By M. Bakri Musa
It is telling of the state of development for both Indonesia and Malaysia that when their two leaders met recently, the key topic was Indonesian maids. Malaysia wishes to import more while Indonesia wants better working conditions for its workers in Malaysia.
I would have expected the two to discuss such consequential issues as jointly developing the region as a tourism destination to rival the Caribbean, harnessing the power of satellite and wireless communication to leapfrog the development of both countries, or perhaps conducting joint maritime research for both ecological and economic purposes. Alas, none of that!
It is reflective of the abysmal state of human development in Indonesia that maids are its major “export.” Likewise, it reflects the perverted status symbol of Malaysians that they consider having a maid as a necessity for a “luxurious” lifestyle.
It is beyond me why Malaysians think that way. Australians have a per capita income considerably higher, yet I do not see them having a “maid crisis;” likewise the Japanese. Even in America where it is now the norm for both parents to be working, very few homes have live-in maids; most do with only daytime helpers. Granted, there are many childcare centers to take up the slack.
In America, those maids (nannies) get social security benefits (America’s Employee Provident Fund – EPF) as well as workmen’s compensation insurance (for work-related injuries). They are also governed by prevailing labor laws. As can be seen, slavery is long gone in America.
While conditions for maids in Malaysia are far superior to the old American slaves, nonetheless the family-servant dynamics in Malaysia is closer to the owner-slave mentality of the Old South than to a modern employer-employee relationship.
I am surprised at the high level of engagement in this maid issue. If only a similar commitment were made in luring foreign academics and skilled workers, imagine the good it would do to Malaysia!
If Malaysia were to continue importing maids, then I would suggest imposing strict standards and paying them attractive salaries. We can begin by calling them “nannies” instead of the degrading “servants.”
The minimum monthly salary should be RM800.00, with overtime rate twice that on a prorated per hour basis. Additionally, the employer would contribute towards the nanny’s EPF. Those funds would become vested (meaning, the nannies could claim the benefits) only if they were to serve cumulatively for at least 40 quarters (equivalent of ten years), though not necessarily continuously or even with the same family. This is the rule with America’s Social Security.
As for work hours, they must have at least an eight-hour stretch of undisturbed time in a 24-hour day period, and an additional 24-hour in a seven-day period. Of course they can choose to work during those times, but they would be paid overtime.
The employer would also have to pay 10 percent towards health insurance, and another 20 percent towards a “performance bond.” The pooled money in the bond would pay for any maid caught in a criminal activity. It would also cover the cost of the loss as well as deportation. The bond funds would also benefit the nanny should her employer for some reason is unable to pay her salary, as with the employer declaring bankruptcy.
Thus it would cost at least RM1,200 per month to employ a nanny. Such a remuneration would make not only the Indonesian authorities happy (that is always a good neighborly gesture) but also those nannies. Heck, at that rate we may even interest locals to become nannies!
For those who think that such a pay rate is unrealistic, consider that the average expatriate family in Malaysia is already paying considerably more. Of course the services provided to those families are considerably superior than what Ahmad and Ah Chong are getting.
To justify the higher pay, these maids must provide superior services. They must be properly trained to do that. They must take at least a three-month course learning basic hygiene and the rudiments of safe and healthy childcare. This would include basic nutrition, child safety, and child proofing the house, including training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Heimlich maneuver.
All these would cost money and beyond the reach of the potential typical maid from an Indonesian village. However, the government, using funds from the performance bond, could finance these courses. They would be free if the attendee were to work in Malaysia for at least three years, enough time to recoup the costs of training. Such a scheme would benefit not only potential employers but also these young women. When they return to their villages they could then take better care of their own children or grandchildren.
Of course the government could ease the need for these foreign maids (and thus save on the associated social and other costs) by encouraging the setting up of childcare centers through various incentives.
More Fruitful Avenues for Cooperation
Despite the space devoted, it is not my purpose to write on how to get better maids. Instead my focus is on exploring areas of potentially fruitful cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia. In my book Towards A Competitive Malaysia, I proposed greater economic cooperation leading to integration a la the European Union between Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia (a political IBM!).
While all three are still essentially developing and thus would be competing in the same arenas, nonetheless there are sufficient differentiating factors between them that would make cooperating more beneficial than competing. The potential areas for cooperation include energy (oil and gas), plantations, tourism, wireless technology, and natural products development.
