Malaysia The Chinese Dilemma Books

Specifications: The Chinese dilemma became an instant best-seller in Malaysia, and remains the most talked-about book of the year. Malaysia is a prosperous, modern islamic nation in which three main ethnic groups - malay, Chinese and Indian - co-exist peacefully while maintaining their unique cultural identities.

Yet this stable society is founded upon a form of affirmative action that has LED to condemnation of Malaysia as an inherently racist society, and to criticisms of the architect of that policy, dr mahathir mohamad, who outlined his ideas in his book, the malay dilemma, in 1970.

The winners from mahathir\'\'s new economic policy have been the indigenous malays who receive preferential treatment in education and business; the losers are the Chinese who feel they are the victims of inherently undemocratic restrictions.

Ye lin-sheng, a Chinese malaysian businessman, argues controversially that whatever the cost, the benefits of the policy are indisputable. He not only queries many of mahathir\'\'s ideas, he also challenges the simplistic views of the leaders Chinese and western critics.

Besides making a major contribution to malaysian political and social thought, this book raises broader questions about Chinese cultural identity and the role and expectations of the overseas Chinese - a people who have left their mark in almost every corner of the world.

About the author Ye lin-sheng is a malaysian businessman born to Chinese migrant parents who came to malaya in 1931. He has run companies in Malaysia, Hong kong and Australia, and has been involved in businesses in Thailand, China, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ye was educated in christian missionary schools and later studied engineering. He spent the early part of his career in government service during the colonial period working alongside malays, Chinese and indians. These beginnings and his subsequent experiences overseas have touched his reflections on the Chinese condition in Malaysia over 50 years.

The Chinese dilemma is the fruit of those reflections. Reviews \'\'all malaysians, Chinese and malay alike, should read both the Chinese dilemma and the malay dilemma. Only by doing so would they understand the aspirations of the two races and strike a balance between them. I think ye is more open-minded than lim kit siang.

He described the Chinese dilemma well. Tun dr mahathir mohamad As reported and translated from the Nanyang siang pau (20/3/04) Author: Ye lin-sheng Cover: Hardcover/softcover Release date: April,2004