Originally posted by CX:
i doubt that a lot. i think they would've gotten used to working from within the framework of a malay dominated malaysia by now. changing the system by force would threaten their current status quo.
people are self-centered. they would fight tooth and nail to prevent a Sg dominated peninsula. they fear us and fear for themselves more than they fear the malays now...
also indicative is the fact that the m'sian chinese refuse to give in to english education despite mat's best efforts. this shows that they favour stagnation and retaining their current status quo than to move into something they can't predict or control.
they won't co-operate.
u fancy sending in troops to put down the chinese and indians after defeating the malaysian military? it would look real bad on CNN
When in 'Rome' do as the 'Romans' do.
Many ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians in MALAYsia have got used to working from within the framework of MALAYsia, but they certainly have to accept many negative policies at a huge sacrifice to themselves.
Witness the large numbers of Johor Chinese and Indian kids that commute daily into Singapore, to attend Singapore schools, at non-subsidised school fees that are much higher than in MALAYsia, and in Singapore Dollars.
Given the opportunity to do so, most of the Chinese and Indian Community in MALAYsia (further north of Johor) would have also sent their kids to Singapore, despite having to commute from their homes at 04:30hrs each school day (morning sessions), and reaching home at nearly 21:30hrs (afternoon sessions).
The Chinese Community, even in Singapore, are well known for their quick reaction and protective instinct towards any changes that will negatively put their community at a disadvantage.
Call it Chinese Chauvinism, or whatever you like, it is no different when many Chinese Schools in Singapore, during the mid-1970's, putting up their strongest resistance when they had to switch to the English medium for all lessons.
This is no reflections that they are anti-Singapore.
The ground swell of quiet antagonism exist for every policy that the MALAYsian Government put up that has a creeping effect of narrowing the space further for the already severely strangled ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
The Chinese Community throughout MALAYsia (more so in Johor) have always supported Singapore's speak Mandarin Policies, observation of Confuscius teachings, and most Singapore Government campaigns to promote good relations between the Old and the Young, CPF policies, Medisave, hospitalisation plans.
Most of the Singapore government policies to enhance the lives of Singaporeans bring envy to the non-malay MALAYsians - from both sides of the MALAYsian East and West Territories.
They depend on our Channel 8 and Channel U for high quality, sensible entertainment and news in Mandarin, Channel Central for the Indian language programmes, Channel 5, Channel 'i', Channel Newsasia for English. Sometimes, they support the Singapore Government policies more then the Singaporeans.
Although there is a strong public face put up in the Barisan National coalition of all the major RACIAL political parties from UMNO, MCA, MIC with minority involvement from Gerakan and PBI, the feelings from the ground remains antagonistic.
MALAYsia is sittting on a time bomb, with a short fuze.
All it takes is for another MALAY Nationalist, in the flavor of the Mentri Besar of Kuala Lumpur during the 1960's, the UMNO politicians of the mid-1960's, and those from the Singapore USNO in the late 1960's, then another repeat of the racial riots of 1969 will happen. (Read the memoirs of LKY, and from the Straits Times archives of politics during the 1960's).
Notice how long it took for the Tengku Abdul Rahman University to actually come into being, so as to give the ethnic Chinese and Indians, who qualify for university education, to actually get fair treatment for their qualifications to enter university - without any artificial hindrance of quota alotment to the favored 'sons FROM the SOIL'.