All three are oil and gas producers. Individually they are no match to the slick “seven sisters” oil companies, but collectively IBM could be a powerful countervailing force. While Pertamina and Brunei National Petroleum are still babes in the wood, Petronas has acquired significant international expertise.
With plantations, Indonesia has plenty of land in Sumatra and Kalimantan as well as labor, while Malaysia has the sophisticated experience. Brunei of course has the financial capital; at least what is left after its profligate sultan has his bite.
As for tourism, the area could rival the Caribbean as a tropical paradise for rich cold-climate dwellers. It is just as arduous to fly from Frankfurt to Cancun or St. Bart as it is to Bali or Langkawi. As in the Caribbean, I envisage four or five major cruise companies serving the area.
The Malay Archipelago with its endless islands is an ideal place to test the limits of and potential for satellite and wireless technology. Imagine if we were open up the whole area to global competition and let the likes of Nokia, ATT, Nippon Tel and Siemens compete. Once we have reliable real-time communication from Sulawesi to Seremban, and from Lubbock to Langkawi, then watch as trade and other economic activities flourish.
Likewise, imagine if we were to open up the region’s airspace to all comers, domestic and foreign. Who cares if the companies are foreign; all we are interested is affordable, reliable and efficient service. Those who can will stay and survive; those cannot, will leave.
As for natural products, both Indonesia and Malaysia still have vast tracts of ancient jungles that have yet to be explored. What is lacking is the expertise to exploit this invaluable resource and the political enlightenment to treat it wisely.
These are only some of the potential areas for cooperation. The issue of maids pales in comparison.
Indonesia’s Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono holds a PhD in economics, while Najib Razak is generously described as a “British-trained economist.” This makes it all the more incomprehensible why they would be involved in dealing with such trivia as the maid issue.
Very soon, Indon maids, like Filipino maids, will receive gross financial rewards (pay + food + accommodation + EPF + ticket home) equivalent 2 or higher than those of our local unemployable graduates, who receive maybe abt RM500 per month of sympathy allowance
UmnoB/BN gomen must retrain our local unemployable graduates as maids/butlers 2 replace Indon n Filipino maids
Time too 4 M’sia 2 export maids/butlers with Bachelor degrees 2 other wealthy nations 2 earn foreign currencies, hurray!
The writer talks a lot about the maids and yet his intention is only to point out that the two countries should concern themselves with more important issues mentioned in the later part of his long winded article. I do not blame him for he is out of touch being in America all this while.
Maid issue is equally important to us Malaysians. Due to the high cost of living it is not uncommon for both parents having to work in order to make ends meet. Also women many of whom are professionals can contribute to society (Not just household income) if they can employ maids to take care of the household. He used the word ‘nanny’. A nanny is a person specially to take care of someone else’s child or children. We do not need just a nanny neither can we afford a nanny. We need a maid! And we need quality maids in order that our young Malaysian mothers can have a peace of mind to go out and work and return home to find that the house is properly cleaned and her children well looked after. The writer talks as if we want maid because it is a status symbol! Please get off your high horse!
If Malaysians can afford to have maids…why is Bakri Musa comparing our lifestyles with Australians?
Why can’t Bakri understands more than half 200 Indonesians families are having better conditions and longer lives for the sick..because of their daughters finding work in Malaysia a maids.
Thousand prefer to work in Malaysia..inspite of much higher wages elsewhere and why so?
They feel totally at home in Malaysia with food and like living next door……that flying home…cheap and fast.
Of all the people…Bakri with his wealth of knowledge should not compare beer drinkers with rice eaters.
So if the Indonesian govt. prefers to talk about maids as main subject….that shows they care for their people ..living conditions..more than anything else.
Have you ever hear UMNO B cares for those migrated and why?
They love it.
The more the better so that they can have the whole country for themselves.
Why talked only about the import of maid ,though it’s needy but isn’t the illegal(indons) in Sabah/Sarawak is more important issue than the maid business. I think we have more than enough maid (illegals) especially in Sabah.Why not cooperate with the Indo’s government to register them in their consul’s office and M’sia can then stamp their registration cards of approval in the country. Currently most of these girls/women work silently as maid and many work in coffee shops,restaurant and sundry shops as illegals and are being exploited by most employers .
One cannot be exploited or bullied…if one is well trained and advised by the Maid Agent.
Problem is most Agents only cares to bring in maids that they are being exploited by the Agents first.
Our Malaysian government is to be blamed…unable to apply strict laws to Agents.
