We seem unable to get out of the juggernaut of racial politics in Malaysia.
When will we prioritise the interest of the people of Malaysia? If after six decades, we are unable to do so, then what does the future hold?
Islam does not prioritise race. Yet our puny politicians play this racial game. This is the reality in Malaysia. The ethnic fairness gap is so wide it is laughable when they claim “Malaysia is truly Asia”
The New Economic Policy (NEP) was launched in 1970 as a 20-year programme to eradicate poverty regardless of ethnic identification.
The policy also aimed to restructure society and remove the identification of race with occupation. The ultimate goal was to foster national unity.
We do not need to be rocket scientists to evaluate the NEP’s failures, despite its subsequent incarnations.
Today, 55 years later, what do we see? Ethnic polarisation, elite capture through corruption, and a self-serving bureaucracy.
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We need a new dialogue through a consultative committee. We will not arrive at a different future by tinkering with an outdated idea.
To bring about change, we need to address this issue at a different level, the societal level.
Let us bring our new findings to the politicians.
This is critical, as politics alone cannot address our grim reality.
No one is against affirmative action for those in need.
But when certain segments continue to demand and cry, and as more is given with little accountability, serious fractures in society emerge.
These people highlight their envy of other groups, even adopting a sense of victimhood. The entitlement syndrome seems to have evolved into an ethnic right.
The government has now made a “capital injection” of RM1.1bn into Sapura Energy via Management Development Holdings Sdn Bhd (MDH), an agency under the Ministry of Finance.
This is described as a “strategic injection of redeemable funds” to settle amounts owed to the vendors of Sapura Energy.
But where is the government oversight and corporate accountability?
Has anyone from Sapura Energy been held accountable? The previous CEO received RM2.3m in salaries, bonus and benefits-in-kind during the 2024 financial year.
There must have been a total lack of governance or oversight within the organisation that led to the government stepping in with a capital injection.
Any reasonable person will judge this government action negatively, especially when it shouts about “Madani” principles such as trust and sustainability.
The Sapura Energy management must be held fully accountable as the financial injections represent a loss of public funds.
Race must not be the issue. The issue is fundamentally one of character and competence. This constitutes a serious double failure.
Is this going to be a precedent for other government-linked companies that are in similar bad shape, perhaps fuelled by cronyism and nepotism?
The government must ensure that salaries are fair and equitable, especially within government-linked companies, as it ultimately bears the final risk.
The gap between the CEO’s pay and the lowest-ranked employee’s wage must be within reasonable limits.
As for Tenaga Nasional, its directors received about RM7m for the financial year ended 31 December 2023 (including RM3.9m paid to an executive director). (See TNB’s Annual Report note 34 and Corporate Governance Report for 2023.)
A few years ago, a report highlighted the huge amounts that CEOs of government-linked companies earn in salaries and bonusses.
If these CEOs want to earn enormous salaries, then they should move to the private sector, invest personally and create an organisation they can be proud of. Then they can give themselves handsome salaries. The risk is all theirs.
Otherwise, they should not compare their incomes to their counterparts in the private sector to justify such inflated salaries.
There is often a glaring discrepancy between the remunerations of the directors of government-linked companies and the performance of those companies. For instance, RM5.7m was paid to the directors of Felda Global Ventures (FGV) against a loss of RM1.1bn for the 2018 financial year.
Then we have the disclosure of 18 discharges not amounting to an acquittal for VIPs since 2018 and seven since 2023. This again stinks, and those who have secured such discharges should not hold office if they had any sense of self-respect.
As they have not yet been acquitted, they should have the moral dignity to resign or clear their names before the judiciary. Most of them, if not all, are politicians and members of the elite. In some instances, they have been promoted to high office and bestowed the highest honours.
The government is making a mockery of the intelligence of ordinary people. We can see how some of the elite have accumulated so much wealth for themselves.
How do government leaders condone such actions and yet preach Madani to ordinary people? Yes, perhaps this can all be justified as necessary in the context of coalition politics.
