Burden of Malay Stereotypes in Academia and Business
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 8:01 am
M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com
This burden of self-affirmation and stereotype threat can crop up well beyond our formative years and at the most unexpected venues.
At one Alif Ba Ta Conference a few years ago, organized by the UMNO Club of New York and New Jersey in which I discussed self-affirmation and stereotype threat, a group of students confided to me their experiences in the special matriculation class preparing them for American universities. Midway through that class they were given a test. Those who excelled were sent abroad earlier.
Even though the class was filled predominantly with Malays, for the group selected to leave earlier, non-Malays were over represented. How do I explain that, the students inquired? I immediately sensed their burden of stereotype threat – Malay ineptitude in academics.
So I asked them what they had done between their school examination in November the preceding year until they were enrolled in that special class the following July. To a person they all replied “Nothing!” Yes, nothing!
Then I also asked them whether they had discussed with their successful and predominantly non-Malay classmates how they managed to do so well, specifically what were they doing from January till July when they started their matriculation classes together. The Malay students could not answer me. Obviously they never thought to ask or were too embarrassed to discuss that sensitive topic with their non-Malay classmates, or their teachers. For their part, their matriculation teachers, unlike my Mr. Peter Norton at Malay College in the 1960s during my Sixth Form years there, merely accepted the fact as it was. Read the rest of this entry »
The Heavy Burden of Self-Affirmation and Stereotype Threat
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 7:55 am
M. Bakri Musa
11th May 2016
Our mind’s narrative of the world includes the perception we have of ourselves, and what we believe others have of us. The first is self-affirmation; the second, stereotype. Each of us is a member of some groups or other (race, profession, culture); thus we cannot escape from being stereotyped.
As for self-perception, like all other of our mental patterns this one too grew out of our experiences. Should we encounter something that does not conform to that mental picture we have of ourselves, we react like the patient with Cabgras delusion; we alter or ‘edit’ that information to make it conform to our pre-set pattern.
Our “self” narrative includes the stereotype others have of us, as with the colonialists’ “lazy native.” Not surprisingly, we often perform to those expectations, further reinforcing the stereotype. This vicious cycle continues, each cycle reinforcing earlier ones.
You have to work doubly hard and perform beyond well just to dispel the stereotype. Then even if you do succeed, there is no guarantee of escaping the stereotyping. It is a heavy burden to bear. Read the rest of this entry »
The Superiority of Growth Versus Fixed Mindset
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 7:43 am
Bakri Musa
11th May 2016
The corollary to my earlier discussion is that it is far better to have a mindset with the capacity to grow and adapt than one that is fixated on its existing worldview. Harping on “changing mindset,” as our leaders are wont to do, is misplaced.
The Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck describes the two mindsets: the growth versus the fixed. They differ not only in their hypothesis of the outside world but also how they view their inner being.
Those with a fixed mindset view their talent and ability as fixed and tied to their innate ability. They view themselves as being governed by whatever abilities that they have been endowed with by nature. They are trapped by their biologic pre-determinism, which can be just as crippling as the more familiar religious variety afflicting simple villagers – “My fate is written in the book of life!”
The “book of life” of those with fixed mindset and are science-literate is the sequence of amino acids encoded in their DNA strands. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset believe that their fate depends on their ability to adapt and learn from new challenges and experiences, not on whatever nature has bestowed upon them through their chromosomes. To these individuals, opportunities are the flipside of crises, as the ancient Chinese wisdom would have it. Success depends on their ability to convert the latter to the former. Read the rest of this entry »
1MDB – A wonderland saga
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 6:54 am
Tan Siok Choo
Making Sens
The Sun Daily
20 April 2016
“CURIOUSER and curiouser,” said Alice as she grew to more than nine feet high in Lewis Carroll’s fabled novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
This is the likely response of non-partisan readers of often contradictory articles about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (IMDB), the report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and strongly-worded statements by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
In a joint announcement on April 11, IPIC and its subsidiary Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar) categorically denied Aabar Investments PJS Ltd, established in the British Virgin Islands (Aabar BVI), is “an entity within either corporate group”. Both IPIC and Aabar also said they had received no payments from Aabar BVI.
In response, 1MDB said it was “curious” IPIC and Aabar had waited “until April 2016” to issue a denial and was surprised “neither IPIC nor Aabar has knowledge of, nor has benefited from, payments made by IMDB to Aabar BVI.”
