Showing posts with label racial politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racial politics. Show all posts

Saturday 19 December 2020

How populist leaders use your economic and political illiteracy?

Populist leaders

Solving the economic crises was presented as the reason for expanding government power and limiting citizens' rights.  

Marginalised workers usually don't want to hear arcane economic arguments when confronting low wages, unemployment and job insecurity.

Countries are increasingly being governed by radical popular politicians keen to exploit the average voter's fear and insecurities.

Economic and social turmoil have led voters to allow the democratic process to be severely eroded.  

In many countries, the media has become a tool of the ruling party or leader, leaving virtually no possibility of disseminating opposing viewpoints or critical arguments domestically.

Once populists have gained power, a typical tactic is to attack the press or the justice system as being part of the problem, not the solution.


Autocratic leaders

In extreme cases, the populists become true autocrats by stifling any form of opposition, pointing out that they, and only they, are able to solve the economic problems in a way that will benefit the average worker.

Autocratic leaders often enrich themselves and their families at the expense of the voters or workers they are ostensibly there to protect.  

The dirty little secret of autocratic leaders is that many are more interested in protecting their own interests, such as protecting selected political supporters or an inner circle of oligarchic businesspeople, so they play to the fears of average citizens, manipulating them into voting against the economic interests of the country as a whole.

Saturday 7 January 2012

Anwar says will end racial discrimination if elected PM


By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

January 07, 2012
PETALING JAYA, Jan 7 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pledged last night he would rid the country of the “culture” of racial discrimination if he is elected prime minister, affirming that Pakatan Rakyat would uphold the rights of all races.
The PKR de facto leader said he would abolish the PTPTN undergraduate loan system, and not burden the poor with such mechanisms.

Anwar speaking at the ceramah in Subang Jaya on January 6, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May
“We will assist and help all races, that is our difference compared to Umno,” he proclaimed to a 2,000-strong crowd at a ceramah in Subang Jaya.
Anwar pointed out that upholding Islam did not give any Muslim the right to insult or bully non-Muslims, and that this act was against Malay cultural norms.
He recalled a time when a Chinese student (whom he named as Sui Lin) came to him to ask for financial aid to further her studies, and that her family could not afford to pay the university fees.
“This will be my stand. God willing when I get to Putrajaya I will make sure Sui Lin is protected as my daughter is.
“It is conscience, we need to have conscience,” Anwar said.
The 64-year-old grandfather charged that Barisan Nasional’s failure to govern the country has led to rampant corruption.
“The problem is that our system defends the corrupted,” said Anwar, specifically focusing on the scandal surrounding ....


Read more here:

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Malaysia's PM Najib seeks end to race debate

Malaysia's PM Najib seeks end to race debate
By Melissa Goh | Posted: 21 October 2010

Prime Minister Najib Razak addresses the ruling party's annual general assembly in Kuala Lumpur


Malaysia's PM Najib seeks end to race debate

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak wants an end to debate on the special rights and preferential treatment of Malays.

Speaking at the general assembly of the ruling UMNO party on Thursday, he said the talk on the issue is threatening racial harmony and national stability.

Addressing delegates, Mr Najib also urged the country's Malays to be competitive and stop relying on handouts.

PM Najib seeks to achieve a new era in race relations - one that's based on a shared future for all.

Mr Najib took over as UMNO president last March and since then, he has set in motion a transformation programme to shed the party's corrupt and arrogant image, to one that's more inclusive and relevant.

He also urged all sides to stop the debate over the Malay's special rights and privileges, as they have a historical context and cannot be withdrawn without first obtaining the consent of the traditional rulers.

"Whether we like it or not, we have to respect the consensus, because it is key to our continued survival. If it is open to debate, we are worried it will cause uneasiness and instigate the primordial instincts which exist between ethnic groups," said PM Najib.

Similarly, he said that the non-Malays should not feel threatened, as their citizenship and birthright are guaranteed under the constitution.

