Po Kuan’s blog also evoked responses about real life trials and tribulations such as the posting by Taja Enjok:
I know Mr. A for the past 9 years. He was a clerk and his wife is a general worker. They have 2 sons. It was around that time their eldest son failed to make it into any of the IPTA. His eldest son decided to join a private college for a twinning programme. Meanwhile he worked part-time to finance his studies. Then came the final year. Both father and son couldn’t save enough for the overseas fees and expenses. The father remembers what he learned during his school days.
? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ?
Others give son chest full of gold.
I teach son only one classic.Classic given a modern interpretation:
People give their children wealth.
I can only afford to give them education.Mr. A went for optional retirement. This enabled him to obtain his gratuity and thus finance the eldest son’s final year. As he is still strong, he took up part-time job to support his younger son’s secondary education. Fortunately the younger son got a place in the IPTA. Otherwise it could have been his wife’s turn to make the sacrifice.
And this posting from K.S.Ong:
Malaysia’s loss is US’s gain. Not many people have the stamina to struggle against an entrenched system of discrimination. Yet, I believe there are growing number of people, especially young citizens of all races who are growing weary of our racially based political parties and the discrimination in the name of helping the majority race.
Weaker economically is highly debatable these days, depending on methodology used, yet supremacy is claimed, quite rightly when they are the only ones calling the shots.
Thanks to the internet, we have alternative sources of information which we can use to form our own opinions and decide on the future of our nation.
These Malaysian diaspora blogs led to another heart-rending tale in Lucia Lai’s blog, from a Chinese Malaysian woman living in Washington, as follows:
I finished STPM with outstanding results from the prestigious St George’s Girls School in Penang. Did I get a university place from the Malaysian government? Nothing. With near perfect scores, I had nothing, while my malay friends were getting offers to go overseas.
Even those with 2As got into university. I was so depressed. I was my parents last hope for getting the family out of poverty and at 18, I thought I had failed my parents. Today, I understand it was the Malaysian government that had failed me and my family because of its discriminatory policies.
Fortunately, I did not give up and immediately did research at the Malaysian American Commission on Education Exchange (MACEE) to find a university in the US that would accept me and provide all the finances. My family and friends thought I was crazy, being the youngest of nine children of a very poor carpenter. Anything that required a fee was out of our reach.
Based on merit and my extracurricular activities of community service in secondary school, I received full tuition scholarship, work study, and grants to cover the four years at a highly competitive US university.Often, I took 21 credits each semester, 15 credits each term while working 20 hours each week and maintaining a 3.5 CGPA. A couple of semesters, I also received division scholarships and worked as a TA (teaching assistant) on top of everything else.
For the work study, I worked as a custodian (yes, cleaning toilets), carpet layer, computer lab assistant, grounds keeping, librarian, painter, tour guide, etc. If you understand the US credit system, you will understand this is a heavy load.Why did I do it? This is because I learnt as a young child from my parents that hard work is an opportunity, to give my best in everything, and to take pride in the work I do. I walked away with a double major and a minor with honours but most of all a great lesson in humility and a great respect for those who are forced to labour in so-called ‘blue collar’ positions.
Those of you who think you know all about Australia, US, or the West, think again. Unless you have really lived in these countries, i.e. paid a mortgage, paid taxes, taken part in elections, you do not understand the level of commitment and hard work it takes to be successful in these countries, not just for immigrants but for people who have lived here for generations.
These people are where they are today because of hard work. (Of course, I am not saying everyone in the US is hardworking. There is always the lazy lot which lives off of someone else’s hard work. Fortunately, they are the minority.)
Every single person, anywhere, should have the opportunity to succeed if they want to put in the effort and be accountable for their own actions. In the end, they should be able to reap what they sow.
It is bearable that opportunities are limited depending on how well-off financially one’s family is but when higher education opportunities are race-based, like it is in Malaysia; it is downright cruel for those who see education as the only way out of poverty.
If you want to say discrimination is here in the US, yes, of course it is. Can you name a country where it doesn’t happen? But let me tell you one thing – if you go looking for it, you will find it. But in Malaysia, you don’t have to go look for it because it seeks you out, slaps you in your face every which way you turn, and is sanctioned by law!
Here in the US, my children have the same opportunity to go to school and learn just like their black, white, and immigrant friends. At school, they eat the same food, play the same games, are taught the same classes and when they are 18, they will still have the same opportunities.
Why would I want to bring my children back to Malaysia? So they can suffer the state-sanctioned discrimination as the non-malays have for over 30 years?
[Speech (4) on Royal Address debate in Parliament 21.3.07]
“Why would I want to bring my children back to Malaysia? So they can suffer the state-sanctioned discrimination as the non-malays have for over 30 years?â€Â
No. You would want your children to keep in touch with their roots and enjoy the climate which is summer throughout the year and no freezing winter to put up with – no pedophiles running around or lurk in corners to pounce on your children, no thirty- year old female teachers having sex with your under aged boys after school, no classmates dressed in trench coats murdering other classmates with guns their parents keep at homes or classmates coming to school and shooting and killing their favorite teacher.
Not to mention your 85 year old grandmother who is less likely to be raped and robbed.
The above sound like the stories that we read on local newspaper!
Undergrad2, are you talking about your own?
look around first la before you give all the example :P
CoolMike
Well, CoolMike,
Every time I turn on the TV no matter which channel, I get to hear and see the same thing – sex, violence and it is not even Hollywood. It is now life imitating art!
