on freedom
On Freedom
When we ask ourselves if we are free, we forget who we are. That is the problem. Not free will. There is no problem of free will, if only we conceive of ourselves properly. Now the following arguments are really counter-intuitive. So please do not draw any conclusions before reading the whole thing.
Who are we? We are simply a system of the interplay of matter and energy that is our bodies. When we talk of our soul, we actually mean our immediate consciousness, but we think it is something immaterial and independent of reality. When we think of free will, we apply it to the soul. But the soul is not wholly us, it is but part of us. That is why we have the free will ‘problem’, when we consider our other parts as separate from who we are. Taking Freud’s conception of the self, we are not the ego, we are the whole of which the id, the ego, and the superego are part.
Universal causality exist in time as far as we know it to be. We cannot in fact conceive of it otherwise. When we imagine to violate causality, we inevitably invoke another causal agent, except that it does not reside in this reality (e.g. God). Our mind has been hardwired to think in terms of causality. We cannot do otherwise, though we can do it incorrectly. Our brain is not evolutionarily equipped to deal with complex philosophical problems. We therefore bring over our inappropriate tendencies and intuition into our thought where careful thinking is instead needed. Therefore, everything that exist in time has a cause. We even define time with causality, as our measure of the second, as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom at zero Kelvin, clearly shows. To deny causality is to deny time (and much else is denied too, even ourselves).
Now does that mean we are caused? We are a system. (remember what we are!) A system defines how causality affects it. It interacts with the world of course, but in such a way that how it is affected is determined by itself. By its structure. By its organization. By the system that is itself. It is said to be energetically open, but organizationally closed. As we can see here, our intuition of what causality causes does not work. Things just don’t cause other things in the simple way we have learned through our experience in the world or high school Newtonian mechanics. In complex non-linear systems such as ourselves, there is no simple cause and effect. There is simultaneous causes and effects.
So if we think of ourselves as a system, even with determinism, (actually by virtue of determinism, because our existence as a system relies on causality) there is still free will, because the willing agent is a system and defines itself how causality affects itself, and thus functions by virtue of what it is, and not what the environment ‘determines’.
We thus have an undeniable conclusion, that we have free will.
Now, how about freedom? As we can immediately see without a doubt, that there is no absolute freedom. But first, what is freedom? We first conceive of freedom when we wanted to do something but cannot, because of circumstance. We then consider other facts, or laws, or reality that limits us, forgetting that those facts, laws, reality is what makes, our lives possible. Now how could this mistake have come about?
It is again the problem of our intuition lacking ability to think about systems. Our intuitive thinking is extremely myopic and naively straightforward. We thus commit a lot of system fallacies. In the case of freedom, when we perceive of freedom from outside from ourselves, we bring our cherished, precious concept of freedom outside, where it does not belong, and apply it. This fallacy can be clearly seen by analyzing Nozick’s analysis of his experience machine thought experiment. He says we would not want to plug into the experience machine because:
1. We want to do certain things, and not to merely experience doing certain things.
2. We want to be a certain way, to be a certain person, and not a thing in an experience machine.
3. We want a deeper reality instead of shallow experience.
Actually, there is only one necessary explanation. It is that we think in reality, and we love it to much to really leave it behind. What does that mean? Well all that has meaning to us is from this reality. In fact, our conception of other realities is from our understanding of this reality. We are hardwired to think of this reality, as reality. We therefore take it as an assumption wherever we go in our thought experiments. Plugging into the experience machine means exiting this reality. Yet when we do this experiment, we are inside, observing ourselves from the outside. As experimental psychologists would tell you, this is a bad idea. Introspection is known to give highly biased and wildly inaccurate results. Which is what happened with Nozick’s experience machine.
There are actually 2 mistakes in Nozick’s analysis of the thought experiment. The 1st is that, as mentioned, we are observing ourselves. And we are actually observing “ourselves”. Because even while doing this thought experiment, we are not actually in the machine. We are out here, in this reality. We therefore think from here. From here it seems that “we” are merely experiencing things, instead of actually “doing” them. From here it seems too that, “we” are just a thing plugged into a machine, not really a “person”. From here it also seems that, “we” are having but induced stimulation and experience, and not having a “deeper reality”. All fallacies. Experience is how we live our lives. An alien would look at us and, without a human theory of mind, pass us by as inanimate matter. And reality is our experience.
Yet why do we not think so? Please note that I’m not advocating thinking so, I’m advocating not thinking so when, engaging in dangerous thought experiments such as Nozick’s. We do not think so, because like the person in the experience machine, we are each in our respective realities. The person in the experience machine, might choose to, in a thought experiment in the experience machine, enter another experience machine. And he would, like you, perceive “himself” from outside. “He” in the experience machine is just a thing, while he is a person. While you think that he is a thing, and you are a person. Now what if you are like him and “him”, just a thing in a thought experiment and perceived by someone outside this reality?
Clearly, thinking of ourselves as things is undesirable. And that is the 2nd mistake. We are not things, we are people. We live our lives, not experience it. And so is the life of the person in the experience machine real. But we still wouldn’t want to go in there because from our vantage point, such a life would be unreal. And we are right! But then is our lives real? If you still insist on asking such a question, you have been neglecting the fact that our lives are seen to be real only from our experience of it. We cannot look at it from the outside. When we think we can, we merely fool ourselves and think still from the inside anyway. Outside of us, there is no freedom, which is always only in our head. We therefore really cannot think from the outside at all. And denying that we are part of this reality is not the solution. When we invent the immaterial soul, we are merely delaying the problem. The immaterial soul may be in an experience machine you know?
