In the 21st century of globalization and information/communications technologies, Malaysians and their leaders cannot continue to live like frogs in the well.
When Hindraf leaders sought the understanding and support of political leaders in India about the plight of Malaysian Indians, they were labelled as anti-national, disloyal and traitors of the country.
But now, the MIC President and Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is on a extended trip to India on precisely the same purpose – although with very little results, but he has not been condemned as being anti-national, disloyal or traitors to the country.
If Malaysian leaders do not want to be “frogs in the well”, they must be sensitive to the fast-changing global developments and world opinion.
The continued marginalization of the Malaysian Indians will become an international issue, even more so for the Indian diaspora with a population close to Malaysia’s population – over 20 million.
The eyes of the world are on two awakening giants and they are both in Asia – China and India. The Indian company, Tata, for instance, is poised to take control of the British icons, Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, and within the next decade, India will become a bigger economy than the UK, the first Commonwealth country to do so.
Within about 30 years, India’s population will pass China’s. There are analysts like those in Goldman Sachs who believe that 20 years from now, India will be growing faster than China.
It is important that Malaysians are made fully aware that the country will only perish if we continue with the “frog in the well” mentality and that the country can only prosper if it is fully plugged into the highly-competitive international economy and environment.
In our ever-shrinking global village, what we do in Malaysia must be able to withstand national and international scrutiny while what is happening in any part of the world could have an impact in the country.
Yesterday, political history was made at the other side of the world when a black American, Barack Obama, created an upset and won the Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucus, demonstrating that white Americans are prepared to elect a black president.
The demographic breakdown in the United States are whites 81.7%, blacks 12.9%, Asians 4.2%, Americanindians/Alaskans 1%, native Hawaians and other Pacific Islanders 0.2%.
Obama’s historic win in the Democratic Iowa Caucus which raises hopes that there can be a black American President in white-majority United States should give spur to the drive in Malaysia for greater equality and an end to marginalization of Malaysian Indians and all other marginalized groups.
We are not talking about a Malaysian Indian becoming Prime Minister. If Obama can emerge as the first black American hopeful to be elected President although blacks only constitute 12.9 per cent of the population, there is no reason why Malaysian Indians cannot ask why their sole Indian Cabinet Minister is stuck in the portfolio of Works or Energy for close to three decades and why other heavyweight Ministries like Education, Finance, Internal Security or Defence should not be available as well!
The marginalization of the Indians in Malaysia must not be allowed to be seen as an Indian problem. It must be regarded as a Malaysian national problem, together with the marginalization of all other marginalized groups, whether Kadazan-Dusun-Murut in Sabah, Iban and the indigenous peoples in Sarawak, Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia, or the poor and marginalized Malays and Chinese in the country.
In the past 50 years, the Malaysian Indian voters had been regarded as a very safe vote-bank for the Barisan Nasional, but a sea-change has taken place in Malaysian politics where the Indian voters are no more certain votes for the BN.
Just as China and India are awakening giants in the global arena, the Indian voters are awakening to play their historic role in the next general election as
“king makers” in 50 Parliamentary and 133 State Assembly seats where they have more than 10 per cent of the electorate.
The least the Malaysian Indian voters could and should do is to be the critical force to ensure that the Barisan Nasional is denied its unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority, which will be the first step to bring the Barisan Nasional “down to earth” and usher in a genuine democratic change never seen or experienced before in the nation’s 50-year history.
[Speech (2) at the DAP People’s Forum on “Marginalisation of Malaysian Indians” held at Koo Tian Hall, Ayer Tawar, Perak on Saturday, 5.1.07 at 10 pm]
It is an interesting battle with two firsts:
the first woman and the first black candidate for the White House.
The USA is not perfect but at least minorities can apply for the CEO of the nation’s post.
In Malaysia, the DPM is already campaigning in Kelantan and yet the official announcement is not made.
Oh I forget – we are a third rate nation as far as integrity is concerned.
Satu lagi Project MIC:
TAIPING: SJK (T) Kampung Jebong Lama in Simpang may have the smallest “class” in the country.
Measuring six metres by three metres, the container has been used by students since 2002 due to a shortage of classrooms.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2123765/Article/index_html
The day will surely come that a non-Malay, who is well accepted as a loving and patriotic Malaysian by all races in the country can be a Malaysian prime minister! Even if there is a law prohibiting such appointment, the law could be amended when there is such a ‘need’. However, that’s not the point for the time being or in the near future.
