Malaysia caught between a rock and a hard place

**Ray** · 04 Nov 06,, 20:48

Saturday, November 04, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version

VIEW: So long the good old days? —Farish A Noor

The world does not owe the Malays of Malaysia a living after all. The freedom to trade also means the freedom to compete, and in the harsh world of globalised economics there are no free meals or second chances for anyone

Since the late 1960s, Malaysian politics has been, above all else, demarcated and shaped by considerations of race and ethnicity. When Malaysia (then known as the Federation of Malaya) came into being in 1957, its founders envisaged the country as a secular constitutional democracy. ‘Secular’ here meant not only a state that stood neutral in regards to religious differences, but also racial and ethnic ones. While the majority Malay community were accorded certain constitutional privileges then, the notion of an abstract Malaysian citizenship that united and equalised all Malaysians based on the idea of universal citizenship was still there.

But all that came to an end in 1969 when the political culture of the country was altered on the basis of a new ‘inter-elite ethnic compromise’ that was inaugurated by the New Economic Policy (NEP) that favoured the Malay-Muslims of the country.

Malaysia-watchers would know by now that since the 1970s Malaysia’s political and economic development has been driven by local political demands, the chief of which was the apparent need to ensure that the comfort zone of Malay-Muslims would not be threatened by other competing forces in and out of the country. The New Economic Policy was used to ensure that Malay-Muslims were given extra incentives and opportunities to get a bigger share of the economic pie because they were among the poorest citizens of the country.

What became embarrassingly obvious by the late 1970s however was the fact that such race-based preferential treatment was being exploited by the Malay elites themselves, many of whom belonged to the newly created statist-bourgeoisie who came under the patronage of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). During the era of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Malay entrepreneurs were given extra advantages to get them to the top via the fast track, and the measures used to protect and expand the Malay comfort zone included policies designed to protect Malay-owned businesses and new industries.

For decades the NEP and its subsequent avatars have been the subject of intense criticism in the country. Critics of the NEP point to the blatant instances of abuse which range from contracts being given out to Malay businessmen known to have close links to the UMNO party to the fact that the sons and daughters of Malay politicians and millionaires were being given scholarships to continue their studies abroad. The nature of racialised capitalism and race-based politics in Malaysia protected the UMNO and its followers from criticism within, and few corrective measures were taken to deal with the dependency complex that had set in as a result of the NEP.

The good news is that this may come to an end soon: Malaysia has not been able to isolate itself from the wider trend of economic globalisation and the need to open up its economy to direct foreign investment (FDI) notably from major capitalist powers like the US and rising economies like China. Malaysia is now in the process of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with the USA, which ranks as its most important trading partner, with more than US $ 44 billion going in terms of bilateral trade last year alone.

One of the major stumbling blocks for the FTA deal between Malaysia and the USA is the persistence of governmental policies that protect Malay economic interests and remain uncompetitive. The American government insists that the deal can only go through if the Malaysian government relents in the area of protection of its local banks and government procurement procedures, both of which happen to be ‘hot’ subjects of contention as they strike directly at the heart of the Malaysian government’s pro-Malay policies. To grease the deal, the Americans have bluntly said Malaysia stands to gain (or lose) a potential sum of US$ 250 billion in US government procurement of goods and services in the country, including the all-important electronics industry which is one of the pillars of the Malaysian economy.

More conservative political voices in Malaysia, such as that of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, argue that to concede to the demands of the Americans would mean selling the country short and undermine all protective measures that previous administrations have put in place. Right-wing Malay organisations have also argued that a free trade agreement would effectively end the good old days when Malay-owned businesses had a first stab at government tenders and other projects that may be dished out, forcing them to compete with local non-Malay as well as foreign companies.

So the current establishment under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is caught between a rock and a hard place: Cognisant of the fact that Malaysia cannot afford to close its doors to foreign investment in the business climate of today, it nonetheless fears the prospect of angering the majority-Malay electoral constituency.

What then is to be done?

