There are two factors at play in Malaysia which have connections to many of the problems that plague this country.

The first of these factors is that there is a widespread delusion amongst the Chinese community that simply by being Chinese puts you in a class you regard as being superior to all other Malaysians.

The second factor is that there is a widespread delusion amongst the Malay community that simply by being Malay puts you in a class that you regard as supreme to all other Malaysians.  

In reality, if you measure Malaysians against the rest of the world, by any of the positive aspects of human endeavor, then Malaysia is a long way from being either superior or supreme.  In fact the characteristics where Malaysians do find success are in areas much maligned by civilised societies.

Both delusions are very similar in form and function. The only real difference is that the Chinese impose their delusions upon themselves, whereas the Malays have their delusion imposed on them by the unholy partnership of religion and government that dominates this country.

Delusions, like many other human characteristics are gained through exposure to the people around you in early life. In most cases it is the members of your own family, but can also includes professional indoctrinators.  

 On becoming aware of the delusion the individual can strive to become the person they were lead to believe they were. However, this avenue of escape is limited by two very powerful forces at work in Malaysian society.

The first is, that the obsessive discipline, overprotection, poor education and religious indoctrination in early life have successfully inhibited a child’s ability to make decisions, to question, to explore and to think analytically. All they can do is pass exams! The second is that most odious of Asian values, Saving Face, which ensures that young people are afraid to take risks for fear of failure and the resulting derision.

The second and most common way of dealing with inadequacy is to embrace and enhance the delusion by putting down everyone around you. Putting down can include one or more of the following: repression, controlling, bullying, insulting, maligning, criticism, scolding, discrimination, aggression and actual violence.

The Chinese put down the Malays, the Malays put down the Chinese, both put down the Indians and everyone puts down the immigrant workers and the orang asli.  Parents put down their children, men put down women, teachers put down students, academics put down scholars, employers put down their employees and the government through legislation and action puts down the people who voted it into power.

In fact anyone who is simply ‘not like you’ is potentially put down material.  Thus everyone should align themselves with the Superior’s or Supreme’s  standards, beliefs, opinions, actions, bigotry, phobias, bad habits and idiocy. No attempts to understand nor tolerate other people’s differences can be tolerated.  

Young people can’t think for themselves

The most tragic aspect of this putting down is the way that the whole nation seems to conspire to put down Malaysia’s young people.  

The obsessive discipline and over protection of parents, the indoctrinal approach to education with its obsession with exams and teaching rather than education and the draconian Universities and University Colleges Act all work together to inhibit young people. The result is that young people cannot think for themselves, aren’t allowed to have their own opinions nor are they allowed to question any of the authoritarian regimes current in Malaysia.  

Its almost as though the older generations realise that Malaysia with its outdated and unrealistic values and institutions is a big hoax. A hoax propped up by the delusions of older Malaysians. In their turn the delusions are  propped up by the hoax.

It’s no wonder that older people are terrified that young Malaysians might start to think for themselves, have their own opinions, start asking probing questions and start dealing in facts rather than dogma and beliefs

It has been well documented that when a person has been deprived of the right to make their own decisions for an extended time they soon lose that facility. This situation is welcomed by authoritarian individuals and regimes which see it as a wonderful opportunity to manipulate people by making decisions for them.

You get told what to do and what not to do, where you can do it, and who with. Who you should vote for, what you should study, who you should marry. Which words you can use and who should cook your food, etc, etc. As well, there are thousands of petty rules and regulations which dictate how you should respond both in your personal and public life.

An over-regulated existence rapidly leads to a loss of identity, individuality and self worth. Followed soon by intolerance, lack of flexibility, lack of compassion, and general inefficiency. Over regulation also leaves the door wide open for corruption, especially when one of the deluded come face to face with regulations.

It’s easy to see the link between Superiority/Supremism and the more common forms of discrimination: racism, sexism, ageism, sexualism and religionism. When a person thinks they are better than everyone else then its an easy matter to discriminate.

But what about some of the other unpleasant characteristics so common in Malaysia?  Mistrust, selfishness, arrogance, poor workmanship, low productivity, negligence, environmental abuse, low and high level corruption. Can these, too, be linked to these delusions?