By Tunku Abdul Aziz | MySinchew
PRIME MINISTER Najib Abdul Razak has done it again. His high income vision for Malaysia, following so closely on the heels of his yet to be fully charted 1Malaysia has caught the nation off guard.
Najib, while remaining largely uninspiring as a leader, is at least aspirational. Nothing wrong with indulging in a little fantasy from time to time, but Najib has to learn to control his propensity for grandstanding. I don’t suppose it is too rude to ask Najib to spell out in the clearest possible terms what precisely he has in mind when he talks about 1Malaysia. Is it fair to ask us to support a concept that he has difficulty in articulating to our satisfaction?
Najib cannot be so naïve that he cannot see what the inherent problems are in the way of turning Malaysia into a high income nation. For starters, a country such as ours which has been so mismanaged these last thirty years in all the important areas of governance is a most unlikely candidate for the High Income Country Stake.
That does not mean that we have not the potential; indeed we have but, I am afraid we have squandered it beyond belief by putting in place investment, trade and industrialisation policies that have tended towards excessive, crippling control rather than encouragement to compete globally.
As long as the spirit of the New Economic Policy is kept alive, competitiveness, the key to growing the economic cake, will remain on the back burner.
Najib and his UMNO colleagues may be dismissive of the debilitating effects of corruption on economic growth that will turn a middle income country such as Malaysia into a high income one. Let us look at countries at the top of the economic league table – countries that enjoy high income status. Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, and closer to home Singapore, Hong Kong. Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Australia are among the least corrupt countries in the world.
The message is clear. Corrupt countries like Malaysia may continue to dream: the reality is that if they are happy to bed down with corruption, there is no hope in hell or heaven, take your pick, that they will ever achieve high income status. Corruption is the antithesis of best practices, and as we have seen time and time again, all over the world, they are mutually exclusive.
Najib needs to fully understand the prerequisites for economic sustainability. The government under his stewardship must adopt rules, and values, based policies underpinned by systems of checks and balances as a minimum citizens’ charter. Key institutions such as the judiciary, the office of the attorney-general, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission have to be revamped to ensure that they perform their duties and functions in accordance with the law.
An incorruptible independent judiciary goes a long way in generating confidence within the business community. It says a lot about the reputation of the judges in our country when disputing parties prefer to seek arbitration elsewhere if they can help it. We need to clean up our act quickly as this is the only way we can show the world that we mean business, and that we have the best justice system that money cannot buy.
While it is necessary to rebuild our institutions at the earliest possible opportunity, more to the point is the need to put men and women of integrity in charge. Integrity is not restricted to any one race in our multi-racial Malaysia. A point often ignored is that if we put crooks and scoundrels in charge, we are putting the future of our country at very considerable risk, and yet the record of government management remains one of unbridled corrupt excesses because the government apparently is more at home with the crooks. The records speak for themselves.
A few years ago, at an anti-corruption conference in Cambodia, I had the honour of sharing the rostrum with Jim Wolfensohn, the President of the World Bank. It was his last overseas appearance before stepping down after a long and distinguished career at the WB. He was asked by a reporter what three bits of advice he had for Cambodia in its search for sustainable economic development. He said advice number one, fight corruption; advice number two, fight corruption, and advice number three, fight corruption!
So, Najib, the solution is staring you in the face, and all that is required of you is unadulterated political will. When as a result of systemic corruption government projects are conservatively estimated to cost 30% more than in a non-corrupt country, then is it any wonder foreign contractors concerned about ethical business bypass our country? We need a complete review of our systems of governance because there is much that has gone wrong with the way we manage our affairs. Of course, the tragedy is that there is none so blind as will not see.
In summary, therefore, a high income status is about competitiveness, open and accountable policies. It is also about sustainable economic and social development, equality of opportunity, respect for cultural diversity, human rights and public duty in the public interest. Is Najib up to it?
because of rid General Elections repeatedly and confirmed in GE 2004 and GE 2008= shld be rigged instead of rid.
Najib has neither the will nor the ability to fight corruption in Malaysia. He is carrying the baggage of RM530 commission from the government’s purchase of submarines from France.
I don’t think Najib, nor possibly any of his friends are under any illusions at all where high income is concerned. I remember a front page of the NST, not long after I first came to Malaysia, deriding ‘so-called first world countries’ for having expensive cups of tea, no cheap maids and even doctors and lawyers drove second-hand cars. I don’t think Najib can deal with corruption in any useful sense, because it’s firmly entrenched in the culture of the Malaysian elites. It’s simply the way things are done and “noone should question”.
….. high income status is about competitiveness, open and accountable policies. It is also about sustainable economic and social development, equality of opportunity, respect for cultural diversity, human rights and public duty in the public interest. Is Najib up to it?……Tunku Abdul Aziz
The team (and not just him) must be up to it.
