There are 10 salient dilemmas or contestations confronting the Malaysian people today, an academic revealed in her presentation at a forum in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

According to sociologist Dr Ong Puay Liu of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), the 10 salient dilemmas are:

  1. The meaning of 'Malaysian'
  2. Malaysia for whom?
  3. Who is a Malay?
  4. What does 'Special Position' as enshrined in the Federal Constitution mean?
  5. What does 'Special Rights' mean?
  6. The position of the orang asli?
  7. What is the 'Social Contract'?
  8. What do present-day Malaysians want?
  9. How democratic is the space for people to articulate ideas and to participate meaningfully in the development of a Malaysian nation?
  10. How to dismantle structural, psychological and social framework in the mindset and social life of Malaysians?

"These ten-point dilemmas or contestation underscore the seriousness of the state of ethnic relations in Malaysia," she said.

The focus of Ong's paper was on the letters written by the Malaysian public on the topic of special rights in Malaysia and published by malaysiakini from 2001 to July 2004.

She disclosed that a total of 149 letters were collected in this research and the contents of the letters reflect the differing and contentious ideas, perspectives and arguments, claims and counter claims surrounding an issue classified as sensitive.

She told the 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference in UKM that she developed her arguments through three aspects - the views of the letter contributors towards special rights, their arguments or justifications for or against special rights and salient dilemmas/contestations pertaining to the prospect of Malaysia's ethnic relations and national unity aspiration.

She placed the views into four categories - those of 'old' and 'new' Malay/Bumiputera, and 'old' and 'new' non-Malays.

Different views

"We can say that there was fair representation of expression from both Malay/Bumiputera and non-Malay/non-Bumiputera groups."

She concluded that Malays, non-Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak have differing and opposing views on the contestations about special rights.

"These views provide the ammunition for contestations and confrontations, whether verbal, written or physical."

However, the UKM lecturer admitted that finding answers to the 10-point dilemmas and having them accepted by the various ethnic groups in the country is a momentous task.

It is also unhealthy, she stressed, to stereotype ethnic-based special rights and policies such as stating that "the Malays/Bumiputeras need special rights because they are poor and underdeveloped, and the non-Malays do not need special rights because they are rich."

Ong also commended malaysiakini for providing the Malaysian public with a platform to air their ideas without resorting to overt threats, hostility and violence.

She urged the government to discern from the ideas and arguments forwarded by the letter writers to malaysiakini .