Press Statement
by Chow Kon Yeow

(Penang,Thursday): Deputy PM Najib yesterday said that it was discriminatory for the private sector to make it compulsory for local graduates to be proficient in Mandarin.

His “discriminatory” remarks evoked diverse responses.

One reader of a mainstream media said scores of other job advertisements ask for applicants based on specific ethnic group or gender. “Aren’t those bordering on discrimination as well,” he asked.

He concluded that there was nothing wrong with companies wanting to hire only people who are skilled - be it in languages or otherwise.

Another reader said many employers emphasize Mandarin proficiency because of commercial reasons. Many businesses nowadays require much interaction with associates from China or other countries which requires communication in Mandarin.

Chinese business and community leaders do not agreed with Najib. They pointed out that the Mandarin proficiency requirement is required solely because of commercial reasons.

“If our market is targeted at Bumiputera consumers, definitely it would make business sense to hire a person with proficiency in Bahasa would be hired,” a corporate leader said.

MTUC sec-gen Rajasekaran when asked by Sin Chew Daily, replied that the Mandarin requirement was not discriminatory.

It did not surprise me that Umno leaders responded in support of Najib’s statement. Malacca Chief Minister Rustam Ali, Overseas Umno Club Alumni chairman and Umno Education Bureau chief called for such discriminatory practices to be stopped.

But the real shocking statement came from MCA Minister for Human Resources, Fong Chan Onn.He told Utusan Malaysia that “syarat wajib kuasai bahasa Mandarin tidak adil”.

Why making Mandarin proficiency should be seen as discriminatory?

Even the KLIA and Immigration Department engaged officers who could speak Mandarin to make announcement and deal with Mandarin-speaking tourists from East Asia countries.

Proficiency in Mandarin should be seen as a skill requirement for a specific job. This is not race-based or religion-based discrimination which should be opposed.

Malay, Indian and other Malaysians are invited to apply should they possessed this qualification.

Sometimes we forget that right now there are close to 70,000 non-Chinese attending Chinese primary schools. By now, there must be over one hundred thousand non-Chinese who are able to speak, write and read Mandarin today.

If the Mandarin requirement is discriminatory, it discriminate Chinese who are not proficient in Mandarin too. (Malacca CM Rustam Ali pointed this out, and he contradicted himself as he had said earlier that this requirement discriminate the non-Chinese).

Najib should not pretend that everything is fine in this country.

He and other Umno leaders should be the least qualified to talk about discrimination when they are product of a high controversial discriminating system in this country.

The Economist described the New Economic Policy as the world’s most notorious positive discrimination policy as it reject other Malaysians purely on ethnic and religious factors.

Najib must not be oblivious to how Malaysians feel. In Malaysia, it is qualifications that counts, not qualifications. Definitely not proficiency in Mandarin-lah!