Referring to Malaysiakini news report on Malay NGO sues Penang over signboards and the recent incident of PKNS appointment of a chinese woman as an acting General Manager, had dragged the whole nation into issue after issues of races and languages. I wonder, how come people are still not grown tired of these racial issues? Does it do any harm to anyone when the multilingual signboards are erected in the tourist attraction places? What does it really bother with these unsatisfied group of Young Malay Graduates Federation (NGO)?
They want to sue, claim that the authorities (DAP-led state gov and the Municipal Council of Penang Island) are "belittling" the official status of Bahasa Malaysia.
How could they prove this point? By displaying together with other common languages in Malaysia, is a threat to official status of Bahasa Malaysia? That is too easy to make that conclusion. I don't mind if you also demand that the font size of BM be bigger / more obvious than other languages, but i don't understand how come the existence of BM must exclude others?
On the case of PKNS appointment, why do some people still only believe in skin colour? Is it true that the same skin colour people will definitely be taking care of people who share his/her colour? I don't buy that, even chinese can cheat on other chinese, indian can fight with other indians... Person who is responsible, capable, helpful , moral, kind or of any other personality traits, cannot be determined by the race. PKNS is for developing economy in Selangor, not 'developing' racism. Put the best qualified, experienced, loyal and competent person on the job, for sure it will benefit anyone in the state. PKNS is belonged to all residents who stay in the state and who paid taxes to the state. But why do these people still insist on the 'same-kind' person ONLY to become the manager? And how naive they think that the manager's role is extended to become their imam too? Too often people mix politics with religion, now they want to mix economics with religion, to confuse people.
There is a flaw of logic too, when some argue that the most prominent position must be reserved to those who come from the majority (ethnic). A political sarcastic website dulan.org (mandarin) has published a blog entry went further to suggest that Health Minister and Transport Minister should be given back to Malay, as in those department majority is Malay civil servant. Most funny is that part saying: in a farm, when comes to who is the most suitable candidate to hold the position a farm manager, he/she must be from cows or goats because their number is way more than human! LOL
The sad reality in Malaysia is, many people whether educated or not are usually too convenient to see issues from the racial point of view, busy differentiate themselves from others into the terms 'them and us' according to skin-colour, religion and languages. Those people hold too many stereotypical perceptions on others, fail to see every one of us as individual. That is the problem - who teaches them this concept first? Teachers? Parents? Media (mouth of politicians)?
Could someone be more humanist, treat and judge each and everyone as a human being who is born the same, please?
*update*
This morning, i read my favourite political analyst writer Wong Chin Huat's article on The Nut Graph, shed some light on why many of us in Malaysia would usually react and think this racist way.
Further thoughts while discussing the related issues with my friend in his blog:
不用说得那么远，我们的邻国新加坡在每个公共告示板（包括地铁站）都用上了4种语言。那个自由，民主精神和制度还不比我国理想的国度，至少在语言的表面上还可看到该国政府给与各族的基本尊重。
你可能说，那是因为他国宪法的官方语言为那4种语言，而我国的只有一种。也许问题就是在此了。
我的疑问是，官方语言难道一定要有排他性的吗？
No comments:
Post a Comment