The solution is actually quite simple. You see, we are in this reality, so we truly cannot see ourselves from outside it. So what we should do is introspect. Whatever we are to anybody or anything else, what matters is that we know what we are from our point of view. This is where we find meaning. Not anywhere outside but in our minds. Freedom therefore is here and now, as we see it. We should acknowledge that we are who we are only to ourselves. Therefore we should take physical laws as granted and not question them when we really cannot do so. And that we have all the physical freedom we have, because if we were to have more, we wouldn’t be ourselves anymore, because it would require a change of our physical makeup. And also if we were to perceive a “truer” reality (e.g. seeing the entire electromagnetic spectrum), whatever that might mean. Freedom is not any physical thing, freedom is something that means something only to ourselves, and only exist in ourselves, not anywhere else. Freedom is independent of “reality”. It is like multiplatform software, that can run on any hardware system. In conclusion, we are not a slave. We are inhabitants of this home we, by our nature, built ourselves, and which we call reality.
We must accept the fact that we are in this reality, and not anywhere else. And that meaning is to be sought and found in this reality. Or we would forever be lost and plagued with senseless contradictions that threaten the meaning of our lives.
In final conclusion, we have free will and freedom, at least in the sense in which we often think we don’t. Now we can live our lives with a peace of mind. And work out real solutions, to real problems of freedom such as slavery and human rights.
When we ask ourselves if we are free, we forget who we are. That is the problem. Not free will. There is no problem of free will, if only we conceive of ourselves properly. Now the following arguments are really counter-intuitive. So please do not draw any conclusions before reading the whole thing.
Who are we? We are simply a system of the interplay of matter and energy that is our bodies. When we talk of our soul, we actually mean our immediate consciousness, but we think it is something immaterial and independent of reality. When we think of free will, we apply it to the soul. But the soul is not wholly us, it is but part of us. That is why we have the free will ‘problem’, when we consider our other parts as separate from who we are. Taking Freud’s conception of the self, we are not the ego, we are the whole of which the id, the ego, and the superego are part.
Universal causality exist in time as far as we know it to be. We cannot in fact conceive of it otherwise. When we imagine to violate causality, we inevitably invoke another causal agent, except that it does not reside in this reality (e.g. God). Our mind has been hardwired to think in terms of causality. We cannot do otherwise, though we can do it incorrectly. Our brain is not evolutionarily equipped to deal with complex philosophical problems. We therefore bring over our inappropriate tendencies and intuition into our thought where careful thinking is instead needed. Therefore, everything that exist in time has a cause. We even define time with causality, as our measure of the second, as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom at zero Kelvin, clearly shows. To deny causality is to deny time (and much else is denied too, even ourselves).
Now does that mean we are caused? We are a system. (remember what we are!) A system defines how causality affects it. It interacts with the world of course, but in such a way that how it is affected is determined by itself. By its structure. By its organization. By the system that is itself. It is said to be energetically open, but organizationally closed. As we can see here, our intuition of what causality causes does not work. Things just don’t cause other things in the simple way we have learned through our experience in the world or high school Newtonian mechanics. In complex non-linear systems such as ourselves, there is no simple cause and effect. There is simultaneous causes and effects.
So if we think of ourselves as a system, even with determinism, (actually by virtue of determinism, because our existence as a system relies on causality) there is still free will, because the willing agent is a system and defines itself how causality affects itself, and thus functions by virtue of what it is, and not what the environment ‘determines’.
We thus have an undeniable conclusion, that we have free will.
Now, how about freedom? As we can immediately see without a doubt, that there is no absolute freedom. But first, what is freedom? We first conceive of freedom when we wanted to do something but cannot, because of circumstance. We then consider other facts, or laws, or reality that limits us, forgetting that those facts, laws, reality is what makes, our lives possible. Now how could this mistake have come about?
It is again the problem of our intuition lacking ability to think about systems. Our intuitive thinking is extremely myopic and naively straightforward. We thus commit a lot of system fallacies. In the case of freedom, when we perceive of freedom from outside from ourselves, we bring our cherished, precious concept of freedom outside, where it does not belong, and apply it. This fallacy can be clearly seen by analyzing Nozick’s analysis of his experience machine thought experiment. He says we would not want to plug into the experience machine because:
1. We want to do certain things, and not to merely experience doing certain things.
2. We want to be a certain way, to be a certain person, and not a thing in an experience machine.
3. We want a deeper reality instead of shallow experience.
Actually, there is only one necessary explanation. It is that we think in reality, and we love it to much to really leave it behind. What does that mean? Well all that has meaning to us is from this reality. In fact, our conception of other realities is from our understanding of this reality. We are hardwired to think of this reality, as reality. We therefore take it as an assumption wherever we go in our thought experiments. Plugging into the experience machine means exiting this reality. Yet when we do this experiment, we are inside, observing ourselves from the outside. As experimental psychologists would tell you, this is a bad idea. Introspection is known to give highly biased and wildly inaccurate results. Which is what happened with Nozick’s experience machine.
There are actually 2 mistakes in Nozick’s analysis of the thought experiment. The 1st is that, as mentioned, we are observing ourselves. And we are actually observing “ourselves”. Because even while doing this thought experiment, we are not actually in the machine. We are out here, in this reality. We therefore think from here. From here it seems that “we” are merely experiencing things, instead of actually “doing” them. From here it seems too that, “we” are just a thing plugged into a machine, not really a “person”. From here it also seems that, “we” are having but induced stimulation and experience, and not having a “deeper reality”. All fallacies. Experience is how we live our lives. An alien would look at us and, without a human theory of mind, pass us by as inanimate matter. And reality is our experience.
