To many Malaysians, the deplorable cowhead protests incited by UMNO in Shah Alam section 23 three days before National Day over the relocation of a Hindu temple was strong evidence of the lack of seriousness and commitment of the Najib administration to the “1Malaysia concept” – which put Malaysia in the dock of world opinion with adverse international media reports scaring off intending investors with the spectre that Malaysia is on the verge of greater racial and religious polarisation and intolerance.
The announcement in the budget of the award of national scholarships to 30 crème de la crème students strictly on merit for educational studies in world renowned universities is not proof of 1Malaysia – but the very reverse, of the discriminatory and divisive nature of Barisan Nasional government policies in the name of NEP when they should be based on meritocracy coupled with socio-economic need and justice.
National scholarships to 30 crème de la crème students for world renowed universities is a paltry and most ridiculous figure 52 years after Merdeka.
In March this year, the then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok announced that out of 2,000 Public Services Department scholarship scheme for foreign degrees, 20 per cent or 400 scholarships would be for excellent students, 60 per cent or 1,200 scholarships for bumiputra and non-bumiputra SPM leavers; 10 per cent for 200 scholarships for Sabah and Sarawak bumiputra SPM leavers; the remaining 10 per cent for disabled students who excelled in their studies.
Has the Barisan Nasional government again been misleading the people about the award of PSD scholarships based on “merit”?
Just one example to show the disconnect between the rhetoric and reality of Najib’s 1Malaysia.
Before the launch of the New Economic Policy in 1971, the racial breakdown of the Malaysian civil service comprised 60.8 per cent Malay, 20.2 per cent Chinese, 17.4 per cent Indian and 1.6 per cent others.
Some 35 years after the NEP in 2006, the already under-represented Chinese percentage in the Malaysian civil service had fallen further from 20.2 per cent to 9.37 per cent, while Indians who were somewhat over-represented with 17.4 per cent before the NEP were under-represented with 5.12 per cent.
On the first day of the current parliamentary meeting on 19th October, in reply to the question by the Penang Chief Minister and MP for Bagan, Lim Guan Eng, the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Liew Vui Keong said:
“Sehingga 31 September tahun ini, bilangan penjawat awam adalah seramai RM1,222,947 orang. Daripada jumlah tersebut, pecahan mengikut kaum adalah seperti berikut:-
Kaum Bilangan Peratus (%) Melayu 932,225 76.2 Cina 72,875 6 India 50,140 4.1 Lain-lain 167,707 13.7
It is clear that government promises in response to my speech on the Ninth Malaysia Plan in April 2006 to implement strategies to ensure a more balanced and multi-racial Malaysian civil service had been a total failure, with the worst racial ratios in the Malaysian civil service of Malays at 76.2 per cent, Chinese 6%, Indians 4.1% and Others 13.6%. What 1Malaysia is Najib talking about?
[Speech4 in Parliament on 2010 Budget on 29.10.2009]