It is hard to be believe that the ministry of Education can come up with this number. It is rather sad that we are still in the ratio position but not letting the kids to know what is best for their future.
If Malaysia likes to stop racial polarisation, they can be achieved by
1. do not separate the housing allocation, in the market place
2. university entrance 6.2.2 ratio should be abolished
3.fair, impartial and democracy
Ms Devi must have too long in the office that she did not walk out of the door to see the information age. She still thinks in the box of the 60s.
The ECA or CCA is to explore the other parts of the young minds. But now it is the political tools.Please bear in mind that with more control and no demoncracy, the polarisation will be greater.
The Star Online > Nation
Tuesday August 22, 2006
Move to reduce racial polarisation
PUTRAJAYA: Schools will be encouraged to adopt a 3:2:1 ratio for co-curricular activities under a move by the Education Ministry to reduce racial polarisation among students.
The racial breakdown of students in the activities will depend on a school's enrolment.
For instance, in a school with a Malay majority followed by Chinese and Indians, the ratio of students in each society or uniformed body should be three Malays, two Chinese and one Indian.
Ministry parliamentary secretary P. Komala Devi said the formula was aimed at balancing student participation in certain activities that were dominated by one race.
“Many students take part in co-curricular activities without realising that besides being fun, it is also a national integration exercise,” she told a press conference yesterday.
“This is one way to get a good, healthy mix, and it will be a step towards fostering national unity.” .
While the formula was not mandatory, she added, the ministry would be “steering” schools towards adopting it.
On the awarding of points for co-curricular activities as part of the public university entry requirements, Komala said the ministry's Co-Curriculum Co-ordination Committee was proposing that half of the 10% allocated be given for attendance.
She added that other aspects to be awarded marks were participation, achievements and posts held within a society, with bonus marks for those who provided services to the school, such as prefects, librarians and co-operative board members.
She said that about 90% of schools nationwide had already established co-operatives and the ministry would encourage more to follow suit.
“These school co-operatives are in fact part of the co-curriculum and are among the better managed co-operatives in the country,” she said, adding that they made a profit of RM15mil last year.
There were 1,787 school co-operatives with a membership of 1,943,540 as of 2005.
© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Comments
What we are lagging is in the mentality. There is absolutely no point in talking about our lack of quality universities continuously over a period of time. What we Malaysians need is equality and freedom.
The kind of freedom championed for by William Wallace - for the freedom to think from those who seek to control us and hamper our growth for their own short term benefit.
Whether it is Jiso Tung or Newsweek or Times ranking of universities, it is a foregone conclusion that we will never be able to recapture the glory days of the 1970s.
This administration is bankrupt of ideas, and all they can do is to find fault with everybody else except themselves. Don't waste your breath, just beg, borrow or steal to put your children in a foreign university.
That is the reason all ministers children study overseas! "We mess up the system, but not on our children." How sick is this!
Don't you know our very own education minister sends his children overseas for education, as our quality is like rotten egg!
I think there is almost no minister in Sarawak who has their kids studying in the local universities. Most of them studied overseas.
The root of the problem is very well known by everybody except that the people at the top do not want to do anything about it.
They know that if they were to solve the root problem they will hang themselves in limbo, lost of extra side income, lost of power and more……….do you think they would want to resolve the root problem!
The Badawi fellow had already instructed all BN ministers to toe the line, they cannot agree with the oppositions on any matters even it is good for the country.
Did you see my bottom tagline, we have to keep on fighting and rambling until they wake up to their sense or the best "change of government".
Our universities poor ranking is a foregone conclusion. Unhappily, this situation will go on for as long as race-based discriminatory policy continues to be practiced. Private universities in the country would have a better chance of getting into the list than the public ones.
The government knows exactly what is wrong and the solutions to arrest the situation. It is just that they don't have the courage and the political will to do the necessary.
It is an insult for Zimbabwe to have its universities made comparable with those in Malaysia. Some of their graduates are my colleagues in Australia and they are really good.
