By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life Advisor
REFORMS BY PRIME MINISTER NAJIB RAZAK ARE NOT LIBERAL OR MODERN ENOUGH TO PROPEL MALAYSIA TO BE COMPETITIVE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF A GLOBAL WORLD
PM NAJIB RAZAK have introduced a series of reforms in an attempt to transform Malaysia to a high income country. He has slimmed down the NEP by reducing the 30% bumiputra equity quota to 12.5%. He has also curbed the powers of the Foreign Investment Committee and substituted it with a smaller committee.
To reassure the bumiputras, he has retained the 30% bumiputra equity target, but will use different modes to achieve the objective.
It is a pity that the PM has not understood why the 40 year old NEP has failed to help poor Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians. The average poor Malay household only earn about RM3,000 per household or only RM500 per person (in a family of 5). Admittedly, the NEP enriched Umno cronies who became obscenely rich, while the Malays in rural areas are still mired in poverty.
PM NAJIB SHOULD LEARN FROM THE NEP EXPERIENCE
The 40 year old NEP slowed down economic growth since it was implemented in 1971. In 1957 at independence, Malaysia had the second highest per capita income (PCI) in Asia, after Japan. The World Bank has statistics that showed the per capita income slowed down since 1971, and has fallen behind S Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2008, Malaysia has a PCI of US$6,000, while S Korea has US$19,000, Taiwan US$17,000, Hong Kong US$30,000 and Singapore US$34,000.
It was Malaysia’s natural resources that saved the day, otherwise our pci would be much lower in the company of banana republics.
THE CAUSES
1.The NEP drove away foreign investors, and last year our FDI was only RM46 billion, and estimated to fall by half this year. Thailand has more FDIs than Malaysia.
2. The bumiputra quota system. Bumiputras have been showered with quotas from the day they were born, they were pampered in every field of personal endeavour. The quota system has engendered a dependent psychology which has affected their performance in education, in jobs and in business. In other words, the country is moving at 50% capacity, and resulting in a low per capita income. If all citizens have put their shoulders to the wheel, the per capital income (nominal) should be near US$20,000 as in a developed country.
THE OLD FORMULA OF QUOTAS AND BUMIPUTRAISM HAS FAILED TO BRING PROSPERITY
PM NAJIB has himself admitted that the NEP quota system is outdated and not productive any more. However he did not advocate a new philsophy for the country. Instead, he did say that in the future, the 30% target is still the objective, and a new model is contemplated to achieve that. This is unbelievable. What he is proposing would be equivalent to reviving NEP, in which case, he is condemning Malaysia to another 40 years of economic stagnation and the plight of the poor will get worse.
TIME TO ADOPT A CULTURE OF MERITOCRACY AND COMPETITIVENESS
We live in new global age where race is neutral and where nations interact on the principle of competitiveness, accountability and transparency. We must have good governance, because in the new era the investment climate must be liberal, open, corruption free and judicial independence.
The ability of the indigenous people, whether Malays, Dayaks or Ibans are as good as their Malaysian brothers and sisters. Statistics show that 50% or more are professionals, engineers, doctors, accountants and corporation executives, many are doing well in service industries.
Education is the key to success for all. The next is discipline and hard work. These are the same qualities of successful people in other countries, especially developed countries in the States, Europe, Japan, or India.
China is the classic example of success. from a poor communist country, she has become the third richest country of the world because a former premier, Deng Xiao Peng promulated four modern liberalisation policies of a free market economy. The people put in a lot of hard work and discipline. China, it is predicted that she will overtake Japan in 2010, and become the world’s second richest country.
Malaysia can be a developed country also, if it modernises like China and is united like one people as Malaysians, no ketuanan melayu and no bumi and non bumiputras.
Good one! Great insights.
One question: “He has slimmed down the NEP by reducing the 30% bumiputra equity quota to 12.5%” How does this come about? I understood it was simply slashed?
Thanks!
We have too many lazy and over-weight people, and most of the so-called graduates are too stupid to be gainfully employed.
It will take another 50 years to clean up the present mess, and another 50 years to reform and rebuild the society.
I bet my last penny that we can never succeed in another 1000 years
We must not forget that whilst world famous civilizations were flourishing, these guys in Malaya were still swinging from tree to tree NAKED!! How to catch up with the rest of the world if they still want to be so LAZY!
///“The fight to eradicate poverty is still not over and that needs to be tackled,” the former Prime Minister said.///– AAB, Star online 5 July
There remain 5% poor persons in the country, of all races. That works out to be 1 million persons or 200,000 households. Pay these households RM 10,000 a year; that would cost RM 2 billion. Najib wanted to set up Ekuinas with RM 10 billion. That alone will pay the poor for five years, and after that poverty would be eradicated. Poverty is not a problem. NEP that is used to fight poverty is the problem. Petronas is paying RM 60 billion a year to the government; that equates to 30 years advance payment to pay the poor out of poverty.
The real question of reform is whether UMNO would be willing to do away with racial politics which it depended on to getting votes. If UMNO leader Najib would just use his imagination, not to be influenced by TDM and move boldly away for UMNO racist policy which unfortunately started by his late father, he might launch a rebirth of Malaysia. Najib does not require much reform beyond doing away racist policy in the general order of the civil services sponsored by NEP, government institutions would soon find its way back to professionalism. The country economy could go on autopilot.
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life Advisor if it modernises like China
If Malaysia is going to ‘modernise’ like China, I have some MyKids to throw at the Immigration officials as we’re leaving. Could someone give me some clear odds on the likelihood? I don’t want to waste any more of my (or my family’s) time.
Leaving aside questionable modernisation, surely there’s at least one other country you could have used as an example that wouldn’t also have bolstered the DAP stereotype as a party of Chinese chauvinists?
And why choose China in an article where the measure of success is PCI? China’s PCI is about half what Malaysia’s is, isn’t it? I suppose at least Malaysia and China share equally bad ranking on the distribution of wealth tables… I can agree with the article in so far as there are some obvious candidates for ‘where we went wrong’, but the punchline is bizarre.
Perhaps I’ve misunderstood. Upgrades to my ignorance received as gratefully as usual. Thanks.
I sent the following letter to http://www.1Malaysia.com.my two days ago:
Mr Prime Minister,
I know that this letter will not be published in your blog. But I hope that you will get to read it yourself. Indeed you will be wasting your time if you only want to read letters that are in praise of you.
Alan Greenspan said recently that he did not expect that salaried CEO would not be concerned with the health of the corporation they were in and that was the reason of the current economic crisis. Similarly, I am concerned whether the Prime Ministers Malaysia do care about the wellbeing of the nation.
As PM of Malaysia, you would want others to respect you for what you have made Malaysia into. AAB was correct that he wanted to be PM for all Malaysians. Politicians all over the world know the effectiveness of divide and rule, but they might think it beneath themselves to go down on that route. AAB had the sincerity, but his so-in-law blew it with this ambition.
