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///TO BE OR NOT TO BE A RACIST
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on August 9, 2010 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (69) | TrackBacks (0)

1. Recently I had occasion to talk to a group of former state and federal members of the Barisan Nasional.

2. I had extolled on the virtues of the BN coalition type of Government and the achievements under the BN Government at State and Federal levels.

3. Then came question time. Very sensible questions were posed by these ex-YB’s and I managed to answer them reasonably well.

4. Then an ex-MP or State Councillor rose and pointed out that under the Opposition Government he sees more Chinese holding high posts in the Government. The component parties also seem to be working much closer with each other. As an example, PAS women members not only attended the funeral of a Chinese but also helped to fold the paper money usually scattered at Chinese funerals.

5. Why is it that the BN did not give more posts to the Chinese and appoint Chinese Deputy PM and assistants to the state MB’s? Why is Umno less tolerant of Chinese religious ceremonies?

6. I was startled by this criticism of the BN by an ex-member of the State or Federal BN Government. Do I answer truthfully or do I skip and gloss over things in order not to sound racist? But then in asking the question, isn’t the questioner being racist?///–TDM

The question “But then in asking the question, isn’t the questioner being racist?” reflects the thought of the person who asked that question. A racist would turn every question to jive with his mindset. But then, TDM cannot be a racist in the sense that he cares about the prestige and pride of his race since he has disowned his Malayali race of Kerela in India, and he claims that he is Malay with two spoonful of Pakistani blood. (Please refer to ‘Malaysian Maverick’ by Barry Wain). TDM is an opportunist using race as the platform to make his fortune; he should be called racial-opportunist.

///7. After the forum I debated with myself and finally decided that I must give the true reason for the fewer positions given to the Chinese in the BN Governments, and Umno appears to be less accommodating of Chinese religious practices.///– TDM

The debate with himself is how not to tell the truth, or to find a way to explain away the illogical consequence.

///8. The NEP has been on now for almost 40 years, far longer than originally planned. Admittedly the Malays had been at fault because they did not make correct use of the opportunities created for them in the NEP. But whatever the reason, the Malays have not gained for themselves the 30% target in corporate ownership even. But more than that if a proper audit is made their wealth is even less than 30% of total wealth of the people of Malaysia. Most of the wealth of the country belongs to the Chinese. It can also be said that the Chinese control the economy of the country.///

TDM should have the courage to say that NEP is discriminatory and Tun Razak promised that under that scheme non-Malays would only be discriminated for 20 years. Not only has NEP gone on for 40 years now, it has become more discriminatory with time. The 7 percent discount given to Malays on house purchase did not come into practice during Razak and Hussein Onn reign.

The government has not programmed Malays to work for their own benefits but it made Malays beneficiaries of the spoils stolen non-Malays. The government utilized NEP to award government funds to some Malays whom UMNO leaders favoured, in return for promised votes. TDM now claims that Malays have not gained for themselves 30% in corporate ownership. In fact most of what Malays have gained in ownership of shares were ill gotten gains presided by UMNO policies through discriminating against non-Malays. UMNO has full control in implementing the policies and it offers no apologies for its failure. UMNO simply decides to the same failed policies so that UMNO leaders can continue to enrich themselves.

NEP did not envisage the distribution of wealth. It mentioned only that Malays should have 30% participation in commerce and industries, as a memorandum item to indicate how race and economic activities could be delinked. The Economic Planning Unit took as proxy to measure such participation the share of equity capital in limited companies. Now TDM mentions the share of wealth. TDM as PM was confused about the objective of NEP. He did not carry out the proper accounting of Malays ownership of corporate share capital as proxy of such participation in 1990 when NEP was scheduled to end. He simply decreed that NEP objective was not met and the same policies would continue with a change in the name to NDP.

Wealth has never been a target in NEP, and TDM is clearly trying to inject new issues into the old policy. TDM had the discriminating NEP extended for 13 years without even a proper audit on the status of the infamous 30% target. He now encourages PERKASA and interferes with what Najib planned to do with NEM.

