Walk Hard, the MCA way!

I just read about this from a couple of different blogs. Regardless of the authenticity, it is obviously very interesting. According to these blogs, our momentary Health Minister had sent the following email to all the Malaysian JPA scholars of Chinese ethnicity studying overseas.

Greetings to all JPA students all over the world! Its certainly a privilege to be a star student, standing tall as young Malaysians living overseas. I am sure you do your family proud, and I hope you will cherish this moment for the rest of your life, especially at this time of the year when the cheerful holiday mood is abound.

2007 has been a year of many lessons learnt for many nations. As other cities burn in turmoil, violence and disruption, Malaysia has thankfully weathered our difficulties in a peaceful manner to ensure that we have continued harmony and unity among the races. Amidst some tough economic times ahead, with worries of escalating global oil prices, every day living will increasingly be challenged. Similarly, Malaysia will also need to brace itself for such a period by remaining economically relevant and globally competitive.

[1] The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has worked hard over the last eight years to ensure that the community's best and most talented receive top class education for deserving people such as yourself. While it is understandable that the world over is also vying for the best that it can attract into their labour force, it also our hope that our own students and graduates return to their homeland to serve their country.

[2] MCA is also actively playing a role to help returning graduates and local talents who have a special interest in serving in the government. Civil service diversity is critical to address moderation, fairness and balance in the implementation and enforcement of our nation's laws and regulations at all levels. So important is this point that MCA has set up a secretariat/service centre to handle first hand the enquiries and issues pertaining to application, entry and even promotion in the Malaysian civil service.

MCA hopes that our efforts to build the nation and community can be realized with your appreciation as well as your service so that you, your family as well as your friends can enjoy the fruits of our peaceful nation forever.

MCA wishes you a good year ahead! And Happy New Year!

Ong Ka Ting

President, MCA

Now, let's see what issues I have with the bold sentences above.

1. In that single sentence, he has just insulted every one of the scholars. He implies that without the hard work of the MCA, they would not have been able to receive their top class education even though these scholars deserved it. I guess, the fact that the scholars probably put in some real work does not count. I'd really like to know what kind of hard work any MCA man had put into helping the JPA scholars: (a) gain entry into the top class universities, (b) get a scholarship.
2. With this single sentence, he stresses that the MCA is helping more Malaysian Chinese to secure civil service jobs. Considering our government's racially blind recruitment policy mentioned by our Chief Secretary to the Government today, I'm not sure how much the MCA can help anybody. Also, he has openly condemned our civil service for being immoderate, unfair and imbalanced. Touche!
   

Regardless, he must not be interested in the scholars here. I've asked some of my friends and they did not get the email. So, I guess that the MCA isn't interested in helping anyone here get a civil service job. Or more likely, he did not dare tell anyone here that they owed their present privileges to the MCA. Anyway, I'd recommend everyone to go watch the real "Walk Hard" in cinemas. It's strangely funny!

UPDATE@18/01: One friend informed me that he has actually received the email and there are like 700+ emails listed in it because our MCA president did not BCC them. Must've been very hard work to type in those 700+ email addresses. That must be what he meant by the hard work that MCA had put in for them.