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Jeff,

We cannot achieve color blind with NEP being the core of this nation's existence.

NEP is NOT color blind. It identifies poverty with skin color.

And we, the later generation and generations to come is taking the sufferings of our elders who can't seem to move along with the globalized world.

Well said, Jeff. It shall be Bangsa Malaysia and Bahasa Malaysia. No more 1,2,3,4. And forging a truly Malaysian identity.

By the way, where are you off to? Happy Holidays!

JEFF OOI says: Definitely not for holidays but in pursuit of new knowledge in Internet technologies.

Indeed. In the UK, for example, being asked to complete this sort of information would be illegal, as it could amount to racial discrimination.

The only exception to this would be in completing Equal Opportunities monitoring forms, which are anonymous and designed to track the way jobs and opportunities are allocated to members of different ethnic groups.

I don't believe Malaysia will have much credibility on the world stage as a ''developed'' nation until the inherently discriminatory practices of the Bumiputera system and Race 1234 have been abolished.

color blind?
it is viable. but it will be not easy.
how i wish i could fill in forms and need not to differentiate if i'm chinese or not but just Malaysian or Non-Malaysian.

u think the government go with this idea? PM would need to set up a commission to look into this. bah!

I'm up for it! Lets go for "Malaysian for All"

Bar Council/Y4C’s continuing “Rethinking Malaysia” forum series hit a sour note last night when one of the panel speakers advised youth to seek “greener pasture” if the situation in Malaysia becomes untenable.

The advice was given by Datuk Paul Low, Secretary General of Transparency International Malaysia, when he cautioned the Malaysian Government against unjust policies in this age of globalization where people have high mobility.

Last night’s forum titled “Media and Civil Society” saw a turnout of about 60 people most of whom were below the ages of 20.

The first panel speaker Jeff Ooi, a prominent blogger in www. jeffooi.com. lamented the fact Malaysia media was controlled tightly by the ruling parties. As such the newspapers devoted all their effort one-sidely on pro-government news. The rest of it was the sentionalisation of rape, murder and robbery.

On a civil society, his wish-list would contain one where Malaysia would get rid of what he called “Merdeka 1234”—1 for Malay, 2 for Chinese, 3 for Indian and 4 for Others.

“Let us one day be colour blind in this regard,” he said.

The second speaker, Elizabeth Wong of Suaram and also a blogger under http://www.elizabethwong.wordpress.com/, pointed out that the “other news” which could balance the citizens’ exposure were unfortunately in the blogs. But the majority of Malaysians do not have access to that.

She gave the example of her experience during the Ijok bye-election. There was no broadband and she had to use the slow connection.

“When the bill came, it was more than a thousand ringgit for just the 7-day of usage!” she exclaimed.

Datuk Paul Low of Transparency International wanted all news touching on sensitive issues be banned from being published. He gave the example of “burning of a temple” and having the media asking and getting all the provocative answers.

“If these were to be published then we may have a riot. There will be a curfew and you and I will not be able to go about our business,” he said.

But the question is, in the Malaysian context where many of the actions are media-driven (Ask Michael Chong, he is an expert in this) would not silence create more frustrations and non-action.

A member of the audience put forth a query that given the unique Malaysian situation, would the “Rethinking Malaysia” called for a new social contract as the current one was creating a lot of frictions among the various races.

Paul Low replied a new social contract was unnecessary in this age of globalization as young people can easily seek “greener pasture” elsewhere.

When pointed out that he should not be giving such advice to the young impressionable minds but instead should tell them to stay to make this place better, Paul Low drew the example of the European Union where there was great mobility of people and labour.

If Asean thus become like EU then the movement would not be out of frustration. But it would definitely not happen in the next 50 years, and leaving Malaysia for “greener pasture” is a defeatist solution. The “Rethinking Malaysia” calls for a reflection on the past and a peek into what the future holds in the next 50 years. Those wanting a easy way out by leaving should not be participating in such a forum in the first place.