Yet why do we not think so? Please note that I’m not advocating thinking so, I’m advocating not thinking so when, engaging in dangerous thought experiments such as Nozick’s. We do not think so, because like the person in the experience machine, we are each in our respective realities. The person in the experience machine, might choose to, in a thought experiment in the experience machine, enter another experience machine. And he would, like you, perceive “himself” from outside. “He” in the experience machine is just a thing, while he is a person. While you think that he is a thing, and you are a person. Now what if you are like him and “him”, just a thing in a thought experiment and perceived by someone outside this reality?
Clearly, thinking of ourselves as things is undesirable. And that is the 2nd mistake. We are not things, we are people. We live our lives, not experience it. And so is the life of the person in the experience machine real. But we still wouldn’t want to go in there because from our vantage point, such a life would be unreal. And we are right! But then is our lives real? If you still insist on asking such a question, you have been neglecting the fact that our lives are seen to be real only from our experience of it. We cannot look at it from the outside. When we think we can, we merely fool ourselves and think still from the inside anyway. Outside of us, there is no freedom, which is always only in our head. We therefore really cannot think from the outside at all. And denying that we are part of this reality is not the solution. When we invent the immaterial soul, we are merely delaying the problem. The immaterial soul may be in an experience machine you know?
The solution is actually quite simple. You see, we are in this reality, so we truly cannot see ourselves from outside it. So what we should do is introspect. Whatever we are to anybody or anything else, what matters is that we know what we are from our point of view. This is where we find meaning. Not anywhere outside but in our minds. Freedom therefore is here and now, as we see it. We should acknowledge that we are who we are only to ourselves. Therefore we should take physical laws as granted and not question them when we really cannot do so. And that we have all the physical freedom we have, because if we were to have more, we wouldn’t be ourselves anymore, because it would require a change of our physical makeup. And also if we were to perceive a “truer” reality (e.g. seeing the entire electromagnetic spectrum), whatever that might mean. Freedom is not any physical thing, freedom is something that means something only to ourselves, and only exist in ourselves, not anywhere else. Freedom is independent of “reality”. It is like multiplatform software, that can run on any hardware system. In conclusion, we are not a slave. We are inhabitants of this home we, by our nature, built ourselves, and which we call reality.
We must accept the fact that we are in this reality, and not anywhere else. And that meaning is to be sought and found in this reality. Or we would forever be lost and plagued with senseless contradictions that threaten the meaning of our lives.
In final conclusion, we have free will and freedom, at least in the sense in which we often think we don’t. Now we can live our lives with a peace of mind. And work out real solutions, to real problems of freedom such as slavery and human rights.
posted by zcer at 11:19 PM
15 Comments:
I fully agree with fuzz/saerk. What people do not realize is that we can't look for freedom outside of ourselves. It is impossible to do so, because we can never look at ourselves, or anything else from outside of ourselves(believe me, i tried multiple times).
Do you think we are free? Yes? No? How would you know? Because you had a dream, or a deja vu? Do you believe in the matrix? Is it real? You wouldn't know would you? Ever. Unless of course some guys in black got your ass out. But the thing is we will never know. We are in this world, and is of this world. We will never be able to look from outside this world.
Freedom does not exist outside of ourselves, because there is no way whether we are or are not free outside. Freedom is in us as an Idea and as something that everyindividual can see for themselves. While we might actually be slaves to others, in ourselves, in our reality, we are free
it is a damn long essay.
i am not interested in it, though,
i still read through it.
'NO COMMENT'
(i can't think of any)
By:
Carfer CFE
on another view:
a thing can't think of anything that has more complex dimension.
we are in 3rd dimension.
1D is a dot
2D is x&y axis
3D is x&y&z axis
so what is 4D?
By:
Carfer CFE
I left Malaysia in search of a better life where I am free to think and do as I please, where nobody tells me what to think and do. I am a free spirited individual.
I have relatives and friends who now live in the United States, UK, New Zealand, Holland, Canada, and Australia - and call these places home.
If I were in your position, with all the racial discrimination back home in terms of places in the country tertiary education institutions, scholarships etc, I would be happy to pack up my bags and leave like one have done - like I and others like me, have done though for different reasons.
Life is more than just having a good job - and is not to be measured in terms of dollars and cents alone. I am not prepared to live a lie and say that I am happy when I am not.
We are among the fortunate in that we are able to exercise our freedom of choice. Others do not know what they are missing.
Freedom of speech is very important and should be upheld by every single individual be it in Malaysia or abroad. The Malaysia public has not reached the stage of speaking out their views and minds at the moment, but we have to make drastic changes for the benefit of all regardless of race and religion.
I am left speechless that now after 48 years of independence, Malaysians are still talking about the Malays, Indians and Chinese race and calling each other names, and telling each other to leave Malaysia if they don't like it.
No matter what topic writes, the posting still leads back to us versus them, Malays versus Indians/Chinese, or vice versa. Please realise that not all malays share the views expressed and not all Indians/Chinese share the same views.
Maybe some have been disappointed or rejected are using this board to vent their anger and in doing so fan the fire or racial hatred. I really object when posters say the Malays, the Indians, the Chinese, etc. This is brushing the whole race with the same slur just because of the acts of a few.
I believe that the better 'educated' people are, the lesser bigot they are. Trust the professional malays (the ones who read widely). The ones you meet or hear about are perhaps 'trained' to be professionals and not 'educated' - they perhaps have not even touched a book from the day that they graduated.
