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(1) Why talented Malaysians have to leave, 27 May 2009
by George Lee
It has been two years since I left my adored country to seek fortune Down Under. A year ago, my family decided to settle down here. Throughout the two years since I have been away, I have followed the social, economic and politic backdrops in Malaysia via both the mainstream and alternative electronic media.
Strangely, I have been keeping close tab on what is happening back home much more than when I was physically present in Malaysia. It hurts not being close to what is going on as the love for Malaysia has not transformed in any ways though like many of my friends (there are now seven of us - six IT consultants and one accountant -- who have settled in Australia), we had to leave. There were several reasons that contributed to our decision to leave Malaysia.
On the economic front, we were getting exasperated with the high living costs - the rise of prices in petrol, toll, parking, and fast-moving consumer goods - which had resulted in creating inconveniences to our daily lives.
More importantly, there were no worthwhile measures taken to address the affliction. While prices increase, the quantity and quality of goods were eroded. We envisaged (from past experiences) that the government would not do much to solve the people's livelihood. We just did not like to be constricted in such manner. We decided that we wanted to create another lifestyle in a more structured society, where the government would be more willing to help.
Socially, there were prevailing emotional distresses that we had to endure. For example, rude drivers, traffic hold-ups (drivers who shaped their own rules), escalating crime rate (witnessed several snatch thieves in action and the grieved of the victims but police are no where to be seen) and general discontentment among friends about living in Malaysia.
I was also appalled by the mindsets of government departments such as the Ministry of Education, Inland Revenue, and Dewan Bandar Raya when I had to run numerous errands. The government servants were rude, unconscientious and irresponsible. The systems in place in most of the country's organisations left a lot to be desired.
Any rational individual would start to ask whether Malaysia is a place worth living. The government has no sense of urgency to address the contorted public order and peace. We honestly felt unsafe to venture out of our homes even though the ‘mamak' stalls were in close proximity.
Politically, Malaysia has never able to isolate persistent racial issues. The government and its component parties were often practising double-faced roles of subduing and fanning racial sentiment. Intellectuals like us could see the schema behind. We knew very well that those in politics would be prepared to sacrifice the well-being of ordinary folks for their greed, while carrying a different message on their lips. These people needed to safeguard their political livelihoods as they are nobody without power.
Two years have passed. It hurts to watch from here when people continue to stand up against an unjust system but were frustrated by the tough and insensitive stance adopted by the government and its ruthless police force. Look at what has transpired in the Perak debacle. Forgive my ignorant in politics but personally I am sad to see how the authority handled the situation. We just cannot use the approach during the 1987 Operasi Lalang to suppress and oppress the people of today.
We are living in the 21st Century and too many things have changed. The government is just too conceited to admit and fail to discover a different strategy to tackle current political issues. Just look at the sweeping action and arrogant speeches delivered by the police force (OCPD from Brickfields), an extension of the government.
How can we teach our children humbleness and politeness if the politicians practise a different school of thought. With the latest in Malaysia's political scene, we have no qualms that we made the right decision two years ago even though the choice was difficult and agonising.
Many fellow Malaysians have no alternative but to brush aside all the inconveniences. Many braves ones have embarked to fight against the prolong issues and unfairness. I salute all these brave, ordinary folks and wish that they have copious of energies to carry them through. Two years ago, it had come to a juncture where I could no longer sweep all these tribulations under the rug and the eventuality was, to go away.
However, everyone has their own temperaments and beliefs. We would love to do something such as creating awareness for the betterment of Malaysia if we can find the platform and opportunity.
Having lived in Australia for two years, it puzzled me why the systems here can be so efficiently coordinated and ran. The councils and government are very much in control. Most importantly, their feedback and replies are prompt and updated. Filing tax returns here is convenient and fast that I got my refund within 14 days consistently for the past two years.
Here, we could be paying more taxes but I get some back via the structured family assistance allowance, free medical benefit and very reasonable school fee, etc. Lately, we even obtained stimulus payout from the tax office due to the effect of economic downturn. These measures have received great appreciation from the people.
