(Speech by Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life adviser to members of the Hakka Association of Negri Sembilan in Seremban on 13th December 2009)

I am most honoured to be invited to attend the formation of the Negri Sembilan Hakka Association, which will include all the hakka clans to form a single body.

Hakkas originated from Kwang Chow and Fukkien provinces, and are comprised of several clans, Moi Kong, Fui Choo, Char Yong, Hoi Look Foong

Although mandarin is the common language, there are different dialects among the chinese in Malaysia.

Hakkas are known for their courage, discipline and hard working habits. As Malaysians they will continue to unite and educate their children to be useful citizens of their country, Malaysia.

MALAYSIANS OF ALL RACES ARE LOYAL AND WANT A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

Although Malaysian Chinese have different dialects, they are all Malaysians and their loyalty is fully committed to Malaysia. Although they form a minority of 25%, their contribution to the political, economic and social development can be very meaningful and substantial.

That goes the same for all other communities, the malays, indians and other indigenous communities. They want justice, democracy and opportunities to gain a better way of life. The people worry about the recession, the corruption, cronyism, no rule of law and inequality, which are bringing hardship to the unemployed and the poor.

There are no signs that life is getting better. All the promises made by PM Najib about 1 Malaysia, no corruption and more opportunities are not delivered.

THE LOST DECADE. The situation is very serious, and this probably prompted the Deputy Minister of Finance to declare that the period after the Asian Crisis 1997, the country’s economy has not improved. He said that the 10 years after 1997 was a LOST DECADE! His revelation is nothing new. The DAP has been saying the same thing for many years. However the Deputy Minister of Finance’s statement was only a half truth.

THE COUNTRY HAS NOT LOST A DECADE, BUT HAS LOST TWO GENERATIONS.

Ever since the launching of the NEP in 1971, the economy has stagnated, there was mass migration of talent, shameful waste of human capital through a faulty educational system which discouraged meritocracy, and mass migration of skilled people to couintries like Australia and Singapore.

ACTUALLY THE COUNTRY HAS LOST TWO GENERATIONS BECAUSE OF THE NEP

THE FIGURES TELL THE STORY OF HOW THE MALAYSIAN FELL FAR BEHIND THE ‘FOUR ASIAN TIGERS’. THE STAGNATION BEGAN IN 1971, THE YEAR THAT THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY WAS LAUNCHED BY TUN RAZAK, FATHER OF PM NAJIB.

The NEP stifled economic development, because investors, both local and foreign found the NEP regulations unattractive and not business friendly. The prevalence of corruption and cronyism of the NEP made many Umno cronies rich, but the poor malays remained poor.

From 1971 to 2000, a period of 40 years, the BN government lived in their own world, and implemented policies which drove away investors, and depended on the revenue from oil and commodities to fund the restructuring of the economy and so that there would be no identification of race with economy.

WHY SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE BECAME THE ASIAN TIGERS? BECAUSE THEY EMBRACED FREE MARKET POLICIES.

Analysts say that between 1980 and 2005. The world embraced free market policies. These caused living standards to rise sharply, educational standards rose, poverty declined and democracy improved, and life expectancy rose.

China is the leading example of the miraculous effects of free market policies. Former Premier Deng Xiao Peng is the father of the success of the economy in China because he launched off a free market policy in 1978.

PM Najib can repeat the same miracle for Malaysia. Would he choose the free market way or would he walk away and return to the old policies of the NEP, cronyism, and corruption.

The ball is now at the foot of PM Najib. Will he do the right thing, so as Malaysia can join the rise of Asia movement?