jobless, unemployed, unemployable (part 2)

Many have come to the defense of graduates in light of the recent media frenzy concerning the topic of the 80,000 unemployed graduates.

This letter is among the many grouses brought forward by the unemployed themselves. I quote:

I am appalled and disgusted by those who keep criticising our graduates for not wanting to take up jobs which pay low salaries or where working conditions resemble those of a sweat shop. Why should they? They have studied and grown up with the expectation that they will have a better life with university or tertiary education.

The writer has a valid point there. It is of common perception by the public that a university degree equals fat opportunities for lucrative jobs and comfortable five-figure salaries. This belief is no doubt being propagated by various parties.

The government's emphasis on academic excellence means that more and more students are "programmed" to score A's, and nothing more. They will do anything in order to obtain that string of A's, while forsaking more balanced education such as general knowledge, communication skills, interpersonal habits, and physical education.

Meanwhile, parents believe that a university degree is the key to success in the material world. This belief is no doubt being propagated from their own experience of their yesteryears, bringing back the memories from a time when education was scarce, and a degree meant a lot. These days, universities are churning out graduates by the thousands, with a job market unable to meet the demand.

Do the employers have any contribution to the declining standards of prospective employees? Apparently so, as articulated by this writer. The following passage is quoted from the letter:

In the early 1990s, I was jobless after graduating with a degree in Hotel Management. I was unable to get even a waiter’s job in a hotel.

The reason given was that I was overqualified and the hotel was certain I would not stay long on the job.

I was also not considered for a more senior position as I did not have the experience. This was the dilemma I faced for nearly a year...

Overqualification due to having a simple university degree? Won't stay long because of the high demands? Perhaps the employers here are to blame for their selfishness in wanting to squeeze the most out of fresh graduates while paying low starting salaries. Job hopping within the industries is a normal and anticipated phenomenon. It is up to each company or employer to create incentives to inculcate company loyalty and reduce employee turnover.

What is the real problem?

The Malay Mail reports here that the majority of the unemployed graduates in our country comprise of 3 major disciplines of study: business administration, computer IT, and engineering.

Could this be a repercussion from the zealous efforts by the government to promote technology and entrepeneurship in the early years of the Multimedia Super Corridor's conception? There was a time when engineering courses were shortened to a mind-boggling 3 years duration, when 4.5 years would have been a more realistic time frame. Various colleges were churning out IT courses by the dozens, ranging from Information Systems Engineering to Software Engineering and Computer Science. While business administration degrees are of no use if there is no practical experience to back the text book answers.

Opinion pieces seem to suggest that students should not blindly take up courses that "everyone else is studying", instead focus on each student's interest and ability.

Killing 2 birds with 1 stone?

The government is mulling the passing of a law that requires employers to adhere to a "51% locals" rule in their employment policies. Reports can be found here, here and here.

Could this be a method to combat the onslaught of foreign workers, regardless of legality, to our country? Left unchecked, our nation could be swarming with people who are not Malaysian, despite having contributed to our economy. What type of unity are we trying to inculcate through the constant hiring of foreign workers while neglecting local brains?

Or perhaps this is just the typical knee-jerk reaction from the authorities to gently coerce our unemployed graduates to keep Malaysian Ringgit in the country, instead of losing our best brains to our friendly neighbour down south.

Whichever it is, or if it's both, let's hope that the efforts will pay off and we will see solutions in the near future to these 2 social problems affecting Malaysia.

is Islam above the law?

Apparently, according to Dr Shamsul, it is. In a letter to Malaysiakini, the writer implies that there is no reason why non-Muslims should talk about Islamic law. The following statement sums up the relevant message the writer wishes to bring across.

Being a Muslim means abiding by all the principles of Islam. All, mind you. Not 99.9 percent. All. No matter what the Federal Constitution says, to a Muslim it will never be above Islamic law.

I don't wish to incur the wrath of my fellow citizens. Granted, the interpretation of the Syariah laws in this country have not yet reached Talibanism standards. But the signs of it approaching are slowly emerging. With the ongoing tussle between UMNO and PAS to demonstrate which party is the best upholder of Islam in the country, the Malay race (the dominant Muslims in Malaysia) is divided.

Furthermore, because of the stringent interpretation of the Islamic laws, many times innocent bystanders are harmed or humiliated by the actions of the Religious Departments, as seen in the recent JAWI raid on Zouk KL. To put it more bluntly: the non-Muslims suffer.

What does this add up to?

