I was completely disillusioned Monday night watching PM Badawi’s threats to Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik not to “kacau” or face the “consequences” is serious.
Keng Yaik questioned why after 36 years, Bumi equity ownership was still 18.9%. (It was 20% in 1990) Clearly stating that he accepted the figure, he merely wanted to know the methodology used to arrive at the figure.
Badawi’s reaction is blatantly dishonest. In 2004, Morgan Stanley issued a report that estimated that over 100Billion US Dollars (360 Billion Ringgit) had been lost to Malay patronage in the 20 years preceding 2003. (1984 to 2003)
One economist estimates that in the 36 years of it’s existence, the NEP has been used to channel over ONE TRILLION RINGGIT to the Malay community through ASN, ASB and all related Govt policies.
Since 1970, the Govt has used the NEP to covet education, employment and every other conceivable benefit to the Malays. These measures have largely been successful with all the top posts in GLCs, Government, Universities, Public listed companies and practically every single area that the Govt has any control over being reserved for one race. No company may be listed with a lower than 30% Bumi equity but there is absolutely no problem if it is otherwise. Some industries have a mandatory 51% Bumi ownership and some industries are reserved exclusively for them. Petronas for example only employs and awards contracts to Malays.
ALL Govt and Municipal contracts are reserved to class “F” Bumi contractors. All the proposed projects under the 9th Malaysia Plan thus far are reserved for 100% Bumi owned companies. Even open tender projects are awarded to Malays even if their prices are higher with inferior materials. Micro business loans, business licenses, discounts on property purchases, new Govt employment, EVEN LICENSES FOR HAWKER STALLS are reserved for one race. The list goes on and on but the summary is that the Malay now believes undoubtedly that he is racially privileged.
ASLI’s figures of 45% are opposed to the Govt’s 18.9% because, firstly, equity value is calculated at par value. For example, if you held 1,000 Maxis shares RM 5/- each, the Govt says that it is only worth RM 250.00 as these shares are at a par value of 25cents each. If you owned a company with a paid up value of RM 2/- but conducted millions of Ringgit worth of transactions, the Govt values that company at RM 2/-.
The chief setbacks of the abuses of NEP are rampant corruption and cronyism, worsening racial polarization, unrelenting brain drains, warped educational system, thwarted economic competitiveness, ineffectual bureaucracy, retarded economic growth and perverted social values. Such anachronistic and regressive policy has no place in the present globalizing world, and for that matter, in any civilized society.
PM Badawi recently intensified the imprint of the perverted NEP philosophy by prohibiting inter-religious and inter-racial discourse which would otherwise have contributed to greater understanding and harmony among the races.
Consider the hegemony this has created……..
The Jasin MP’s saga of cheating millions from Customs over timber imports went unpunished. APs are reserved for Bumis only and despite the millions that each of them make year after year, a senator’s son has the audacity to clone the APs several times and the whole thing gets swept under the carpet. A Port Klang councilor buys a 43,000 sq ft plot of land set aside for low cost housing valued at 1.8 million Ringgit 180k and builds a palace without any approval. He gets fined RM 5,000 and still has 30days from today to submit his building plans. Yesterday, despite all the bad press this issue got, the Selangor state Govt confirms his position and that of his son and daughter in law as councilors. The message is clear. Power has shifted from the people to the executive.
The whole issue of Bumi chauvinism started at last year’s UMNO assembly when the very very vocal UMNO Youth leaders stated in short that “It’s our turn to be rich.” This greed is not going to end. We as a nation of loyal citizens have to put a dent into this rubbish for the sake of our children. We need a stronger opposition. By sending a threat to Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik, Badawi has betrayed us all. Remember this at the next general election.
We don’t need a change in Govt. We need a stronger opposition. We need to send a message to the powers that be that we will not accept second class status for our children.
Colin Nathan
(The above was sent via email from a friend).
Friday, October 27, 2006
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Umno, which effectively runs the government, is riddled with croynism and corruption.
Members crave for the award of lucrative government contracts given out under the pretext of the NEP. But the party is filled with bureaucrats with no management skills and no productive economic skills.
