What now after NEP?
If the NEP goes, what will replace it? The Malaysian Economic Agenda? Unlike the NEP, the MEA calls for providing assistance to all those who need it, irrespective of ethnicity.
Fine, but PKR, DAP and Pas leaders must realise that the people voted for more subsidies and greater government social spending. This is what they were promised. They did not vote for “free market”, “business friendly” policies. Neither did they opt for neoliberal policies (privatisation, corporatisation and policies favouring the corporate elite), which have actually widened the gap between the rich and the poor.
Voting for greater democracy does not mean support for “free-market” policies. Actually, what we often have in Malaysia is a situation, as economist Charles Santiago puts it, “where you had subsidies for the rich and a free market economy for the poor. While you subsidise the rich on one side, the debt of the country is being borne by the middle-classes and the poor”.
So true - just think of the billions of ringgit in gas subsidies dished out to the lucrative Independent Power Producers, who are raking in the profits.
Remember, ordinary Malaysians voted in droves for people-centred development (projects that really benefit the ordinary people) rather than corporate-driven development (mega projects that primarily benefit the corporate elite while ruining the environment).
Power shift to the provinces
by Anil Netto
PENANG, Mar 18 (IPS) - Malaysia’s race-based affirmative action policies have come under the spotlight in the aftermath of a pivotal general election which saw opposition parties making sweeping gains.
Opposition parties captured the ‘rice-bowl’ state of Kedah and the industrialised states of Penang, Perak and Selangor in addition to retaining power in the Muslim heartland state of Kelantan on the east coast in the Mar. 8 general election.
The three industrial states will be ruled by coalition governments made up of the multi-ethnic — but largely ethnic Chinese — Democratic Action Party (DAP), the multi-ethnic People’s Justice Party (PKR) and the Islamic party PAS. The opposition parties won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats while the ruling federal coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front, clinched 51.5 percent of the popular vote.
The new state governments now have their work cut out for them to make good on their opposition campaign promises of ending the New Economic Policy in favour of their ‘Malaysian Economic Agenda’. The NEP was introduced in 1971 to uplift the economic position of the majority ethnic Malays and remove the stereotyping of race with specific occupations. Full article
- How different will the Pakatan’s economic policies be?
- “Business-friendly” or people-friendly state govts?
- Why are we subsidising the profitable IPPs?
- How the NEP equity targets miss the point
- The 400-lb gorilla vs the skinny global justice movement
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hi anil, i believe in dreams,as i one of the day dreaming guys.i am not good in investment to multiply my income.so call let the money work for u.however my dreams brought me some results.i make it by hardwork.i am millionaire but cant go futher.chasing my dreams cause me alot of stress but i never hurt people to become sucessesful.so come back to nep,its will continue due to our people are spoonfed all this time.umno will use this as their weopon to rule our country.our bumiputra will inderectly will support them believing nep is their saviour.our nation will continue be divide by racial line.BUT AS I DARE TO DREAM,I HOPE OUR GOVERMENT IN WAITING MIGHT BE ABLE TO CHANGE THIS NEP.LET BE BANGSA MALAYSIA.BELIEVE IN THIS,there is more people around you is rich,u will be happy by making more money from them by creating more business.RAJ RAMAN.RACE.MALAYSIAN.RELIGION.MY OWN PROBLEM. STILL DREAMING BE MALAYSIAN PUTRA
Well said Mr. Anil Netto,
Well said Mr. Anil Netto,
Poor folks can’t afford to buy stocks in d stock exchange, nor invest in property, etc. They need more subsidies so that their burden is much lessened.
BN is only making the rich richer, the poor poorer.
Petrol should be maintained at d present level - better still - lowered. The rich who own big guzzlers (big cars) should be taxed in a different way (road tax, levies, etc).
The wealth of the nation
It must be shared by all
In equal affirmative schemes
So nobody is losing out in the end
The current practices
Only the rich ones getting better
One race against the many
Leaving marginalized groups hungry and angry
Will the policy shifts?
It is not law or anything
It can be changed for the good of all
Only we must have people oriented leaders
To pacify these marginalized groups
Be it Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban and others
Let the country’s wealth be shared
Amongst her people equally
Without showing favors to any group
Let the gravy train stops for all
People and businesses
NO market should be left completely free. As a Penangite, it truly breaks my heart to see huge complexes being gradually abandoned in favour of new ones. Look at the state of Midlands 1 stop, Prangin Mall, Komtar, Bukit Jambul complex. If the federal govt. does carry out its threat to stop channelling funds to our state, I’d say go ahead. You don’t need the media to show you rotting fresh produce on hypermarket shelves. There is so much waste going on right in front of you. Restraunts open and close down as and when. We simply do not have the purchasing power needed to sustain these extravagences. Imagine the electricity consumed to keep a complex like Queensbay cool. I’m not against a free market per se but some regulation is sorely needed.
Educating the public should be one of the priorities of the new state government. I was told that in Japan, shoppers will actually help by picking up the ‘older ‘ produce if they intended to consume immediately. In London, even the smaller shopping complexes boasts non stop traffic, with people actually carrying bags. The attitude seems to be build first, worry later.
I realize I might be asking for the moon, but we need to start soon.
I’ll get it right this time, restaurants
There’s a wellknown thing called the “Means Test”
To distribute help this is really the very best
It doesn’t care if you’re from north,east,south or west
If you qualify you get your fair share from the national chest
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 200308
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
http://msi.Rocky101.com
Thur. 20th March 2008.
Origilally it was planned that the Malays should be give assistance for 30 years in order to pick themselves up.
It is now 50 years; there is no need for any assistance anymore. Like any other citizen, they must work hard and stand on their own legs. No need for cruthces any more.
Otherwise, for life they need crutches.
What about the Poor Malaysian Indaisn - they also must be give assistance.
Hamid Ibrahim
Affirmative action is designed for the inanimate, such as a race car lacking a particular feature and given a few rows up the starting grid. It is not designed for the animate given that even a toddler is programmed to float when thrown in the deep.
Anil, I spoke to a friend and a father of two who agreed with me that families practice ‘affirmative action’ when raising children, in that parents do give a quiet leg-up to the weaker sibling but he qualified that as a matter of public policy, firmness, equality, fair-play and meritocracy are the family rule. Point is, the weaker sibling is not given the impression that the little push which helped her handicap is ‘policy’, let alone a right.
This is the core which gulfs the typical ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ mindset. The gulf is evident in Singapore and Malaysia. The conservative does feel compassion as much as the liberal but the latter throws it up as public policy while the conservative engages ‘affirmative action’ through private and indirect routes.
Don’t know about you guys believing the many manifestos pledged by either sides.
I voted against the BN for their ignorant arrogance!
50 years of independence and what has the BN done to recognise our forefathers who have perished? Our then quite united multiracial fighters fought against the Japs and Communist. The British deserted this country and not just because the Bapak fought for independence. It was a giveaway present to surrender from the envious breed. Ever wonder why such a small country has many rulers?
Prior to the economy collapse of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and neighboring countries were fast emerging together as super Asian Tigers until the appearance of Mr Soros. Who is TDM? What did he really do for the country? Everyone prospered and crashed together and not one country alone.
Singapore without any natural resources versus Malaysia! Do you see any influx of immigrants from Singapore claiming for NEP benefits? Perhaps we should share with our new 3 million immigrants now citizens from Indonesia?
So how long more do we have to tolerate this…?