In Tokyo yesterday the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia is no more a focused and high-achieving nation.
He said: “In Bahasa Malaysia, we have lebih kurang or more or less; we should be less lebih kurang but more precise.”
Hu Shih, noted Chinese scholar, philosopher and a leading light of the 1919 May Fourth Movement once wrote an article to pinpoint the ills of China which made China “the sick man of Asia”, entitled “The Story of Mr. Lebih Kurang” to explain why China had become a nation of sloths.
Najib has correctly diagnosed the “Lebih Kurang” disease which has afflicted Malaysia turning the country into a “lebih kurang” nation and why Malaysia had slipped from one of the most advanced nations on achievement of Independence in 1957 – second in Asia after Japan – to be caught in a “middle income trap”, left behind by other nations like Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan and now at risk in losing out to even more countries like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.
Malaysia is losing out in international competitiveness, slipping to 24th placing as compared to No. 21 the previous year.
We once had a world-class university ranked among the world’s top 100 countries but have now lost that strategic advantage.
On Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index, it has been a story of relentless fall from 23rd placing in 1995 to 56th placing in 2009.
We have not been able to retain the nation’s best and brightest brains who could have ensured Malaysia continue as a focused and high-achieving nation – with some two million leaving our shores since New Economic Policy in 1970 because they are not convinced that they have a future in this country of mediocrity and “lebih kurang”.
It is this “lebih kurang” malaise which is the reason for institutions like the judiciary and the civil service losing public confidence and why highways and roof of stadiums collapse, hospitals are paralysed by fungus and sub-standard construction and a whole string of national woes.
If the Competititon Commission Bill is to make any significant contribution to make Malaysia a focused and high-achieving nation, then we must eliminate this “lebih kurang” mentality which has turned Malaysia into “a sick man” in the region.
Malaysia has degenerated into a “lebih kurang” nation thanks to four decades of Barisan Nasional “lebih kurang” government.
May be the only cure is to vote out the Barisan Nasional government in the next general election so that the country can earnestly start on the process of reform and renewal to become again a focused and high-achieving nation.
[Speech on the Competition Commission Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, 21st April 2010]
#1 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 2:49 pm
The only cure is to sell Malaysia to Singapore, or for Malaya to become a colony of Singapore, while Sabah and Sarawak can form a new nation.
#2 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 2:54 pm
May be the only cure is to vote out the Barisan Nasional government in the next general election so that the country can earnestly start on the process of reform and renewal to become again a focused and high-achieving nation.
=========================================================
I agree.
Anwar has just revealed that the New Economic Model (NEM) MAY NOT be a government policy – it is just a recommendation by the NEAC according to Muhyiddin. Since the NEM is not a government policy, the ruling party needs not adhere to it 100% – “lebih kurang” 100% will be ok!
#3 by Godfather on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 2:54 pm
Lebih kurang is fine to those who still reminisce about the rambutan tree in front of their house and how they spent hours squatting under the tree smoking their homemade joints.
#4 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 3:01 pm
Surely, the gods must be on PR side. Najib making this comment and the next day, their candidate in Huly Selangor make a series of ‘lebih kurang’ statement including one about ‘Ask about what I can do, not what BN does’ after defending Perkasa, caught lying about kissing hand and then defending it also..
BN the ‘banyak lebih kurang party’ and their candidate a frustrated lebih kurang candidate.
#5 by cheng on on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 3:18 pm
Msia are still way ahead of Vietnam or Indonesia, but likely fall behind China n Thailand soon in or GNP or GDP/capita
#6 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 3:23 pm
Msia is fast-tracking itself to become the Zimbabwee of Asia, with TDM as the President.
#7 by Bunch of Suckers on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 3:37 pm
Cut off, Sucker! Whichever and whatever, you want to be a genius by spitting your sh*ts and craps, right?!
Economically, technologically, educationally and socially, China is much-much better than our Bolehland in many ways! What an idiot as to comparing with GNP’s as China has large population? Do you know how many true billionaires and millionaires earned/ achieved through bloods, tears and sweats listed in the world top Forbes for China???? Did you mama told you that? Otherwise, back to suck more of her tits to upgrade your fundamental skills of talking, arguing and reasoning….
