Why after more than half a year, not a single Cabinet Minister dare to rebut the communal extremists and state that the New Economic Model is not against Article 153 of Constitution?


I walked out of Dewan Rakyat in disgust this morning.

I had stood up to ask a supplementary question for the first oral question which was on the New Economic Model, but the Deputy Speaker, Datuk Ronald Kiandee, who was in the chair, refused to call me.

The question on the New Economic Model was posed by the UMNO MP for Maran, Datuk Haji Ismail bin Hj Abdul Muttalib who asked the Prime Minister “to state the guarantee that in carrying out the New Economic Model it is effective and will achieve the objective set out to make Malaysia a high income nation and at the same time spur the economy and the programmes planned for implementation”.

The answer was given by the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk S. K. Devamany.

If I had the opportunity to pose the supplementary question, I would have observed that on the second day of the 34-day of the budget Parliament, the absence of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak or anyone of the many Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department to answer this question shows that the Barisan Nasional government is neither really seriously nor fully committed whether to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, New Economic Model or Parliament.

I would have asked in my supplementary question:

  • Whether the Najib administration has taken full ownership of the proposals in the New Economic Model for Malaysia to escape the two-decades long middle-income trap to achieve sustainable and inclusive high-income developed nation status by 2020 and no more regard the New Economic Model proposals as merely “trial balloons” of a group of experts from the global market perspective as said by Najib in June;

  • The government stand in particular on New Economic Model Strategic Reform Initiative (SRI) 5 for “Transparent and market-friendly affirmative action” which will “consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of households…..taking into consideration the needs and merits of the applicants”;

  • Why for more than six months, not a single Minister dare to state that the New Economic Model is not against Article 153 of the Constitution to check the rise of racism because of the rhetoric of communal extremists, although the Prime Minister has gone to the United Nations General Assembly and Asia-Europe Dialogue to call for a global movement of moderates against extremists.

  1. #1 by Godfather on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 11:55 am

    Excellent ! Now you have to make sure that PAS posts a translated version on its website or carries it on Harakah. PKR must do the same. Ask pertinent questions, they won’t answer (or don’t know how to answer), you post the questions on all Opposition blogs…the let the rakyat decide if Parliament really reports to the rakyat or to a bunch of imbeciles in high office.

  2. #2 by c730427 on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 12:07 pm

    Typical BN!

    Cakap, kentut dan tak serupa bikin!

  3. #3 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 1:29 pm

    There is really only one real plan of NEM – spend – particularly on mega projects. Lets not kid ourselves what the real plan is. All those printed pages are just killing trees.

    The issue really is what will happen when they push it through and its likely they will. They may be able to pull off one or two projects before it will all come crashing down with a mess that have to be cleaned up.

  4. #4 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 2:29 pm

    /// If I had the opportunity to pose the supplementary question, I would have observed that on the second day of the 34-day of the budget Parliament, the absence of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak or anyone of the many Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department to answer this question shows that the Barisan Nasional government is neither really seriously nor fully committed whether to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, New Economic Model or Parliament. ///

    As observed by Loh in the other thread, 1Malaysia and NEM are just NAJIB – No Action Just Insincere Bullshit.

    http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2010/10/07/najib-should-give-local-content-to-his-call-for-a-global-movement-of-moderates-against-extremists/#comments

  5. #5 by dawsheng on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 5:41 pm

    With due respect, you have repeatedly speak out against the powers that be in parliament, questioning every little things you can find with a loophole, meticulously and with attention to detail relentlessly pursuing the answers from your opponents all in the name of fairness and justice for the Rakyat, I would like to thank you for that. May I ask if there’s anybody else who can do it better than you in parliament? Don’t you think your strategy or that of PR’s is not working in parliament? Whatever happened to that committee that is supposed to function as shadow cabinet? What are the member’s doing in parliament? Why is PR is scared of setting up a shadow cabinet?

  6. #6 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 5:59 pm

    What New Economic Model?

    I have yet to see “tangible” actions taken to achieve the goals laid out in the model. With everything moving at snails pace, the New Economic Model is doomed to failure and Najib’s ambition of transforming the nation into a high income country will remain an elusive dream.

  7. #7 by dagen on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 6:30 pm

    First, dr mamak went on a world tour to tell people about the malaysian miracle.

    Then, sleepy head sent an angkasawan into space to summon the people of planet earth.

    Now jibby jib goes round the world to preach them on anti-extremism and other grand ideas.

    Next, cintanegara will tell them about prinsip prinsip ekonomi pokok rambutan.

    Huh? No? What have I just said?

  8. #8 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 8:02 pm

    UmnoB/BNputras knew dat they may not b back in Putrajaya after GE13
    So just in case they lose after GE13, they r grabbing everything within their power now
    Mega projects, new expressways, projects under ETP n NEM, etc – grab first 4 themselves n their cronies, who cares abt high income nation n against Art 153 or not
    We r going 2 C expedited dispersal of $$$$$

  9. #9 by Cinapek on Wednesday, 13 October 2010 - 12:35 am

    ” ….Why for more than six months, not a single Minister dare to state that the New Economic Model is not against Article 153 of the Constitution to check the rise of racism because of the rhetoric of communal extremists….”

    YB you must be kidding. These HP6 ministers all owe their appointments to the PM. Speak up and he will be missing after the next Cabinet reshuffle and miss out on the gravy train.

    Then you have those back door ministers who craved their ministerial positions so badly that they are prepared to be so thick skinned as to accept the appointment even though they have announced to the public they will not accept any ministerial post if defeated in the GE12. These recycle politicians will grovel and do any bidding of the PM.

  10. #10 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 13 October 2010 - 4:31 am

    Where got time lah 2 rebut d communal extremists?
    BNputras busy spending $$$$
    Example, Ng YY n companion n a senior goment officer blew away RM244,720 during a 10 day promotional visit to New Zealand, RM8,157.33 per person per day, wow!
    Companion? Nice term or is it parasite paid 4 by taxpayers

  11. #11 by loveandgratitude on Thursday, 14 October 2010 - 5:42 pm

    The Deputy Speaker is a great ACTOR, purposely Don’t want to Notice You. Najis puppy.

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