While UMNO will continue to defend the special rights, quota, and permits of the Malays, Mr Najib said the Malays should aim to compete globally.

He said: "Malays should be able to compete with the best and the strongest. Malays must become the greatest on the world stage."

Mr Najib's presidential address received a rousing response from delegates, including former party president and prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"I think this speech would have cleared the air quite a bit for all communities - that there are certain things we can discuss, that there are certain things we can change, but there are also certain things that we cannot change. Whether there is an election or not, I think it is good that everybody understands the real position," said Dr Mahathir.

But other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties feel differently.

Chua Soi Lek, President of the Malaysia Chinese Association said: "We are aware of the sensitivity of the issues involved, but there should be room for discussion, especially on its implementation."

Samy Vellu, President of the Malaysia Indian Congress said: "It's not question of questioning; it's a question of living together, it's a question of understanding each other, and also it's a question of feeling for each other."

While Mr Najib is keeping the people guessing when the next general election is going to be, analysts said the speech was aimed at consolidating his support within the party.

But many find it difficult to reconcile it with his 1Malaysia principle - which is to ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of race or religion. - CNA /ls

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/1088541/1/.html

Sunday 3 October 2010

Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysia’s Growth



October 1, 2010
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysia’s Growth
By LIZ GOOCH


KUALA LUMPUR — With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.

Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapore’s clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.

As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.

“I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown,” said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. “But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.”

That is exactly the kind of sentiment Malaysia’s policy makers are desperate to change.

Many Asian nations have long been concerned about the outflow of human capital to more developed countries, but here in Malaysia, the need to address the problem has assumed a new urgency in the final decade for reaching its long-established goal of becoming a developed country by 2020.

Companies have long complained about a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia, and economists say it is severely affecting the country’s ability to attract more high-technology industries. The government is acutely aware of the shortage in skills and the potential hurdle it poses to the country’s 2020 goal.

“We don’t get it right, we are in serious trouble,” the human resources minister, S. Subramaniam, said during an interview.

Studying and working overseas have long been considered attractive options for those Malaysians who can afford to make the move. About half of those living abroad can be found in neighboring Singapore. Australia, Britain and the United States are also popular.

Robert K. Chelliah, who runs an Australian immigration agency in Perth, with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said by phone that the number of Malaysians contacting his company with inquiries about moving to Australia had soared 80 percent since 2008.

“In the last two to three years, the motivation to acquire Australian permanent residency has sharply increased across all age sectors as well as across racial backgrounds,” he said.

Like Ms Liew, most of the seven people interviewed for this article said that better education, wages and career opportunities could be found abroad, while parents wanted to ensure that their children received an internationally recognized education in English.

Many interviewees, when asked about their concerns about returning to Malaysia, cited racial tensions and the country’s affirmative action policy, which gives special privileges to ethnic Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The government has recognized the need to change the policy, which was introduced in the 1970s to improve the economic standing of Malays, who were more highly represented among the nation’s poor than its Chinese and Indian minorities.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has repeatedly emphasized that affirmative action would be made “market-friendly, merit-based, transparent and needs-based” under the country’s latest plan, the New Economic Model, which is designed to steer Malaysia toward its development goals. Ethnic Malays, or bumiputras, still benefit from privileges like discounted housing, and some government contracts are available only to companies they control.

A Malaysian Chinese businessman, who left Malaysia for Canada as a university student in the 1970s and stayed there, said that because of the policy, only a handful of his Malaysian Chinese classmates who also studied abroad had returned to Malaysia. Several other Malay and non-Malay interviewees also described the system as unfair.

Danny Quah, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says that the brain drain has had a huge effect on the country’s economic and industrial development.

“People have left, growth prospects have dimmed, and then more people continue to leave,” said Mr. Quah, who is also a member of the Malaysian National Economic Advisory Council. “It’s a vicious cycle that the economy has had to confront for the last decade or longer.”

Malaysia’s growth rate dropped to an average of 5.5 percent a year from 2000 to 2008, from an average of about 9 percent a year from 1991 to 1997.

