SG Malay debunks "Malay-bashing myths"

last SG · 2006-10-15T16:30:01+00:00

Haha bruder, China chinese and SG chinese 2 different race liao. Soccer in SG is very disappointing. 1st, I feel its kind of internalised. The players chosen...

Texcoco II SG

Wat I mean was there are white caucasians muslims too, Whiles equal American? There are Black American, Chinese Americans and so on, muslim or not got nothing to do with our topic here anyway

fudgester SG

What happens when one is a mixture of Indian and Malay? Laughing

Rock^Star SG

Originally posted by Texcoco II:
Taken from a local Singaporean Malay Ridzwan's blog

[b]Myth: Malays are a Druggie Race

Chinese have a bigger number here. But of course, in terms of drug addicts to race population ratio, we are the lowest.

[/b]

Rock^Star SG

Originally posted by Texcoco II:
[b]Myth: Malays are Lazy

Historically and culturally, Malays have always had a good life. Unlike their counter parts from China and India who had to toil the soil and endure extreme climatic forces just to ensure their survival, Malays never had to endure these hardships much. Everything that you throw into the fertile soils of the Malay Peninsular, will sprout into a healthy plant within a few months. Unlike the Chinese in China, growing food was never much of a problem nor was it a matter of toiling. Leisure and quality time with the family became a very much entrenched way of life within the Malay community.

Unfortunately these civilizations came on a collision course when the Chinese started migrating into the Malay lands. When the Chinese came, they brought along their hard-working and industrious ways that has been so much a part of their life for thousands of years.

[/b]

The past is past. A race has to evolve with the times. I find this reasoning invalid.

sinicker SG

he hates himself.

mhcampboy SG

nah.. i love myself.

Rock^Star SG

I have met a few outstanding and great malay pple in my life....oh well, all i can say is i used to have a best friend who's malay. I mixed with his family, friends and relatives 24-7 and i'm sad to say that most malays kids tend to go haywire easier than the chinese. Most have little prudence when it comes to saving for rainy days.

I broke off contact with him because i didn;t wanna get dragged down.

Cool-gal SG

no, malays are nice ple and frenly.
at least i find them more easy going than the chinese.
Wink

fudgester SG

Sometimes, though, I feel that we Malays tend to take the 'easy-going' part a little too far.

To take things easy and to be contented with what you have is not a bad thing, as is the spirit of 'tidak apa' ('it doesn't matter'). However, the way I see it, this spirit has predominantly evolved into a spirit of 'tidak apa-thy'. While Malays have been making progress on many fronts, it's still not enough.

The stats say it all: for example, Malays are consistently the worst-performing race when it comes to academic results. Where progress to the other races refers to the proportion of students getting As and distinctions, progress to the Malays refer to the proportion of passes.

For example, in 2002 less than 60% of all Malay students got at least 5 O Level passes - well below the national average of 80%, and by far the worst- performing ethnic group (source below). We Malays have only got ourselves to blame for this academic malaise all thanks to our concept of 'tidak apa-thy'.

Source for figures: http://www.moe.gov.sg/press/2003/pr20031127.htm

sinicker SG

no matter whatever articles that come out that say malays are progressing and what not, i still think we're too laid back.

if you see things, those malays who are successful and what not in the newspapers.. most of them are mixed, not pure malay. Laughing

and this post comes from someone who is a mixture of malay, chinese, acehnese and arab. looks like a chinese. but in my IC, i'm arab.

dinky1409 SG

I think that most Chinese/Malay mix are good looking, damn you lucky boy.. Laughing
Anyway, I'm Malay but I can't help but agree with some of the myths. I'm kind of disappointed with my own race. Primary school and Secondary, we enjoy free education but yet look at the percentage of Malay undergraduates? I don't have the percentage and I might be stereotyping but its just too common that everywhere I go the ITEs are the malays hanging place. I'm not saying ITEs are a bad place but looking at the mats and minahs from ITEs you will know what kind of people they are.
In terms of Soccer, I DARE YOU THAT BASE ON TALENT, SG can take on the angmohs. The mats can ACTUALLY fuckin play leh, BUT THE STINKING ATTITUDE is why we are still lagging far behind. SUPER FUCKED UP attitude, its disappointing.
The best thing that I hate is how some of the malays blame the government for not giving enough chance for malays to do well. They say Chinese are controlling this country. That is a separate issue which I don't wanna touch on as I believe I'm in no position to comment about such stuff. But what irks me is that, these malays, are just playing the blaming game. Its disgraceful. I mean if you want to be succesful, bloody hell STUDY HARD & WORK FOR IT!
For these various reasons, I'm striving hard in my own career path to make enough money to contribute to help and dive into the root of the problem, which is when these malay kids are young.

*disclaimer* I know I MIGHT be biased and stereotyping based on my own experiences but I take the risk to express it as a generalisation as I believe it is sufficiently significant in the current situations.

sinicker SG

when i got my enlistment letter, i kena SCDF.

on enlistment day on the way there, my dad warned me, "dont make friends with the malays there." i know why lah. lol.

den aft POP, i got to be an instructor for the recruits now.

right now, as intakes pass by, i feel i wanna change the way these malays behave and such. but some are really gone-cases. some of those tattooed, got criminal case kinda guys behave well under me. i feel proud of them... but i worry what they'll do in future.

fudgester SG

Nah.... you just pretty much reiterated what I said about 'tidak-apathy', dinky...

