A not-so-confused Malaysian.

I have been relaxing, not doing much after my final exams of my degree. It feels like I have not much to worry about. Then, I woke up this morning and I read an article on the Internet. On The Malaysian Insider, to be precise (click here to read it). And boy was I disheartened. Yes, the writer is merely expressing his view, his opinion but I still felt like it was a blow to my dreams that one day, the people of Malaysia will be free to pursue their dreams and ambitions with no race or religious barriers.

I went to a Convent school and I had friends from all races. To be honest, we never really noticed the difference. That is, until it came to the time when we had to enter a debate competition and the teacher told us that only two of us will get a place on the team and the other debater has to be a Malay girl. We were puzzled and being the inquisitive students that we were, we asked our teacher why? She said, "That is just how things work, that is the rule". Rule? What rule? Why must it be compulsory to have one Malay in an English debate team but no rule that a non-malay has to be on the Bahasa Melayu debate team? As we moved up the forms, the preferential treatment became more and more prevalent. For example, there must always be a Malay student in the top two positions on the prefects board. How come this privilege does not extend to the non-Malays? Let us not delve into the issue of transparency when scholarships are given out.

The writer says that since young, he has been taught that in the Muslim religion, one should spread the beauty of the religion. I have nothing against that at all for I believe, all religion is beautiful but it is the people who practise them that taint it. Again, I ask, with all the so-called speech of freedom of religion, how is it that one is allowed to convert into the Muslim religion but converting out is hell? These are some of the questions I have had for so many years and I have yet to be given a satisfactory answer. At the same time, I do not believe that people of other races should be given an advantage. I think we should all be treated equally.

I was rather taken aback when I read that the writer believes that Malaysia should be led by not only a Bumiputera but a Muslim Bumiputera. I suppose, I have no right to question his opinion as it is his own. So, I will share my personal opinion here. I beg to differ. I yearn for the day when Malaysia will be matured enough to accept that it does not matter what gender, race or religion one is, as long as the person is qualified, has Malaysia's best interest at heart and most importantly is MALAYSIAN to lead this beautiful country.

I want to take a step forward in realising that dream. I am not Malaysian Indian, Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Sikh, Malaysian Malay, etc. I am Malaysian and nothing else. Just saying.