S’pore Mentor Minister Lee Kuan Yew said he called on Rosmah because he had been told that she and her husband worked as a team and it was necessary for him to understand both members of the team. Source: Singapore Starits Time as reported by TheMalaysiaInsider 13th June at this URL:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/29371-why-mm-lee-asked-to-meet-najibs-wife
High income vision or high income economic model, if not mistaken, was first alluded to by Mahathir some time back. He suddenly realised Singapore has achieved high income and therefore he proposed that Malaysia too should have high income. Of course when he said that, the rest of the nincompoops followed.
Can you see how the simpletons work in this country? They think high income is something we can attain when we have a “policy on high income”. This is really mega absurdity. If it is that simple, how could they not think of high income earlier? Why only after 50 years and after Singapore has achieved high income?
Hello simpletons, which country does not wish to have high income? High income is the consequence of implementing right economic policies, not the other way round. To earn high income, the country must have policies that promote efficiency, productivity and higher “value-add”. It is not a sloganeering or a labelling stuff.
In addition to corruption and lack of independence of judiciary etc, rent-seeking and market distortions are also detrimental factors that prevent Malaysia from achieving better efficiency and competitiveness. Many of our industries are still riddled with protection, price control and pampered with cheap foreign labour. Despite the numerous talks, there is still no unequivocal timeline to dismantle them. At one time we talked about having foreign partners for PROTON. That has been forgotten. Recently we talked about liberalising APs (when one smart ass was appointed Deputy MITI Minister). Now, this too has been postponed to the “third quarter” of this year. No, third quarter can come and go, APs will remain because we have a do nothing government wanting high income overnight!
Then many of our infrastructure providers from toll roads, electricity, telecommunication, news media including ASTRO, broadband, public transportation, to water supply are saddled with rent seeking mentality and inefficiency. There are many others – like strategy on human resource development etc. May be others may want to contribute.
“1 Malaysia” have no DEFINITE MEANING.
It can swing like a pendulum too..by the smart slogan man.
For a PM…coming out with a slogan….millions do not understand…yet he did not response to give clear and precis meaning.
But then MCA…MIC.Gerakan all smiling.all clapping hand..all agree…make millions Malaysians look like idiots…still unable to understand the meaning.
Of course we do understand..it is meaningless…it is not uniting…it is trying to fool to get votes….Najib style..and a it is still race and religion…politics.
He wants unity?…so simple….Malaysian Malaysia..plus amend and update the Constitutions …sincerely…to make it work.
1Malaysia is only for Najib and his gang.
The rest just tow the line as it was 62/46 years as they sweep everything under the carpet – the socalled mountain of profligacy.
You know the consequence of not towing the line including wearing black…
pw: evert difficulty
This is one aspect of !Malaysia – praising the Police State under Najib over profligacy including corruption worth RM30 trillions gone forever.
Koh Tsu Koon praises police
KULIM, June 13 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon today praised the Royal Malaysian Police for its efficiency in handling racial fracas.
He said the police had done a good and commendable job in safeguarding public order and security, resulting in the country to remain safe.
“The spirit of unity remains strong among the people in the country, despite more than 1,500 cases of racial fracas reported every year,” he said at the launching of the state-level Unity Week here yesterday.
However, Dr Koh, said the cases reported were not serious and the number was still low compared with other countries.
“Cases of these petty fights were normally started by two individuals, which then escalated into a racial fracas, but the police, through their moderate approach, were able to solve them,\ he added.
He said there were differences in opinions on certain issues, but the people should stay united and together find ways to find solutions for problems.
He urged the Rukun Tetangga (RT) community in the country to play a role in promoting the 1Malaysia concept by organising various programmes and activities in their respective neighbourhoods.
The move, he said, would be in line with the setting up of the RT sectors, which was to foster closer relations among the people of various races in the country.
“The objective is relevant until today and synonymous with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s desire to see the people united under the 1 Malaysia concept,” he added.
Later at the function, Dr Koh presented awards to eight individuals for their contributions in fostering racial harmony among the people in Kedah.
They are Datuk Chong Kim Wah (Kubang Pasu), Murah Draoh (Langkawi), Supramaniam Muthusamy (Kulim), Jamaluddin Hashim (Pendang), Ramasamy Ariaputran (Baling), Rashid Hussein (Kota Setar), Hashim Chik (Yan) and Azizan Md Isa (Kuala Muda).
Also present at the function were National Unity and Integration Department Director-General Datuk Azman Amin Hassan abnd its Kedah director, Mohd Yunus Mansor. – Bernama
pw:shockley Robert
To eradicate corruption is one of the Pakatan Rakyat main agenda for change. The main issue highlighted from time to time mostly about corruption. Latest topic is PKFZ scandal caused billions losses.
