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Immigrants, too, expect equal rights with citizenship

The deputy prime minister recently said that the introduction of the NEP was 'correcting the discrimination endured by the Malays during 400 years of colonisation'. I suppose he traces this back to the time of the Portuguese takeover of Malacca which I studied about in school.

Perhaps he has a point but did we not become independent in 1957, 50 years ago? And since the NEP was started in 1969, 37 years have passed. Can it be said that the Malays are as 'destitute' as before, as he mentioned? If they are not, then can it not be said that the NEP has served its purpose and is not needed?

He further added that 'the Chinese and Indians were generally not against the NEP but were rather unhappy with its implementation'. Do we have a choice? Whenever we do voice anything against the NEP, we get accused of meddling with the national agenda, of not knowing our place in Malaysian society and worse, we get a 'keris' waved in our faces.

Many of the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia can trace their roots back to poor immigrants who arrived here in the early 19th century with little more than the clothes on their backs. They had far less than the 'oppressed' Malays who had been here all along and had land as well as homes. These immigrants toiled to survive and cannot be said to have had any preferential treatment under those colonial powers.

If they managed to get good jobs, it was because they worked hard and learnt as much as they could - which were also the same opportunities that the Malays would surely have had. Surely the Chinese and Indians did not get any special education or treatment in those days?

But never mind, they still accepted that they were here as immigrants and had to live by whatever was imposed on them. Immigrants all over the world are like that because they go to another country of their choice and want to live and work there so they adapt.

But when they become citizens and give their loyalty to the country, they expect that they, too, will be able to enjoy equal rights in every field. That is how it works in most countries but in Malaysia, the NEP prevents this and it appears that there is no indication when the Malays will no longer be 'destitute' and that the NEP can be abolished. I really wonder why there seems to be no shame that after 37 years, the NEP is still needed.

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