In a freely competitive market, they would be in the lower rungs of the public sector or would have lost their jobs altogether. To maintain their way of life, they have to ensure that the NEP is continued at all costs.
A large segment of the malays are still poor after 35 years of the NEP and on top of this the income disparity between the rich and the poor has widened. Clearly, the NEP as a method of equalising economic disparity has failed.
The benefits of the NEP to the poor malays is a pittance compared to the benefits to the rich and well connected malays. It is in reality a tool and facade for the rich and elite malays - who are in the minority - to continue their extravagant way of life at the expense of the rest of the country.
The cost of the NEP so far include unemployable graduates who are mostly malays, increased racial polarisation, declining education standards, brain drain, bailouts of well connected companies, an inefficient and incompetent public service, a government which makes decisions first and studies the impact later - just about everything that is wrong in this country!
Bumi equity ownership numbers have been revealed for what they really are. A staggering 45% says the report by Asli which seems rather well-referenced.
I looked up the numbers provided by Asli, and they are, well accurate. And looking at the massive wealth accumulated by the malay (primarily Umno) politicians and their families, it is quite clear where that 45% is.
Policies like the affirmative action for the malays is only going explode in a matter of time. And the longer the duration, the more painful the fall. That is the fate that is to befall my kind.
The non-malay (mainly the Chinese and Indians) population will slowly find greener pastures abroad (that is already happening).
The policy then falls flat as you have much less contributors but many more recipients. And the malays will be left with not much but a very beggar type mentality.
Along the years, I have met up with more than a handful of those who share my views about the future of the race, both here in the US and back home.
Well, it is time for us to salvage this situation. You can do that by voting the heavily-corrupted Umno out, by voting for an independent candidate in the next general elections.
We have to act now for even foreigners are starting to see the picture as clearly as I do.
Say no to the bumi policies. Say no to the corrupt politicians who only seek to enrich themselves. Say no to these corrupt politicians who stay in power by playing the racial card. Say no to the fanatics who play the religious card. Say no to the self-destruction.
Staying here in the US for as long as I have, I appreciate the positive things of this country which are really quite plentiful.
I believe in freedom of speech, I believe in meritocracy, I believe that government should be accountable and transparent, and I believe in a secular state.
So it is time to act and you and I can play a part right now by voting for the independents, and voicing the need to remove the bumi policy, which is a surefire way to self-destruction.
Umno general assembly, Umno Youth: "Do not challenge the malays - it will ignite our spirit to run amok." he said.
Those who said and agreed to such statement have no brain. Do you think the rich malays would want this to happen? If they do, probably they want to protect their interest by inciting the poor malays to do the dirty job for them. Those who are rich and powerful would then acting like heroes and try to calm the situation by twisting the story.
Please be aware of what we are talking here as we are now living in 21st century - the whole world is watching. Don't play fire with fire. Shut up if you don't know what you are talking!
I say let them Umno behave like an idiot if they wish to - come the time when oil runs dried and all the country's fortune being whacked by all these so-called melayu fighter, then we will see who can survive the globalization……….
We just need to build our network and backup exit door should something happen to the econ of this country - Chinese is always good at this.
After thousands years of civilization, Chinese are aware and prepared to face the world - so there is nothing much we can do with these morons who are still fighting for their own illusions after almost half a century.
The more they act stupid, the better it is for us - don't wake them up, let them dream-walking.
They are still surviving on two things - oil and businesses built by Chinese - oil will be gone sooner than 15 years - they are eyeing 60% (and maybe 90% later) of Chinese business stake, so it is a matter of time before they force themselves on Chinese equity……….when that happen, we need to get out from here and start afresh elsewhere - let them fight for the leftover after this country has nothing left.
Chinese is known as a survival - do you think YTL or Genting or others are so stupid to put all the eggs in a basket in this country? They know of something which ordinary people do not know - think why they diversify aggressively overseas……….
Cheers.
Hisham said the people should not gamble away the future of the country by championing race politics. The irony is he does not have to look too far for such people.
What Khairy and some of the UmnoYouth leaders did was to champion race politics. It is obvious that Hisham did not point his finger at his own colleagues for wrecking the future of the country.
