In The Ring > A State of Mind for all

My entry on 29th May 2008

AMBIGUITY is a dangerous word.

When given a political face, ambiguity can be a tool of destruction.

A few weeks ago over dinner, as a conversation starter, someone posed the question: “Is Bangsa Malaysia by definition a Malaysian race or a Malaysian Nation?” He quoted the Malay translation for United Nations which is Pertubuhan Bangsa- Bangsa Bersatu as an example to highlight the obvious ambiguity.

The debate concerning Bangsa Malaysia gained prominence a few years back. The ambiguity of the term created a heated national debate with an array of conservative, traditionalist, liberal views that only enhanced the confusion.

Last Sunday, at the National Unity Day celebrations, the term was raised again in the public sphere.

In my opinion, as a concept, Bangsa Malaysia is a state of mind. It is a vision created to provide a clear direction of where we should be heading as a country.

It is a statement of hope, opportunity and, more importantly, a means to achieve unity.

A state of mind which, when obtained, would complete the dreams and aspirations of our forefathers.

In that spirit, I cannot comprehend a unified Malaysia if its stakeholders feel threatened with the definition.

The quest to assign meaning to the term should never be laced with an agenda to question rights and privileges that are enshrined in the Federal Constitution and as espoused in the Rukun Negara.

In essence, I believe Bangsa Malaysia is the collective spirit and desire to exist as Malaysians and, at the same time, preserve our original identity, culture, religion, language and traditional practices.

I won’t attempt to use the confines of this column to provide a comprehensive definition. It requires dialogues and buy-ins from all the relevant stakeholders. By this, I mean Malaysians of all walks of life.

Debating the meaning of Bangsa Malaysia is not going to bring us closer together.

However obscure the term, the desired effect is tangible. Unity, to a certain extent, is measurable.

Therefore, based on the premise that Bangsa Malaysia is a state of mind all Malaysians should strive for, achieving the desired tangible result is an enormous responsibility thrust on Malaysian youth.

How close are we to eliminating the identification of race with economic function? How close are we to having national schools? The difficulty in finding the answers to these pertinent questions is a reflection of the magnitude of the task ahead.

How do we begin to find the answers? Who is going to point us in the right direction? We can be comforted by the fact that an issue is interpreted by the realities of the day. It is reflective of prevailing sentiments.

How else would you explain the ushering of 2009 by witnessing a State of the Union address from a first ‘non-white’ or woman President? It is a difficult task, but not an impossible one.

The hope can be seen, especially outside of the country, where it is the norm to see Malaysians relate to each other on the basis of nationality rather than race or religion.

I lived in a house that comprised Malays, Indians, Chinese, Sabahan and Sarawakian (we rented a sizeable house). We respected each other’s customs and participated in each other’s festivities.

When asked who I lived with, I can’t remember giving any other answer than “a bunch of crazy Malaysians”.

Beyond these shores, I have never heard anyone introduce themselves as “Hi, my name is so and so, I am a Malay from Malaysia”. Have you? When I posed a question on the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, a learned man posed a question back at me: “A Malaysian Chinese emigrated to Australia.

When asked where his homeland is, what do you think his answer would be?” Voices that use the Bangsa Malaysia concept as a force to promote unity via endless debate, could end up politicising the issue even further.

As 21st century Malaysians, we must do better; we have no other choice.

First things first – let’s not allow polemics to distort our collective quest for a better Malaysia.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Investment in Human Capital

Column on 22nd May 2008

I WAS treated to a rare telephone conversation with my brother over the Wesak weekend.
He had just finished his final exams and must have been quite bored.

During the conversation, my mind raced to a time when I was in the same position – it was the best and the worst of times.

The best because it dawned upon me that I didn’t have to study any more if I didn’t want to.

The worst because it signified the impending entrance into the realm of being a ‘useful’ member of society; the obligation to put food on the table.

In a few months, many final year students will join the rat race, competing for the best positions in the employment market.

With supply greater than demand, competition for places is expected to intensify further.

Herein lies my first grouse.

When potential employers vet a first time candidate’s résumé, inadvertently they look out for any previous employment information.

Although the weightage given is subjective, it still contributes to a candidate’s chances of securing employment.

This is unfortunate given that internship spaces in the best companies are very limited.

