Chinese expectations
Published on: Sunday, February 12, 2017
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I am driven to write this article by a combination of a few happenings which on the surface, may not be related.
They are the Chinese New Year Celebration, talk of snap general election, call by Datuk Seri Musa Aman for support of his government by Chinese and a pronouncement by a West Malaysian think tank that corruption cannot be wiped out so long as politicians continue to act as “welfare officers” to their constituents.
Put together, they give a picture of expectations of Malaysian Chinese. I will try to mesh these expectations which I hope will be useful to those who wish to get Chinese support in the next election.
Here are some commonalities among the Chinese in Malaysia and all over the world.
A big majority of Chinese would never want or expect politicians to be their “welfare officers”.
They consider it a shame if they have to stretch out their hands to ask for financial freebies.
From very young, successive generations of Chinese for thousands of years have been ingrained into their heads that they must, as a top priority in life, achieve financial independence as soon as possible.
The biggest dream of any Chinese parents is to see their children do well in life.
Most of them can go to extraordinary lengths to help their children to realise this dream, especially in financing their education.
Aversion having to ask for financial freebies and not expecting handouts from Government, the Chinese parents would normally indoctrinate their children on the need of hard work. Chinese, like all decent people, are not afraid of hard work. In fact, they embrace and welcome such opportunity if there are potential appropriate rewards.
Long working hours are nothing to them.
Following this is financial management. Also from very young, Chinese parents make sure their children acquire financial prudence, saving for the future and put money aside for investment. The average Chinese does not need tuition or lessons on saving money and prudence in spending money.
When a Chinese ask “how are you doing?” it is common knowledge that they don’t meant to ask about your health.
They are asking about your business or your careers. Such is the Chinese obsession on financial security and “urge to do well”.
Irrespective of whether Chinese or English educated, poor or rich, the Chinese are great believers in and of good education. The historical mandarin examination system has persisted for thousands of years and are still very much part of the Chinese culture in China and every Chinese family worldwide today.
They revere people with scholastic abilities. Reflecting this, China comes to stand still each year when about 9 million students sit for university entrance examination or the National Higher Education Examination [Gaokao] which is considered to be the toughest in the world. Surprisingly, English is a compulsory subject now.
In another 10 years, there will be more English speaking Chinese than England. Students with the best results will enter the top, prestigious universities. No preference or concession for any one. It is sheer competition!
Graduates from these ‘crème de la crème’ universities have far better chances of landing ‘plum jobs’ in government and private sectors.
For thousands of years, the Chinese, especially poor Chinese families, see education as the only avenue for a better future for their children. The Chinese ‘mandarin examination system’ under which any one in China could become a high government official if he could do well in this examination. Government scholarships are rare for the Malaysian Chinese, even though they may be well qualified, means that the average Chinese family will slog and save every cent so that their children can get a good education. Quite common to hear and see that the siblings will combine financial resources, a family selling their house or going into loan to finance education for one of their offspring. Going to such extend for education is quite a unique Chinese cultural trait, not commonly done by other races. More remarkable in view that the education, especially in a foreign university, can be very costly. Placing importance of education is extended up to the community level. Nothing can rally the Chinese more than an appeal to build a school or provide good education opportunities. Hence, many Chinese schools are the best in Malaysia.
What do Chinese want from Government? Their needs are relative simple in reality.
Top most is for the Government to be fair, clean and not to over burden them with needless red tape.
If the whole government system can function like UTS will be best! It is weird logic that Chinese like to give corruption. Nobody, Chinese or any other race, in their right mind, will want to give “under counter money” to get things done in government if government system is clean, transparent and efficient.
Why would anyone want to pay bribe money if he can get things done fast like Singapore?
In addition to culture, education and less burden in earning a living, the Chinese wish list is to have better security and reasonable medical care. A bonus if good social safety net can be available.
Actually the Chinese needs from government are quite normal and common with the requirements of decent people of all other races. They do not have exceptional expectations nor do they expect any.
