To Michael Backman

To Michael Backman
Dear Mr. Backman,
First of all, thank you for hitting the nail right on the head with your series of article on Malaysia.I am a Malaysian, grew up, educated and brought up in Malaysia, only to be fortunate to emigrate to the USA recently.
Do please allow me the opportunity to shed some light on the entire Malaysian 'system' as how a layman would see it

Education
Ever since I was a boy of eight or ten, my earliest memories was of my late father (a lowly paid civil servant) continuosly harping and drumming into me, on the need to excel way and above expectations. The odds are stacked against non-Bumiputra in all avenues, he would always say. In a developing nation like Malaysia in the depressed economies of the early 80s - one can expect little economic progress if one lacked a good formal education.

Reality struck me when I finished my primary education, almost every single one of my Bumiputra friends, worth a pinch of any academic salt was weeded out to attend Government-operated fully residential schools. Those that remained were close to extreme basket-cases (some could not even read after 6 years of primary education). Some of these friends whom I will meet again in my later years would have their British, American or Australian university education fully paid for by the Government.

My educational experience got much worse for me as the Government continue to make calls for an egalitarian approach and quota-based allocation students in classrooms. Let this be known, that this does not apply to fully-residential schools which are 100% attended by Bumiputras. So, through the years, brilliant non-Bumiputra school children would have to succumb to dumb-down classrooms to cater for the their Bumiputra counterparts (who have been left behind as the better ones are 'raptured' away)

The system of weeding-out Bumiputra children into a mono-culture, preferentially-treated educational system continues. Right after the first public examination (Malaysian Certificate of Education, equivalent to British GCE 'O' Levels). Bumiputra students are again given 100% preferential seats at matriculation centers (conducted by Universities, or governmental agencies). Placement in these instituition almost guarantees a place in the University and some governmental agencies will go to great lengths to prepare the student for placement at foreign universities. Less academic oriented ones will be provided places at Vocational instituitions.

Hence, we have the non-Bumiputra students left behind in the main-strean school system, yet again.

Then came the all-important school leaving examinations (STPM, equivalent to Higher School Certificate or British 'A' Levels). Those aspiring (rather those who do not have any other means) for a place at a Malaysian University would have to sit for this examination. Once again, after examination results are announced admission to the University are quota-based and skewed towards Bumiputra students. Some faculties are even wholly reserved for Bumiputra students.

Non-Bumiputra students from traditional school system have just sat for a tougher public examination and after that is over, their admission to Malaysian universities are once-again based on quotas skewed towards Bumiputra students being admitted to local universities from these Matriculation centers. Again I have the need to stress, that Matriculation centers run their own examination and courses are graded based on an American semester-based system (in which marks are provided based on a combination of exam score, coursework and attendance)

Yes, my late father did mention, the odds are stacked against us. Looking back, the odds are unimaginable. Regular Non-Bumiputra students from working-class families have literally no means of any advancement given the odds that are stacked against them. Firstly, non-Bumiputra students have to dumb themselves down in classrooms that are forced to portray a facade of multi-culturalism, in which his Bumiputra friends are no way on par with him academically. Again, I stress the better Bumiputra have been weeded out to fully residential schools.Secondly, even if rises above the dumb-down school system and excels, his seat in the local university is again unsecured, as he faces a stiff 'challenge' from a quota-based entrance system, in which Bumiputra students from these Matriculation centers are given preferential seats.

I thank God everyday today that I have broken away from the clutches of this extremely inhumane system. It is my fervent hope that my children will never have to experience and undergo such bigotry.

To Mr. Backman, thank you for your courage to write the article that you wrote. It almost seem like a glimmer of hope for those that have been wronged and trodden upon. We hope that one-day things will be better for them, in their own country. Better for them in their own home.