Who would ever imagine a ‘Mao’ China can be what it is today!
The imminent task at hand is for Malaysians of all races to be united now to get rid of the ‘OPPORTUNISTIC ELITE MALAYS’ under the UMNO umbrella who reap the country’s wealth for personal gain under the pretext of ‘Champion of Malay and Islam’. The country could be much better managed and developed, with first world facility for health care, education, transportation, social care, etc., if it has been well administered by real unbiased, Malaysia for Malaysian minded leaders. Total eradication of poverty could possibly have been achieved without the rampant corruption, wastage, cronyism, unnecessary projects. etc.. It is a big disgrace that we still see such a high poverty rate (if the statistic is reliable) when you consider our country is so ‘awfully’ blessed with so much of natural resources! Uncorrupted, good management of the country is needed to eradicate the poverty, not the NEP!
As a multiracial nation, we, all malaysians alike – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, Sikhs etc etc. have much to learn from Barack Obama. It’s better I let Barack do the talking himself:
“What’s truly audacious is to believe that something different is possible, to hope, to aspire to change.” Obama told a crowd at a book signing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; December 11, 2006
“I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.â€â€”one of the highlights of Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
Education
“I always felt that the value of a really good education is you can take more risks. Ultimately, if I really need a job, if I’ve got to pay the bills, I’m going to be able to find one.†–Obama speaks on the merits of a Harvard Law Degree
Political Quotes
“My name comes from Kenya, and my accent comes from Kansas.â€â€”The way Obama introduced himself to crowds during the campaign trail.
Malaysians want change too. We need change more desperately than even the USA. Malaysians must make 2008 the year we change from BN to the opposition coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS.
Mr Lim,
It is only here that talents of other races are not appreciated. If we were to look at Nobel prize winners, Indians made up quitea number inspite of the fact India was quite poor then.
To name a few:CHANDRASHEKAR VENKATA RAMAN (1930)
Nobel Prize for Physics ,HARGOBIND KHORANA (1968)
The Nobel Prize for Medicine ,SUBRAMANIAN CHANDRASHEKAR (1983)The Nobel Prize for Physics ,AMARTYA SEN (1998)
Nobel Prize for Economics.
But Singapore is smart to appreciate their talents. That is the reason why she is way above us.
Now loking at Obama’s victory, do you think that it will ever happen here in the near forseeable future? Now at the present moment, just to be made a school principal for a non-Bumi is like God-sent!!
So, not only is their incompetence our fault. Their cowardice is our fault, too! The people put them there.
what’s the fuss” baru menang untuk wakili parti di salah satu negeri .. belum menang jadi Presiden lagi …. kalau dah jadi Presiden barulah gempak !!!
Ask Samy to pay his flights, accommodation, body guard fees and other expenditure to Tamil Nadu… Malaysian Indian will not pay for your explanation tour to India… please shut-up and continue to collect your salary till next election…!
LapDOG…!
The victory of Barrack Obama in Iowa, a state with over 95% white population has proven convincingly that American politics has transcended race. In comparison Malaysia is moving backward as race is the paramount factor in formulating every policy and development. The government is controlled by UMNO, a political party that promotes supremacy of the Malay race and party membership is opened only to the Malays. The appointment and promotion of office holders of every level government is based on race rather than qualifications and merits. The United States has come a long way since the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. 50 years have past and majority of the present population are born after independent day, but we are moving in the opposite direction in term of natinal unity. will the present generation of Malaysians live to see an emancipation proclamation by a Malaysian Prime Minister that will end discrimination based race and religion?
There is no way Malaysia under BN can change since leaders of BN are having third world mentality.The development of the country is not their priority but their own development are.
We Malaysians have to put up with these nonsence as long as we are prepared to accept BN to rule forever.It is very hard to convince voters to vote BN out because majority of us are also having third world mentality.If Malaysians are educated and having lots of exposure as American,BN would have been voted out long time ago.Our government is inefficient,incompetent,downright stupid and corrupted ! With these credential,they still can win the election years after years just to prove that we Malaysians are a bunch of “tidak apa” and dumb citizens.Do we need to produce Nobel prize laurel ? Yes,may be we can be nominated for “Incompetency”.
Obama is in his step, but I think he will not have the chance to be the candidate for the Democrats. This is really a realistic speaking because he is too young. He should gain more experience.
