Writer Amy Chua, a law professor at Yale University, says in her book World on Fire that her Chinese relatives in the Philippines “live literally walled off from the Filipino masses, in a posh all-Chinese residential enclave, on streets named Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton. The entry points are guarded by armed, private security forces”.
“… over time I have also had glimpses of how the Chinese must look to the vast majority of Filipinos”, writes Prof. Chua, “as exploiters, as foreign intruders, their wealth inexplicable, their superiority intolerable” (page 4, ‘World on Fire’).
GROTESQUE is how some greedy Bak Kut Teh eaters look
The Philippines’ richest – almost all Chinese
In her book intro chapter on Ethnic Hatred, Chua writes that in the Philippines, “millions of Filipinos work for Chinese; almost no Chinese work for Filipinos. The Chinese dominate industry and commerce at every level of society”.
Below are the Top 10 richest men in the Philippines this year according to Forbes:
- Henry Sy – Chinese
- Lucio Tan – Chinese
- Andrew Tan – Chinese
- Enrique Razon, Jr. – Spanish descent
- John Gokongwei, Jr. – Chinese
- David Consunji – Chinese
- George Ty – Chinese
- Tony Tan Caktiong – Chinese
- Robert Coyiuto, Jr. – Chinese
- Andrew Gotianun – Chinese
Not meek and mild, lah
Filipinos with pure Chinese ancestry make up very much less than two percent of the country’s population.
Those with mixed Chinese ancestry are estimated to number roughly about one-fifth. They include President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, who belongs to the very rich Cojuangco clan that can trace their patriarch’s ancestral village to the Fujian province in China.
Evangelistas vehemently insist that Christians are “only nine percent” of the Malaysian population and are always telling everybody that because of their smallish number, they are weak and helpless.
Being a minority community need not necessarily correlate with weakness, as the Philippines example has shown.
Indonesia’s richest – almost all Chinese
The late Indonesian president Suharto (left) chatting above with the late tycoon Liem Sioe Liong, founder of the Salim group.
Liem’s son Anthoni Salim is the third richest man in Indonesia today.
And Chinese are only around three percent of the Indonesian population.
BELOW: Michael Hartono and his brother Robert are Indonesia’s richest billionaires
And here are the Indonesian top 10 billionaires of 2014:
- Robert Budi Hartono & Michael Hartono – Chinese
- Eka Tjipta Widjaja & family – Chinese
- Anthoni Salim & family – Chinese
- Susilo Wonowidjojo & family – Chinese
- Chairul Tanjung – pribumi
- Sri Prakash Lohia – Indian descent
- Boenjamin Setiawan & family – Chinese
- Peter Sondakh – Chinese
- Mochtar Riady & family – Chinese
- Sukanto Tanoto – Chinese
Among Indonesia’s Top 10 billionaires who are Chinese, below
Stop bullshitting that minorities are weak and helpless
It is the same situation in Malaysia and Thailand of Chinese dominating the billionaire and millionaire stratosphere. The last prime minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra, was Chinese.
Being a small percentage – like 9.2% – of the population does not necessarily mean that a community is weak and helpless. Christian MPs dominate the Malaysian Parliament disproportionately to their population ratio.
Furthermore, even though the majority of the Christians in Malaysia are the pribumi of Sabah and Sarawak, yet it is the Chinese who dominate the Church leadership.
Writes Amy Chua:
“there festers among the indigenous majorities deep anti-Chinese resentment, rooted not just in poverty but feelings of envy, insecurity and exploitation. Such resentment is ready at any moment to be catalyzed …”. (p.47, ‘World on Fire’)
BELOW: Richard Ng ordained as Bishop of Miri
Catholic leadership in peninsula, Sabah & Sarawak
- Sec-Gen Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (Michael Teng)
- Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur (Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim)
- Archdiocese of Kuching (Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock)
- Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau)
- Diocese of Melaka-Johor (Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing)
- Diocese of Penang (Bishop Sebastian Francis)
- Diocese of Sandakan (Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom)
- Diocese of Miri (Bishop Richard Ng)
- Diocese of Sibu (Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong)
- Diocese of Keningau (Bishop Cornelius Piong)
Leadership of the evangelical Christians in the peninsula is emphatically in the hands of the Chinese, most obviously.