He is wrong because he did nothing when his fellow colleagues in Umno Youth were making all sorts of racist statements. He is wrong when he is equally guilty of doing the same - championing his own race.
It is better for the Umno Youth leadership to realise now that the original spirit of the New Economic Policy (NEP) was meant to help the poor and truly marginalised malay community to catch up with development. The policy was meant to assist them to reach a level playing ground with other communities.
Based on the first objective of NEP, there is no connection between the malay agenda and he policy. On the contrary, when the policy was introduced, the language used to frame the policy framework was non-racial, e.g. eradication of absolute poverty regardless of race.
Unfortunately, over the years the NEP was manipulated as a tool to breed patronage politics. Patronage politics is the chief cause of corruption. It is the kind of political system which is used by the 'Little Napoleons' to perpetuate their corrupt practice and their hold on power.
As a result, we enriched the well connected and privileged few but neglected the poorest 40 percent of society.
It is the distortion of the NEP policy implementation that we criticise. We support special privileges to given to the poor regardless of race so that those at that socio-economic level can use the extra assistance to make a better a living. Privileges should not given to those who are already living comfortably. The NEP is not a privilege to be given to people of a certain skin color.
A methodology used since 1971 should merit a comprehensive review so that we do not leave out some important but marginalised segments of the society. We need to find out why after 34 years of the NEP, the poorest 40 percent of the society are becoming even poorer.
The government should focus on closing the income gap between the poorest and the richest regardless of race. One effective way is to focus on capacity-building and enhancing access to economic opportunities and means.
The culture of jealousy never die. Mahathir promoted the sense of jealousy of malays against non-malays to get into power.
He promoted again jealousy of Malaysians, and malays in particular against the son in law of Badawi to throw Badawi out, so that his nominees can go in.
Now it is generally accepted that jealousy between races has a legitimate claim to attention. Then NEP will not go way and Najib claimed that there cannot be a time limit for NEP.
His father asked for 20 years, and he now says 200 years, until the country is taken over by foreign power, whichever is earlier.
Let us not provide excuse to Umno.
Interesting article.
The world is rapidly changing, with WTO and globalisation. What is really scary is that many of our Malaysia politicians are still living in the 60s and 70s and have not kept up to the times. They continue to use scare tactics and intimidation.
And let us face the facts; the average malays is just not ready for globalization. Due to misconstrued policies and handouts, the biggest losers in the globalisation race in Malaysia are unfortunately going to be the malays.
Their solution; Continue fiddling with the wealth redistribution and NEP instead of creation. And the use of scare tactics to prevent any discussion about this.
While the country is gradually slipping down the competitive ladder, the leaders particularly from Umno are playing fiddle.
Smart Malaysians are quietly looking for opportunities to invest overseas or even contemplating emigration.
Nobody wants to be the last passenger to get out in a sinking ship.
I totally agree with the above. The future of this Malaysia country is rather bleak if not doomed. Politicians here are living in their own twilight zone, harping on the success of this country, which I think very soon the northern neighbour Thailand will eventually overtake this country.
For long years ago, the Malaysia prime minister was asked by Lee Kuan Yew, "Are you concern that there is a massive brain drain happening in the country, and most of them are Chinese?"
Surprise surprise, the Malaysian counterpart told Lee Kuan Yew, "Let them go if they want to………." That is the attitude of this country.
They don't realised that for a country to be prosper and advance, they need brains. That is why Singapore is doing all it could to attract brains all over the world. However it is different over here.
Singapore does not have a national car and the world tallest building. For a small country, much smaller like Singapore, they still shine brighter.
I think many fatal and non-fatal accidents are cause by Proton vulnerable car. Why do we have Proton? If not, we would be driving a brand new car at the price of a low. True!
Well, Mahathir wanted it just like he wanted the Twin Towers - to let the world know we are here. It is like when people ask where is the Malaysia? We would use Singapore and Thailand to point out where we are - in the middle of it.
Would you like to know the true fact about the malay language? There isn't any in the first place. All the vocals are translated from all sorts of other languages like English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Tamil……….etc.