Private investment, meanwhile, has fallen to about 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 from more than a third of G.D.P. in 1997, and the World Bank has warned that a lack of human capital is a “critical constraint in Malaysia’s ambition to become a high-income economy.”

Stewart Forbes, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said foreign companies faced difficulties finding skilled workers in fields like electronics, the petrochemical industries and engineering. Some companies complain of poor communication and English skills.

“I don’t think it’s yet reached the stage where companies are saying, ‘I cannot do my business here,”’ Mr. Forbes said. “I think it’s true to say, however, that there’s lost investment opportunities here because of the labor situation.”

Mr. Forbes contrasted the skill shortage in Malaysia, where 80 percent of the work force has only a high school education, with a country like Taiwan, which emphasizes the number of holders of graduate degrees available to investors.

Previous government attempts to lure back Malaysian expatriates, namely the Brain Gain Malaysia and Returning Expert programs, have had little success. Despite financial incentives like importing cars tax-free and efforts to ease access to permanent residency for foreign spouses, they have attracted fewer than 3,000 applicants.

The government now plans to enhance and consolidate those programs under a new agency, to be known as the Talent Corp. Its financing will be announced as part of the country’s 2011 budget on Oct 15. It will recommend ways the country's education and training systems can be overhauled to produce graduates who better fulfill industry needs, especially in sectors like information technology and financial services.

Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysia’s deputy prime minister and education minister, is leading a major review of the education system. “There will definitely be a major overhaul of the system,” he said in an interview, adding that the system needed to foster creativity and innovation.

Enhancing the skills of the existing work force, encouraging universities to work more closely with industry and increasing the number of students enrolled in vocational training are also priorities.

Mr. Muhyiddin said that Malaysia needed to record annual economic growth of 6 percent for the next 10 years to achieve its 2020 goal and that a work force with the right skills was a “precondition” for such growth.

Still, enticing Malaysian expatriates home, when salaries there remain lower than abroad, presents a major challenge.

In Malaysia, the average income per capita is currently about $7,000, a figure the government wants to increase to $15,000 by 2020. In Singapore, by contrast, the figure hovers around $37,000, World Bank data show.

Mr. Subramaniam, the human resources minister, says that he expects salaries to rise as more high-technology industries develop and that, in the meantime, improvements in other factors, like work opportunities, may help lure Malaysians home.

“If we give them a good working environment, an area where they can grow, and it’s stimulating and satisfying, they might be willing to take a slight cut in their salary,” he said.

Still, some economists remain skeptical about the government’s initiatives to reverse the diaspora.

Terence Gomez, a professor on the economics faculty of the University of Malaya, said that changing the affirmative action policy remained a highly contentious issue, with the government under pressure from right-leaning groups and members of its own party, the United Malays National Organization, to maintain it.

But he said it was vital that Malaysia become more of a meritocracy if it is to succeed in drawing back the diaspora. For instance, non-Malays need to be assured that they can be appointed to senior civil service positions, and the private sector must be based on transparency and fairness, rather than race, he said.

Otherwise, “professionals won’t come back and work in the public sector, and investors won’t come back and invest in the private sector,” he added.

Mr. Quah of the London School said that it was not affirmative action alone that had driven the brain drain and that higher wages and economic growth, and good schooling opportunities, were vital to enticing expatriates home.

“This is an economically astute middle class, and they will see whether it’s in their interests to return or not,” he said.

Chen May Yee, 39, a Malaysian Chinese journalist who lives in Minneapolis with her American husband and two children, is yet to be convinced that Malaysia can offer the work opportunities and lifestyle she wants for her family. She said she had taken a pay cut each time she had previously moved back to Malaysia after stints in the United States or Singapore — sometimes as much as 50 percent.