“Meek and mild” is the last thing that the evangelistas are. They’re bloody aggressive. Between the Christians and Muslims, it’s an even balance as to who is bullying whom.
Helen Ang 
Maybe someone should study how they became billion/million-aires. Is it really truly because they are much smarter and hardworking, or more conniving or they practise cronysim and racist policies?
Certainly don’t think they become gazillionaires by being meek and mild, and peace-loving in the cutthroat (nexus of power: Money & Politics, Politics & Money) business world.
I’d very much go with “conniving” … persuasive, smooth talkers. Butter won’t melt in their mouth.
The question wasn’t meant to be sarcastic, I actually want to know. Because I do believe that there is an element of “racism” and “cronyism” in the way the Chinese conduct their businesses than the Malays don’t do.
For example, Malays are core consumers and they are not particular where they buy from as long as they can get a good bargain. They will patron a Chinese/Indian shop, makes no difference. I have yet to see Chinese buy from a malay grocer in my area. Of course they are spoilt for choice.
The Chinese control most of the supply chains and so can offer different prices and quantities to different buyers. The Chinese also practise a form of patronage way of doing business and that’s something that the Malay businesses need to learn and practise. TDM tried that with Petronas and Proton but I read that Petronas is practising meritocracy now.
re: “I have yet to see Chinese buy from a Malay grocer in my area.”
I buy stuff (not much but some) from a small Indonesian sundry shop :)
helen,
I all fairness, I think Malay leaderships too must be blamed when some racist Chinese politicians “naik lemak”.
The Malay leadership( UMNO ) refuses to be firm. A classic example when Guan Eng established an armed force. Security matters are under the purview of Federal officialdom.
Yet why this matter still not solved. Clearly, it sends a wrong message. that a state government can ridicule federal authority. Cant Guan eng be arrested due to “waging war against Yang diPertuan Agung?
and what irritates me is the “tidak apa” attitude. UMNO said nothing after 2008 when MCA and gerakan blamed UMNO on their poor performance in 2008 election.
The truth is the otherwise. Had not for UMNO, both parties would have been extinct by 2008. But UMNO kept quiet.
A political party must earns its respect. why on earth Gerakan is still chairman of BN penang when all BN seats (10) are from UMNO. Why must we appoint a loser to hel BN Penang leadership?
re: “A classic example when Guan Eng established an armed force.”
A security force. They’re not ‘armed’.
re: “why on earth Gerakan is still chairman of BN Penang when all BN seats (10) are from Umno”?
Tu kena tanya pengerusi BN Ah Jib Gor.
Helen,
Even if they are not “armed’, the creation of state force is deemed as illegal as security matters is under Federal authority. It must be dealt swiftly.
Tuan Shamshul, if PPS is an “armed force”, then what the members have are broomstick and dustbin lid as baton and shield. The real armed force will have real gun but PPS members will have water gun instead.
Lousy engineer,
Security matters fall under the purview of Federal authority. whether they are heavily armed or equipped with baton is immaterial.
Refusal of Najib to at swiftly is manifestation of weak leadership.
re: I buy stuff (not much but some) from a small Indonesian sundry shop
hehehehe…it is also known as pasar mini Acheh.
from what i know, the actual owner is a ‘chinese’ who engage this Acheh people to run the sundry shops for them.
at least that is what i learned from the so-called Acheh-owner who i befriended in my area….!
Not sure. It seems like her own business.
I live in a working class – lower middle class neighbourhood. There is a small community of Indonesian squatters.
“I have yet to see Chinese buy from a malay grocer in my area.”
Sometimes it’s not that Chinese don’t want to patronize Malay groceries- they just may not find the things they want most of the time.
I’m sure Malay groceries don’t sell things like salted black beans, fermented bean paste, dried cuttlefish, fu chuk, dried smoked ducks (sold during CNY), shaoxing wine, dried longan, dried scallop, gingko nuts, dried luo han guo, beers and many more; mostly non-halal stuffs.
If it’s getting common stuffs like eggs, kicap or maggi mee, heck, why not? Mostly emergency time (i.e. want to cook ayam kicap but kicap unknowingly runs out during cooking time). But with Tesco and Giant mushrooming, I really don’t see the need to go to small grocer. I don’t think I step into any grocer this year.
