PM Najib Razak said the Chinese should not be seen as kaum pendatang (migrant folk) and have been loyal citizens of Malaysia for the past three to five generations.
I would like to applaud the PM for saying the obvious. However, it is a shame for a head of government to recognize the status of Chinese Malaysian after more than five decades of independence.
If the Chinese were seen as 'kaum pendatang' it is because the only ruling government in Malaysia has denied them of rightful place in the Malaysian constitution as citizens of this country with equal rights.
If PM Najib is serious about his statement, he should be ready to announce a new social contract acknowledging that all citizens are born equal and should be treated equally by the government and political groups.
It is ridiculous for him to suggest that he has no control over certain individuals in Umno, Perkasa and BTN who had incited racial hatred and displayed bigotry in their speeches. The government has shown that it is in control when comes to detaining cartoonist and banning books which are critical of the government.
Is the PM willing to walk his talk to correct the politically motivated 'social contract' his party was adamant that the Chinese should observe with respect? A social contract should be inclusive and not divisive.
At the same MCA event, Najib said there was a need to develop the economy equitably to have a fair distribution of wealth depending on the size of the community.
"It is a conventional wisdom and rational thinking that if the majority of a country has a very small percentage of the wealth, that is not equitable. I think MCA would also agree.
"So, we need to have a nice balance that the Malay feels they have a bigger share in economic wealth but the Chinese also feel they are growing economically in our system,” he said. His statement does not show that he understands the current malaise. He might as well declare Malaysia a socialist country.
Yes, the nation wealth should be distributed more equitably to all citizens. The fact that the bottom 40% of the nation owns less than 13% of the nation's wealth is unacceptable. The disparity in the country is growing.
Equitable wealth distribution cannot be seen from only the Malay versus the others perspective. There is a gross income and wealth disparity among the rich and poor Malays.
Hence, why is the government continue to enrich a few well connected Malay billionaires and neglected the rest? Umno has an uninterrupted 40 years to implement the NEP and yet it has created nothing but a few rich kingpins and cronies. Why is the party blaming others? Why should the country continue to suffer the mismanagement and poor implementation of the policy?
No one is against the government helping the poor. If the government wants to help the poor they should help all regardless of race.
We should be able to agree that the likes of Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, Mirzan & Mokhzani Mahathir, Nazir Razak, Halim Saad, Francis Yeoh, Vincent Tan, Ananda Krishnan and other rich and power do not need any more help and assistance from the government.
Is Najib serious enough to launch a new social contract? And to correct the excesses and weaknesses of the NEP?
14 comments:
Answer to your last 2 questions:
NO
NO
Najib may well be serious enough about the need for a new social contract, or rather, to honour the social contract of our Merdeka leaders.
Especially after March 8, 2008 and the still-rising groundswell against racism and the ultra-Ketuanan Melayu types.
The loss of support not only from non-Malays, but - perhaps much more significantly - also the educated Malays is no small matter.
Najib is facing political oblivion, with the very real possibility of him being recorded in history as the PM who was kapitan when BN lost its 50+ years stranglehold on power.
But nice-sounding though his "Chinese not pendatang" words were (and it was quickly noted that he did not include the other non-Malay races which are also not pendatang), his track record does not inspire confidence.
Who can forget his nice-sounding NEM which was rapidly castrated in the face of objections from his DPM and various ketuanan wiras?
Heck... Just look at his own wife's recurring attempts to be associated with the "First Lady" label. How long ago was it that Najib had to come out in the face of the outcry that it was dishonoring the status of the Raja Permaisuri Agong, and state that such a label was not appropriate for the PM's wife.
And yet, today itself, Rosmah is slated to deliver the keynote address at the "First Lady's Summit" organised as part of a program which she herself is patron of. Najib is even going to be there to hear her address.
Would it not have been best for Najib to have put his foot down and stopped any such "First Lady" label association with Rosmah? But he has not.
If he cannot handle something like that, does it inspire confidence that he can handle a thorny political hot-potato like social contract - ketuanan, especially if the ultras and Dr M endorsed Perkasa start their usual loud objecting again?
(Though with the looming Galas, Batu Sapi and Sarawak state polls, politically expediency may dictate that such objections be muted or toned down for a while as voter sentiments are assessed.)
Would I be alone if I said, "No way!"?
Khoo, pls dont be so naive lah.Politicians knows what to say, when to say and where to say to sooth the listeners! In front of Perkasa and Umno, our PM will say something to the effect of special rights to the Bumi.
Najib as well tell MCA that the earth rotates round the sun and that the sun rises in the east.
As I do not know that I am NOT a pendatang and Najib has to tell me that.
He should tell UMNO and Perkasa that the non-Malays are equal citizens.
But that he won't do since he is a coward.
Can somebody please help me to understand how come these super rich tycoons that you mentioned got so so much money ($billions$)to buy over mega deals by cash?Their cash position is bottomless.I cant even get a RM50K loan from the banks after being in business for 10 years.No wonder loan sharks are created for us.
Talk is cheap as always the case for POLITICIANS!
Dream on for new social contract to acknowledge the equality of race in Malay-sia!
A good politician is one who uses right words to his own advantage at the right place and time. Credit must be given to the pm. But some politicians may have spoken so much that they forgot what they spoke. To others, these people are only soliloquzing, somnambulising,and shooting from the waist. I wonder who the politician was, who once commented something about blood, race and kris. Will the new social contract be of any use now? Is the third force effective in this respect? When will our politicians learn and when will the people really have the freedom to think, discern and choose their government?
