I am a Chinese Malaysian and I am a firm believer of affirmative action which, in Malaysia, we see implemented through the conference of special rights and privileges to the bumiputeras after the unfortunate May 13, 1969 incident.

However, looking at the results of the implementation of the special rights system in our country, it should not be a surprise that the non-bumis have grouses against the system.

And I think that BlueRider and like-minded Malaysians are missing the real point of the unhappiness felt by the non-bumis, i.e. the abuse of the system. This is the same reason why there are also bumis who are equally as unhappy with the special rights and privileges in Malaysia.

Whether we admit it or not, the problem is that the special rights and privileges given have now resulted in only a selected few bumis getting richer and richer. The bulk of the bumis, especially in the rural areas, are not benefitting from the system.

I share this as one who is from an East Coast state. In 1999, the vote swung to the opposition in the East Coast because the Malays there were fed-up of a system that has not benefitted them and only served to line the pockets of the elite few.

An implementation that fairly distributes opportunities to the poor and deserving bumis would not bring about unhappiness from both non-bumis and bumis alike.

Also, an affirmative action plan should not be something to be taken for granted and mocked at by the recipients. Again, I share from a personal experience. I was a recipient of a scholarship from one of our local conglomerates, fortunate enough to be selected through the gender and race quota process.

Within the first few months, I came to realise that one of my fellow scholars came from a very well-to-do Malay family that surely did not need any financial assistance. He was boasting that when he graduated, his rich father would pay off his whole scholarship bond.

His rich father had apparently thought this through - rather than dispensing money on his son's education for four years, he could use it as capital for other investments to multiply it many folds, and then pay off the 'small' principal amount later, at minimal interest.

And sure enough, when we all graduated, that was what he did. The point here is that he abused and mocked the system, and he deprived a more deserving and appreciative bumi student of a chance to further his/her studies.

I have also learnt to empathise with my bumi friends who are really smart and intelligent but come from middle and lower income families. They have many experiences of being written-off by proud non-bumis who are quick to assume that the former are an undeserving lot benefitting from the system. Their frustration is very real.

Thus, the special rights and privileges system in Malaysia really needs to be reviewed. It is sad that something that was much needed once to re-engineer the social and economic structure of our country now causes much resentment among the non-bumis of this country, as well as the bumis themselves.