All said, what does it matter as to who has the largest share of wealth in the country? Wealth is a personal matter and what Mahathir’s family owns in wealth has nothing to do with Malays who might even be named Mahathir. Are Mahathir’s children with their billion ringgits in assets willing to distribute his wealth to Malays who find it hard to make ends meet? Until Mahathir’s children do that, the collective share of Malays ownership in share capital, or even wealth will have no meaning to the welfare of Malay community.

///9. In the political field the Malays appear to be in control. Most of the high posts i.e. PM, MB etc are held by the Malays. If these posts are held by the Chinese, then not only will the economy be under Chinese control but the political arena would also be under the Chinese. What will be the Malay stake in the country?///– TDM

What is the Malay stake in the country is a question true Malay should ask. It is in the name and pride of true Malays that article 153 was included in the constitution, and NEP intended that Malays be the beneficiary. The fabulous wealth owned by persons classified as Malays through NEP are seldom found in the hands of Malays who were so known as Malays before Merdeka. The owners of such wealth were mainly NEWMalays who conform to the definition of Malays only after Merdeka. Indeed Arabs are Mulsims and are potential Malays if they reside in Malaysia. If Malays can feel proud of Muslims who have non-Malay blood, they should also be proud of the wealth of Arab. Why should they be concerned with 30% share of wealth in Malaysia when Muslims own much more in the world?

Malaysia claims to practise rule of law. For that to be so, the personnel engaged in running the state are expected to do so professionally. The racial origin of the persons in official positions would not matter. TDM’s concern about the race of the personnel shows that he did not practise rule of law.

TDM shows by his statement that he was a Prime Minister who did not even realise his proper role as an elected government and he chose to hijack the democratic process through dividing the people to ensure electoral success in elections. He used racial inequality policies to divide the people, and through the excuse of making Malays rich he created a corrupt regime so that state funds were channelled to persons classified as Malays, and he legalised institutionalised corruption in the process. The Rulers were silenced and TDM ruled the land as absolute monarch.

///10. The NEP is about giving the Malays a fair stake in the economy of the country. Should they get this then they should be ready to relinquish a commensurate amount of control in the political field. Since they have not gained a fair share in the economy, then they should be allowed to retain this greater share in politics. If PAS appears to be more accommodating of Chinese religious practices, it is simply because it wants Chinese votes. Remember at one time PAS condemned Umno for having MCA as a partner. Now PAS is willing to accept DAP as a partner. It is political hypocrisy, not sincere partnership.///– TDM

TDM has not shown Malaysians the proper and relevant accounting of Malays’ ownership share capital in the corporate sector when he extended NEP in 1990. AAB as PM refuted the finding of ASLI (Asian Strategy and leadership Institute) that the 30% target had long be exceeded and he declared in 2006, along with Najib as DPM then, that the EPU would within a month reveal its methodology on the ownership data and would prove ASLI wrong. AAB is no longer PM and Najib is, but EPU after 45 months has not proved ASLI wrong.

///11. I am talking about racial issues simply because my questioner raised racial issues. It is said that the poor showing of the BN in 2008 was because the people of Malaysia were sick of racial parties and racial politics. I doubt it. Since 2008 there have been more talks about race than previously. And my questioner has illustrated this amply. Race is still very clearly an issue in Malaysian politics.///–TDM

Race was created as an issue by TDM in 1969 after May 13. Race is an issue is bad for the country. TDM is happy that the rot started with him stays.

///12. If PAS is extremely supportive of the Chinese today, it is not because the party has become disaffected with race and religion. It is simply because it wants to play up Chinese racial sentiments in order to win Chinese votes.

13. Hypocrisy is very much alive in Malaysian politics. ///– TDM

The greatest hypocrite is the one who disowns his own race to claim to be Malay.