Why Malaysian Chinese do not want to join our Angkatan Tentera Malaysia - Salah Gomen juga?

Of the many excuses for not joining the Malaysia Armed Forces the  excuse which appeared in mysinchew.com takes the cake in pathetic excuse when this obviously "chauvinist I am superior" guest writer not only belittle the Government but also insult the majority of this country while singing the now mandatory praise to the city state down South, Singapore. Read:


Why Malaysian Chinese do not want to join the military


Such is the wonders of cyberspace, such insults won't go unanswered for very long though, so here is Blogger Bujai of Just Read blog with his replies, which I reproduced in full (without permisssion) here:

They are pointing fingers at the government, accusing the present Malay leadership of being bias not to accept the non-Malays into the public service, and of course 'tak cukup makan' if they join the army (making Singapore as a comparison).


MYSinchew.com guest writer Koon Yew Yin, an engineer, a corporate figure and a well-known philanthropist wrote that "the sense of patriotism is a complex one but it does not include supporting your country and your government all the time. It can include supporting your country but not the government of the day, especially when that government is perceived to engage in policies and programmes that treat you as second class citizens.


"Unfortunately, the Malaysian Chinese do not feel that the current government has treated them fairly or deserves their loyalty. They have come to the point when they are now saying “Go and do your own killing”.


(My argument - Second class citizens? In countries all over the world, any second class citizens are not as rich as the Chinese in Malaysia. In fact, second-class citizens are not allowed to dominate the economy. So, who are the second class citizens in Malaysia?)


He went on: "I concede that there may be other reasons to explain the Chinese reluctance to join the military but these have nothing to do with the lack of patriotism. There is a Cantonese saying “Hoi chai mu tong ping, hoi chai mu cho kait”. Literally it means that the “good son does not become a soldier and good wood does not become sandals”.


"Perhaps this deep seated cultural aversion to the military also explains why Chinese youth are reluctant to join the military. However, a fair, just and widely admired government and equitable policies can overcome such cultural complexes."


(What equitable policies and what cultural complexes? Is it by amending the Federal Constitution for the non-Malays to become Prime Ministers or to have a special ministerial portfolio in-charge of the non-Malays?)


"Let’s not forget that the courageous defence to the Japanese takeover of Malaya in the Second World War was mainly put up by the Chinese who paid for their patriotism to the country with countless lives and other sacrifices. Let’s also not forget that the emergency was won with Chinese blood and that the majority of Chinese rallied round a non-communist government. The historical evidence is clear that when their country is in danger and they are fighting for a cause they believe in, Malaysian Chinese are not lacking for patriotism."


(The Japs were after the Chinese. They hated the Chinese in their colonialisation scheme. Any country they went, they would look out for the Chinese first. In Malaya then, the Chinese were their victims. The Malays did not kill or attack the Chinese but helped them, instead. So, the Chinese had to defend themselves... is that patriotism? Why must you rekindle the past? Again, if I may ask, for what reason did their ancestors come to Malaya a long time ago? To defend the country?)


He also said: "Hundreds of thousands of patriotic non-Malays are trying daily in vain to get employment in the government services. That is why so many non-Malays immigrate to find better countries to live in. Many have gone to work in nearby Singapore which incidentally is doing much better than us as a result of this non-Malay exodus."


(Come on laaaa.... they are not keen to join the public sector for its low wages. Nothing's wrong with that. The Malays are OK with it. As the Chinese are good traders and prefer to do business, especially after the late 1970s when we first moved into industrialisation programme).


"Patriotism in Malaysia – if you are a non-Malay -- does not find you work in the government service or pay your bills. It does not ensure a bright and equitable future for your children. Umno leaders – rather than mourning and groaning -- should appreciate the fact that millions of non-Malays continue to be loyal and patriotic to the country despite the many reasons for not doing so."


(Let me give you this Malay saying - di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung. Since we are citizens of this country, we must abide and respect the laws. Or, shall I remind you of what I wrote recently about the Chinese? That they are good in business, they help in boosting Malaysia's economic growth. In that sense, the Malays have long accepted the fact that the Chinese who are citizens of Malaysia are free to do what they want to and will live with it. The Malays will defend the country to enable the non-Malays to get rich and in prospering themselves. I am also of the opinion that the Chinese will only be interested to join the army and defend a country where they form the majority. In the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries where they form a 'bigger-minority', they are still not keen to join the armed forces!. Singapore used to be 'not a Chinese territory' but they now control the armed forces because they are the majority. So, dont make Singapore a comparison!)

Anyway very well said Blogger Bujai. Read the full blog post here.

While we should never accuse a fellow citizen for lack of patriotism because for one reason or the other they do not want to join the armed forces, we do not need sorry "syok sendiri" excuses such as that written by the guest writer in MySinchew, I dare say that such perverse arrogance offends many Malaysian of ALL races who proudly served in the Malaysian Armed Forces for that matter the Polis and the Civil Service.