Towering Malays across Causeway,1 sept 2006
fri,.thestar.com.my
this letter fr Opinions in response to this statement:
I understand they do not want to end up becoming like the Malays
in Singapore.
--- Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad
YOUR REPORT, Give up PBA post, Dr Koh urged (The Star, Aug
28,2006) quoted Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad
as saying at the opening an Umno meeting in Penang that he
sympathises with Penang Malays because he understands they do not
want to end up like the Malays in Singapore.
I strongly urge the deputy minister to visit Singapore more often
to see for himself the true situation there. The fact is
that Singapore Malays feel more superior to those across the
Causeway.
I know because I work with many of them and I often
heard remarks like: Why is it that Malaysian Malays, including
your so-called graduates, cannot speak or write English as fluently
as we can? or You know, in Singapore, my success is
entirely due to my own hard work and capability.
Malays in Singapore can hold their heads high and many have found
employment anywhere in the world simply because they
generally are much more fluent in English and also the successful
ones climb up the hierarchy entirely on their own merits as they
play on the same level field as the other races, without asking for
any concessions.
I am not ashamed to say that my son is studying in Singapore ever
since he was quite young.
I deliberately sent him there because I want him to enjoy the
superior education there and also to develop the right attitude of
no crutch please as I can walk on my own.
As our saying goes, bend the bamboo while it is young.
If the Malays in Penang (or elsewhere in Malaysia) can be like the
Malays in Singapore, then we will not need former premier Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad or current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi to remind us from time to time to seek to become
towering Malays.
MOHD JAMIL BIN ABDUILLAH, Penang.
2.the cause ot this letter:The Bukit Mertajam Umno division has
called on Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to give up the
Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBA) chairmans post to
Umno.
If Dr Koh is truly sincere in wanting to help the Malays
progress, he should resign as PBA chairman and give it back to
Umno,
Monday August 28, 2006,.thestar.com.my
Give up PBA post, Dr Koh urged
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Bukit Mertajam Umno division has called on
Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to give up the Penang Water
Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBA) chairmans post to Umno.
Division chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said Dr Koh had snatched
the chairmans post away from Umnos Datuk Ahmad Saad, who was
former Penanti assemblyman, in 1999.
If Dr Koh is truly sincere in wanting to help the Malays progress,
he should resign as PBA chairman and give it back to Umno, he said
at the Bukit Mertajam Umno delegates conference here
yesterday.
Musa said there were only three Malays who presently held top
positions in PBA.
He said that although 60% of the company employees were Malays,
most of them were low-ranking officers.
I also understand there are plans to set up subsidiaries under the
PBA, which will be done in a similar manner like the Penang
Development Corporation (PDC), he said.
He said he hoped Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid
Abdullah would reject any proposal to form subsidiaries and instead
resolve the lack of high-ranking Malay officers in the
company.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, who opened the
conference, said he sympathized with the Malays in Penang.
I understand they do not want to end up becoming like the Malays
in Singapore.