Indonesian Embassy have acted fast…to make sure…no corruptions in renewing passports at their said Embassy..for past few years.
Right on, lkt-56 in #2.
Frankly I don’t know what Bakri is trying to say.
He seems to not know much about this maid industry here or the racket and corruption involving complicity of bureaucrats, agents, recruiters relating to it that affect their remuneration/position.
Nowadays….rapes and exploiting female workers in companies are being controlled by govt….because most victims are Malaysian Muslims.
Why can’t the same fast effective and productive formula be applied to coffee and sundry shops…restaurants…etc?
Who is at fault?
You see…not all Indonesian maids are Muslims. Some are Christians and Buddhists….and above all…not important…as not Malaysian voters.
Always remember….UMNO B actions are mainly to attract voters to support them.
The issue of maids is one of disgrace which both countries would do well to suppress. Agents in both countries make so much money out of this form of human trafficking. The immigration authorities in these countries also have a stake in the issuance of permits and visas.
Then you have this bunch of goons (abetted by those in power, no doubt) who wait at airports for unsuspecting maids to arrive home with their million rupiah savings, only to be conned or forcibly taken from them.
D TBH n Sodomy 2 trials r getting fr bad 2 worse, really blood boiling
So obvious our AG, AG Chambers, n courts r unscrupulous, biased, manipulative
No wonder few foreign companies dare 2 come here 2 invest
In case of lawsuits against UmnoB/BN kakis, where got justice n mesti kena kuat kuat
Maid Agents are cheating maids by the millions.
Maids are mostly not educated and depend on the truthful Agents to treat them well.
Problem is most who employ maids do not care to treat maids like one of their family members…from day one. Most treat maids like slaves and not allow them to eat together. Sometimes…maids eat only packet mee and meehoon…with nothing more than egg and some vege.
Yes..maids may want to eat that way too…as they are so poor and have been used to that.
Employees should train them to eat meat and have strength and health.
Many who exploited maids have been punished.
Maids that are crazy and attack the employers..are jailed….with no blame onto to the Maid Agents.
It is the Maid Agent…that simply bring in maids with no training or not qualified.
Agents from Indonesia and Malaysia must be interviewed like getting a degree.to be qualified as Agents…especially on the so call Maids trainers..and not how systematic or business like they are viewing from the front side.
Bakri should learn more on a subject he knows nothing about.
And naturally all root cause points to our CORRUPTED govt.
hhhmmm….Mel_a_yu…cintanegara…chengho….and boa-liao..5 pro UMNO B buggers here.
///It is reflective of the abysmal state of human development in Indonesia that maids are its major “export.” Likewise, it reflects the perverted status symbol of Malaysians that they consider having a maid as a necessity for a “luxurious” lifestyle/// – Bakri Musa.
Hello, in not too many years from now we may, due to our deteriorating state of human development – and economy – be the net exporter of Malaysian maids and mates to Indonesia to serve their “perverted status symbol” instead.
That’s why Najib must see Indonesia’s Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to personally address issues like rest day, control of passports, wages and fees imposed by maid agencies for Indonesian maids and sign a bilateral MOU to provide at least minimum protection for Indonesian maids.
If we don’t do that, the next time around – a couple years down the road when Idris Jala’s prophecy proves self-fulfilling, we will expect the Indonesians to give our maids the same fair treatment that we earlier gave their maids.
That is foresight on PM Najib’s part.
You should not be dismissive of and describe as “distracting” the Bilateral Issue of Maids – it cuts both ways, what is sauce for goose is sauce for gander – it is strategic issue, with the future in mind!
In West malaysia you guys hired foreign maids through approved agencies but in Sabah most are being employed illegally as these illegals are not control or registered under any labour agency. Most of these maids indos or philipinas normally come and go at will through the back door with the aid of corrupted government authority such as marine dept.immigration and the labour dept. Over here you can employ an illegal for 250-300 ringgit/month but no guranantte of any reliability. Most domestic employers have to take such rish. However you guys should have heard certain maids being dishonest,becoming thief,kidnappers etc and because they were illegals,most victims just remained silent. Like I said before.illegals are everywhere in Sabah,they will take any offer of job at your mercy and you can find very offen many of these guys at work sites been pursued by mobile police who demanded cash ranging from 20 to 50 ringgit each,faiing which they will be dragged to the nearest police station and detent and later send to several detention camps throughout Sabah. Here again it showed how corrupted are some of our police personnels. The weird thing is MCA,PBS,Upko and Umno or BN all very well have known about all these illegals and illegal activities but all just shut their eyes and mouths. Hopefully DAP or PR would expose them and bring them to face justice.
