21 years old! What can a 21 years old do? What do a 21 years Malaysian such as me knows?
Based on me, as one of the 21 years old Malaysian youth. I still don't know lots of things happening to our country.
Malaysia's education system really didn't help much to build creativity thinking and analytical skills.
As for these 10 years of local education system, with subjects such as history and Pendidikan moral to implant patrotism and characteristic build up besides subjects based on basic technical skills, I still believe it didn't help students to appreciate our country history and understand the true meanings of learning them.
Talking about history lessons, what we've been learning mostly from our Form 1 history, began with discovery of our beloved country, about the reasons why the foreign powerful leading countries concure our country, how they colonize.
How the local warriors respond to these overtaken power. Increadibily we've studied almost the same things over 3 years of PMR. And believe it or not, until my PMR has been over, I only understand about HOW our country was found, WHY the foreign economic dominic contries come over to our contry, HOW our heroes respond, the confusion between the Royals in having the power in their hands; besides that, not many give a deep thought why we studied them.
Not many debate over the politics in Malaysia, about economics in Malaysia. Well for most of us at that time, we studied just for the sake of passing our exams, to get an A, and so that we could try to get a place in the limited scholarship and course in local Universities.
In history SPM, the course covered partly of WW1 and WW2, how our country was affected and colonize again by some foreign countries, about the Independence, about how Organisations were set up, about varies parties. I didn't really give a deep thought much about the policies in NEP, although I knew bits and parts of Article 153, I know part of May 13 incident, but not in too detailed. I know the names of the organisations formed during the struggle to independence, to fight against the communist, to fight for nations rights, but not too detail of them. They are way too brief and during our course we were 'forced'(for exams' sake again) to remember some names of these organisations, why they are formed, when, where. I can't really recall most of them now.
Maybe because we had spent too much time on the history of our country and the colonization. Maybe because we didn't have enough througout education of the policies our government have made. Maybe we were not trained to debate over the our government's action on political and economic policies, the reason they do them, and the results. Maybe because I heard arguments between adults all the time regarding these issues and non of them make sense to me, because it seems to me that they only understand part of the stories. And partially bias.
We, the younger generations are trained to sing 'Negaraku', 'Jalur Gemilang', remembering 'Rukun Negara' without really give a thought about why we need to remember 'Rukun Negara'. Maybe we've used to implanted with the meanings of these principles, however they don't remain in my memory, probably not being emphasis in the right way.
But then to think about it, since policies such as NEP has partially related to 13 May incident, and could be a sensitive issue to be raise among students in this multicultural education environment. It could have lead to some bad consequences. However I felt dissapointed because I still have no overall full understanding of these politics. I don't know what to believe when the forums and blogs regarding these issues are raised and it seems like partially certain comments readers only understand part of the stories, and due to culture, environment and economic factors. I don't want to be contaminated with faulty information, but I do now. And I even doubt myself very much at the moment that I couldn't talk much regarding certain things wondering in my mind now.
And talking much to the older generations, some of them pretty amazingly lead me to dissapointment. Because they truly blame everything on the other race, and that they claim statements that generalise the whole race. Which I think is very unfair. How could just that person of that race did something and that lead you to a conclusion that: "they are all like that."
Like general issues that claims that Chinese are greedy, Malays are lazy, and Indians cannot be trust. I'd some very trust worthy Indian friends, I had known some very hardworking Malays, and chinese that are greedy,(tell me who in this world is not 'greedy' in order to have a better and comfortable livingstyle) however they are not greedy to the extent that will harm others.
Why stereotype each races with their 'weakness'? What makes you think that every Malays are lazy? What do you think with most of the Malays selling nasi lemak, rendang, and various food on the stalls beside the road? Mostly malays in the restaurants? Mostly malays at the petrol station washing your car window screen? They are working! How did that relate to issues of getting scholarships and support by government? Yes. They might need support by government, some of the poorer classes, and the little children would have a better chance to obtain a scholarship for tertiary education. But could it be that the non-malays are attacking this issue due to the quotas to enter the local universities and obtain a scholarship? Could it be that because there are higher numbers of non-malays; although they are minorities, how when most of the minorities wanted to get the scholarship has become a competence between the minorities alone that makes the scholarship harder to be gain? And at the same time although malays are the majority, but not too many of the majority are applying for scholarships(mostly kids in the towns, and among certain very ambitious ones), hence it makes it less competence among the malays. And this might have created the phonomena of too little quota for the non-malays?
I didn't have much of the 'rights' to continue with this since I'm lucky enough to study a course in a university that I wanted to be in, and had never been in the difficulties of compete for scholarship among the minorities. Is just like sprinkle salt on a deep cut wound, only the victim understand how painful it is, and the audience would never be able to feel it and understand the level of pain unless it happens to them.
For young adults who can fully understand the politics and economics in Malaysia are far too little and the figure is insignificant. Many could understand briefly, or partially heard over from elder generations, or friends and hence they are not thinking from their own understanding and observations, but merely a 'messenger' of the 'wiser' they met with. Many whom I know that didn't give a deep thought about these issues.
Another subject, Pendidikan Moral, is a subject that doesn't make any sense to me. The Education Department wanted the students to memorise these values and taking them into exam hall, with definitions printed exactly like the one our teachers had given to us from the Education Department. This is purely a memorising exam ok? This is just purely mugging. How do you think by memorising 'belas kasihan - ......'(i can't bloody remember any of them now) with a definition can make students to be a 'belas kasihan' person? Is not like we didn't know what is being kind-hearted, or humble, or rasional. Is not like we are robots that has no feelings. And this subject has been following us throughout from standard 1 to Form 5! 10 years! Until the end of the day I've been thinking hard and debate over with my Moral teacher, I still not convinced why should we learn Pendidikan Moral, maybe in our primary school years, but even in Secondary school level?
* Oh yeah, I got the update from my sis who's still in Form 4 now. The nilai-nilai has changed. But it is still memorising from the piece of paper obtained from the Education Department.*
Maybe it should change a little, like studying regarding theories in psychology related to human behaviour, theories on these human behaviours, and take some case and let students discuss. Ah~ maybe that will made this subject more 'human' and interesting.
I still have lots to catch up with. Leaving this thoughts for the future me to look back and to judge everything.
Oh yeah. Now I can vote. However how should I vote now if I still can't see the truth of the how our country's system works?
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