Perhaps the answer lies in the simple truth that the world does not owe the Malays of Malaysia a living after all. Over the past three decades many of the success stories of Malaysia have actually come from the non-Malay business community and independent enterprises that went out into the harsh world of business on their own, not expecting state support or protection. The fall out of the 1997-98 economic crisis showed just how vulnerable the Malay sector of the Malaysian economy had become, thanks to the culture of patronage that had been ingrained in UMNO’s race based politics.

Today, with the prospects of a dominant China (and India) looming over the horizon, Malaysia’s Malay leaders and politicians may well have to contemplate the very thing they have been avoiding all along: to say it as is remind the Malays of Malaysia that they can no longer expect the state to play nanny to their erstwhile ambitions. The freedom to trade also means the freedom to compete, and in the harsh world of globalised economics there are no free meals or second chances for anyone.

Dr Farish A Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and human rights activist. Visit his site at www.othermalaysia.org
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-11-2006_pg3_2

Globalisation is one of the boons to many a developing countries which has lopsided economic and social policies to cater for local political requirement. India, too, has similar disadvantages.

There is a lot of discrimination in Malaysia on the racial issue vs the Malay and that too, Malay Moslems only, who are the privileged class. Notwithstanding, the Chinese still controls Malaysia's economy and thus the state has not become a total Moslem fundamentalist one. The people are still free and carefree and swinging! But that too is changing!

Malaysia also is becoming an important input in the global geostrategic milieu owing to its proximity to the Straits of Malacca.

Interestingly, fundamental elements from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are making inroads into Malaysia.

All these aspects will play a role in shaping the Malaysian policy and it will be interesting to watch how globalisation iron out the discrimination as also prevents it from getting fundamentalist Moslem.
.

**LongshotSNN** · 04 Nov 06,, 21:24

Nice to see you post one of Dr. Farish's works here, Ray.

While most of what he says is quite damning and true, this advice is hardly going to be taken to heart by the UMNO elite. They have their own followers and interests to protect.

If that means gaining profits over the short term at the expense of the country in the long term, they'll still do it. You'll never see another shorter-sighted bunch than this.

Their self-destructive and shameless rent-seeking policies are the main reason why tons of non-Malays are emigrating overseas. No one wants to be tied to a dying horse where you're a second-class citizen in all but name.

**santosh tiwari** · 12 Nov 06,, 05:03

Originally Posted by Ray

Globalisation is one of the boons to many a developing countries which has lopsided economic and social policies to cater for local political requirement. India, too, has similar disadvantages.

There is a lot of discrimination in Malaysia on the racial issue vs the Malay and that too, Malay Moslems only, who are the privileged class.

Notwithstanding, the Chinese still controls Malaysia's economy and thus the state has not become a total Moslem fundamentalist one. The people are still free and carefree and swinging! But that too is changing!

Malaysia also is becoming an important input in the global geostrategic milieu owing to its proximity to the Straits of Malacca.

Interestingly, fundamental elements from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are making inroads into Malaysia.

All these aspects will play a role in shaping the Malaysian policy and it will be interesting to watch how globalisation iron out the discrimination as also prevents it from getting fundamentalist Moslem.
.

sir, you have pretty good idea about Malaysia. i would like to share my experience with malaysians, i met them here. the number of Malays coming overseas is no more than 5% of total malaysians coming here. most of them are mainly chinese and indian origins. all of them love their nations but all says themselves a second grade citizen of malaysia. Malay, who represents about 62% population of malaysia have reservations everywhere. they are called Dharti Putra, look like a Sanskrit name but a Dharti Putra must be a Muslim even if he is not Malaysian born. politics is controlled by Malay muslims. all the top post holders in any government and private organizations must be a Dharti Putra, this is a law there. even in all the sports, this is commonly believed that at least 90% representation would be of muslims, captain must be muslim, and there is no objection of this type of rules as they have to say this is right. many hundu and bhudhst tamples have been removed in last few years. my one malaysian friend said, there was a law which says even on the passport of malasian citizens, everyone had to write “AL” on the place of "son of" to say name of father. later it was changed when many embassies said they dont know meaning of "AL". something like, If you are malaysian, you must be little bit muslim also. there was a time when only indian and chinese gangs were seen in KL, but now malays groups are also rising and even government support those gangs who are Malay. this is worth mentioning here that malaysia was very much influenced with indian culture before Islam came in 1400th century. most of the suburbs there has Sanskrit names like, Subang Jaya, Patalin Jaya, etc. and even the name of her capital Kualalumpur, similar to that of Kanpur. one of my malaysian friend said, this is commonly said in malaysia that Malaysia is made by an Indian prince who had some problem with his father (related to a girl he wanted to marry) and he left India and came to malaysia.