Then you have groups asking for more allocations and special favours. These are given not on the basis of merit but on the basis of race. This continues to fracture our society.
One has to be part of the minority community to understand and empathise with their feelings. Just compare the small budget allocations given to the minorities and the large allocations given to others, including religious agencies.
It is a sad reality that many among the majority community have had to rely on affirmative action policies for the last 55 years. Yet, we are informed, they have not yet met targets set in 1970. This gives an indication of the seepage, wastage and hijacking of funds by the elite in the name of the NEP.
The policy has also become ridiculous, in some instances. Even to buy a RM1m apartment, there is a special discount. Was this the original purpose of the NEP?
We are so clear in seeing the obvious injustices in Gaza. Yet we are unable to recognise policies here that do not contribute to building a cohesive society.
Some quarters even wonder if there is selective prosecution by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Several cases highlighted by the MACC, complete with displays of gold bars and money seized, have apparently not yet seen prosecution.
For instance, what happened to the 2023 case relating to a Datuk who was caught with a huge stash of cash, gold and expensive cars by a multi-agency taskforce led by the MACC?
Similarly, what happened to the 2019 case of a top office bearer of the Batu Caves Temple committee? The MACC seized cash, foreign currencies, expensive cars and other valuables at his home.
The public would appreciate an update from the MACC. If the issues have been cleared, then it is incumbent on the MACC to say so, in candid terms. Silence is not an option when the issues were heavily publicised in the media and social media.
The PM’s position is unenviable. Amid his many duties, he also has to balance his coalition base. As someone who speaks of values and character, he should ensure that those tainted by cases that resulted in a discharge not amounting to an acquittal step aside.
But then again, the PM could be equally concerned about staying in power, given the possibility of pullouts from his “unity government”.
We must start defining people by an economic scale and attend to the needs of the lowest 30% of society. Here the needs are great, and justice demands that the ordinary people’s basic needs are met.
We have witnessed scandals, wastage, corruption and money laundering. The 2022 auditor general’s report pointed out that 10 federal agencies had outstanding loan balances totalling RM122bn.
Equally worrying is that civil servants made up 43% of the 1,257 people detained by the MACC from January to October 2024.
So the potential for more corruption exists.
The legacy of Barisan Nasional rule for six decades persists. It will take more than wishful thinking to deal with this scourge.
So many BN leaders are involved, and even if they change their colours to green or blue or form another party, this deep culture of corruption will continue.
Even if it is part of the Madani government, BN does not add value or confidence.
Our diversity – touted by the slogan “Unity in Diversity” – requires us to trust and to be fair to all.
When injustice and a lack of fairness is not addressed, it hurts the minorities and discredits the majority.
Let’s do what is right for everyone in Malaysia and, in doing so, meet the needs of the ordinary people.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
We ask the PM to ensure that the tenets and principles and values of the Fed Constitution are brought back into daily Msn life. The nons have had strong hopes with the present Pm and the ‘unity’ govt as such. What is required is the practice of real rule of law in every instance. We hear of immigrant workers being [allegedly] coerced … to pay bribes so that they can continue earning a living. The name of our beloved nation is being dirtied by the corrupt, especially those given power by the Rakyat. What needs to be done is as Tan CK used to emphasise, governance without fear of favour. Let’s all think of our future generations, going forward. Anwar does have problems in effecting reforms possibly. Bring in new ombudman laws.
National unity was deliberately broken up by using RELIGION as the weapon. This was done to ensure the continued hold onto power by people who put their personal interests above that of the nation. This is evidenced by the unexplained wealth that some people in power were able to accumulate in very short times after getting into positions of power. This “business” of abusing political power and using “connections” for self-enrichment has become the order of the day; a matter of “right”. The MACC seems to be so helpless against the cream of the corrupted whose cases are thrown out or withdrawn thus allowing them to remain in power or even go up the ranks of power.
These are the unexpressed thoughts in all our minds as we watch the great potential of this country whittled away by the greed of a few.