Archive for February 24th, 2013

Najib practices a two faced NEP cum NEM economic policy

By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life advisor
23 Feb 2013

Events have shown that the NEP is still enforced in the economic development of the economy – two faced NEP and NEM economic policy.

Soon after being Prime Minister, Najib launched his New Economic Model to stimulate development with the aim of achieving a high economy like that of the Asian Tigers of Singapore, S Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan

To do this he had to get rid of the economic handicaps wrought by the New Economic Policy. It is on record that Najib announced on May 2nd 2009 that he would replace NEP with his New Economic Model (NEM).

It is now 2013, and the signs of a high economy are not encouraging. For Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) of 2012 Malaysia scored 9 billion US dollars compared to Indonesia’s US$19 billion and Singapore US$130 billion. (World Bank figures)

Per capita income for Malaysia in 2012 was US$9500 million, compared to Hong Kong US$30 million, Singapore US$50 million and South Korea US$25 million. Can Malaysia reach a high income status of US$20million by 2020.
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Najib has violated the TI Election Integrity Pledge at least five times during the Chinese New Year

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak came to Kuching on Friday and boasted about the Transparency International (TI) Election Integrity Pledge which he signed on Wednesdy and declared that Pakatan Rakyat leaders too should sign the pledge if they are committed in fighting corruption and abuse of power.

He said: “They have been accusing Barisan Nasional of all kinds of things, yet we are willing to sign the pledge, so if they are truly committed they should also sign it.”

Najib has in fact beautifully given the reason why I, for instance, has reservations about signing TI’s Election Integrity Pledge after Najib had signed it!

There is no question about my commitment in fighting corruption and abuse of power for which I have dedicated nearly half a century of my life in Malaysian politics, but the question is whether my commitment to fighting corruption and abuse of power would become a joke and a mockery if I sign the Election Integrity Pledge after Najib had signed it!

Firstly, is Najib sincere and serious in signing the Election Integrity Pledge, which stipulates four principles for all signatories to observe when contesting in the 13th general elections, viz:

• Truth, integrity, ethical conduct and accountability, including not accepting or giving bribes or being involved in corrupt practices in any way;

• Upholding and giving priority to the interests of the rakyat as a whole;

• Good governance and transparency; and

• Compliance with all the applicable laws and regulations of Malaysia.

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46-Day Countdown to 13GE – Call on Pakatan Rakyat not to be lulled into complacency as it is still on the cards that Najib could dissolve Parliament in next 12 days before the fifth anniversary of 308

I call on all DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders, members and supporters not to lulled into complacency into believing that the 13th general elections have been pushed to April and after, as it is still on the cards that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak could dissolve Parliament in the next 12 days before the fifth anniversary of the March 8 “political tsunami” in 2008.

On January 9, I was first informed by “reliable sources” that Parliament would be dissolved on February 22, with the nomination and polling dates fixed for March 16 and March 30 respectively, following a high-level meeting of Najib’s political strategists in Putrajaya that day.

February 22 has come and gone without any dissolution, and although other February dates had also been speculated as likely dates for Parliament’s dissolution, it is now generally believed that there has been a further 13GE delay to dissolution in the middle of March and polling in second week of April, so that outstation voters would not return home to vote so soon after the annual Qing Ming festival or All Souls’ Day in early April.

Although the initial plans by Najib’s political strategists for the dissolution of Parliament on February 22 and in the last week of February had been scuttled, because of one political blunder after another by the Prime Minister during the Chinese New Year – most infamously the multiple political and public relations disaster in the multi-million ringgit invitation to the Korean K-Pop superstar Psy and Gangnam Style to Penang on the second day of the CNY – it is still on the cards that Najib could dissolve Parliament in the next 12 days before the fifth anniversary of the 308 political tsunami of the 2008 general elections. Read the rest of this entry »

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