Virtually, the entire economy of Malaysia was controlled by the Chinese. Sri Lankans too then called the Ceylonese before the last war, helped to a great extent to man the public services such as the railways and the postal services.
Many Sri Lankans were involved in business in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. But in view of the fact that the economy was dominated by the Chinese, there existed strong anti-Chinese sentiments in Malaysia.
This erupted in an inferno in 1969 and thousands of Chinese were killed and Chinese business institutions were burnt and looted. The carnage inflicted on the Chinese in Malaysia in 1969, far exceeded the violence that engulfed Sri Lanka in 1983.
The Malay and the Chinese leadership were able to solve this problem which could be upheld as a model for Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed introduced the Bhumiputhra policy under which Malaysians were called Bhumiputhras (the sons of the soil).
And under this policy, the bulk of the jobs whether in education, business or any other sphere of activity had to be reserved for the Bhumiputhras via the Moslem Malays.
The Bhumiputhra policy is still continuing. This can be called nakedly a racist policy. This is discrimination. However, this policy must have been very successful as Malaysia s economy has boomed and outstripped that of Sri Lanka by leaps and bounds.
Unity
The Tamils who constitute nearly 9% of the population of Malaysia would not dare called this discrimination. Immediate action would have been taken if there were disturbances. Similarly, the Chinese leadership in Malaysia acquiesced with this policy.
The Government was formed by a coalition which included the Malays, the Chinese and the Tamils. Malaysia has enjoyed stability and steady economic development.
With reference to this I quote from a speech made by the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdulla Ahmad Badawi which was reported in The Island of September 1, 2006.
Malaysians must retain the spirit of consensus and co-operation which has become the pillar of national strength since Independence .
He said the country s development which is enjoyed today is the result of unity that had long been forged among the people of various races and religions. The solidarity of Malaysians is our strength.
We need to ensure that we maintain that strength. A good consensus, strong and effective co-operation - these are important, he said in a special message aired over radio and television in conjunction with the nation s 49th national day celebrations.
Abdullah said, in instilling and safeguarding unity, each Malaysian must have patience, be considerate, give priority to collaboration and respect each other. Referring to the May 13, 1969 incident, Abdullah reminded Malaysians to learn from the dark moments in the country s history and avoid doing something that could disrupt unity and racial collaboration .
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/24/fea01.asp
|