YOURSAY ‘It's like the computer doing what the software tells it to do.’

Are we from Mars, wonders Utusan editor

Quigonbond: These polemics are becoming tiresome. Does it really matter whether someone is Muslim, Malay, bumiputera, pendatang, etc, if there are plenty of opportunities and everyone who works hard get a chance in the sun?

First things first - democracy and market capitalism is the only way forward because socialism, communism, dictatorship have all failed the test. Second, we need clean, smart and principled leaders not only to manage what we have but to grow our national assets.

The only test applicable to the leaders is that they are loyal to the nation, they swear to protect the constitution, and they will act fairly regardless of race, religion, gender or economic stature. Is that really so difficult?

It's only difficult because the powers-that-be are so entrenched, interests are so vested that it's now virtually impossible to change them from the inside.

Anon1: Malays don't look the slightest bit like people from Mars. The majority are either (like you conceded), brainwashed into either listening to religious sermon and promised eternal bliss in a heaven or brainwashed while receiving a worthless education to believe that only Umno can improve their quality of living and safeguard them against imaginary enemies of race/religion.

It's like the computer doing what the software tells it to do. A complete hard disk reformat and new software like ‘Remove Coconut Shell version 1.0' is required. I believe that the younger generation are already on this new software.

Adsertor: The problem is not with our dear Malay compatriots. They are as good as any if given the chance.

It is the politics of Umno - diverting the funds for the betterment of bumiputera to enrich themselves and Umnoputra, with dribbles flowing to the promotion of entrepreneurship of the general bumiputera/Malay population.

The end result is what we have today - plenty of rent-seekers depending on concessions from the government to keep afloat.

Of late, we have the bigots and racists promoting the agenda of Umno to gain seats on the sugar train claiming fictitious threats to race and religion. If there is any threat, it is from Umno and its policies that subjugate the advancement and betterment of the Malays.

Senior: For me, religion and politics should be separated. There is also no such thing as a Malay DNA. The east coast Malay is different from the Malays in the west coast.

Article 160(2) of the constitution requires only one parent to be Malay. So, does Syed Mohktar Al-Bukhary have Arabic DNA?

Swipenter: The Christians were fighting amongst themselves for hundreds of years when their religion was strongly woven into their politics.

Then one fine day a thinker politician advocated that religion be separated from politics. That was when western civilisation (Christendom) started to flourish and advance by leaps and bounds once their minds were free and not fettered with mental chains imposed by their religion and church.

Schisms in Christianity were once upon a time were fought with swords but gradually it was replaced by debates and intellectual discourse. This is not aggrandising the west but is factual history.

Unfortunately we can't say the same for Islam and Muslims, not to say that Islam and Muslims didn't experience its zenith days.

However the present mindset of many Muslims is still anchored in times long gone, with endless debates to show who is the holiest of them all and preoccupying themselves with the afterlife.

The Analyser: The analysis is really quite simple. Both groups are profoundly insecure. In the first instance, the insecurity grows from the actions of parents.

Over-discipline, over-protection, and over-control leaves young people with little motivation to do anything outside what they are told to do.

If the child is Chinese, he/she will follow the role models of the community in the pursuit of money. This pursuit becomes so obsessive that ethics, standards and honesty often become its victims.

The lack of role models in other pursuits and the failure of parents to encourage anything but passing exams and money results in a barren humourless community.

If you are Malay then religion takes over where parents left off, leaving young Malays terribly insecure. For them, their role model is a 6th century Arab. It's the actions that teach them, so that out of religion comes a philosophy of bullying, violence, repression, and helping yourself to other people's assets.

Present-day role models exhibit the same characteristics, whether they be in the clergy, government or business.

If you are not in a position to dominate, then you do the next best thing... work for the government where you are secure for life, don't have to think nor be proactive and with any sort of luck a few crumbs will fall into your lap.

Dizzer: The Analyser is correct - this is hardly rocket science. Race or ethnicity has very little to do with it. The Malays are trapped by their culture, their religion, their language and of course by their politicians.

I was down the pub on Sunday celebrating birthdays with a group of Malaysians (old-Johanian and VI Malays for the most part) and there was absolutely no difference in intelligence, outlook, success (or indeed drinking ability) between the mixed races on show...

Not Confused: The lack of entrepreneurial spirit and capability can be squarely laid at the feet of the BN government.

The education in this country is solely predicated on learning by rote. There is no encouragement of discussion or analysis of anything. Students are not encouraged to debate or think for themselves at all. The Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) has ensured that.

If any student strays into areas that lead to assessing anything outside their own subject area, they are slapped down. In the UK, for example, university students are actively encouraged to debate - there is often a very famous and successful debating society in every major university.

The BN government fears students becoming aware of their potential in case they end up posing a threat to their continued existence in politics.

I’m sure that many of the students graduating in Malaysia are deemed to be from Mars. Maybe this is why the offspring of many government ministers are educated abroad.

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