A reply to unwanted Step Child...

Portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) telah mengajak rakyat Malaysia yang bermigrasi ke luar negara untuk menulis 'Mengapa mereka berhijrah?'

Seperti yang dijangka, ruangan khas ini tidak lebih sekadar ruangan untuk melepaskan kemarahan dan meniupkan kebencian. Tidak apa-apa solusi yang diberikan.

Daripada beberapa tulisan para pembaca, saya ingin menjawab rencana yang ditulis oleh Henry T "I am unwanted step-child". Di sini saya muatkan keseluruhan rencananya dan juga jawapan balas saya kepada beliau:

I AM AN UNWANTED STEP-CHILD- HENRY T

MAY 20 — I am a Malaysian Chinese and please notice that I did not mention Chinese Malaysian as I feel that one should be a Malaysian first and a Chinese second. I love Malaysia and as a kid I had wonderful memories growing up in Penang. When I was 19, I went to Singapore for my university education as my Bahasa grade was not good enough to qualify for local university entrance.

(See the contradiction here. At one hand he claimed to be as a Malaysian first. Then he admit his Bahasa is not good enough. So, may I ask you- if you're really a Malaysian first, why your Bahasa is 'not good enough'? So why blame your poor commanding of Bahasa when you can't enter local university? Are you trying to say it is wrong for local university to make it compulsory for student to have a good grasp on Bahasa? Malaysian first apa kalau penguasaan Bahasa Malaysia pun tak bagus.)

I worked in Singapore for 20 over years, married a Singapore girl and in 2000 migrated to New Zealand and have been there for 10 years. Over the years, I truly appreciated my adopted countries of Singapore and New Zealand as they made me quite welcome. I never felt unwanted (which I sometimes do in Malaysia simply because I am Chinese).

I left Malaysia because of the following reasons in order of priority:

1) Better prospects overseas (and this is sometimes race related… no jobs for non-Bumis in the public sector and promotion only for Bumis).

(No jobs for non-Bumis? Hello, check your fact brader. Berapa banyak yang apply kerja kat government? Paling clear cut punya contoh- tu yang kerja polis dan tentera tu, berapa ramai non-Bumis yang mintak? Bila kerajaan kata non-Bumis kurang patriotik sebab tak nak kerja kerajaan, korang kata itu rasis dan korang pun prefer nak kerja kat private sector. Jangan tipulah. Just tengok sendiri kat sektor swasta berapa banyak non-Bumis. Cermin diri sendiri dulu ok?)

2) Racial discrimination (look if I am unwanted I can contribute to other countries that appreciate me... e.g. I work as an educational IT consultant for groups of schools and colleges in Auckland).

(Are you saying that you can't work as an educational IT consultant in Malaysia? Brader Henry, cuba beritahu saya kerja apa dan di bidang apa yang ada polisi oleh kerajaan yang kata non-Bumi tak boleh ceburi? Nak bina masjid pun kontraktor non-Bumis boleh dapat tau. What is racial discrimination you are talking about?)

3) Environment and weather... beautiful environment here in NZ (although certain parts of Malaysia in the old days could be just as nice but alas on my recent trip back some of these places have truly deteriorated due to bad maintenance).

(Now after blaming the government, you want to blame God for making Malaysia as a hot and humid country? So you tell me, how can we fix this thing? Any brilliant solution from NZ? Please share. You might be the first Malaysian to receive Nobel prize winner)

In spite of all these reasons I still sometimes dream of going back to retire in Malaysia... why? I do not really know except that deep inside me I am still a Malaysian boy at heart if only the political and religious situation is more salubrious!

But things are not getting better. In fact it’s getting worst and the way things are developing there can only be one ending... racial chaos and bloodshed with possible military conflict with neighbouring countries and international condemnation of human rights violations. So heck no! I think my family and I are far better off staying put but I fear for my many friends and relatives in Malaysia.

(WTF? Racial chaos and bloodshed with possible military conflict with neighbouring countries? Bila pulaklah ada pergaduhan kaum sampai pertumpahan darah? And since when we are in military conflict with Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand? Sorry brader, your fear is unfounded and baseless.)

So do I miss Malaysia. Yes, it is my country even though I am an unwanted step-child. Do I owe Malaysia anything? Maybe to the people but not the bigoted and corrupt system on both sides of the divide!

So all the best Malaysia. May I be wrong!

(Of course you are wrong!)

ps: anak angkat ke anak kandung ke anak tiri ke- kita tetap satu keluarga. Runtuh binasanya rumah ini- kita merana bersama. Dan kepada Henry T yang merasakan dirinya sebagai anak angkat, please bear in mind. This anak angkat once is anak jiran. How grateful this house/family to accept you as anak angkat.