After 10 years Dr Mamak still crying same thing about the failure of UMNO Putra disguised as Hak Melayu this and that
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Mahathir criticises Malay community
BBC, 16th June 2002
The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, has launched a strong attack on the majority Malay community, saying it had failed to make real progress despite being given special privileges for more than 30 years.
In a newspaper interview ahead of a five-day meeting of his party the United Malays National Organisation or Umno, Dr Mahathir criticised Malays for being too complacent and unwilling to work hard.
He said that after more than 20 years in office he had failed to change what he called this culture of extravagance.
Malays make up more than half of the 23 million population but receive special privileges because the Chinese minority is seen as having disproportionate wealth.
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Mahathir warns Malays to brace for end to privileges
Kyodo News International, 20th June 2002
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday defended his country’s affirmative action policy but warned ethnic Malays that their rights and privileges are ”far from being safe.”
”The Malays are clearly far from being safe. Do not think that the power of the Malays in the political arena is permanent, that it will guarantee the safety of the Malays forever,” the 76-year-old premier said in a two-hour speech to open the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) annual assembly.
If the special status of the Malays, or ”bumiputeras” as they are also known, is challenged today, he said, Malays will not be able to survive.
”They are not prepared to face any competition at all. They are so afraid of the other communities. Without the experience of competing with others, if the protection is suddenly withdrawn, they will not be able to survive,” Mahathir, also UMNO president, said.
As head of the party that deems itself the custodian of Malay culture, Mahathir put his newly gained political fortune on the line recently when he dared to pry open the three-decade-old New Economic Policy (NEP) to provide more opportunities for non-Malays, although only in education.
The NEP, Malaysia’s affirmative action policy, guarantees Malays 30% corporate equity, easy credit, contracts and projects from the government and places in public universities.
The policy, which came about following the 1969 clashes between the poorer, rural Malays and the economically more dominant ethnic Chinese, is now called the National Vision Policy.
Recently Mahathir stirred up a controversy by changing the race-based quota system for university entrance to a merit-based one. Then he ordered 10% of places to be allocated to non-Malays in government-run colleges and that English, instead of the national language, Malay, be used to teach science and mathematics.
Malay nationalists are up in arms crying treachery. But Mahathir is adamant, saying the NEP has made Malays ”lazy” and prone to rely on ”the easy way and the quick way.”
”Because of that, when licenses are given, they sell the licenses…No work is done other than to be close to people with influence and authority in order to get something because they are Malays,” he told the 2,000 delegates attending the three-day assembly.
”Truly I am ashamed to expose all these, especially in front of the other people, in front of the whole nation and the world. But they all already know all these. I am not exposing anything that they don’t know,” he said.
Mahathir expressed his disappointment that after 21 years at the helm of the country he has failed to change the Malay mindset.
”Mostly I feel disappointed, disappointed because I achieved too little result from my principal task — the task of making my race a successful race, a race that is respected, a race that is honorable, a race that is highly regarded. I beg your pardon because I have failed,” he said.
But despite his criticism of Malays and their over-dependence on government assistance, Mahathir defended the benefits of the NEP although he said it has slowed down national development.
”What slowed down the national development was because the government had to try and try again to balance the economy of the Malays against that of the non-Malays at all levels and in all fields,” he said.
But the NEP, he said, has succeeded in closing the gap between the Malays and non-Malays.
Those who condemned the NEP, he said, have ignored the fact that government scholarships and opportunities have allowed thousands of Malay children to enter universities.
The government has also provided 3 billion ringgit as capital for the National Equity Corp. to initiate unit trusts which succeeded in making 7.28 million Malays shareholders in big corporations with investments totaling 34.89 billion ringgit.
The shares allocated to the NEC were the result of the restructuring of new companies that are required by the NEP to provide 30% of their equity for bumiputera.
”In truth, without the NEP, the unit trusts and the governmental institutions which were managed on behalf of the Malays, today the NEP would achieve only 2% of the target,” Mahathir said.
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GLCs were part of Malay equity, says Dr M
By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider, October 24, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The country’s government-linked companies (GLCs) were once considered part of bumiputera equity, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today, which could mean that bumiputera corporate holdings might have exceeded the original 30 per cent target in the past.