but this is half story. malaysia is having dependence on singapore for technology transfer where chinese are dominant. chinese businessmen of malaysia have pretty good link with singapore for new and advanced technology. this is worth mentioning that the richest man of Malaysia (and also of whole ASEAN) is an Indian, Anand Krishnan with total worth of about $5bn, who is running a telecom business. means indians are also somewhere there. also the way her neighboring country like thailand has done many military operations against the muslims of its southern parts, malaysian politicians couldn't get that much morale over non muslims of her country. and here if we compare India with whole ASEAN, including malaysia, singapore, thailand, indonnesia and all, total GDP of ASEAN comes around $2,800bn while that of India is around $3,800bn with a better growth rate than that of ASEAN. and with growing share in international trade with two aircrafts carrier and advanced aircrafts with other military equipments, india is on the competition with china for the role of big brother of whole ASEAN in future. i guess Indian role in this region will be more cleared after 2020-22.

**LongshotSNN** · 15 Nov 06,, 16:08

Something quite in line with what the Brigadier posted initially.
While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry.

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

he KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point.

It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.

They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".

But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years

away.

So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).

**667medic** · 15 Nov 06,, 17:54

Tiwari ji, it's not Dharthi Putra, native malays are called BhumiPutra...
Recently the Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew got into a spat with Malaysia over the marginalization of the Malaysian Chinese......

**Jay** · 15 Nov 06,, 18:46

Thanks Longshot, this is so true. I noticed it when I went to Malaysia, I couldnt control my smile. Same thing with Petronas towers, the guide was telling us that they built the towers in record time or something like that, some one in the group immedieatly asked, is the office space so much in demand here at KL and whats the occupancy rate in the towers at present, the guide did not like that question, nor he answered it

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

**Jay** · 15 Nov 06,, 18:47

Ive read about the Bhumi Putra led companies, which were given billions of dollars by Mahathir's govt to stay afloat and finally almost all of them went belly up. Only very few of Mahathir's handpicked Business Captains were able to turn around the ship, I think Francis Yeoh and T. Ananda Krishnan did well, incidently they both are non-malays and Ananda Krishnana went on to become a billionaire.

From Wikipedia..
Certain pro-bumiputra policies known as the Bumiputra Laws exist as a means of affirmative action for bumiputras. Such policies include quotas for the following: admission to government educational institutions, qualification for public scholarships, positions in government and ownership in business. Most of them were established in the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP). Examples of such policies include:

* Companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur) must find Bumiputras to take up a minimum 30% of equity to satisfy listing requirements. MSC status companies listed on MESDAQ (Malaysia's latest stock exchange, modelled on the NASDAQ and other 'tech' stock exchanges) are not subject to this requirement.

* A certain percentage of new housing in any development has to be sold to Bumiputra owners. Housing developers are required to provide a minimum 7% discount to Bumiputra buyers of these lots. There is no bumiputra discount on established housing.

* A basket of government guaranteed and run mutual funds are available for purchase by Bumiputra buyers only.

* Many government tendered projects require that companies submitting tenders be bumiputra owned. This requirement has led to non-Bumiputras teaming up with Bumiputra companies to obtain projects in a practice known as "Ali Baba" where Ali (the Bumiputra) exists solely to satisfy this requirement and Baba (the non Bumiputra) gives Ali a certain sum in exchange.

* Projects were earmarked for Malay contractors to gain expertise in various fields. Often these projects would be sold as the bidders were not interested in the work, only in the gains that could be made from winning such a tender.

