Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Reprise:Where Have All The Chinese Gone?

Hantu Laut

Sakmongkol AK47 has his take on how Malay parents view education vis-a-vis the Chinese parents and the deteriorating standard of education in the country.

The most profound that I found in his article is when he says "One type of parent undertakes the task of educating his children as a personal responsibility; the other type transfers that responsibility to the state".

Most bumiputras, even the filthy rich ones, would apply for government scholarship for their children depriving off some of the less fortunate students of the opportunity.

Ask some of the well-connected, the politicans or even ministers how many of their children's overseas education were wholly financed by them.

It is most despicable that if one is rich and can afford to pay for the children higher education to rob the opportunity off poorer students who are more deserving to receive that financial assistance. Even, if you have the privilege and entitled to apply, it should be a matter of conscience that you should not.

Like Sakmongkol, I am a product of the British education system when we were still a colony and the same system continued for another 14 years or so after formation of Malaysia.

Those days, under the GCE 'O' Level, we need only take minimum of 6 or 7 subjects (if I am not mistaken) and maximum of 9.After independence and for many years the Ministry Of Education which formulate education policy think most Malaysian students have above average IQ and give them a choice of as many as up to 21 subjects to choose from.It's no mean feat, that you hear of students taking as many as 12 to 16 subjects just to put themselves high in the eligibility for scholarship.

This 100% exam-based system has its draw back and dire consequence.You get some students who are good at passing examinations but eventually turned out to be academically mediocre.

The government has recently reviewed the system and reduced the number of subjects student could take by imposing penalty, that the student pay for the subject taken beyond the maximum allowed.

It's true the Chinese put much more effort and emphasis on education and Chinese parents are prepared to make personal sacrifices in order to fulfill their children's educational needs.

A Chinese family running a hawker's stall have better chance of putting their children through university at their own cost than say their bumiputra counterpart.Not only parents, but the whole community that can afford to spare some money would donate to their schools.Wealthy Chinese would make substantial donations and contributions to Chinese schools to enhance its standard and teaching facilities.

On the other hand, the bumiputra community has lost its culture of gotong-royong, almost everything from building schools, suraus and mosques have become the responsibility of the government.Not that the government shouldn't be doing it but shouldn't there be mosques built purely from donations from the Muslim community as a mark of pride and achievement.

When the Arab,Indian and Pakistani Muslims first came to this part of the world and decided to stay they built many mosques from donations collected from the Muslim community.Even a Malay woman have built a mosque.The Hajjah Fatimah Mosque in Singapore was built by a Malay lady from Malacca married to a Bugis prince.She donated her land to build the mosque.She inherited her husband business after he died and as an astute businesswoman her business prospered that made her very wealthy.Her only daughter married Syed Ahmad Alsagoff, the son of the famous Arab trader Syed Abdul Rahman Alsagoff.The mosque is now a national monument.

The Kapitan Keling Mosque in Penang and Malacca were built by Indian Muslim traders.

Arab traders in Singapore, the Alsagoffs, the Alkaffs and the Aljunieds have all contributed generously to schools,hospitals and building of mosques and sponsoring religious events.Many Arabs and Indians Muslims are now completely assimilated and had become Malays but have lost the philanthropism

I think we bumiputras have lost our sense of direction, giving materialism the front row and the depths of our soul a back seat.The rich and filthy and their spouses and children strutting in their Birkin bags,Gucci bags and bragged about their stables of posh cars and all with money falling down from the sky.

Here's Sakmongkol's "Where have all the Chinese gone?

9 comments:

eddy said...

Sad but true Bro. It will change with time though and needs the Government to lead the way and bite the bullet and invoke change. You cannot ask the pampered lot to voluntarily change something that they are so used to for decades.

I am a proud product of the NEP in education, I have however made a conscious decision earlier on in my professional career to ensure that my son gets his education funded by what I and my wife earned and not rely on the Government which have given so much to us. My son is studying in Lim Kok Wing University and God willing will graduate this year.

Anonymous said...

do you know that in the 80s, the chinese schools have a major problem? there's not enough of students!

why are parents not sending their kids to national schools? its the quality. PERIOD.

by the way, my niece is studying in a private school. 50% of the class are bumis, 40% chinese and 10% indians. what does that tell you?

Donplaypuks® said...

"Where have all the flowers gone...". Sigh!

This is what happens when the NEP is totally abused and doctrinaire policies are adopted. More than that, lately, Federal Govt sponsored racist and religious bigotry has been allowed to flourish through its MSM, especially the Utusan

Little wonder that many think we are headed in the direction of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh!

dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human Race

Anonymous said...