I do not want to have to raise my children here in the U.S. All things considered Malaysia is still a good place to live in.
whatever is happening in USA is not sanctioned by their govt though as we know here. We are talking abt opportunities. We are talking about the so-called MUhibbah we often shout when our ministers visit other countries and how often other foreigners when cornered have to reply, “Oh, we are sooooo amazed that u guys can live harmoniously together” crap. We often read in papers that tourists like it here bcos everyone live peacefully together despite having 3 major race group. Such tolerance. YEa, how abt writing those that find us to be full of crap esp on the ministers that raise keris and shout threats! I doubt u can find it in other countries but this is so truly Malaysia. To those who had made it abroad bcos you were driven away, count that as a blessing. Dont forget to tell more of ur friends abraod of our situation so that whenever our ministers travel abroad and give talks whether about world peace, graft, discriminatory policies, let others know that they are full of air and crap. Loads of BS and a hypocrite to the highest order.
Well undergrad2,
You sure must thank your lucky star that the poor little 9 year old chinese girl who not only got raped and murdered in KL but got a 2 feet long pole stuffed into her vagina was not your daughter.
Of course you would say that it won’t happen to your wife getting shot in the head and blown to bits with C4.
Neither would you think its possible for your loved one to be chopped up into 18 pieces in a well known downtown condominium near PWTC.
And how about so many young malaysian girls gotten pregnant by their own father and grandfather. And you think Hollywood people are sick in their head.
How about the poor family of Norita who wished about getting her killer booked.
Of course you have not yet heard of that army fella who made a porno video of himself screwing his own biological underaged daughter and then got his buddies to queue up screwing her in turns.
If you are so ignorant, go ask any of your neighbors if you want to hear more gory stuff A La Malaysian.
“Oh, we are sooooo amazed that u guys can live harmoniously together†crap.”
This is the oft quoted opinion of tourists, of backpackers on shoestring budgets who know nothing about Malaysia, passing by for a few days on their way to other exotic destinations. They are struck by the cultural diversity that Malaysia represents.
Among the better informed among them, they know that racial harmony is superficial at best. A lot of resentment lies just beneath the surface – ready to boil over at the slightest excuse, should I say?
The truth is Malaysia is a racial pressure cooker.
To undergrad2:
Luckily scrap iron price has dropped, not worth stealing anymore, otherwise you might end up in hospital one morning. Why? falling off into your own front gate uncovered Longkang(drainage).The iron cover just got stolen yesterday night.
You sound like typical PAS janggut old man-NIK AZIZ “Orang putih memang tak ada moral, teruk punya orang” Please do not generalize America through the window of Hollywood. But we love Hollywood, it makes our life more interesting, colourful, less dull.
“Please do not generalize America through the window of Hollywood. But we love Hollywood, it makes our life more interesting, colourful, less dull.”
I have been here for more than 10 years. The violence portrayed by Hollywood in movies is real – not a figment of the imagination, which is why I say life is imitating art. I live in New York City. It would be worse in Los Angeles.
This is not to say that there is no crime in Malaysia or that the crime rate has not risen with the inflow of illegal immigrants.
Still given the choice I’d not raise my children in the U.S. – all things considered. Malaysia is still a good place to live in.
the news reported in the newspaper are of the minority criminals …
I mean for a country as large as USA wif a population of 298 MILLIONS !!! …
HOW MANY paedophiles running around or lurk in corners to pounce on your children, HOW MANY thirty- year old female teachers having sex with your under aged boys after school, HOW MANY classmates dressed in trench coats murdering other classmates with guns their parents keep at homes or HOW MANY classmates coming to school and shooting and killing their favorite teacher ?
HOW MANY 85 year old grandmothers got raped and robbed ?
Compared wif our local domestic news of incests, mat rempits, snatch thefts, break-ins, death in NS camps etc etc and our population of 26.9 Millions …
I think this shld put things into perspective … dun be myopic and form bias perception of the world at large …
Discrimination do and will continue to happen in EVERY country in the world … however, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD DISCRIMINATION be LEGALLY CORDONED and etched in the BLACK & WHITE of the LAW !!!
If we are fast to condemn the apartheid regime in South Africa … why can’t we see what’s going on at home ?
HYPOCRITES !!!
What amazes is that “The Discriminated”- (Chinese and Indians)- are the ones who give approval and legitimacy to these discriminatory policies by voting in this coalition government in every election.
To Libra2:
What choice do we have? Next available guys Tok Janggut & his ulamak, Anwar and his gang lebih kurang saja.
Just wander! what will Pas do if they come to power? Clamping down corruption? Itu tak penting.The Constitutions kasi masuk longkang dulu, it was from Orang putih yang tak bermoral bukan dari Allah.Haram tak boleh pakai. Whereas Anwar, most of us know his history.
“How MANY paedophiles running around or lurk in corners to pounce on your children, HOW MANY thirty- year old female teachers having sex with your under aged boys after school, HOW MANY classmates dressed in trench coats murdering other classmates with guns their parents keep at homes or HOW MANY classmates coming to school and shooting and killing their favorite teacher ?” mega-man
Not many – until your daughter gets raped or kidnapped, until your house is broken in and your grandma assaulted and robbed. Yes, not many.