* Approved Permits (APs) for automobiles preferentially allow Bumiputra to import vehicles. Automotive companies wishing to bring in cars need to have an AP to do so. APs were originally created to allow Bumiputra participation in the automotive industry since they were issued to companies with at least 70% Bumiputra ownership. In 2004, the Edge (a business newspaper) estimated that APs were worth approximately RM 35,000 a piece. They also estimated that Nasimuddin Amin, chairman of the Naza group received 6,387 for 2003, making him the largest recipient of APs. 12,234 APs were issued in 2003. In addition to APs, foreign car marquees are required to pay between 140% to 300% as an import duty.

From Business Week:
For more than three decades, anyone doing business in Malaysia has needed to understand at least one word of Malay: Bumiputra. Literally, it means "son of the soil," but it refers to Muslim Malays, who make up just over half of Malaysia's population and who enjoy big advantages over the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities under sweeping affirmative-action regulations. Universities reserve seats for Bumiputras. When you set up a company in Malaysia, Bumiputras must own 30%. When a Malaysian company goes public, 30% of the shares must go to Bumiputras--at a discount. Can't find a partner? The International Trade & Industry Ministry will give you a list of "approved Bumiputras" to whom you must sell--or give--a stake.

Affirmative action, better known as the New Economic Policy (NEP), has been carved in stone in Malaysia for 32 years. It was implemented in 1970, the year after Malays in Kuala Lumpur rioted for five days, attacking ethnic Chinese businesses and killing nearly 200 people. A primary cause of their rage: Virtually every sizeable Malaysian company was under ethnic Chinese ownership or management.

That bedrock policy may now be shifting. In June, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stunned Southeast Asia by disclosing his plans to retire next year. But a Mahathir speech two days earlier has kept Kuala Lumpur equally abuzz: On June 20, he hinted it may be time for affirmative action to give way to "meritocracy." Why? Because the NEP hasn't created the economic advancement he had hoped. "I feel disappointed because I achieved too little of my principal task of making my race a successful race, a race that is respected," Mahathir said. Mahathir's office didn't respond to calls, e-mails, and faxes seeking comment for this article. Yet analysts, executives, and diplomats in Kuala Lumpur have been parsing the meaning of his speech. The general conclusion: Mahathir wants to phase out the NEP.

Weaning 11 million Bumiputras off affirmative action is likely to be a delicate task. For starters, the program hasn't been a total failure, despite Mahathir's dismay. The World Bank credits it with reducing poverty among Malays to 8% in 1995, from 50% in 1973. The NEP "was a partial success, [but] not a complete success. There is still a lot of unfinished work," says Mohamed Ariff, executive director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research.

Then there's the political dimension. Malays are probably not angry enough to take to the streets and attack ethnic Chinese. But some still fear that the youth wing of Mahathir's party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), could forment unrest. If the NEP were to be dismantled, "there would be a lot of resistance from the Bumiputra community," says the head of research of a Malaysian brokerage.

Yet if Mahathir can pull it off, phasing out the NEP could do Malaysia far more good than harm. Many argue that the NEP has discouraged investment and stifled job creation. And it hasn't helped raise the profile of Bumiputra businessmen. Of the top 10 companies listed on the stock exchange, seven are state-controlled and three are ethnic Chinese family businesses. Only 19% of corporate equity in Malaysia is in Bumiputra hands--far shy of the NEP's 30% target.

The NEP has also cost the government plenty. Since its inception, Malaysia has spent billions of dollars on public-works projects in Bumiputra-dominated rural areas. Discounts given to Bumiputra shareholders on equity in state-owned enterprises that went public in the 1980s cost billions more. But few of the companies are internationally competitive. "We did not create businessmen who could cope with the crisis that emerged in 1997," says Edmund Terence Gomez, professor of economics at the University of Malaya. Privatized state companies such as Malaysia Airlines and automobile assembler Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (Proton) have been driven into the ground by CEOs whose chief qualification appeared to be that they were Bumiputras. The recent near-collapse of engineering company Renong--a bastion of Bumiputra patronage--spurred a purge of Bumiputra businessmen by Mahathir himself.

