Yushui Village in Lijiang, Yunnan, with snow mountain backdrop and cascading waterfalls.
4/01/2008
I fear Anwar
If there is any Malaysian PM that can take Malaysia out of the cesspool into a modern industrialised country, competing in the international market on equal terms, it must be Anwar. He has been baptised in the cauldron of fire, and is now solid steel. He is progressive and the only one at the moment that can unite the Malaysians under a new ethos.
The Malaysians are not much different from us. And if they can get their acts together, follow a similar formula as us, pragmatism, new technology, meritocracy, they are going to compete with us in every field. And they have the advantage of cheaper cost, abundant land and resources, they will catch up very fast.
We are only one generation ahead in education. This can be short circuited if the political environment is changed and the Malaysians in our midst find it acceptable to return home. Then we will be facing a Malaysia that is more like us.
And our dreams of ever increasing salary can go poof poof into smoke.
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ReplyDeleteThe Malaysians are not much different from us. <
They are fundamentally different. They function politically under an umbrella of RACISM. Singapore took race out of politics early in the game and steered the culture to a MERITOCRACY. So that now, it doesn't matter what race you are, if you are good at what you do, you rightfully deserve your success, and no race will rob you.
A culture of ingrained racism at the political level is very difficult to change, if one first believes is can be changed.
i share redbean's view, malaysia can duplicate our success as easily as we have copied from the cambodians in the 60s.it doesnt matter which dummies are at the top, as long as there are people that are poor hungry and driven to meet the challeneges.
ReplyDeleteit is not an easy job to discard race politics or the nep crutch. but there is hope among the new malays who are growing more confident of themselves and are willing to prove the old mantra wrong. they are well educated and have been successful on their merits and believe that it is do able to stand on their own feet.
ReplyDeletethe earlier the bumiputra break away from the myth that they are of inferior genes and cannot compete without state assistance, the faster they will move. and if they are will to work for it, they will succeed.
and anwar is the best man to do it. at the moment he has no equal in malaysia. he could seek the help of badawi, minus khairy of course. the two could be a formidable pair if anwar is the number one.
many of the umno leaders are too tainted to be believable.
Not to worry. Mahathir will ensure that Sg keep the lead. In Mudland, Mahathir is damn powderful lah.
ReplyDeleteI think what you folks are not getting is the spontaneous order of a culture. Culture itself is complex. In Malaysia, it is not just racism, but race-issues (superiority) mixed in with Islam. Whilst Malaysia is secular and free compared to other Islamo-fascist countries, there IS an under-current of religiosity in the culture.
ReplyDeleteWhilst your average peaceful person who practises Islam may not chant "Death to infidels, Allah-ku Akhbar" and actually "live and let live", those who lust for political power are only too keen to play the religious card if all else fails.
The idea that "modern" folk won't fall for such a political trick is a myth. All it takes is a few powerful "anti-Islamic" incidents to ignite the fires of religious hatred, and even the most peaceful people will "go with the crowd" simply not to be ostracised (or worse).
Dutchman Geert Wilders has produced a short film (17mins) entitled Fitna — which has been officially "denouced" by a cowardly S'pore govt. Watch it for yourselves and make up your own minds.
IMO, it is a fair and balanced view.
The question is will UMNO play the "religious card" should all else fail? I believe they would. They would "unite" with PAS if it is in their common interest to maintain "racial superiority" in Malaysia.
Why am I so certain? Because I understand power>. Those who have power will always (no exception) try to increase their power. If their power is "threatened" or perceived to be threatened, those who have the power will act in ways to protect or even augment their power-grip.
No one, that's right NOT A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP will ever give up their power without a fight. That, you can count on!