“I’d love to move back for family and friends, but I just don’t see how to make it work economically,” she said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/business/global/02brain.html?ref=business&src=me&pagewanted=all

Malaysia



Malaysia has long prided itself as a model of ethnic harmony. But the country's three main races Malays, Chinese and Indians now find themselves at an uneasy turning point. The post-independence political formula of race-based parties united in a common coalition is breaking down, with Chinese and Indians withdrawing their support. An affirmative action program favoring Malays has been extended indefinitely and is widely resented among non-Malays. Add religious tensions to the mix and the notion of a common Malaysian identity is looking fragile. Malay Muslims are asserting their rights to be judged by a separate Islamic legal system in matters pertaining to marriage, divorce and inheritance. The civil courts have so far ruled in their favor.

Yet as the country searches for a common identity, some parts of the country are thriving. Construction is booming in the heart of the commercial capital, Kuala Lumpur. The government is reaping billions of dollars from the surge in commodity prices, mainly oil and gas and palm oil and rubber. Malaysia continues to build world-class highways and other physical infrastructure. But the quality of its universities and education system remains middling to poor.

In February 2008, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for general elections. The campaign was a barometer of a soured national mood, with voters in opinion polls saying their greatest concerns were ethnic tensions, income inequality, rising prices of fuel and food and a surge in crime. Contested vigorously by the opposition, the elections were also a test of Mr. Abdullah's popularity. He came to power in 2003 promising sweeping reforms and a crackdown on corruption, but his administration has been widely seen as ineffectual. When opposition party members and activists wanted to send a message about the state of Mr. Abdullah's administration, they delivered a present to his office -- a pillow.

--Thomas Fuller, March 6, 2008

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Poll shows divided Malays & Malaysians

Poll shows divided Malays

July 09, 2010

Najib has been forced to back down on planned reforms to protect Umno’s Malay backing. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Malays are split over whether affirmative action should continue and if they actually benefit enough from government programmes, a public opinion poll on political values show. The poll by the independent Merdeka Center released today also found a majority of Malays surveyed — 70 per cent — felt that corruption among the community's leaders was the main threat to the Malay/Bumiputera political position as opposed to "demands made by other races in the country."

The results of this latest survey suggest Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) still has its work cut out in their bid to win back lost support since Election 2008.

Umno's leadership has been particularly sensitive about the Malay ground even as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to push his reform agenda.

Najib has been forced to hold back several drastic reforms to affirmative action policies because many within Umno are convinced the majority of Malays will return to the party if it becomes more strident in protecting Malay interests.

But the latest Merdeka Center survey showed that the Malays were equally split on government assistance programmes with 45 per cent of them believing that it only benefits the rich and politically connected.  


About 48 per cent of the Malays surveyed believed that such programmes have benefited the ordinary public.

The poll was conducted between January 21 and April 26 to gauge public attitudes towards a number of issues such as national unity, integrity, democratic participation and affirmative action, said Merdeka Center in a statement.

It added that a total of 3141 Malaysians aged 19 and above were interviewed nationwide, comprising 51 per cent Malays, 26 per cent Chinese, seven per cent Indian, nine per cent other Muslim Bumiputeras and seven per cent non-Muslim Bumiputeras.

The survey also showed that 59 per cent of the Malays and Bumiputeras believed that special privileges should continue to be accorded to them by virtue of being the original inhabitants of the country.

But up to 40 per cent of the Malay respondents said that all Malaysians should receive equal treatment regardless of race or religion.

The survey results also indicated that the non-Malays were almost split on the Najib administration's national unity agenda with 46 per cent of the respondents believing that the 1 Malaysia concept is only a political agenda to win the non-Malay votes.

Only 39 per cent of the non-Malays believed that the concept introduced by Najib after he took over the government was a sincere effort to unite all races in Malaysia.

Some 16 per cent of the non-Malays chose not to respond to the question.

Malaysians were also almost equally divided on the state of national unity with 48 per cent of those surveyed believing that citizens are more united now while 43 per cent believed that the country was more divided.