So, perhaps you should not include them in the same category as what we have here at this forum. See, let's encourage them, the others, to get exposed to the 'elements' in the real global society and then perhaps they would turn around to create a better nation for Malaysians.
I believe the first thing that should be changed is the ridiculous race column in our forms. The day we stop filling up the form as Malay, Indian, or Chinese and etc……….we will be truly Malaysians.
Now you know the reason I left Malaysia. Every race has a place in Malaysia. No Malaysian should feel he/she is a second class citizen. Just because the NEP provides privileges to the malays does not make the malays first class citizens. Remember this is just a privilege, not a right.
The right is to vote, own land, make money, live a peaceful life, do business and buy properties. Nobody can take that away from the citizens.
When you talk about emigration, there is more to it than just economics - and affirmative action policies.
It is our choice - and we are happy for it.
We still have roots back in Malaysia. We are thankful that as a result of their discriminatory policies, we are leading happy and fruitful lives in countries like the United States - where we are free, and I mean free.
Just like the so-called moral police, we have a lot of such emotionally inadequate, intellectually insecure and socially disabled people in positions of leadership in schools and universities.
Poor university lead by 'poor and fourth class mentality' administration leading to poor state and poor ranking among the universities in the world.
We have university chiefs who treat our tertiary students like kindergarten kids, telling them what hairstyle is appropriate, what hairstyle is not appropriate, what music to listen to, what music not allowed to listen to, what time to sleep, what time to get up, what to wear, what not to wear, who to mix with, who not to mix with, (whether there is lecture to attend or not) etc.
The real cause is that many of these people, particularly those running tertiary institutions, are not where they are because of their expertise or performance in education, but because of political connections.
Many of them cannot even write a proper sentence, let alone intellectual articles in academic journals. Almost none has written any definitive books which can be used as textbooks. Yet they are made head of universities.
No wonder we have thousands of graduates who are not academically and intellectually fit and hence unable to find jobs. Most can only obtain higher degrees from third-rate universities, and return to be made higher positions. Some of their so-called PhDs are below even an honours degree standard in the established universities.
It is time that Malaysia universities woke up and revamp their moral policing policy. We need a major change. What attire we wear seems more important that whether we smoke cannabis or not.
Rather, the greatest threat to the survival of Malaysia's university is that of incompetent office-bearers who seemingly have their priorities misplaced, and are instead more committed to stifle the freedom of thought and expression, and to subjugate students of different ethnicities and religion to the practices of a single dominant religion.
Our ideology seems more important that the qualities we carry. Our 'religious' conformation seems more important that the actual religious teachings. We are policed instead of the policy being re-examined. Where is our country going?
Why are we all so worked up over a million heist when hundreds of millions heist are happening at the GLCs by our elected representatives and their cronies!
I also don't understand why bring this matter up when hundreds of millions are stolen in broad daylight. Maybe for the record purpose. People here have learned that they don't have to work so hard to get anything. There are a lot of shortcuts here. So people are using them.
It is time our Malaysia government do something to stop the rot.
I applaud on what had said. They are presenting the real problems in Malaysia. I think any of you who say Malaysia could not be that bad is either in delusions, you are in denial or you are just got benefits from the government.
The malays who are spending on your tax money on scholarships are not as deserving as they think they are. Why should they be deserved to be given that much when they don't deserve it.
The percentage of malays getting the scholarships are very high. These are the so-called future generation of Malaysia who thrived in mediocrity and racism and being rewarded for it.
One mentioned that don't see malays staying oversea. You are right. So far I don't see any too. Most of them would want to go back. Because like they realised they cannot be useful enough to stay.
They know they have to be unfair to win. They know they need the government to be behind them all the time to ensure their survival. So that is why most of these incompetence people choose to go back Malaysia.
But the situation is going to be even worse because in 10 years time down the road. The local universities churning out substandard people and the unemployment rate is going to go higher and higher.
Private sectors and investors from outside would not want people like them. They would just take in enough to fill the spot of their so-called quotas that the government put them in.
That is why you see the IT industry so popular but ironically employers prefer Indians from India or people from oversea. They would even go for expats because they know those are the competent people that can work.
So in years to come, the economy is going down because people in Umno and Umno Youth reward mediocrity and based on race. The scary thing is, they are proud of it too and think they are doing it right and can help Malaysia. Man - that is scary.
Also about the political sentiment they use, if you are patriotic, give more to your country. My response is, the country hasn't given me anything, why should I give to you Malaysia!
My friends once told me, I would rather to be treated as second-class citizen in other country like the US or UK than to be treated as second-class citizen in Malaysia. At the very least, your voice is heard than in Malaysia - where every good reason falls on death ear.
So if any of malay politician ask me to get out, provide me with the PR of USA and I am on my way.
So if the current PM want to make things right, he must not be afraid to put someone on the chopping block. He should think with integrity not rewarding people because they are cronies. By doing this, you are sending messages that you encourage things to be done this way.
So no wonder corruptions prevail and ton of incompetent people get to sit in the thrones of power. So there is literally no common sense involved except for the sake of covering their own ass. So it is really sickening to hear them praising about progressive society while the foundations of real civilization aren't there.
The malay scholarship holders are taking things for granted. They are paid insanely a lot all around the world as scholars. But look at it this way, that is the end of their career.
Well, not career, job, where you wake up day and night forcing yourself to the job you hate.
So don't get discouraged when you see them living the life. Envious are good, that makes you strive for excellence even more and more trying to beat them.
Since even the lowest pay in Australia, will overtake the pay in Malaysia, easily. If you don't believe me, ask an Australia grad student how much they are paid a month with their fees waived.
