by Dr Chen Man Hin, life adviser DAP
IT WILL TAKE A LIBERAL NEW ECONOMIC MODEL AND A STRONG PRIME MINISTER TO PUSH MUCH NEEDED REFORMS TO TRANSFORM MALAYSIA INTO A HIGH INCOME COUNTRY WITH DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL REGARDLESS OF RACE OR RELIGION.
The political and economic outlook for the country is critical. We are riddled with multiple problems of corruption, lack of judicial independence, racialism, brain drain, with 40% of households living below the poverty level of RM1,500, and four out of five poor households are bumiputras.
All these things are happening even after two years of PM Najib rule since April 2008. His 1 Malaysia and mediocre attempts at reforms have failed.
WORLD RANKINGS OF MALAYSIA
The sorry state of political and economic development is reflected in the world ranking status of Malaysia on areas which indicate whether a society is honest, democratic, transparent,and just.
CORRUPTION. Transparent International Corruption perception malaysia is ranked 56 among countries in 2009 having dropped from 47 of 2008 and from 23 in 1995. It indicates that corruption has deteriorated during Najib’s watch, whereas Singapore and Hong Kong are almost corruption free.
JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE. Malaysia’s world ranking for year 2009-2010 was 52 compared with Thailand 54, Taiwan 49, Singapore 19, Australia 5, Finland 4, Denmark 3, Sweden 2, and New Zealand 1. Low ranking for Malaysia is not surprising, especially as the Sodomy 2 case against Anwar Ibrahim has raised international concern about the integrity of the judiciay in Malaysia.
UNIVERSITY RANKING. This year no university from Malaysia made it to the top 200 world universities list of QS World University Ranking 2010. Last year one Malaysian university, Universiti Malaya was ranked 180. This year Universit Malaya was ranked 207.
ACADEMIC RANKING OF WORLD UNIVERSITIES BY SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY. No university from Malaysia was in the list, which indicates that the academic standards questionable.
POLICE STATE. It is a fact that the government uses all the institutions – police, judicial, attorney general, and media to exercise rigid and a repressive controls on the social, economic and political life of the people. The ISA is used to oppress the opposition. Press freedom is muzzled, as seen by the ranking for Malaysia which was 141 out of 196 countries. Which is not unexpected as the government has imposed a tight censor ship of all opposition news. The government plans to impose censorship of the Internet, which is gaining popularity with the people.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS (FDI) The world bank has released figures which showed that for 2009 there was an 81% fall of FDI into Malaysia from US$7.32 billion to 1.38 billion. FDI into Thailand and Indonesia have overtaken FDI into Malaysia, which has now joined the ranks of countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Timor Leste. These are figures which indicate that investors, both local and foreign, have lost confidence and prefer to put their money in Indonesia and Thailand.
Poor global rankings of Malaysia are an indictment of the PM Najib Razak regime, which under the cloak of 1 Malaysia is actually practising the politics of race, corruption, cronyism and rent seeking. If the same policies are continued, then inexeorably, Malaysia will join the ranks of failed states like banana republics – Myanmar and Zimbabwe.
THE ONE HOPE
Follow the advice and recommendations of the World Bank and IMF who have recommended Najib to follow free and liberal market policies. There has to be a structural reform, which means no NEP regulations like 30% bumiputera equity and cronyism or rent seeking. A culture of competitiveness and meritocracy must be practised.
At the same time, the reforms must be inclusive to look after the interest of the poor – bumiputras and others. A new type of affirmative policy must be practised where help is given according to needs and merit. This affirmation action should not interfere with the mainstream liberal free market economy, or the main economy will stagnate or collapse as it did the 40 years of NEP rule from 1971 to 2010.
The fate of Malaysia is now in the hands of the Prime Minister. The whole country is now watching the next move of the Prime Minister. Will he follow the NEM polcies as endorsed by World Bank and IMF? Or will he wilt under the pressure of Perkasa?
‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ – Hamlet. The whole country awaits.
Singapore MM Lee Kuan Yew says Malaysia is a failed state!!!
KJ runs around amok and screams “No, No, No.”
What does this young Oxford chiku know about history and the developments in Malaysia in the last 53 years.
Najib should just put his tail betweeenn his legs, eat humble pie, admit the fact to our shame and then declare: “it’s alright. We know. But we will take the bull by the horns and start all over”.
That is being honest rather than being stupid and cocky!!
B patient, r we in 4 surprise or disappointment? More 2 b written soon
D Times Higher Education’s (THE’s) annual World University Rankings – d original one, now partner with Thomson Reuters rather than with QS – will be released on 16 Sep (tra la la 2moro, Hari Malaysia & Harry LeeKY’s birthday, strange eh?)
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
Mana UM, USM, UKM, UPM, UTM, UiTM …..?! Suspense …… Akan datang loh
Tun M will, of course, say : “Let’s build more crooked bridges to spite Singapore”.