The obvious question here is why can't Malaysia adopt some of the successful systems implement in Australia. One need not be superhuman to get things going except dedication and consistently, which Malaysia is lacking.
I can see that the Penang State government is starting to perk up the government delivery systems that are conspicuously missing in the Malaysian governance structure. Many of the systems in Malaysia are more about form than substance. One of the most important components that are noticeably missing is the integration among different government bodies. Conversely, this is so successful incorporated Down Under, which has curtailed loopholes and acted as a check and balance mechanism for the local government.
Ordinary Malaysians would like to be treated uniformly. If there is any trace of the adverse happening, that would slice open the disparity gap. What the government should be doing in my modest opinion is to build a mechanism to encourage the mediocre group to catch up and this should be attained not by protection or spoon-feeding.
The government should have a far-sighted view and not worry about temporary setback. Just like us, we were ‘compelled' to learn things in a hard way after we arrived in a new place. Initially it was hard but eventually we triumphed. Frankly, things are not so hard but politicians like to think in a complex manner.
It is time for the Malaysian government to take stock and revert to basics, or else we could expect a change of guard in four years time though it is probably too late now.
(2)Search for better lives, non-bumis face dilemma, 28 May 2009
by Derrick Chan
I refer to the opinion written by George CN Lee titled "Why talented Malaysians have to leave".
George's opinion is shared by many Malaysians. This is especially among Malaysians of non-bumiputera origin. He points out the negativity in the economic, social and political situation in Malaysia. Mr. Lee is a shameless armchair critic.
Mr. Lee sends his pessimistic views from a far. What makes it more difficult for me to stomach is that he offers no solution to the problem. He also refuses to be part of the solution. He complaint about Malaysia even after calling somewhere else home. I know many will agree that this is just plain typical of the third generation of Malaysians of Chinese-origin.
I dislike the effect his opinion will have on Malaysians. Mr. Lee has inadvertently encouraged Malaysians to migrate by painting a very sorrowful situation in Malaysia. I admit that what he wrote is true and I do not deny it. However, the sad part is that other ex-Malaysians like Mr. Lee are too afraid to take part in the movement for change. He has decided that flight is better than fight.
Like Mr. Lee, I am a Malaysian of Chinese origin. As I grew up, I came to terms that I am a Malaysian-born citizen who happens to be a Chinese. It was by fate, and not design.
Back then in China, the local armed strife is well-documented. As a result, my ancestors left China many years ago. They were left with no choice as the land they toiled was forcefully taken over by the Communist movement, by force, in China. They were left in dire conditions. It broke their hearts to leave but they had to because they were supporters of democratic principles. They tried their best and risked their lives trying to counter the Communist movement but failed. It was only then they decided to take flight.
They boarded ships, not knowing where they would land. All they knew was that they were heading South. I believed that it was destiny that brought them to the shores of the peninsular so that they could rebuild their lives and live peacefully. The then Malaya provided them with this excellent opportunity. This was a land that gave new hope and as I like to call it, they lived the Malaysian Dream.
There is a caveat to my definition of ‘Malaysian Dream'. It is unlike the American Dream. I would not be able to define this in my short treatise. However, the summary of my Malaysian Dream is that every Malaysian regardless of race is accorded the justice and equality to build a home and live happy lives. I can imagine that many of you think that equality and justice is a fable to non-bumiputeras and I do not deny it. However, we can change it to what it was before and flourish like how Malaysia did in its formative years.
I would be lying if I said that I have never considered migration. I have but not anymore. I weighed the pros and cons of why I should and should not migrate. I even went to the extent of writing it down. At the end, I came to the conclusion that I would never ever leave home. I was born in this country and I will be buried with my forefathers who also call this place home.
Home is an institution. It is unlike a house. A house is merely a structure with four walls and a roof over it. I must say that Malaysia as my home is still an institution. It has not been reduced to a house. Malaysia was a good home to all of us.
About 60 to 70 years ago, you would hardly hear anything about racial conflict. Everyone lived in peace and harmony. However, for Malaysia to maintain its homely status, it needs housekeeping. And housekeeping is every Malaysian citizen's duty.
