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?