According to George Santayana, a Western thinker, those who do not learn from history will be tormented by repeating their mistakes.
Malays in the colonial era had low self-esteem and spirit. They regarded themselves as second-class citizens and were ready to give up anything to others who they believed were more capable than them. Administration of the country, business and industry, menial works even, all were surrendered to the foreigners. When we fought for independence we believed that with power in our hands, we would be able to improve the lot of the Malays who were by and large poor. They were poor, uneducated and far behind in all aspects. They were servants in their own land to the foreigners whom they regarded as masters. But power by itself will not ensure success for us. Power can actually destroy us. And today we see how power has made many of us irresponsible and very greedy to the extent that the goals we had set out when struggling for independence are now forgotten.
The way I see the future, we can change. We as the youngsters who will take charge of our beloved country must change for sure. Our mentality, our discipline and also strengthen our belief in our beloved religion, Islam.We Malays are not dumb, we are not lacking of anything. Actually the Malays are no less intelligent than the other races. Why we need to have quotas for Malay students in universities is because of our attitude towards seeking knowledge. Non-Malays regard seeking knowledge as noble and society looks up to those who are knowledgeable. With that their parents and teachers pay serious attention towards education of their children and the young. In fact they continue to seek life-long knowledge.
What we need is the evolution in changing our attitude. We have got the tools, but we just need the knowledge to use the tools wisely so it would give benefit to all.
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