Bumiputeraism versus Gracism

Dear Tun Dr. Mahathir,

If Bumiputeraism can be the panacea to all the economic problems of the Malays, then why do we always find a handful of Malays out there keep crying foul for not getting their fair shares of sliced cake from NEP?

The capital control measure which Tun adopted in September 1998 for overcoming the currency crisis proved that Tun possesed a sharp mind and good analytical skill for problem solving. Perhaps Tun should spend time to do further analysis on the reason why nowadays everything in the economy seems to have slowed down except that the inflation rate is confirmed going up with a rocketing high speed. Why did NEP fail to prosper now?

Obviously NEP has already entered the dead end in the course of the economic prosperity. The momentum of economic growth seems to constantly decelerate within a short period of time, mainly caused by the fast depletion of allocable natural resources such as crude oil, timbers, tin ores, aerable lands, fisheries-viable ponds, lakes, rivers and sea territorial water. Sometimes Tun must thank God because your 22 years' reign of Malaysia was really made so much easier by God when Malaysia was bestowed with plenty of valuable natural resources during Tun's tenure of PM's office. However, it lookes like Pak Lah has lost the favour of God and the present Government can now find not much natural resources which can be exploited for purpose of spurring up the economic activities.

After about 34 years' implementation of NEP, it may be time now for Malaysians to begin a proper review and do an overhaul on this null-effect economic policy. Frankly speaking, I have a wishful thinking that Bumiputeraism should be abandoned from now on because it is no longer giving much appeal to the majority Malays who simply don't believe that they can be benefited much out of the continued implementation of the blue-print of Bumiputeraism,ie. the NEP.

I hope Tun can do some studies on the latest economic theory and tell us how the current government economic policy should be revised and improved. Perhaps we should turn to seek God for an answer to these worldly problems of ours. Perhaps by the process of our continued effort to seek God, God shall give us an answer, and the answer!

Is it possible that the answer to the ineffectiveness of Bumiputeraism lies in a new set of theory called "Gracism"?

We really need to spend time and effort in order to do further research and experiment before we can get a confirmed answer about the desirable effective economic solution that is acceptable to all races of Malaysian people!

Onlooker



What is "gracism"?

Gracism is the positive extension of favour to people, both in spite of and because of colour, class, or culture. It's not affirmative action but intentional actions of grace and affirmation. So whenever we see a racist act, instead of responding in a way that is punitive, gracism calls us to respond in the way that God might respond.


Gracism turns racism on its head. It reaches out to people in a way that desires true understanding, in spite of the labels that have been attached to their skin colour or cultural background. —David Anderson


How does gracism behave differently than racism?

Racism is to speak, think, or act negatively against someone else based solely on his or her colour, class, or culture. Grace, on the other hand, is God's unmerited favour extended to humankind. Something you can't earn, you don't deserve, and you can't repay.

Gracism turns racism on its head. It reaches out to people in a way that desires true understanding. It means thinking positively about others, in spite of the labels and stereotypes that have been attached to their skin colour, economic status, or cultural background. Take for instance, "Malayu malas", "Cina tipu dacing" and "India pusing" are biased racist labels and stereotypes which should be changed and permanently removed from each and every one's mindset in order to enable a positive thinking.

Some folks might wonder, What about justice? Isn't grace without justice a cheap grace?

Justice and repentance are important, but we must get first things first. True reconciliation begins with forgiveness. It doesn't say, "First, you apologize and grovel, and then maybe I'll forgive you." We've not found the sociological or spiritual healing that we need in our world because we have not done this one important thing, and that is to forgive. Forgiveness begins the healing process.

When you think about it, God is the biggest gracist of us all. He was making the first step and extending grace when we were still in the midst of our sin and not even thinking about Him, and yet he wants to be in relationship with us and include us in His plans.

So in practical terms, what will gracism look like in our schools, communities, political institutions, and social organizations?

It should look like the majority population, whoever that is, reaching out and into the minority population to serve, learn from, and partner together for common purposes. It should involve fellowship across racial and economic lines. It will play itself out through what I call "grace-onomics." This is when knowledge, as well as relational and financial networks, is shared freely to help others succeed.

In the book, you talk about "The Seven Sayings of a Gracist." How can they help us live out gracism?

The seven sayings grow out of doctrine about the interdependence of an insitutution and the special role each member of the institition plays. If we could cling to them, and not only say them but do them, they can give us practical principles for making gracism real.


We have to figure out what it means to be a gracist in our daily lives. Once you internalize it, you'll know what to do when the opportunity hits.—David Anderson

For instance, the fifth saying is "I will stand with you," and is based on the national need of unity. If I'm in the majority culture or a position of power, what this means is, I have chosen to stand with those in the minority culture or with those who are in a weaker position of influence. So if a board of directors has ten people who are male and two that are female, and we're about to make a major decision, the gracist in the room says, "How is this decision going to affect the women in our organization?" If I make a corporate decision to expand my company into an urban area, the gracist in the group might say, "What will this mean for the people who live in that neighbourhood?" See, it's standing with people and considering people before you make the final decision.

There have been other books and movements that have preached a message of racial unity and reconciliation. Promise Keepers, among others, led the way in the 1990s. Then the thrill began to fade. How do you envision gracism being worked out in our schools in a way that lasts beyond the hugs and apologies and feel-good declarations?

By teaching gracism, you're not just teaching Chinese people to be kind to Malays, or Malay people be kind to Chinese. You're creating a culture where everyone is thinking all the time, "How can I be one who includes? How can I be one who lifts others up?" And so, what you're teaching is Civics—it's an onset value system of social norm and moral standards.


In Malaysia, the racial reconciliation message tends to emphasize Chinese reaching out to other races. But it works the other way as well.

Reconciliation is a two-way street. If a Malay person visits an all-Chinese school, the gracist in the classroom will say, "I have the responsibility to reach out and welcome that Malay person."

But it's also important to understand that gracism is bigger than race. We can show gracism to anyone who is on the fringes and needs to be invited back into our communities. A community of gracists will always be thinking about how they can reach out and show favour to those on the fringes, whether it's the homeless, the disabled, the divorced, the single parent, or the ex-convict.

Below is a list of the 7 sayings of a Gracist, which form the fundamental principles of Gracism.

The 7 Sayings of a Gracist

1. "I will lift you up." Lifting up the humble among us. (Special honour)

2. "I will cover you." Protecting the most vulnerable among us from embarrassment. (Special modesty)

3. "I will share with you." Refusing to accept special treatment if it is at the detriment of others who need it. (No special treatment)

4. "I will honour you." God, as a gracist, has given greater honour to the humble. (Greater honour)

5. "I will stand with you." When the majority helps the minority, and the stronger help the weaker, it keeps us from division within the body. (No division)

6. "I will consider you." Having a heart as big for our neighbours as we do for ourselves. (Equal concern)

7. "I will celebrate with you." When the humble, or less honourable, are helped, we are to rejoice with them. (Rejoices with it)

From Gracism: The Art of Inclusion by David A. Anderson (IVP Books, 2007).