Chopsticks, Mahathir and Country Garden

Malaysians have not taken kindly to former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent remark citing chopsticks as an example of why there are divisions in the country. During the launch of his book Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues For A New Malaysia on Sunday (12 Dec), Dr Mahathir said: “The Chinese eat with chopsticks, they don’t eat with their hands. They have not adopted the Malaysian way of eating food. They retained the chopstick, which is an identity from China, not Malaysia, and many other things,” he said, adding that some Malaysians clinging to their ancestral roots only divides rather than unifies the people.

Source: https://linkjapancareers.net

Former prime minister Najib Razak mocked Dr Mahathir Mohamad by praising him for his “expert skill” in using chopsticks, a day after the elder statesman had made the controversial comments on chopsticks and the Chinese community.

Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon said the outdated world view expressed by the 96-year-old senior statesman cannot be allowed to undermine the country’s race relations. Datuk Chong urged all Malaysians not to be easily swayed by the words of the former premier.

Mr Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of DAP described Dr Mahathir’s remarks about chopsticks as simplistic and offensive to the Chinese community. Mr Lim said the chopsticks, like other forms of cutlery such as forks and spoons, are an integral part of Chinese culture. Mr Lim said Dr Mahathir’s view was also logically wrong. “Does a Malay using chopsticks or fork and spoon to eat lose his Malayness? In fact, many non-Chinese Malaysians and westerners are proud of their ability to use both chopsticks as well as fork and spoon without any loss of their national identity,” he added in the statement.

With uncalled statements from Mahathir, how do we expect to attract new foreign investments, especially from mainland China? 

Nothing to do with chopsticks, but Country Garden Holdings (the largest foreign real estate developer in Malaysia) had trimmed its workforce and sales team by two-thirds over last two years. Sales have slowed to a trickle. Total sales was expected to hit USD100 billion for the Forest City township. Country Garden was first hit in 2017 by China’s freeze on foreign remittances. The second was deterioration of relations between Malaysia and China, brought on by Mahathir’s comments on land sold to mainland Chinese. Then the Covid-19 situation of 2020 with its lockdowns and travel ban crashed sales.

The project is on four reclaimed islands which could accommodate 700,000 residents in 30sq.miles when fully completed in 2035. The company had earlier pledged to invest USD100 billion over two decades. Country Garden owns 60% of the project while Johore state the balance. With MM2H on moribund status, Chinese investors have little hope of a 10-year visa. Now we have chopsticks to pick up the pieces?

How can we have foreign investments, especially from China, when we have a former PM playing the racial/cultural card?

References:

Malaysians slam Dr M’s “chopsticks” remark, say it avoids the real issues, Blake Chen, The Star, 13 December 2021

Najib mocks Mahathir’s “expert skill” at handling chopsticks, FreeMalaysiaToday, 13 December 2021

Critics pick apart Mahathir’s remarks on Chinese and chopsticks, The Straits Times, 15 December 2021

Country Garden reduces its headcount by two-thirds due to poor sales at Forest City, Sharen Kaur, New Straits Times, 1 September 2021