Maybe it was correct some 10 years ago - now Malaysia universities can only compete with Afghanistan, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan or where there are no functional universities during the Taliban days. But soon the Afghanistan graduates would overtake us too.
What can you expect when the education minister is playing politics every chance he can get, he is not interested to do his duty he is elected to do and paid for, but rather go to the streets and encouraging the youth to burn flags.
As long as we keep these deadwoods where they are most ineffective then we deserve what we get.
The only way is to change our support from BN to any opposition party. At the very least reduce the mandate for the ruling party to have some balance and check to prevent abuses of power and hegemony.
The policies are so loop-sided that you cannot chose the best people to work for you but to employ those malay graduates who are way below "standard".
In the first place, these malays are not of intellect quality but the foreign and local companies are forced to employ them.
So, if a foreign company has a choice, they will not invest in a country like that where competition is solely based on skin color, and "know who" not "know how".
Malaysia now lags behind both China's and India's science and technology sectors, and regional rivals Singapore and Thailand now attract more foreign direct investments.
Why is it so that we lag behind all those countries? Just study who are the planners in the countries education system.
Here we have third class educationists in the form of Umno-malays, most of them are third graders in their school days, planning the education policies. They are actually failures academically and now trying to teach others about education.
Then look around the schools and universities. Just a cursory glance will tell you that the teaching staffs are not of first class materials. Many are byproducts of unemployed graduates who managed to get teaching as their only choice of vocation.
Similarly the universities teaching staffs are third rated too. When you have such lousy teachers, would you expect first class materials?
Whatever Malaysia is advocating, Malaysia is heading to doom! Agriculture, commerce, education, health, politics, social interaction, everything that Malaysia embarks is doomed.
The information and communication technology that Malaysia implementing is as good as doomed since day one when the corrupted and racist Mahathir laid hand on it.
Anything that is the genesis of this corrupted and racist Mahathir is doomed, be it Agusta, Daya Bumi, education - English to malay malay to English, EPF, Felcra, Felda, Formula 1, general election, MAS, math and science in English, military defense, MSC, National Service, NEP, North South Highway, Perwaja, polis task force, Proton, Wawasan Schools……….the list is endless. Nothing works in Malaysia.
Now the religious Badawi is implementing 9MP using Islam with the doctrine advocated by the corrupted and racist Mahathir.
This is more severe than the doctrine by Mahathir since Badawi adds another critical and negative dimension into the corrupted and racist doctrine, that is, the aberrant Islam!
This further decreases the efficiency in the utilization of good human engineering practices in a highly competitive global world!
The only way Malaysia can succeed is to embrace good human engineering practices compassionately, since only good human engineering practices can attain excellent, efficient and effective production in order to compete with other formidable ICT nations.
This means the practices of meritocracy, no NEP and racial discrimination!
With a corrupted and racist government practice corrupt and racial discriminatory engineering practices, the effective job activities and efficiency in productions are definitely to be lagging.
This means high production costs, inefficient manufacturing processes, poor research and development designs, with expensive and inferior products! Example - Proton!
The government might as well close down Cyberjaya, encourage goat rearing and save costs. At least the loss in capital is not as severe as in ICT ventures and by the year 2020, every people is guaranteed with a roast lamb!
The biggest joke is, the people themselves are to be blamed for supporting the current and always has been and probably forever will be, the BN.
That is keep it up and make them more and more arrogant.
We want to be hubs of everything and master of none. That is why we know for sure Vision 2020 will not be achieved. It is easy to set a vision and really another to achieve it.
Principally as a small nation with limited human resources, not making optimum use of its human resource by sidelining a major more advanced sector of its population through the NEP, will create many many more "Tak Boleh".
With people only interested in sitting beside a money machine, where Malaysia will end with, is already a certainty.
Any cure? No, no way. The entire makeup of the Malaysia society from corruption, greed, politics and third world mentality etc, will doom any effort to rectify it. We can't even talk simple things like "understanding each other" let alone major issues like corruption, etc.
