THE MALAYSIAN DILEMMA (4)

Barriers to Forging Lasting Malaysian Friendships

By SABRINA TAN



She used to be a good friend. However, now I can’t say the same anymore.
Why? It’s just because we were both Malaysians, but of a different race.

She asked me out for lunch one day, and we agreed to catch up at one of the cafes.
I was happy to be in her company.
She has always been a nice person, though she has her strange ways of managing her life, but she’s nice nonetheless.

We were talking about Malaysia, and how it’s sad that we both can’t really relate to Malaysia anymore.

She is under a government scholarship to further her postgraduate studies in the humanities.

She used to stay in the best room in the hostel. However. after a year or two later, the local university that funded her education decided to stop her living expenses here in New Zealand. She complained. She is also a Permanent Resident herself. She could enjoy NZ benefits, i.e. student allowance (for which she doesn’t need to pay back at all), student loan, etc. Yet she complained.

I remained silent.

Malaysia Continues to Lose Some of The Best Talents

We were talking about how the brain-drain situation in Malaysia is getting worse.

I was hesitant, yet I braved myself to speak.

“ It’s very sad, it’s so sad to see Malaysia’s brightest minds are all over the world except Malaysia. The person who is researching into getting water for Singapore is a Malaysian. The head of Parasitology in Cambridge is Malaysian. The best doctors in the world are Malaysians. Yet, they are no where near Malaysia.”

“ Yea, there just isn’t a comfortable place for Malaysians anymore…”

Pause…

“I find that the thing that causes the brain drain is because the government awards merit to people who don’t deserve it. The benefits that some groups of people get, they don’t deserve it.”

She was silent. She was stunned.

“What do you mean, the undeserving, Sabrina?”

“ Well, I am not saying that it’s not right that you get these benefits or anything. If anything, we were to be blamed because we agreed to it when we signed the constitution decades ago. Our forefathers agreed to it. Fine, perhaps there was a reason why they agreed to it. However, it just seems that the people that are benefiting from these benefits are not deserving.”

She was silent again. I continued.

“ Look at the farmers, the fishermen, the rubber tappers. They also belonged to the supposedly ‘deserving’ group, yet why do they get poorer and poorer, yet the rich get richer? I am merely saying that yes, these benefits should be given, but to the people who truly deserved it.”

She remained silent throughout the whole conversation. After we gave each other hugs, we have never seen nor heard from each other ever since.


That was four months ago.


To be honest, I felt guilty that I said it out loud. Yet at the same time, I felt that I was just saying what I truly feel.
The angst in me increases in size whenever I hear friends from the ‘deserving’ group complaining.
Complaining the government is not giving them enough money.
Complaining that the mentality of their fellow countrymen doesn’t change.

Yet where do I fit in when I hear this?

They say that the government is not treating them fairly. To me, I don’t even know what is fair anymore.
My friends who did brilliantly in high school got scholarships for Engineering in GERMANY. It’s a hard life there. They feel like an outcast, severe racism, do not speak the language. Yet they are thankful that they at least got the scholarship.

What about the ‘deserving’ group?
They get to go to Western countries. Some even are coming here to New Zealand.
And what to they do in the end? They get married. Yes, the girls get married while doing their demanding course of Medicine or Dentistry.
One wouldn’t be surprised to hear that few years down the road, they quit their degree to have babies.

The Malaysian Dilemma?

Can the ‘deserving’ group and the ‘commoners’ ever be good friends?
Perhaps, someday this phenomenon might change.
Perhaps, there would be an understanding between us.
Perhaps, there would be divine intervention that would change everything for us.


Written by Sabrina Tan
August 2005

DESIDERATA:

Sabrina proved she’s lots to say – and why not? – sharing with fellow Malaysians and caring for Our Country – such characteristics are what I would define under my book-for-the-future Desiderata.OurMalaysia, if Desi can take all these Young&Idealistic minds through a tested time of endeavours and struggles for a Malaysia across Race, Creed and Colour, and of course regardless of age and gender. We’ve just begun the Cyber-Journey trying to band together to promote Malaysia as a Towering Nation, as expounded and promoted by the Prime Minister, which is a noble goal and a good start to the new millennium after entering the fifth or sixth year.

I believe Pak Lah is sincere and means well.
I don't know about the Cabinet he inherited,
I don't even know about the Civil Service today.
i don't even know if my Endearvour will bear any meaning fruit. I just am determined to give it A FAIR GO.

BUT there are just many PERHAPS on Sabrina's side, and too many I don't know's on my side, along the way. I share Sabrina's concerns and wonderings.How about you?