TDM would cut a larger figure had he recognized his Mamak root, and made Malaysia politics race-blind. But he instead chose to call himself Malays and wanted others to be Malays too, as a price to pay for getting equal treatment, like he did voluntarily. When you look around you Cabinet colleagues, you will admit that the Malays are all but Malays, other than the Muslim religions. The true Malays of the pre-independence classification have given way to other blood line, and the Indian Muslims are holding both economic power and political reign at the expense of true Malays. Yet they are accepted as Malays. Consequently, it can be said that Malays are not racists. They accept others who help their political base, having been brainwashed into racial politics.
What Malaysia needs is a true leader who can transcend racial politics. TDM pioneered racial politics and ended up as PM. His method inspired others to follow the same route. Khairy with his training and connection to AAB walked the same route, and others lesser endowed would follow suit. They think that racism is the only route to recognition in UMNO and an assurance to Cabinet post. You made the same mistake in 1987 declaring war against Chinese blood. You may deny it, but that incident will not be forgotten. The Chinese hate Mahathir for making Malaysia which Tunku called a happy land into an arena for racial conflicts. Had you stayed with Tengku Razaleigh in the UMNO election in 1987, TDM would not have been able to destroy the country to its present stage. He had also converted Malaysian police into a secret society.
You do not like to hear about C4. If those war weapons could be easily misused by people who are supposed to guard your life, can you feel safe?
The rescue of the wife to the prince of Kelantan in Singapore says that Singapore police has the confidence of the citizens. You will admit that it is entirely a different police force in Malaysia. You used statistics to argue that Malaysia is safer than Japan and Hong Kong, but as a UK trained economist, your degree would be suspect if you believe what you said in that regard. You should know that the IGP may be handy for you to suppress opposition in Perak, but the head of an organization who does not respect professionalism is harmful to the country. Certainly as PM you like to have your police force to be as professional as that of Singapore.
The Perak debacle was really caused your eagerness to show that you could do things differently from AAB. But the consequence is far worse. For a start, the judiciary is now proven to be partial with them trying hard to please you. The police convinced us that they are uniformed secret society members. The civil services prove that they themselves are an extension arm of UMNO. That is not the type of country you can be proud of.
You were a teenager when May 13 took place. You might not have read what Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad said in his writing appearing in LKS blog. He was with your late father on that fateful day. He said that on receiving the call from Lim Chong Eu and Tan Chee Khoon, you father called Harun Idris, the caretaker MB of Selangor to inform him that Gerakan would not join in forming government in Selangor and Perak, and that Harun could continue as MB and he was to disperse the crowd gathering at his residence. Harun called back later to say that it was too late because disturbance started in Chow Kit road in Kuala Lumpur.
The above tells you that May 13 was not a spontaneous event caused by the Malays against the Chinese out of jealousy as UMNO politicians made it out to be, and you perhaps believe in. The 1969 election campaign was all about Article 153 which came due for review in 1972. The unhappiness on that provision might have been caused by your father’s action in denying non-Malays the opportunity to join the FELDA scheme. That was in fact against the spirit of that Article 153 itself.
It might be easier to believe that the Chinese and the Indians might be against the government led by Malays for the unfair treatment, and they wanted a change through the 1969 election. NEP that was introduced in 1970 and the amendment that removed the review provision of Article 153 set the wave of emigration affecting a large number of Chinese who rightly predicted that UMNO would go extreme in its racist policy.
I doubt if you have read the policy objective of NEP, and so are your colleges in the Cabinet. The oft repeated objective was that NEP was to eradicate poverty irrespective of race, and to de-link means of earning a living with race, with an memorandum item that Malays should have 30% participation in commerce and industries. That 30% participation gives a vision of Malays earning their living as traders such as sundry shop keepers, petrol pump owners, rice miller, owners and workers in manufacturing concerns, artisan, and bankers. EPU chose to use the proxy of 30% ownership of corporate equity as measure of Malays’ participation. That has now been taken as the entirely criterion for keeping NEP beyond its 20 years, and counting.
I would like to give some facts below so that it would be possible for you to tell your party members that enough is enough.
You mentioned that RM 54 billion worth of share have been allotted to Malays and now only RM 2 billion are in their hands. In the earlier days when KLSE shares were traded on premium, IPO given to Malays were like instant cash. They took advantage of the rising market to cash out, as capital for future IPOs. Doubling up of shares in that regard until 1990s was a norm. Thus, Malays, the selected ones, have made about RM 100 billion in those transactions, if they cashed out at the right time. They are now 4% or one million poor persons, of all races. Had the RM 100 billion been distributed, each of the poor would have a share of 100,000 Ringgit. A poor family of five having five-hundred thousand ringgit worth of asset cannot be said to be poor; poverty would have actually been eradicated if UMNO did not make rich Malays richer.
ASLI’s report in 2006 have shown that Malays owned more than 30%, or was it 45% of the equity share capital. You wanted EPU to refute with statistics and methodology within a month then. You must now be convinced that ASLI was correct.
You said that Malays owned 2.4 % of share capital in 1970. It would be more correct to say that Malays had about 18% even in 1970, when the net worth of million acres of mature Palm oil land in by Malays was included in the calculation. EPU should have taken the net worth of FELDA that was run like a limited liability corporation into the calculation, rather than excluding it because it as not registered as a limited companies. It helps Malays leaders to justify NEP. But the two edged sword cuts UMNO too when Malays really believed that they were that deprived. Even to this day, when FELDA is going global as you declared recently, its worth is not included in EPU statistics, and so also are corporations owned by FELDA. EPU lies with statistics. ASK your EPU to check on this, just for your own confirmation.
EPU talked about equity at par value. KLSE does not trade based on par value, and why should par value measure the net worth of corporation? You are an economist trained in UK, and you certainly do not need elementary argument to realize it.
Ekuinas that you have set up would be doing the wrong thing all over again. It is possible to satisfy the needs of people, but it I not possible to satisfy their desire. There is no need to compile any statistics to know that Malays have more than 30% participation in ‘businesses’. In fact, Malays control everything in the country from commerce, government, education and any other fields. NEP should just be removed.
You are now on the tiger back to remove NEP, but that is the only way to nurture Malaysia back to its new life again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Footnote: I must say that I sent in three messages and they were published in that blog.
Dr Chen’s criticism of the PM is true, too little too late or perhaps too little for any effect. But what is also most interesting in his article is the following statement:
“We live in new global age where race is neutral and where nations interact on the principle of competitiveness, accountability and transparency.”
How does this translate into PR’s management of Malaysia when PAS is unhappy with the recent move to remove the 30% equity for new IPOs whilst DAP has stated that they are most displeased with PAS’ stand on it?
Will any head honcho in PR insist that all PR members make a public pledge that we all live in new global age where race is neutral and where nations interact on the principle of competitiveness, accountability and transparency?
This is something I would love to see, PAS/PKR/DAP all make a public pledge that this country will be run based on merits only,of course with allocation for those who are less fortunate (financially, physically or ethnically groups that are lagging behind).