One day, when a maid, about to get married d following day, was found dead at d bottom of a tall building
N a year later, a suicide note surfaced
Would U accept dat it was a suicide act, case closed?
By 2019, the Malaysian government would be asking the Indonesian government to fix a minimum wage for Malaysian maids working in Indonesia – the wind would blow the other direction when the country is bankrupt and employment opportunities are rare.
Rakyat shld see d on-going 2010 National Day Parade of Majulah Singapura
D dances exulted all immigrants of Sg n their cultures
(NOT as decendants of beggars, prostitutes, n thieves)
D dances depicted 1 united people of Sg, d real 1Singapore
Ppl living in southern Johor can enjoy d NDP n learn something positive fr Sg
So learn from S’pore how to be united under UMNO B?
Who cares about S’pore?
We are Malaysians and Malaysia is wellknown throughout the world as most corrupted country.
Lets talk CORRUPTIONS and how to get rid of it…boh-liao…and do not beat around the bush with your nonsensical comments.
Do you agree UMNO B is very corrupted?
If so..give us your finest idea how to get rid of that…and don’t start with the sh…it…whole world is corrupted.
We are talking about hundreds of billions stolen and using some to buy votes and the country…not peanuts stolen.
Go ahead…all are waiting your finest ideas.
I would like to make limkaput my ‘maid’ and pay him $2 an hour.
…and feed him meat to have strength and health **giggle**
Now racist MMK openly took a skeleton out fr his cupboard
MMK wants 2 b Prince Hamlet: “2 b or not 2 b a racist”
Y asked dis Q when he is d greatest of them all
He concluded: “Hypocrisy is very much alive in Malaysian politics”
Again, so obvious mah, leadership by example
Others like AG Chambers, MACC, polis, court kakis follow MMK’s cheating n corrupt practices
Damned d nation, as long as UmnoB Malays r in power n d driving seats
Bankrupt, so what?
Eventually, unemployable graduates become maids, so waht?
“Likewise, it reflects the perverted status symbol of Malaysians that they consider having a maid as a necessity for a “luxurious” lifestyle.”
What a stupid statement. Having a maid as a necessity for a luxurious lifestyle? M Bakri Musa is still living in the 1960s or what?
Discovered— TBH’s “suicide” note
Coming soon— Kugan’s, Altantuy’s, Amirul’s “suicide” notes
Altantu shot herself in the head, lay down, covered herself with c4 explosives and then detonated them. Then she sat up and wrote her suicide note……and after that destroyed the immigration records of her entering Malaysia
and then she asked k1980 to write this in LKS blog #24 and then she revealed that she and k1980 are actually the one and the same person.
Melayu tipu: If maid is a necessity such as rice, then for sure many wealthier countries(Australia, NZ…) will “import” maids too. With their minimum wage and working condition, I daresay overnight your maid will jump boat. Talk nonsenselah you.
#26 So, if maids are not a necessity, since there are so many working mothers (even factory workers in Malaysia have maids) then there would be no problem in the first place. No need to discuus their wages etc.
Lets not call them maids, lets not call them nannies, there is already a bahasa term.. ‘pembantu rumah’. .. helpers.
For as long as they are with the families that employ them, they are part of the family. They are not to be treated like slaves like some Malaysians treat them. Only those who were slaves or peasants previously would treat helpers as their “coolies”
It is often said that those who have felt the yoke of slavery would never wish others to feel the same.
I take a very dim view regarding both your comment and the kind of people who would make such a comment.
If Mr Bakri is in 1960s, then Melayu is surely slumbering in 16th century, the time Melaka ruled by Portugis not by Rustam-promoter of child marriage.
Mel_a_yu have a bad bad reputation.
Do not trust what he writes…even though..they may sound agreeing with us.
This is a sly fox out to find suckers.
Come to CORRUPTIONS..he runs away..no comments.
Gun him down…like PoliticoKat….that sounds like “Politikus”…that sexy lawyer blogger…no more blogging.
#28 “It is often said that those who have felt the yoke of slavery would never wish others to feel the same.”
Really politicoCat? Well, there is a group of people who’s ancestors had been “holocausted” by Hitler, who felt the ‘yoke’ of his ‘gas chambering’ and yet without any qualms or sympathy go on a shooting spree at innocent people whom they have robbed their lands from, the victims are not even the decendants of Hitler.