The former prime minister said that GLCs and state investment arm Khazanah Nasional were established to hold equity in trust while Malays strengthened themselves economically and that the equity was meant to be later distributed to the Malays.
He said that GLCs were established in trust for Malays but have since deviated from their original purpose.
“GLCs are holdings in trust and were considered part of bumiputera equity,” said Mahathir (picture) at a press conference today after closing the Malay Economic Congress here. “Now the holdings belong to the companies concerned and they cannot be regarded as bumiputera holdings.”
The definition of whether GLCs are considered part of Malay equity could have implications on affirmative action programmes for Malays as many Umno leaders maintain that Malay equity stands at only about 20 per cent today, which is below the target of 30 per cent set in the New Economic Policy (NEP).
If GLCs, which comprise a large chunk of the economy and also make up a significant number of the benchmark FBM KLCI index components, were at one time considered to be Malay equity, it is possible that the 30 per cent target was exceeded in the past.
State oil company Petronas is also Malaysia’s sole representative in the Fortune 500 list of the world’s largest companies.
Some observers have argued that GLCs appeared very much to be Malay companies due to their management and employee makeup as well as their activities and should be counted as Malay corporate holdings.
The government has said that GLCs cannot be considered bumiputera equity as they are controlled by the government.
The Malay Economic Congress also passed a resolution today criticising GLCs, and in particular Petronas, Khazanah and PNB, saying that they should have a stronger Malay agenda.
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Malay congress proposes direct negotiation for Malays for projects below RM100m
By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider, October 24, 2012
Former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gives his closing address at the Malay Economic Congress today. — Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The Malay Economic Congress passed a resolution today proposing that government tenders worth less than RM100 million be directly negotiated with Malay companies.
The congress also called for GLCs to have a strong Malay agenda and that they be monitored with key performance indicators (KPIs).
“The new economic policy has not achieved its objectives,” said Datuk Syed Ali Alattas, president of the Malay Chambers of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM).
“The gap between Malays who are the majority race and heritage of this country and other races is growing and increasingly worrying.”
He also said that government agencies have “lost their spirit” to help Malay entrepreneurs.
Other resolutions include a stand against corruption, cronyism and abuse of power and a call for the revamp of Teraju, a bumiputera economic development agency.
The congress said that “weak leadership” in Teraju was the main reason for the failure of several Malay agenda initiatives.
These include failures to allocate economic opportunities to Malay entrepreneurs, the failure to allocate funds for business viability studies and lack of clear direction and communication.
The congress said that the head of Teraju needed to be changed to someone who had high aspirations for Malays and ministerial powers.
The congress also wanted special courses for government staff and politicians to educate them on the Malay agenda.
It also called for priority for local companies and bumiputeras in government tenders.
Another resolution proposed the establishment of an audit firm run by Malays to audit GLCs and government agencies.
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Malays ignored, are ‘beggars’ in own country, says Dr M
By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider, October 24, 2012
Oct 24 — Malays are now beggars in their own country and need to support Umno despite all its flaws or their pleas will be ignored, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.
“We are beggars in our own country and need help from others to get even a little bit,” said Dr Mahathir at the Malay Economic Congress today.
He said that the position of Malays has deteriorated due to their split in political support and they needed to unite behind Umno despite all its flaws in order to became the kingmakers and gain attention from the country’s leadership.
“Even though they are defective (cacat), if they win because of our support and our unity, our memorandums will be effective as their dependence will be on us,” he said. “Now if they read the memo, they will say no. If we become kingmakers, they will heed us.”
He also said that the Malay economy depends on politics.
“Strengthening our politics is our way to achieve economic success,” he said.
“I am not confident resolutions from this congress will get heeded as they (Umno) are not powerful,” he said. “We need to give them power so we get respect.”
Mahathir also said that as Malays have become weaker, the other races were “denying” the Malays their rights.
He said, however, that he was not a racist.
“I just want to divide the country’s wealth in a way that is fair,” he said. “We are 60 per cent of the population. We are just asking 30 per cent. Take the rest.”
Toward the end of his speech, however, Mahathir changed tack and told Malays to look within themselves for solutions to their problems.
He said that he also felt proud that there were now many Malay millionaires and billionaires, some of whom were able to compete outside the country without government help.