IMO and observation Chinese way of getting rich
1. Good foundation in term of core skills and business knowledge
2. Good networking
3. Doing better than the competitor by being
– quality of work : by their good mastery of core skills before venturing into business
– cost competitive : going for less profit or getting supply at lesser cost
– efficient
– being there in the time and place when no one is there to serve the customer : like during Chinese New Year or Hari Raya when no one wants to do business
– Offer solutions when no one else can (one of the area they are good at is bribing their way to get a seemingly difficult task done)
– Overcoming the the rules, laws and red tapes in the business environment.
– Indulge in illegal business activities
For Mat Salleh, there way of getting rich is by innovation and new product development. We can see that the Chinese did not invent much thing, but they make the most money out of others invention.
re: “Chinese way of getting rich”
And the evangelista way of getting rich?
Good question.
This is based on my observation.
Most of the evangelista are not very rich (with few exceptions). But they are quite rich (in the upper middle class zone) by climbing corporate ladder. Many of them are English speaking and they fits well with the Mat Salleh multi national. Their evengelista nature also make them easily blend into the multi-national mat salleh company.
As such they clime corporate ladder quickly to make up to top management post. Then there is this evengelista networking where they will help their own evengelista if you are from their “church”. It is not uncommon for evengelista to approach us and one of their common argument to bring us to their church is for the purpose of networking. For anyone who has experience going to an evangelista church, you will find all sort of people, mostly people who hold top to middle managerial position at large multi national. These are people who have the power to make decision in a company where the will reward the evangelista of their church.
But then, as wage owner, the most they can go is middle upper class.
BTW, didn’t we use to hear that if you carry an evangelista name like James, Wilson, Anthony, you will climb corporate ladder faster?
MOA? Manipulative, opportunistic, ambitious.
And if they’ve got the gift of the gab, they can find success in DAP politics.
You left out some important criterias- the ability to take risk, have foresight, dream big and not afraid to fail (when one is “naked”, there’s nothing to lose). This applies to any rich people who have made it regardless of race.
Helen, why we have the Malays who are willing to forgo their ethnicity to be Malaysian first?
1 thing I notice from a friend of mine, this Malay has a lot of non-malay friends and currently in affair with Chinese girl.
Malaysian First is not necessarily a bad concept. Americans, Australians and Singaporeans are able to be nationality first.
As long as everyone goes into it sincerely. The thing with the project in our country is that the Firsters belong to the forked tongue species.
When the Angkatan Tentera Malaysia consists of one quarter Chinese (okay lah, give discount: setakat 1/5 askar-askar pun cukup), then I’ll be willing to support Malaysian First.
Do you know that it only takes 1:38 minutes to sing Negaraku? Yet for the very short duration of our national anthem, the Chinese also don’t want to stand up. What Malaysian First are the DAP bluffing about?
Helen,
How could we achieve 1Malaysia, Malaysian Malaysia or Malaysian first or what ever the terms will be when we grow up and educate separately in three difference kinds education systems.
No country could ever achieve this, any leader who purpose all this concept must be dreaming.
re: any leader who proposes this concept must be dreaming
Orang cina dah berjaya jadi presiden di Filipina, Indonedia, jadi PM di Thailand, Singapore dapat negara sekali.
Kini tunggu giliran Malaysia pula!
Tak mustahil ini berlaku jika negara terus diterajui oleh pemimpin impotent, tenggelam dalam lautan 3 ‘ta’.
Jamaah yang perjuangkan islam pun dah berjaya di gurkha kan, inikan pula puak sekular liberal.
Jika masih tak mau berpegang pada tali Allah, inilah akibatnya.
Ingat pesanan ini…
Berkata Saidina Umar al-Khattab;”Kita adalah kaum yang dimuliakan oleh Allah dengan Islam, maka apabila kita mencari kemulian yang lain daripada Islam, nescaya kita akan dihinakan oleh Allah..”
re: “Orang cina dah berjaya jadi presiden di Filipina, Indonedia, jadi PM di Thailand, Singapore … Kini tunggu giliran Malaysia pula!”