Until we see such a stand spoken from the mouths of Hadi, Nik Aziz, DSAI etc and fully endorsed by the respective party’s members. Dr Chen’s article remain academic only.
Dr Chen,
Before you lambast Najib’s recent policy moves, may I suggest that PR first get its house in order! It seems that even within PR, not everyone agrees with you! If you can get DAP, PKR and PAS to issue a joint statement, then only PR has some credibility on this issue. Until then, your article is just academic (albeit an ignorant one that is)
I am not sure whether you are ignorance, or just plain insane. A policy such as the NEP cannot be dismantled within a short period of time. There has to be a gradual move towards removing the NEP whilst at the same time still adhering to our nation’s constitutional commitments to the various segments of our society.
Najib’s moves so far are highly admirable and I doubt even PR or Anwar could have done better!! Your article is full of negativity and is simply trying to score political points at a time when PR knows it is loosing its plot!! What a pityful excuse of an article, especially from someone hailed as `DAP Life Advisor’
imranj … man you have really stirred the hornet’s nest for some in here, I already can imagine who and what they replies will be! Hahahahaa …
Also, PM is not dumb … the whole thing is only a great play and achieves a few purpose:
i. he looks like a reformist;
ii. he wins some brownie points with the non-Malays;
iii. he causes friction for PR (PAS will be unhappy);
iv. he plays Angkat-Turun, one card at a time, leave us thinking there is hope with him;
Basically, its no biggie. Not many IPOs now and the market is not that hot for IPOs so the loss there is not much bearing in mind the Bumis need to BUY the shares in any event. Now with the new investment arm, PM can channel the money DIRECTLY into the coffers … sorry, companies that are suppose to be worth investing in.
To be safe for all MALAYSIANS, the government must change caused they have been cheated us all over 52 years old.
Do not care what they say and to be done, they are all committed corrupted politicians should not be our government and admit our tax money.
TO BE SAFE, WE ALL MALAYSIANS MUST CHANGE GOVERNMENT.
Time for change is now … that is so true but who do we change it for? Another team that cannot agree when it comes to racial matters?
I agree that change for the better is always welcomed and we are at a time when change is strongly required. But change can occur in many ways. One way is by changing the party in power of our federal government. But the thing is, are we sure that replacing BN with PR is a change for the better??? I see some sparks of possibility from PR but their basic differences in idealogies and visions for Malaysia are big hindrances which I am not sure can be overcome.
The only way to change is to start a REVOLUTION, like the Cultural Change of China.
We have been shouting for change, but we continue to vote in a corrupt government.
Hopefully PR will deliver in GE13
johnnypok … who will want to lead a revolution? if its successful then who is the new leader? DSAI? That would be such a joke when PAS says that the new PM should be from their team. So back to square one …
///I am not sure whether you are ignorance, or just plain insane. A policy such as the NEP cannot be dismantled within a short period of time. There has to be a gradual move towards removing the NEP whilst at the same time still adhering to our nation’s constitutional commitments to the various segments of our society.///– Imranj 78
1. A policy which was meant to run, or promised to run for 20 years has gone on for 38 years. It should have been removed 18 years ago, or started to have been gradually removed within the 20 years period.
2. NEP as implemented is against the constitution which provides that the citizens are equal, and originally for a specified period and subject to review, certain reasonable percentage of specified opportunity be reserved for Malays. The government is not reasonable in reserving opportunities at a proportion more than its population, e.g. 90% of matriculation places reserved for Malays, taxi licenses for bumiputras companies and individual, APs, discount of house prices for Malays, business opportunities in dealing with Petronas, and a lot more which I hope others would help to list.
3. NEP is not a constitutional provision.
4. How does this clause— “I am not sure whether you are ignorance, or just plain insane.”— add to the argument in the paragraph?
Loh Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Yesterday at 22: 18.47
I sent the following letter to http://www.1Malaysia.com.my two days ago:
Mr Prime Minister,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two hours have passed, still waiting
Sabah will be the first state to pull out of the federation, and their first President will be a Filipino.
Imranj78…We have tried UMNO for more than 53 years….and is noted .to be…”corrupt to the core”…said by UMNO’s well respected veteran..Tunku Rhittauddin.
How much more worst can change of government be?
We have not tried..yet you are thinking..pondering…weighting the pros and cons. What are you afraid of?
Did you vote for change of government at all?
I bet..you are a die hard supporter of UMNO….and trying hard not to let go…when your conscience tells you to do it..change it.
Come on…stop trying to be too smart and vote for change of government.
The Chinese finished MCA.
The Indians finished MIC.
Why are so many Malays afraid ..to finish UMNO.
Is PAS not a better party than UMNO?
Off the topic..Roger Federer won the 16th grand slam title…breaking Pete Sampras record of 15.
He is back as world No1 too.
He served 51 aces..a match lasting more than 4 hours.
So many celebrities were watching the game.
It was really exciting and tense.
……Roger Federer won the 16th grand slam title…breaking Pete Sampras record of 15….
Now that’s liberal, competitive and meritocracy… he does not need to depend on others but only on himself. How many Bolehlanders are like him? Or do they still need crutches and “handicaps” as TDMM likes to say, handicaps that are permanent.
ooopp sorry..15th grand slam……not 16…but he will reach at least 20 before he retires.
The government should make an assessment of what the gaps are in achieving the NEP targets and the area of over achievements. In December 2006, PM AAB and DPM Najib said EPU would prove ASLI wrong within a month on ASLI’s reporting stating that 30% equity target had been achieved. This has not yet been done. It is unfair to say that the 30% policy gets a low priority, and come back for it again.
The government reports only the statistics of Malays equity figure and nothing else, and keep saying that NEP has not been achieved. So, it should imply that NEP had achieved the objective in all other areas except the issue of equity. That statistics now become the deciding factor. ASLI and EPU should engage in public debate, or work together on the actual statistics. Petronas have submitted RM 250 billion to government over the past 6 years. Petronas should be made to buy the gaps and hold it for Malays, and decide on a distribution plan in due course. We can declare NEP over, and dismantle all those race-based regulations arising from NEP in government administration.
Najib may then be able to begin talking about 1Malaysia without the NEP ghost haunting him.
We may have to wait until all the permanently “handicapped” ones leave this world before a new policy can be successfully implemented.
There is consensus by politicians on both sides of political divide that change is necessary for the country in these times of tumultuous global challenge but there is no consensus of how – the change. Lets however be realistic: priority of politicians on both sides of political divide is how to advocate change ostensibly for the good of the country in manner that most efficiently garners popular votes for themselves in order to maintain, in the case of BN, power, and in case of PR secure power by dislodging BN in next general election – with the good of the country coming behind as poor second tier objective.
If above premises hold true, popular vote of Bumiputra will always be top priority for both sides because they deliver majority votes and because electoral delineation/boundaries are drawn such as to make them decisive arbiter of who gets voted by majority.