Those young people present when the altercation with Paul Low was taking place, instead of listening and then speak up their mind, bowed their heads in silence. Is this a good or bad omen for the future of Malaysia?.

i totally agree with you. i really hate the fact that forms only have a selected number of options when it comes to race.
Almost all merdeka ads feature only chinese, melay and indian people...why is that so???
what about sabahans and sarawakians? what about people like me who are half chinese half indian and a sabahan?? arent we malaysains too?/

i am in total support of gettin rid of 1234 and i feel that the media has the biggest role to play in uniting the nation. havin said that, i would also like to commend digi on their merdeka ad.. theirs is about the only one ive seen which dont have the standard 3 races...excellent job mate!!

i agree. as my own way of acting, i personally boycott filling in that section of any form that ask for "Race". if a race is really required, I write "Malaysian". but i think becos of my surname, ppl automatically fill in "Chinese". i think this is very unfair (to fill in for other ppl), and small-minded.

A: "She's pregnant."

Neil: "Gosh, what an opening line! I guess congratulations are in order. Boy or girl?"

A: "Before I answer that, any bung-lers around? I don't want my baby to grow up feeling it's natural to be the butt of cheap jokes by masochistic men."

Neil: "Ah, a girl then. And you mean 'machoistic', not 'masochistic'?"

A: "No, i mean 'masochistic'. Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore. You know at my age, it's a miracle to have a child but pray tell me how can I bring her up so that she can feel a real sense of belonging to this land and her peoples, so that she won't have to experience man-made distortions by gender and race. Maybe that's a question which we will all have to face up to in a few months time. Just like a person, a nation reaching fifty should have something fulfilling to say. What say you to that, Neil?"

Neil: "You sound mellowed, A. I don't know about nation though, but if you ask me what a person reaching fifty should say and we both are already long beyond that, perhaps it goes something like this:

'Don't set any pre-conditions for what will make you happy or sad, or for what you need or don't want.'

A: "Ah, I see you've been burnished by the human condition. You know, you should share that with B; she's been pestering me for my little secret about life."

Neil: "One should share all wisdom in life's truncated journey. Too many of us live through without living in."

A: "Well said. And I think that's exactly what's wrong. We are all just living through this journey to nationhood without examining the human commonalities involved in living in it."

Neil: "So much so Malaysia 1234 has become entrenched?"

A: "Too true. It's not just about filling forms. It's also in schools and colleges, clubs, workplaces, eateries, places of worship. Even private hospitals."

Neil: "Private hospitals?"

A: "Yep, i don't want to mention names."

Neil: "It really can't be that bad. What has disease treatment got to do with race?"

A: "It should be nothing. As a counterpoint, there's one semi-private hospital which tempers any rhetoric."

Neil: " Now, now. It's not about the merit or demerit of any race we have been talking about. It's about warped policies and practices that generate bad results which fester and grow the social diseases of which there are too many to list."

A: "Bear with me, Neil. As i was saying, it's a counterpoint. Slanted one, if you like.

It's about the yellow line."

Neil: "WHAT yellow line?"

A: "The one on the floor."

Neil: "What on earth are you talking about, A? What floor?"

A: "Patience, my good man. The floor of the room."

Neil: "Sigh, what room?"

A: "The room before you're wheeled in to be cut up."

Neil: " OK, we're supposed to talk about Malaysia 1234 and you've just mentioned some yellow line. Please, i may be stupid at this age...according to a certain minister... but surely i can still join the dots. Now are you trying to tell me that for all of us to remove 1234, we have to tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree?"

A: "No, Neil. You're really so dense. In the first place, they have already chopped down all the trees! No more trees! Like you know, a man at fifty completely bald and dying from lack of oxygen because no trees means no oxygen! Hahaha."

Neil: "A, sometimes i wonder whether we are both senile beyond our own comprehension."

A: "I don't know about you, Neil, but i have a baby to prove i am not.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, the room."

Neil: "I am all ears."

A: "Now, just before you are wheeled into the second room where your fate lies in the hands of the Unseen One plus or minus the team of mortals trained to the peak of perfection, there is a door."

Neil: "Of course, a door separates the two rooms."

A: "It's not the door, Neil."

Neil: "Oh i get it, it's the nitrous oxide wafting through it?"

A: "Harrummph, Neil. It's the plaque above it. The script is small, but fulsome. It says something, probably a blessing reflective of the Power and Grace of the Unseen One. Believers who can identify that script are labelled as professing to a certain religion. What i am saying here and now is this:

that it should not be read as a label assigned to any grouping, but as a reflection of the universality of the Unseen One Who can be called by many names, and it is the UNIVERSALITY of faith which is also reflected in the DIVERSITY of race, and this diversity of race is again levelled by the COMMONALITY of human beings."