If the government is sincere in its aspiration to create a united Malaysia, the current situation isn't very encouraging. With staunch Muslim defenders such as Dr Shamsul, the recent postponement of the Interfaith commission, gradual "islamization" of the country, moral policing, Malaysians are divided by religion. And since in Malaysia, where the Malay race is automatically a Muslim, we are also divided by race.

It is through open communication, understanding and acceptance that unity can be encouraged to emerge. If we constantly shut away the avenue for open discussions and forums in the name of protecting the "sensitivity" of the People, or provoking the "rage" of god, or "insulting" the beliefs of others, then we will never be able to live in harmony.

There are people who will do everything to defend their faith, regardless of the facts that proclaim otherwise. These are labeled "extremists", who do not view logic as something substantial or important. In Malaysia, we are fortunate to be free from extremist militants.

However, extremism in the form of "religious overzealousness" exists. These are the people who do not wish to listen to other viewpoints, nor learn more about different religions. To them, "only my religion is right; everyone else's is wrong." And that is where the blockages to true unity are. It's not in the schools, it's not in the work place, it's not in the media.

It's inside each of us.

One inspired citizen can make a difference.
30 million Malaysians can change the world.

(if only...)

pemuda UMNO reviewes sepet

Syed Zulkifli of Pemuda Umno decides to give a try on reviewing movies, this time honing his skills on the acclaimed SePet by Yasmin Ahmad.

Although the review starts off promisingly, it soon digresses into the dreaded tone of race and religion. Apparently, this reviewer is more concerned about how the "Malay race" is being portrayed in the movie, rather than taking in the story and characterization from the actors.

In one passage from the review:

Sesungguhnya, sesebuah filem memang kuat pengaruhnya dan teramat halus penghantaran maknanya.

Cuma pemaparan jenama Melayu versi Sepet amat menyedihkan penulis. Ia seolah-olah mengia dan menguatkan apa yang pernah dikatakan oleh penulis dan pengkaji barat tentang Melayu dahulukala.

Translation:

Ultimately, this is a film that is very influential and subtle in conveying its meaning.

Only, the depiction of the Malay brand ala Sepet saddens the writer. It is as if condescending and strengthens the earlier analysis from Western writers and researches regarding the Malay race.

Please read the entire review (in Malay language) to gain better context.

The point here is... political parties (and race based ones at that) should not be criticizing movies from a racial standpoint, because that was not the intention of the film at all. All the story teller wants to say is written in the story line, and there should not be any "racial analysis" on which race is superior, which race was portrayed wrongly, which race was not given enough air time, or if the audience had to rely on subtitles for half of the movie.

Pray tell, Pemuda Umno, where would you find a chinese family that speaks malay 24/7?

The clincher in the review comes in the form of this statement.

Penulis bertambah sedih apabila tidak ada satu watak Melayu pun yang boleh penulis banggakan di dalam filem ini. Apakah agaknya persepsi masyarakat antarabangsa terhadap bangsa Melayu setelah menonton filem ini?

Translation:

The writer is further saddened when there is not even one Malay character that he can be proud of in this film. What would be the international community's perception toward the Malay race after watching this film?

If Pemuda Umno is in fact so concerned about this point, then maybe they have forgotten or chose to ignore the fact that the film was indeed penned and directed by a Malay director, Yasmin Ahmad. Furthermore, the main character in the movie is Orked, the feisty Malay girl who so happened managed to fall in love with a Chinese boy, albeit him being an illegal VCD peddler who impregnated a gang leader's sister.

Suka seks, berfoya-foya, keistimewaan tidak adil dan malas adalah jenama Melayu versi Sepet yang diketengahkan ke mata dunia. Bilakah kali terakhir anda menonton filem Melayu dan berbangga menjadi orang Melayu?

Translation:

Free sex, flirtation, and the unfairness and laziness of the Malay brand is the version that Sepet portrays to the world. When was the last time you saw a Malay film and was proud to be a Malay?

I believe that in the end, the reviewer has lost the plot. A story is a story, nothing more. It is not compulsary to make a film that merely praises a particular so-called superior race. In fact, gauging from audience reactions, this film has managed to strengthen National Unity instead of weakening it.

Or maybe, sensing that true unity is about to happen, Pemuda Umno has to step in to stir the racial broth again, fanning flames within the Malay community, urging them to forget about the happy family and start thinking about Ketuanan Melayu, ultimately reducing Malaysia into a single-race community of Malays?

interfaith commission not happening (part 2)

Last month, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi announced that the long pending and highly debated Interfaith Commission (IFC) was to be postponed (for how long, it was never mentioned) due to the religious sensitivities of the Malaysian populace.