I am sure that is a new goal you should set yourself to work on. So carry on, don't despair, and don't give up.
It is not only shocking but also disgusting to see taxpayer's money being wasted on malay students who don't even deserve to go overseas.
The non-malay students with excellent marks cannot even enter local universities. The standard of English is on the decline, is what the newspaper says, but it only of those who study in the local universities and they are predominantly malays as well.
It is easy for one malay to say - I am not discriminating - but try living in the country as a non-malay.
Pork is banned everywhere but beef is served without any care whatsoever about others sensitivities.
You cannot start a program with a Hindu, Christian, Buddhist prayer but Muslim prayer is a must.
For all the stale bulls who believe Malaysia still has hope……….best of luck, as far as I am concerned I am going to be out of this country that practices apartheid.
I believe my children deserve to have equal opportunity in this world.
You see, my family and I have, like one family, decided to leave Malaysia.
Certainly, it is my belief that if I do not take my family out of this country, I will continue to subject my child, and her children after her, to the continuing injustice of this contract.
I often thought the new administration under our new prime minister presents new hopes for fairer treatment.
Alas, just as the previous prime minister was an exciting breath of fresh air some 22 years ago but proved so putrid much later on, I feel I cannot subject my child and her children after her, to the same risk.
That risk being that this prime minister too, may abandon fresh hopes for justice in exchange for immediate gains to himself, his family, his supporters and his race.
If a bright, very well educated, articulate - ruling party - young man espoused thoughts which totally ignored the fundamental injustice of our system, what future does our country hold?
If this is future prime minister material, then I really feel people like one and I are doing the right thing by taking our children out.
Bright people may not be just people. No matter how bright and well educated our future leaders are, if they choose to continue to hold on to an obviously unjust system, we cannot subject our children's future to these leaders.
My father did not have the opportunity to leave. I now have to pay the price of starting anew - abandoning a secured and well-paid job - so that my child escapes the injustice.
Am I enjoying life here in KL? You bet. Like my wife and I draw incomes for lifestyles too painful to sacrifice.
Yet, if we choose to be concerned only with our own job security and comfortable lifestyles, our child may one day be faced with the decision I now face.
What if she does not have the same opportunity to leave for another country? I feel I must leave now, while the window remains open.
Malays are a race of people who still live under a coconut shell. To us, the world is as big as the shell we live in. We are fortunate because we are princes of the land, our land is fertile, anything can grow on it.
When we want to cook curry, coconuts are there. If we want chicken meat, all the kampung chicken run wild. If we want to eat fish, we can easily catch one or two from the rivers or padi field. What more, we produce petroleum too, the only thing is we have not learned how to extract petrol and diesel from it.
"Malaysia is very advanced, self-sufficient and most knowledge in the world come from Malaysia so all the information that we need are in Bahasa Melayu. The world better learn Bahasa Melayu in order to access all these wonderful knowledge that we have in Malaysia. Because we are world's biggest economy, other countries who want to trade with us better learn Bahasa Melayu."
We also have a lot of "former world No 1" exporters - tin, rubber, palm oil, air conditioner, etc. How nice to relive the nostalgic yesteryears every now and then……….
We may never be big again. Never mind. "Malaysia Boleh!" We Malaysia Boleh compare with the Japan, German, America, anybody, just name them!
Funny, isn't it? The country will be 50 years after independence, the government still provide us with tongkat. We love you Malaysia!
This is a laughing stock article.
Think of improving the country from bribe, economic and equal right among races so that the Malaysia real meaning Boleh.
Let those who feel study English is not important continue to study Bahasa Melayu and those who want to continue to study English continue to study English. That way in time to come we can see which group progresses faster and more employable.
There is no need to deprive any group from studying what they want to study. We lost a generation of English speaking citizens through the short sightedness of our leaders.
In my view, no matter what is said now and in the future, and whether English does get re-instated to its former position of importance or not, whether our present batch of politicos and up-coming will or will not make the changes to elevate English, this blasted fact will remain - Malaysia has let innumerable opportunities for super-development pass in the last two decades.
The other fact is that these opportunities will never come our way again.
At the end of his tenure, Dr M said the only thing I give him credit for, no one is going to wait for the malay race to catch up, the rest of us will move on and the harder it gets the harder we push.
All these talk are pride and again a result of entitlement mentality. Not having faced real world competition, a disconnect exist between their ideas and knowledge with the real world. All the talk are theoretical and imaginary, not implant-able solutions and results. Coupled with false pride, the result is just that - false.
Because of this shortsighted policy, thousands of graduates are unemployable. We have only to blame our leaders for this state of affairs and is a sad reflection of our leaders capability. Time and history have proven that our leaders lack vision and foresight.
The sad part is that the leaders of this country did not have the vision to place a higher importance to this aspect which had been one of Malaysia's competitive advantage. So we are now lagging behind.
Bolehland is lost! Too many mistakes are made at the great expense of ordinary people and the country - socially, politically and economically.
It is very sad to see a promising country in this difficult situation! Those responsible for this terrible mess should come forward and apologise to the ordinary people with concrete plans and solutions to resolve the many critical issues confronting the country - immediate, long and short term plans and solutions.
Ah! This is all yes no. The problem is the NEP and the preferential treatment for malays which puts them in positions of authority and power, for which they are manifestly unqualified and unsuited.
Get rid of a generation of these under qualified and under suited malays and replace them with the best brains Malaysia has - which of course must mean by a large proportion non-malays and foreigners, and all will be well.
