Dear all,

Another comment I posted at Tun blog.

Dear PM Tun Dr Mahathir,

Please allow me to cut and paste Tun’s book Malay Dilemma new preface:

I HAVE BEEN ASKED many times by friends and ‘foes’ that I revisit The Malay Dilemma. All seem convinced that things are different now and I should change my mind on some of the things I wrote. Accordingly, I reread the book and I must admit that the people who asked me to revisit are quite right. Things have changed, and in certain cases what I postulated when writing in 1971 are no longer valid today.

I had thought that hereditary factors, which I believed contributed to the poor performance of the Malays, would be difficult to overcome. However, the rapid urbanization of the Malays has changed their life-style so that they no longer in-breed or insist that the mentally or physically unfit be married and reproduce. Hereditary factors have now become less relevant.

I had blamed poor education and poor health. But today’s Malays are better educated and more healthy. They should really be doing better. Indeed they are doing much better. We see more Malays with PhDs and as professionals. Some of the most highly regarded physicians and surgeons are Malays as are architects, engineers and scientists. Education and health are no longer negatively affecting the Malays.

However, a new phenomenon has emerged. Sixty to seventy per cent of university students are girls. We do not know where the boys have gone to. Already we are seeing social problems as the higher qualified (and richer) women find difficulty in finding suitable spouses. Late marriages are now more common and may have some deleterious effects on the offspring.

I had been very critical of Chinese business practices, which seem to keep the Malays out. At the time of writing the book, the Chinese had not yet taken to the public limited companies. Their businesses were almost all family owned. But today most of the big Chinese businesses are listed on the stock exchange. Although the Ali Baba arrangement is still found, qualified Malays are now employed by largely Chinese-owned companies and the Sino-Malay partnerships are more real. The result is that we find more Malay and Sarawak/Sabah executives and entrepreneurs in the business world. I need to rethink about Chinese business practices and their effect on the Malays.

As I said earlier, hereditary factors no longer hamper the development of the Malays. But what has become more evident and more influential is the role of culture and value system.

I cannot deal with this subject in this second introduction. It is too big a subject and requires very careful analysis of cause and effect if it is not going to be rejected and condemned. But there can be no doubt that the biggest single factor which has prevented the achievement of the New Economic Policy’s objectives to reduce the disparities between the Malays and the other races is the system of values of the Malays and their actual practices.

I hope to be able to revise The Malay Dilemma at some stage in the future. My analysis and views were based on observations in the 60s. Since then the country has made great strides. Although the Malays have not been able to keep up, there can be no doubt that they have made noticeable progress. I need to identify the reasons why they have not benefited as much as they should from the New Economic Policy and the measures taken by the governments of Malaysia. And perhaps I may be able to suggest remedies.

TUN DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD

July 2008

Quote, “As I said earlier, hereditary factors no longer hamper the development of the Malays. But what has become more evident and more influential is the role of culture and value system. Unquote”

Below are some of the working culture and shared values system that make Petronas success story well beyond Malaysia's shores but one with global footprints

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/2019/10/23/work-culture-behind-petronas039-success-story

Petronas is a success story well beyond Malaysia's shores but one with global footprints.
Wan Zulkiflee said in addressing the good working culture questions, Petronas has highlighted six cultural beliefs that would be the integral part of the company’s good working culture vision, starting with the emphasis on results followed by focus execution.

"The third is owns it (a sense of belonging). If everybody behaves like this is their father’s company, everything will be fine,” he said.

He said the other beliefs are nurturing trust, giving feedback and sharing success which is working as a team and avoiding working in silo.

Wan Zulkiflee said the company also put great emphasis on talent development and spent around RM400 million annually on it.

Apart from the good work culture, he said Petronas is also being defined by the shared values incorporated by its previous president and chief executive officer, the late Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin who held the position from 1988 to 1995 -- loyalty, professionalism and integrity.

Thank you

Yours truly,

SS LEE

P/S: I agreed with Mubarakchan some Malaysians Chinese are actually like rioters in Hong Kong, a Banana; “yellow on the outside, white on the inside” and yes you need only to learn 1000 Chinese characters in Chinese Primary Vernacular School in order to pick up the Chinese culture and values system. Below is my personal experience with my SJK(C) Keat Hwa (H) in Alor Setar

http://chedet.cc/?p=2387#comment-136954
And yes many Malaysian Chinese got cheated by Mainland Chinese, so are many Mainland Chinese got cheated by Malaysians Chinese especially from Penang Chinese.

The question is how to preserve and practice the good culture and moral values?

As Chinese Malaysian, I was brought up with the influence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

From Confucianism, (Ruler has ruler responsibility, subject has subject responsibility, father has father responsibility, and son has son responsibility.) I learn to take on responsibility, integrity, honor and respect for the elder.

From Buddhism, (Things are in flux never still. It’s begins from emptiness, will end in emptiness and reemerge from emptiness. Life is cycles of birth and death until Enlightenment and Nirvana.) I learn to be kind, be humble, selflessness, compassion, empathy, sharing and let other take over when my time in this earthly world expired.

From Taoism, (Heaven and Earth are one. Nature and Man are one.) I learn to live with nature, at peace and at ease with myself and others by accepting everyone.

There are strength in diversity, let’s us work together and harvest the best of every ethnicity to build a truly progressive and just society where the prosperity of the nation can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner.

And let’s us truly embrace and celebrate our diversity where different ethnicity, religions and cultures live in peace and harmony with mutual understanding, respect and acceptance.

Happy Deepavali

May the festival of lights illuminate your life with peace, prosperity, good health and happiness.