Why not using a proven record of the governor of Lousiana? He is an Indian Bobby Jindal, and was elected to be the governor. He will start his job on January 14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Jindal
Remember that the southern part of America is the kind of place where KKK is more active and advocating white supremacy.
Chinese should not just sit back and dream. Even with a small population, I heard that the Dean of Engineering at the best universities in the world: MIT, Harvard and University of California-Berkeley are INDIANS.
Pulau Sibu,
“I heard that the Dean of Engineering at the best universities in the world: MIT, Harvard and University of California-Berkeley are INDIANS”.
If this dean is lecturing here, he would probably be made just an associate professor, that is about all because he is an INDIAN.
In predominantly Chinese Singapore, if an Indian can be made minister of Finance and Educattion why can’t an Indian orChinese be made one?
>if an Indian can be made minister of Finance and Educattion why can’t an Indian orChinese be made one?
No, in boleh we have only one best Indian, so only one minister available for all Indians. He is Mr. Samy
Sadly, Malaysians are unlike the Americans. We dont have political maturity like the Americans. Here UMNO-BN just need to install some street lights, re-paved some roads and we will all vote UMNO-BN again. We always go for that short term carrot.
I hope the opposition will not short change the Indians in this coming ge to promote their own agenda.It must be to promote a true geniue malaysian identity.Let see it works.
Fellow Malaysian,
This coming election will be the most important one because we need a major overhaul to stay competitive in this ever changing world. The only thing we can do is to make sure all our family members, relatives & friends vote for that change !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Samy was made a Minister because of his “Sucking-Gong” are pretty good… also his “Taichi-chuan” “ma-ma-tei”…
since 28 years ago till now…
Sg Siput still like 50 yrs ago…
Indian community still live in inner Jalong or Rasah…
but Felda Rasah create many millionaire by UMNO…
pity Indian still toreh bapak getah…
For Now and Forever…
The vision is bright, and thanks to DAP. Today a near 500 crowd of Indians form Mentakab gathered to hear Mr. Sivaneasn speak. Formally these were fence sitters and MIC supporters, but they are now coming out bravely. We also collected on the spot a donation of about RM7,200.00 for his work. We are planning for more gatherings in Karak, Triang, Raub and other places.
Thanks Saudara Kit, this is what we had wanted and hope this support will continue.
ENDANGERED HORNBILL,
Don’t just read Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” but be sure to read his “Dreams of My Father” – a story of race and inheritance.
Read about his father from Kenya who came to the United States on a government scholarship, met his white mother from Kansas and married her, graduated from Harvard, and then returned to poor Kenya to serve his people because he felt he owed a duty to his people.
In one of his speeches in Iowa he referred to the fact that his father from Kenya met his mother from Kansas – “something that could only happen in the United States”. Also “the election is not about red states and blue states but it is about the United States of America” Truly inspirational.
In his book “Dreams from My father” he returned to Kenya but too later to meet his father who died in a motor accident. His only memory of his father was when he was little.
His mother went on to re-marry an Indonesian whom she met whilst studying at the University of Hawaii. He was asked to return to Indonesia and she followed him, bringing Obama to Jakarta to live for a year. He has a Muslim step father and a Muslim father from Kenya and lived in Muslim Indonesia facts which Hilary tried to bring out during the run-up to the Iowa caucus. Of course, Hilary claimed ignorance and had her staff dismissed. Obama is a Christian.
Everybody who listens to him speak agree that he is inspirational. He speaks from the heart, believes what he says and is honest – qualities which Hilary Rodham Clinton, too much of a politician, does not have.
Is there an Obama among us today?? I doubt. Every fifty years or so we may see an Obama emerging somewhere in the world to lead his nation, but will there be one in the next fifty years for us? I don’t think so.
But as Malaysians we could help create the conditions for an Obama to emerge – the audacity of hope for all peace loving Malaysians.
“Obama’s historic win in the Democratic Iowa Caucus which raises hopes that there can be a black American President in white-majority United States should give spur to the drive in Malaysia for greater equality and an end to marginalization of Malaysian Indians and all other marginalized groups.” KIT
When I see and listen to Obama speak, I do not see his color – very strange you could say, but not surprising! The same applies to his supporters who are mainly whites and women and from a younger generation of Americans who are first time voters. The blacks in America see him as “not being black enough”. If they support him it is not because he is black.