Even God has got no solution for Malaysia the way it is going.
Can you imagine the bravado these people involved will be feeling now, do you ever think they have learned any lesson from this advice, the only thing possibly is next time we will push the envelope even more and see what happens.
The education ministry is lead by loose cannons, firebrands, who twist and bend regulations to suit their whims and fancies. From the minister down, everyone and each should be put on notice that they are not suited for the jobs they are given. In any other country, this kind of wanton irresponsible behaviour would have got them the sack.
Is it any wonder that our universities are not even listed in the 1000 in the world! The education minister is too busy politicking to give some time to his allotted duties in the ministry.
Having said that, I would urge political parties to refrain from politicizing the issue further as it would do no good - eventually it would only worsen the polarizing process now driving the races poles apart.
What is happening in the country campuses is a mirror image of what is happening in the community at large. Much as I am disinclined to repeat the oft repeated statement, "we reap what we sow" - it is still very much so in this case.
What do you expect from a university which is not even in the radar screen of the top 300 universities in Asia? When you have an uncivilised vice chancellor who is incapable of disciplining his students, that correctly reflects how badly our university has deteriorated.
The acceptance of fascism among students is a reflection of the Umno acceptance of fascism itself. It is the latest proof to show how easily Umno leaders are willing to exploit their own suppose BN partners for their own personal gains.
The same goes for those Umno Youth in Penang demanding administrative change. All these are about selfish personal gains and got not much to do with issues and it is institutionally accepted.
A civilised person knows his/her rights end, when someone else rights begin. A civilised person does not use threat, intimidation and fear to achieve his/her goals.
This is a case of gross lack of respect and of discipline for the rights of others. One could only blame on the leadership and environment in the university.
The BN government again has failed to protect the public. BN has failed to protect the public university. BN has failed to protect the public in public areas and in the area of residences. BN has failed to protect the poor. BN has failed to build a quality of life to the public.
BN failed……….BN failed……….BN failed……….And what do we do when someone fails. We don't reward them with another vote.
Thugs, road hooligans and gangsters are now recognized by BN as national assets. Why? Because the BN ministers themselves behave like thugs, road hooligans and gangsters. They even refuse to pay their traffic fines. Malaysia needs a change in government urgently!
Compare grade-to-grade, Chinese school students are much more competitive and mature than national school students. They score better in various fields such as IQ, math and science.
Most important, Chinese school students irrespective of their ethnic background are multi-lingual. Apart from their ability to read speak and write major languages such as Chinese, English and Malay - many of them also managed to master a couple Chinese dialects (e.g. Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, etc) they pickup from their schoolmates. Isn't that wonderful?
In reality, Chinese school leavers are more adapt easily and mentally prepared to globalization.
When I was a student in the US - it is well known that Malaysians and Singaporeans are the most competitive lots among foreign students. Why?
Sharing the same cultural background, we can speak Cantonese to Hong Kongers, speak Hokkien to Taiwanese, speak Mandarin to Chinese Mainlanders, speak English to the Mat Sallehs and other foreigners - and best of all, we speak Malay among ourselves so the rest of the foreigners will not understand of our conversation.
Still can't solve it? Increased to 60%, to reflect the current population percentage! This is our land, we can do whatever we want. You don't like it, get lost! Semuanya ok!
If your kind (malays) have a little sense of dignity, should commit suicide long ago!
Furthermore, the suppression of information and subscribing to spoon-fed knowledge and spoon-fed news etc - We will be heading towards a cow ranch society. No need to exercise thinking power, the government do not need you to think and they prohibit you to think.
Talking about a centre of education excellence. Talking about achieving developed country status. You don't need to look far to see how far are we from achieving it.
I wonder whether our minister of education has any feeling of embarrassment or shame when he meets his counterparts of other countries.
It is not that Malaysia universities could not be in the top. We have been there in the past. The policy maker doesn't want it. They are willing to sacrifice Malaysia competitiveness for a particular group.