Under a debt-asset swap agreement on May 28, 2015 involving Aabar, Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) and 1MDB, IPIC agreed to:
» provide US$1 billion to enable 1MDB to settle its liabilities;
» pay interest on the US$3.5 billion bonds;
» repay the US$3.5 billion bond; and
» forgive certain 1MDB debts.
In return, 1MDB would transfer to IPIC by June 30, 2016 assets with an aggregate value of all the sums paid by IPIC.
DAP MP Tony Pua says the value of assets 1MDB must transfer to IPIC total US$4.7 billion – US$1 billion to settle 1MDB’s liabilities, US$3.5 billion for the 2012 bonds and up to US$200 million in interest payments. Read the rest of this entry »
Why DAP, PKR failed miserably in Sarawak
Adrian Lim
Malaysiakini
10th May 2016
COMMENT With humble and sincere intentions, I have to point out what Sarawakians and Sabahans generally feel about West Malaysians.
If Sun Wu Kong (the Monkey God) had a ‘Journey to the West’, PKR and DAP should now have a ‘Journey to the East’.
In future, obey these rules, and you will not fail so miserably in the east.
1. NEVER go into others’ house, telling them their house is under-developed, lesser democratic, less rich, no highway, no water, no electricity.
Sarawakians are humans, and humans have dignity. The first impression would be: “Why are you West Malaysians so arrogant”? Read the rest of this entry »
Najib has gained no respite for Malaysia or for himself on the 1MDB global scandal despite the landslide Barisan Nasional victory in Sarawak state general elections on Saturday
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, 4:49 pm
JP Morgan Asia’s downgrade of Malaysia’s status to underweight is the latest bad news for Malaysia and potent testimony that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has gained no respite for Malaysia or for himself on the 1MDB global scandal despite the landslide Barisan Nasional victory in Sarawak state general election on Saturday.
The equity research team cited concern about Malaysian banks, which also account for about 30 percent of the iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF (EWM), as one of the main reasons for the downgrade.
It said: “Negative outlook on financials driven by increasing credit costs due to declining loan and deposit growth. Banks are grappling with rising non-performing loans (expected to peak at 3.1 percent in 2018).”
The iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF had fallen 7.7 percent in the second quarter, which makes it the second worst performing market in Asia after Taiwan.
In the past fortnight, while Najib has led the campaign in the Sarawak state elections to rain money throughout the state, Malaysia has not ceased to be at the receiving end of adverse international developments and references, like being named number two by The Economist in its second index of crony capitalism, just behind Russia which clinched the crony capitalism crown. Read the rest of this entry »
1MDB Default Deters Funds as Malaysia Can’t Put Scandal to Bed
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, 8:19 am
Denise Wee
Bloomberg
May 10, 2016
As Malaysia’s state-owned investment company reaches out to bondholders to explain why it has defaulted, some investors say they can’t wait to hear the end of the saga.
1Malaysia Development Bhd., which defaulted on dollar-denominated bonds last month and faces another coupon payment Wednesday, said it plans a call on May 23 to explain its dispute with a co-guarantor and how it plans to meet future obligations. Returns on debt from Malaysian issuers have cooled amid probes into financial irregularities at 1MDB, whose advisory board has been headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
“The political situation in Malaysia continues to be one of the biggest, I would say, hurdles for foreign investors,” said Arthur Lau, co-head of emerging-market fixed income in Hong Kong at PineBridge Investments, which manages about $83 billion globally. “In terms of fundamentals everything points to be quite O.K., especially now with oil prices rebounding. The only one thing that really drags is the political noise.”
The ringgit has slumped 2.8 percent this quarter, turning to Asia’s worst performer from its best in the first quarter. The cost of insuring the nation’s sovereign debt against default has risen 10 basis points since March 31 to 163. Malaysia’s corporate dollar bonds returned 1.1 percent in the period, slipping to seventh place from third place in the first three months, based on Bank of America Merrill Lynch indexes. Read the rest of this entry »
Sarawak Win Buys Malaysia Premier Time as Economic Risks Mount
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Sarawak on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, 8:01 am
Shamim Adam
Bloomberg
May 9, 2016
A state election win for Malaysia’s ruling coalition has given Prime Minister Najib Razak breathing space after months of political turmoil, while serving as a reminder he needs to focus on the economy to avoid becoming a liability to his party before the next national vote.