Mahathir has long recognized that foreign investors might object to the Bumiputra rules. In the late 1980s, the government created special export manufacturing zones where multinationals such as Intel Corp. and Motorola Inc. set up shop. Among the attractions: They don't require Bumiputra partners.

Raising enough support from within Mahathir's party to dismantle the NEP may be tough. Half of Malays voted against UMNO in the last election, in November, 1999. Today, party leaders fear losing even more ground by revoking the NEP, Western diplomats say. And with Mahathir stepping down, his anointed successor, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, may not be strong enough to take the political heat for such a dramatic change.

But Mahathir has started dismantling the NEP on his own. In April, he shot down a proposal that private universities--mainly serving non-Bumiputras--reserve 10% of their seats for Bumiputras. At the same time, he proposed that the language of instruction in math and science be changed from Malay to English. Mahathir also discontinued quotas that guaranteed Bumiputras 55% of the seats at national universities. But in June, on the first day of classes for the new academic year, professors were dismayed to find that 60% of their students were Malays. That led some to conclude that even if Mahathir wants to ditch affirmative action, bureaucrats--virtually all ethnic Malays, due to the NEP--are still clinging to it.

Even with reform in place, it will take years to reverse the policy's effects. Many young non-Bumiputras simply don't bother to apply for higher education. Other ethnic Chinese and Indians go to school overseas--and sometimes don't come back. Those who do return are often unhappy that they had to leave in the first place. "You tolerate the situation partly because you look for an excuse not to hate it," says Stephen Gan, an ethnic Chinese who studied in Australia and is now editor-in-chief of Malaysiakini, a Kuala Lumpur-based news Web site.

Once young Malaysians, whatever their race, graduate, their opportunities can be limited by the NEP. Some foreign companies are forced to put their projects on hold because they can't find a suitable Bumiputra partner, says a Singapore lawyer who works in Malaysia. And some initial public offerings have been postponed because the companies can't find enough Bumiputra investors to absorb 30% of the issue.

The toughest battle lies ahead. But Mahathir has taken a major step simply by pointing out the failings of affirmative action in a country where he may be the only person with the political clout to even broach the subject. Of course, Mahathir won't be around when the time comes to dismantle the NEP. "That's for future prime ministers to deal with," says a Western diplomat. "His role is to start the debate." Start it he has.
By Michael Shari in Kuala Lumpur

**LongshotSNN** · 16 Nov 06,, 07:15

lol Jay. Just so you know, not every Malaysian thinks that way. I can't say it for all Malaysians, but most of us are quite embarrassed by the way the government crows about its *spits* successes due to its "grossly inflated sense of its place in the world".

And as for Mahathir, he should be one to talk about dismantling the NEP fixtures, given that he maintained them and even magnified the problems during his tenure.

As for your guide, that reaction tends to be the norm when confronted by uncomfortable questions. Just clam up and pretend it will go away.

**awangmamat** · 16 Nov 06,, 09:25

All this Malaysia-envy by our Indian friends is really sweet

. But really you boys should channel all that self-hate and denial into developing your country instead

. Then, just maybe, after 20 years or so you might be able to enjoy our standard of living

.

I sincerely wish you all the best. It would be good to have an India as properous as Japan. And confident enough in itself to shed all pretentiousness. The tone by Indian posters in this forum remind me of the pigs in the latter-half of Animal Farm.

**awangmamat** · 16 Nov 06,, 09:36

Originally Posted by LongshotSNN

Their self-destructive and shameless rent-seeking policies are the main reason why tons of non-Malays are emigrating overseas. No one wants to be tied to a dying horse where you're a second-class citizen in all but name.

If you have no faith in the our country and in all those who seek to make it a better place for all Malaysians then it would be best that you leave as well.

You would be delusional to believe that the situation would be any different if ethnic Chinese or Indians held the power in Malaysia. Greed is greed. This, as Siddartha concluded, is universal.

Remember, no matter how much you deny it it would be impossible for there not to have been a Malay (or a Chinese) who has helped you along your way.

