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Comment
Letter from Pulau Tikus |
| Shut up IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR ASLI, (Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute), a think tank founded by Mirzan Mahathir in 1993, submitted a study to the government called "Proposals for the Ninth Malaysia Plan." Its five chapters - on the civil service, educational reform, the low-income communities, the marginalised communities living in the forest - focusing on the Penan, and on corporate equity - was the work of a multi-ethnic group of academics organised by ASLI's Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), headed by Dr Lim Teck Ghee, in response to a government call for public participation in the formulation of the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP). Dr Lim Teck Ghee is a former UN regional adviser and World Bank senior political scientist. Malaysiakini, the internet magazine, reported that part of the study entitled ‘Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy' had found that the Malays already have 45% of the economy in their hands. This raised a horrific storm of anger. The prime minister said that ASLI's figures were inaccurate. "When the conclusion made is not right, the action (by ASLI) can be deemed as irresponsible. ... it could incite anger." Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, an UMNO strong man was angry. "The study is rubbish and is useless. As a Malay I am also angry." He believed that the report had an ulterior motive. Ex PM Mahathir said the findings were "illogical." Halting aid would cause chaos. True to form, the ex PM did some scolding. Certain segments of the Malay community had been using the New Economic Policy (NEP) as a crutch. The NEP was never meant to be a permanent policy for the Malays to continue their dependence on government assistance. "The men don't do anything, (they) sit and mat rempit (daredevil bikers). They ride their motorcycles and they can stand on the seats," he added. Many had ‘betrayed' the NEP to the point that "Mat Salleh (foreigners) say Malays cannot do business." Through the NEP, he said, Malays received Approved Permits (AP), Class F contractor licenses and contracts in order to upgrade their economic status. But the Malays sell the APs, the licenses and contracts. They sell everything the government gives them ... they don't do their work properly. Deputy PM Najib Tun Razak hoped that the government's version of bumiputera equity ownership would not be disputed by anyone. |
| Ketuanan Melayu Mirzan Mahathir was shaken. The report could not be "vigorously justified." He withdrew it. Dr Lim resigned from the CPPS . This drew a scathing comment from Dr Azly Rahman whose biting prose we reproduce on another page (Click Here) Let us look at history to find out why right wing UMNO is supersensitive about such matters and easily flare into anger. The fear of being Red Indians in their country has always dominated the thinking of early Malay nationalists. They point to the island of Penang where there remain only two Malay reserve lands - one in Ayer Itam and the other in Tanjong Tokong. Dato Onn was to put it this way, that "Malays have become aliens in their own land" (1958) . Long ago, "Warta Negara" already talked about the necessity for making Malays the ‘master race' of Malaya. This was modified to the concept of ketuanan Melayu, a term explained in 1958 by Dato Abdullah Ahmad, MP for Kok Lanas, at the Institute of International Affairs, Singapore. The political system in Malaysia is founded on Malay dominance born out of a sacrosanct social contract which preceded national independence but it is not of political domination. He warned that Singapore should not be the harbinger of Chinese irredentist tendencies. "I say to Chinese in Malaysia and to Singaporeans, don't play with fire." "Singapore must not hold out any hope for the Chinese for a different system in Malaysia. The position Singapore takes will affect us and if the Malays feel further threatened they might consider a merger with Indonesia." Abdullah Ahmad did not explain the difference between dominance and domination leaving it to practical politics to do the defining. The concept is also explained in a Form 5 History textbook. No one in the MCA or MIC has rubbished the existence of the "sacrosanct social contract." According to R.K. Vasil's 'Politics in a Plural Society,' there had also been hints that the Umno and the MCA, had a "gentlemen's agreement" to review this provision after 15 years. Vasil suggests that by then the MCA had dropped their demand for a 15-year limit after being told by UMNO leaders, notably Tun Razak, that it was not necessary, "because for all they knew, these provisions may not any more be necessary after a few years." It was the Tengku who gave the ketuanan concept a theoretical basis.: The Malays are the people to whom this country belongs. During the struggle for independence the other races acknowledged the right of the Malays to call this country their country. He recalled the days when Singapore was expelled from Malaysia, August 9, 1965. He remembered telling Lee Kuan Yew: If you want to remain in Malaysia you must accept the right of the Malays and their position as the dominant race of this country. There was no doubt that the Malays were the indigenous people. Aborigines had no civilisation, no direction, lived like primitives in the mountains and thick jungles. A civilized race came here, took root here. (as reported in The New Straits Times, November 6, 1986) In 1952 he made it clear that Malaya is for the Malays and it should not be government by a mixture of races. He also selected MCA . |