Obama from his speeches reaches out not so much to black voters but to all Americans who wanted to see change – be they black, white or brown and from among all classes, even the Republicans among them.
This man even if he were to lose the nomination this time is not going to rest but will move on to do greater things – and maybe one day become President!
“When I see and listen to Obama speak, I do not see his color – very strange you could say, but not surprising†undergrad2.
Not to see colour is a privilege. I am not making fun of you undergrad, but ask a 5 year old child, the age of innocence. It’s only in later life that people start to develop prejudice based on colour against one another. Just like us Malaysians!
Right from the word go, Malaysian cabinet position based on race is already wrong. There’s too much politics in governance, and too little proper governance resulting from all the political juggling.
Even if political equations come into play, ministerial position must be assigned to who fits best after the candidates are accepted to qualify for cabinet positions. From thereon, it should be based on merits.
The singular exception is, of course, the PM himself. But then again, who is to say that UMNO truly has the freedom to choose their leader? Given the current political reality, the first step in bringing back meritocracy into the cabinet is to free up the talent in UMNO by relaxing the rules of competition.
UMNO is in no position to talk about democracy when its rules are lopsided against challengers to incumbents. To begin with, what is so wrong for a single division to nominate someone for Presidency? If it is merely a mosquito bite, the incumbent shouldn’t need to worry about it. Such measure is only put in place because the incumbent feels insecure. One can immediately draw an adverse inference on the true support that the incumbent is receiving.
Oknyua,
It is true when you see and listen to Obama speak you somehow do not see his color. But when you see and listen to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton speak you cannot but see color!
It is also true what you say about the age of innocence.
DEar Hj Angus.
Similarly , there is no stopping on ( as an example) Mr Lim Kit Siang to be the Chief Minister Of Penang. Simply because DAP failed( again and again) to wrest Penang from BN does not mean that the chance is not there.
It simply means that majority does not want him as the Chief Minister.
We can dream but it will never happen. The opposition will be unable to win against BN in the next GE, at best we can try to deny them the 2 thirds majority so that they cannot change the constitution as they like. If by a miracle the oppositon wins, there will be a military coup like our northern neighbour.
If UMNO had a voice here it would be
” We are Malaysian and we do it the Malaysian WAy ! and dont you interfered into our ….bla bla bla affair ”
Anyone knows who created the “Malaysia, truly Asia” ? which actually made michelle in the adv. looked like “beauty and the beast”
We are a long way to the “American’s Way but hopefully this is our first step.. Vote without fear, malaysian
if there is anyone in malaysia like obama, that would be Lim. Just wrong timing as malaysia still have majority with brains like Shamshul who could only see win or lose but not right or wrong.
Shamshul Anuar is referring to what we refer to as the “tyranny of the majority over the minority”.
Democracy does not need to be this “tyranny of the majority over the minority”. Does it??
Barack Obama is leading in the polls in New Hampshire! Some seven percentage points above Hilary Clinton! Supporters had to be turned away for lack of room where he was speaking. Not so with Hilary where she was speaking. New Hampshire is a white state, very conservative.
Having lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, personally I feel the United States is not yet ready for a black President – but I could be wrong!
Dear Malaysians,
This article about Barack Obama’s win in the IOWA Caucus election was remarkable. But we need to realize that America has come a long to experience Obama’s success.
Uncle Lim said:
“We are not talking about a Malaysian Indian becoming Prime Minister. If Obama can emerge as the first black American hopeful to be elected President although blacks only constitute 12.9 per cent of the population, there is no reason why Malaysian Indians cannot ask why their sole Indian Cabinet Minister is stuck in the portfolio of Works or Energy for close to three decades and why other heavyweight Ministries like Education, Finance, Internal Security or Defence should not be available as well!”
I disagree with this limiting thought. Why can’t an Indian become the Prime Minister of Malaysia? Just because the past Indian leaders had no visions and worked for their personal interest, it doesn’t mean that future Indians don’t have aspirations or talent to run a country. If Pak Lah can run the country, I’m sure there are many Indians who are more capable than him to run the country. Uncle Lim, I’m also extending this option to people of all races to have this vision.
Here is a little history on the rise of African Anerican into the lime light of America. I shared this with others on another issue but find it worth while to re-produce it here.
