy','not hardworking', 'demanding', 'academically inferior' and in the broadest sense try to paint Malay graduates as not on par with Chinese graduates of which they label 'brilliant', 'hardworking', 'academically superior' and whatnot. As one commentator said, "Malays tend to give up easily and will walk away from stress". Is this not racial bias and presumption in its purest form? Another commentator said "Malay graduates can't even form a proper sentence in English! How can any company hire them?" How about this comment from a commentator "The Chinese have worked hard all their life, while the Malays have been spoon-fed since they're little. Obviously the Chinese make better workers". Another comment : "This is not discrimination. Business is about profit. Obviously they would want to hire quality people as their staff. And Malay graduates don't really make the grade". At a glance one can be forgiven to nod and agree with those comments, but look a bit deeper and you will then realize how each and every comment above are laced with racial bias, racial stereotypes, generalization and negative presumption of the people of the Malay ethnic. It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Is there a magical HR tool that can detect those traits just by merely looking at the resume? How about the presumption that the Malay applicants fare worse than their Chinese counterparts in English proficiency, when the resumes sent out were controlled in terms of their quality, where applicants from the two races will have almost identical resumes other than the stated name and the CGPA? Therefore how can one even conclude that the Chinese make better workers than the Malay when the hirer and the applicant have not even interacted in an interview? How can a person judge the better of two similar applicants just by mere resumes? It is true. Our education system leaves much to be desired. Year after year we hear complaints about our graduates not being able to converse in English. Year after year too we hear about the employability problems of graduates from our local universities. But within all the muck there are gems to be found. There are brilliant, hard working Malays that strive to be the pride of their people, trying hard to prove that they can succeed even in the harshest environment. Those that feel the private sector is where their calling is. Those who speak fluent English and try as hard as they can to disassociate themselves with all the stigma plaguing their race. Those who receive their scholarship with disdain, knowing well that there are other worthier recipients denied because of their skin-color. Those who work hard to be successful on their own doing, not relying on the Bumiputra affirmative action but trying to make it on their own terms and their own accords. But try as they might, the whole system seems hell bent on denying them the opportunity to prove themselves. These are the folks who strive for meritocracy but see their dreams dashed by those reputedly championing for meritocracy. Why? Because as a society, we have not matured enough to rise above racial bias and stereotypes. We have not recognized that it is the individual and not the race that matters. Because we all see ourselves as victims instead of a party that can affect change to the better. Until we all say "enough is enough" then things will remain as they are. Until we realize that "two wrongs don't make a right" then Malaysia will continue to be divided. Whatever the argument is, to justify racial discrimination is never acceptable. This is the thing that we must change – the mentality that the entrenched system is the norm, acceptable and defensible, when certainly they are not to remain in place if we are to see Malaysia move forward. One needs to look deep into themselves and ask "Am I part of the problem or part of the solution?" If you think racial discrimination is OK then you are part of the problem. If you think it is OK to stereotype people based on their skin color then change must start from within yourself. For a Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". And Malaysia – your country – and its people depend on us to discard this divisive trait and move forward as one people and one nation. Change starts from within ourselves.
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:12 AM PST
Why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Adam Netto As a Malaysian student studying in Germany, I would like to talk about the Brent Spar controversy. In 1995, despite reservations from various parties, Shell planned on disposing off the Brent Spar, a North Sea oil storage and tanker loading bouy, by sinking it in deep Atlantic waters. A Greenpeace organized boycott of Shell led to a 10 percent drop in sales in Germany. Faced with a loss of revenue and a tarnished brand image, Shell shelved its plans to sink the Brent Spar and found a more environmentally friendly method to decommission the Brent Spar. Basically, the German consumer showed Shell who really calls the shots through their cheque books. I use this case study as an analogy to the strength we, Malaysians, wield as voters in the upcoming general election. As tax paying citizens, we are basically consumers choosing the best product i.e Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, which will benefit our country the most these next 5 years. Now, we would not walk into an electronics shop, hand over a lump sum of money to the cashier and say, "Anything but an Iphone, please." So, why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Let us take a lesson from the recently concluded American Presidental election. On the road to reelection, President Obama won Massachusetts, the home state of Mitt Romney and where he previously served as Governor, and Michigan, Mitt Romney's birth state. The voters in those states kept sentiment out of the picture and voted the best man, in their opinion, into the White House. With that in mind, when Election Day arrives, I will vote for the candidate I believe best serves the interests of my country, my family and myself regardless of which party he/she represents. I hope you do the same. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/17/world/oil-companies-face-boycott-over-sinking-of-rig.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/election-2012/index.html
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST
The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Shenaaz Khan In a decadent country crammed with prejudiced politicians spewing their inherent ignorance, it is wholly refreshing to see a young gifted politician view religion through non-sectarian lens. Nurul Izzah Anwar's observations on the merits of religious freedom are both courageous and inspiring. This is after all a country where one is branded from birth by race and religion, then coerced and conditioned into being clothed with the fabric of societal acceptance. And should one deign to tread away from this muzzling moralistic mould, one is deemed an unsound, satan-worshipping, bubonic-plague-carrying concubine! It is therefore no revelation that religious freedom is deliberately viewed as an ambush on Islam, having diabolical and moral repercussions. Even a mere suggestion of examination of any doctrine is swiftly slayed as if it were brought forth by pagan beasts! But spiritual scholars, religious rookies and political pinheads would do well to remember that though laws and restrictions may be legally exerted upon persons, these edicts can never truly hijack hearts or heads. The moral police cannot control mental vistas or vices. The complex contraption that is religion requires discourse and understanding, not cosmetic rituals, loud pontificating and doctrinal proclamations. The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Nevertheless, this country's overt obsession with righteous religious paths has all but shoved God to the unhallowed pavement! While God is said to be the all merciful, compassionate creator, the interpreted tenets of religion instead expose an iron-fisted intolerance of biblical proportions. The level of intolerance permeating through Malaysian society and the Islamic intellect is simply god awful! Though all prophetic preachings bear identical ideologies, to, say propose, that the principles of Ahimsa be practiced by a Muslim would be akin to religious renunciation! We now live in times where crooning Christian carols in Malay is a malediction upon Muslim mankind. Where seeking Muslim women's rights is religiously wrong. Where a unit of language is permitted to be used solely at the behest of one faith. And the scriptured strictures go on! Thus, what remains the fundamental failure of faith is a divine devotion devoid of depth. A patronage of a parish that glorifies a genuflecting body rather than a generous soul. It is then hardly surprising that the hudud hobgoblin is repeatedly resurrected to scare one away from the pantheon of Pakatan or sway one towards the temple of BN. But while Pakatan parties have purged itself of puritan parasites the likes of Hassan Ali and Zulkifli Nordin, it is the government that routinely employs religious discrimination. It was after all the harebrained Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who fervently defended a brutish bunch of protestors who desecrated a cow head to protest the building of a hindu temple. It was this same malevolent minister who defiled justice by having Egyptian student Hamzah Kahgari deported for tweeting a liberalist message. And renowned writer, Irshad Manjis, was labelled an LGBT loving Lucifer and her book Allah, Liberty and Love banned by the Malaysian government. This again, was the handiwork of our hideous home minister. And lest we forget the sins of the past, former Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had in 2008 ludicrously banned the book Muslim Women and the Challenges of Extremism, published by Sisters In Islam. It was also the ruling government that had gone on a guideline galore of intolerance, declaring V-neck t-shirts as the dress of the debauched. Alas, while this biased government exercises great restraint in intelligent pursuits, they disgorge mindless drivel with great speed. Hence, opportunistic orthodox ogres have scrambled to scream sacrilege at Nurul Izzah. But let it be made clear that the heart of her message was that any affirmation and adherence of faith should be one of free will and not of force. Her statement was not in support of apostasy; it was an endorsement of equality. And in making that stunning statement, my dear MP typified her principles by displaying graceful gumption and astute knowledge. The same however cannot be said of the vapid vulgar BN blockheads who are solely capable of despicable babble. That which they lack in refinement and sophistication, they very well make up for in stupidity and shallowness. The MP of Kota Belud is one such stellar sap. Ever equipped with witless quips and armed with the integrity of Iago, the sycophant from Sabah was quick to mouth off his inane insipid insights. Which is no surprise given that his entire parliamentary pilgrimage is piled with political posturing and apple-polishing. As expected, many of his bigoted BN brethren were quick to follow suit. Such is the covenant of the cult called corruption! A sect whose five pillars of faith include trickery, treachery, tyranny, thuggery and thievery. Their trodden path to divinity has led them to the mosque of miscreants where the sins of spawn and spouse are miraculously cleansed by MACC messiahs. Where their Episcopal empire endows erstwhile ministers with beefy bankrolls. And their prophets of profane profit congregate and extol great virtues upon their very own trinitas; the father, the son and the holy hummer. But while these caliphs of cruelty command the sacrificial burning of human liberties, Malaysians must rise and declare a jihad for justice! We have had it with BN's man-made hadiths. Along with the hypocritical holiness of this greedy government, we have been made to endure the disciples of dumbness such as the neanderthal Nazri Aziz, the imbecilic Ibrahim Ali and the boorish Bung Mukhtar. That these unworthy specimens were voted in as parliamentarians is an abomination in itself! Hence, if we wish not to be doomed to eternal damnation, we need to elect legitimate leaders and not lavatory litter. So whether you're guided by what thy Lord had decreed, or what humanity has heralded, please vote with your conscience. I know my vote will be for MP Nurul Izzah! Shenaaz Khan has been a resident of Bangsar Baru for the last 37 years.
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| MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs?? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:52 AM PST
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