18 novembre 2006
6
18
/11
/novembre
/2006
12:32
MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races ? the Malays and the Chinese ? owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.
Source
While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry Michael Backman
November 15, 2006
Kavvie told me about this and the flurry of protests and opinions from this article. Its been that long now and the Malays still get preferential treatment - the Independence kids are now into its 3rd generation surely. Old enough for grandkids and the Malays still claim they need help.
difficult to get out of the aid reliance once you get used to it.
I know it makes me think twice when I come across arguments for positive discrimination. It is good if we are careful not to rely on it. It is necessary maybe when the the playing grounds are not level fields.
Published by eleanor
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Opinions-perspective
21 octobre 2006
6
21
/10
/octobre
/2006
19:06
Quite a few people knew I went to London for an interview to be part of an advisory board and they asked me how I did. I said I was terrible I didnt answer the questions at all well. I did not really prepare for it, maybe I should have done a bit more research. But how much experience do they want from people on such a panel? I thought they had said they were not expecting people who had national organisations experience.
I felt I really did not show that I had much to do with the disability community right now. So I am going to make an effort. I am not sure where I get to meet other disabled people. I tried to join something at the university but there do not seem to be much going on. When I was at the university at UT-Austin, the disability office had meetings to get to know other students with disabilities but where I am now, I get the impression that they are inundated by helping students about advice about grants, getting support etc. I am not really a student neither so they are not that inclined to answer my queries. Its experiences like these which makes me want to go into that field myself but I am not in that field - it seems like people who does this kind of jobs started off in social work - this is the type of experience that they want.
It seems like I should rethink what I want to do more of in the future and work towards it. However I think the people who are activist becomes political about it and professional. Very often I find I have so many windmills of my own to fight that I dont want to know more...and then at times I get really passionate about it. However that is not true because it would be good to find someone to share it or a group. And I do not want to be pigeon holed so that all I do is involved in disability. It really is not an easy balance.
Maybe I should start my own.
Published by eleanor
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Opinions-perspective
25 août 2006
5
25
/08
/août
/2006
14:52
Kavvie alerted me to a couple of articles in the Malaysian newspaper
The Star: "
Multiculturalism – how can it be wrong?" by NG KAM WENG Research Director (Kairos Research Centre) 25th August and "
Debunking multiculturalism" by MD ASLAM AHMAD,Fellow (Centre for Syariah, Law and Political Science, Insitute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia) 22nd Aug.
compare this to BBC's
So what exactly is multiculturalism?I am trying to unravel this in my own head - from looking at it in the Malaysian perspective where Muslims are in the majority and in the UK where Muslims are in the minotiry. Is there/ should there be a difference..is it only between the Muslims and the non Muslims? I suppose in todays troubled climate...its that which comes into people's mind.
In Malaysia, I cannot help but remember the
race riots May13 1969 I was 11 at the time and have a few memories of that period - being told not to put my head out of the window or risk being shot and the curfews. However, that is when multiculturalism fail, isn't it? When we cease to respects each others differences.
In the UK, there are now talks of integration and resistance towards that...as a Chinese, I refute being totally integrated into any other culture but would fight to maintain the integrity of my own roots - whatever they might be. I would respect that for anybody's needs...their sense of identity, and yet against the ghetto mentality - in what ever form that might be. I would not want to be segregated and live in a dormitory or an area specially designated for people with disabilities - would I mind being in an all Chinese neighbourhood? or an all white area? I suspect I would, I really prefer to have diversity.
I am not sure where I stand on this issue philiosophically or even politically.
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