It has been 50 years. Malaysia has suffered for 50 years due to certain policies. With the natural resources we have, we could have achieved more than what our neighbour Singapore achieved.
It is so sad. Malaysia is a country with vast potential but under achieve. As time travel, this potential is gradually dwindling. When will they wake up?
60000 unemployed graduates summed up the quality of the universities: low quality staffs, low quality students. Smarter undergraduates are all local-overseas universities graduates or overseas graduates.
Since the 1980s, Singapore has been stealing all the good ones and that is why Singapore is well ahead than Malaysia in human resources. And they are now even stealing from Europe, Japan and US.
What is the result of our investment in Biovalley or Cyberjaya? Bolehland is good only for ideas but can't walk the talk. Vision 2020 is only a dream.
Politicians and rich peoples here rarely send their children to local universities. They know why.
Universities are seen as an opportunity for Umno to consolidate its political power base. As long as malays are given degrees even if they do not qualify for them, Umno rightly feels this will buy them loyalty. It is in fact Umno interest that malays remain insular insecure, narrow minded and uneducated. This makes it easier for them to control the noose.
Paradoxically, when you have uneducated malays, political Islam too flourishes. PAS and Umno are reverse sides of the same coin. They both flourish when there is ignorance, insecurity, racism and religious bigotry.
Malaysia public universities are not about education in its widest sense. They are political to a lesser extent PAS and breeding grounds for Umno.
Non-malays who want quality education so that they can be trained to be intellectual and to the best of their ability have to seek alternative sources. This often means going overseas. Sadly, most talented Malaysians do not return which is a terrible waste. But does Umno care? Like hell they do!
PAS and Umno are self serving. Malays must be kept in a pen like sheep and ensure they are dependent on you. One way is to give malays 'position' in the form of university degrees but make sure they are worthless in quality so that only Umno will recognise your degrees and not the world.
Education is an important investment, and there is only a certain time frame that your children could utilize it at the best. So do not waste that time! There is more assistance than you could imagine if your kids do find difficulties on the path.
There is a thing called "quality of life". It means that there is a place where children have equal opportunity to develop themselves to the fullest, and the children believe that they are not prejudiced and could achieve what they want to be as opportunities are just there.
Good social order and hence personal safety (not so much of snatch thieves, robbers, road rages, rapists, pirates, etc), good living environment (safe water, and clean air), educated society (people say "please" and "thank you" more often), up to date medical care, and good and efficient government administration (you get your income tax refund not more than six weeks after your submission, etc).
But you must be prepared to earn an honest living, as the laws are very strict against any illegal acts, which many underdeveloped countries utilize to make money under the name so called as "business".
Success or failure is not measured by its size but rather an effort to make the best out of oneself, and for that, fair and equal opportunity must be available.
So consider ourselves as global citizens and if we are good, we still can contribute a lot to the humanity and the world community where your effort is appreciated.
Of course we all know that they are totally useless human beings who have been thrust onto the leadership role to drag and pull a whole lot more of totally useless and good for nothing human beings.
Bereft of any ideas of how they can improve their lot, they see their common cause only when they can see enemies or perceived enemies. In last years Umno Youth assembly we had their leader Hisham wielding his keris. They all cheered seemingly knowing and understanding who their common enemy was.
Don't Umno Youth leaders have any agenda that can stand on its own without it having to depend on the existence of bogeymen and demons supplied by perceived enemies? Or is this testimony that the malays would rather sit on their backsides and not move unless and until they see an enemy trespassing their territory?
Weak Umno bad for Umno-malays. Less chance to become superrich in super short time.
Umno-malays will instill more third world mentality such as Ketuanan Melayu among malays. Fooled malays will make Umno-malays superrich. What is left for the fooled malays is - third world mentality.
All these suckers want is to get rich until the end of the world and they will do anything to get what they want. They don't care about anything anymore. It is sad to see the human race reduced to such garbage and best of all, it is been honed to a fine art in Malaysia. No wonder some people just emigrate away.
