The other day, themalaysianinsider reported a study conducted by two public university researchers that showed “Malaysian employers practise racial bigotry”.The topic was indeed eye catchy because it touched on one of the most sensitive and controversial realities that Malaysians live with – race or ethnic discrimination. And, at the core of it is about favouring, whether outright openly or creatively disguised, one race over another. This time, the focus is on Malays and Chinese. Obviously, it got to my nerve that the 3rd largest ethnic group had been insignificantly ignored from the study. I had to restrain myself for several days, but the antagonist in me would not relent.
As I scanned through the comments column, the sound of criticism grew louder. Majority did not think the study had justifiably served it’s useful purpose. In summation, a fruitless piece of academic research gone waste!
Malaysia is a paradox of paradise. We are rated amongst the world’s most friendliest people, yet we can be among the worst racist bigots. What do you expect from a non-homogeneous set of people as diverse as Malaysians. They say, "one man’s meat is another’s poison" and so you will tend to find opposing views on racial discrimination – one denying and sweeping it under the carpet and another crying foul and resorting to vengeance. Then, there is that third group - the insignificant yet optimistic minority that yearns for a practical end to all forms of race, sex and age discrimination. That’s people like myself who, having tasted the short end of the stick on many instances, hope for a miracle!.
As much as Malaysians would prefer to deny or avoid discussing under the excuse of racial tolerance and peaceful coexistence, the fact remains that we have a build-in element of discrimination as part of our political structure and system of governance. The constitution accords preferential treatment of one ethnic group – the indigenous Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Let me ruffle some feathers.
The Malaysian constitution provides for the protection and assurance of economic prosperity of the indigenous group called “Bumiputra” (sons of soil) of which the majority form the Malay ethnic group. And, this assures that the Malays are accorded special focus and privileges in the government’s agenda of national economic progress. There is nothing uncommon about it because even developed countries, including the mighty USA have such constitutional reforms to protect the rights of indigenous natives. The only distinction is, in Malaysia, the protection covers not the “minority” rather the Malay majority. And, so we have specific Affirmative Action (AA) programs (AAP) in place to ensure that Malays are not neglected from the mainstream economic development and strata of society. And, one of the ways to advancing that goal is to ensure Malays form substantial numbers in areas like governance, business investments and employment. Hence, why you see more Malay employed in government and GLCs.
So how do the non Malays, especially the economically affluent Chinese who dominate the private sector businesses, feel and response?. The inconvenient truth is per what the research study revealed. Since 1969, the wedge had slowly edged deep into the fabric of Malaysian governance policies, including employment, at the expense diversity and meritocracy benefits. This cause and effect has now accumulated to a level where non-Malays shun government jobs whereas private sectors favour non-Malays. I can’t say if it’s a case of emotional tit-for-tat response or purely based on the merits of competency. One may not like or agree, but that’s the“real-ity”. It is pretty much a common knowledge. One can see it in media advertisements, asking for Bumiputra or Chinese speaking candidates. And, we are all too familiar of the economic value of Mandarin and how the language commands international appeal.
I would be lying if I said I have never "endured" racist bigots during my employment in the government (22 years) and corporate HR (12 years). Once, I had an Executive Search approach me for an IR/ER position in a Singapore owned manufacturer of soft drinks. During the discussion, she told me bluntly that they could not find anymore suitable Chinese and Malay candidates, hence decided to look for Indians !. That’s why I have, unequivocally and unreservedly, made it my lifetime (whatever left of it) to champion the cause of professionalism through meritocracy and competency, without fear or favour of skin. No matter what, I find it unethical and hypocritical for any employer to hire people on the basis of race !. I may be an island on this but I don't care what others may think or say. I have the moral intelligence to reject racist bigots and their clever antics. I sincerely believe and follow what an exemplary human soul once said, "be the change that you want to see".
Since we now know of what the study has validated, do we want to something to stop the rot?. Are we ready and willing to take actions in removing the barriers racial discrimination across the employment market?. Is the country’s leadership willing to ratify the anti-discriminatory laws and legislate the Equal Employment Opportunities Act?. These are questions I have often thrown across to many, including HR practitioners. The silence is deafening. But, I am not defeated. I still harbour the vision of seeing Malaysians become colour blind and free of racist bigotry. Malaysia is a blessed country and deserves to be a better place to befriend, work and live.
Here's an award winning clip that showcases how a human resource "talent" goes to waste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G_Lxlk4Fxk. Though, I sympathize with the predicament of the main character, I disagree with choice of career path he had taken. "Two wrong does not make a right". Malaysia is a land of abundance to opportunities. No matter what the circumstances are, resorting to vice is definitely an unjustifiable act and devoid of moral character. The environmental stimulus can be negative, but one's conscious response must be positive.