You may or may not recall the story of Rosa Parks, an African American woman, in December 1st 1955, in Montgomerry, Alabama, did something she was not supposed to do : she sat down at the front of a bus in one of the seats reserved for whites — a dangerous, daring, and provocative act in a racist society. 8 years after the Rosa Parks event, Martin Luther King Jr made the “I have a Dream Speech†when he addressed a crowd more than 200,000 civil rights protesters gethered at The Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. A year after the march on Washington, the Congress of the United States of America established the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act banned racial discrimination in public places, in public education and enforced the constitutional right to vote. It is the year 2007, after 52 years from the Rosa Parks provocative act, after 43 years of the Washington march, many things have changed in the United States of America and it’s also amazing to see an African American, Barack Obama running for the presidency of the United States of America.
Rise to the occasion. UMNO is not the only party that can rule Malaysia. Other parties can also rule and run the country. It’s about time the Malays begin to fight for the things other races are fighting right now. With the downfall of Samy Vellu, I’m hoping that the next MIC president will threaten to pull out from BN and join the opposition. Until then, the ruling party will rule and will ridicule everyone else. The level of professionalism offered by our UMNO, MIC, MCA, GERAKAN leaders are very very low. They have become lazy like the UMNO leaders. It’s about time we think and reflect the discontentment felt by Lee Kuan Yew that resulted in Singapre being expelled from Malaysia. I’m sure Lee Kuan Yew was glad that they were thrown away from Malaysia. If Indians and other minorities are being marginalized, can we fight for a new state?
Many options are on the table. UMNO, MIC,MCA & GERAKAN leaders better be awake or your darker days are ahead.
God bless malaysia.
Dear Undergrad2,
Hi there. From CNN: Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois are tied, with each grabbing the support of 33 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the Granite State, according to a new CNN/WMUR New Hampshire presidential primary poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire.
I’m wondering where you the information that Obama is leading by 7 percentage points. I’m not ridiculing your statement, I just happen to follow the presidential election closely and truly impressed with Obama’s leadership that resonates the qualities of Martin Luther King Jr.
Please let me know where you got the statistics from.
Thanks and take care.
Undergrad2, I noticed that you are a very strong supporter of Obama and seems to be his cheerleader here.
I, on the other hand, prefer to vote for Clinton or Guiliani.
It is not the color. He is not the first Black to run for president.
I look at how Bush’s inexperience has put the US in deep trouble with trillions wasted by the time Iraq war is over. Because of him, the US cannot criticise others anymore about human rights. See how Najib told him to mind his own business when the US criticised the police’s handling of the Hindraf protest. China always has a rebuttal for them when the US criticised China for human rights violations.
When asked about Bhutto, Obama was attacking Clinton instead of saying whether the US would support a dictator in power. After the first few debates, he was criticised as being too naive when it comes to world politics.
Huckabee is even worst. When asked about Bhutto, he was criticising the Pakistani illegal immigrants instead because he has no idea what to say about Pakistan and the US role.
I support Clinton because she is the only one who actually tried to set up a US universal health care plan for her husband only to be stopped by Newt Gingrich and the Republicans with their nonsensical Contract with America slogan.
Don’t remember which polls – there are many. But I was wrong on the seven percent lead. It is actually in the double digits! Barack is leading Hilary by double digits in the state of NH.
The CNN report you quoted appears overtaken by more recent reports.
FOX News as @ 2.30pm 1/6/2008
try http://rasmussenreports.com/
“The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New Hampshire shows Barack Obama earning 39% of the vote while Hillary Clinton attracts 27%. The survey was conducted on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. All interviews were conducted after the Iowa caucuses and before last night’s debate.
Rasmussen Reports will continue to poll in New Hampshire each day until the Primary and report results on a two-day rolling average basis…”
Clinton’s staffers report Hilary as being “shaken”.
It is common knowledge in the US that Silicon Valley was built on the backs of IC’s, i.e. Indians and Chinese and not just integrated circuits. Indians and Chinese make up as much as 50% of the engineers working in Silicon Valley. Bodohland, don’t marginalize the Indian and Chinese segments of your population. They are very smart and talented and have a lot to offer.
Ask any savvy businessman what is his most valuable asset in his business and 99.9999% of them will tell you that it is his employees; not his office equipment, factories, plants, vehicles, etc. The same is true of a country. It is just plain stupidity when you don’t tap into the talent of at least 40% of your population.