Ever wonder why, Umno leaders chanting Ketuanan Melayu, non-malays are threatening their rights! MCA, MIC and the rest chanting to their community, we will fight for our rights. If they are all fighting each other, why is there a BN?
In actual fact, all of them at the top are good friends. At the bottom, they are stroking up distrust and fear among the communities - at the top, grand discussions and plans are going on how to enrich each other and what is each other's share.
When the common fools found something fishy, they will just stroke the racial storm and everyone will forget the fishy smell. In the end, Semuanya ok. Business as usual.
Malaysia strives for the lowest common denominator. Other words, mediocrity. Sad, that both University of Malaya and University of Singapore came from the same mould, but took different paths.
Folks. Malaysia universities can be world class universities, if we allow our ministers of higher education and vice chancellors to redefine the word, "World".
In Malaysia, "World" to Umno bureaucrats refer to three places, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. After all, why compare ourselves with the rest of the world. Our medium of instruction in universities is the local language, Bahasa.
Simply no comparison. We should compare ourselves with Indonesia. University of Malaya and USM will be in the top 3 at least. Our higher education policy is not to serve international job market, it is to make sure our Umno supporters get a job in our own country.
So what is the fuss, folks? The boys in Umno Youth are too happy to stay status quo, recruit no-brainers as our lecturers, and hopelessly incompetent and political tripods as vice chancellors, and where education policies are decided by half-baked ministers of higher education.
Funnily enough, you could say the same thing about Malaysia - came from same mould as Singapore but took different path.
Mob rules Malaysia. Here in this stupid Bolehland you are not entitled to your own opinion. Everything must be from the government even sex. The government will need to know how productive you are in having sex!
Like father, like son, or like Umno Youth, like UPM students.
You can't blame these monkeys, after all they are only following in the footsteps of Umno Youth. Mark my words, no action will be taken against these monkeys. They have been brainwashed to be racists and that they are the superior race by their Hitler, the Umno.
Universities in Malaysia? Yes, to train one to be a hooligan! Yes, to train one to be racist. Yes, to train future Umno Youth! That is the meaning of universities in Malaysia.
Yes, to train one to follow the examples of present Umno leaders - either to be an Umno hooligan racist (as in Umno members of parliament) or to be "useless followers of elegant silence". Either way they are fine examples of the uses of public universities in Malaysia.
Sooner or later, Malaysia will become the Planet of the Apes. I am quite certain that many of these mobs will not be able to get any jobs after their graduation. But don't worry, the government will hire them and eventually they will become the leaders, ministers, who will run this country.
This whole chunk of malays are not monkeys! They are the ill-bred barbarian coming deep from underground tunnel. I really have not seen such heinous behavior of university students in any part of the developing world.
They are putting their own family and race into great shame. And yet, what is the education minister doing? Keeping quiet over this racial attack! Just because they are the malays while the victims are the Chinese. Really feel shame of this country!
The keris waving minister of education from Umno will be very happy when he see the video recording and learn that many UPM malay students have picked up his intimidation tactics.
They have what it takes to be future Umno Youth leaders and members. Bravo Umno Youth - show more examples of how you can apply the law of the jungle in Bolehland.
There are many illogical things in life. The Malay fascists folks don't like the Chinese. And yet it is the Chinese who is funding the structure of Ketuanan Melayu. Why?
The majority of tax money comes from the Chinese. If all Chinese move out from Malaysia, our economy will shrink by 80%. This means that we will be 80% poorer and all the free subsidies that malays enjoy will cease to exist. So basically the monkey in the orange shirt did not realise that his scholarship was 80% effectively funded by the Chinese guy parents.
But anyway, malays don't need to worry too long. Looking into the future, seeing how big China has become and our own irrelevance in the world economy. I just feel that one day the Malaysian Chinese will voluntarily move back to China because the country will become much richer than us.
We always laugh at the Indonesian immigrants who brave the sharks to come to our country. We may one day find ourselves in the same position at the shores of China.