So, I liken them to those who treat maids, especially Indonesians like their fathers’ slaves. And the Malaysian govt and the whole Malaysian public gets punishment from the Indonesia govt, because of a the work of a few maniacs on the loose.
# 31 errata: because of the work of a few maniacs on the loose
in singapore, most of the ‘ang moh’ expat will also hire maids…they don’t do it in their own country because they can’t afford it!
Copied from CheDet .com with comments
///TO BE OR NOT TO BE A RACIST
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on August 9, 2010 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (69) | TrackBacks (0)
1. Recently I had occasion to talk to a group of former state and federal members of the Barisan Nasional.
2. I had extolled on the virtues of the BN coalition type of Government and the achievements under the BN Government at State and Federal levels.
3. Then came question time. Very sensible questions were posed by these ex-YB’s and I managed to answer them reasonably well.
4. Then an ex-MP or State Councillor rose and pointed out that under the Opposition Government he sees more Chinese holding high posts in the Government. The component parties also seem to be working much closer with each other. As an example, PAS women members not only attended the funeral of a Chinese but also helped to fold the paper money usually scattered at Chinese funerals.
5. Why is it that the BN did not give more posts to the Chinese and appoint Chinese Deputy PM and assistants to the state MB’s? Why is Umno less tolerant of Chinese religious ceremonies?
6. I was startled by this criticism of the BN by an ex-member of the State or Federal BN Government. Do I answer truthfully or do I skip and gloss over things in order not to sound racist? But then in asking the question, isn’t the questioner being racist?///–TDM
The question “But then in asking the question, isn’t the questioner being racist?” reflects the thought of the person who asked that question. A racist would turn every question to jive with his mindset. But then, TDM cannot be a racist in the sense that he cares about the prestige and pride of his race since he has disowned his Malayali race of Kerela in India, and he claims that he is Malay with two spoonful of Pakistani blood. (Please refer to ‘Malaysian Maverick’ by Barry Wain). TDM is an opportunist using race as the platform to make his fortune; he should be called racial-opportunist.
///7. After the forum I debated with myself and finally decided that I must give the true reason for the fewer positions given to the Chinese in the BN Governments, and Umno appears to be less accommodating of Chinese religious practices.///– TDM
The debate with himself is how not to tell the truth, or to find a way to explain away the illogical consequence.
///8. The NEP has been on now for almost 40 years, far longer than originally planned. Admittedly the Malays had been at fault because they did not make correct use of the opportunities created for them in the NEP. But whatever the reason, the Malays have not gained for themselves the 30% target in corporate ownership even. But more than that if a proper audit is made their wealth is even less than 30% of total wealth of the people of Malaysia. Most of the wealth of the country belongs to the Chinese. It can also be said that the Chinese control the economy of the country.///
TDM should have the courage to say that NEP is discriminatory and Tun Razak promised that under that scheme non-Malays would only be discriminated for 20 years. Not only has NEP gone on for 40 years now, it has become more discriminatory with time. The 7 percent discount given to Malays on house purchase did not come into practice during Razak and Hussein Onn reign.
The government has not programmed Malays to work for their own benefits but it made Malays beneficiaries of the spoils stolen non-Malays. The government utilized NEP to award government funds to some Malays whom UMNO leaders favoured, in return for promised votes. TDM now claims that Malays have not gained for themselves 30% in corporate ownership. In fact most of what Malays have gained in ownership of shares were ill gotten gains presided by UMNO policies through discriminating against non-Malays. UMNO has full control in implementing the policies and it offers no apologies for its failure. UMNO simply decides to the same failed policies so that UMNO leaders can continue to enrich themselves.
NEP did not envisage the distribution of wealth. It mentioned only that Malays should have 30% participation in commerce and industries, as a memorandum item to indicate how race and economic activities could be delinked. The Economic Planning Unit took as proxy to measure such participation the share of equity capital in limited companies. Now TDM mentions the share of wealth. TDM as PM was confused about the objective of NEP. He did not carry out the proper accounting of Malays ownership of corporate share capital as proxy of such participation in 1990 when NEP was scheduled to end. He simply decreed that NEP objective was not met and the same policies would continue with a change in the name to NDP.
Wealth has never been a target in NEP, and TDM is clearly trying to inject new issues into the old policy. TDM had the discriminating NEP extended for 13 years without even a proper audit on the status of the infamous 30% target. He now encourages PERKASA and interferes with what Najib planned to do with NEM.
