Latest news with #ChineseMalaysians
The Star
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Prevent an imbalance of civil servants, only 5.4% are Chinese Malaysians
THE low representation of Chinese Malaysians in the civil service is a cause for concern. The government must take proactive measures to encourage greater participation from young Chinese Malaysians in national administration, ensuring governance reflects the voice of all citizens. Few Chinese Applicants, but Highest Interview Success Rates Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters. RM12.33/month RM8.63/month Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters. Free Trial For new subscribers only
Malaysiakini
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Prevent civil servants imbalance: Only 5.4pct are Chinese
LETTER | The low representation of Chinese Malaysians in the civil service is a cause for concern. The government must take proactive measures to encourage greater participation from young Chinese Malaysians in national administration, ensuring governance reflects the voice of all citizens. Few applicants, but highest interview success rates According to the data from the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), as of Dec 31, 2024, Malaysia had 1,302,429 civil servants (excluding the Royal Malaysia Police and armed forces), with only 5.4 percent being Chinese Malaysians. In the 2024 and 2025 intake for administrative and diplomatic officers, only one of over 120 recruits was Chinese Malaysian, despite around 1,000 Chinese Malaysians applying. In comparison, over 90,000 Malays applied, 4,000 for Indians and Sabahans, while 3,000 Sarawakians and other ethnic groups applied. Despite the low application numbers for Chinese Malaysians, the interview success rate for this group stood at 85 percent, the highest among all groups, demonstrating their capability to perform in civil service roles. Diversity strengthens policies and social unity Civil servants are key to implementing government policies. A civil service with diverse representation ensures decisions reflect the interests of all communities. Increasing Chinese Malaysian representation will strengthen community ties and promote governance cohesion. Chinese Malaysian participation at all levels is crucial for inclusive policy development. While some believe contributing to national development requires political elections, the real drivers of policy are administrative institutions. The Chinese Malaysian community must not be absent from this leadership structure. Breaking stereotypes The recent armed forces' promotion of Johnny Lim from major general to lieutenant general, the first Chinese Malaysian three-star general in Malaysia's history, highlights how merit and service drive promotions. This milestone should inspire all ethnic groups to participate in public service. Public service is a valuable career for young Chinese Malaysians. The government should use this success story to raise awareness, showing that careers in government, police, or military are open platforms where individuals can thrive regardless of their ethnic roots. The civil service offers opportunities for cross-departmental rotations and diverse training, allowing officers to gain broad experience and enjoy stable career paths with strong benefits. As prime minister's political secretary Chan Ming Kai has stated, the government must do more to encourage Chinese Malaysian participation in the public sector. Given the high success rate of Chinese Malaysian applicants, outreach efforts such as school talks, targeted training, scholarships, and internships should be expanded. The government should regularly publish HRMIS data on applications and intake across ethnic groups, set diversity targets, and strengthen performance standards to ensure equal opportunities for career advancement. Chinese Malaysians are fully capable of serving the nation in the civil service. A diverse civil service brings new perspectives, creating stronger connections between the public and private sectors. The government must work to bridge the gap between Chinese Malaysian youth and public administration, allowing more talent to contribute to national progress. LAWRENCE LOW is MCA vice-president and MCA Economic and SME Affairs Committee chairperson. The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Fear grips Kuala Lumpur after 4 gangland-style killings in 8 days
A string of suspected gangland shootings that killed four men in just eight days has shaken Kuala Lumpur, stoking public fears and casting doubt on police assurances that the city remains safe. The shootings took place in the Klang Valley – Malaysia 's most affluent region encompassing Kuala Lumpur and industrialised areas of neighbouring Selangor – after masked gunmen struck in full view of witnesses and CCTV cameras. The latest shooting on Friday saw a 46-year-old man gunned down in broad daylight as he sat in the driver's seat of a four-wheel-drive car in Selangor's port city of Klang, which has a reputation for organised crime. Just three days earlier, two men in their 40s were killed in the Cheras district on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur after being ambushed shortly after midnight in the car park of a shopping centre. Both men were shot at close range by masked attackers believed to have been lying in wait. Cheras, an area known for its concentration of Chinese Malaysians and a growing number of immigrants from China who have set up small businesses, has long been notorious for gang-related activity. Two men were shot dead near the lobby of a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur on June 17, 2025. Photo: The Star Police said preliminary investigations suggested the killings in Cheras and an earlier fatal shooting in Brickfields – a neighbourhood colloquially known as 'Little India', where ethnic Indian gangs have long operated – could be linked to gang violence.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World Bank: Study shows income divide within races more an issue than between different races
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Malaysia has the highest rate of income inequality among peers nearing high-income status, with inter-ethnic disparity being the biggest contributor despite the widely-held belief that wage gaps between races are bigger, according to the World Bank's latest report released this morning. The report, which deep dived into the evolution of inequality and mobility in Malaysia over the last two decades and into the post-Covid era, bucked previous studies that only focused on ethnic gaps or regional disparity. The Bank said the latest study emphasises that a great extent of inequality occurs within these groups and highlights the intersection of ethnicity and location as a salient marker of inequality. 'Nationally, the majority Bumiputera's average income is still lower than that of Chinese Malaysians and Indian Malaysians, although the gap has slowly narrowed over the last 20 years,' it said. '(But) averages mask differences within groups. In 2022, only 13 per cent of total income inequality in Malaysia was explained by differences in average income across ethnicities; 87 per cent reflected differences within each group.' The report includes income inequality trends since the Covid-19 pandemic, utilising the most recent household survey data from the 2022 Household Income, Expenditure and Basic Amenities Survey (HIES/BA). Widening divides Inequality in Malaysia isn't the highest regionally but is higher than in higher income economies. Malaysia's Gini index, which measures the extent to which the distribution of income or consumption among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution, is 39. It is higher than that of both economies that recently achieved high-income status (mean of 31) and established high-income countries (mean of 30), the bank noted. Among regional peers, Malaysia has the third-highest Gini after the Philippines and Thailand. Inequality between rich, middle class and poor Bumiputera remains the highest, with disparities between states in the Eastern and Peninsular regions recording a persistent or even growing source of inequality. 'Mean incomes across states have not converged, because average incomes in the richest states grew faster than average incomes in the poorest states, particularly those in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak),' the bank said, adding that Data indicated the wide gap between the richest place (the Kuala Lumpur Federal territory) and the poorest state (Sabah) remains unchanged and has instead increased. In 2004, Kuala Lumpur's income was 2.5 times Sabah's. By 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic, it widened slightly to 2.7 times. The gap remained up to three years after, when the world was reopening from lockdown. There was some progress, however. The income growth rate of the poorest 75 per cent of the Bumiputera between 2004 and 2022 was more rapid than it was among ethnic Indians and Chinese in the same decile of the national income distribution, the report noted. This is reflected in a remarkable fall in the share of the population that is persistently in poverty among the Bumiputera, which went from being 2-3 times higher than from Indian and Chinese in 2004-07 to relatively similar rates in the latest period. 'Some Bumiputera have fared worse. Bumiputera in East Malaysia—Sabah and Sarawak—are the most disadvantaged group, with the lowest mean income of all subgroups,' the bank said. 'Bumiputera on the Peninsula, the second-poorest group on average, have much higher average incomes than Bumiputera in the East, with average incomes that are more similar to those of Indian Malaysians on the Peninsula or Chinese Malaysians in the East.' The Chinese and Indians continue to be more economically secure than the Bumiputera, with data suggesting more income growth stability between 2004 to 2022.
