Are the Chinese as guilty as made out to be?
The last time I checked, the Chinese did not make policies or hijack allocations that made them enterprising, competitive or rich. So can we have some sense of proportion when making accusations?
TK Chua, FMT
As a Chinese Malaysian, it is rather difficult for me to write this piece. I want to do it anyway because I care for the future of this country and I think the race bait is getting out of hand.
Lately, Chinese Malaysians have been blatantly labelled with totally degrading and insulting names. Chinese Malaysians are also the target of envy and unwarranted hatred. Every fault, every fissure and every ailment is blamed on the Chinese. Numerous tags, from Cina Babi, Christian Jewish conspirators, communists, greedy capitalists, to chauvinists and racists, have been tossed at the Chinese.
However, what are the faults of the Chinese really? Did the Chinese at the Bersih rally ask “the Malays to go back to their kampung”? What evidence did accusers like Ali Rustam (former Malacca chief minister) and others have to speak so nastily about the Chinese? Did the Chinese ever claim that Kuala Lumpur belonged to them or the DAP? How did that accusation come about?
To me, even if there were one or two individuals who committed such indiscretions as claimed, I think Ali Rustam and others must differentiate between the exception and the general rule. The action by one or two individuals does not accurately reflect the general sentiments of the community. The most important aspect to consider is whether Bersih and Chinese leaders from political parties at that rally made such incendiary calls.
Similarly, did the Chinese ever seek to overthrow the government unconstitutionally? Asking Prime Minister Najib Razak to resign was the call made by many Malaysians, including prominent and towering Malays and ordinary Malays at the rally. I think it is grossly unfair to dump everything on the Chinese. This is intentionally trying to incite and inflame racial sentiments.
Please do not blame the Chinese for every ill that is infesting the country today. On the contrary, Chinese Malaysians have been loyal citizens contributing much to the vitality of the economy. The whole wide world knows the Chinese alone are incapable of changing this country. However can we ever fault them for their resolve in wanting to see the nation inflicted with less baloney and abuse?
Sometimes, I cannot help but feel that there is so much envy and wasted energy directed at totally unproductive and useless arguments. If Malaysian Chinese are generally competitive, enterprising and better off economically, are they supposed to take the blame for causing inequality and marginalisation in the country? The last time I checked, the Chinese did not make policies or hijack allocations that made them enterprising, competitive or rich. So can we have some sense of proportion when making accusations?