Barisan Nasional secured a bigger majority in Sarawak, the nation’s largest state located on Borneo island and across the South China Sea from peninsular Malaysia.
Najib visited the state frequently over the past two months, shifting last week’s cabinet meeting there as he campaigned alongside Chief Minister Adenan Satem.
Even as he carries back the message to his United Malays National Organisation — the lead party in BN — that he can still help win elections, the Sarawak polls show Najib can’t afford to let bread-and-butter issues slide with voters. Malaysians are contending with rising prices that are eating into disposable incomes and eroding consumer confidence, while a debt default by a government investment fund could pose a threat to state finances. Read the rest of this entry »
Islam Is Diversity and Contradictions
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, Islam on Tuesday, 10 May 2016, 7:19 am
M. Bakri Musa
10th May 2016
Review of Shahab Ahmed’s What Is Islam. The Importance of Being Islamic
First of Two Parts
While holidaying on an island in the Indonesian Riau Province I came upon a communal graveyard. I was surprised that while the graves had markers, there were no individual identifications, no names or even dates of death. On enquiring, the villagers told me that this was to discourage ancestor worship. In Islam we worship Allah, and only Him. Any deviation would be shirk, a blasphemy.
Yet only a few islands away on Pulau Penyengat, there is an elaborate mausoleum to honor the great poet Raja Ali Haji of Gurindam XII fame. On religious days and special occasions, villagers throng the site; at other times they come to pray for their children’s success at school.
The inhabitants on both islands are devout Muslims. While we could readily comprehend and accept variations in Islam (or any faith for that matter) in different geographic areas and with different cultures, the people on both islands are all Malays. What gives? Read the rest of this entry »
The struggle I fought so hard for, and lost
Musa Ngog
Malaysiakini
9th May 2016
COMMENT In my battle for the Tarat state seat, I lost more than half of the total votes in my own village. I even lost votes from my own relatives.
It is not a total surprise since some are so scared of me due to my standing in my political struggle.
I lost badly in Dunuk, the place where I grew up; Bisira, where I have my cousins, nieces and of course my close relatives from my father’s side. I also lost half of the votes in Marakep, the place of origin of my father. I lost in all the rural polling districts.
I saw fear in them when they are not allowed to hang my posters and flags. I even saw the impressions of uneasiness on my cousin’s face when I visited him to ask for help to hang my posters.
They fear being sidelined from all the goodies and assistance given by the Barisan National. Indeed, poverty doesn’t have power to make a change, since fear is always the enemy of change. Read the rest of this entry »
Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections will be more reliable barometers of Najib’s fate in 14GE than the 11th Sarawak state general election
The Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Salleh Said Keruak may be wide off the mark to think that the Sarawak polls show that Barisan Nasional can win in the 14th General Election.
At least the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was more realistic when after Adenan Satem’s swearing-in as Sarawak Chief Minister, he hailed Barisan Nasional’s victory as an indication of “Sarawakians’ confidence in Adenan’s leadership” – which is a very different matter from Sarawakians’ confidence in Najib’s leadership despite Najib’s hijacking of the Sarawak state general election from Adenan by being the Santa Claus of the BN election campaign of money politics.
Salleh should know that the impending parliamentary by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar will be more reliable barometers of Najib’s fate in the 14GE than the just concluded 11th Sarawak state general electilns.
This is one of the several myths which have been born in the past 36 hours after the results of the 11th Sarawak state general election on Saturday night. Read the rest of this entry »
A ‘fixed’ result – Sarawak’s electoral distortions
Posted by Kit in Bridget Welsh, Elections, Najib Razak, Sarawak on Sunday, 8 May 2016, 7:06 pm
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
7 May 2016
As Sarawakians head to the polls today, it is important to understand that the BN-created electoral constituencies in the state will significantly impact the result. Malaysia’s non-independent Electoral Commission (EC) has staked the system in its favour in how it has delineated and recently redrawn the state’s electoral boundaries.
Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s victory has been assured, but it will not be a win that is based on fairness or meet basic international standards of electoral integrity. This article looks at malapportionment and gerrymandering in Sarawak, and shows how those in office have manipulated the system to their advantage. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s raining money in Sarawak
Posted by Kit in Bridget Welsh, Elections, Najib Razak, Sarawak on Sunday, 8 May 2016, 6:50 pm
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
7 May 2016
More than any other state in Malaysia, Sarawak’s elections have been seen to be determined by money. Vote buying and patronage are deeply intertwined in the state’s political fabric, as many voters look at the election period as one of festivity and entertainment.