Everyone knows that this is the solution but no one can do anything about it. That is fair enough, but what gets me pissed off is pseudo intellectuals like one who come up with stupid mainstream solutions to problems, of the gutter and sewer - which is where the NEP belongs.
Ah! It is not racist to speak the truth. Let me put it this way - on any objective analysis undertaken - you will find by the sheer reasons that Malaysian public servants were chosen with inferior grades, given inferior training and possess inferior work ethics (i.e. no competition), that many who are members of the Malaysia civil service are if not totally incompetent, clearly second rate.
Get it! You, you, you……….
This goes for army officers, doctors, lecturers, police, etc. Everyone. So you either get rid of them (of course, not as easy as I said) or be weaned off them by recruiting fairly and objective in the future, with eyes on nothing but sheer merit. And there will be some malays in this list as well, but certainly not the 98% who now occupy the public sector.
You are a proper zero (not a hero as you'd like to think) if you can't see that and jump on your high horse. LOL!
In my experience (I have uncles in police and have lived barracks as well) in every recruitment drive, I have seen there were always loads of Chinese and Indians who turn up (especially for officers position) but they would not be selected.
It is not true that Chinese and Indians have not been interested. They always have but they know that in the off chance that they are selected the shit they would get when malays will get promoted, and they will remain chief inspectors and majors until retirement. Really stupid malays will be promoted to higher ranks. Why work for such shit organisations in which promotion is based on race and religion but not ability and performance!
In the police for example, the few non-malay officer recruits will be taken in one year after the malays of the same age are taken in. Why? So that they will always have seniority.
No it is frustrating and unfair and unjust! But you don't care because you only care for your malays and so you talk like you do.
If you don't know or don't think this happens, you are a typical malay hypocrite.
By the way if you say: "Malaysia was built on the sweat of all races not on the Chinese only"- then why should you malays guys get 98% of the public cake, why? Because of your race? But that is racism.
But then how can you be racist if what one says about Islam is right. He says: "Needless to say, racism in whatever form is anathema to Islam since the religion rejects totally both the glorification and the degradation, of any individual or community based upon race or color."
But thus what about the bigoted NEP? You malays guys do glorify yourselves and degrade others continually. Can't you see that?
There you see, again back to Keris and Parang. It is in your blood. You can't help.
Hello, the reason why you malays cannot continue this discussion is not because I shout and shut others up, but because your position is legally, morally (law and even constitutionally, that is) and religiously (Islamic, that is) indefensible.
We all can see that as bright as day, and so can you malays to accept requires fortitude, moral character and strength, which you guys sorely lack.
So we see the theatrics with the Keris and Parang. Because you malays guys are living on other people's misery and that cannot please your God and for that all of you will suffer.
And so perhaps the reason why your malays community is so ravaged by aids and divorce and drug addiction and incest and single parents, and generally immorality.
Now debate that you malays!
Firstly, the NEP is severely outdated. Even during youth many were against it, mainly of course non-malays. Almost 40 years after, even the malays are discontented with it. It is outdated. The theory is severely flawed.
The NEP is the reason why Malaysia cannot reach its full potential with regards to GDP and will always keep falling behind its more successful neighbour, Singapore.
Our Malaysia country is sinking……….what a shame.
I was lying down having a deep reflection last night. The last time I was in Singapore was in the year 1996. As I compare Malaysia with them today, we are not even at their level in terms of progress. Singapore's 1996 status is still better than Malaysia's 2006. We are some 10 years behind our neighbour.
With this prime minister leading us, we will even fall further behind. I think he will resign after 1 term. He should be giving talks which to me inspirational talk is the most appropriate.
As a pro-reformist of Malaysia today, I believe Pak Lah as the 21st century prime minister should break new grounds and demolish old synaptic connections with regards to the way we run our country.
The Ninth Malaysian Plan will be based on the NEP. Hence, from what I've seen so far there is no change and promise executed in the 21st century. What makes us think that there will be any in year 2020! After all, the 'old' stalwarts will still be running the country i.e. Najib, Hisham.
They may succeed in fooling the kampung folks, for the time being, clearly not forever.
Still I agree that some credit must go to the man. But the media is still not free, although there seems to be a kind of preference not to do anything to change the natural course of events - but more out of a loss of what to do than anything resembling policies.
The laws that give rise to government control of the media are still securely in place. The draconian law that allows detention without trial is still very much in place.
Human rights abuse by the immigration, police and the special branch is still rife - and it is not going to go away just because there are several royal commissions set up to 'whitewash' the handling of such issues by the government. And one can go down the laundry list - like forever.
The country's courts are still very much a laughing stock of the whole world - dispensing justice to suit the needs of the ruling government. The fact that of late there seems to be a 'renegade' appeal judge of sorts who chooses to be vocal about extra-judicial issues, does not mean there will be more judges like him.
Still his trail blazing ways provide some glimmer of hope that others may follow in his footsteps - although I am quite sure that his early retirement is being discussed as we speak.
The country's parliament and the legislative process are a joke - and an embarrassment. Need I go on?
We need a leader to lead us out of this mess! I am sorry for not being able to see the leader in the man. What we do not need is an apologist for the excesses of previous administration. So far he is unable or unwilling or both to take on the heavyweights within his rank for corrupt practices.
I do not have confidence that meaningful change will come and, if does come, the ability for such 'change' to sustain itself in the long run is seriously in doubt.
We need to achieve political maturity, like that in USA, Germany, France, Britain and other countries. We also need a totally free press to inform the people, to check and balance, as a watchdog to the government. Sadly, it is not the case in Malaysia yet.
