Malaysian First

I am Malaysian first. I am Malay, Chinese, Indian, etc second.

If I am Malay first, then I will mete out justice not based on universal principles but based on racism.

If I am Malay first, then I'll worship Allah not as a Muslim who recognises universal justice but as a Malay chauvinist.

Being Malaysian means striking an equitable balance between the special position of bumiputeras and legitimate interests of different groups. If being Malaysian comes second and being Malay comes first, this equitable balance would be unattainable, because priority is not given to the importance of being equitable.

The issue is not the special position of the Malays that are supposedly under threat. The special provisions for Malays and other bumiputera are enshrined in the constitution and, hence, cannot be challenged; not without dire consequences to the nation's well-being.

The issue remains the equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities. This requires transparent processes that allocate scarce resources and opportunities based on needs and merit.

If all politicians focused on assisting Malaysians who draw from the bottom 40% of household incomes, then the imperative of being equitable would be addressed simply because bumiputeras make up roughly 78% of these Malaysians (the rest are non-bumis) (see National Economic Advisory Council report, "New Economic Model for Malaysia (Part 1)".

So, everyone should stop churning racial sentiments and get back to work. This goes double for politicians who appear dead set on jeopardising interracial racial harmony and cohesiveness.

We elected you politicians to office not for you to aggrandise yourselves. You are there to serve the rakyat. So, serve!

-------------------------

Addendum: In the end, we cannot be other than who we are. I'm born a Muslim. My father is part Chinese, my mother is Chinese.

I was brought up as a Malay because Muslims in Malaysia have been mostly Malay.

When coming together as a nation, we need to overcome our differences for the common good. If this means putting aside my interest (not my identity) as a Malay or a Muslim for the common good, then I would be well justified.

I would not be less Malay or less Muslim if it is for the common good. In fact, it is because of my grounding in the universal teachings of Islam and my upbringing as a Malay that I can forge ahead for the common good with the confidence that what I'm doing is in line with the teachings of Islam and my values as a Malay.

When the Holy Prophet Muhammad forged the historic Hudaybiya Treaty, the Quraish negotiator haughtily told the Prophet to remove Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim from the preamble of the Hudaybiyah Treaty because the Quraish do not recognise those "two gods". The Prophet did so graciously.

Consider the fact that the Prophet has been commanded to spread the teaching that God(Allah) is Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious) Ar-Rahim (Most Merciful). For the sake of the common good, he removed Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim from the preamble of the Hudaybiyah Treaty.

It didn't make the Holy Prophet less of a Muslim.

Also, new converts to Islam in Makkah were forbidden to migrate to Medinah, whereas those who renounced Islam were allowed to return to Makkah. The Prophet agreed, despite the fact that those who converted to Islam would have suffered at the hands of the Quraish if they remained in Makkah.

And there were other seemingly unfair provisions (unfair to the Muslims) in the Hudaybiyah Treaty.

In the end, the Hudaybiyah Treaty lead to the peaceful capture of Makkah - peaceful because not a single drop of blood was spilled in the process.

My upbringing as a Malay also tells me that I need to respect my elders. Does it matter that they happen to be Chinese or Indians, or non-Muslims? What matters is that they are human beings. What matters is that they are fellow Malaysians.

My upbringing as a Malay also tells me that I need to concern myself with those who suffer from poverty and disease. Does it matter that they happen to be non-Malays and non-Muslims? What matters is that they are human beings and they are Malaysians.

Hence, I give equally to Muslim charities and non-Muslim charities, because my money would find its way to those in poverty and the downtrodden.

Somehow, with the increased racial tension, many appear to have lost focus on overcoming differences for the common good. The overcoming of differences for the common good has been the formula used by Malaysia's founding fathers. We depart from it at our peril.

Ford's Popularity Going Up, Says Sime Darby

With a high total cost of ownership, one can't help but feel rather surprised by Sime Darby Motor Division's claim that the Ford's popularity is going up in Malaysia. Perhaps when you have an increase in sales, no matter how meagre, such a claim may be justified, if only barely.

Having owned a Ford Focus S2.0 for slightly over 3 years, I can attest to the fact that the car is really expensive to repair or maintain. While it doesn't need repairs very often, when the occasion warrants it, the bill can easily come up to thousands of ringgit.

Just a few months back, I had to replace a faulty left-front-side brake calipers along with disc and pads. Guess how much I was set back by? A whopping RM3,900!

What the hell? If I wanted to spend that much on repairs or maintenance, I would have bought a BMW or a Mercedes.

So, I really can't see why a lot of people would consider Ford to be "popular".

Why did I buy mine? Well, looking back, I was simply too happy to buy my Ford Focus S2.0, because I'm a Ford Focus enthusiast. Beyond that, I think I would have bought something else if I really considered how much the repair bills would amount to.

Would I still recommend buying a Ford? Well, on the balance, I would, provided you're an enthusiast like me.

You see, the Focus S2.0 is comparable in performance to the BMW 32oi, if not better. It costs less than half the BMW 320i to own.

So, while you may end up paying as much to repair or maintain the Focus S2.0 or some other new Ford for that matter, you're getting performance on the cheap.

For now, I can live with that.

Proton Must Be Quaking in Its Veritable Boots

Yes, the pressure is on for Proton. Well done, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Proton has had around 25 years of market protection and enough is clearly enough.

In order to transform Malaysia from a middle income economy to a high income one, Malaysia needs a new economic model (NEM), in which Malaysians are no longer hobbled by a giant like Proton that really can't compete without domestic market protection.

While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib hasn't mentioned it outright, we all know that the writing is on the wall for Proton, what with the National Economic Advisory Council saying or reaffirming that it is time for the Approved Permit system to be removed.

Yes, Proton jobs are on the line. And while one sympathises with Proton employees, change must come in order for there to be greater prosperity for all.

What is more, Malaysia's automobile industry has already lost out to Thailand by coming in at second with 536,905 car sales last year compared to Thailand's 548,000 car sales. If Malaysia doesn't start liberalising its domestic automobile market further and soon, it would be more than just Proton jobs that would be on the line.

Proton must, therefore, adapt in order to survive the process of change.

Let's hope that when the time comes for there to be concrete action, Datuk Seri Najib would have the political will to carry through with his reforms. The key to this is the rakyat's understanding of what's at stake - the nation's future.

If Malaysia doesn't reform, it'll be left behind, overtaken by other nations more willing to do what it takes to get ahead in the brave new world of the future.