A New Year Message from MCA

Update 21 Jan: Other commentary on this email - Education in Malaysia, Dr. OWL, John Lee, Chen Chow.

Original 1 Jan:

From: MCA President
Date: Dec 31, 2007 5:12 AM
Subject: President's New Year's Message
To: 594 chinese JPA students' email addresses (including yours truly)

Greetings to all JPA students all over the world! Its certainly a privilege to be a star student, standing tall as young Malaysians living overseas. I am sure you do your family proud, and I hope you will cherish this moment for the rest of your life, especially at this time of the year when the cheerful holiday mood is abound.

2007 has been a year of many lessons learnt for many nations. As other cities burn in turmoil, violence and disruption, Malaysia has thankfully weathered our difficulties in a peaceful manner to ensure that we have continued harmony and unity among the races. Amidst some tough economic times ahead, with worries of escalating global oil prices, every day living will increasingly be challenged. Similarly, Malaysia will also need to brace itself for such a period by remaining economically relevant and globally competitive.

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has worked hard over the last eight years to ensure that the community's best and most talented receive top class education for deserving people such as yourself. While it is understandable that the world over is also vying for the best that it can attract into their labour force, it also our hope that our own students and graduates return to their homeland to serve their country.

MCA is also actively playing a role to help returning graduates and local talents who have a special interest in serving in the government. Civil service diversity is critical to address moderation, fairness and balance in the implementation and enforcement of our nation's laws and regulations at all levels. So important is this point that MCA has set up a secretariat/service centre to handle first hand the enquiries and issues pertaining to application, entry and even promotion in the Malaysian civil service.

MCA hopes that our efforts to build the nation and community can be realized with your appreciation as well as your service so that you, your family as well as your friends can enjoy the fruits of our peaceful nation forever.

MCA wishes you a good year ahead! And Happy New Year!


Ong Ka Ting
President, MCA

My year 2008 was heralded by a "personal" email from a bigwig. Words can't describe how proud I am! You see, we don't get letters from our government leaders everyday, do we. So Dato Seri Ong Ka Ting's personal email came as a big surprise. I am sure that with his lovely message, I will brave through the new year with absolutely high spirit and vigour.

In order to thank him, I decided to write a fisking-style reply over here.

Greetings to all JPA students all over the world!
Greetings to you too, Dato Seri. You made a typing mistake there. You should say "Greetings to all Chinese JPA students all over the world" instead.

Its certainly a privilege to be a star student, standing tall as young Malaysians living overseas.
I appreciate the privilege, although I believe that Malaysians who live locally would have the privilege to receive equally high-level education if not because of the ever-deteriorating standard in the local universities.

I am sure you do your family proud, and I hope you will cherish this moment for the rest of your life, especially at this time of the year when the cheerful holiday mood is abound.
Wait wait wait. While I would love to do my family proud, I am not sure which moment you are telling me to cherish for the rest of my life. The first day of year 2008? Or the very memorable date when I received a personal message from the leader of the second largest political party in Malaysia? While every new year may be a good time for celebration and parties, I don't really think it deserves a lifetime of cherishing.

== paragraph break ==

2007 has been a year of many lessons learnt for many nations.
Agreed. For Malaysia, for Australia, for US, for Pakistan, for Burma, and for every nation.

As other cities burn in turmoil, violence and disruption, Malaysia has thankfully weathered our difficulties in a peaceful manner to ensure that we have continued harmony and unity among the races.
There have been some irresponsible antics both from the political leaders and some rakyat. I am thankful that most Malaysians are still moderate and do not engage in violent behaviours.

Amidst some tough economic times ahead, with worries of escalating global oil prices, every day living will increasingly be challenged.
Yes.

Similarly, Malaysia will also need to brace itself for such a period by remaining economically relevant and globally competitive.
Ahmmph... For example, by having income-level-based policies instead of racial policies?

== paragraph break ==

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has worked hard over the last eight years to ensure that the community's best and most talented receive top class education for deserving people such as yourself.
Thanks a lot, although I fervently hope that this is not the best thing MCA is doing for the country.

While it is understandable that the world over is also vying for the best that it can attract into their labour force, it also our hope that our own students and graduates return to their homeland to serve their country.
Ahmm. Okay I am starting to get confused. Is this a new year message or not?

== paragraph break ==

MCA is also actively playing a role to help returning graduates and local talents who have a special interest in serving in the government.
Tell me. Why should a Chinese political party be busy with helping people who actually want to serve the country, when there are more urgent issues in the country like taxi driver telling unhappy passengers "you ni orang cina saja; aku siapa tau tak"?

Civil service diversity is critical to address moderation, fairness and balance in the implementation and enforcement of our nation's laws and regulations at all levels.
You confused the cause and effect, Dato Seri. Civil service diversity is not critical to fairness and moderation; moderation and fairness is critical to the racial diversity in the civil service. Just wondering, have you ever talked to Chinese who have worked in the government agencies, about the injustice and rampant discrimination in the workplace? Oh yeah I forgot, you are one yourself. Tell me, how often are you asked to shut-up by the UMNO youth chief when you are voicing your discontent?

So important is this point that MCA has set up a secretariat/service centre to handle first hand the enquiries and issues pertaining to application, entry and even promotion in the Malaysian civil service.
I appreciate the efforts MCA made in helping Chinese in need. I seriously do. I just think that band-aids given out by MCA is lamentably not going to solve the long-term issues of racial categorisation and

== paragraph break ==

MCA hopes that our efforts to build the nation and community can be realized with your appreciation as well as your service so that you, your family as well as your friends can enjoy the fruits of our peaceful nation forever.
Thanks for finally coming to the main theme of the letter, Dato Seri. Sometimes I wonder: while it's impossible and non-beneficial to have an total overhaul of our current government, is it worthwhile to continue our support for a political party that gives out band-aids to its categorically discriminated people but is itself handcuffed in the political arena? Honestly I am still undecided regarding this, to give more support or not to MCA, the only political party that can give me tangible short-term benefit.

Your rare email comes uncannily near the general election, and I can't help but to connect the dots. Unfortunately they would not shake my own evaluation of the current political atmosphere nor influence my vote.

== paragraph break ==

MCA wishes you a good year ahead! And Happy New Year!
I wish you a good year ahead too, and hope that you are not having too serious of a headache over Dato Seri Chua's latest news.

By the way, it's a shame that you did not use BCC when you e-mailed all the Chinese JPA students. It's disconcerting to see my email addresses being exposed together with 593 other students. Think about privacy, my dear.