It was not until all of us Malaysians started to be complacent and left the duties of housekeeping to a few people. The Malaysians who became complacent started not to care. This contributed to the infamous ‘tidak apa' attitude that still prevails in Malaysia.
Mr. Lee compares the living standards between Malaysian and Australia. I shall take the bull by the horns on this issue. The reason that Australia and other Western countries have better system of governance is simple: The people who live there have a more participative attitude towards governance. This is opposed to the nonchalant attitude among Malaysians and an example of this would be that they have never voted in their lives.
They are scared to participate in civil society. They're afraid to join peaceful protests in Malaysia because they're afraid that the sun will darken their skin. Basically, they're just not interested. This non-interested approached has hurt Malaysia and is the main cause why Malaysia is in the state it is today.
Every Malaysian is given a broom by right. That broom is to clean up our home. It is to keep it neat and tidy. However, the sad thing is that many Malaysians have never lifted that broom. They've assumed that it's better to flee to other countries, as if they don't have housekeeping duties there.
To sum this up, my message to fellow Malaysians is simple: Go and pick up that broom you were given. Go and participate in the democratic movement in Malaysia and get involved especially if you, such as Mr. George Lee, think that Malaysia is losing its status of being a home to you. Don't be persuaded by what he says. He didn't bother lifting up the broom to tidy our home.
Don't throw in the towel until the broom you've been given is broken. If your broom breaks like how my ancestor's one broke in China, then I would not fault you if you take flight as you've already fought.
I will certainly not give up on Malaysia. I hope you will not too.
The author is a proud Malaysian.
(3)It's time Malaysia changes for the good, 29 May 2009
by Krismurthi
I am a Malaysian by birth but have settled here in the UK for more than 25 years now. It's my home and I feel I have been blessed by God to be here in the UK.
Back in Malaysia, there is no freedom of speech and anything and everything is threatened with arrest and detention (which does not happen here in the UK as you would for yourselves have seen in the recent demonstrations outside Parliament house by the Tamils in the UK against persecution by the Sri Lankan Government).
I am a very high-ranking officer now with the British government and am glad to say I am observing the Malaysian politics everyday. Sometimes, I am too embarrassed to explain the truth to my British colleagues who constantly condemn the Malaysian government. The world is watching.
Najib Abdul Razak is now in power. He was overseas educated, similar to his brother both whom were educated here in the UK whilst I was studying here too. Why obtain a British education but don't improve yourselves for the betterment of the country?
I suppose they just studied here but failed to customise themselves with the good British values especially for politics - this in terms of practising equal rights for all races.
Just ask yourselves, how much of a ‘brain drain' has taken place in Malaysia with all our Malaysian geniuses scientists, researchers, surgeons and bankers all residing overseas.
Why? Because Malaysia stinks of double standards and an unbalanced and biased education system. It's time Malaysia changes for the good. Everything should be based on merit and with this the country would be much respected by all foreign investors and Malaysia will thrive.
Stop the New Economic Policy and all the bumiputera will be able stand on their feet be as competitive like the Chinese and Indians.
Let bygones be bygones. The new government has to make a drastic change for if not, Malaysia will sink.
Doesn't Najib think highly about Malaysia? Why educate and let your children live overseas? Aren't you ashamed that your children would now be able to teach you some good English manners in terms of human rights and values?
A man who is not confident of himself uses the ISA to his benefit. For that matte, there is Hishamuddin Hussein, another overseas educated person. It is so shameful on you to have spent your years studying overseas but have failed to pick up good values when you returned home.
For the alleged wrongdoing about the PM in a murder case, if there is some element of truth, we'll there is something called karma. Each of us will pay for what we have done during our lifetime.
Similarly, for Samy Vellu, it's time for him to go now. The Indians have lost trust in you so let some new leaders take over.You made millions for yourself but this won't be forgiven.
There is something called respect and dignity so don't lose them Samy because it's difficult to buy them back with money.