I call upon the directionless, heartless, hopeless, intelligent-less, listless, mindless and soulless prime minister to just quit - and spare Malaysians further agony of having to read more about his management by inspiration - now replaced by sclerotic mismanagement.
But of course non-malays, especially the non-malays born after 1957 will see things differently.
First of all, they did not choose to come to Malaysia, especially not with its present system of government. It is not their fault that the British, more than one hundred years ago, brought in so many Chinese and Indians, and made the Umno-malays feel insecure.
It is not their fault that many of the immigrants, with the permission of the British, toiled to be successful and that made the Umno-malays felt threatened by it. And since when did success become something you have to be punished for instead of celebrating?
It is not their fault that English is the dominant language of technology, science, diplomacy, commerce, and just about any branch of knowledge and has been entrenched in Malaysia since 1786.
They can't understand why the government is hell bent on destroying the system of government left behind by the British, a system that Singapore kept, enhanced and used to become one of the richest, most well planned, most advanced, competitive, cleanest and admired countries on earth, despite being just a rock the size of island.
They feel puzzled that the Umno-controlled government talks with a forked tongue - asking Malaysians to be united and at the same time - asking the non-malays to accept second class citizenships, and then Tun Razak own son Najib threatened to bathe a keris (dagger) with Chinese blood. To them, this is a contradiction.
Why were Chinese and Indians in the armed forces here Malaysia etc, in significant numbers before the 1970s? And there are a lot of lucrative deals in the army and police, and some are below the table and some like it that way.
"Why is that there are so few Chinese in the armed forces?"
Well, I think you know the answer why. Like so many government institutions, there was a form of ethnic cleansing in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, which saw the determined push of non-malays out in favor of increasing the number of malays both at the rank and at the leadership positions.
That is why you see a dramatic change in the complexion of the government if you compare, say the 1960s and 1990s. That is why non-malays avoid government institutions, not just the armed forces - it is the same with organizations like Bank Negara, EPF, etc.
Over the years, the government institutions have evolved into very hostile environments for the non-malays.
Look at Singapore, the Chinese are in the army etc, so are the Indians and the malays. Yes there was an issue with the malay pilots. But there are significant Indians there in the civil service as an example since the Chinese are majority there.
Anyway, onto the comments that touch on Singapore experience. Yes, making English the medium of instruction has served Singapore well. Just the other day, I was at a conference held by an MNC and employees came from all over Asia.
One of the most senior people in from the Singapore office was a malay and he was highly articulate, and obviously made it to such a high position based on his capabilities. And he is not the first Singaporean malay I met that held an important position in an MNC.
I always wondered why some Malaysian malays in some other forums say that if Malaysia adopts Singapore system, they will not survive. The Singaporean malays I met are doing just fine. Yes, many Malaysian malays hate Lee Kuan Yew and indeed Lee may have been a racist, but the Singapore system existed before him, he refined it, and people who came after him keep refining it, and it works well.
Anyway, yes it is anecdotal but nonetheless, these malay Singaporeans I met are doing well. Whenever I go to Singapore, I see malay Singaporeans working productively, and everyone in Singapore is virtually guaranteed a decent house.
They have access to world class education, world class government planning, world class landscaping, world class medical facilities, world class public safety, world class shopping, world class transportation, world class working environment (and due to Singapore high per capita income and strong Singapore dollar, they earn enough to afford good stuff too).
You want to know why so many Malaysians choose to be discriminated in white man's land or go south? It is not because of the NEP.
It is because our right to be Malaysians has been questioned. It is one thing to have to sacrifice for your fellow citizen. It is another thing to sacrifice for a citizen of a country where you don't even belong.
Just spoke to a friend of mine, and she told me that a close friend of her studying in Singapore, just visited Malaysia over the weekend. And so, I asked her what did her friend tell her about Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur to be specific……….and you know what, the first word is - dirty.
True enough, I think many Malaysians still have poor mentality in terms of keeping the public area clean, and not to litter……….
Yup Malaysia is so dirty, as said by our prime minister, we have 1st class facilities but 3rd class mentalities. I went to Australia and it is so clean, and the citizens really abide the rules like wearing the seatbelts while driving etc. We Malaysians always have problems on obeying the rules.
The Australian Chinese will be great asset in the next 10-20 years. Because Australia is eyeing the China share of investment. The influence of China economy policy will definitely reach Australia.
So it would be good for Australian Chinese to study Mandarin as well. English is much easily to master than Mandarin. Dual languages for young Australian Chinese will be beneficial for them as they can provide a link between the rich China and Australian expertise.
Good luck to all fellow Australian Chinese.
MCA is powerless……….They just speak when Umno allows them to do so.
I have to say MCA is not Chinese hero at all……….
The MCA isn't there to protect the Chinese. It is there to protect Chinese businesses and interest - in short: Chinese money.
Look at the MCA people. Most of them are rich businessmen hoping to get in the government good books so that their businesses will prosper. Are they in it for the people? Do they even care about making a change?
Some maybe yes but the majority is a sad no. The main rule I found out about the MCA is - if you have money, you can go to the top. I've seen many MCA branch leaders with no credentials, just money. How the heck they got to become ministers and branch leaders beat me.
Bottom line: MCA = materialistic Umno ass kissers. Plain and simple.
My father always tells me……….In oversea the government is fair to everyone but the people are not fair (racism). In Malaysia the people are nice but the government is not fair.
Yes, I agree. Who else could hear owes of our kids better than parents but in the development of a child, the school alias the education system plays an important role.
There can be only two inferences from the discussion - either our leaders, particularly the ministers in charge of education are plain dumb and do not have the intellectual capacity to develop the nation's most important asset, or they do realise the importance and have the know-how but plainly chose to ignore it because of political considerations.
