Minority racism in Malaysia

From the Letters page of The New Straits Times, 26 August 2010:

Shocked at biased attitude

We are from Sabah and most of us, even though we are born Muslim, do not consider ourselves Malay, especially when we have Kadazandusun parents or grandparents whose forefathers were Chinese or some other race.

1Malaysia is nothing new to us as we have been living it here in Sabah since Malaysia was formed in 1963.  My daughter has lived in Australia and the United States for the last five to six years.  After she graduated and worked a year in Australia, she wanted to come home.

Being in the film industry, she would have more opportunities to work in Kuala Lumpur.  She is now trying hard to adjust to life in the capital.

When I spoke to her on Aug 21, she told me she was meeting a real estate agent who would show her an apartment in Ampang.

Imagine how she felt when the real estate agent asked if she was Malay or Indian.  When she asked why that was relevant, the real estate agent told her “because the owner doesn’t want to rent to Malays or Indians”.

As she doesn’t consider herself Malay, the real estate agent agreed to meet her.

Having only been in Kuala Lumpur for slightly more than a month, it wasn’t easy for her to find her way to where they were supposed to meet.  This agent, who called himself Kenneth, became angry when she couldn’t find her way and made a racist remark.

When I called Kenneth, he was rude and hung up on me.  When I called his company, I was told Kenneth had been fired earlier.  But the man who answered was very rude too; he, too, hung up on me.

I am utterly shocked at the standard and the attitude of these real estate agents.  How on earth is my daughter going to find a place with such people around?

F. Arif

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Make what you will of it.  I’m just copying from the papers.

Malaysian drivers and the rain

You’d think with all the rain we get year-round, Malaysian drivers would be better accustomed to driving in the rain. It’s obvious we haven’t adapted to the conditions though. Not when you still hear about all the accidents that accompany news of a downpour.

This morning it rained. And on the way to work, I heard the traffic reports on the radio. There was mention of quite a few accidents on the roads around town. We’re talking multi-car pileups, and it wasn’t even raining that hard.

People just refuse to adapt their driving to the road conditions. If it’s raining, visibility will be poorer. You’ll need just a fraction of a second longer to react to the brake lights of the car in front of you. The roads will be more slippery, with pools of water here and there. Even if hydroplaning isn’t an issue, drivers will still make sudden moves to avoid puddles. You could see abrupt swerving, sudden unexpected slowdowns, and all sorts of impulsive driving.

What should you do? Slow down! Turn on some lights so other drivers can see you clearly, but not your hazard lights, please. Come on, people! It’s not that hard to practice safe driving.

It’s not about you. It’s about the other driver. The one who’s not as good as you. The one who swerved violently when you expertly dodged that puddle of water, and who then rammed into your mother’s car, just behind yours. Think about it.

Pet peeve: Inconsiderate boors who park on main roads and hamper traffic

That was a long one, but deserving of a long title to describe this bane of road users. You know the type. Those people who only consider their own convenience, other road users be damned! They like to park closest to building entrances, not minding if they take up most of a lane which should be used for moving vehicles, i.e. a traffic lane and not a parking spot. It used to be that the front entrance of Bangsar Shopping Centre was a showcase of such boors. These people would park at the curb, blocking traffic so that those cars crossing the traffic light from the Damansara Heights direction would have to squeeze into one lane. It was a constant menace and no doubt contributed to the long lines crawling up the hill to the intersection in front of BSC.

Well, sometime back, BSC decided to be responsible and put up no parking signs, complete with chains, alongside the curb on Jalan Maarof, to remind motorists that they should not park there. Unfortunately, some people can’t for the life of them imagine why they should be barred from parking there. After all, it’s so convenient to park your car there and pop in to BSC for a bit of shopping or a nice two hour steak lunch, say. Moreover, it’s such a hassle to actually have to go into the underground parking, which is so crowded anyway.

I figure that must be their thought process.


