'Lazy' Malay stereotype harmful, irrelevant, academics tell Dr Mahathir

SM Amin SM Amin Updated 7 years ago · Published on 7 Dec 2018 4:05PM · 15 Comments

Shamsul Amri Baharuddin says Dr Mahathir Mohamad's is stuck in a colonial mindset that is no longer relevant. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, December 7, 2018

ACADEMICS have torn into Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s description of Malaysians as lazy, urging the prime minister to stop labelling and using unhelpful words.

They recognised his intention to spur Malaysians into doing better and being more hardworking, but said the impact of such words might cause unintended effects and perpetuate racial stereotypes.

Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, an analyst with the Institute of Ethnic Studies (Kita), said using the “lazy” label showed how Dr Mahathir was still trapped in a colonial mindset when the British described Malays using the same word.

“That’s his personal stand. He has always been saying Malays are lazy. He has never changed his stand, just that now he is trying to include other Malaysians.

“Such a colonialist view is no longer relevant today and it can cause a lot of negative implications,” Shamsul Amir said at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today after participating in a panel discussion on the book “Mitos Pribumi Malas” by former Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor the late Syed Hussein Alatas, 

The book was written in 1977 after Dr Mahathir had written “The Malay Dilemma”, and examines Western bias towards the populations of lands that were colonialised.

Another academic Mohd Hazim Shah Abdul Murad of Universiti Utara Malaysia said Dr Mahathir might have good intentions of galvanising Malays by using reverse psychology.

However, using words like “lazy” when talking about Malays can perpetuate ethnic stereotypes. 

“We must think about the impact of such words. The intention may be good, but the impact can be negative,” Hazim said.

Dr Mahathir had said Malaysians are lazy and had become dependent on cash aid, like Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) as handed out by the Barisan Nasional government.

Malaysians had also become lazy because they were dependent on foreign workers, the prime minister added.

Dr Mahathir has frequently used such descriptions when expressing his disappointment at Malaysia’s performance in comparison with other countries.

Malay Consultative Council secretary Hasan Mad the continuous use of such labels would affect economic and job opportunities for Malays, as it perpetuated a stereotype and caused others to shun Malays.

Non-elite Malays were already facing a challenging situation finding better private sector jobs as the economy was controlled by others.

“They already know the economic or market situation doesn’t side with them and such words won’t help. They confirm the perception others have of them and perpetuate the reasons why people are reluctant to hire Malays,” Hasan said.

National Professors’ Council deputy president Kamaruddin M. Said urged Dr Mahathir not to rely on stereotypes that were unscientific, adding that more recognition should be given to successful Malays and companies that were built by Malays. – December 7, 2018

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Comments

  • Truth hurts, doesn't it? For those who are successful and became successful because of hard work, they will feel proud because they know these criticisms do not apply to them......

    Posted 7 years ago by ALAN THAM · Reply

  • Zakir Naik said Islam whithers because of greedy Muslims. It is not difficult to believe that he did his observation right particularly in the context of Malaysia.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Not deligent and hard working euphemism for lazy.

    Posted 7 years ago by Wee Tiong Kian · Reply

  • Malays have the same potential and abilities as any other race. You can see successful Malays in all Industry as a testimony of this. Those who made it is due to their prepardness to learn & expand their knowledge, work hard and apply their new knowledge to achieve success. They achieve the success without compromising their religious values. However, the % of Malays success is still not enough and more is needed for the nation. I think the key is to strengthen the belief of Malays that they possess the abilities like everyone else to succeed, and to expand their knowledge to be progressive does not mean a sacrifice of religious values. Progressiveness and religion can co-exist.

    Posted 7 years ago by ChaySeng Ong · Reply

  • ChaySeng Ong, well said.

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysia Baru 09052018 · Reply

  • Lazy not lazy nothing to do with race lah! Some maybe become so because of politicians lah...

    Posted 7 years ago by Abdul Murad Othman · Reply

    • True, particularly the old UMNO.

      Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Kudos to these academics for speaking out about TDM's minda terjajah. He has internalised the colonial mindset. Now that this point is settled, the government needs to ask itself why sucessful Malaysians tend to leave the country. In particular, they should admit that many have left and are leaving the country because of oppressive so-called religious laws. This happens in the case of mixed couples who want to escape Malaysia's forced conversion laws and also in the of people who are independent minded, think critically and simply are fed up with being told how they should practise their religion. The government needs to promote religious freedom, including freedom of interpretation (ijtihad) instead of forcing everybody to coform to their extreme form of Islam. If this is done, I'm sure many successful Malaysians will return and/or cancel their plans to leave.

    Posted 7 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply

  • 'The Myth of the Lazy Native' by Syed Hussein al-Attas and also 'Orientalism' by Edward Said should be required reading in our schools and universities, to replace the essentialist thinking being taught at the moment, based of course on colonial categories. As a nation, Malaysians need to be purged of the colonial mindset and all the evil it has wrought.

    Posted 7 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply

  • Dr Mahathir is giving the right description. Only a small percentage of Malays are hardworking and diligent. These hardworking Malays are the one who succeed and make it in life.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jordan Lee · Reply

    • Tun is like a stern father.

      Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Its never a good idea to generalise as there are always exceptions. However, some aspects of cultural heritage can be seen by others of a different heritage as negative things such as laziness. If you want to improve, you need constructive criticism.

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply

  • All these clowns in ''denial''....simple as that.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • I didn't know there were so many racists reading the Malaysian Insight. Cry, my beloved country.

    Posted 7 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply

  • Its the truth whats so wrong with Tun saying it. Im saying if too u professor council u academics knows it in fact are lots of u bums are lazy morons what is so great of u bums the words said out u are a stack of shit. Dont be Arrogant

    Posted 7 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply