Najib boasts Malaysia that in the next few decades Malaysia be
Prime Minister Najib(picture) has been styling himself a reformer and has also embarked on a series of sales of government assets to spur growth.
Earlier this month, a government state investment fund sold its stake in carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd to DRB-Hicom Bhd .
Last year government-linked funds swapped shares in state-run Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) with budget airline AirAsia Bhd.
“The overall principle is that we want the government-linked companies to sell off their non-core and non-competitive assets,” Najib told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) two weeks ago.
“We are always looking out for how to add value to the country,” he said.
State investment fund Khazanah Nasional said in a statement that it chose the best suitor for the job and the country, after the Proton deal.
A government official told the WSJ that the administration was “fully committed to openness and transparency in all privatisations and divestments of state-owned assets and to tackling corruption wherever and whenever it is found.”
The official added that Malaysia had introduced a new online database of government contracts so that anybody can alert the authorities to any potentially improper actions.
In an interview published today, Anwar told the WSJ that Najib’s series of sales of government assets to private entities without open public tenders would continue to place key companies in the hands of a few well-heeled and politically-connected individuals.
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Can a country have a split personality? Can a nation be a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde, as in R L Stevenson’s classic tale about the good and the evil that coexists within the individual?
The de facto chief of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bloc told the daily he will propel privatisation and do more to free up markets to operate more efficiently by making government contracts more transparent.
In the article, the 64-year-old pushed his series of economic reform policies to promote transparency and accountability, especially in the award of government contracts and end widespread corruption under the current Barisan Nasional (BN) government led by Najib.
Anwar told the WSJ that he was not just “anti-Umno” but wanted to ensure that Malaysia would emerge on top as it competed with neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Vietnam that was pulling in foreign investments.
“We must always compare Malaysia to Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan,” he told theWSJ.
He told the daily that he would push for more privatisation programmes and free up the markets to run business more efficiently.
Malaysia, once among the top economic magnets in Asia, has been criticised for continuing with economic policies that benefit only one race to get in the way of trade and investments.
UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) have failed to uplift the standard of living among all the marginalised ethnic groups in the country and this includes the Indians, Malays, Chinese and the Indigenous. The gulf of disparity between the rich and the poor is ceaselessly widening. This poverty gap has made many poor Malaysians become tangential to the national economic pie.
About 70 percent of ethnic Indians in the country are in the poor or hardcore-poor cohort but receives the least attention from the UMNO-led government, as the poor Indians do not have much political clout in a country of about 28.5 million people. UMNO-friendly political parties representing the minority Indians in BN have not achieved much in trying to help this marginalised group of Indians.
They may have enriched a few cronies among them for the past six decades but the downtrodden among the Indians are left to live on crumbs. The norm has always been that Barisan Nasional (BN) with UMNO as its backbone party would make ostentatious promises before elections to help the marginalised Indians. All these syrupy promises would, more often than not, conk out just after the elections.
Bullying tactics
Those political parties in BN and other Indian-based political parties friendly to BN espoused to help the poor Indians would be quietened down by UMNO with all the ‘bullying’ tactics. Nevertheless, UMNO leaders have never been short of grandiose rhetorical phrases to ‘mesmerise’ the timorous and poor ethnic Indians:
“In view of the low level of corporate equity ownership among Indians, attention will be given to increase their participation during the OPP3 period.”
“Efforts will thus be undertaken to increase Indian equity ownership to 3 per cent by 2010.”
“ At the same time, a study to review the status of the Indian participation in the economy will be undertaken to formulate ‘appropriate strategies and programmes’ to help the Indians.”
“A ‘high-powered’ task committee will be formed, headed by MIC President, to find out the plights of the Indian community.”
“More allocations will be given to uplift the standard of living of Indians in the country.”
“RM200 million will be allocated to assist poor students to continue with their education.”
“Najib came out with a statement asking Tamil educationist to come out with a blueprint on how to take Tamil schools forward.”
“Najib vows to address Indian ‘legacy issues’.”
These are only a few of the many superfluous and flamboyant rhetorical phrases used to lull the poor ethnic Indians. All these gimmicks, however, have remained rhetorical and hollow in substance. Nothing much has got off the ground since the country’s independence to sincerely help the poor Indians and they have not benefitted much from any of these bare promises. In fact, not even 2 percent of the poor ethnic Indians have benefited from all these ‘grand plans’ for them. These are mere political publicity stunt to dupe the poor Indians. It has only given the poor Indians in the country a false hope in life.