Neil: "I need a fag to think clearly about what you've just said."

A: "Don't you dare, Neil. There are two main causes for why people get wheeled through that door. Eat too much and smoke too much. You're well sculpted, so that leaves you as an inhalant of toxic substances. Cut down or you'll be cut up one day."

Neil:" You've got me worried. Now, suddenly my mind is crystal clear.

What i understand you meant is this:

that we all, Malaysians of different races, are actually bound together by the same human condition, and this human condition begs to be articulated BECAUSE we are different in so many ways - yet same in what is important - the universality of our values and treatment of each other. And it's not about faith or religion or race. That plaque could well have been verses or edicts from some other religion or philosophy or even sage. You're trying to touch the essence of the matter, the substance above the form. Is that it?"

A: " Yes, Neil. To reinforce that point, I would like to add that that hospital is really well-run; maybe it has a bigger budget but i can say the staff, mostly but not exclusively malays, are dedicated and professional, and what is more important the other races are not made to feel out of place, and i mean staff, patients and visitors."

Neil: "So let me guess, it all boils down to training and motivation. The HR factor."

A: "I would think so too. You see, those who make policies and lead this country have lost touch with the universality of being Malaysians, and ironically, are practising Colonialism Version 2.0 by dividing all of us in order to create the reason for their usefulness. If we, the people, and count too many as (deleted) enough to elect those jokers, can see through the fog, we should instead rise above their pedestrian politics and join our hearts together as one. Like how it felt as a Malaysian when in that hospital.

And did i tell you there were two patients in the same room? The malay patient was down really bad and his wife was praying hard for him. On hearing the prayer and sympathising with the condition, the non-muslim patient in the adjacent bed not only also prayed for him according to his own faith, he also prayed for him by calling to Allah The Merciful as well. How's that for universality of the HEART?

But i am not talking about religion here. I think the way things like the NEP and other modes of affirmative policy are being applied shows how lacking in wisdom and long-range vision are those jokers. They just push people into every place, every sector, every level, on the excuse that if they don't, they won't get enough experience. The HR/training factor was underrated, undermined and underoptimized. In the end, you get a string of failures which lead to leakages and wastages and that in turn creates a vicious cycle of more of the same because there are new generations of rent-seekers asking for more and more at the final expense of all. That's why '1234' don't add up to 10; you don't get a perfect 10; it's a godzilla zillion - all down the drain and through 'em smart tunnels, eh?!"

Neil: "So, what can be done? Is there some magic formula so that everyone can run things as efficiently as say 24's CTU, like that hospital's ICU?"

A: "Let's think about that; they've started with client charter for the public sector, and KPIs for the GLCs. To me, that's just toying around. They may need something stronger."

Neil: "Like what?"

A: " Oh, i don't know..TMNT, perhaps."

Neil: "What's that? Tripartite Management of National Thrusts?"

A: "Nah, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. And don't laugh. It's relevant. You see, Neil, we may not just be turning 50 as a nation soon. At the rate those sycophants and smartasses are going, we may just turn turtle instead."

Neil: " I am too tired and jaded by life to want to go on with this anymore, A. Maybe it's time to fade away finally. It's all just food for thought. No change until it's too late."

A: "Tsk tsk, old man. You need to perk up, loosen out, get rejuvenated. Let me take you to 888."

Neil: "A, you know i have no luck. Empat ekor never tails me."

A: "Sigh, Neil. Who's talking here about luck, or your formerly formidable, and penetrating, intellect?"

Neil: "huh..?"

Jeff,
Indonesia already erased all 1234 or maybe 5678 from their country. Everybody use same name, we hardly recognized their race there. But Indonesia is a cemerlang country now?

Mr. Right,

I think you ask the wrong question...The right question to ask is why after erasing 12345678, Indonesia isn't a cemerlang country now.

And if these thing happen or even a slight rumour going around, it shows the General Election is near...Appetizer is served!

This will still be a wish list forever. But since we're at it, I'll say these two items shouldn't be in any application form: Race and Religion.

Petition?

what simonswcee said is correct. stay back and make a difference. that is also my stand amongs my friends.

why leave and see this country that u were born at goes bust..!

beefstew, it's only been a little while that indonesia has abolished 123456789 etc, while racism runs deep in everyone's vein, so give them a little time. At least they are working towards the right direction, unlike us...