HL,

The original intent of the NEP was to lift the poor Bumis out of Poverty & bring them into the main-stream of society. However, due to the corruption & greed of the "ruling-class" (UMNO), this "honourable" intent ws never achieved. They used thier connections & cronyism to get rich at the expanse of the needy Bumis.
Bumis like Eddy are indeed hard to find as you see most rich (from the private sector) Bumis will still get their children Government Scholarships. As for the BN Politicians & Royalty, most of them will ensure that their children not only study overseas but also get Government Scholarships.
Eddy's hope that the Government take the lead & bite the bullet is unfortunately just a dream; as who in UMNO is going to change the system?!
That's why we need a "need-based" system rather than the BN "race-based" system.
The NEP has not only made the Bumi's lazy but also taken away their "Malay Culture" (many of the social skills that I try to teach my 4 year old son is based on the Malay social culture that I had the honour to experience when I was young). Just look at the way UMNO politicians & "most" of their supporters behave (uncouth & arrogant & boasting of "Ketuanan").

Eddy,
Good on you & your wife! I'm sure your son will do well & graduate without a problem.

eddy said...

You are too kind SM, my family are but one of many who have decided to go this way.

One have to start somewhere, even the big rivers starts from the small creeks. Important thing is to have the will and motivation to invoke change and I am sure the Government under Najib understands this more than anybody else, I can see where Najib is trying to take us under his 1Malaysia theme we all should give it time to materialise.

In time the NEP will be replaced by a need based system regardless of race or faith, a New Economic Model perhaps. In fact many changes has been announced by the Najib Government. I think the change is for the better but what we do not need is incessant politicking by the Opposition leaders for anything that the Government does.

The Opposition politicians should spend more energy giving constructive criticism and alternative solutions to make the country better not spending time to disparage the Government with the agenda to take over in the next election. They should first form a official coalition and have a leader with proper shadow cabinet not shadow committees to show the majority that they can actually form a Government to administer Malaysia better than BN can.So far its just bickering among themselves and blaming and stirring game from the opposition nothing much to show that they can seriously Govern the nation well in terms of harmony, stability and prosperity.

gram.kong said...

donplaypuks,

This is not in defence of Utusan or those you hit at.

One thing you and the rest of your kin probably have forgotten, bashing others is not only your privilege, others can bash you back.
d
Utusan and UMNO retaliate after endless foul-mouthing from Pakatan leaders,pro-Pakatan blogs and people like you.

You blame UMNO for strong-hand tactic and call them all sorts of names.Look at your idol MB Khalid of Selangor, what tactic is he using, blackmailing and threatening YBK to make him the boss or else all hell broke lose.

Is this the kind of leaders you guys really want to run this country.Are the any better?

SM said...

Eddy,

Keep at it! Maybe more will follow suit. I'm not being kind, I'm just being as honest.
I find that even though we do not see eye-to-eye, we are able to debate in a gentlemanly manner (even on topics that are sensitive).
I for one will continue to teach my son values that I have been brought up with including (as I commented earlier) following the good cultural values Malays teach their children.
Maybe if there are more of us, Malaysia will have some hope. However, I fear that unless there is a change in Givernment (even though for a term or two), nothing will change! Without the Opposition barking continuously, do you think the BN will change (answer honestly)?

Donplaypuks® said...

Stop giving excuses to justify Utusan's blatant racism and bigotry!!

Were they a non-UMNO/BN owned MSM, their Editors and columnists would already be in Kamunting under ISA or elsewhere serving life for their seditious articles!!

Pakatan leaders have not "foul mouthed" Malays or Malaysians or Muslims.

Generalisations like that, similar to the current (not too subtle) UMNO and pro-UMNO bloggers' campaign to demonise Pakatan, especially DAP, as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Malay Rulers and pro-underworld and crime, will get you nowhere! The rot set ever since Dr.M became PM in 1981 and after 27 years more under UMNO/BN, it's ridiculous to try and blame Pakatan for the major ills of our nation! Nothing happened overnight!

UMNO/BN and UMNO/BN alone is responsible for people now comparing M'sia to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe!!

dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human Race

Anonymous said...

eddie,

which party is the proponent for a change in NEP to need-based system?

you are real rich that UMNO will change. Hey, they love the APs too much to change. To cover their tracks and keep the ordinary poor malays in the dark, just yell "Ketuanan Melayu".

If UMNO walks the talk to get rid of crony capitalism and truly assist deservingly malaysians regardless of creed or race, my vote will go to them. Fair game?