Personally, I'm also sick and tired of Malays complaining that they don't do well because of some government conspiracy or that they live under poor circumstances. Hello? When I was in Upper Sec and JC my family was having serious financial difficulties. I was perpetually hungry and was grossly underweight. The choices I had were stark: use my pocket money to buy lecture notes, or use the money to buy food.

I bought the lecture notes and went hungry.

I'm now in NUS Faculty of Engineering. 3rd Year. Apa official government policy to keep me away from my B.Eng (Mechanical)? Sounds like a whole lot of hogwash to me.

I'm not blowing my own trumpet and sounding off my own achievements. I'm saying that we Malays should jolly well stop blaming others for our own barren achievements and just start working hard. I've come across far too many Malays whining about their lack of abilities, but on further prodding, they admit that they're just too lazy to study hard and do their best.

I am personally disgusted against the prevailing mood of 'tidak apa-thy' and 'Janji Melayu' (the euphemistically-termed 'Malay Promise') which whitewashes our own shortcomings when it comes to effort.

#$%^&* SG

Perhaps, just perhaps,

There is something wrong with the materialistic / econocentric approach?

Why cant a certain cultural group have a more laid back, family friendly customs and practices?

Is it fair to continuously apply external pressure for them to change their culture and mindset?

Dont forget the Chinese and Indians are immigrants. Merchants.

If you go to China or India, to the interior rural areas, Im sure there are people sitting all day not doing much, same with rural villages areas in South East Asia.

I dont think Malays in Singapore are lazy. This is an incorrect term. Perhaps the more correct one is, discon.... discon...eh, disconjected from the material chase.

Simply,

If an expert do a survey of family happiness, spiritual fulfillness, etc, I believe they will on average score better than Chinese.

So,

I dont think they are lazy, but different world view.

And it is not fair to only measure formal education, income level, etc, yardstick used by merchant-immigrant mindset on them.

Besides, in the Western world also, academics are starting to realize and measure 'real' prosperity, which includes happiness, stress level, family relationship, spirituality etc. More money doesnt mean you are more well off when you are stressed and unhappy.

So what Im saying is,

The term 'lazy' is very one sided view, looking from one point of view only.

And I believe more appreciation, and more softer understanding, is needed, instead of keep pressing for 'reform' for them to 'revolutionize' their culture and customs.

the.owl SG

too long didnt read.

Rock^Star SG

gd for u! make the best of it.

#$%^&* SG

For instance,

You will see a typical Chinese man in Singapore working hard until night time, OT.

Yes, he is hardworking.

But he is very stressed, has little time, and cannot even find a wife.

This is true.

Then you will see a Malay man, 'not working so hard' but he will have a big family with 4 kids. On weekeds they will gather with cousins on void deck or their place, having a good time.

It's clear there is a difference in their world views.

Personally Im not sure which one is better. I certainly wont say the stressful life is better.

And....actually to expand on this....

Why some youth go to drugs or crime.....I believe it's the same reason with any other races or cultural groups, all youth sometimes get confused. However the most affected group is the group undergoing a major change, a shift, a disruption in their world view as well as environment.

I mean, look at American Indians, Australian Aborigines, etc groups with rapid environment change. There are alot also of drug abuse and crime. Why?

If white europeans never arrive in America, or Australia, maybe they will be having a different life, wont be so confused.

Not to say the situation is exactly the same with Singapore, but I bet there is a similar connection with cultural-aspects or environment-aspect, which make some of these youth confused and cannot integrate quickly into another set of mindset in the new environment dominated by another cultural group.

So again,

It's unfair to call Malays 'druggie'. I feel this is an incorrect term.

Maybe, less pressure to reform and more soft soft natural evolution way is better way.

sinicker SG

malays have this "be happy with what you have" attitude. or the more popular tidak-apa attitude ah...

and they just love to be with their family and extended families. camping with the entire line of family tree at changi beach lah... what lah...

my whole family sleeps on hari raya till noon. my family is... in the material chase. weirdly. and hari raya, we just stay home. no elders mah.

fudgester, nus mechanical engineering ah? good for you. i gg ntu mech engine. but that's in 2008. NS is making my brain rusty. my junior asked for advice on a lvls and i just froze. Laughing

do i mix with malays? yes.
do i choose with which malays i wanna mix with? sadly.. yes.

mhcampboy SG

My family from both sides, malay and chinese lives happily ever after. Even though they are just in laws and distant in terms of relativity, we get together on all occasion.

We treat everyone the same. The chinese elders will advise the malay youngs even though they are only related by law. The malay elders will reprimand the chinese young if they do any wrongdoing. Its the same throughout.

We see each other as family. And not of race. Wink

Cpt.ZR SG

hahahhhah... i would say that its not all the chinese hate malay la... in every race there is a punk... and its the punk that gets the attention.. haha.. well its like that....

The mats cycle with their... uncle looking bikes....[wearing tapered pants...]

the bengs with red walking at the void deck.... [wearing bell bottoms///]

the indians i dont know what they do.. haha...

well no hard feelings... thats how interesting singapore looks like... hahahah

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