In premises that people/groups will continue to vote in favour of political parties/agendas to take care of their well rather than abstract notions of social equity and justice, national unity and well being (in sense of preventing brain drain), the central thesis of benefiting bumiputra as a class will not change – even if the name NEP or method of implementation is changed (until mind sets themselves change) which, I guess, is something that might well not change for the next 1000 years! It is also protected by the Constitution and so-called “Social Contract”
You can see the acknowledgment of this by positions of PAS within PR : it is opposed to Najib’s liberalization if it undermines Bumi interests; PAS Kedah promotes 50% bumi housing quota; it is opposed to Cabinet’s principles of resolving conversion problems to the extent it compromises paramount status of the Official Religion of majority.
Even Anwar’s PKR acquiesces with such accommodations of majority’s interest to oppose the teaching of mathematics and science in English. (SpeakUp has elaborated how from the statements of PAS/PKR’s leaders, change does not seem imminent if PR controls governm,ent with these parties at helm). DAP is alone in its promotion of secular plural democracy and meritocracy away from this paradigm of benefiting the majority group! It’s a voice in wilderness.
This then is how the quest of power – and placement on priority on majority vote bank’s interest – will sabotage PR’s attempt to effect real change in these respects (of promoting meritocracy and obliterating social inequities) even if it comes to power.
On BN’s part, the main focus is to juggle between (1) how to amerliorate/mitigate the bad effects of the implementation of affirmative policies/NEP in manner to promote competitiveness and correct the worse effects of “subsidies” mentality nurtured by them; (2) how to promote bumiputras’ interest by policies that are and will be perceived at least by bumiputra groups to be genuinely helping them and not select UMNO-putras/ and cronies connected with ruling party paving way for more equitable distribution of wealth and largesse (3) how to mitigate feeling of alienation of non bumiputra groups by sharing out some of the wealth/crumbs at the periphery.
The successful juggling of these (1)(2) and (3) in preceding posting is necessary for it to recover Malay ground lost to PAS/PKR in last GE and thwart defeat in the next! Of course problem Najib faces is that the political warlords who are politics for the easy goodies are not supporting him and will undermine him if the existing order of benefiting their ilk and patronage politics is really threatened (just like what Pak Lah faced).
So the juggling above of (1)(2) and (3) takes the form of (a) lowering protectionist barriers by doing away with FIC and new public listing no longer needing allocation of 30 percent of their shares to bumiputera groups compensated against 50% of the public spread in a new listing be given to the Malays and other indigenous groups as compared to current rules of 25% of a company’s shareholding – called the free float or public spread – be offered to and held by ordinary investors; (b) no change in existing institutions/investment arms promoting/creating bumi wealth such as Premodalan Nasional Berhad Khazanah, Valuecap and creation of 2 new institutions to promote desrving and well run bumi companies –
(i) Ekuiti Nasional Berhad or Ekuinas, a new investment institution to promote the participation of bumiputera groups. It will have initial capital of RM500 million to invest in private sector funds;
(ii) Danajamin Nasional Berhad, the triple A rated National Financial Guarantee Institution to guarantee up to M50 billion corporate bonds issued by bumi companies;
(iii) Solicitation of Muslim funds mainly but not exclusively from Middle East Funds.
Of course, all these new institutions were to lapse to favour only the politically well connected, the ruling party will not be efficacious in recovering the portion of Malay ground lost and will probably lose more. So it depends on how the juggling is balanced and carried out that is not perceived widely as continuance of the old ways.
Either way Dr Chan man Hin’s idea that reforms must be liberal, promotive of competitive and meritocractic society is in the premises far away and remote – whether malaysia is under BN or PR. This is saying things as they are, not what they ought to be.
When anyone wants to talk of 1Malaysia now, it is an acknowledgement of once 2M, 3M or even 4M when races, religions and regions are concerned.
Wasn’t it NOT 1 Malaysia or one Malaysia or want Malaysia since 1963?
Apart from amending the Fed Const, it is imperative for 1Malaysia to work if ever it can work we need to start with idemnities for those deprived and degraded people especially those in Sabah in three counts namely:-
1. The excessive sucking of Petronas on Sabah;
2. The hardship or burden of prices disparities due mainly to shipping costs including Cabotage for almost 3 decades.
3. The shortchanges of the 9Malaysia Plans in the allocations of fund for Sabah, largely abused.
others can add on this list.
Unless that is done, Sabah and Sabahans would forever lag bahind as we were once disadvantaged and now no difference even with socalled stupid 1Malaysia of bankrupted illegal socalled leaders.
pw:rathbone 43
So many have spoken …same thing…as what Dr.Chen is saying.
Will UMNO ever listen?
Najib is torn between the devil and the deep blue sea…how to win votes for himself..in 13th GE….to maintain his leadership .
He is unreliable..fickle minded ..talk nice….empty words…acting….hoping and praying all will support him…..and simultaneously….the true colours of UMNO…is shown..shutting down freedom of speeches…with police brutalities…and arrests for reasons…that the whole world is laughing.. and at the scale…..never seen before.
In short…Najib can never be trusted and no amount of reasoning will make him see and do things sincerely for country and people.
Foreign investors are the lowest to Malaysia….comparing to neighboring countries.
Our ringgit will be banana notes…worthless…only good in Malaysia.
Without foreign investments… it is proving..Malaysia is unreliable…and the government cannot be trusted.
It is a serious shame to UMNO and more serious to Malaysia economy..leading to a chain reactions of downfalls in all trades.
That’s why he is desperate to get investors…right now.
After 53 years…still need to fish for investors?
Will they buy it?
I doubt.
All are waiting for the 13th GE…to see Malaysia is heading.
Change of government is the only solution to gain the trust and some reputations….to lure investor back…but not the blue chips…the serious ones.
Malaysia have a reputation.. to loose all good manufacturing companies to neighbours….and UMNO keep ignoring the real reasons. They want a piece of the cake…where they actually have no business to teach them…how to do their business…in the first place…and UMNO race politics…is sickening to foreigners too.
UMNO never really help local companies at all….only their chosen cronies.
Just look at so many small traders getting smaller and smaller..yet they said they have a formula..how to pull everyone up…..10 years ago.
UMNO must be voted out. No use talk logic with these corrupted guys..immune to jail sentences…making them….so powerful…to govern and do anything…as they like.
The only thing they found out…People’s power is dead set to vote them out…..not easy for UMNO to buy lots of frogs and voters….to buy up Malaysia with money stolen from us.
Unable to play their dirty politics successfully ..right now…Najib is in frenzy unreliable dangerous moods.
Beware calm and behave like idiots…and wait for 13th GE.
At first it appeared the reference to tennis was irrelevant but on a little reflection, that great final shows how meritocracy can spur one to greater effort and eventual success.
Even though Federer won, it was no walkover and he won just by breaking just one of Roddick’s serve in the entire match.
About 2 or 3 years ago, Roddick would have been beaten in probably 3 sets but through his own efforts, he has improved tremendously and could definitely improve his record against RF.
Unfortunately Najib is still harping on NEP and still proclaiming that Malays are “the weak race.”