A few years ago, Akademi Pemuda designed the Pemuda Internship programme (PINTAR) to provide our future graduates with trainee-work opportunities that could strengthen their résumé.

The debut programme saw 100 penultimate year students working in the best of breed companies in Malaysia.

With high retention rates and good feedback from both participating companies and students, the programme was dubbed a success.

But it was difficult to ignore the elephant in the room – what about the thousands of other potential graduates? Obviously, there was a need to intensify such programmes to ensure the majority, if not more, are given equal opportunities.

My second grouse is that during the course of the programme, several structural problems in the employment market were brought to the fore.

While academic achievement is a criterion, there were others just as important.

Good grades may indicate that theoretically, one possesses the discipline to understand what and how to do certain things.

However, according to some human resource managers we spoke with, the majority of graduates entering the job market lack confidence, proficiency in English and communication skills – in essence, the soft skills.

Recent survey data confirms that the difficulty facing 90,000 of our fresh graduates is their lack of soft skills.

The Ministry of Higher Education, realising that this is a problem, has made soft skills as well as entrepreneurship module, compulsory subjects in public universities.

These are worth two credit hours each.

But what about the private universities – and there are many.

Shouldn’t the subjects be compulsory requirement too? I personally believe the structural transformation of Malaysia’s economy over the last 50 years has been spectacular.

Malaysia had capitalised on its abundance of mineral resources and fertile lands to launch an economy based on agriculture and primary commodities.

It further moved on to a manufacturing-based, export-driven economy spurred on by high technology, knowledge-based and capital-intensive industries.

The reality is globalisation.

There are new rules to attract the world’s most highly skilled workers.

Take for example, the sovereign gates of the European Union which are opening wider.

If jobseekers can show that they’re well educated and have secured an offer of a lucrative job in Europe, they can get a twoyear renewable permit to live there.

Although this provides an opportunity for our brightest to gain experience, globalisation dictates that we have to face the same challenges for the best jobs in Malaysia.

We don’t know what the future holds, but one thing is for sure: the rules of the game are changing.

We must address the issues that are facing our graduates as a matter of priority.

We must mobilise significant resources to ensure that our students are given a playing field that is level in every sense of the word.

In the innovation economy we are living in, the differentiating factor is neither natural resources nor financial capital.

The necessary advantage is human capital.

Let’s give it the attention it deserves.

The Parliament Lobby Week 12th to 15th May

Our MPs earned their money last week as the sessions went into overtime, finishing at 12am on Tuesday and 9.30 pm on Wednesday. The intention is to give all MPs a chance to give a motion of thanks to the King’s Speech.

Notable speeches included YB Rembau’s 30 minutes, "no intervention allowed" speech which made headlines in all printed and printable news reports. Although the substantive section which included suggestions to reduce corruption by employing cutting edge technology, press freedom, revitalizing the agriculture sector, the newsmakers and opinion makers narrowed down on the “Projek Khinzir Rakyat” branding that riled the opposition to no end. He has included the full speech in his website.

The students (quite a number of them) watched in amazement as the Opposition members went into a frenzy, raising at least 10 point of orders in their bid to stop the Deputy Youth Head from finishing his speech.

Another Pemuda UMNO stalwart, Dato Abdul Rahman Dahlan also made the headline for his elaboration on the “encouragement” given by certain parties for him to switch party. See his speech here.

On the other hand, Jelutong MP, Jeff Ooi decided not to speak because of the constraint of time given.

I was in the public gallery watching the proceedings on Monday when me and another friend were asked to leave as a Perak contingent that had requested for a place in the gallery in writing came to Parliament. As I walked out of the gallery I passed some DAP heavyweights including Lim Guan Eng (he is there almost everyday, with his chief of staff the MP for Jelutong)

Later in the lobby, I found out that the contingent were non other than the Perak assemblymen headed by the Menteri Besar. Reporters surrounded them at their press conference anticipating a comment given to the Karpal – Sultan Perak incident but the MB spoke on the purpose of the visit. (He mentioned they rode the bus in at least 5 different occasions, must have been rehearsed that in the 2 hour bus journey). Good to see them enjoying the lawatan sambil belajar trip to KL.

