== Book Review ==
1. The Color of Inequality by Muhammed Abdul Khalid
2. Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians by Anas Alam Faizli @anasalamfaizli
This is a long pending review which has been due for over a month. I’m afraid I wouldn’t do justice. Both are just too good, hope my review helps.
Read these books back to back because both are about the same issue, i,e; INEQUALITY, not anywhere else, but here in our beloved Malaysia. It took me quite some time to finish and digest. It’s a serious issue, but it’s so interesting that made me read some parts twice!
Book 1 is like a thesis, provides statistic data from colonial times to millennium times, as we can see the shift of our economic base and help understand how gap occurred between races and how the gap of inequality did not did not change much for that 20 years. The data is shocking but it is not surprising when we see the reality around us. Inequality happened in every category either race/ethnic,socioeconomic and education background.
Book 2 discusses more detailed on socioeconomic issue, education, health care and volunteerism. As someone who was in the Oil & Gas industry, Anas helps readers to understand more about the industry, founding of Petronas and its role in Malaysia economy, as well as issue on Malaysia’s oil royalty. Socio-economics touches on many core issues such as poverty, healthcare, education, welfare, foreign workers, and many more which the defects on each of this issue IMO may have lead to many other social problems we see today such as inequality, underage marriage, corruption, urban poor and uncivilization. We know how our education system is very much exam-oriented and unempathatic. Education in Malaysia is institutionalized and is more like machine producing factories. The author gives much thoughts on the proposal to revisit our education philosophy and reform our education system. Nurturing reading culture in the society is a good move to produce thinkers and provide a safe platform for the society to encourage intellectual discussion. However, it’s going to be challenging these day with digital era where everyone has got smartphone, hooked up to social medias with endless scrolling, subscribe to streaming video platforms, that allows people to enjoy visual entertainment anywhere. People are too occupied these days and give excuse they don’t have time for reading or not into it. The only reading that society is into nowadays is Facebook status, Instagram caption or tweet post. The book also discussed on volunteerism as driving power in today’s civil society, helping the development of the society as the third force. Malaysians,naturally instilled with culture of kindness, we have seen many NGOs and NGIs organize many programmes and fund raising.
IMO they key of everything is education with compassion. To build a civilized society, to produce thinkers, to overcome poverty, to develop humanity, it all starts with education. Education is an important factor shaping the society and to close gap of inequality, as well as the core of other social issue. I am looking forward to see reform on our education system, which emphasize more on EQ, instill core values and focus to develop passion of learning . How do we make it accessible to all? Is current education philosophy and system good enough? Do our children learn the right knowledge and are we instilled good value at school that can later shape the society? Education should be about learning, developing oneself and should not only about teaching.
Both are discussing why it is important to address issue of inequality, its root cause, the challenges we are facing. The authors propose solutions and changes that can be done to tackle these causes and challenges. The books are very much relevant now, and IMO will always be, to be used as a reference for improvements that can be done by the government and policy maker for a better Malaysia. The question is are we ready for these changes? Humans, naturally afraid to be out of our comfort zone and facing changes. However, in this challenging and competitive world, change is a constant and change is necessary. But changes also should not compromise our core value, faith and culture.
I believe these are must read for politicians and policy makers, if their political agenda is actually for a better Malaysia and for the rakyat.I would encourage every Malaysians to read these as well, because we should not put our trust alone to the politicians,ministers and policy makers to make changes. We can make changes too, find your role in the society which you seem fit, even a small one, like being civilized. “Be the change you want to see.”
In sha Allah for a better and inclusive Malaysia.