Take this example, spotted just yesterday by yours truly while waiting in traffic on the opposite side. He parks his BMW by the curb, gets out, and starts to make his way into BSC. A security guy comes up to him, obviously indicating that he can’t park there. He doesn’t pay much heed to the security guard. Another security guard joins the first, and the two proceed to remind our motorist that he can’t very well leave his car by the road-side. Our BMW-driver seems upset, and gestures dismissively to the two security guards, turns his back to them, and goes his merry way.

I managed to get a snap of his car too.



Then my light turns green, so I don’t get to see the finale for this little show. Somehow I suspect it was a muted denouement. After all, what could the management of BSC do? Call for the car to be towed away? Perish the thought!

When you’re driving, pay attention to those traffic lights

This is a timely public service announcement. As the Malaysians Unite For Road Safety Day approaches (090909), I’d like to share a tip: no matter what, always pay attention to the traffic lights. It seems simple enough, but not enough people obey them.

And then there’s the case of two traffic lights in succession on a stretch of road, too close to each other. That can lead to the situation I found myself in last weekend. On the way back from a Ramadan bazaar in Bangsar, I stopped at a red light at the corner of Jalan Maarof and Jalan Bangkung. I was there a couple of seconds before I noticed a car approaching in my rear-view mirror. It was moving far too fast, and I thought it was your typical Malaysian driver who would stop dramatically right behind the car in front of them. He was coming too fast though, so I pressed down on the car horn, but it was too late. He rammed into me.



No one in our car was hurt, even though it was quite a knock. When I got out of the car, the young driver also came out, looking quite sheepish. I’ll admit I was babbling at him, admonishing him for not noticing the red light, and then switching to asking if everyone in his car was alright. We pulled over to the side road to talk through things.

His car:



Our car, from the rear:



And from the side:



As you can see, it wasn’t so bad. The bumper dropped, and the rear door was jammed shut.

Of course, the front of his car was totaled:



This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to the road. If I had been in the outside lane, I may have moved to the side. But I can’t be certain, because it all happened just too fast to react.

I noticed in that second before the impact that he wasn’t looking in front. His face was turned and he was chatting with his girlfriend in the front passenger seat. Since the traffic light just before had been green, he must have assumed the next one would be green too. It could have been worse though. I'm not sure if everyone in his car was wearing seatbelts, because I noticed a crack in his windsheild. His girlfriend may have knocked her head there, but there was no obvious injury. The girl in the back though (his sister?) had her kneed jammed into the back of the driver’s seat, and said it hurt. I advised them to get everything checked out.

Good thing we bought food at the bazaar. We got back home in time to break fast, although rice had to be cooked at the last minute. As for them – well, I noticed there was a lot of spilled McDonald’s food in the car which they had to dump. And I’m not sure they made it home in time, because when we parted it was already almost 7pm. On the phone, I don’t think he shared with his dad just how bad the damage was, since his dad told him to drive the car home...

52nd Merdeka

Malaysia will be celebrating its 52nd year of independence on 31 August 2009. That’s 52 years of self-rule, free of the colonial overlords.

I have to stop and think about that for a moment. As someone born, if not in, at least as a citizen of, an already free nation, I take that freedom for granted. We are the masters of our own fate, but who exactly is this “we”? Who are the ones in charge now? Who do we look to for leadership? Where do we get our direction from?

More importantly, who is responsible? We have to stop thinking “someone else”, and start accepting “us” as the answer. What do we want the country to look like? We need to decide, and we need to speak up, and we need to act. We shouldn’t take things for granted. And we need to remember that “we” includes many peoples from many backgrounds. The challenge is taking these differences, allowing for these differences, while still forging ahead as one.

Here’s hoping that we can all be reasonable, be responsible, and move together as one.

The mental calisthenics of avoiding paying taxes

It’s tax season. Responsible citizens everywhere are getting headaches figuring out how to file their tax returns. It’s an onerous task, what with all the different regulations and exceptions in the different tax codes. That’s why they have professionals to assist the regular Joe figure it all out. There’s a whole industry out there related to taxes, and it’s not just for firms, but individuals too.

As we grow older we come to the realization that “nothing is certain but death and taxes”, but it’s only the latter that vexes us on a predictable annual schedule.

