Why are there very few Malays in our company?

"Why are there very few Malays in our company?" - That's the question I got from my foreign co-worker during today's lunch time.

For the locals, they may know the answer or at least have some idea of reasons behind this. However, for foreigner, they may not know the situation in Malaysia. Perhaps, they may come out with something once they stay here for a while and mingle around with the locals.

Sadly to say, there are only 5 Malays plus 1 half-Malay (Malay-Thai mixed...hehehee..) out of more than 100 people in our company. Indeed, it's been quite challenging to recruit talented, smart and qualified people (regardless races, religions etc) with the high standard expectation.

Let's open our mind and ask ourselves. Perhaps, from questioning ourselves, we start thinking, realizing and acting to make change towards paradigm shift.

Think of a Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis.

From my observation, 3 main aspects we can discuss here:
1) Education
2) Mind setting
3) Attitude

1) Education = education style + education trend

There are ample space of improvement required in our education style, I think many people realize this too. The exam-oriented school system trains the students to read and memorize to pass exam. They end up study but not learn.

Earlier people who obtained British-like education during British colonial government where schools were taught in English turned out to be of higher standard with great English language fluency. Recent years showed that Malaysia was struggling to make corrective action in the education system by introducing the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English. Unfortunately, it was revoked after few years of implementation.



Students are afraid to put up hands to volunteer answering question or even asking question. I remember a friend of mine once told me that in India the competition in education is very fierce. They have to fight competitively to obtain the limited places in schools and universities. When lecturer asking a question, almost everyone shoot up hands to answer.

So, teachers should encourage students to speak up by instilling creative, critical and analytical thinking to support their argument. We have to throw away the stigma of regarding the students as disrespectful when they start questioning or challenging opinion.

In my personal experience, during the year I started my university, the education trend was quite rigid. The highflyers (top scorers) typically will take up Medic, Engineering or Law courses. For average achievers will end up with Business, Mass Communication or IT (or Software Engineering) courses. Not to mention Musics or Arts, most of parents think that their children would not be able to make a living out of it. In fact, the community was also bound to such perception.

People kept asking me why I took IT when I can easily apply for Medic. Even my mom expected me to become a doctor, Sorry Mom. My answer was very simple, I love computer very much. I was first being fascinated with the green text over the black screen monitor, the MS-DOS computer system during my second year in primary school. Since then, I determined to learn computer and wanted to become Software Engineer. A primary-school friend of mine loves animals and reared many cats, rabbits, iguana and God-knows-what. She is now a Veterinarian. Another friend from Science MARA Junior College (MRSM) who is a brilliant Malay guy and passionate about mathematics. He decided to take up Mathematics in university but the scholarship funder was questioning his choice as to why he decided so and not Engineering courses. It's all about passion. Passion drives a person to stride greater height and go against the tide.

I believe there are many talented, smart and qualified Malaysians out there. It would be great if we can have many more talented, smart and qualified Malaysians!



2) Mind setting

By definition, mindset is a set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or tools.

Correct mindset leads to how we think and how we approach things which contributes to greater achievement. This is what I always believe in to be successful:

1. Ambitious - We must have great ambition or dream to achieve be it for yourself, family, community or country. Aim to change from bad to better and to best.
   
2. Determination - spirit and passion to achieve the dream
3. Knowledge and Strategy - plan out how to achieve the dream
4. Work hard and smart
5. Tawakal and redha - everything and anything we do in this world can never be separated from our spiritual believe to the Oneness of Allah SWT. Good deeds in Islam are not constraint to just prayers but they cover beyond that. It's the entire lifestyle.

Regrettably, many are lack of ambition and determination, having poor or no knowledge and strategy, lazy and secular.



3) Attitude

A positive attitude leads to happiness and success and can change our whole life. We have to have positive attitudes like positive thinking, constructive thinking, creative thinking, expecting success, optimism, motivation to accomplish your goals, inspire and being inspired, not giving up, looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise, believing in yourself and in your abilities, displaying self-esteem and confidence, looking for solutions and seeing opportunities.

Just get rid of negative attitudes like being too relax (or chillex), less competitive, lazy and other non-beneficial attitudes.

Conclusion

Let's start thinking, realizing and acting to make change towards paradigm shift to become educated, competitive and progressive Malaysians.