| candidates for elections. He alone
decided in 1959 that 31 seats in Legislative Council was for the
MCA and 3 for the MIC Other Malays In a joking mood, he would put it this way: If and when merger comes about Malays will run KL (Washington) and the Chinese will do business in Singapore (New York), or words to that effect. So whenever UMNO ministers talk about the Chinese language schools the tone is superior: "We allow their people and their children to go to Chinese and vocational schools to learn mandarin." It is not surprising therefore to read in the ex PM's open letter that his criticisms of the present PM were confined only to matters which concern "the religion, race and country." Non Malays should keep the UMNO philosophy in mind when writing and remember that for them certain subjects are taboo. That independent minded Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad's advice should be heeded: "It's best that the non-Malays leave disputing things and leave it to the Malays. They are not stupid." There is no doubt that Sharir Samad meant "Chinese" when he said "non-Malays". No one bothers to ask what those "natives" over in Sabah and Sarawak think, who were pushed by the British into the Federation of Malaysia many years after merdeka. But what do other Malays think? The writers M Bakri Musa and Din Merican think that Ketuanan Melayu is premised upon a false foundation. Mohamed Sopiee for one did not subscribe to the ketuanan concept, nor did his successors in the Parti Rakyat who thought that the "have and have not" problem was one of class. For the writer Farish Noor, the priority should have been the cobbling together of a national educational system that was inclusive, open, plural and abstract enough to include as many cultural/ethnic/linguistic groups into the national imagery. Successful instances of nation-building include the United States of America which, despite its legacy of imperialism, colonialism, slavery and racism managed to put together a sense of collective identity which allowed individual citizens to claim their place as Americans. Proof of this success is evident when we see American minority groups (ranging from ethnic minorities to gender minorities) articulate their demands as Americans and for Americans. Instead we see here the rise of ethnic/racial/religious sectarianism, with key Malay-Muslim leaders (ranging from the 'ultras' of UMNO in the 1960s to Asri Muda's PAS in the 1970s right up to the hot-heads in UMNO Youth today) insisting on the superiority and dominance of the Malays above all else. 'Ketuanan Melayu' (which today is further compounded by 'Ketuanan Islam') guaranteed the failure of nation-building by systematically marginalizing the other communities in the country. |
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rich And here is Malaysia Today's scathing comment: UMNO brought us Ketuanan Melayu where Malays are the owners of this blessed land and all others are pendatang (immigrants) though some Chinese may be descendants of immigrants who came to this country in the 1400s while some Malays (like ex-Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad) are only second generation Malaysians whose fathers were born in a foreign land (in Dr Mahathir's case, India). So it does not matter if you are a Malay who only recently migrated to Malaysia. You are a Bumiputera (son of the soil) by virtue of your skin colour. And if you are a 20th generation Chinese (like Tian Chua) whose ancestors came to Malaya in the 1400s you are still a pendatang nevertheless. Khalid Ibrahim, the former chief executive of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd and former group chief executive of government-linked plantations company Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has called for the abolition of the New Economic Policy (NEP). His interview makes painful reading. Among the matters he complains about: The NEP now is becoming a scheme to enhance the income and also the wealth of certain selected members of the community through references to secure all the contract give-outs and so forth. It is a known secret that all division heads of Umno have a chance to get contracts from the government in order for them to fund their political activities... the on-going exchanges between (Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) and Dollah Badawi (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) are centred