“We have to ask ourselves, did we fail because others obstructed us? That the government did not support us? Or that we didn’t make use of our chances?” he said.
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Greedy, corrupt leadership caused Malay agenda to fail, says Malay chamber
By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider, October 23, 2012
Syed Ali said leaders need to have a ‘clean heart’ to develop the Malay community. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — The Malay economic agenda failed to achieve its objectives due to corruption and greed, Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) president Datuk Syed Ali Alattas said today.
He said dozens of government agencies had been set up and billions of ringgit had been used to help develop the Malay economy but the Malay community was at the “lowest level of achievement.”
“What’s gone wrong? That’s what is being asked,” Syed Ali said at the Malay Economic Congress here.
“There is a lot of carelessness and not enough responsibility among leaders which caused Malays to fall behind,” he said. “Corruption and greed caused the Malay agenda to fail.”
Syed Ali said leaders needed to have a “clean heart.”
He said the Malays are now at a “crossroads” and have put their hope in the community’s leaders.
“The fate of the Malays today and the future generations will depend on the current leadership,” said Syed Ali.
He claimed that the Malays have less than 10 per cent control of the economy in terms of equity, businesses and shops.
“I am brave enough to say that there is not one shop in the centre of Johor Baru that is owned by a Malay,” he said.
The commerce chamber chief also said that programmes such as an UDA (Urban Development Authority) scheme that allocated 1,500 acres a few kilometres from Johor Baru specifically for Malays to do business should continue.
Efforts to lift the community economically have been surrounded by much controversy due to programmes that have been implemented such as race-based quotas for contracts, licences and employment.
The Najib administration has embarked on reforms to make ethnic-based affirmative action more merit based by supposedly helping only deserving Malays.
Critics of the race-based policies say that it is too open to abuse and has benefited mainly the Malay elites.
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‘Affirmative actions, policies only for elite’
by Joseph Tawie, Free Malaysia Today, October 24, 2012
KUCHING: Sarawak opposition is hoping that Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia president Syed Ali Alatas’ comment at the recent Malay Economic Congress in Kuala Lumpur will open the eyes of the rural Malay communities to the political myth that “only” Barisan Nasional can help the community.
Syed Ali yesterday blamed the failure of the objectives of the BN-initiated Malay agenda on corruption and greed.
He pointed out that dozens of government agencies had been set up and billions of ringgit spent to help develop the Malay economy, but the Malay community was still at the “lowest level of achievement”.
“What went wrong?” asked Syed Ali, adding that “there is a lot of carelessness and not enough responsibility among leaders which caused Malays to fall behind”.
Commenting on Syed Ali’s statement, Sarawak PKR vice-chairman See Chee How said: “With Syed Ali’s statement, I hope that the rural Malay communities will fathom and see through the political myths that only the BN will be able to help their community.
“It is only true that, after 50 years of independence, only a handful of the political elite families benefited from the economic fruits and socio-political advancements.
“And they get richer and more influential by abusing the allocations for affirmative actions and policies for their own gains.”
See, who is Batu Lintang assemblyman, added that he had just returned from visiting Beladin, Meludam and nearby villages in the Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency.
“The people there are fishermen and they are asking for lands to plant vegetables, crops and fruit trees. Previously the British government gave these fishermen land near their kampung to do some farming.
“These were not renewed and were initially given to the sister-in-law of a former assistant minister and leader of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bolhassan Di.
“But the whole area is now owned by Tabung Haji… the government does not care for the poor,” said See, adding that plots of land have been given to those who have political links, siblings and cronies.
‘Billions did not reach the poor’
He pointed out that while Syed Ali had only focused on the Malays, there were also a substantial number of poor Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kadazans, Dusuns, Indians and Chinese families in the country.
“But what Syed Ali has revealed is that substantial sums [of money] for the implementation of affirmative actions and policies are lost in corruption and dissipation of the country’s leadership.
“The billions of ringgit simply did not reach the needy and the poor.
“In Sarawak, we need only to visit the longhouses and kampung in the coastal and interior areas to understand how neglected our rural poor and the needy folk are.
“It is an escalating predicament and not limited to Malays,” he said.
A Malay Chamber of Commerce president’s scathing comment that the Umno-driven Malay agenda had failed the community is leverage for the opposition.