I write the above as a Malaysian in Britain who awaits to see changes in Malaysia either during this lifetime (hopefully) or at the very least, during my sons' lifetimes.
(4)Picking a fight with 'the system' our whole lives, 29 May 2009
by Joanna
Since I was five, one of my foremost ambitions was to go to university abroad and graduate with an undergraduate degree. Where I would do so, what I would graduate in, and how the quarter of a million ringgit bill would be managed were hazy details, and it was left to me only to dream about preppy pants and regalia.
At 22, I graduated with an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management from the Simon Fraser University, my parents' alma mater. I had worn the preppy pants and now, the first woman on my father's side of the family to do so, I wore the regalia. The only problem was that I was graduating into a horrendous recession, which turned into a horrendous depression, and there I was in Canada, without a job.
As a former international student, there was the option of returning home. Other students from China and Hong Kong were flocking back to search for jobs in their fields, not only because of the slumped job market in British Columbia, but because it had been their plan to do so since the day they commenced university.
If you've never tried this, you should: use a search engine and ascertain the inclinations of Malaysians who are international students - whether their leanings are towards returning home or towards staying put, hopefully to gain citizenship abroad.
You will find that the leaning is overwhelmingly in the latter direction. If I inquire after the reasons my Chinese friends return home, or why the European population up and leaves after convocation, or why the American students migrate permanently back south, they say their families are back there, or the job market is still hopeful, or they are simply tired of the notorious Vancouver rain.
Perhaps it doesn't rain nine months of the year in Melbourne, or Wichita, or Leeds, but certainly our Malaysian families are at home, certainly the job market isn't more crumbly there than it is in those respective places. Why then are Malaysian students so reluctant to be Malaysians in Malaysia?
Some of us are aware that racial politics plays huge roles in the retention and the climb from cubicle spot to corner office and are worried that in our fields, we will fail to accomplish our dreams because of ‘the system.' A few are plain bourgeois and know that Malaysian compensation cannot match the dollars or pounds from abroad. We also find we like living in countries that embrace lifestyle choices like cycling to work and recycling at work.
We like actually seeing the stars instead of learning constellations online, and we admire the communities that share gardens and support their local schools. And we can always fly home once a year to bless our parents and eat at the mamak stall again.
The more foresighted of us know that educating our children abroad will breed superiorly knowledgeable, skilled, read, and widely-exposed students than we ourselves were. Also, we don't want to pay again the international fees we had to pay, because we will, inevitably, want to educate our children in Melbourne or Wichita or Leeds.
The children in Vancouver have access to resources that I never dreamed of, even though I was a student in one of the largest Malaysian cities. Imagine the comparison to our rural schoolchildren.
Job-hunting for months gave me the time to think deeply about home, and my peers who were graduating one by one, and opting to stay where they were. Even if this depression drives many of us home, the ‘brain drain' will continue the moment economies recover, and the lousy retention of young men and women in Malaysia will continue to the detriment of every industry in our country.
We have world-class education, we are volunteering and working overseas, we are gaining knowledge, skills and abilities from developed nations nut there is no place for us at home. The ones who did graduate at home are eyeing placements abroad.
Some will call us selfish, but I say we are patriotic enough. If I dream aloud of revamping the public education system, friends who are future tycoons pledge funds, old classmates who are in masters programs critique and encourage, I for one will return home when my visa expires, and I will stay home.
I do this, and others who plan similarly to me, because we are looking down the long road of propagating policy change, volunteering with students, starting non-government organisations, staying in the same income bracket for most of our lives, paying the alarming international student fees for our children, toiling in parent-teacher associations, and elbow-greasing our way to donations for better libraries and community facilities.
In short, picking a fight with ‘the system' our whole lives. The ones who just want a normal life void of all this thankless fuss and labour will simply gain it in Melbourne or Wichita or Leeds, and come home for the occasional ‘maggi goreng.
(5)'We can buy skills and talents but not integrity', 1 June 2009
by Steve Oh
I refer to the letters Search for better lives, non-bumis face dilemma and Why talented Malaysians have to leave.
