RACISM, TDM and LKY
Who is the real racist? TDM or LKY?
By Mazlan Manaf
There has been a lot of debate on this subject, even between prominent personalities such as TDM and LKY. Some clarifications, I believe, would help in making the debate more productive.
There is no doubt that racism and racist attitudes exist, and probably quite prevalent in Malaysia. This is true of everyone, not just any particular race. There has never been a serious attempt to change attitudes, nor has there been any attempt at integration. Quite the opposite, Malaysians seem to have chosen to be separate and distinct groups, each with their own interests and concerns, tolerating one another, and perhaps living in harmony. Prevalence of racist attitudes therefore is hardly surprising.
Somewhat more contentious is the question of institutionalized racism. Are race-based parties racist if they champion the cause of the ethnic group they represent? Not necessarily so, unless one views anything race-based as racist. The existence of race-based political parties is a result of having a race-based country. In a democratic system, politics must surely reflect society.
And what about race-based government policies and programs? Are the NEP policies and programs racist? Indeed, are affirmative action programs racist? For example, would MT readers consider affirmative action programs in Nelson Mandela’s South Africa to assist blacks in education and business as racist as apartheid was? If so, shouldn’t the UN call for sanctions against South Africa as they did during the apartheid regime?
If apartheid was racist but the current affirmative action programs are not, the difference must surely lie in the fact while apartheid favoured those already in an advantaged position, current policies in South Africa favours those in a disadvantaged position in an attempt to bridge the gap.
Applying these thoughts closer to home, the following is an excerpt from an article in the Far Easter Economic Review, October 2006 issue by Dr. Michael Barr:
The absence of Malays from the SAFOS scholarships and their near-absence from the SAF Merit Scholarships deserves special mention because this is an extension of discrimination against the admission of Malays into senior and sensitive positions in the SAF that is officially sanctioned. The discrimination against Malays has been discussed in parliament and the media, and is justified by the assertion that the loyalty of Malays cannot be assumed, both because they are Muslim and because they have a racial and ethnic affinity with the Malays in Malaysia and Indonesia. Current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has historically been a vocal defender of this policy.
This discrimination hits Malay men hard, first because it deprives many of promising careers in the army, and second—and more pertinent for our study of the elite—it all but completely excludes potentially high-flying Malays of a chance of entering the scholar class through the SAF. A Chinese woman has a much better chance of winning an SAF scholarship than a Malay man.
So which country is more racist, Singapore or Malaysia? And who is the real racist? TDM or LKY?