on the failure of contract handouts rather than the poor or the marginalised people. The debate has left out the poor people of Sabah for example, where statistics show a very high percentage of poverty. We do see that the NEP has become a tool for securing income, unearned income for those who don't do work... But if you analyse them (the major players) in a cynical manner, their success (is founded on the ability) to use the Malays to get contracts, and they benefited enormously from that. This is the seed of corruption... These sub-contractors now have to increase their cost in order to compensate the bribe they pay the runners to get those contracts.... I think the NEP has in fact destroyed us, corrupted the whole thing.This instrument is going to be one that will kill us and kill the nation. It has became a cancer of society. And to solve the problem of cancer, we must cut it off. The fight within UMNO is on how they're getting the best of the NEP. The 3,000 UMNO delegates control the destiny of the nation. Ask the people in the villages, they'll tell you they wouldn't know that they have big contracts waiting for them. Now, if it wasn't for the NEP, we could have achieved better growth because of the better ability to use resources. We could have an additional three or four percent in annual growth. If you look at Singapore or Malaysia, they started off about the same time, that means the per capita income in both countries were about the same. Now, Malaysia's just below US$5,000 but Singapore's US$21,000.... the environment has changed, foreign investors are afraid of coming in. Investors have to consider this rentier class that is going to tax you 30 percent... In order to hide all these mismanaged activities, the government is not being transparent. The government still relies on the OSA (Official Secrets Act) to hide the inefficiencies. Now there is no separation between the executive, legislature and judiciary in order for there to be check and balance. |
| UMNO should be happy Government Linked Corporations (GLC), says Khalid Ibrahim, .... breed rent seekers and ‘ersatz' capitalists. GLCs, by using their size and might of the state, muscle out legitimate entrepreneurs - Malays and non-Malays. Our solution to the mess is simple: get rid of the GLCs. Sell them to the highest bidders and use the proceeds to improve rural schools, build low cost housing for the poor, and erect vital infrastructures like roads and water treatment plants. That would do more good to more Malaysians, in particular poor Malays. Getting rid of the GLCs would remove a major source of corruption, money politics, and influence peddling. And I'll let Dzulkifli Ahmad of PAS Research Centre have the last word: On Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS). .... The public is still in the dark and is yet to examine the pros and cons of the controversy. Besides, there are other equally pertinent issues in the report, like the marginalisation of the Indian community. Even before we could understand, a head has rolled, reminiscent of Nazi Germany's oppression of the intellectuals. That CPPS had engaged a team of academics, made it all the more imperative for the report to be given a wider discourse. High-handedness of this sort affirms claim of stifling intellectual freedom in academia. ... Why are Umno leaders so vehemently opposed to and enraged by the findings? On the contrary, Umno should rejoice and be jubilant of their success, after two decades of NEP (1970-1990) followed by 10 years of the New Vision Policy (1991-2000). As ironical as it was amusing, it was fortunate that they didn't brandish their unsheathed keris again! ..... Since Umno is shrewdly adamant on her failures, the logical question is to ask the Umno leaders why they failed. Do they understand why? If they are still oblivious or unrepentant or cunningly in denial, what makes them think that given another 30 years, they will succeed? ... Umno leaders must now openly admit that their failures are due to their own misdoings – ‘sins of omission and commission' i.e in the corrupt practices of crony capitalism or rent-seeking activities.... Under the rubric of 30% equity target, the political elites working with their business cohorts have had a field day in the boom time. With little thought for welfare implications for the people, literally everything profitable was privatized. Not only was it not done through the open-tender system, on numerous occasions concessionaires hardly had track records to entitle them to such huge handouts of the government. Having reaped of the early juice of privatization and later failed, they were benevolently bailed out. The story is dismal to say of the least, scandalous at worst. The list is a very long one. Let us cite a few. I'll go for the big one, notwithstanding the others, like the handing out of millions of preference shares for bumiputera (read "umnoputera"). Remember the minister and her son-in-law. |
| Prophet