I am just concerned that one day it will be our malay children turn who get bullied in the China, just like how we see in today. One of the scariest qualities of God is that he is fair. I will continue to wish that God stay fair, so that malays can continue to bully and discriminate our Chinese brothers, with any repercussions in the future.
Watching the video is sad but reading these comment is sadder. What kind of society we live today and what kind of mentality we have? Mahathir you have fail us miserably, your tear does not suffice, we want your blood. Pak Lah, you better do something fair and quick or resign so another can rule wisely.
At this rate we are going with so much hatred among us it is not fear of the country going down the drain but the fear of country breaking up. With a population of 23 million, can't we have a capable leader? Sigh……….
Our education system is a failure, this sort of thing should not be happening. Why can't we tolerate? Why create such a problem? Why can't problem being solved in a peaceful debate and talk? Why perform violence?
Ok, I am telling myself to face the reality - I am embarrassed of my own country, people cannot just live together, there are just some culprits who like to create problem, seeing there is a little too peaceful in this country. The racial problem will never be solved, not in the next 30 years, it is hopeless. That is it, end of talk.
While I do not doubt merits of arguments from both sides, one thing is sure, Chinese schools generally produce higher performance students than national schools.
The students from day one are coached and coached to excel in their exams with never ending homework school days and school holidays while the national schools generally are more relaxed.
I think one have misunderstood DJZ. They do recognize the importance of English, but insist that there are better ways to go about it, such as adding an extra class in English or lengthening the existing English lessons or using the English language for the humanities.
During the 1970s, I gave free tuition in English to my high school students (all of whom had a Chinese primary school background), and when they accompanied me to the states, they'd no problems following their courses.
Several were even offered scholarships up to PhD level, although most started work after their basic engineering degree. Like the Koreans and the Taiwanese, their lack of an English background didn't hinder them from becoming successful businessmen or professionals.
One more point: I think the malay schools are also complaining about the problem of using English for math and science. Considering the level of teaching proficiency in those subjects, it would be appear to be more sensible to add more English classes or lengthen the English periods than to use the current system.
They DJZ fear Chinese will be wiped out. If these students are to be proficient in English, they would be top achievers around, knowing Bahasa, Chinese and English unlike the malays who are only proficient in Bahasa with a little English.
As an employer I would opt for the trilingual Chinese to the monolingual malays anytime. I may have to send him to China - the fastest growing giant of today and may be the bread and butter of many Malaysian Chinese.
Note Chinese businessmen from China are now expanding globally and generating communities globally. Don't miss this opportunity.
In a very difficult environment, all Malaysian Chinese must learn to adept and not cocooned with old traditions and pride.
Who do you think you are? You are the only humans that have the bloody right to live? What is this a Nazi country? Yes talking bad about Jews, hey look at yourselves, you are segregating yourselves with the so-called "non-Muslims".
So it is a small surprise if others think you are Muslims all terrorists and extremists. Look at your statement!
If the Muslims really hate the US so much due to their religion especially! Boycott la, why are you still using "Made in US" products?
If you guys are so religious then why eat drug? Why drink alcohol? Why want to follow the Chinese around?
The malays can't accept themselves as who they are, but want to interrupt the lives of others. They just can't help but want to be us (non-Muslims).
Well, I sure do hope the malays employ their Taliban rules upon themselves if they really wishes too. I mean after all the Muslims are the ones doing the most crime, raping their own daughters, stealing and so on.
As long as they leave the non-Muslims alone, it is fine.
Secondly of course the Muslims find it acceptable to live with the non-Muslims because it is the non-Muslims who are feeding their families.
I can get out of this country. But I will not get out. I can emigrate to Australia, but I will not emigrate to Australia, because Malaysia is my country and a lot of Malaysian Chinese have help to build this country.
Mahathir only build Putrajaya which only benefits 10000 malay government workers. The 98% of the Malaysia population does not benefit from Mahathir project.
Umno-malays only sit down on their ass and collects commission. They didn't build this country. They don't even know how to manage a project, what more build a country.
