(Part 2) My Take on Empowering the Malay Economy

Okay, in my last write-up I laid down my issues on the ASB2. Today I wanna look at the re-skilling of Malay graduates through GiatMARA and the likes.

Although I still maintain that this is an 80's ideas, I will admit that it is one of the most brilliant and most relevant scheme to empower the Malays.

You see, while the dreams and ideas planted in the head of the Malays (mostly self planted too) is that the new Malay economy mean cushy management job, requiring them to merely point fingers for a fat paycheck. That being a Malay entitles them to such livelihood.

But in reality,
...if you and your attitude suck, you will not get a job (Unemployed Graduates)
...unforeseen predicaments and challenges will bear its might on you (Nena; VSS)

This GiatMARA and the likes might not be glamorous but it is REAL. It deals and prepares the young Malays about the real life of working for yourself or your employer. It creates the culture of having to get your hands dirty to get the job done. What the Malay Economy needs are good, hardworking Malays with the right attitude and GiatMARA is the perfect place to get this done.

The issue, as it has always been before is in the implementation.  Just as much as MARA needs to train the young Malays in the ethics of doing things, MARA and its staff also needs to be improved.An improved MARA, a more selfless, efficient and facilitative could bring a much better change in the Malay young. Don't get me wrong - I never say that they are not genuinely caring Malays in MARA; They are. But I believe that the people in MARA needs to be appreciated more, be reinvigorated and motivated. They must be made to know that the Malays appreciate them and that they play a very significant part in making sure the grand plan works.

But MARA is only one part of the equation, the other part is us. We must take part in the process of creating the right culture. Those Malays who has been successful MUST give back to the society by getting involved in helping MARA groom the new Malays. MARA should also make it easier for people to volunteer to help its cause. We need to create this culture of giving back (in terms of time and effort) to the society  that have given and fought so much for us. Rather than sit around and bitch about how bad the quality of graduates now, we must  reach out and make the changes to the status quo. Otherwise, we are also part of the problem, slowly destroying the agenda.