But maybe we should focus on how I opened this post. Responsible citizens are the ones braving the tedium of filing their tax returns and actually paying their taxes. Yes, not everyone is a responsible citizen. I’m sure we all know those who couldn’t be bothered, thinking that it’s a low priority offense and no one gets hurt in the process. Or maybe they think that it’s too much of a hassle. Or maybe they object to the principle of the matter. Or maybe there’s a political angle to it.

And that’s where things start to get ridiculous. Not paying taxes because you don’t support the current government? What nonsense! Would you propose to forgo all public services in the meantime? And how should we identify you if you did? Will you proudly showcase your political affiliation on your sleeve, so that you may be excluded from receiving public services that others support with their taxes?

Or did you think there are some things provided free of charge? Those doctors in the government hospitals aren’t doing their duty purely out of the goodness of their hearts. They still need to bring paychecks home. How do they get paid? Out of the government’s coffers, of course. And where do the funds come from? Why, 43% of the Federal Government’s budget is financed through income tax. (Look it up yourself. Try using the government websites, maintained using public funds by the way.)

Don’t go to government hospitals, you say? Or send your kids to public schools?

Fine then. Don’t expect the police to help you when you’re a victim of crime then. Or the fire department to put out the fire burning down your mansion. They’ll help your neighbour who pays taxes though, while you stand outside moaning. Maybe you can hire private contractors to put out the fire. After all, you don’t trust the current government to use your tax dollars (ringgit, whatever) responsibly. So you’re on your own. Just the way you like it.

How about the next argument? We’re taxed too heavily! It’s a burden! Too much of our money is going to the government, and being wasted on all those wasteful and unnecessary and wrong “study trips”!

I’ve got news for you too. Let’s look at KPMG’s survey. They’re a reputable enough consultancy firm, so you don’t have to judge based on my credentials. For 2008, the highest tax rate on personal income in Malaysia was 28%. That’s a marginal tax rate, by the way, so it’s not 28% of your total income. But 28% on the upper portion of your taxable income. The global average was 28.8%. But let’s look closer to home, shall we? Let’s focus on ASEAN countries. There’s data on 6 of them (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). The average was 32%, with the lowest in Singapore (20% - no surprise there really), and the highest in Vietnam (40%). So we’re lower than the average.

Then there’s the level at which that highest marginal tax rate kicks in (there’s no such thing as a flat tax). For Malaysia it was RM250,000. Converting all the other ASEAN countries’ currencies to RM (at prevailing rates), we find that the average was RM272,716.07. The Singaporeans are lucky, cos you’d you have to be pretty damn rich (RM771,328) before you get hit by their highest tax rate. The Vietnamese, however, are doubly unlucky. If you make less than half a Malaysian (at RM100,302), you’re already hit by that highest rate, which was already the highest in the region.

Think we have it bad? Think again.

My take on all this hand-wringing? It’s just a lazy mentality. “I want it free!” Bah! Suck it up, I say. Do your duty. Pay your taxes.

Service with a smile – in Singapore

We – meaning Malaysians – have a long way to go.

I just came back from a week-long trip down to Singapore, and I have to say, I’m impressed. It’s been absolute ages since I’ve been down there, and I can’t really remember much of my previous visit, so I don’t have much to compare to. With nothing to compare progress to, it still bears noting the level of development they have achieved. The bizarre road-markings aside, downtown Singapore looks like any other developed city should. But it’s not the physical development that I’m most impressed with; it’s the human development.

I’m not sure where they picked it up. Maybe it’s part of their school curriculum, or part of their military service training, or their regular government announcements/indoctrination (seriously, look at all the signs, and even the announcements in the MRT!), but wherever they get it from, they’ve mastered the “service with a smile” attitude. At least, they manage a very decent job of projecting it to all tourists.

From the cab drivers, to the MRT staff, to store clerks, to the guys at the foreign exchange counters, to the hotel staff, everyone seems to put on a welcoming face and provide good, friendly service.