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/07/malaysiakini-on-major-decline-in.html
Sabahans are very dynamic people and very capable of changing government easily. “Sultan” Mustapha (a Filipino descendant) was toppled by a young Pakistani descendant who formed “BERJAYA” and rule Sabah like a dictator (70% of Labuan belongs to him) TDM even declared to ‘SWIM AND SINK’ with him, but the people of Sabah are not stupid, and the famous “WIND OF CHANGE” once again blew “Syatan” Harris away like a piece of toilet paper, and finally installed a local Kadazan as CM but not for long (unlike Sarawak CM). Thereafter they continue to change CM like changing underwear, until Sabahans become “Kepala Pusing”. Finally, UMNO penetrated and declare Sabah a “Fixed Deposit” with yet another paki as CM, but it will not be long before another BIG change takes place. This time it will be more spectacular, with the millions of illegal immigrants controlling the economy, and HQ1 DIV ready to take over. And what exactly is this ‘HQ1 DIV’ ???
“The World Bank has statistics that showed the per capita income slowed down since 1971, and has fallen behind S Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.”: Dr Chen said.
Err Dr Chen. Next time pls exclude singapore ok. Just concerntrate on HK, SK and Taiwan. You see umnoputras and supporters have this singaphobia thing. No matter how powerful or logical your argument may be once singaphobia is allowed to kicked in it would blind those bastards straightaway; and they would then immediately zoom in on that one dot south of johore and ignore everthing else you have written on.
Najib has his powers clipped. FIC disbanded! FIC is directly under the nose of the PM. It operates in the PM’s dept. In the past all large investment proposals go straight to the PM via the FIC. To approve or not to approve – that was FIC’s function (on top of the approvals by other ministries – how cumbersome). And the PM is at the same time finance minister. So he approves the project and he approves the financing! Wow.
Why on earth did he do away with the 30% umnoputra equity requirement during IPO? Several reasons. First and obviously it is not conducive to growth. It is an impediment. Foreigners are put off by it. Secondly, the requirement simply means local companies may not want to list in klse. If they do list, it could be elsewhere! Thirdly, to maintain that 30% thing during ipo is an administrative headache for umnoputras. Kerja banyak sangat. Kepala pening. They want something easier – as if earning billions at the stroke of the pen is not easy enough for them. So the design is to let companies list in a more liberal condition. In other words remove the 30% thingy. So they are saying mari-mari all the way. Then through the specially set-up umnoputras-only investment body and using the RM450billion petronas contribution they have amassed they simply buy up equity and even control in any company that takes their fancy.
Of course I dont think I have said anything new. In fact most malaysians can see through najib’s and umnoputras’ ulterior motive. That is why no one is singing and dancing.
Its clear Najib policy is not liberal enough but the issue really is what is the outcome of such a ps pseudo-liberal policy? Well, it depends on the outlook. If the expectation is that economics will come back strongly, such a pseudo-liberal policy will appear to be wise. But if the economics do not and its expected not to be for a number of years, then the pseudo policy will be divisive among the polar views and the majority of people will be confused.
So what will determined the outcome? machinery and campaigns.. Expect BN/UMNO to spend like crazy in the next GE. War chest are being filled to prepare for that day. That is a battle PR cannot win. PR must win on the message and the internet and that is a lot tougher.. PR have to come together and be coherent by the next GE and with better candidates and good speeches and writing.
It is only the DAP that genuinely puts forward the ideology of pluralism, democracy and meritocracy. Its position is this: why compete and have dissension between the races of this country when together in unity promoting meritocracy, we will sharpen our value added skills as a people to enable us to compete favourably with the world outside? If the nation looses out in competitiveness, if patronage policies persist that in turn breeds corruption frittering national wealth and if outsiders keep away because of protectionist barriers protecting Malaysians in general and Bumiputra in particular, foreigners and investors will shy away and the only other ones that come in are the savage predators like for example Hedge Funds speculators to attack our currencies as they did in 1997 owing to our perceived vulnerabilities. If the country is poor, all groups will be poor and rights/privileges for any particular group become phyrric victory!
That’s macro wisdom. The others think different : its micro wisdom – ie most important priority, we have to take care and be popular with the most significant majority group whose good will is decisive of who wins or stays in power!
So for the rest (of political parties) it is not Bumi Rights that are wrong – after all they are sancrosanct by Constitution and ‘Social Contract’ – what is wrong is the inequitable distribution of benefits/goodies/rights/privileges amongst the supposedly favoured beneficiary group (Bumiputras).
This is the fundamental thesis of attack on UMNO by Anwar/PKR – that its allocation of benefits concentrate on their own kind (dubbed UMNOputras) and cronies, that implementation of NEP had been hijacked… that is why PKR calls for return to original twin aims of NEP : ie the removal of identification of economy with race and helping the poor of all races – on the premises that return to these original aims will help the majority group more since, on comparison basis, there are more who are poor in rural and agricultural sectors whilst commerce/industry sectors associated with wealth are identified predominantly with minority races, the imbalance of which needs to be corrected.
Thats where PAS comes in, albeit differently, to say no no UMNO/BN so enmeshed in corruption/patronage that only by a return to the fundamental tenets of peity and religion under a theocractic state will the rot of corruption stop!
In UMNO/BN admits, yes yes, last GE saw the Malay ground moving against us, we will recover it by correcting our mistakes: see we have MACC on corruption. On being true to the majority group as beneficiaries, we are bringing in foreign investors by doing away with FIC and the quota of 30% equity for listing but majority group don’t lose out because when foreign investments (a substantial source will be Middle East funds) return due to these friendly liberalisation policies and bring in money in form of equity, 50% of public spread (the balance of public shares that are not controlled by controlling interests) will be allocated to bumi individuals or institutions and here also we have two additional institutions – Ekuinas, and Danajamin – to help bumi corporations. We will also improve image of judiciary of being independent (we have the Judicial Appointments Commission) since thats what foreign investors want, and we will not interfere (except where our political power challenged and at stake, though this is not admitted). :)
So nobody changes the basic system of which target group is to primarily benefit : only the system is tweaked and fine tuned to ensure better distribution amongst the beneficiary group. it is the main factor to the securing and maintaining of political power.
So no one addresses Chen Man Hin/DAP’s basic point: that incremental improvements by way of better distribution amongst target group or even lessening of the worse aspects of corruption, or bettering the image of judiciarty will fix the problem – the problem of Meritocracy, which is the standard for peoples of all races to strive and attain excellence in whatever fields of endeavour, being abjured and relegated to secondary lip service importance. Without Meritocracy, we will not nurture the requisite skills, retain the best and brightest, to go up the value added ladder, compete in the Global stage successfully, to give them goods and services that they want and value, so that our Ringgit will be demanded to buy Malaysian goods and services, and not drop in value along with our collective living standards when the oil eventually runs out.
Sorry typo omission in last para – “….will NOT fix the problem…”
Jeff … proof of the pudding is in the eating … would you put your money on PR when it comes to change based on meritocracy?
