Two stories in the media recently made me sit up. First, was a column in the New Straits Times
(22 December, 2013) by one Awang Hitam about 'apartheid' in Malaysia,
in which the writer accused non-Malay companies control the economy
by of refusing entry and employment to Malays. Second, there was a story
in The Malaysian Insider (23 December, 2013) about Ku Li's claim that Malays have only themselves to blame for their troubles.In Abdullah Hussain's Interlok, one of the leading characters is called Cina Panjang (now a Silverfish meme) -- an unscrupulous Chinese shopkeeper who keeps his Malay kampong customers in debt, with the view of taking over their property. A stereotype, no doubt. But think of an entire Malay population that does not read anything fed on this, with the stereotype reinforced over and over in book after book. (I'm certain there are many Cina Panjangs of all races out there in Malaysian and nobody like them, but this Cina Panjang in Interlok had a strong work ethic too.)
Let me tell you four stories:
1. Some time ago, Dina told us this one: Her uncle (or someone like that) was starting a business and asked if she could help find him good hardworking people from amongst her friends. Part of their salaries would be fixed and the rest will be performance based. She asked around and got this response (or something similar): "Ta'ndak lah, kak Dina. Saya ta'mau kerja macam Cina." (No, kak Dina. I don't want to work like a Chinese -- another delicious Malaysian meme.)
2. At a recent stand-up comedy show in PJ, Patrick Teoh reportedly made this crack (I heard this second hand, so please correct me if I'm saying it wrong): "He only looks Chinese. Actually, he's Malay," in defence of his friend's lack of business acumen. (Another meme, no?)
3. This happened several years ago when I was in the government service. I was in the office of another head of department, to seek his help to locate a document. He called in the staff in charge, a young women in her late twenties, to assist me. "Ta'mau, lah, Mr Tan. Saya malas cari." (I don't want to, Mr Tan. I'm too lazy to look for it.) I watched Mr Tan going sheepish, and realised that he was going to just let it go. Was he frightened? Of what? I decided to take charge. "What do you mean you're lazy? Is it not your job?" I snapped at her. The document landed on my desk that afternoon. Still, this is probably the only country in the world where you can tell your boss you're lazy, and get away with it.
4. We had a fairly large order from Taiwan recently, and had to get in touch with about twenty local publishers. Calling and emailing them to get someone to respond was a nightmare enough. Getting some of them to send a proforma invoice was worse. And then, after paying them in cash and in full, persuading them to send us the books (or let us pick them up) was like tooth-extraction with wobbly pliers without anaesthetic, with the patient kicking and screaming as if not willing to part with anything. It took us about four weeks for something that should have been done in four days. (The people in Taiwan must think Malaysians are quite spectacular.)
But seen from another perspective, the situation might become clearer. Many of these publishers are used to selling their entire print-runs (of two or three thousand copies) to the national library or other government departments in one order -- all done, paid in full, no discounts, kow thim. An author, who is published by one of them, who asked if her books will be in bookshops, was told that it was too much work. Leceh.
I guess, with our order, the malas cari syndrome kicked in big-time. What? Look for the books in the warehouse? Who do they think we are? Coolies? Dia orang 'ni suka buat susah, 'ja. (These people are only like to make our lives difficult.) Why work when you can live forever on the gravy?
And the debate about unemployed and unemployable graduates continues. Is it a problem of knowledge and competence, English language or work ethics? Does anyone have the courage to investigate, and give it a name? Turnover cycles are getting shorter and shorter, time is getting more and more critical in business. We simply cannot afford to take four weeks to do a job that needs four days. Maybe that's why others are eating out lunch.
Another two stories (more positive ones, these):
1. I once came in early to the shop (at 8.00am) to finish some work. When I opened the door. I saw Irman in the shop. "You're very early," I said. "No lah, haven't gone home yet," he replied. He was working on my cover design the night before when I left, worked late into the night, and decided to sleep in the shop because it was too late to go home.
2. I frequently work on the IT aspects of my job over the weekend at home. Sometimes, I'll have get in touch with 'support', normally in the US, where it's night when it's day here, and I am surprised at how quickly they respond. "Don't you guys ever sleep," I sometimes ask (often way past midnight, their time).
Maybe, 'kerja macam Cina', is not so bad.