Today Muslim clerics affirm their resolution to reject the formation of any form of inter religious dialogues or committees, with the justification that "Islam should only be discussed by Muslims." According to the report, the muftis have this to say.

The Malaysian Muftis Council has strongly objected to the setting up of the Inter-Religions Commission (IRC), saying that it will not be beneficial to Muslims.

Major disunity!

So one wonders in this so-called united Malaysia, things will happen only for the benefit of Muslims. If it is not beneficial to Muslims, but it brings better understanding and acceptance among other faiths, it is automatically rejected. Is this the kind of Malaysia we want to live in? One where there is a "superior" race and religion, while the minorities are relegated to "inferior" positions?

Are we moving away from the ideals set forth by our second Prime Minister Abdul Razak? Here I find the double speak that is so prevalent in politics.

Paying tribute to the second Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Abdul Razak had proven that multi-racial leaders could cooperate and preserve unity if they were willing to do away with narrow racial-based political ideologies.

But what we find today is that racial-based political ideologies are rampant and ubiquitous. Each major race component party fights solely for the "rights" of that race, ignoring the rest of the population. While there is a flimsy "alliance" in the form of Barisan Nasional, one wonders at the sincerity of the National Front. If it was indeed ready to give up race-based politics, it should have long ago abolished UMNO, MCA and MIC, and present itself to the public as one coherent party, namely BN.

Only then, will I say there is true unity.

crime and media (part 2)

Updated 12:44:00 PM

Satire blogger TV Smith predicts the future of the local TV advertising industry.

Original Post

Not too long ago, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz bashed the local media for reporting crime cases, thus contributing to the social menace of rising crime rates and deteriorating standards of safety and public security. Of course, he was quickly criticized and dismissed for simplifying the issue of responsible journalism and the real threat of crime in Malaysia.

But when we say it...

National News Agency Bernama reports that foreign investors are intimidated by the intensive and frequent coverage of criminal activity in our country. This of course includes the recent killings, burglaries, robberies, rape cases and the unsettling news of 100,000 Pakistani workers brought in to fill the gap set by the deportation of 400,000 illegal Indonesian workers.

Here's an excerpt from the report, as spoken by Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar.

"Such reports give a picture that our country is not peaceful and that the crime rate is high."

"Malaysia is a safe country with a low crime rate, in fact, the crime rate is declining from year to year."

One cannot dismiss the fact that crime is happening in this country, and police enforcement is alarmingly disappointing. It is the responsibility of the media to inform the public of these crimes. And if our government cannot handle the fact that there is free media outside of Malaysia to report the truth (that inevitably "scares" foreign investors from entering our country), perhaps they should not have lambasted Nik Aziz so quickly.

What's the magic phrase again?

You can do it any way, as long as it's my way.

how low can you go?

Updated 3:16:00 PM

Blogger at Screenshots puts an interesting twist to the "intelligent conversations" held in the Parliament.

Updated 11:31:00 AM

Yasmin Ahmad has chided the MPs who criticize her work, as reported in The Sun.

Here's a quote from the report, as spoken by Yasmin herself:

"I always make sure my commercials and films do not sound fake. I think that is the reason my Petronas advertisements always appeal to many people. It is my job to make films and not censor them."

"We have far greater problems that need to be discussed and highlighted such as handbag snatching, child rape, drugs, AIDS and wife battery."

Spot on, Yasmin! It's time for the MPs to realize that they are the ones promoting disunity, not intelligent film makers such as Yasmin Ahmad!

Original Post

I shuddered when I read this piece of news. Apparently, there are still people who are dissatisfied with the success of the highly acclaimed, multi award winning movie that has made headlines all over the world, more than half a million ringgit in local screenings alone (not including revenue from international screenings and VCD sales).

One wonders what our elected representatives are really debating about in the Parliament. Instead of focusing on issues such as local government elections, increasing crime rates, and the recent extension of PLUS's concessionaire period, they are picking a fight with a witty and well-crafted film!

In fact, this is not the first time that this movie has attracted so much attention from our so-called "leaders".

I don't know what our MPs have against an intelligent film maker who, instead of conforming and placating the government's appetite for "patriotic" and "nationalistic" movies, decides to challenge and provoke the Public with highly original and intriguing masterpieces of film.

Perhaps, if all of us conform to the government's idea of "what's correct", then they would be mighty pleased with their own "achievements". Then again, what's the point of that happening, if there is no respect for individual expression, creative art, and independent social commentary?