I would rather bet my last dollar on change on pakatan then to have it flushed down the toilet by umno. At least change will bring with it some hope of progress.
The only way we can have real change is to vote out the bn. They have been too long and have become arrogant. We have to send a clear message to all politicians that they were elected there to serve the people and it is not their birthright to rule the people.
The nep is a racist policy and should be removed as soon as possible. Three generations have already been penalized, our grand parents, our parents and now ourselves. Surely payments by 3 generations should have been more than compensated for whatever wrongs that we may have been perceived to have been committed. Don’t forget the non-bumis were also a party in the negotiation for the independence; they did not accompany Tuanku to London just to carry his luggage!
///proof of the pudding is in the eating … would you put your money on PR when it comes to change based on meritocracy?///
As is self explanatory from what I posted, only the DAP consistently, by words and deeds, espouse meritocracy. However existing realities dictate that it is not commanding the shots in PR – so it also keeps quiet for the sake of coalition unity when the other partners by words and deeds eschew it.
In the past decades, no Malay minister dared challenge the NEP fearing that he/she would be sidelined by the Malays and end up losing his/her political career.
Thanks to Anwar who was the first Malay leader to talk about toning down and doing away with the NEP.
Seeing that Anwar’s political position was not threatened despite his intention to do away with the NEP, Najib now follows suit – leveraging on economic liberalization to hopefully win back the support of the non-Malays.
I too have decided that anything but BN is the last hope for our future. During the last GE, I told some friends that I would even vote for PAS.
Of course PR is not perfect but one term as opposition will help them reform more than the same old, same old politicians.
Finally it is the voters who must vote for change before we end up like Zimbabwe or Myanmar.
sorry “help them reform” refers to the BN.
Today papers..Rosmah said…all Malaysian must unite as one.
I cannot get it…
UMNO…MCA and MIC are clearly three.
Why ask Malaysians to unite as one?
Actually Malaysians were united as one…..long before Najib tries his stunt with “1 Malaysia”
We are very united to vote UMNO and MCA out.
And Najib said…Malaysians are solidly behind UMNO…yet he dare not stand for the recent by-election……crating shame and behave like a coward.
He actually brought more shame to UMNO members……in his 100 days…compared to previous PM.
He is the only unelected PM in the history of Malaysia.
Whilst DAP has been consistent in espousing by words and deeds meritocracy that earns it the unfair label of being pro-chinese, Anwar/PKR has been far less daring.
Anwar/PKR has focused more on the iniquities of NEP implementation by UMNO than the NEP itself, and has largely eschewed promoting overtly meritocracy per se. Understandably it is because PKR’s constituency covers a larger Malay base.
When PKR Selangor MB tried appoining Madam Low as acting GM of PKNS, he balked in the face of backlash from some PKNS’s employees and PAS.
Najib is neutralizing Anwar not only by re-establishing ties with USA (traditionally backing Anwar) but also by taking this NEP issue out of his sails by initiating the liberalization proposals (albeit in selected non core sectors).
So far Anwar could only respond by saying (not so convincingly) that the proposals lacked governance (a distinct larger separate issue) and lacking proper action plan (se the Edge) when it is trite that only time will tell if the action plan is proper or otherwise, and criticisms may be premature.
In PR camp, it was Hadi who had objected explicitlt to them on the grounds that the Malays weren’t competitive enough still. (He would be perceived by many PR supporters on PKR/DAP’s side as clearly playing to the gallery. Such a stance would not endear him to them especially in the wake of recent Unity Talk plans now euphemistically superseded by “intellectual talks”. Some would even think that Hadi and his Section are championing status quo when 30% IPO Bumi allocation – which used to benefit those well connected with Umno-putras – as such status quo might in turn favour those of PAS members favouring Unity or Intellectual Talks as a prelude to pave the way for a crossover to join UMNO/BN and benefit from such existing policies.
Only Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is neither here nor there and in his hurry to take cudgel with Najib’s administration (after the last successful foray against Pak lah’s) now dismisses these liberalisation proposals as mere popular vote getting gambit whilst at the same time derides in vintage sarcasm such proposed talks between Najib and Hadi as likely leading nowhere as Najib speaks English whilst Hadi, Arabic! :)
Jeff … PM did what everyone says he would not have the guts to do … he out flanked DSAI in this round. More to come … just watch and see.
I feel a lot if happening in BN camp, most of the reforms we want will happen because times have changed and he needs to change to survive but more importantly, he has made provisions to ensure everyone who is loyal to him is still well fed.
Najib will go down in Malaysian history as the REFORMIST PM. He knows how to play with public relations. This man cannot be underestimated.
Hi guys,why are we so afraid of change ? Every day something changes.People too changes mood daily.Changes are natural phenomenon.We change our clothes daily and keep changing to ensure we enjoy better lifes. More than five decades under Umno/Bn rule,we have tested from good to bad and now it has become worse.Treat it (Umno/BN government) as an old shirt,too tight to wear and out of fashion completely.Just change a new one (new PR government) and throw the old one away for good. With a new shirt,it will brighten our spirit to a new beginning.We can’t always remain as a caterpillar and need to change it into a young and beautiful butterfly and like the butterfly it seeks new and better life.
///Najib will go down in Malaysian history as the REFORMIST PM.This man cannot be underestimated.///- SpeakUp
Those who underestimate him do so at their own peril. :)
Don’t know whether he could succeed in reforms but he sure would do his darnest best.
Not necessarily because he has noble intentions. It is sheer necessity – political survival!
No Malaysian PM has inherited office with such heavy political baggage that can only be lightened by performance and vindication of office. In this sense, his weakness/drawback may – with right resolve – be convertible to strength.
In this respect, he has advantage of many tiered advisers from whom he could draw sound and professional advice he really heeds unlike in sharp contrast his predecessor who relied more on a small coterie of familial advisers.
However in other respects, his problem with the entrenched system of patronage in which the political warlords within his party and coalition have vested interest to defend (and which rakyat are anathemic against if unresolved) is the same as his predecessor.
What reform???
Talking is as easy as doing.
As for “1 Malaysia”.
I think it is only meant for those from BN parties and its supporters only.
Outsiders are totally excluded!!!
Loh Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Yesterday at 22: 18.47
I sent the following letter to http://www.1Malaysia.com.my two days ago:
Mr Prime Minister,
“Reforms must be liberal, must promote a competitive and meritocratic society”
——————
1. This is surely a Target to reach. But, what are FUNDAMENTAL to make it works do not exist! A country must have a Fair Constitution to emphasizing Human Rights be there and Human Rights be practiced in all walks before such can be achieved. The Ethnics of People running the Adminsitration and Professions be there with a basic sense of Equality, Rights and Obligations. Most of the existing Politicians have been here without these. And, same for most of those MP keeping silent, bothering nothing when so many Acts and Laws with Basic conttradixtion to Constitution and Abusing the Rights of the People had been passed.