Overall, the buzz in the Parliament has not yet subsided with cameramen greeting you at the main lobby staircase. It will probably be less exciting come Tuesday with Minsiter’s answers, but I expect parking to remain next to impossible and the canteen breakfast consisting of crumbs by 10.45 am due to high demand. Not surprising with all the head of states out in full force.

Who is Malaysiakini's MP of the Week?

Malaysiakini gave Rembau MP, YB Khairy its MP of the week award. For a first time MP who was previously a key target for Malaysiakini, that must be surprising news. I was in Parliament last week, and from my observation, the reception Khairy gets from heavy weights such as Lim Kit Siang, Karpal, Saifuddin, Azmin, Mahfuz, he deserves this award. 

Parliament round-up: Khairy steals limelight
May 16, 08 12:34pm

The Parliament session started and ended the week on a high with debutant member of parliament Khairy Jamaluddin (Umno-Rembau) playing a significant role.

On Monday, Khairy, fresh from being rebuked by opposition MPs last week, came out fighting in his maiden speech in the House by firing bullets at the Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians.

Sparing none in the other camp, the prime minister's son-in-law let fly a litany of offending remarks against the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

And then during the week, he was seen raising noise here and there but it was at the end of the week that he rose to prominence again.

Yesterday his supplementary question on the New Economic Policy (NEP) stirred up a row when the opposition accused him of planting the question to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Amirsham A Aziz.

Amirsham, a Maybank CEO turned politician, was seen reading out a prepared answer to Khairy's supplementary question, much to the chagrin of the opposition MPs

Khairy denied planting the question, adding that Amirsham was "an intelligent man who anticipated my question".

And he went on to say: "It's not important whether (it's planted), but what's important is the substance. It's clear the opposition is trying to create trouble again because they are afraid of the answers."

For that, he earns Malaysiakini's MP of the Week award.

MM2- When development means building character

My second entry in Malay Mail on May 15th 2008



OVER teh! tarik the other day, my friend Ridwan shared his grand plan of improving rural students’ standard of English. Although it was a back-of-an-envelope proposal, it was not without its merits.

His plan was actually well thought out – form a group of English-speaking young professionals (with wives and children in tow) to spend their Sundays with rural primary school students. The objective? To supplement what is taught in schools, by improving English via conversation, and by asking the students to participate in exciting group exercises like discussing news in the English language dailies.

A few days later, I received a facebook message from an old schoolfriend, Yap, inviting me to participate in a community project in Kelantan.

I have yet to contact him, but immediately it gets me thinking: “Wonderful, there are many young professionals still thinking of ways to contribute to society. “ Let me elaborate, Ridwan and Yap are not politically inclined. In fact, they distance themselves from politics whenever possible. Ridwan is an accounts manager in a multinational company and Yap runs his own business.

With their career paths defined, they are utilising their spare time to give back to society, without political baggage and agenda.

Heartfelt initiatives like these which are aimed at enhancing the quality of life of others, are the cornerstone of civil society. To me, more than skyscrapers and hypermarkets, these represent the values that de! ne progress and development. However, while such isolated initiatives are effective in pockets, just imagine the impact of a wider, collective effort.

Of course, too many proverbial cooks may spoil the broth, but managed well with effective leadership and communication, such programmes, I dare say, will de! nitely have a wider span of success. Galvanising the talent of young professionals who want to enrich the lives of others and in turn, their own, is important. But who will lead the way? There is an urgent and pressing need to fill the vacuum for a united and credible voice for young professionals.

When I was a fresh graduate, I was lucky to be in the midst of setting up a young professionals society called Promuda.

With corporate sponsors on board, the membership quickly swelled. Promuda became a household name in a relatively short time.

The mention of its name gave credibility to its programmes and members.

For fresh graduates, the unseen bene! t is its networking element. From our peers and those more established in the industry, we were able to gain new and essential perspectives of working life.

I am still able to call some of those who willingly showed me the ropes friends today.

Promuda’s activities also helped its members nurture the spirit of sharing and working together to achieve a common objective. More often than not, the objectives had a positive impact on nation building.

Now and then, I get questions from younger graduates on my experiences in Promuda and how they can start a society of their own.

With the bene! t of hindsight, I believe that in this day and age, for a young professional society to work, there must be minimal internal politicking (this is based on the reality that every society will have some degree of politics).