Favours a single ethnic group
Malaysia’s affirmative social and economic policies favour a single ethnic group more than the poor among other races. The poor Indians, Chinese and the Indigenous are far left behind since the implementation of the NEP (New Economic Policy) in 1971 even when a prong of the economic policy clearly indicates that the eradication of poverty is irrespective of race. Apparently, poor ethnic Indians are among the most neglected since the implementation of the NEP.
The Indian community is still trapped in the trough of poverty when the NEP was not extended to help those in the estates and those displaced after the estates were taken over for development. While the NEP helped the Malays and the Indigenous out of poverty and managed to create a group of middle class among them, it obviously ignored the needs of the displaced poor ethnic Indians. In reality, this composite of Indians are as poor as the Malays and the Indigenous, if not more. The failure of the NEP to support the Indians below the poverty line has attributed to the community being marginalised until today. MIC and other Indian leaders politically aligned to UMNO have done little to resolve the problem of poverty among ethnic Indians despite helming the nation under the former Alliance and later the BN coalition for almost six decades.
About 20 percent of ethnic Indian families are earning a meagre RM 516 and below per month. Another 20 percent earn less than RM1000 and below per month. Ninety percent of this ethnic group do not own any land or shelter of their own. Many in the urban areas live in squalid slums and they form 60 percent of urban squatters. They are among those having the lowest per capita income – earning only about 8 percent of the national average.
Discriminated against
When plantation lands were developed into other viable projects after the nation’s independence this had resulted in the plantation workers being displaced and forced to become squatters in urban areas. With no proper education and financial means, they left for the urban areas in search of a new life. They lived in squatter colonies that were gradually demolished to make way for development with no or little alternative housing for them. Depriving of everything from income and permanent shelter they have become urban ‘nomads’ who are continuously being forced to live under squalid conditions and constantly being evicted or harassed by the authorities.
Thirty percent of them are squatters or live on TOL (Temporary Occupation Licence Land). Poverty has made their life acutely miserable. Suicides became too common among desperate parents and the meagre bread winners among them. Poverty has forced many of these poor Indians to commit suicide and 40 percent of all suicide cases in the country involve poor Indians. The majority of orphanages and old folks homes are also filled up with members of this minority ethnic Indian community.
Education opportunities for this community has been decreasing since. Only about 1 percent of intakes by government education institutes in the country and opportunities overseas funded by the government are allocated for ethnic Indians. There was a 10 percent quota for ethnic Indians before 1970 and this was reduced to about 5 percent in the 80s and further reduced to less than 3 percent in the past decade. The so-called ‘meritocracy’ system introduced in 2004 shrivelled the percentage of ethnic Indians’ opportunity for tertiary education.
The double-standard examinations used for university entrance – matriculation and STPM – deprived many ethnic Indians making it to tertiary education in government universities and the chances of getting scholarships for overseas’ education. The poor ethnic Indians were those who were affected most because of this politically twisted system. The poor Indians are naturally discriminated against by a lopsided education system.
Low sense of worth
The over 500 Tamil schools in the country is no remedy to the plight of this ethnic group. Most of this schools are dilapidated and not fully-aided government schools. Over 80 percent of ethnic Indian children end up becoming dropouts at the primary school level, when they enter secondary schools and before they have finished 11 years of education. They are ill-equipped with literacy skills to cope with studies beyond the elementary stage. Access to even the lowest level skills training Institutions are deprived for this community resulting in most of them remaining unemployed or unskilled workers
After about six decades years of independence, there are thousands of ethnic minority Indians left being undocumented – without birth certificates, identity cards or marriage certificates. This has deprived them of even basic education. Without these legal documents they cannot go to school, obtain licences to do business or secure employment.
Indian participation in the civil service has been reduced to less than 2 percent in 2010. Seventy percent (70%) of ethnic Indians have been doomed into becoming labourers, IMG (Industrial Manual Group workers, office boys, security guards, public toilet cleaners, general workers and road sweepers. Sixty percent (60%) of ethnic Indians are lower income earners and 85 percent of Indian workers in the manufacturing sector are low level workers. Sixty percent (65%) of Malaysian Indians work as plantation or urban underpaid labourers
Despair, poverty and lack of opportunities and UMNO-led BN lopsided policies have led to high Indian involvement in crime arising out of poverty. beggars, squatters, criminals and gangsters. A significant number of Indian youth have become social delinquents due to their low sense of worth.
Beyond that, ethnic Indians have been deprived of business licenses permits, business loans and opportunities for small businesses or commercial licenses for them to run businesses – resulting in less than 1 percent Indian participation in the country’s economic wealth.
