2 Aug 2014 by Rajen Devadasen-
There are Christian leaders who believe the tragic disappearance of MAS flight MH370 from KL to Beijing – which went missing on March 8, 2014 after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport – propelled Malaysia onto the consciousness of billions for a reason. Many Malaysians, Christians and non- Christians alike, seem to sense a looming sea change within our unique nation.
The pessimists among our ranks point to disturbing calls to introduce hudud first in the PAS-controlled state of Kelantan and then in stages across the whole country! The tragic, unexpected death of opposition politician cum legal lion Karpal Singh on April 17 stilled Malaysia’s most courageous voice against the spread of hudud. Only time will tell if equally valiant men and women with a deep understanding of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia will rise to take a stand against moves threatening our country’s secular identity.
On the other hand, the optimists among us believe the weaknesses our leaders showcased for the entire planet to see throughout the course of televised MH 370-related press briefings will act as catalysts for improvement. Who is right?
A Different Kind Of Revival
An interesting website I came across – http://countrymeters.info/en/Malaysia/ – showed me that between January 1 and May 2 this year, the net migration of people into and out of Malaysia stood at minus 3,761, which means more people opted to leave Malaysia than come to Malaysia on a long-term basis. Furthermore, the net migration figure for one single day, May 2, was minus 30; one person leaving every 48 minutes!
Using the country search function on that site, I carried out checks on Singapore, the United States, Australia, China and Myanmar. What follows are the corresponding net migration numbers from January 1 to May 2, 2014 and the net figures just for May 2: Singapore (+8,027; +64); the US (+462,429; +3,678), Australia (+45,551; +362), China (-144,100; -1,147), Myanmar (-5,007; -40). For the same periods, Malaysia’s numbers, as mentioned, were -3,761 and -30.
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