In as far as Sabah is concerned, Musa has been the Chief Minister of all races since his elevation to the office.
Without fail, he has allocated and made good his promise of financial grants for churches and Chinese independent schools.
Since independence, Malaysian Chinese have supported MCA faithfully. In the last 10 to 15 years, they have shifted their support away, not that they can expect the opposition can do very much.
They have lost confidence in the BN Chinese parties. Why? In my humble opinion there are two major reasons for this, both are very important.
The Chinese Federal Ministers and political leaders have been losing their credibility for a very long time.
The peak of respectability of the Chinese leaders was Tun Tan Siew Sin who, as Minister of Finance, used to manage the nation’s money like it was his. After him, the long decline started and got worse over time.
The BN Chinese leaders have failed to meet very least of the above expectations of the Chinese voters.
They must change fast if they wish to regain the political lost ground. Looking at their present performance, this is a hard uphill task. The BN Chinese political leaders and to a great extent, the Federal Government have relied on various Chinese Chambers of Commerce and other Chinese NGOs as a ‘go between’ for Chinese support.
Unfortunately, their reliance on them has been misplaced for many years. The only Chinese NGOs that have the support of the Chinese are those in education. All the others especially business NGO, have been putting up “wayang kulit” for the Federal Government. A lot of show but no substance. The reason is simply this, most Chinese business and NGO leaders with their Tan Sri, Dato Sri and Datuk titles are elitists, selfishly in it for themselves and are as aliens to the ordinary Chinese as the Chinese political leaders.
The fact of the matter is that these 2 groups have ganged up to fester their financial/business nest only.
They have no interest or idea of what are the needs of the average Chinese. The Chinese have a very poor opinion of Chinese politicians in government. Common comment on Chinese politicians in government is ‘yoc-ng-tui’ [in Hakka] or ‘crocodile head’. Simple translation – chief of corruption. If they deem my reason is incorrect or over simplistic, they are welcome to give their reasons for their near total loss of support from the Chinese community nationwide.
The MCA president has reasoned with the Chinese voters that it is important for BN Chinese political parties to be in government. He is barking at the wrong tree. Being in government is only important for Chinese politicians and Chinese business ‘taiko’. No meaning at all for the average and small time Chinese voters.
The second reason is that many small time Chinese businessmen are facing uncertainties and bleak future because of the changing economic circumstances in the global and national economy. Big majority of Chinese are in small business and are finding it very difficult to compete with overwhelming giants like imported international super markets and malls. As the Malaysian economy is undergoing a fundamental economic restructuring, many Chinese are finding themselves caught in this. The Chinese politicians and Federal Government, as far as I know, have no programme to assist them to adjust. Chinese political leaders in BN and Chinese business leaders have paid scant attention to this matter.
The Chinese politicians in BN cannot expect to and WILL NOT regain Chinese support in next general election with their present ‘modus operandi’. The Chinese have given them up already because of years of political and economic neglect, empty and/or failed promises and selfishness. To accuse them of anti government is not fair and can only make it worse. The Chinese voters have been extremely patient. The BN Chinese political leaders are pushing Chinese voters away by their present indifferent attitude. The solution? Simple, the BN Chinese parties should revert to re-establishing connect with the ordinary Chinese, address their simple needs and aspirations.
It is a myth that the Chinese wants their political leaders to engage in political fights or clashes with UMNO.
There is a Chinese saying ‘one cannot earn a living by fighting’. The Chinese just want their political leaders to be clean, sincere and have the ability to solve their simple needs- not much to ask. The BN’s problem with the loss of the Chinese votes is caused by the Chinese political leaders, not the Chinese voters. The BN Chinese leaders must reform. After all, the Chinese voters are stupid to continue giving their support blindly to ineffective, selfish political leaders and political parties? The Malaysian Chinese voters are practical people, they want solutions.
The BN Chinese political leaders must give them some good, solid positive reasons why they should cast their votes for them.
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