In my opinion the writers in their letters merely highlight the plight of those Malaysians who feel disenchanted in their country of birth. Emigrating for a better life for oneself and one's family is not a crime or something reprehensible. And the phenomenon of human migration is not confined to Malaysians, and not uniquely to those of Chinese ethnicity.
If you look at what's happening in the world today, or peer into the past, you will note that human migration is quite normal. Today the Chinese from China want to go to the US while Americans want to go to China; young Japanese want to leave Japan, marry a foreigner and settle down overseas while Australians flock to Europe and elsewhere, even to Thailand and emerging countries. All of them do it for a variety of personal and other reasons. The world is on the move!
Lee was merely sharing his experience and that in itself is commendable. The fact he wrote to a newspaper is proof he is trying to do something. Many in a similar situation are frustrated - they feel they want to do something, but don't quite know what and the least they can do is write and share their frustrations online in a civil manner.
He did proffer a solution: ‘It is time for the Malaysian government to take stock and revert to basics, or else we could expect a change of guard in four years time though it is probably too late now.' Still, that's a prescription after his diagnosis.
So I do not consider him a ‘shameless armchair critic.' The criticism seems unfair and gratuitous. But it is not only the talented who leave but a variety of people, and not all are non-Malays. I know of Malays living and working overseas who share similar sentiments about their country of birth, though they constitute a smaller group.
Few have the courage and conviction to give their lives to a political cause to change the status quo. Those who may have considered politics may also have been discouraged by the hurdles they faced. And with the reality of political harassment and victimsation, even fewer are prepared to stick their necks out for a cause. This is not confined to any ethnic group but common to all races, in Malaysia and elsewhere.
People have to weigh the pros and cons and decide for themselves what they should do, though there comes a time when they don't have a choice when the path ahead is obvious. They must change the system or the system will change them. After all bad company corrupts good character.
The tragedy in Malaysia is that normal civil activities are regarded as acts of sedition. And when innocent Malaysians are bundled into jail for taking part in legitimate expressions of their frustrations which they have the constitutional right to do, many like Lee become discouraged. Flight seems to be the easier alternative, and perhaps for people like him, rightly so.
Who wants to be a martyr? It is not a sin to leave for greener pastures, something that humans do everywhere, so why not Malaysians who may emigrate not only because of the sickness they see in their country but for other reasons? Even Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself has said he will emigrate if the government had done something he strongly disapproved of when Pak Lah was in power, so how much more ordinary frustrated Malaysians? I don't blame them.
The root of the problem in Malaysia is not race or religion or politics. It is a human failing. When you have proud and greedy people in charge of any organisation or the administration, the result is unhappiness, injustice and discouragement. All you read in the news today of the problems in the country can be traced to human greed. When people think only of themselves and want more and more, then others will suffer.
It is true that a country like Australia offers immense opportunities that Malaysians can only dream about. It is the Malaysia that should have been after Merdeka had the governors been true nationalists instead of narrow-minded communalists, and the politicians not succumbed to greed and corruption. After all Singapore did it successfully themselves and is it any wonder that its bureaucracy is among the cleanest in the world and home-ownership is widespread? Small country indeed, but with big brains and cleaner hearts.
There are many similarities between Australia and Malaysia, both having three tiers of governance, Westminster-style democracies and a common historic link with the UK. And both are members of the Commonwealth and hugely endowed with natural resources and a cosmopolitan populace.
But is Australia the Utopia for everyone? Hardly. There is corruption, public waste, government incompetence and all the other faults as in any country. But one thing it has that many emergent countries, including Malaysia, crucially lack is accountability.
There is redress for the underdog in society. There are checks and balances not only in a political sense but also in a social sense. The corrupt politicians face media-hounding and exposure and eventual humiliation and punishment by the authorities while the poor and disadvantaged enjoy generous social welfare benefits and so on.
And above all, the police are professional and independent and not the lap dogs of politicians. The corrupt are usually dealt with and while corruption still occurs, those found out will be punished.