2. When Policy were started only with the thinking of getting VOTES instead of the actual benefit for the the average People, the Policy is BIAS and not practical. Why so many NEP projects when the basic life of the Average Malaysian does not have even the Basic ingredient or condition for a SAFE living with Peace of Mind for the Development of Knowledge and ethnics of the People?
Economic Richness is a Poison when Ethnics had gone in the Opposite Direction, Poor and Rich goes into further extremities.
3. What had been said and performed by BN/UMNO can hardly put any more of their Talk into Trust. Even with disregards of Najib on his personality that can be traced, the putting forwards of MACC Act and the recent SIAP Act on 21 Government Agents already showed a more dictatorship than Democratic will be installed. Basically infringe of Constitution!!
4. With scandals after scandals and the mis-appropriation of Power and Fund in the Government and so many Guaranteed Funds, yet the BN/UNMO Government had shown NO Sight of Remedy on ANYONE, the Credibility of BN/UMNO has already bankrupt. Any more new set-up is just a “New Bottle with OLD wine”. The Ekuinas is just another mean to appoint someone with extra Expenses to spread those 500Billion. How much of that 500Billions will benefit the average Malaysian?
6. With Oil Revenue, why should the Government emphasize on Foreign Investment? And, where had those Oil Revenue gone?
7. The Declaration of PK before or during the last GE is still fundamental and to be moved along. Any party going away from that declaration should NO MORE be considered for the 13th GE. DAP should emphasized to PKR and PAS. DAP should in fact strengthen the Declaration with the Declaration of working towards HUMAN RIGHTS with disregard to Race and Religion. A move to promote the Consciousness of the Voters than trying to remedy those Politicians who know only Politics but NOT the People, who are looking at the Votes than Real Problems to be solved.
PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK AT WHICH PARTY CAN TALK AND WALK THE SAME? WHICH PARTY ARE LOOKING AT HUMAN RIGHTS TO VOTE? A PARTY WHO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE’S LIVES THAN JUST ECONOMICAL GROWTH!! A PARTY WHO CAN TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT HAD BEEN WRONG IN THE PAST AND WHAT TO REMEDY?
Without knowing what to plug on the Leaks created in the Past, it is hard to move forwards!
8. What is the Revenue and What had actually been spent in the past and What is Actually needed to stable and improve the living of the people is the Basic to start.
With the “habit” of inflating the Government Expenses with corruptions, does it necessary to have a continuous increase of budget year after years? Therefore, the decreasing of Living standard is not because the NON-Catch-up of Growth. But, the Non-Catch-up with the Growth of Canssss of Wormssssss!!
I wish we could move on from ‘meritocracy and competition’ – that’s what you had before an apartheid regime was started to counteract it. You can’t live life like it’s the board-game Monopoly. Well, maybe an individual can – but once a group of people organise themselves selfishly employing the simple rules of meritocracy and competition to transfer all wealth to their own group’s pockets, it’s only a matter of time before the losers start to wonder why they’re still playing by the rules.
‘Meritocracy and competition’ is just a 50-year flip-flop. You need a new tune. Apartheid favours the favoured race. Simple M and C favours the most selfish and ruthless team. Malaysia needs a middle course. Why not promote Malaysia as an ‘examplar nation’, take the world’s best best-practice, and work toward gross national improvement instead? I suspect ‘meritocracy and competition’ just sounds like ‘we want to take your money and land’ to very many Malaysians. You have to offer something in return to counter fears of total loss, that isn’t a daft ‘affirmative action’ scheme, reliant on someone electing to be ‘needy’.
The NEP could be thrown away in an instant, if it was replaced with a guaranteed standard of living for all, supported by cold, hard cash. Giving poor people money isn’t throwing it away, they’ll spend it on products and services. Giving rich people money is throwing it away: they’ll buy capital-city mansions in rich countries or erect monuments to themselves. Scrapping Malaysia’s apartheid laws in favour of a National Cost Of Living Allowance for all adult Malaysians won’t upset anybody you care about. You might have to raise taxes a smidgeon, or possibly not waste money on expensive submarine consultants or dodgy developments, but you’re never, ever going to scrap NEP for free.
Do you all realise the following :
That our country has been led by a part Siamese prince, a Bugis, a part Turk, an Indian Muslim, a part Arab and part Chinese, a part Bugis again ?
Aren’t we practising meritocracy where we give everyone a chance?
Rojak, your writing is exactly like your name, rojak. You have to make up your mind what precisely are you getting at. I mean who do not know the excesses of “free market capitalism” on one end and the excesses of govt intervention on the other.
Dr Chen’s observation was that the govt has skewed too much to the left (too much intervention and mediocrity and too little competition and free market), is that wrong?
This is Malaysia; I suggest you don’t to write Courtney English here.
Frankyapp … I love what you say la BUT in Malaysia its those who want to hold on to power that are afraid of change. History has shown it many times. Yeah, we need to embrace change but those that we will opt for in replacement of BN need to be SINCERE with INTEGRITY and they need to hold the whole nation’s interest at heart. Are they able to? I am scared to think about it.
Jeff … this PM is smarter than the last, like you say he has advisers for sure. Even the whole Perak debacle was done with a very good adviser BUT that adviser did not read the Perak constitution la.
Okay … this is what will happen when PR takes over the government:
i. Hadi will insist PM must be a true blue Muslim hence has to come from PAS;
ii. ex UMNO guys in PKR will start their nonsense in getting lucrative things done;
iii. DAP will scream blue murder about why we are not 1Malaysia since PAS will insist that bumis need to be preotected;
iv. All in PKR will fight over who is Minister and Deputy Minister;
v. DSAI will want to be PM of which DAP will actually not be so concerned but PAS will be;
vi. DSAI will be busy persecuting the BN buggers for revenge and he will get the Rakyat’s support but we do not realise its pure revenge (sounds like the French and Russian revolution now, all get killed whilst the system is not working);
vii. Civil servants will be at a lost as to what is happening but don’t mind since they can use this confusion to make all their side deals
viii. slowly PR members will start to pull out of this and that (Kedah is a great example)
ix. I almost forgot … the Kulim racist DUN (that DSAI dare not deal with openly) will force all women in Kulim to cover their heads etc.
Then we all just sit there and watch the comedy la. Wondering why we voted them in.
Hi Jeffery,good to see you again.I think NR dares not make any concrete liberal reforms based on meritocracy.He knows pretty well,most Umnoputras and powerful war lords would oppose him and may even finish him off.You know NR though he’s the president, currently does not enjoy much high level and ground support except in Pahang.Hence you see he has been travelling to Sabah and Sarawak for strong and firm deposits .He’s likely to get Perak,depending on DR Zambry (Illegal MB) but until now he’s not sure of an all round support .Thus I think,much as he wishes to make certain liberal changes like the NEP ,he’s quite scare to death .On one hand he wants to reform based on competition to gain non malays support and on the other he’s afraid to risk losing malays loyalty to him.You know Umnoputras and warlords are fillty rich and Umno’s money politic is on the rampage by these powerful and power crazy warlords and they would do anything it takes to destroy NR if he tries to mess around with them AAB tried and was kick out.NR knows pretty too well,these guys in Umno are “untouchable”.NR is pretty smart and cunning too,as you can see he’s testing the ground to find out what kind of re-action from these warlords by recently making minor changes to some new IPOs and lowing the shares to malays bumis from 30% to 121/2% for company wishing to go public.I don’t think NR is really sincere in doing what he’s doing now. What’s your take ?.
