YOURSAY | ‘Umno’s success is in inculcating Malays a deep-rooted fear of a future without Umno.’

Rebooting the Malay mind

Kim Quek: Apart from severe foul play of the electoral process, what has kept Umno in power is its success in inculcating among the Malays a deep-rooted fear of a future without Umno.

That Malay fear may tip the balance at the crucial moment of vote-casting in favour of Umno, despite more Malays than ever are now disillusioned by the horrendous corruption and abject failure of the Najib-led government.

Such fear is, of course, unfounded as the future government under the opposition alliance (if it wins in GE14) will still be dominated by Malays, keeping in mind that PKR, Amanah and Bersatu are Malay-dominated parties, and the entire civil service including the army and police are almost completely led and staffed by Malays.

To a large extent, the success or failure of the opposition in winning the next mandate may hinge on its ability to dispel this ingrained Malay fear, apart from it impressing the masses on its superior governance and sound policies that will uplift the economy to benefit all races, including the Malays.

David Dass: In 1967 we had only one university. Today we have 80 universities. Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has more than 100,000 students. We have close to one million undergraduates.

Our highly-educated academics number in the tens of thousands. All secondary school teachers are now graduates. Our middle class is huge. Why then the closing of the Malay – no, the Malaysian - mind?

The problem may express itself differently with the different races but it is there everywhere. One would have thought that education results in minds that think critically; that questions everything. Why has that not happened here?

It is the complaint of many employers that Malaysian graduates are not capable of independent thinking. This is a sweeping generalisation and I have no source to back it up. It is anecdotal. I see very little evidence of academics engaging in public debates and discussion over important issues that affect the nation. I see very little evidence of undergraduate participation in the life of the nation.

There was a time when students were treated as adults and were encouraged and energised by ideals to action. They felt that they had a role to play. Student demonstrations were frequent. The great debates that took place in the Great Hall at Universiti Malaya were soul-stirring. Speakers Corner outside the library was active. Unfortunately, these activities were stilled by the restrictions imposed by the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

The English language helped connect both academia and students with academia and students from all over the world. Student and staff exchanges helped pollinate the intellectual life at our universities. Unfortunately, our government felt that control of students was more important to maintain order.

There was a balance to be struck - between freeing the mind and potential of our students, and preventing our students from participating in politics and taking to the streets. But that balance was lost. And students became docile and disinterested. Look at our homes. We raise our children to think critically - to question everything. And they question us! But we all accept as parents that that is a price worth paying.

But the days of our parents and grandparents are over. And in a world that is increasingly more complex and fast-paced, young people have to be equipped to think quickly and independently. We should not be afraid of liberal ideas and values.

Today we lose students to mediocrity, to materialism or to extremism because we fail to stir and stimulate their minds.

Fair Play: Sorry, writer Mariam Mokhtar. It is well-nigh impossible to reboot the Malay mind. Here is the why. The hard disk memory of the majority of the Malay mind is not capable of upgrading to a much, much higher storage capacity to download the ever increasing types of software needed to process and interpret the information and types of information they needed to live in an ever-changing environment.

Besides they do not have ability to accommodate the types of software needed to interpret information and knowledge other than knowledge about their religion and way of life.

Abasir: Rebooting the Malay mind? The curious analogy aside, I do not think any such thing is possible given the crippling nature of the belief system which militates against self-reflection or introspection of any kind.

Indeed, what is there to think when everything and anything that may be thought about has already been "answered" in The Book? Believers, Mariam, have to simply follow and do so unquestioningly. "Yours is not to ask why, yours is to do... or die."

As for the contention that there are millions of educated ‘graduates’ and ‘academicians’ out there, one should remember that the factory model used to churn them out was always with the intention of producing an unthinking, compliant populace hopelessly dependent on a ‘benevolent’ regime bandying its "you help me, I help you" formula for mutual survival.

With Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), quotas, special privileges, subsidised trips to the desert state and with all troubling questions settled with scripted answers on Fridays, what need is there to reboot?

Wg321: When Saudi Arabia’s king visited Malaysia, I made an interesting observation while he was seen disembarking from his aircraft. On his aircraft, there was written a big sign "God Bless You" in English and Arabic.

Malay Muslims always advocate that Allah is Allah and cannot use the word ‘God’ to mean ‘Allah’ and vice-versa. How come the Saudi Arabia king, the custodian of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, can use the word ‘God’ to mean ‘Allah’?

It appears that the Malay Muslims are more Muslim than the Arab Muslims. In the words of Mariam, just like the organ transplant case mentioned by her, this may also be considered another “amazing anomaly”.

Crucify me but not my beloved country: Malays do not need soul-searching. After more than half a century of Umno's alleged deceptions and delusions, the majority would probably need a head transplant.

Choo Sin Fook: This is enlightening, Mariam. The incidents mentioned are real and local, the readers can reach their own conclusion. Thanks for this piece on a Monday morning. Don't let the detractors stop you.

Meerkat: The lie of “insulting” is probably the most successful mass-deception accepted by the unthinking. Those who are fooled become sensitive and use that excuse to beat down anything they don't agree with. There is no more need to debate intelligently, that is, to think.

Why is a different viewpoint “an insult”? One can differ from ignorance. Or the person could differ because he/she is right. To cite “insulting” to avoid a discussion is a disservice to the one in the wrong. Is this denial from a sense of insecurity?

If one is so sure that he/she is right, shouldn't the attitude be to correct the one who is wrong, so that the latter can benefit from the truth as well? Why should someone who is wrong be despised? Or why is he/she insulting just because he/she is wrong?

(Of course, I am not talking about people who incite violence or other forms of crime. There are good reasons to take such people to task.)

Pretzel Dog: It’s not possible to reboot one’s mind for those who don't know that they don't know.

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