Some argue that there should be no of! ce bearers at all; rather a patron to oversee the whole society. However valid this argument, I believe responsibility generates enthusiasm and commitment.

The result? Successful and sustainable programmes.

Another important element frequently missing is a balance in the membership of both local and foreign graduates. My time in Akademi Pemuda has made me realise that discussions conducted by groups with a mix of local and foreign graduates very often resulted in a fusion of superior ideas.

Local graduates, I observed, were apt to provide more practical ideas as they were more familiar with the realities of Malaysian bureaucracy. The foreign graduates gave input on international best-of-breed practices and ideas.

Suggestions for improvements are non-exhaustive.

The onus is on the current crop of young graduates to get together, brainstorm, reflect current prevailing sentiments and build a platform that would ensure Malaysia is on the right path of development.

My immediate contribution? I am going to introduce Ridwan to Yap. How does improving the standard of English in Sekolah Rendah Jeli in Kelantan sound to you? 

MM1 - It’s OUR time now…

This is the first draft of my Malay Mail column on Thursday, 8th of May 2008

TO SAY we live in interesting times is a gross understatement, given today’s Malaysian political scenario. Belonging to the echo-boomer fraternity of those born in the late 1970’s, I have never witnessed the waves of change plummeting our shores with such tenacity and overwhelming force.

The election results have affected Malaysians in varying degrees. While it has had a direct impact on some of us who are trying to stay on the ball with a never-ending chain of events unfolding, there are others who nonchalantly glance through the news on the front pages before proceeding to devour the sports or lifestyle sections.

I am in the former category. That fateful March night; I was in Seremban, looking forward to a week-long break when the results trickled in from the mainstream press. Our phones literally went off the hook. When news came that the state of Selangor had fallen, I headed back to Kuala Lumpur.

Although I spent the entire duration of the campaign period in Seremban, I still managed to lose my way in the city for a good 45 minutes. I remember the feeling of utter numbness. It was surreal. I felt as if I had had the perfectly orchestrated nightmare. Everything we had thought impossible, was not just possible; it was reality. It happened. The worst-case scenario became the base case.

The 12th General Election is my third. Coming from a family with strong roots in the civil service, I have always been intrigued by the subject of politics and public service. However, adolescent priorities had pushed my political interest firmly to the backseat. In my halcyon days in university, holding strong to the spirit of liberalism guided by youthful exuberance, I shunned away from the Kelab UMNO set up, preferring to focus more energy and time on the Malaysian Students’ Society, and of course, the London scene.

I returned home in 1998, a time when the Malaysian political ambience was stormy, to say the least. (How ironic that the two dominant figures more than a decade ago are still making headlines today.) But the events that unfolded then strengthened my opinion that the reach of politics surpasses the boundary of any given substance. Those events reinvigorated general interest in politics, including mine. Political sentiments were riding high, partly because the events that unfolded forced us to choose between the perceived right and the perceived wrong. Most young professionals of that era wrestled with the Hang Tuah versus Hang Jebat dilemma. Although the Internet and World Wide Web was only a pale shadow of what it is now, the email exchanges among the young professionals group came thick and fast, carrying frank opinions and thoughts.

Yet, at the same time despite these revolution-like scenes, an equal number of friends remained detached from politics, more in tune with the goings-on in the then up-and-coming happening Bangsar, and the English Premier League.

Fast-forward to 2008. There are a number of like-minded individuals still interested in politics in general. Then and again, I am encouraged by the quality of views and ideas of people much younger than my 31 years; some still studying, and communicating concern and awareness of politics that belie their chronological young age.

But as before, there is a segment that remains indifferent towards politics. I firmly believe to each, his own. We live in a true democracy; you choose what you care about. But personally, I have a concern that the “indifferent” segment is growing exponentially. The statistics – approximately four million eligible voters who didn’t register is a cause for concern. This represents more than 30 per cent of eligible voters! There must be a line between active political participation and exercising your democratic right. I feel the latter is a civic duty that all Malaysians must honour.

Above all, I remain a strong proponent that democracy requires action to work as it was designed. When Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj stepped off the plane from the Merdeka mission, there must have been certain expectations of the contribution and sacrifices that we, his children have to make in nation building.

Now is a time where we can’t afford to think of life as a spectator sport. Isn’t it time to come off the bench?