In fact, you one of the culprits for “lebih kurang” business by pocketing more those hard-earned money & keep doing it without stopping… You were the one who strongly supported for the transformations of our English stream, ranking as one of the top nation in SE Asia and Asia, to Bahasa Boleh in our “lebih kurang” business!!!!
Hanjin Chengho, it is a endless list to pinpoint your faults, messes, farts, craps and etc…..
#8 by tak tahan on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 3:47 pm
Malaysia has degenerated into a “lebih kurang” nation thanks to four decades of Barisan Nasional “lebih kurang,cincai cincai,suka suka=banyak kurang” government.Beh tahan
#9 by monsterball on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 5:04 pm
Suddenly..Najib knows so much needed to bring Malaysia forward.
It is at least 20 years too late…and UMNO did create and supported the “tidap apa” attitudes …in the past..55 years…why change now?
No change..finito….but I say …change also finito…because he should be in jail…instead of talking like a PM now.
And he is UMNO PM….not elected by people.
First…….it was “I Malaysia”..then “People First. Performance Now”….and now….blame the Muslims…for their relaxed and easy life. Why say that now……after 55 years?
Look East…Look West..now look at yourself?
Give him a chance to be PM after 13th GE…..since all he said are wonderful news.. to Malaysians?
What about Najib start showing he mean business…by cleaning up his own reputation…by suing all..and prove how clean he is?
These sickening crooks and can men…from UMNO BARU…can really act and pretend so well…like angels from heaven.
#10 by monsterball on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 5:13 pm
Chengho must get commentators faark him up.
Sometimes…I suspect…he purposely put out all his idiotic messages…and loved to be faarked up. One day not …one faarking him…he cannot sleep in peace.
#11 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 6:48 pm
Malaysia will degenerate into a land of bodoh, where everyone carries a title, including prostitutes, and all the students achieve 100% success in their exams and everyone holding Phd, including prostitutes and beggars. What a joke, and God will surely go crazy.
#12 by cheng on on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 6:55 pm
Bunch of Suckers,
please read carefully, and able to differentiate, Cheng On / Chengho of you can F anybody,
What I stated on GNP, or GDP / captal is a fact, you can always check, I never say anything on economically, socially, or technologically, check before u F ppl.
Everybody know China is a big country!
#13 by Loh on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 8:05 pm
But the main contractors get lebih and the subcontractors kurang, the building collapse. Since multi subcontrating is NEP culture, buildings are awaiting to collapse depending on the delicate balance of lebih kurang. Since lebih kurang is national culture, boleh tak boleh co-exist. The tolerance of corruption such as to the scale of PKFZ shows that BN boleh tahun corruption. Muslims cannot be seen to be with non-halal bottle drink shows BN government tak boleh tolerate religious freedom.
#14 by chengho on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 9:09 pm
Malaysia must follow China political system , embrace capitalist yet very tough like Tun M
#15 by Bunch of Suckers on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 9:18 pm
Sorry, buddy! Without your highlights!! I did not realize that wasn’t our real Hanjin Chengho whom I love to kick his damn as* hard…. Honestly, I hate any Hanjin like our Chengho who often blah out his sh*ts….
Please accept my apology for misreading Chengho with Cheng On carelessly as I browsed through your poster pretty fast, and my mind is fully focusing on our Hanjin Chengho for attacks……
#16 by k1980 on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 9:28 pm
Obama: Belapa itu tahun itu NEP itu ada lagi itu?
Jib: Tak lama itu. Lebih kulang…lebih kulang… 10 tahun…. 100 tahun…..1,000 tahun…lebih kulang….
Obama: Lu itu celaka itu olang…..
#17 by Bunch of Suckers on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 9:31 pm
Sucker! Your step father, Tun M, will slaughter you on the spot for calling our Bolehland to pursue China political system. You will be ending on Chow Kit Road for selling your damn stinky as* to our MaSalleh tourists as there isn’t any big Paychecks for your bank accounts. Your mama will take over Stormy Daniels aka Stephanie Clifford job as poorrnn star because she is heading for the Congress as Republican candidate soon….