Booze is purchased, and bounty is shared. Projects are announced, and even more ‘development’ promises are made in arguably one of Malaysia’s most neglected states.
The 2016 campaign is similarly being affected by the use of resources and highlights how uneven the playing field is in this election. Given the seriousness of the 1MDB scandal and the use of these tainted funds in Malaysia’s 2013 election, understanding the role money plays in determining the electoral outcomes is more important than ever.
Money politics in Sarawak is not only intense; it is expensive. There is no question that the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) is using its control and access to resources to assure a victory in this Borneo state. Read the rest of this entry »
Stopping ‘change’ – Sarawak’s electoral battlegrounds
Posted by Kit in Bridget Welsh, Elections, Sarawak on Sunday, 8 May 2016, 6:15 pm
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
6 May 2016
While the Sarawak campaign may lack dynamism, the nature of the state’s politics has been transforming. Over the last 10 years, voting has changed considerably, with more support for alternatives and, importantly, greater engagement in politics.
The seats the opposition has won in state elections has increased from two in 2001 to 16 in 2011, with gains in Parliament from one seat in 2004 to six seats in 2013. The share of the popular vote won in Sarawak state elections jumped from 29 percent in 2001 to 44 percent in 2011.
Chief Minister Adenan Satem and his team, led by the head of the BN Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, aim to stop and reverse these gains, and in the process assure that the state remains a BN stronghold. By looking at voting behaviour, we can understand the electoral battlegrounds and the slowly-shifting sands of the Sarawak political landscape. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Same Old’ in Sarawak campaign
Posted by Kit in Bridget Welsh, Elections, Sarawak on Sunday, 8 May 2016, 5:50 pm
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
3 May 2016
As the lacklustre 11th Sarawak 2016 election campaign comes to a close on Friday, consistency rather than change has predominated.
Most Sarawakians on both sides of the political divide had made up their minds on how they will vote before the campaign began. So far, the campaign has done little to change their orientations, and even less to inspire Sarawakians to vote at all. Political parties have mainly relied on old strategies, offering little new in their engagement with the electorate. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP must not be afraid to lose in elections as we must learn from the crushing defeat in the Sarawak state elections yesterday so that we can become stronger to fight for justice, freedom and human empowerment another day
DAP must not be afraid to lose in elections as we must learn from the crushing defeat in the Sarawak state elections yesterday so that we can become stronger to fight for justice, freedom and human empowerment for all Sarawakians and Malaysians another day.
The test of a political movement dedicated to the higher ideals of justice, freedom and human empowerment is the ability not to be crushed by a “crushing defeat”, but the ability to rise from a “crushing defeat” to be stronger and more committed to our cause to fight another day.
We can bemoan that if the voter turnout had been more than 70 percent and close to 76.3 per cent as in the 2013 Paliamentary elections and not just 68.1% yesterday, DAP Sarawak could have kept the 12 state assembly seats won five years ago.
In fact , on the same day that the Sarawak voters went to polls yesterday, a political analyst Bridget Welsh had predicted the Sarawak state general election outcome in her article, “A ‘fixed’ result – Sarawak’s electoral distortions” in Malaysiakini, explaining that the non-independent Election Commission (EC) had staked the system in the Barisan Nasional’s favour in how it had delineated and recently redrawn the state’s electoral boundaries – resulting in the DAP Sarawak losing five of the 12 state seats and the greatest victim of such “BN-created electoral constituencies in the state” is Alan Ling Sie Keong, DAP Sarawak State Secretary in a redelineated Piasau assembly seat.
It is because of such gerrymandering that Adenan could predict during the election campaign that the BN would win at least 70 of the 82 seats, which turns out finally to be 72. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Sarawak Barisan Nasional opposed to the appointment of a Dayak Sarawak Chief Minister in the 2021 Sarawak state general election – for the first time in half a century since the appointment of two Iban Chief Ministers from 1963-1970?
I am surprised that there is no strong reaction from both the Federal and Sarawak Barisan Nasional leaders to the shockingly unMalaysian statement by the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang that a Chinese or a non-Muslim bumiputera cannot be the Sarawak Chief Minister.
As the PAS President has become a close ally of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, even defending Najib’s RM50 billion 1MDB global financial scandal, why is Najib and caretaker Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem silent on Hadi’s shocking statement?