Old Geezer,
Hilary is old school and represents the status quo. Americans want ‘change’. A lot have turned Independents and many among them vote for Obama because he best represents ‘change’.
Minutes ago Hilary went on record to say that she, unlike Obama who talks about ‘change’, represents ‘change’ for the last 35 years. Everybody just fell of their chairs!
I don’t trust Hilary. She who would change her position so often that the joke around Washington DC was that no man could keep up with her positions.
“…Simply because DAP failed( again and again) to wrest Penang from BN does not mean that the chance is not there. It simply means that majority does not want him as the Chief Minister.†Shamshul anuar
—————————————
It is not the majority in Penang does not want YB Lim Kit Siang as the Chief Minister rather it is the unfair election system and BN corruption that deny the choice of the majority. Just to name a few of the unfair election system and corrupt practices:
1) Vast discrepancies in the number of voters between urban and rural constituencies.
2) BN control all the mainstream media.
3) Disbursement of government fund to bribe voters under the guise of development during election time.
4) Threat to cut off federal funding.
5) Threat of another May 13.
What is truly a crime about Obama’s candidacy is our defeatist attitude that it is not relevant to Malaysia. Oh… Its different in US.
The truth is its not. We are a multi-racial country as the US is. The forces that will determine our prosperity is NOT that different than that of the US. Our social problems are also not that different be it in poverty, drugs, education.
We are different in that, while we lack the size, we are also endowed with rich resources, high savings, few economic legacy problems, a very productive minority community. Everything else is just labels – race, religion – they are just labels.
There is absolutely no reason why we cannot grow faster than Singapore and losing to the likes of Philippine and hardly beating the likes of Thailand and Indonesia. The main difference is race and corruption. Get at least one of that right (one can argue race is the easier one) and we are on our way to developed status by 2020. Not and there will be all sort of justification, contention and spin once that date comes near (and its not that far away), dividing us further and further..
Following Bigjoe’s argument: US is a country where a birth is accompanied by choices. It is a choice of possibilities. It is a privilege.
In Malaysia, a birth itself is already accompanied by division. No, I don’t think it really favours the Malays. In fact theirs is a pitiful state because over the long run, the Malays are at a clear disadvantage. The best example is the NEP and with its existence, just a little effort from them is enough to get them through – is that situation going to last? Already the majority of unemployed graduates are the Malays. We read the graduates are applying for a job as taxi drivers! This happens in Myanmar. Are we proud we are moving in that direction?
Recent slogan is the “glocal” Malays. I don’t know what that term means; I interpret it as an urging for Malays to have global outlook. Fine, I don’t disagree. But look at the protection and unnecessary privileges they receive; I just don’t think the policy encourage glocal Malays.
I am writing this not out of malice, just the truth. The non-Malays see the world a flat playing field, being able to survive and feel accepted in US, Australia, UK etc. Our fellow commentator, undergrad2, for example; his children could be the next mayor of New York. The reason is simple: the non-Malays feel that opportunities are available to anyone. If Obama becomes the next US president, who knows the one after him could be the son of an Indian migrant from – of course – India. Could a Malaysian of Indian descent ever be the PM of Malaysia?
No, of course not, because from birth, a Malaysian’s faith is already decided by skin colour. Many non-Malays are concerned, not envious. I am not envious certainly. But I am concern about the opportunities lost, concerned that we could be better, concerned that we are slowly falling behind. All because of a flat playing field in denied.
Wow! Dejavu. It’s like Obama is singing to Malaysian Indians to spur them on in Election 2008! :-)
Barack OBollywood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA-451XMsuY
I read a little bit about Obama. While you can use him to hint about the possible dream for the Malaysian Indians, I ask you to be careful. He was educated as a muslim, with a middle name Hussein. His biological father was a muslim from Kenya. His step father was an Indonesia, also a muslim. He attended muslim school in Jakarta. He still speaks Indonesian (or Malay). I don’t know what is his religion now, but perhaps still tied to Islam?
So this should be a possible dream for the Malays. So this is not a good example for Indians.
YB Kit devoted an entire thread to Barack Obama:
“Yesterday, political history was made at the other side of the world when a black American, Barack Obama, created an upset and won the Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucus, demonstrating that white Americans are prepared to elect a black president.” YB Kit
So do not insult YB Kit.
The above is meant for limkamfart who shows no respect for the blog and for the blogger.