At home or abroad, every Malaysian should take a greater part in influencing the governance of their country. We all have different callings and gifts in life and we can't all do the same thing. But one thing we should all agree on is that more of the same will not do. We need to lift at least a finger to help the situation even if it is writing a letter to the editor. Better still every frustrated Malaysian should get active and join a political party or some other group that is constructively and positively effecting change - but for the better.
Don't assume that every change is for the better. We have seen what corrupt opposition politicians can do to exacerbate matters in Perak and elsewhere. Above all we need to honour men and women of integrity. We can buy skills and talents but not integrity.
It is a lesson that all who want to see positive change must realise that you can't put bad leaders among the honey pots. The moral character of leaders holds the key as to whether a nation will be a just or unjust, clean or corrupt state.
A true patriot is one who thinks of the people of his country and a humanitarian is one who cares for all. No one can be a good patriot who is not first a humanitarian. No one can be a leader who is not leader of all. Until we are able to love our neighbours as ourselves it is hypocritical to talk of nationhood, call it ‘1Nation' or whatever.
So in or out of the country, it is not where you are but what you do that matters. Everyone can help make Malaysia a better place by helping to overcome evil with good, and repairing the cracks in their society with constructive ideas and proactive deeds. But without conviction there will be no cause, and without a cause there is no cure.
Every move we make must be a good move. Ultimately good will triumph over evil - it is a historically proven script.
(6)Why talented Malaysians have to leave - Pt 2, 12 June 2009
by George Lee
Slightly more than a week ago, I wrote a letter to share with people, especially Malaysians, on why talented Malaysians decide to leave. Since then, the reactions have been awe-inspiring. They have inspired me to continue writing from where I left off.
There have been many encouraging as well as challenging responses. Truthfully, either way, I am moved by these eloquent individuals who have uttered their constructive comments in a communal manner. It is my humble intent to get the subject underway from the very beginning in order to create greater awareness.
Over the years, we have heard the government pouring out its disgruntlement over a ‘brain drain' but for obvious reason the seepage is no way near an end. Like it or not, the flight of human capital is intimately linked to the social and economic factors and these have a lot to do with the political dynamism of the government.
It has been a year and three months (a big ‘sigh'!) since the last election but the political parties of the ruling coalition are just as incompetent of recovering from the devastation as seen from their inability to advocate change, infighting and self-denial (it cannot bear a single hard blow!).
Hence, we need to ask ourselves - do we still need this government who has not only failed us (though it won the 12th general election) but is on the verge of self-extinction with its apathetic approach to issues concerning people's livelihood?
Previously, I momentarily mentioned that the solution to our political predicament is people's power: ‘government to take stock and must return to basics... else a change of guard'. I am very relieved that the writer of We can buy skills and talents but not integrity was able to see my point.
When we mention people's power, it means Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region (where are we) with the same aim ie, a vote for ultimate transformation in the coming 13th general election.
Yes, there are shameless armchair critics within the society today as highlighted by the writer of Search for better lives, non-bumis face dilemma. I do not feel any distaste towards the writer's observation because everyone is entitled to their views. Similarly the writer of ‘We can buy skills and talents but not integrity' felt that because I wrote a letter, I had done something which disqualified me from the shameless armchair.
Truthfully, I do not want to make a fuss concerning the shameless armchair critic. I strongly believe that all Malaysians no matter where we are (with the exception of the extremists who do not want to hear let alone do), can contribute to make Malaysia a better brand name, so to speak.
Allow me to put few facts in perspective before I proceed. Many of us who we are living away have not given up our Malaysia passports and identities. Migration absolutely does not signify one's wealth as we fall in the category of ‘skill migration'. As a permanent resident, we had to start from the beginning and work our way through like anyone else. The only difference is that we are living in a system that cares for our livelihood and we feel safe.
As far as Malaysia is concerned, we are patriotic enough and we are not ashamed to demonstrate that. Our hearts are still with it and we are not about to leave it ‘dying'. Our feelings do not change no matter how far we are. Besides having the prerogative to vote, we know that we can continue to play a role for the betterment of Malaysia.