Simply, cut off your blahing sh*ts, sucker!
#18 by kpt99 on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 9:43 pm
If meritocracy is not emphasis in the education policy,it will soon turn into a nation of Sangat Kurang not Lebih Kurang only.There are too many Lehih Kurang attitude in the civil service and in the fields of education.Instead of quality,we have quantity,instead meritocracy, we have mediocrity.Instead single entry examinatiion to universities,we have easier, fast-track and short-cut courses.It not surprise to see the standard unis dropping year after year.NEAC was totally correct to say that the education fail to deliver and produce the quality human capital needed by the nation.
#19 by DCLXVI on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 11:02 pm
Since 1949, China has been following a one (communist) party totalitarian political system.
Is the above comment a call by an Umno-BN supporter for Malaysia to drop its multi-party democratic political system?
Since the independence of Malaya in 1957, and since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, this country has already been following the capitalist economic system.
Why is there a need to ’embrace’ something that has already been practiced for decades?
Yes, the old doctor was so tough that after Umno-BN failed to achieve more than two thirds majority in the parliament after GE12, he couldn’t bear to stay in Umno with Pak Lah as the party leader then, and he waited for Najib to take over from Pak Lah before the old doctor could rejoin Umno.
#20 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 11:23 pm
So it seems dat we have a candidate who is a lebih kurang bogus graduate
Kam-a-lan claimed 2 b an overseas-trained graduate, but according 2 RPK, bohong 1
Now Kam-a-lan admitted his degree was done locally @ Olympia College, twinning
No wonder Kam-a-lan kow towed 2 moo n kissed, sucked, licked d cow’s organ
Hoping 2 get d blessing of d education minister over his lebih kurang messy degree
No wonder UmnoB supported Kam-a-lan as candidate 4 he has Umnoputras’ traits
#21 by kpt99 on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 11:58 pm
The lebih kurang attitude started from schools especially students who have easy and fast-track systems to enter unis.6Cs to matrikulasi -pst ,main feeders of local unis.Not all students have to achieve the same results in the same examinations to achieve the same goals.Will this affect the learning attitude of the students ?.Is that what we call meritocracy?.
#22 by monsterball on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 - 11:58 pm
“Chengho” trying to fool all with “Cheng On”?
#23 by cheng on on Thursday, 22 April 2010 - 3:18 pm
Assured I am NOT chengho, I appeared before him,
That chengho ask Msia to follow China,
Like to ask, can msia do the following
1). Drop differentiation on (kulit), all go to U , colleges or get promoted /appointed based on qualification, i.e. merit based?
2) Corrupt officer (to certaim amt of RM), get death sentence.
3). Taiko of undeground world / govt officer who commit serious crime, also death.
4). Award public contracts based on experience, skill, merit, open tender etc
Under present govt , possible or NOT??
chengho, dont talk nonsense lah!
#24 by Godfather on Thursday, 22 April 2010 - 3:40 pm
Cheng On: It’s easy to prove to Monsterball if you are not the eunuch. You just gotta show him that you got the things that are missing from chengho.
#25 by cheng on on Thursday, 22 April 2010 - 3:40 pm
chengho ask Msia to follow China,
but China never had the following
1), Fighter jet engines got stolen,
2), >7 years to build 7 km of railway, Batu Caves to Sentul, no difficult terrain in between, still no train running,
3), > 12 years later, bus station (Plaza Rakyat), still not completed,
4), Very expensive submarine which cannot works etc , etc
#26 by raven77 on Saturday, 24 April 2010 - 3:44 am
Malaysia’s biggest problem is gerrymandering and our ignorant rural poor. You dont solve this, PR is not going to Putrajaya…..we are not in LKY Singapore. We can do it. PR needs to be more organised, come out with dynamic shadow cabinet and clear policies and turun padang to kampongs, villagers and estates. You dont do this, votes are not going to come….Ulu Selangor, despite being so close to KL, just shows how this people are so easily conned and take money for short term gains. It was the same problem in Batang Ai, Bagan Pinang and Ijok some time ago…you want power..you have to fight very very hard. 2008 showed it is doable…just polish up the act.