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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 38, Number 19. May 29 1975

XYZ one-eyed

XYZ one-eyed

Dear Sir,

XYZ's analysis of Malaysian politics follows the Western academic approach which has almost been totally dominated and defined by the racial divisions in Malaysian society. This has resulted in the obscuring of many changes and processes that help us to understand the perpeptuation of such racial cleavages and the whole context of Malaysia's social, political and economic development.

To imply that the racial problem is the only problem of Malaysia is unrealistic. What about the problems of poverty of over 80% of the people, the malnutrition that accompanies poverty, the chronic unemployment that worsens it, the drain on the economy through foreign and local capitalistic exploitation? To put the racial problem on a unique plane and ignoring the other problems is to present an incomplete picture of the situation.

XYZ sees the whole makeup of Malaysian society as being governed by this racial factor, which has resulted from ".....an unequal representation of Malays in all sectors", i.e. the commercial and non-commercial areas. As no solution was given, it may be inferred from his idea of Unequal Representation, that to solve this inequality, the answer is to make equal this representation within the present system. XYZ is resigned "to the fact that capitalism is here to stay" having briefly dismissed that the solution might be found in communism. Except for this he did not refer to any other systems which might solve the "problem".

Is his argument sound?

1.All factors being equal, let us assume that it is possible to create a situation where there is equal racial representation in every area of Malaysian society, within the capitalist system. Is this a satisfactory solution? It is accepted that a capitalistic society is structured into different classes, upper, middle and lower classes as there exist in Malaysia. XYZ maintains that class is not a consideration in his argument. But if one is being strictly logical, even after XYZ's theory is proved successful, the question of class remains. There will still be the class of Malays who are rich, in fact a larger class of rich Malays would be created; there will still be the class of poverty-stricken Malays. The latter will be even more so as it is impossible to make all the lower class into rich men taking into account the constraints of the capitalist system.
2.What is the usefulness of a system which does no more than to strengthen the present one whereby the poor, regardless of their race, are ruthlessly exploited by the rich? Basic to the whole argument is that all men are equal. Equality can only come about by giving equal opportunity to all the peoples of Malaysia to better themselves without discrimination. Equality can only be real if the ownership of wealth and means of production is owned not by individuals but by all individuals of society as a collective group.
3.At present this equality will never be achieved within the capitalist system based on the oppression and exploitation of the working class. Only when the individuals of society unite to liberate themselves from the inhibitions of their system: the unequal ownership of wealth; their prejudices and chauvinism, the individualistic values and ideals of capitalism such as elitism, class snobbery, self-indulgence and all decadent ideas pushed by the capitalists; the exploitation of women and the lower classes of society.... This, in plain language, means the destruction of the system to create a new society where all people are equal. As it is unlikely that the rich and their supporters will consent to this without resistance, history has shown that the poor will resort to violence. This is where "history speaks for us". The individuals of society can only make history when they unite to make it happen. Perhaps this is too frightening for most of us who aspire to well-paid jobs. Why contribute to the oppression and exploitation of the poor? If we are not conscious of this, neither are we conscious of the truth that in the long run, the people we oppress fight back.

Ruby Pigeon