Once upon a time, I have an Indonesian maid. When she started to work, she has only a working visa. Later she informed us that she got a "red IC" (citizens of Malaysia have blue IC) meaning she is a permanent resident. The last general election she was standing inline with me to cast votes and I did ask her, rather surprisingly elections are for citizens and why are you here. She just showed me her blue IC. Meaning to say she is a citizen.
The other part of a story, a local woman married a professional from Australia. Due to our funny system, her husband cannot work in Malaysia because he could not obtain a permanent resident. They were happy to stay in this country of the environment and weather but because of the visa thingy, they went back to Australia.
Now the story is, the bureaucrats would happily grant citizenship to those that are of the same religion (not Buddhist, Christian or Hindu) or the same race. I am not sure what is the policy of the country. Maybe the policy is to maintain labour intensive industry but not people with brains.
I totally agree with emigrate. If given the chance to flee out of this country, I would do.
Yes, it is good that China will one day become a superpower and I am very proud of it too - as a Chinese. That goes too for India and I am glad it too will become a super power.
By the way, don't be a katak, many businessmen friends I have are already having trading relationships with China, Singapore etc. Most with China, it is good money there if one is careful and knows the opportunities.
We don't have to return there, we can go anywhere. Today is global you know. We return here for rest and visit friends.
Most make their money and keep outside the country - you know la to help the NEP. Not to have too much money in Malaysia to be counted as non-malay assets. Otherwise how can malays catch up with thousands of overseas Malaysian Chinese earning millions!
Mind you, many of those top graders who are working overseas are earning many times more! My own niece is making in the region of 100000 pound sterling per year at the age of only 30!
Actually Malaysian pay is very low compared to the West just like Indonesian pay is very much lower than Malaysian. So the lucky ones are enjoying their fruits of their labour.
It is ok, we are helping to ensure NEP a success by decrease our percentage of wealth.
I fully agree that the NEP, as it has been implemented over these years, is the root cause of the unfavourable economic and racial unhappiness that exists in the country today.
It was supposed to improve the economic status of the malays and thereby restructure society with every community benefiting.
But has this aim been achieved? Definitely not.
Instead, what we have achieved is a high rate of corruption, an inefficient and arrogant civil service, a failing education system plus racism and a feeling of despair among the minority communities. There is so much favouritism that those really deserving are not given their dues.
The NEP has also resulted in severe mistrust and jealousy among the races in the country. Unless the NEP is abolished and replaced with a policy of fairer distribution, this unfavourable climate will continue with the future looking bleak.
The NEP has to be done away with, especially so in an era of globalisation where all citizens regardless of race should be given an equal opportunity to allow them to give their best towards national development.
UM can become a top university once again as it was in the 60s and 70s. In addition to good facilities, this would require a dynamic and capable university administration, good faculty members and with English as a key medium of instruction.
USM also has an obsession with increasing its graduate student population. The trade-off has been the lowering of standards of admission. As a result, admissions of foreign students, especially ones with the means to pay, have gone up. Lecturers are given the impossible task of passing some of these students, who are not even qualified to do any graduate work in the first place.
The answer to the deterioration lies from within. Why be extravagant about hiring a foreign consultant? Isn't this itself telling of the lack of faith in the products of your own system? We do not have to wait for the annual THES ranking to know that our higher education system is long in need of a change.
We need courageous people to do this, not political party-hacks who masquerade as half-baked academics and shallow thinkers.
For all this to happen, the NEP would have to be sacrificed. Is the government prepared to do this? The recruitment of a significant number of capable non-malays as administrators, faculty members would be required.
There is abundant talent and capability in the Malaysian population which remains to be tapped in the interest of Malaysian public universities. It would be imprudent to ignore such a large pool of resources when one wants to achieve excellence.
Putting it another way, it is in the interest of the Malaysian public universities (and their large malay student population) to engage the non-malay talent and exploit their capabilities in all aspects and dimensions.
The non-malays would also benefit from such an exercise, but the far greater beneficiary would be the malay students and Malaysia as a whole. It is simple logic.
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