Justice for all
UMNO-led BN have been promising the poor ethnic Indians heaven when they cannot even deliver scraps to them.Disappointingly, the government has not kept to their promises. The poor Indians are still languishing in poverty with not much hope in sight for a better life under the present government.
UMNO-led BN has failed to honour their ‘gracious pledge’ to help the poor Indians but have craftily made use of their hollow rhetoric to win votes and stay in power. A few ringgit doled out to the poor just before elections is not going to bring votes to UMNO or BN. What’s more, the poor on their part are not too ambitious to become filthy rich. Neither are they interested in going for a multi-thousand ringgit shopping spree or spending nights in posh hotels at the expense of tax-payers’ money. They are only seeking for the basic needs in life – food on the table, education for their children, a reasonable income to make ends meet and a decent shelter to live in.
In this country of opportunity not only the poor Indians who are marginalised. The poor Malays, Chinese and the Indigenous of this country – who have by design or default made this country their home – are equally been marginalised under the UMNO-led BN government. A responsible government has to see the rights and positions of all citizens irrespective of race, creed or religion honoured. This is clearly ordained in the constitution.
Since those who are marginalised are not confined to one community alone, it is time for every Malaysian to rise above racial politics, thrust aside racial parties, liberate this nation from endemic corruption and injustice at every level and cherish together for a Malaysia where the people can perceive themselves as less Malay, Chinese, Indian or Indigenous. The people should long for a government that is ‘colour blind’ – that helps all the poor irrespective of their race, creed or religion.
The voting pattern will swing when there are ethnic groups that are deprived of these basic needs and have come to understand that they are being discriminated against. Mere rhetoric and promises to win elections are not going to influence the enlightened poor to vote for the incumbent government. The voting trend will definitely change in the coming general election.
But Malaysia also has another face, another persona.
First, that there is something very rotten about the RM336.64 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC)/National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) “cattle condo” scandal – what with a RM250 million soft loan at 2% interest to promote cattle production used to buy two units of luxury condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and another condominium in Singapore, purchase of land in Precinct 10 Putrajaya, close to a million ringgit expenditures on overseas trips and extraordinarily high salaries for the family members of Datuk Seri Shahrizat, Minister for Women, Family and Community Development.
Second, that very high-level personalities are involved whether in the scandal or in the decision-making process resulting in the scandal, and that the personalities who must clear themselves include not only Shahrizat but also the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was then Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on High Impact Projects which approved the NFC project in 2006, Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then the Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, Datuk Seri Nor Omar, current Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, even the former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah as well as the entire former Cabinet before the 12th General Elections on March 8, 2008.
Third, the initial reactions of the various authorities unanimously trying to avoid touching the NFC/NF Corp scandal with a “barge pole”, although the Auditor-General, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang signed off the Auditor-General’s Report 2010 on 8th July 2011 with copies sent to the various relevant authorities, including the Cabinet – which probably explains the irresponsible inactions for more than six months, the delayed presentation of the Auditor-General’s Report in Parliament on October 25 when it should have been tabled in Parliament more than three weeks earlier on the first day of the Budget Parliament on 3rd October; the initial five-month refusal of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the scandal; the refusal of the Public Accounts Committee Chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid to allow the PAC to conduct immediate and urgent investigations into the scandal although the PAC may cease to exist any time with the imminent dissolution of Parliament for the 13th General Elections and the continued refusal of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to agree to a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the scandal.
Fourth, latest efforts by various personalities in a “cover up” and to wriggle out of responsibility for the “cattle condo” scandal – whether by using semantics claiming that the Auditor-General had never used the word “mess” in his report (when the facts that have emerged reveal that it was more than a “mess” and was indeed a “terrible mess”) and that the Auditor-General had mixed up the two entities of NFC and NFCorp.
Mess or no mess, there was corruption which must be probed
All in all, the building block for a grand conspiracy to cover up the NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal.
Such a conspiracy must not be allowed to succeed, as the NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal has become a symbol of the utter lack of seriousness of the Najib administration to combat corruption and head an accountable and transparent government, making nonsense of all the alphabet soup of GTP, NKRAs, MKRAs, etc as all propaganda with little real meaning.
Even without the RM336.64 million NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal, Malaysia has plunged to the worst ranking of 60th place and lowest score of 4.3 in 17 years in the 2011 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
With the continued obstruction and impediment placed in the way of a no-holds-barred investigation and full public accounting into the NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal, Malaysia can expect an even worse ranking and score in the 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
Patriotic Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation should unite as one to demand in a loud and clear voice for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal.