I do not know whether there will be a dawn of time for whatever you have so passionately put in write but pardon if I am a pessimist, we have lived through the changing times to know all too well that nothing seems to be in the horizon.
Malaysia has gone to the dogs. Not a day goes by without some report in the national dailies on the occurrence of armed robberies, bloody gang fights, child abuse, cold-blooded murders, gang rapes, road rage and snatch thefts.
And I don't think the government of Badawi is doing enough to tackle this social malaise. But to be fair to the prime minister, he had inherited these social ills from his predecessor, and one just cannot expect him to stamp out the problem in a matter of two or three years.
Back to the dogs. Some time ago, a young woman's body was found in a box. Some time ago, a young woman was walking back from work at night when she was shoved into a car and taken to a bungalow where she was allegedly gang-raped by some Africans.
Sound familiar? Remember the girl who was raped and then killed by the bus driver after a terror bus ride? There are countless others whose names I can't recall, but the graphic images of the violence perpetrated against these victims remain. And of course, the case last occasion of the young woman who raped and killed while out jogging.
Well, it is more than just fate. Fate is just an explanation for those events that led one to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But what caused the brutal murder?
The two decades under Dr Mahathir saw rapid economic development. Spanking new highways were built, crisscrossing the country, the world's tallest buildings were built; new factories mushroomed overnight; illegal immigrants arrived in hordes; foreign direct investments flowed into the country, while the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange was turned into a virtual casino. Those were wonderful and heady times indeed.
When the stock market crashed in 1997, we cried foul; we blamed Soros for our financial sorrows. Did we blame ourselves? Of course not.
Who cares about values or ethics when you can make money at the expense of others? You want better roads? 'No problem, we'll give you better roads. Just pay your toll.'
But at what cost? It was two decades of social havoc. Money or material wealth became (still is) the new God. Corruption, greed and ugly money and race politics set in. Social and religious values became subordinated to the new God.
If you can't even achieve total prosperity after 50 years of special tongkat given by the government, then do not be jealous or even envious of other races achievements. Think about it.
In order to make Malaysia strong, malays have to change their mindset and not depending on the government too much. I think it is time for you to "stand" and try to earn things you have got, not being feed by the government.
You can't run this country alone. You are not the only one that is doing sacrifices.
Everyone here does, so stop getting yourself a bigger slice of the cake while trying to take away ours, when your cake is being given by the government but we earn it with our own blood and sweat.
What do you mean that what will happen to malays if Malaysia fallen into Chinese hands? Did Singapore ever kill the malays? Did they forbid them to take their mother tongue?
It is just that the malays have to fight for their own and they eventually did fought their way out and earned their slice of the economy cake, without significant help of the government in Singapore. They still earn similar income to other races.
Maybe Singapore is nothing. But then how do you exactly explain that a small island that was ejected by Malaysia, no resources, they got nothing……….not even they have enough water, but yet their currency is higher than Malaysia? Can somebody tell why?
Maybe it is because Americans helped them? But it is because of their fairness and transparency, not to mention a highly efficient government. This is something that we can't deny. Malaysians have to learn their mistakes and try to correct their "government help" or "tidak apa" mindset.
And Malaysian malays still fall behind Chinese even with the help of the government. Why? Please do not blame for nothing.
Points taken. Get a little bit nasty, but that is some facts.
I am an engineer. Like architect and other parties, we design and built houses based on the developer's vision and decision. If the house is very small, poor design, bad finishes but still at an unreasonable high price, I will walk away.
I will advice my friends not to buy it, based on my professional experience and some logic, it is not that difficult, really. But it is their money, they have the freedom to decide what they wanted to do with it.
But believe it or not, someone will still stay there. Can't even afford to buy, consider lucky if they are able to clear the monthly rental.
And I have some malay friends, thinking of emigrating, mainly because most Muslims Malaysia here didn't see things the way they saw it, especially on the religion matters. Oh yes, some perceptions never really change throughout the years.
Once a while I will still welcome my uncle from Australia to visit us here. He is one lucky emigrant, I guess, he is well taken care over there.
It is very sad, it is so sad to see Malaysia's brightest minds are all over the world except Malaysia.
The person who is researching into getting water for Singapore is a Malaysian. The head of Parapsychology in Cambridge is Malaysian. The best doctors in the world many are Malaysians.
Yet, they are nowhere near Malaysia.
In Singapore, it is fast and efficient to get a permanent resident. In fact, foreigners in Singapore are invited to become permanent citizens. Here Malaysia, it takes years and years and years and……….to even be considered to become a permanent citizen. I heard of foreigner whose application was lost and had to resubmit. How is that?
All this while I think many of us are dying to go to Australia, Europe, the US, for a better future……….
Another brilliant Malaysian got scared off by the Malaysia government. Just had a long distance phone conversation with my Malaysian friend who is now pursuing his PhD in civil engineering in the UK.
According to him, he sees no more hope and future in Malaysia and totally ruled out the chance of ever returning, except for the occasional visits to relatives and friends.
Kudos to Umno government. When it comes to scaring off all the brilliant brains out of the country, you are clearly a master at it.
I've finally come to enlightenment. If you argue with a fool, it ends up two fools are arguing. When I've done with my business here in Malaysia, I will be packing up for emigration.
I may end up as a second class citizen. Who cares? Since when are we treated like a Bangsa Malaysia anyway after 48 years of independence? I have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Don't slog and waste your life away in Malaysia. You will never be appreciated. Leave if you can!
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