Is that so??

The attempt by some readers to compare Malaysia to South Africa and its apartheid policies, if this is not a gross exaggeration of the facts and a distortion of the truth, I don’t know what is.

Are there in Malaysia, race laws touching every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between Malays and non-Malays, an Act like the Population Registration Act of South Africa requiring that all Malaysians be racially classified into one of three categories: brown, yellow, black or mixed (of mixed descent). Classification into these categories being based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent. The Home Affairs Ministry responsible for the classification of the citizenry? Non-compliance with the race laws are dealt with harshly. All non-Malays are required to carry “pass books” containing fingerprints, photo and information on access when they enter Malay areas?

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Malaysia needs many more Rommels to stand up to speak against it.

Malaysia needs a Mandela and a Tutu to appear fast before the total collapse of the whole nation!

The guy has recanted.

“In a dominant part of the domestic economy, there is no level playing field for foreign companies.” [...]”

Yeah. Tell that to the Japanese who employ all techniques to block imported goods from coming onto their market. Try to bring for example, pineapples and you will be faced with a wall of all kinds of requirements from sizes to composition – or finished wood products and you’ll know what I mean.

Any sovereign state has a duty to its citizens to keep jobs at home.

That seems to be the consensus.

But may I add to that. The NEP has been hijacked by UMNOputras to serve themselves and their cronies albeit under the guise of affirmative actions.

Their limited knowledge experienced another sudden downsize.’ meddle internal affair’, ‘ history’… Those are the only groundless and crappy excuses they’re capable to think of…

Y don’t they see the knock on effect of the Ambassador’s speech? It has a far-reachin’, adverse impact on Msia FDI from the European investors! EU, the growin’ strongest trading bloc offers enormous opportunities to the Msia economy, let’s imagine how they perceive about Msia now?

It doesn’t take a genius to understand why we’re losing out on competitiveness and FDI to other the developin’ nations, like our ASEAN neighbours, China and India. Thanks to the idiotic, shallow Ministers!

Why should they counter anything? This is just the head of the European Delegation voicing his view as to the coming talks on free trade and how talks could falter unless steps are taken to change the status quo.

And what do they mean by “they simply do not know our history?”
Are they seeking to justify a policy that has outlived its original objective? Then they could have at least prod the nation’s Fat Lady to take the initiative and comment since she would be representing the country in those talks – instead of the xenophobic response.

“The Emperor has no clothes!”

But of course all his followers are going to defend the NEP precisely because it serve them well even if the majority get a few crumbs.

NEP has become an addiction for the ruling elites.
http://malaysiawatch.blogspot.com/2005/08/worst-drug-in-malaysia.html

Is our history so mysterious and secretive that only a handful of politicians seem to know it? And if that is the standard reply, does that mean that no one can say anything negative about our country at all because they are not history experts?

Instead of countering Rommel’s comments with facts and data, they simply said he doesn’t know our history. Is that the best our senior politicians can do? Even if Rommel did know our history, what he said still holds some truth and deserves to be mentioned.

This goes to show how little “quality” our politicians possess and it will be seen by the world.

He is not pointing out anything that is new. It is not disputed that policies like the NEP claimed by supporters to be affirmative action oriented and no more, a policy necessary according to some to restructure society so as to inject greater long term political stability a precondition to long term economic prosperity, on the domestic front, also acts as a negative influence on the free trade and globalization.

That opinion has been expressed at international seminars MIDA organizes overseas and is the subject of numerous inquiries by foreign businessmen and organizations interested to invest in Malaysia. What makes Rommel’s comments different, and treated differently is that they appear not to have been made to a special audience but to the general public. Questioning affirmative action programs like the NEP at investment seminars organized by MIDA overseas is legitimate because it was made with a view to investment promotion and to a special audience of businessmen and bankers.

However the benefits have been highjacked by the ruling elites so that most of the poor citizens still have to struggle to exist.

No doubt the NEP has enlarged the number of the middle class citizens but the social costs have also been tremendous.

Of course anyone who has access to the generous perks of the NEP will not want to let go easily and some people are truly greedy.
While the diplomat did not use diplomatic language, we should agree that at least the authorities now know that “you can’t fool all the people all of the time.”

Maybe he was giving us an indication of how Malaysia could fall if we did not ensure a fair deal for all Malaysians.
http://malaysiawatch2.blogspot.com/2007/04/between-malaysia-and-zimbabwe.html

DAP would be better off not playing the same game.

Why must the Opposition respond to criticism of its own government by foreigners, who speak on behalf of their governments and foreign interests, as if we as Malaysians are incapable of thinking and reaching the same conclusion? Why must we look to foreigners and spokesmen of foreign organizations for vindication of our views?

Is it because any direct discussion of the NEP comes within the ambit of the Sedition Act? Is it because it affords an opportunity to discuss the issue the discussion of which is otherwise closed?

The government’s xenophobic response to criticism by foreigners has always been accompanied by calls not to interfere in the domestic affairs of Malaysia. They know it is not.

Perhaps the Opposition should find another way rather than be accused of pandering to the demands of foreign governments or organizations. The present approach tends to cloud the issue.

Malaysia policies be they foreign or domestic are being studied and scrutinized all-over by the foreign countries.

Instead of benefiting the privileged few with the connections the allocated share should be given to Malay cooperatives where all Malay employees should belong. This way the benefit would be spread to benefit as many Malays as possible.

At the moment the privileged few would have to resort to Ali Baba arrangements in which only the few non-Malays with connections benefit.

So the many non-Malays complain unfairly blaming the many Malays who have only their jobs to cling to.

With a shrinking economic cake the country is now experiencing as more and more foreign investors bypass Malaysia for other Asian countries such as China, Vietnam and Singapore, the dissatisfaction and frustration are growing at the expense of the many non-Malays and Malays.

Therefore it is imperative that a more equitable economic policy and formula be drawn up to benefit the many Malays and non-Malays for the continued wellbeing of the country.

In the Malaysian context, any meaningful dialogue should begin with the unequivocal acknowledgement of Malay political dominance and institutions in the country to allay Malay phobia.

An analysis must then be made to government contracts and tenders, transportation (it has been decreed as a Malay preserve), manufacturing (many non-Malay plants are unlicensed for obvious reasons) etc for the most effective and equitable ways to benefit the many Malays and non-Malays.

Without such a starting point we can talk until the cows come home, inflaming emotions unnecessarily.

How much moneys are wasted and leaked out of the system?

That was about a year ago. Najib said that there should be no time frame where helping the poor malays are concerned.

Fast forward that to now. Since the time of this controversy about a year ago, who got the awards of the major contracts? The Penang bridge $4.5 billion and most other recent major contracts were awarded to UEM, Scomi, and those connected to UMNO.

These are the old faces included in the 19% malay equity. Ask Parliament, did any ordinary malays get what was promised to them by Najib? How can the 19% increase when the methodology uses “par value” and when all the new contracts were awarded to the same old faces?

This time frame shows how sincere the Govt is in helping the less connected malays and in achieveing the 30% bumi target. They are in fact helping themselves – not the ordinary malays!!!

The foreigners are also pissed off because they know in reality the NEP has not been used to close the wealth gap between the malays and non-malays but used as a guise to enrich the connected UMNOputras. They will be even more pissed off if they are aware of the dubious PAR VALUE methodology used in calculating the NEP.

Nobody likes to be scammed or treated as a fool, especially foreigners!