Comments (71)

lengcai's avatar
lengcai · 1 day ago
najib only has two options in his administrative, either fulfill his 1st version of 1Malaysia agenda, or put his head on the chopping block, to be chopped off by umno contractors which carries the majority among the umno central committees.
In another 6 months time, the gomen will be shocked to learn that 80% of the Malays felt that indiscrimate policies and extremist comments from likes of Perkasa are a major threat to national unity.
Malaysia Boleh's 
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Malaysia Boleh · 1 day ago
Dear Malay Brothers,we have to wake up now.Our Indian and Chinese brothers have woke up.We cannot be the last everytime.Its now or never. The longer we trust the UMNO putras, the more richer they get, and the more sucker we become.
3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
A very simple statement without any religious, race or colour element. I fully agree with Malaysia Boleh statement and add furhter by saying that time is runnig short even to fullfill this.
Many Malays (specially the older generation) are still supporting UMNO, may be they see that all these years Malaysia has progress a lot, and many Bumi have become better off socio-economically. But, they may not see that actually without UMNO and the NEP, Malaysia of all race and social classes can be better off compare to now.
They may say, NEP help them to get scholarship... (actually, without the wastage & curruption under the NEP, their children can get better quality of education and much more scholarship)
They may think that with NEP, Malays can get more business opportunities... (actually, without the cronies and wastage under the NEP, they can get more opportunities, not those big projects for the cronies, only the 'kacang' for the ordinary)
They may think that if without UMNO and NEP, Malays will be threatern and loss out in socio-economic development.... (actually, with NEP, the well-connected Malays will be much more richer, the ordinary will left far behind those well-connected....)
>> Malaysia will be far more better off without those UMNOputras and the misused NEP. We will have better quality and free education (even all free till university), more business opp. as the overall economy better, the GDP per capital will be much more higher, better and free public healthcare, better transportation, better house...... .... FOR ALL, including all Malays and bumiputras, not just a few Malays and bumiputras.
Some are born suckers and they deserved to be beggars and would be left out in this competitive world.
The polls only show that our Malay friends are fully aware of what is happening in the country and the world and know exactly what they wanted instead of those rubbish uttered by the politicians.

The UMNOputras are concern once the current priviledge they are enjoying is lost, they are no longer different from the Malays on the street and will have to compete with them. That is why they threatend Najib. Yet Najib with so many history behind him, was pulled by the nose by his deputy as his Deputy has never hide his intention to replace him. Looking for a change in UMNO ? yes, only with the Malays on the street, not the UMNOputras
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
yes Muhyiddin is always waiting for the right time to strike. Mahathir's role from the outside is critical. Once he decides to pour out him venom it would be detrimental to Najib.
amoker's avatar
amoker · 1 day ago
So, what is the overall percentage to the question if NEP helps the poor or rich? Quiet eh?
Well, if goverment wants to unite all races then do it sincerely it will be a happy ending, even in the official identification document (IC) religion of the non malay owner is not stated. For the bumiputra malays is very clearly stated.
logicmind56's 
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logicmind56 · 1 day ago
53 years down the road and one could see who benefits from the governments. Cronies not the ordinary citizens regardless of creeks, colors, religions and so on.

We are going nowhere with this BN government and our only way out are to have a new government. Corruptions, abuse of power, oppression, so on and we are at the lowest point in the dump. Most of us are fed-up with this BN government and even Malaysian's Malay too felt it except those cronies who would not care.

PR must take this opportunities and cleans up its acts fast and bring us out of this BN made dump.

For BN to change for the citizens is no way. "Old habits die hard." As for PR to be elected as a new government, "Opportunities don't come all the time."

"Are we ready!!!!" "Yes, we are ready for a new government."