One important point mentioned was that we could contribute by looking at Malaysia from the ‘outside'. This is a profound view. In my previous letter, I had absolutely no ulterior intention to run down the country. I was depicting the truth based on my many years of work experience in Malaysia (17 years when l left).
Seventeen years is not a short time. I reckon a person would able to feel whether the society is functioning well given this amount of time. For example, I was definitely shell shocked by the egotistic attitude of the staff from the ministry of education when I tried to seek information personally. When I came over here, the system is completely the opposite. I was flattered by the warmth shown by the education department and schools at the state level.
I do not think it needs a genius to delineate what composites good governance. I am always dumbfounded whenever I compare the two systems. If the Malaysian ministry of education can take in two-third of their Down Under counterpart's mind-set, I shall be over the moon. Malaysia is probably still a developing country but the concern is that some of the adored government servants are still preserving the same old styles and habits year in year out. This mentality is a large baggage to carry if Malaysia wants to become an indisputable developed nation. It is time to change.
Without a doubt, many Malaysians are where we are because of the attainment of basic needs like physiological and safety (rather than those higher in the hierarchy like esteem, and self-actualisation - Abraham Maslow pyramid of needs). Moving a way, for many professionals, is a matter of economic survival rather than a love for migration. Many professionals are global workers and they go where the opportunities beckon. Can they be faulted for this? This explanation is not to justify our reason to stay away but it is a fact of life for many Malaysians.
Truthfully, the issue is not about why we leave or where we are but how we fight and what are we are going to do. I empathise with the writer of ‘Search for better lives, non-bumis face dilemma' in that many Malaysians do not bother lifting up the broom to tidy our home.
I for one have a high regard for the courage and scarifies displayed by Malaysians holding peaceful demonstrations within the democratic space. These people are genuine ‘freedom fighters'. Nevertheless, we need to respect that everyone has their own temperaments and beliefs.
To fight against prejudice, there are many roles Malaysians can play beyond wearing headgear and shouting slogans. I would like to refer the writer of It's time Malaysia changes for the good. The role he can play is to continue highlighting Malaysia in Britain as a high-ranking officer in the British government. He must not feel ashamed of what is happening in Malaysia but instead replace it with proactive deeds.
As for the writer of Picking a fight with 'the system' our whole lives, she is at a crossroads between two systems. In my humblest opinion, her role is to make the most of the opportunity by choosing a system that can assist her in her career and which could make Malaysia proud. Eventually the world knows the quandary of Malaysians and the reason for their leaving which puts pressure on the Malaysia government (if it cares!) to act else risk losing its competitiveness. Her role is to excel herself to demonstrate that it is the system that fails her and not herself.
The point I would like to draw attention to is that while the inconspicuously average Malaysian has been doing different things (they raise their brooms), our actions have not reached a cohesive altitude to render the final push. Average Malaysians need someone to play a linking lynch-pin role.
For example, if someone could start to pick our brains from Britain or Down Under or review the issues we have raised, many Malaysians outside the country may have to chance to vote in the coming 13th general election in our residential countries. We would love that right.
On another occasion, if someone could put in some time and effort, we may have leaders from the political parties coming to the foreign shores and receive thunderous applause for their political ‘ceramah'. These are not easy passageways but we need politicians, political parties and NGO to champion these tasks. The aim is to share the roles, do different things, assist each other and together we aim for one purpose ie, a vote for ultimate transformation.
My take is that we need to work smart rather than hard. If we cannot implement democratic rights from within, we can play different roles from where we stand and meet each other at a certain intersection.
Getting all Malaysians together outside the country could add muscle to the voices within. It is time we start to work together despite of our different temperaments and beliefs. We must encourage each one to take different on positions and roles. We must explain and encourage people on the need to take up ‘the brooms' as every single voice and vote counts. Most importantly, we must have great perseverance and patience as this is a long and hard battle.
This is the only way and the best chance after 52 years. Come the 13th general election, we should have a checklist of all the unwarranted things that the present coalition has done and circulate the list to others to remind us of why we should vote for an ultimate transformation. I can picture that many of us would be taking the next flight home come the 13th general election with one mission. I shall see you all at the polling station.
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