Question to Najib: Is corruption your main concern? Answer is definately no. Corruption has not been the highlight in PM but confused 1Malaysia lead us nowhere. If answer Yes, then should investigation initiated into Mindef’s wrong doing deals?
I strongly believed it will be a show as well if ‘he’ deals with it. ‘He’ is just like our previous ‘pm’ who knows how to talk only.
When people question ‘him’ about corruption, “Oh we will look into the matter.”…There, full stop again and that’s always the usual reply. Or the next day you’ll see in tv’s headlines ‘makcik umur 65, corrupted rm3k 7 tahun lalu semasa mengutip yuran derma tahunan, sabit kesalahan penjara 6 tahun.”…
But what about the submarines? RM500million?? PKFZ RM12.5Billion? “Oh itu masalah teknikal. Siasatan sedang dijalankan…..(5years later)…..Masih disiasat…..(another 5years)…..Ah terlupa…..”
Asking the no.1 corrupted man to deal with corruption? This is my response – HA HA
You need Mother Teresa not ALI BABA…………to clean up this big mess in bolihland
Mother Teresa will say ..”You clean up the mess you made for yourself.
Don’t bother me. I have better things to do”.
Ali will depend on the Baba to make the first move.
With RM100,000 rewards…thought out by Lim Eng Guan…no headlines….no support from UMNO…twisting it to say….it is one kind of corruption too.
Really…UMNO must have corruptions to survive…..huge huge ones too.
It all stated huge ..when Mahathir sounded off..”Money is Power”….signaling to all UMNO … to take a much as you can…while he took RM1.2 billion from our money to save his son…smiling with no fear and lasted for 22 years.
This shows ….how rich our country is.
Do we need to suffer recessions?
Do we need to pay so high prices for everything?
Sure we do….if not…how to top up all that have been stolen from us.
If one think logically…we have been screwed.. twice in every corrupted act.
Ali will depend on the Baba to make the first move.
With RM100,000 rewards…thought out by Lim Eng Guan…no headlines….no support from UMNO…twisting it to say….it is one kind of corruption too.
Really…UMNO must have corruptions to survive…..huge huge ones too.
It all stated huge ..when Mahathir sounded off..”Money is Power”….signaling to all UMNO buggers to take a much as you can…while he took RM1.2 billion from our money to save his son…smiling with no fear and lasted for 22 years.
This shows ….how rich our country is.
Do we need to suffer recessions?
Do we need to pay so high prices for everything?
Sure we do….if not…how to top up all that have been stolen from us.
If one think logically…we have been taken for a ride…. twice in every corrupted act.
How to ask this ‘Mr Submarine’ to wipe out corruptions…it is like asking the game warden to go dear hunting!
A country where half the population is living on handouts and the other half is gagged is crippling itself, so to speak. How to be a first world nation? A nation heading for the big longkang sounds more like it. 1Malaysia? It’s another “Cemerlang, Gemilang dan Terbilang” slogan that means absolutely nothing except sounding nice to hear. Ask Pak Lah what CGT is today after warming the PM seat for 5 long years and I bet he will also be scratching his head.
ekompute Says:
Today at 01: 39.34 (4 hours ago)
A country where half the population is living on handouts ..”
correct. malays are cockroaches and must be exterminated.
TOM-DUMB, YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY. Is the moderator still sleeping?
Just the opposite! Mongolian C4b will use the records of all the files of corrupted Chiefs….especially those from the tainted Institutions to hold them by the balls to serve him… like sniffing dogs!
What better way to train obedient and loyal pets!!!!!
Moderator obviously sleeping. Moderator, please keep an eye on TomThumb’s postings.
Anyway, how can Najib tackle corruption. All his cronies and supporters depend on corruption for their daily bread.
The various weapons deals by the Defense Ministry, submarines, fighter jets, surface to surface missile launchers, and the almost eurocopter deal. Whose men do you think are profiting from all these?
And the National Service programme that has now costed Malaysian taxpayers RM3 billion (not including the lives lost)? Whose men do you think are profiting from it if not loyal supporters of the former Defense Minister?
No Limkamput…moderator is not sleeping.
He is leaving to us to be sharp like you.
That dumb ass is lumping all Malays into one.
Let it be…all know what he is up to in this blog.
You think those millions of Malays not supporting UMNO will fall into his cheap stunt?
Even UMNO dare not talk like that.
It takes a MCA slimebag …good for nothing worm to say such things. UMNO love to hear…by anyone able to support race issue to the dirtiest level.
Do not fall into that trap.
PR is riding high.
Do not let a slimebag like TomThumb to bring us ..to his level.
How can the Pekan MP deal with corruption?
The disciplinary board in his own UMNO party can’t even properly punish the Malacca CM and the Rembau MP after finding them both guilty of corruption in the form of money politics, and it was as if someone had performed a magic trick that made the MACC stay away as if no corruption had taken place.
Only people with real credibility & honour can deal with corruption…