I wrote this letter to Malaysiakini in July 2004, which was published on 29 July 2004. I used the name “Cant Keep The Faith Now”

Ignoring the gorilla, hastening emigration

I read Ryan Davidson’s letter and immediately told my wife that it felt like I was looking into a mirror. You see, my family and I have, like Ryan and his family, decided to leave Malaysia.

We were never party to the social contract that we are told our forefathers had entered into almost 47 years ago. In any event, we do not like being at the receiving end of a liberal interpretation of the contract and the unjust and unconscionable enforcement of the liberally construed terms, onto so many of us.

Certainly, it is my belief that if I do not take my family out of this country, I will continue to subject my child, and her children after her, to the continuing injustice of this contract. I often thought the new administration under our new prime minister presents new hopes for fairer treatment.

Alas, just as the previous PM was an exciting breath of fresh air some 22 years ago but proved so putrid much later on, I feel I cannot subject my child and her children after her, to the same risk. That risk being that this PM too, may abandon fresh hopes for justice in exchange for immediate gains to himself, his family, his supporters and his race.

I feel especially compelled to write this, after what happened recently. I had the chance of a quick brush with a young man, who represents the future of the ruling party. This young man has also been under the media spotlight recently, albeit more voluntarily this time around.

He was trying to explain what went wrong in respect of the many who could not be given places to study medicine in local universities, despite scoring top marks. He thought it had something to do with the fact that the assessment procedures were totally academic, and as academic capabilities of students reached a plateau where many scored top marks, another dimension needed to be introduced, to further differentiate these talents.

This was necessary as there were simply not enough places for medicine in local universities as more and more scored top marks. I kept very quiet as he did his quick discourse. I thought it was a pained argument, as it ignored the proverbial 600-pound gorilla in the corner.

I thought it was painfully obvious the shortage of places came about principally because there was a backdoor through which many entered and took up seats. While many more scored top marks in STPM than before, many continue to gain entry without having to.

Of course, no one asked this bright young man whether his other dimension for differentiation will apply across the board. It would have been impolite to point out this very large animal in the corner and ask, ‘What about that?’

If a bright, very well-educated, articulate young man espoused thoughts which totally ignored the fundamental injustice of our system, what future does our country hold?

If this is future prime minister material, then I really feel people like Ryan Davidson and I are doing the right thing by taking our children out. Bright people may not be just people. No matter how bright and well-educated our future leaders are, if they choose to continue to hold on to an obviously unjust system, we cannot subject our children’s future to these leaders.

My father did not have the opportunity to leave. I now have to pay the price of starting anew – abandoning a secured and well-paid job – so that my child escapes the injustice.

Am I enjoying life here in KL? You bet. Like Ryan, my wife and I draw incomes for lifestyles too painful to sacrifice. Yet, if we choose to be concerned only with our own job security and comfortable lifestyles, our child may one day be faced with the decision I now face.

What if she does not have the same opportunity to leave for another country? I feel I must leave now, while the window remains open. Am I running away? You bet

 Then, this I followed up with this, after a few replies were published. It was published on 16 August 2004:

 

Dr G Walter in his letter suggested that if one is well-paid, one cannot or should not complain of injustices. I find this argument curious at best. Walter further suggested that I and Ryan Davidson harbour bitterness which has its roots in deprivation of ‘more wealth’. 

Shaukat Ali also thought I was being vitriolic. Or maybe he thought Ryan was the guilty one. I wonder how Walter and Shaukat Ali are able to make such observations based on what I wrote.

I wish to elaborate on a point I made in my earlier letter that judging from the current state of affairs, I see no changes to the way things are run in this country.

The young ruling elite has demonstrated a continuing focus on the ‘social contract’, the interpretation and application of which has lead to – and will continue to lead to – anomalies in resource allocations, chiefly of higher education opportunities.

I don’t see how the above point makes one bitter or ‘vitriolic’. Have I been deprived of more wealth thus resulting in bitterness or vitriol?

Hardly. Like I said, my wife and I are both earning reasonably good incomes. In fact, where I am now affords more opportunities for more wealth, precisely because I am surrounded by well- connected people, including the young ruling elite class.

It is this proximity which tells me the social contract will be enforced for as long and as far as I can see. I think this is unjust. I can ignore the injustice, continue to enrich myself, and pack my kid off to another country for a first-class education.

Or, I can uproot now and remove ourselves from such injustices.

In his final point, Walter seems to concede there are more civil liberties in certain countries. He implied however, that immigrants do not deserve these benefits as they have not fought for them.

Actually, I am only taking my kid to a place where I think she has a better fighting chance. Just like my great grandfather did when he left China so many years ago.

 

Thought I’d copy them here to keep in perspective, of my most recent letter to them (see a few posts back)

 

Stories about a man called Abramoff made headline a few weeks ago. This man apparently undertook questionable lobbying work in the US. Questionable should maybe read illegal. I guess the surprise is the scale and openness of the whole thing, not the fact that it is a done thing in the business of government in the US. Lobbying is an old profession. Not the oldest for sure but the job description would catapult it pretty close to the oldest.

Yesterday’s LA Times reported the Malaysian connection with Abramoff’s equivalent of the $2 company – an entity known as American International Centre. Malaysia was a good client, apparently. It paid $1.2 million to Abramoff through this organisation and got in return, a photo-shoot session for Mahathir with Dubya. I don’t know if it did anything to improve Mahathir’s image then but that was a lot of money for a government to pay to make its PM look better. A botox treatment would have been cheaper.

To me, what came through the article was how Mahathir was perceived to be anti-semitic. No reason to question the accuracy of that perception, as he certainly gave everyone very good reasons to think that. That image has stuck. He is now a recognised anti-semitic.

The irony? Abramoff is a Jew – and he was paid plenty of money by an anti-semitic in a business deal. I guess if one chooses to worship the almighty dollar, there can be no other gods besides USD.

Money does really motivate people. It may not be the most important thing to many, but it is the reason why most people do what they do. I guess they enjoy their tasks along the way. Yesterday on radio, someone recounted how a newly promoted School Assistant Principal lasted 1 week in her job. She quit after 1 week, when she won a lottery worth $15 million. I guess money was the reason she was an Assistant School Principal. Otherwise, what has winning the lottery got to do with her continuing on with her job?

I wonder how many people would continue doing what they have been doing if they win the lottery. I think I will go and buy a ticket. There’s a big draw coming up this Saturday – saw the ads for it. $19 million, I think.