When in 'Rome' do as the 'Romans' do.
Many ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians in MALAYsia have got used to
working from within the framework of MALAYsia, but they certainly
have to accept many negative policies at a huge sacrifice to
themselves.
Witness the large numbers of Johor Chinese and Indian kids that
commute daily into Singapore, to attend Singapore schools, at
non-subsidised school fees that are much higher than in MALAYsia,
and in Singapore Dollars.
Given the opportunity to do so, most of the Chinese and Indian
Community in MALAYsia (further north of Johor) would have also sent
their kids to Singapore, despite having to commute from their homes
at 04:30hrs each school day (morning sessions), and reaching home
at nearly 21:30hrs (afternoon sessions).
The Chinese Community, even in Singapore, are well known for their
quick reaction and protective instinct towards any changes that
will negatively put their community at a disadvantage.
Call it Chinese Chauvinism, or whatever you like, it is no
different when many Chinese Schools in Singapore, during the
mid-1970's, putting up their strongest resistance when they had to
switch to the English medium for all lessons.
This is no reflections that they are anti-Singapore.
The ground swell of quiet antagonism exist for every policy that
the MALAYsian Government put up that has a creeping effect of
narrowing the space further for the already severely strangled
ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
The Chinese Community throughout MALAYsia (more so in Johor) have
always supported Singapore's speak Mandarin Policies, observation
of Confuscius teachings, and most Singapore Government campaigns to
promote good relations between the Old and the Young, CPF policies,
Medisave, hospitalisation plans.
Most of the Singapore government policies to enhance the lives of
Singaporeans bring envy to the non-malay MALAYsians - from both
sides of the MALAYsian East and West Territories.
They depend on our Channel 8 and Channel U for high quality,
sensible entertainment and news in Mandarin, Channel Central for
the Indian language programmes, Channel 5, Channel 'i', Channel
Newsasia for English. Sometimes, they support the Singapore
Government policies more then the Singaporeans.
Although there is a strong public face put up in the Barisan
National coalition of all the major RACIAL political parties from
UMNO, MCA, MIC with minority involvement from Gerakan and PBI, the
feelings from the ground remains antagonistic.
MALAYsia is sittting on a time bomb, with a short fuze.
All it takes is for another MALAY Nationalist, in the flavor of the
Mentri Besar of Kuala Lumpur during the 1960's, the UMNO
politicians of the mid-1960's, and those from the Singapore USNO in
the late 1960's, then another repeat of the racial riots of 1969
will happen. (Read the memoirs of LKY, and from the Straits Times
archives of politics during the 1960's).
Notice how long it took for the Tengku Abdul Rahman University to
actually come into being, so as to give the ethnic Chinese and
Indians, who qualify for university education, to actually get fair
treatment for their qualifications to enter university - without
any artificial hindrance of quota alotment to the favored 'sons
FROM the SOIL'.