Umno-malays talent is threatening, shouting, screaming, begging, asking for free lunch. That is their talent.
Your leaders have done well for your country, taking it from a backwater state to a leading economic power. You have all reasons to be proud. Sadly in Malaysia, the leaders are still bickering while the country is going down the social and economic drain.
Though some of us will still fly the Malaysia flag voluntarily on our National Day, we find it very difficult to be as proud as you, as we have so much racial disintegration, inequality and discord, which were sown over the years by unprofessionally, poor leadership, corruption and communal politics.
To all Singaporeans a happy National Day holiday. You have to cherished Lee Kuan Yew for bringing Singapore out from the pits of hell in order to enjoy the success you have today. Good on yah!
To all Malaysians, can't wish you yet but a National Day is sure to come, happy or not is up to you to decide!
As for me, I have decided to leave the Malaysia country for the sake of my family. Whether we like it or not, the government over the period of 49 years have created a "think only of myself" society.
Malaysians cannot blame Pak Lah for all those speculative things such as with their respective company. You put him there to temp him. You already knew from the past that this kind of things will happen. But you still chose to vote BN.
Irregardless of whether you vote for the opposition or not, 90% voted for BN in the last election. Why complain now?
That is it. I am fed up. I am leaving the country.
Australia has a much bigger diversity but they have all sorts of ethnicity (Singaporean, Scottish, Malaysian, Italian, English, Chinese, etc) but they are still able to govern the country with good leadership. Also, it is a larger country but the same amount of population as Malaysia.
Also note that all leaders of the developed world as they call it have highly qualified leaders to lead them. Not any Tom and Hay that marries the minister's daughter then get a deputy post in a party and move up the political world.
It is always a joy to watch their Singapore National Day celebration.
60 thousand people were fully packed in their national stadium. The security check was world class as the possible terrorism threat was never ruled out.
The patriotism was written all over everybody's face; the parade of the school band, the navy and the air force, the armed forces; the excitement and enthusiasm of the people was fantastic; the creativity of the performers; the beautiful fireworks, the whole Singapore was celebrating with great excitement; that includes people outside the stadium, overseas Singaporeans who flew back from overseas just for the celebration and also the tourists; no need to threaten; display of Singapore own designed riffles, the apache helicopters.
What is wrong with our country? My tears rolled down when I watched the TV program of the celebration of Singapore National Day; happy for Singapore but weep for our country.
Yes, it is sad to see what happened to our promising country.
Singaporeans are successful and confident people. To them it does not matter what race or culture come out first to show their tradition and culture in their National Day.
When politicians and political parties decided to mix politics with business to acquire quick and enormous wealth from their position of power and influence, the country and its ordinary people are victims.
As a multiracial religious country, we are suspicious and not friendly with non-Muslim peoples and countries. We have politicians making unnecessary and bias statements to hurt the country name and image in the world. This is allowed to happen for decades.
Something is very wrong with the government.
Yes, the little red dot down south, our separated twin, can teach us lots on racial harmony, positive patriotism, meritocracy education, globalization entrepreneurship, effective public transport, etc.
Singapore is fortunate. The first generation leaders of Singapore had a clear vision - a Singaporean Singapore - and worked towards it. They laid the foundation and they groomed future leaders of similar or higher vision.
Our nation is now in a mess. It is not a Malaysian Malaysia. Even if we want to change for the better, it is not easy. We are stuck in a quicksand of many negative practices and cultures. How can we improve when we are not empowered to remove ineffective and corrupt people, many of whom are in positions that determine the fate of our nation?
Compare the daily news in our newspapers and those in the newspapers of Singapore. Ours are predominantly on violence crimes, unfair allocations of resources, systems breaking down, racial or ethnic issues, etc - now of course on the ex-PM and current PM.
Singapore leaders took the painful and bold steps of uniting their people after independent. We did not! We have too much pride and arrogance with too little leadership in responsibility, competency and accountability.