What else has Tun M got to show but lots of crooked deals, crooked skeletons and, now we know, lots of crooked racism.
I think Tun should just retire and keep very quiet. Some people with Alzheimer’s I know also talk non-stop. I just wonder?
// There has to be a structural reform, which means no NEP regulations like 30% bumiputera //
What would be our reaction if other people start questioning our constitutional rights? It takes years to build the country…Let’s live in peace and harmony…
“Or will he wilt under the pressure of Perkasa?”
All indications point to a “YES”.
Najib is impotent, vulnerable and lost like Robinson Crusoe.
If he cannot even act against Utusan, what else is he capable of doing?
Utusan and Mukriz are showing Najib their middle finger and he is helpless to respond.
To expect Najib to adopt NEM policies is to expect the sun to rise from west.
cintanegara, stop coming to this blog to talk about constitutional rights. What “rights” are you talking about ? You want subsidized fertilizer for your rambutan tree ? You want the government to buy your rambutans at inflated prices so that you can drive a Bentley ?
“Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blamed Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and its founder Lee Kuan Yew as the root cause of racialism in Malaysia.”
Mahathir has yet again shown himself to be a low-class statesman. Most of his negative statements on Singapore are out of pure jealousy with the success of Lee Kuan Yew, a level which he (and all his UMNO and Perkasa cronies put together) will never be capable to attain (let alone comprehend).
I believe the root cause of the problem lies with the Chinese
1Malaysia is nothing but a dream…
Sorry, but it just won’t work….
As long as there are Chinese, the racial problems will never end…
Indians can stay as they are being manipulate by the Chinese
to create racial tension among malays…
Once the problem is gone…. Malaysia can move forward
without racial prejudice and UMNO can concentrate to build the economy rather than protecting and defending the malay’s right…
Th Chinese who keep on contesting the malay rights should leave Malaysia to Singapore or China or which ever country they deemed fit to their needs and greed….
Only when they leave, the economy will be free from racial tension, greed and racist propaganda.
Only then, the economy will be stable and Malaysia can move forward….
Foreign Investor will start to invest in Malaysia
More MNC will be setting up in Malaysia
Bring in Europeans and Americans expatriate to develop
and guide Malaysian to the next phase of developement
Most likely, Europeans and Americans wont be switching their citizenship to Malaysian anyway….
Bring in Singapore Malay too…..
They will be an asset to the society in Malaysia
Everybody is happy….
Chinese, please leave for the sake of Malaysia’s economy
All the malay needs is to live in a peace and harmonious society
Please bring along with your racial baggage to Singapore or any other country …
The more the merrier….
the sooner the better and Malaysia can move forward with the dream of wawasan 2020
“Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blamed Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and its founder Lee Kuan Yew as the root cause of racialism in Malaysia.”
Sourgrapes.
Sure, there is no monopoly of speech. But Utusan Malaysia shud stop giving Tun the space to mouth nonsense that is an embarassment to himself and the country.
The Tun lost his opportunity to make his mark on Malaysia. He lost the opportunity to set a lasting and fragrant legacy after him.
Now every passing day reveals more rot, more crooked skeletons and just shows how desperate this tired old man is to save the last vestiges of a crumbling legacy.
Tun, I am sorry, it’s just too late to cry over spilt milk. And if, as you say, PAP started this racialism nonsense, what did you do about it – fan it, entrenched it, institutionalised it! And if PAP is racist, why is Singapore such a modern, successful, multiracial society. Maybe, you should know Singapore is creaming off Malysian talent right under your watch for the last 30 years! Just shows how stupid you and your kitchen cabinet were, is’t it?
BTW Tun, Gordon Brown is starting his fellowship with Harvard University in a week or so.
Wonder if Universiti Utara, Selatan or Timur has invited you to be their Fellow.
Never mind if you have to pay to be invited.
Never mind if the university is ranked 999. But that is a good start. One should start from one’s level of competence.
Pak Lah could start from 8,999 ranked university. Malaysian PMs are world-class, you see. Thanks to your legacy as well.
Passed by kassim’s rambutan tree the other day and know wot?
Hey quite clearly kassim’s rambutans are two, no, three sizes larger than cintanegara’s.
Oi cintanegara, wot is going on there? I know. It is none of my business to ask. But I am just a little concern. You know, maybe, somehow, kassim got better fertilizer from umno. Better than those umno gave you.
//two, no, three sizes larger//
Oh no, they both have got testicular cancer…brought about by the nep (All play and no work)
Symptoms of testicular cancer
The most common symptom of testes cancer is painless enlargement of the testes. A testicular mass or enlargement is found in majority of cases. Sensations of heaviness are also common. Other symptoms may include: blood in seamen during ejaculation, abdominal or groin pain, or fluid build-up in the scrotum.
Najib is waiting for TDM to kick the bucket first.
He will then ISA E-Ali and sack the DPM.
KJ will replace mamak’s baby-boy.
johnnypok #12
It could be exactly like what you said. Presently he is scared stiff to confront the old fox.