So far only the PBB Vice President and Deputy Minister for Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi had expressed his outrage at Hadi’ statement, causing him to describe Hadi as “ignorant” and “stupid”.
But why are the heavyweights like Najib and Adenan silent on this important issue? Read the rest of this entry »
Call on Sarawak voters to think “2021” in next five years for Sarawakians to change political course in the next state general elections and to vote in a new State Government which gives priority to the interests of people and not just to cronies
I call on the Sarawak voters to think “2021” in next five years for Sarawakians to change political course in the next state general elections and to vote in a new State Government which gives priority to the interests of the people and not just to cronies.
The 11th Sarawak State general election is one of the most challenging elections ever experienced by the Sarawak DAP since its formation 38 years ago in 1978.
In a way, its a “Do or Die” battle for the DAP.
The Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Adenan Satem, and the Sarawak Barisan Nasional election juggernaut are doing their utmost to destroy or reduce the DAP to a “mosquito” party with only half a dozen seats in the State Assembly with their four-pronged strategy of Adnan effect, Najib effect, the politics of money and the politics of fear/intimidation.
Adenan would want to see the worst-case scenario for DAP after the May 7 Sarawak state general elections, reduced to at most half-a-dozen seats in the Sarawak State Assembly.
DAP Sarawak is not cowed and is not prepared to play according to the Sarawak Barisan Nasiona’s rules of the game. Read the rest of this entry »
If DAP succeeds in forming Sarawak State Government in next general election in 2021, the first DAP Chief Minister of Sarawak is unlikely be a Chinese but most likely be a Dayak
Sarawakians and Malaysians must be shocked to read about the speech by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang at a ceramah in Kuching that only a Muslim bumiputera can be Chief Minister of Sarawak and not a Chinese or a non-Muslim bumiputera.
It is very sad and shocking to see PAS advocating such narrow and divisive politics, when everyone should be promoting unity, harmony and togetherness in our multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society.
For promoting such a narrow, negative and divisive stand, all the 11 PAS candidates in the 11th Sarawak state general election deserve to lose their deposits on May 7 Polling Day.
Sarawak and Malaysia should be going forward to weld a greater unity out of the rich and diverse ethnic groups, languages, religions and cultures in our midst instead of segregating the diverse ethnic groups, languages, religions and cultures into their separate silos which is not to promote greater national unity but engender greater distrust, division and disunity in our plural society.
I met the first Sarawak Chief Minister, Stephen Kalong Ningkan half a century ago when DAP was established in 1966, and after Stephen was toppled as Sarawak Chief Minister, he was succeeded by another Iban, Tawi Sli.
Sabah had also a history of Chief Ministers who is not a Muslim bumiputera, with personalities like Peter Lo, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Yong Teck Lee, Chong Kah Kiat and Bernard Dompok.
It is sad that instead of going forwards to promote greater unity, there is a political party which is advocating that the country should go backwards to erect artificial walls to divide the people in Sarawak and Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Mystified why Najib gave Adenan an open slap-in-the-face by rejecting Sarawak Barisan Nasional request for 20 per cent oil royalty for Sarawak on eve of May 7 Polling
I must confess I am mystified why the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had given Tan Sri Adenan Satem an “open slap-in-the-face” by rejecting the Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s request for 20 per cent oil royalty for Sarawak on the eve of the May 7 Polling.
Why could’nt Najib wait until after the 11th Sarawak state general results on May 7 to deliver such bad news to the people of Sarawak?
Is it because it is finally not Adenan’s Team and Adenan’s Way but Najib’s Team and Najib’s Way as far as the 11th Sarawak State General Election is concerned?
The reason given by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for Najib’s announcement after the Cabinet meeting in Kuching yesterday that this would not be the right time to consider raising the state’s oil royalty to 20 percent is too patronising and an insult to the intelligence of Sarawakians.
Zahid said that the total RM20 billion allocations handed to Sarawak by the federal government is more than the 20 percent oil royalty to the state.
Zahid claimed that Najib’s allocation for the Pan Borneo Highway, as well as those from other federal ministers, have exceeded RM20 billion.
Zahid had said that the weekly Cabinet meeting had been switched from Putrajaya to Kuching to support Adenan’s leadership in Sarawak.
This a very strange and funny way for the Cabinet to support Adenan’s Chief Ministership in Sarawak, as the Cabinet should have approved Adenan’s request for 20% oil royalty. Read the rest of this entry »