of doom What was TRI when given the privatisation of MAS? A Telco with hardly any experience managing the airline industry. Under Tajudin's leadership MAS had an accumulated debt of RM9.4 billion. The government bailed out Tajudin, paying RM 1.79 billion for a 29% stake, at a share price of RM8 per share, almost 50% above market price. Has Halim Saad's UEM ever built roads before to be awarded the generous terms in the North South Highway concession? When Halim's Renong Group collapsed, a massive bailout was necessary because the Renong group owed around RM20-28 billion ie accounting for more than 5% of the loans by the Malaysian banking system . This brings us to the crux of the issue. Which Malays are they helping? Politically-well connected Umnoputera or the general Malay-bumiputera? While all Umnoputera are Malay-bumiputera (not sure though), not all Malay-bumiputera are Umnoputera right? Right again. So you have indeed a Positive Discrimination within an Affirmative Action. Thanks to the leaders of Umno! For how much longer could they hoodwink the Malay-bumiputera? Or should I say for how much longer would the Malays remain gullible? So in the final analysis, it's a Positive Discrimination for Umnoputera! Malay-bumiputera faces a very tilted playing field within the ethnic Malay/bumiputera, hence the logical observation that Malays suffer the greatest intra-ethnic disparity. So much for Umno's championing of Malay rights and supremacy. It is this unwritten policy that is the greatest stumbling block in the creation of genuine enterprising, competitive and ‘towering' Malays. .... ... I'm no prophet of doom, but judging by the spate of events of late, we are heading headlong into the dark alley of racial hatred and antagonism. The greatest benefactors are the racial-based political parties in the Barisan Nasional, viz Umno et al. The greatest losers are the citizenry, the rakyat. To finger-point anyone or insinuating that it is the game-plan of some spin-doctors may be both unnecessary and presumptious. However, if this continues unabated especially under a very weak leadership, we are in for a rude awakening, perhaps a national disaster. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** The super rich The Zakariah case is an apt illustration of the benefits of NEP. UMNO 'directed' that three members of a family be appointed councillors in Klang. Father, a state assembly man and Klang UMNO division chief, son and son's wife, the Klang UMNO puteri chief. The Selangor MB explained: "We appoint councillors according to party positions,. This is decided by the party." |
This is what section 10 (2) of the Local Government Act says: Councillors of the local authority-shall be appointed from amongst persons the majority of whom shall be persons ordinarily resident in the local authority area who in the opinion of the state authority have wide experience in local government affairs or who have achieved distinction in any profession, commerce or industry, or are otherwise capable of representing the interests of their communities in the local area. "Direction" by UMNO is not provided for. We are also fascinated by newspaper reports that Father has built a granndiose 4 storey house without planning approval and has not paid the quit rent for 12 years. He was even a satay house built on state land. Another councillor's palace, rivalling the other in grandeur, has come up, without planning approval. Sacked judges The government's refusal to review the sacking of the judges in 1988 is plain daft. Take the case of Salleh Abbas, the lord president (president of the court of final appeal). Of the five judges judging him one was from Singapore, one was the speaker of Parliament and another was one of the draftsmen of the letter sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that infuriated the then PM. Surely these are three good reasons for annulling the 4 to 1 decision (the Sri Lanka judge was the "1" and left for Sri Lanka in disgust after refusing to attend a farewell dinner). The other judges should also have their dismissals annulled and their pensions restored because one look at the record should make it obvious that they acted in strict accordance with the lawful procedures. Their unwarranted sacking was simply because they were obstacles in the way of the premeditated murder of justice. The wrongs should be righted. But will it be done? I doubt it. I remember that not one minister, not one assistant minister, nor political secretary resigned when the courts were stripped of their judicial power , leaving us with only two arms of government - the PM's office and Parliament. The meanness of the government should not surprise us. The silver hair programme, aimed at getting foreigners to live here imposed a condition that they must report to the police regularly. In its place came the "Second Home" plan; no police reporting was required. But a fresh scandal reveals that the Second Home people are not free from khalwat raids. Even White and Christian they are shaken out of bed and asked to produce their marriage certificate. And now it is announced that foreigners may buy houses selling at above RM250,000 without the approval of the foreign investment committee, a move inspired by the housing developers, groaning about falling sales. One would have thought that they should have left it plain and simple but no, meanness shone through again. Those foreigners must be permanent residents, they may buy only for their own use. Heritage status Minister Rais says UNESCO demands make it difficult for Asian countries (Malacca and Penang World Heritage List applications). He would suggest to UN to establish an Asian Chapter for UNESCO listings comprising Asian member judges. |