Exactly limkamput! Two sides, each demanding “we want this” – that’s what’s wrong. We have to find a mutually beneficial way forward. Najib’s ‘reforms’ look a bit like meeting half-way, but are more like same old thing with a cherry on the top. All I’m saying is everybody knows what’s wrong, but there don’t seem to be any credible plans to solve it.
Our PCI is so low compared to that of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, what does it tell then? Very simple, Malaysian (Malay, Cina, India, Iban, Kadazan, etc) are not competent at all. In other words, we are more stupid compared to other nation citizens.
South Korea just spent 20~30 years to become #1 in many areas, e.g. semiconductor, shipping, etc. Malaysia? Probably #1 as slogan creator, and a recently added slogan – “One Malaysia”….
m2molo … maybe we are the product of a racist system, perhaps not in our generation that we shall see real change but in the next. Who will pave the way to teach the next generation that this needs to be done?
What is happening in Malaysia is called APARTHEID. In its pure sense it is called POLITICAL PARTITION, as spoken by Werner Eiselen who was the father of this notion.
UMNO, MCA and MIC been enjoying it. They say … “Vote for me and let me champion for you against that other race.” We are a nation divided today because of that.
Now, Hadi wants to still play with that card …
YB,
This is something quoted from Malaysiakini a few week ago before the crisis of DAP in Kedah. I think the article really made a lot of people think about Kedah and PAS.
Personally, do you think it is better for DAP in Kedah to work with BN instead of PAS? or just be an independent 3rd force in Kedah?
I think most people in Kedah (non-malays) hates PAS. Any party associating with PAS is likely to be doomed!
Kedah PKR, DAP told to abandon PAS
Athi Veeranggan | Jun 23, 09 11:01am
Even as national leaders of Pakatan Rakyat drop the hot potato that the proposed ‘unity government’ has turned out to be, Kedah Gerakan is checking out the idea at state level.
MCPX
Its Youth wing wants the state PKR and DAP to snub PAS and tie up with Barisan Nasional to form a unity state government in Alor Setar.
Kedah Youth chief Tan Keng Liang alleged that PKR and DAP have many grouses against the leadership of Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak, who is from PAS.
Moreover, he said, PKR and DAP have more in common with BN component parties such as Gerakan rather than with the Islamic-based PAS
“Hence, I suggest it would be better for PKR and DAP to snub PAS and join hands with BN to form a unity government in Kedah,” Tan (centre in photo) told Malaysiakini today.
Currently PAS is the largest single party in the state assembly, holding 16 of the 36 seats.
Umno, which is in the opposition, is second with 12, followed by PKR with five, while DAP, Gerakan and MCA have one each.
Besides filling the menteri besar’s seat, PAS dominates the state executive council with seven members while PKR has three.
Bumiputera quota hike
Tan said the state’s decision to hike the bumiputera housing quota from 30 percent to 50 percent has become the most controversial issue.
“It has provoked angry reactions from many quarters, including PKR and DAP,” he said.
Another problem, he said, is the decision to shift a pig abbatoir from its current location in Mergong, Alor Star.
“Until today the government has yet to identify an alternative site. But it plans to demolish the abattoir by end of this month,” he claimed.
Many Indian Malaysians are said to be unhappy with the state government’s lethargic handling of their grievances, especially on land, housing, employment and vernacular education.
A state government source said senior civil servants have now become more powerful than the exco in deciding, executing and managing affairs.
Unlike the previous Umno-controlled Kedah government, the PAS-helmed government has failed to tame the overzealous, and at times arrogant, senior public officers, the source said.
He added that the local municipalities are incompetent and inefficient in performing daily tasks, particularly garbage collection. This has become a major talking point.
Outdated style
Several Pakatan leaders are allegedly unhappy that the state government had retained Umno-linked companies as concessionaires in sand excavation projects all over Kedah.
“Due to this, many residents have resorted to sand theft in several prime areas,” said the government officer.
These contentious issues have been blamed on the PAS-helmed government’s lack of conviction to initiate changes.
Azizan is accused of being reluctant to abandon an orthodox political system, leadership and style of governance.
According to a Pakatan source, instead of becoming a well-oiled, refined, reformed and pro-active government, the PAS-led government has stuck with the outdated Umno style of administration.
“It is reluctant to ruffle feathers for fear of antagonising the all- powerful senior civil servants,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tan said the state economy, employment opportunities and business growth have all become stagnant.
He claimed that a BN-PKR-DAP partnership can safeguard the interests and rights of Kedah citizens and deliver constructive and progressive policies to stimulate growth.
Anywhere in the world, governments enact policies to help the minority and the poor.
In the Malaysia, it was and still is the opposite. The government by the majority race enacts laws, policies etc to protect the majority race in the country and shut the door on the minority race.
We do not what to call this? Tyranny?
All over the years, the protectors talk about ‘liberation’ of the economic policies, but if one cares to look deeper, they are all just smoke screen.
Nothing has ever changed structurally in terms of the economic policies, somehow the government controlled by the majority race will ensure that the race is protected perpetually.
They do not realize how long can they keep taking from the minority race? There is only that much that they can take and grab whenever they have the opportunity.
There is no way the that the minority can create and expand out of nothing for the tyrants to grab.
The conclusion is foregone.
Who planted the seed of corruption into the Malay psyche? Malays are by nature very gentle and polite. But when they become greedy they will be the worst breed of trash.
Coming back to my original question: of course, it’s the MCA Chinese. They were the original corrupters of the Malays. In doing so they are willing to stab their own brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers in order to get their hands grubby with filthy lucre.
Do you know why the MCA still want to remain in the BN fold? Because they are treated as special miniputras by UMNO. UMNO are willing to feed these greedy MCA Chinese and starve the ordinary Malays so that they can learn the secret of corruption.
So beware you Pakatan leaders: never accept any MCA or any BN refugees with open arms. Just look at Chua Soi Lek. He was grumbling away and flirting of jumping ship. But when Najib offered him some crumbs he was again singing praises for BN.
Anwar made the fatal mistake of trying to get 30 BN crooks to jump ship. They dallied and calculated the cost and finally decided not to jump. And Anwar got a load of mud splashing on his face and his sterling reputation was flushed into the sewers. So take this as a lesson, Pakatan.
Saudara Loh, komen saudara penuh fakta dan membawa mesej yang membangunkan. Hamba harap mesej kepada PM akan beliau papar di blog 1Malaysia.
Diharap PM membawa pembaharuan 1Malaysia tanpa kira kaum, bangsa dan agama. Rakyat Msia mesti dapat hak yang saksama.