As long as UMNO still reigns, there will never be fairness. The poor Malays will remain to be controlled and manipulted.
Najib talk only lah....no action lah......from april last year till now.....talk alot....but do nothing....even DPM not support him.....what can he do......just to cheat us the rakyat...
This Machiavellian tactic to show one acceptable face to a section of voters (the non-Muslims) by entering into so-called new paradigm or social contracts is just for BN to win the next election (which i hear could be soon next year).
Once they win back the state seats they lost, specifically Selangor, they will turn back on their promises.
We need to show Najib we are not gullible fools. A third political force run by citizens and not elected officials is needed in Msia. One that monitors the sincerity and accountability of the government wrt their promises and policy goals (e.g. NEM).
Then, there is no need to wait every four years for promises to be made and broken.
Given a choice, I think Najib will want to make amend to the current social contract that we are having. But being a leader of a political party with various conflicting demands, it ain't easy for him to do what pleases him. He needs time to buy support from his party members. Unfortunately, he may be running out of time.
I believe all sensible Malaysians agree that the current social contract is not sustainable and new models, be it economics or political, have to be found in the shortest time possible. Otherwise, we may slip slide to be the likes of Philippines or Iran
judging from the timing and venue which Najib made the statement clearly shows that he is not serious.
He should have long made the statement as an immediate response to our Penang mamak, not during a Chinese assembly now !
Najib's administration is all talk and talk and talk. But no actions. We need leaders with guts to make tough decision for the good of the country, not sweet talkers.
Talk about zero tolerance for racism, but no action. Talk about NEM, no action. Talk about free press, no action. Talk about improvement in public transportation system, no action. 1Malaysia or Malaysia1 for that matter. No action. The list goes on......... No actions.......
asalamualaikum Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib yang dikasihi dan salam satu malysia. Peluang ini diambil untuk mengatakan luahan isi hati masyarakat penduduk kepulauan Bruit. Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib, suka dimaklumkan kepengetahuan Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi bahawa selama ini kami teramat tinggi keinginan untuk mendapatkan seorang anak jati kelahiran Pulau Bruit untuk menjadi wakil kami tetapi sehingga ke hari ini tiada sambutan daripada pihak majlis tertinggi PBB. Justeru itu dimana kah konsep yang dilaungkan oleh Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN yang diamalkan. selama ini kami sangat-sangat berhajat untuk mendapatkan seorang anak jati kelahiran Pulau Bruit untuk menjadi wakil rakyat kami demi untuk BN khasnya Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib. Dan satu lagi permintaan kami mohon dihayati dan diperhalusi oleh Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib iaitu, Bekalan air bersih dan jalanraya. Hakikat sebenarnya memang kepulauan Bruit dalam pemerhatian pihak berkuasa tempatan akan tetapi adakah keseluruhan perkampongan di Pulau Bruit diamati serta beri perhatian seratus peratus contoh Kampong Bruit, Tekajong, Penipah, Salah Kecil, Sebako dan Kelay (TR Juing) sepatutnya 20 tahun yang sudah masyarakat di kampong-kampong berkenaan telah menikmati kemudahan asas seperti air bersih dan elektrik. Adakah mereka akan menunggu untuk 20 tahun akan datang keperluan ini akan terlaksana. Setiap kali di acukan permohonan ini semenjak 2 dekah yang lepas jawapannya tiada peruntukan. sejauh manakah ada kebenaranjawapan yang dijawab oleh wakil rakyat yang bertanggongjawab itu. Tiada kah mereka memperjuangkan atau pernah mengemukakan sebarang permohonan peruntukan tanbahan daripada Pucuk Pimpinan Tertinggi Malaysia iaitu Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib untuk mendapatkan kataputus sebenarnya. Dan juga tanah-tanah dikepulauan Bruit kebanyakan telah diperdagangkan kepada orang yang bukan berstatus Bumuputera konon-kononnya tanah tidak diusahakan, ini bukan lah satu jawapan yang bagus atau logik untuk didengari Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib. Dimana kah letaknya kejujuran dan adakah mereka-mereka ini mengambil kesempatan untuk menjadi kaya raya sebelum mereka meninggalkan arena politik di sarawak ini? keikhlasan hati-hati pemimpin-pemimpin sarawak dewasa ini amat mendukacitakan. Kebarangkalian, lawatan Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib ke Pulau Bruit Khasnya di Kampong Bruit tidak pernah atau tidak mahu dirancang oleh pihak-pihak berkuasa tempat takut-takut banyak permasalahan akan dijawab oleh mereka. Sebagai warga malaysia yang selama ini tidak pernah berbelah bagi menyokong pucuk pimpinan Barisan Nasional, berharap agar Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib dapat mengambil barang sedikit masa kelapangan untuk menyahati luahan isihati masyarakat Pulau Bruit. Malaysia memang mengecapi kemerdekaan tetapi kami belum lagi. Mohon Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Najib dapat mengambil sedikit inisiatif untuk keperluan yang dimaksudkan. Mohon teramat tinggi kepada Yang Berhormat Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib dapat memberi perhatian yang sewajarnya demi kami anak-anak Barisan Nasional Pulau Bruit. Asalamualaikum.
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