Kan PM kita ada nama Cina, Ah Jib Gor?
bukanlah..big mama rules…
Yang amat merunsingkan pada waktu ini ialah alasannya penganjuran Global Movement of Moderates yang di tajakan oleh PM, untuk menjemput En. Ulil Absar Abdalla, iaitu pengasas Jaringan Islam Liberal Indonesia (JIL) datang untuk memberi ucap utama pada “Diskusi Meja Bulat” pada tajuk “Tentangan Fundamentalisme Agama Abad Ini”. Antara fahaman lain, Ulil Absar berpegang bahawa:
1) “Islam – seperti pernah dikemukakan cik Nur dan sejumlah pemikir-pemikir lain – adalah ‘nilai generis’ [generic values] yang bisa ada di Kristen, Hindu, Buddha, Konghucu, Troisme….. bisa jadi kebenaran ‘Islam’ ada dalam filsafat Marxisme”. (Kompas, 18 November 2002);
[KOMEN] Sudah tentu tiap2 Nabi Allah mesti berakhlak benar, beramanah, pasti menyampaikan ajaran, dan berakal bijak pandai; Mereka – alaihumus salaam – pasti membawa agama Tauhid dari Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala kepada kaum manusia di tiap2 zaman dan tempat, untuk meluruskan fahaman ad-Din yang telah terseleweng oleh pelbagai sebab-musabab sejarah sosial dan amalan peribadi. Jadi yang di dakwakan “nilai generis” itu pada semua bentuk agama manusia bukannya sesuatu yang nyata, dan ia memerlukan pembahasan falsafah yang rumit.
2) “Semua agama sama. Semuanya menuju jalan kebenaran. Jadi, Islam bukan yang paling benar”. (Gatra, 21 Disember 2002)
[KOMEN] Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. adalah Nabi terakhir yang di wahyukan Allah Ta’ala dengan kitab Al-Quran al-Karim yang kesahihannya adalah tetap dan pasti hingga hari ini. Manusia keseluruhannya tidak mempunyai kitab lain yang mana kesuciannya terjamin dengan sanad yang terus menurus pulang merujuk kepada Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.
3) “Rasul Muhammad adalah tokoh historis yang harus dikaji dengan kritis sehingga tidak hanya menjadi mitos yang dikagumi saja, tanpa memandang aspek-aspek beliau sebagai manusia yang juga banyak kekurangannya”. (Kompas : 18 November 2002)
[KOMEN] Allah Ta’ala mengelar Nabi Muhammad sebagai rahmat kepada seluruh alam kejadian. Dialah adalah makhluk yang pertama yang dijadikan oleh Zat Allah dalam bentuk cahaya atas segala cahaya (“Nur Muhammad”) dan Tuhan kita yang Maha Pengasih dan Penyayang telah menjadikan segala alam semesta daripada Nur Muhammad yang asal itu. Inilah kefahaman Ahli Sunnah wal Jamaah orang Melayu kita turun kemuru yang telah memuliakan tamaddun Melayu. Janaglah sekali kita tertipu oleh penyelewengan falsafah pascamodernisme yang dituntuti oleh kaum Jaringan Islam Liberal. Dia itu adalah ideologi kembar pada gerakan ekonomi global yang mahu menaklukkan akal dan hati orang2 kita semula.
http://www.mykmu.net/2014/10/10/global-movement-moderates-bawa-agenda-liberalis-penyesat-islam/
PM ni moderat ke sebenarnya liberal?
Jikalau PM mahu berkata ia perlu adakan pemikir “liberal” untuk menentang kaum “fundamentalisme” pada bab agama mengikut penganjuran “diskusi meja bulat” itu, jadi manakah letaknya tempat tokoh2 “moderat”nya – apakah fahaman mereka terhadap istilah “moderat” yang telah mengasaskan gerakan moderat global En. Najib – makna dan maksudnya?
Just to share, in Indonesia the Chinese are not just billionaires but started to penetrate into national politic. In the past they lobbying & sponsoring corrupted politicians behind the curtain but nowadays they climbed into power. One of them is the right hand of President Jokowi, Ahok..a chinese fron Batam. He is now the Governor of Jakarta.
satu recommendation
rasanya BN kena guna SWOT analysis
fikir masak masak Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat
Then pikir and execute the plans quietly to address the 4 issues at the core (rectify the cause/source not symptoms).