One anecdote I’d like to share was an experience at the lobby restaurant at the Hotel Re! (brand new chic hotel, opened just 6-months ago). We knew the hotel was new, cos even the (very friendly!) cab driver didn’t know about it, and we were curious how new it was. So we asked the wait staff, but he didn’t know. So he went to his supervisor, who then came over to our table, and then shared with us the brief history of the hotel (converted from an old school). That’s what I call friendly and helpful service! (Interesting aside: the wait staff was this young Chinese guy, young enough to be a student, and the supervisor was a not-as-young Malay guy, both speaking good English – no surprise – and interacting like normal in a work environment, which, frankly, you don’t see enough of in similarly multicultural Malaysia.)

Even Dubai can’t match this level of service, which seems to permeate every level of society. I don’t have to be some white-guy staying in 5+ star accommodations to get good, friendly service. Imagine that!

Losing a little bit of history to development

Well, it's happening everywhere, and not too surprising in a developing country.

Penang's about to lose a little bit more of it's heritage.

The International School of Penang, or as it's better know, Uplands School, has long occupied some heritage buildings along a historic part of the island. I just read in yesterday's NST that part of the campus along Jalan Gurney has been earmarked for some development.

I still remember moving to that building. I went to Uplands from 1985 to 1988. We moved the classes to there early in my stay at Uplands. The boarders were going to move there too (across the field from the school building), right after I left Uplands.

Lots of memories from my years there...

I've seen some pics of the new campus that was purpose-built for Uplands. Looks nice, modern. Won't be long before a part of my history disappears.

For that, I'm a bit sad.

My 2 cents on the Danish cartoons

It's such a prickly subject. I have an opinion, but sometimes it's hard to give voice to your opinion in an articulate manner. I could spend some time trying to organize my thoughts, but I don't really want to give this too much attention. Enough that it's been picked up by major news organizations around the world. Enough that leaders of countries have to make statements about this.

However, I'd like to point here, because it captures the essence of my own opinion.

Two quotes:

No one doubts that the press should be free to satirize. But freedom of the press cannot excuse the promotion of noxious stereotypes.

(...)

Of course, the sad irony is that the Muslims who have resorted to violence in response to this offense are merely reaffirming the stereotypes advanced by the cartoons. Likewise, the Europeans who point to the Muslim reaction as proof that, in the words of the popular Dutch blogger Mike Tidmus, "Islam probably has no place in Europe," have reaffirmed the stereotype of Europeans as aggressively anti-Islamic.

Land of the Free!...?

Just had to post a link to this Slate piece on the current state of affairs over there in the good ol' USofA.

Westerners have always been of the opinion that their civilizations are the best societies, the most free, the most socially evolved, blah blah blah. Yes, that's a generalization, but read enough history and it wouldn't be hard to come across that theme. And, sorry to say this, Americans always seem to be the most vocal about it.

"The world would be a better place if everyone else did things the way we do it."

One of the things they seem to be most proud about is their system of government. Not only is it democratic and representative, there's accountability, and separation of powers, etc.

Or at least, there used to be.

They have the three branches: the executive (the President, his Cabinet and their machinery), the legislative (Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives), and the judicial (the Supreme Court and all the other lower Courts). Actually, looking at their Federal Constitution, I should have listed that: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.

(Aside: Why do I, a non-American, never having lived there, know all this about their system of government? I'm not sure really, and not in the mood to start on about cultural imperialism...)

So the three branches are supposed to provide the checks and balances to the system, to keep the system "honest", and protect the people.

And now? Do you not see power pooling in one branch?

Putting Terengganu on the world map

Caught a sound bite on the evening news tonight. The Chief Minister of the state of Terengganu was saying something about how he hoped "this event would put Terengganu on the world map". "This event" is the Terengganu Monsoon Cup.

A yachting event.

Terengganu - Land of Turtles. That's what the state used to be known for, and what it should be known for.

With the dwindling number of turtles coming ashore, the place itself became less and less of an attraction. Rantau Abang itself has fallen into shambles with many of the outlets and some resorts have been abandoned.

As usual in this part of the world, realization and actions to remedy the situation is most always delayed or too little too late. One wonders if the title “Terennganu (sic) – Land of Turtles” is still apt.

Quote from http://www.abcmalaysia.com/tour_malaysia/trng_plcs3.htm; visited 10 Nov 2005.

A bit sad really...