[Kabar-indonesia] Chinese in RI, KL endure skewed laws, but prosper with hard work

[Joyo at aol.com]

Chinese in KL, RI, endure skewed laws, but prosper with hard work 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 8 (AP): To outsiders, the minority ethnic Chinese 
of Malaysia and Indonesia present an image of hardworking traders and 
tycoons.

But it has not been an easy climb to success. For decades, Chinese in 
Malaysia have silently endured government policies giving the country's 
majority ethnic Malays preference in education, business, politics and 
religion.

In Indonesia, Chinese were banned from celebrating festivals, forming 
political parties and publishing newspapers during the 32-year rule of 
former dictator Soeharto. They were encouraged to take Indonesian-
sounding names but denied citizenship, and wereoften the target of 
mob violence.

Neighboring Singapore's elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew put the 
spotlight on the Chinese when he told a forum last month that 
Indonesian and Malaysian governments have "systematically 
marginalized" them.

Following a furious diplomatic spat, Lee apologized for causing 
offense.

"The Malaysian history has shown that even in a crisis, we have 
never marginalized any race," said Information Minister Zainuddin 
Maidin. "In fact, Malaysia has successfully overcome economic 
and racial crises and in the end, racial solidarity wasstrengthened."

But analysts warn against ignoring simmering discontent among the 
Chinese, who form a quarter of Malaysia's 26 million people.Mostly 
Muslim Malays make up about 60 percent, and ethnic Indians 
10 percent.

Indonesia's Chinese have fared better after Soeharto's 1998 ouster 
in a pro-democracy movement. Anti-Chinese regulations have been 
lifted, and the community's newspapers and parties are allowed to 
operate.

But many Chinese, whose ancestors came as settlers in the 15th 
century, say discrimination lingers - mostly as higher fees charged 
for citizenship documents and government permits.

"Discrimination against people like me ... continues to his day," 
said Kuntjoro Halim, who sells traditional herbal cures in Jakarta's 
crowded Chinatown. "It has become a habit of governmentemployees 
to ask for more money when they deal with Chinese. We cannot do 
anything." 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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