Rasanya ini satu dua orang boleh DIY kat kedai kopi, tak perlu employ an army of consultant
dan juga tak perlu buat round table meeting ajak pihak opposition atau sekutunya bagi pendapat atau jadi guest of honour
dan panggil pihak media untuk kompang kat satu dunia(masa fikir dan juga masa sudah ada plan)
Ingat dulu currency krisis 1997 – issue adalah currency being attacked
Ekonomi teruk. Ringgit almost touched RM5/1USD. Shopping complex almost empty.Many business were saved
Tun had addressed the issues directly, implemented capital control and fixed an exchange rate of Ringgit at RM3.8/1USD.
It worked wonders. Tapi orang mudah lupa
btw, good article Helen – you see the forest rather than the trees
Well, while he was about it, why didn’t the fabled Tun fix the exchange rate of the Ringgit against the US Dollar at par, i.e. MYR1.00 = USD1.00?
Would have saved us a lot of headaches subsequently.
Imagine, MYR1 could be worth SGD1.25 now!
Voila – no more “brain drain” to the “little red dot”!
The fabled Tun wasn’t thinking long term, obviously.
to do that one would need enough reserve.
The 3.8 fix was based on the exchange rate at that point in time.
Ms H. What do we know ? Malaysia created 7 1/2 crypto Singaporeans as multi-billionaires during the NEP. One is a half Korean soldier ! They returned to Singapore after retirement !
What is 100,000 richest Chinese in all parts of the world compared to over 1.5b Chinese (race) in the world.. still a very tiny percentage ma! 2 richest Malay (race) is still considered about same ratio wat! So what is there to be so eksyen about?
Even the Olympic medals, see how many the Chinese wallup?
Anyway those very rich ones will be hiding all over the world, even among the many Malaysian richest, they rather take residence overseas and enjoy boating with the rich and famous like Paris Hilton and the like.
Yang tinggal desperately beating empty drums are those trying so hard to have their names included among the richest, Alas.. very desperado esp yang kubur dah dok gamit, who still cannot proof to their cousins and relatives back in their Tanah Ibunda of their worth?
This is where religion plays an important role.. Kesyukuran takde dalam kitab mereka ka?
Each day getting all bloated and tembam, live in big houses, drive big cars, dont fast also go and wallup more food when people break their fast, drink all they want during oktoberfest, go to their church sing and dance as free as they pleases.. Snub and sneer and belittle others as much as they like.. Apa lagi mau owh?
re: “dont fast also go and wallup more food when people break their fast”
Tu jawatankuasa masjid yang jemput, apa nak dikata?
If like that wan, Thaipusam AJK jemput cucuk lidah, kasi tembus pipi dengan besi, jalan atas bara api also go and perform as the Hindus do owh? Ikut serta atau decline?
Nak buat jangan pilih2, go all the way laaa!
Thaipusam only got coconut to offer.
Buka puasa got pelbagai hidangan lauk-pauk, juadah dan pencuci mulut. Of course lah si Tembam will choose to go to the mosque.
You forgot to mention the billionaires in Thailand and Singapore!
Not a lot of angst in those countries about the composition of the billionaires category, is there?
So, why should it exercise so many minds in Malaysia?
Is anyone going to go to the MACC and claim that the accumulation of wealth by the top 1% in Malaysia isn’t entirely kosher?
And, btw, what about “inherited wealth” in Malaysia? Is this subject “off limits”?
Helen, you forgot to mention that Amy Chua’s rich aunt has her throat slit by her Filipino chauffer due to his resentment against the immense riches Chua’s aunt possessed. Local police didn’t do anything with the crime. Scary. I think I can start to understand why minority Chinese in SEA is a “wrath of many” (Chua’s own words).
Burma is now another powder keg waiting to ignite with minority Chinese dominating almost every lucrative industries (i.e. teak timber, jade mining) while the natives remain very poor. Mandalay, the 2nd largest city in Burma is now filled with Chinese businesses everywhere.
PS: I’m now into Chapter 2 of “World on Fire”, I think Chinese should read it.
Amy Chua wrote that her aunt kept diamonds in empty Elizabeth Arden face moisturizer jars on the bathroom shelf. Her killer took the jewels apparently. But police classified the motive as “revenge” or as what you say, resentment.
Chinese have this inordinate capacity to really rub the indigenous people wrong way. It’s something about the Chinese – the way they insult/scorn, putar-belit and bully – and hence the backlash in so many different countries.
The Malays are now angry and the anti-Chinese sentiments are getting more chronic by the day. Even the Indians are fed-up with the Chinese.
But still the Dapster In-Denial goes on.