| We don't know what
the demands are that upset the minister. He didn't tell us but perhaps
we should look at what Elizabeth Vines, conservation architect, UNESCO, had to report on her visit to Malacca,
15 -16 February 2001 on behalf of UNESCO and Malacca City Council. 1. No adequate statutory protection leading to changing the character and authenticity of heritage buildings,such as removal of original structures(e.g roof tiles, timber windows, doors and flooring materials), illegal alterations and inappropriate painting (colour painting and emulsion paints); 2.No inventory and documentation of heritage sites - unless there is proper research and correlation between the old buildings with old photographs, our heritage areas cannot be preserved; 3.Loss of traditional crafts and activities such as blacksmiths and goldsmiths; 4.Jonker Walk Pasar Malam; 5.Lack of professional experts in Perzim and the city council. 6.Inappropriate corporate signages and advertising hiding the historical authenticity of buildings. Elizabeth Vines recommended:- 1.No more demolition of heritage buildings; 2.Full building inventory and documentation; 3.Implement and enforce statutory protection; 4.Financing costs of conservation by collecting a general visitors' fee(like an airport tax); 5.Interpretation centre to explain the significance and history of these heritage sites; 6.Inappropriate land use must be stopped to encourage continuation of traditional and ongoing residential activities. Original residents must not be evicted and their traditional activities replaced by business tourism selling souvenirs. 7.Monitor the negative impact of tourism; 8.Jonker Walk must not be commercialised; 9.Necessary for full commitment and leadership from PERZIM and MPMBB by employing conservation experts and not leave the work to students; |
| 10.Training and exposure
of MPMBB and PERZIM officers to heritage management skills. All Unqualified Politicians Must Immediately Resign To Make Way For An Experts In Conservation Management. Elizabeth Vines particularly ridiculed the common painting of all buildings in Jonker Street We wonder if this is what annoyed the minister. And I wonder if there is an equivalent report on Penang. When the communist government of Laos was invited to hand over beautiful Luang Prabang to UNESCO to be preserved as a heritage site it had no hesitation in saying 'go ahead.' Mat Rempit Once they grumbled about lepak and boh sia. Now it is the season of Mat Rempit bashing. The young can never get it right. The police state somehow is incapable of realising this is no longer the age of sepak raga and badminton. Thrilling F1 and motorcycle races are the new rage. Instead of providing race tracks for the young the police state, always bent on punishment, treats them as criminals. Those in power should go to Johore where a vast complex now abuilding by the sea provides racing tracks for those hobby is radio toy car racing. A small beginning, but it shows a more generous attitude of mind. Patriotism What's going on in our universities? I ask this question because it is reported that BTN is conducting classes in a university. BTN is Biro Tatanegara, the National Sivil Bureau, a section in the PM's department whose object is "to build patriotism." Is patriotism ala UMNO one of the compulsory tests for graduation? Baby The other day, a couple paid me a visit on their way home from hospital. They had come to show me their new born baby. The old relatives were horrified; it was bad luck for the visited to have visit them a child not yet one month old. Spelling George Town If you drive into town from Batu Ferringhi, or from Bayan Lepas or from Alor Star you will find different spellings of George Town. Sometimes it is 'Georgetown.' Why can't they get it right? |
| Private beach We have on the front page a photograph of a developer's signboard advertising a "private beach." Which raises the question: has the state government started to sell off our public beaches? The year's joke Dr Mahathir telling the PM that we are living in a police state KL Chai |
Eurasian Association 1-7A Kelawei Road Pulau Tikus for dinner, drinks, music Alphonsus Scully 012 475 1978 fax 04 898 2422 email esommerz@yahoo.com |
| ______ INDEX Point to the article that you want to read, and CLICK Index page Academic
freedom Baba sayings Book review Discarded
wives Divide and rule Food guide A heritage
restaurant Insects seen
The jungle war Letter from Pulau Tikus Story |
| _____________________ The Penang File Issue 49 |