After primary school, I started losing my Malay friends who were being picked and send off to special boarding school. It continued as I moved into Secondary school. When I was doing my 6th Form in Kuantan's SABS, there were no more Malay students in my class.
Suddenly, when I entered University Malaya, there were again the Malay students - and the perception amongst many non-Malay students is that these Malay students just do not deserve to be there - and is only there because of the quota system and the special preference accorded to them.
Even when the Malay/Bumiputra students do well, the perception was that because there were different marking standards employed, 'the exam questions were leaked to them ahead of time - with the answers', they had special classes, where they were given the indication of the question that will be coming out for the exams.
After graduating, it is even worse - because many Malaysians look at Bumiputra professionals and/or graduates as 2nd-class.
It is really so unfair to a lot of Bumiputras - who would really in equal competition fare so much better than their other non-Bumiputras.
This ethnic-based practices assist in the kind of 'divide and rule' system used by the BN to continue to rule until possibly 2008 (we shall see what happens after September this year...) - a system that the British colonial powers used.
When I was in campus, in University Malaya, the effect of the separation of the Bumiputra from the non-Bumiputra did creat a lot of prejudices - that kept students of different ethnic groups apart - i.e. the 'divide and rule' plan work. (It is sad that so many Bumiputras in Malaysia do not really have a best friend [or even a good friend] who is non-Bumiputra, and vice-versa)
When in university, we did have some sessions where students just came together and shared - and for many, it was very eye opening to realize that human beings are the same - thus breaking down many of these prejudices. We also did make great efforts to bring students together through social service programmes, discussion groups, etc - and it helped break down some of the prejudices.
UITM is still 100% bumiputra students - and it means that even at the University level, the total 'divide and rule' agenda of the BN is still on-going, and as such the prejudices that divide Malaysians will continue here until maybe the time they come out and start working - if they take the effort to mix and interact as true friends with them non-Bumis...
The "Divide and Rule" was something that the British colonialist used - and it was adopted by the 3 race-based political parties UMNO, MCA and MIC, which formed the Alliance and today the BN - and for these parties to survive, it was important to continue to propagate the 'divide and rule' agenda, the 'quota' systems. With the quota system, the talk has always been about Malay-Chinese-Indian quotas, Bumi - Non-bumi quotas - and hence it continued to propagate the divisions between the communities and different ethnic groups that make up the Malaysian people.
As I mentioned earlier, the time has come now for us to move away from all these divisions and move forward becoming a Malaysian people - a Malaysian race - a Malaysian Nation.
With the Pakatan Rakyat - we have moved away from race-based politics of the BN - UMNO,MCA,MIC.... (For the survival of UMNO - they had to propagate the issue of 'Malay rights' - and they being the gladiator for the Malays, same with MCA for the Chinese, and MIC for the Indians....)
With the Pakatan Rakyat - we have moved away from race-based politics ...or have we?
But alas, the 'brain-washing' - and the being under the BN rule for too long a time -- has resulted many of us still being caught up with that 'ethnic-based quota-mentality'.
Even today, HINDRAF, for example, is talking about Indian quotas... and even the Selangor MB is still talking about ethnic quotas. The UiTM students who protested the statement of the Selangor MB also is still prisoner of the 'ethnic-based quota-mentality'.
We must seriously make efforts to start propagating the Malaysian race - the Malaysian people - the Malaysian nation...
I believe, that quota systems must still be there, but it must be to benefit the poor, those from the rural areas who do not enjoy the same level of opportunities and facilities as those in some big towns or some of them 'bigger' schools... It must be a socio-economic quota - not a race, religion or ethnic-based quota system.
The government is always propagating the idea that this is "sensitive" and it should not be discussed and/or questioned.
It is something that is in our Federal Constitution - and as such it is 'sacred' --- but hello, "Keluhuran Perlembagaan" translates to "Supremacy of the Constitution" - not 'sacredness' of the constitution.
And there are so many things in our Federal Constitution that are bad - that should be repealed...removed from our Federal Constitution - and this includes those provisions that allows Detention Without Trial laws to exist in Malaysia - that allows Malaysia to still be under un-revoked declarations of Emergency.
It is foolish to say do not challenge the Federal Constitution -- it is not perfect, and remember that to date there has been numerous constitutional amendments, and there will be more in the future. So, which Federal Constitution do we say is sacred - the original Federal Constitution or the one that has been amended so many times and so easily because BN (and the Alliance before) had more than 2/3 of the seats in Parliament - and with that the Constitution was so easily amended. (There is even no provision in the Constitution of Malaysis requiring the doing of a Referendum - i.e. people get to vote and have a say whether the Constitution needs to be amended - and only if there is 2/3rd support, can Parliament amend...as an example..).
*** I do not see why the Election Commission also have statistics about what is percentage of Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc in their records... why do the media also talk about this? Why do we bother about it being "Malay majority" seat or otherwise. All that should be important is the number of Malaysians in a particular constituency...nothing else (at least for the Election Commission....)
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We the Rakyat, should evaluate and determine the kind of Leaders we want for our beloved country, Malaysia
Here are the Top 10 Qualities of a Good Leader
By David Hakala
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Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits:
A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."
A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.
A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.
Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.
Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.
Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.
Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.
Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.
Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.
Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ... ”
Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.
Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.
Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American Psychological Association). It seems that being underassertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.
A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.
Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate these leadership qualities.
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Your points are very valid and how I wish we will live to see it materialize in our lifetime. The BN system of divide and conquer is evil to the core. But things are not rosier on the other side of the fence as well.
Ambitious Anwar wants to become PM by September 16 by hook or crook at the expense of all those ideals he is supposedly fighting for. What's the hurry? If he put more effort into establishing a shadow cabinet than all this opportunist populism he might be the change we are all hoping for.
And then there's PAS. Hadi insists PAS will only join a Pakatan Rakyat led govt if Muslim MPs outnumber non-Muslims.
Politicians will be politicians. The only way to stop this malaise is with our votes. Whether voting for opposition or BN, each Malaysian must choose a candidate for his capability, not race.
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