**LongshotSNN** · 16 Nov 06,, 12:22

Your encouragement to leave wasn't really needed, but thanks anyway. Chalk this decision up to having worked in the local media for 4 years now and having seen things firsthand.

As for greed, it's universal like you said. But why is it that the little red spot south of the Peninsular is able to maintain such a record of clean government, that it's consistently ranked amongst the top 5 in the CPI? It's afterall ruled by a party with a racial majority as well, isn't it?

If you honestly believe that the current political system, which has been constantly manipulated to BN's advantage and firmly entrenched over the years can ever be eroded to finally make way for a country equitable to all its constituent races, all the more power to you. You might actually succeed against all odds. But I'm not holding my breath. To each his own.

To top this off, the mentors and superiors I've had (of all types) are the ones encouraging me to leave while I'm still young enough to adapt. In a backhanded way, I have the state's policies to thank for and I'm sure I'm not the first in this regard.[/rant]

**santosh tiwari** · 16 Nov 06,, 14:11

Originally Posted by 667medic

Tiwari ji, it's not Dharthi Putra, native malays are called BhumiPutra...
Recently the Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew got into a spat with Malaysia over the marginalization of the Malaysian Chinese......

sorry bro. u right. its bhumiputra.

**667medic** · 16 Nov 06,, 14:54

http://www.wayodd.com/first-malaysia...-space/v/3978/

First Malaysian Astronaut To Make Tea In Space
Next year, the first Malaysian astronaut in space aboard a Russian rocket will try to make the nation's favorite hot drink, teh tarik.

"The physics experiment is to see what happens to teh tarik in space," Haniff Omar, head of Malaysia's astronaut selection program, told Reuters.

Concocting teh tarik (pulled tea) can be hard even with gravity. The boiling-hot milky tea must be quickly shifted from one vessel held high in one hand into another held low to achieve the signature layer of froth.

Making teh tarik in space would bring Malaysian customs to the attention of a worldwide audience, said Faiz Khaleed, one of the astronaut candidates.

"Teh tarik is one of the symbols of Malaysia," he explained. "I think this is a good idea also to bring something from our country so the world can learn something about our country."

Russia had bundled a free trip into space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to Malaysia three years ago for a $900-million sale of Russian-made fighter planes.

An estimated 12,000 Malaysians applied for the opportunity to be an astronaut with 894 men and women selected for the first round of fitness tests.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced doctor Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and military dentist,Faiz Khaleed, as the finalists.

Russian space experts will have decide on one of the two Muslim men to be sent into orbit next year.

**Ray** · 16 Nov 06,, 19:15

Originally Posted by awangmamat

All this Malaysia-envy by our Indian friends is really sweet

. But really you boys should channel all that self-hate and denial into developing your country instead

. Then, just maybe, after 20 years or so you might be able to enjoy our standard of living

.

I sincerely wish you all the best. It would be good to have an India as properous as Japan. And confident enough in itself to shed all pretentiousness. The tone by Indian posters in this forum remind me of the pigs in the latter-half of Animal Farm.

No one hates Malaysia.

Indeed, why hate something that cannot compare with you?

KL is not the only place to be seen for comparing the standard of living.

Just move around and you can see it all!les!

If it were so great why this bhumiputra Moslem upliftment?

So, please give us a break with your fairy tales.

Got that Abudullah?

But for the Chinese and Indians, you would be in the Islamic dung heap!

**Jay** · 16 Nov 06,, 20:18

Originally Posted by awangmamat

All this Malaysia-envy by our Indian friends is really sweet

.

envy, not by a long shot. I dont want India to become like Malaysia, not even in my dream. We are just discussing what we saw firsthand in Malaysia. All the people discussing the issue has been to Malaysia or atleast talked to Malaysians, so preach this to some one who has never been to Malaysia.

But really you boys should channel all that self-hate and denial into developing your country instead . Then, just maybe, after 20 years or so you might be able to enjoy our standard of living .

Thank you very much, and we are doing what we can. Atleast we dont claim to be the beacon for the whole muslim world.