Get real: Don't bite hand that helps KL

You can be angry with Najib Razak but Malaysians must not lose their objectivity. The Prime Minister brought in RM144 billion (S$47 billion) worth of deals signed between Malaysia and China.

Many ASEAN nations are eyeing that kind of money from China but some Malaysians' sense of rationality is becoming warped, even perverted.

They feel it is prudent to go into senseless name-calling and mindless smearing of China.

We have to be careful - remarks like Malaysia indulging in yellow culture, selling our soul to China and comments which smack of racism are surely not the way to treat a friendly superpower like China.

Hate the PM as much as you want as this is how democracy works. But do some of us need to lash out with political rhetoric against China?

It is one thing to score points against political rivals but there must be a line drawn.

Let's not bite the hand that is trying to help us when Malaysia needs to get more foreign investment to shore up flagging revenue from oil and gas.

Many of the negative responses over these deals with China seem to be politically motivated, stemming from ignorance and, in some cases, ethnic prejudice against all things Chinese.

Let's look at the numbers - foreign investors are net sellers of stocks in Bursa Malaysia and have reportedly dumped RM948.1 million in stocks.

Malaysia can no longer depend on traditional foreign direct investments from the United States and other Western countries.

The reality is that China invested as much as US$84 billion (S$118.6 billion) in 2012, establishing it as the world's third largest outward investor after the US and Japan.

The shift towards China, according to one study, is obvious as the latter emerged as Malaysia's largest trading partner, enjoying a 13.8 per cent share of Malaysian trade since 2012.

Malaysian firms (especially those owned and managed by Malaysians of Chinese descent) have also been actively investing in China since it liberalised its economy in 1979.

Everyone knows that China has the money. And Malaysia has an edge over other ASEAN countries because of the link between Chinese Malaysians and China that has given us an advantageous position, especially when China increasingly sees Singapore as a US ally.

There are some unhappy with China's purchase of 1MDB's energy assets in Edra Global Energy for RM9.83 billion by state-owned China General Nuclear Power Corp recently, suggesting that China was only helping Najib out in the 1MDB controversy.

But let's look at other investments - even before the recent trip by the PM.

China has put in a multi-billion-ringgit purchase of a substantial equity stake in Bandar Malaysia via China Railway Construction Corporation.

China Railway Engineering Corporation has announced plans to set up its regional headquarters in Bandar Malaysia, which will host the main terminal for the proposed KL-Singapore High Speed Rail project.

It has been reported that the Chinese government has started buying more Malaysian Government Securities (MGS) and this inflow of new money could possibly rise to RM30 billion in total or 8.5 per cent of Malaysia's total outstanding MGS as of early April.

Those who have been grumbling should answer if there's any big money coming from the US, Australia or Britain.

And many of us are also wary about money coming in from the Saudis - some are alleging that they are exporting radical Islamic values to Malaysia. Do we need this?

Like it or not, China, apart from being Malaysia's largest trading partner which takes up 19 per cent of its exports, is presently one of the top five foreign investors in the country.

Malaysia also needs more Chinese visitors. Our tourism industry has seen a growth of 23 per cent in arrivals from China since the e-visa entry programme was introduced in March this year.

The number of Chinese tourists travelling globally has more than doubled to 120 million over the last five years.

Malaysia is missing out on this action, unfortunately.

For a start, we can make travelling to Malaysia easier for them and having more direct flights will help.

Let's give credit where credit is due.

Najib has done well from his recent trip to China.

Let's get real, all of us.

We have the right to express our concerns over the terms of some projects but let's not drag in unnecessary elements which strain bilateral ties.