All said, what does it matter as to who has the largest share of wealth in the country? Wealth is a personal matter and what Mahathir’s family owns in wealth has nothing to do with Malays who might even be named Mahathir. Are Mahathir’s children with their billion ringgits in assets willing to distribute his wealth to Malays who find it hard to make ends meet? Until Mahathir’s children do that, the collective share of Malays ownership in share capital, or even wealth will have no meaning to the welfare of Malay community.
///9. In the political field the Malays appear to be in control. Most of the high posts i.e. PM, MB etc are held by the Malays. If these posts are held by the Chinese, then not only will the economy be under Chinese control but the political arena would also be under the Chinese. What will be the Malay stake in the country?///– TDM
What is the Malay stake in the country is a question true Malay should ask. It is in the name and pride of true Malays that article 153 was included in the constitution, and NEP intended that Malays be the beneficiary. The fabulous wealth owned by persons classified as Malays through NEP are seldom found in the hands of Malays who were so known as Malays before Merdeka. The owners of such wealth were mainly NEWMalays who conform to the definition of Malays only after Merdeka. Indeed Arabs are Mulsims and are potential Malays if they reside in Malaysia. If Malays can feel proud of Muslims who have non-Malay blood, they should also be proud of the wealth of Arab. Why should they be concerned with 30% share of wealth in Malaysia when Muslims own much more in the world?
Malaysia claims to practise rule of law. For that to be so, the personnel engaged in running the state are expected to do so professionally. The racial origin of the persons in official positions would not matter. TDM’s concern about the race of the personnel shows that he did not practise rule of law.
TDM shows by his statement that he was a Prime Minister who did not even realise his proper role as an elected government and he chose to hijack the democratic process through dividing the people to ensure electoral success in elections. He used racial inequality policies to divide the people, and through the excuse of making Malays rich he created a corrupt regime so that state funds were channelled to persons classified as Malays, and he legalised institutionalised corruption in the process. The Rulers were silenced and TDM ruled the land as absolute monarch.
///10. The NEP is about giving the Malays a fair stake in the economy of the country. Should they get this then they should be ready to relinquish a commensurate amount of control in the political field. Since they have not gained a fair share in the economy, then they should be allowed to retain this greater share in politics. If PAS appears to be more accommodating of Chinese religious practices, it is simply because it wants Chinese votes. Remember at one time PAS condemned Umno for having MCA as a partner. Now PAS is willing to accept DAP as a partner. It is political hypocrisy, not sincere partnership.///– TDM
TDM has not shown Malaysians the proper and relevant accounting of Malays’ ownership share capital in the corporate sector when he extended NEP in 1990. AAB as PM refuted the finding of ASLI (Asian Strategy and leadership Institute) that the 30% target had long be exceeded and he declared in 2006, along with Najib as DPM then, that the EPU would within a month reveal its methodology on the ownership data and would prove ASLI wrong. AAB is no longer PM and Najib is, but EPU after 45 months has not proved ASLI wrong.
///11. I am talking about racial issues simply because my questioner raised racial issues. It is said that the poor showing of the BN in 2008 was because the people of Malaysia were sick of racial parties and racial politics. I doubt it. Since 2008 there have been more talks about race than previously. And my questioner has illustrated this amply. Race is still very clearly an issue in Malaysian politics.///–TDM
Race was created as an issue by TDM in 1969 after May 13. Race is an issue is bad for the country. TDM is happy that the rot started with him stays.
///12. If PAS is extremely supportive of the Chinese today, it is not because the party has become disaffected with race and religion. It is simply because it wants to play up Chinese racial sentiments in order to win Chinese votes.
13. Hypocrisy is very much alive in Malaysian politics. ///– TDM
The greatest hypocrite is the one who disowns his own race to claim to be Malay.
The greatest hyprocrite is the one who disowns his own race to claim “to be somebody he is not” – that would be limkaput.
Why?/ they want RM800, you counter offer a price, Can or Not only mah? If no deal, get maid from elsewhere, simple, why so complicated??
then, he talk about Indo, Brunei Msia joining economically? silly idea!! Brunei with GNP/capita of overUS$30,000 want to join Indo with US$1,900?? Talk rubbish!!
Brunei may be rich for her 320,000 ppl, but, her wealth is nothing when distributed for 250 million ( combined population of 3