By the way I am not affiliated to any political parties. I say what I see and feel. That' me.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
the urban Malays are quite open minded. It's the rural malays and the rural folks in sabah n Sarawak that are difficult to be convinced. Their only source of info is from the mainstream electronic and print media. UMNO/BN use scare tactics on them. So out of fear they prefer to maintain status quo no matter how difficult their lives are.
Nasir Arafat's 
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Nasir Arafat · 1 day ago
Orang Melayu kini sudah sedar! What is all this shit of Malay rights and Ketuanan Melayu? They are all bulls to deceive the Malays to vote UMNO Baru. What have the Malays benefitted from the Government after 53 years of independence? Only UMNO putras and cronies benefitted and the Melayu biasa? They are made to work like cows for the UMNO putras.

The non Malays certainly did not make extraordinary demands against the interests of Malays. Show proof, MM and Perkasa! We just do not trust MM and Perkasa and most of all UMNO Baru. Our future and that of Malaysians lies with Pakatan Rakyat, yes, PKR, PAS and DAP. We want change and we must change! The Malays are getting angrier by the day with all the flip flps, so are majority Malaysians. Vote Pakatan!
3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Aku sokong hujah bro nasir arafat 100%....Hidup Rakyat Malaysia !!! Vote Pakatan !!!
Yes Nasir, we want to move forward. We don't want to be under tempurung for too long. i myself have been asking one question again and again. "Why can't the gomen adopt the policy of helping everybody irrespective of race or religion, based on needs. Politically why are the malays scared. By percentage the malays form ~ 60% of population. So automatically more malays will get help if assistance is given based on needs. So it must be the greedy political UMNOputras and the Froggies like Ibrahim Ali that are spreading all these scare tactic. Their real goal is to protect their own self interest. Not the Malays in general, not the religion, neither the nation.
beautiful understanding,well done brother.
Ishtiaq's avatar
Ishtiaq · 1 day ago
UMNO divides the Malays, into the rich and the poor, UMNO divides the Malays by class, UMNO divides the Malays by political affiliations.

PAS, PKR unite the Malays, PAS, PKR unite all Malaysians to be towering Malaysians to take on the world economically as one Malaysian.

UMNO selalu cakap tak serupa bikin. Malays kini sudah bangkit bersama PKR, PAS dan DAP! Tak nak UMNO/BN. Always make use of Malays for their own greedy selves and we Malays are not going to be so stupid anymore!
3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
OsmethbinLaden's avatar
OsmethbinLaden · 1 day ago
Sokong 100%! UMNO divided the Malays and created the miseries the Malays all over the country are suffering from. Even, scholarships, allocation of assistance, everything is done through political affiliations, not through being a Malay or Muslim.

Malays are ashamed of all the huge corruptions and scandals gaining international attention. We had expected towering Malays to bring good to the country under UMNO, but this is what you see and we get!

53 tahun dah cukup dah! Tak nak UMNO/BN.
Yes Bro Ishtiaq, Malaysian Malays have spoken !!! Hidup Rakyat Malaysia !!!
Yes on the dot Ishtiaq
hapahapa's avatar
hapahapa · 1 day ago
Just as MCA is a party of businessmen, UMNO is a party of contractors. Combined, we ordinary Malaysia suffers.
Anandan's avatar
Anandan · 1 day ago
From the above survey, Najib's popularity is still 72% or 27%? If he trusts Merdeka Review's survey, he would have called for a snap election.

Somehow he has a feel that if he calls for a snap election, it would be suicidal. Hidup Rakyat! Hidup Pakatan! Hancur UMNO.
joe ngang's 
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joe ngang · 1 day ago
dont think the malays are stupid..... malays came together in 1999 GE only to be denied by the non-malays votes...if not it would have been different now...
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
RPK has did some analysis in this.
He shows that PKR has won popular vote!
Steven Ong's 
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Steven Ong · 1 day ago
The increasing divides among the Malays is a good sign that the Malays are beginning to be aware of their rights and the rights of others. Its not a sign of disunity but a sign to the Malays moving towards righteousness and fairness.
The process is complete when there are no more Malays , Chinese or Indians or others but only Malaysians .
Praise be to God.
Let us wake up and to know that we Malaysian are One Nation and One Race. Does the world picture us as Malaysian or bumiputeras, chinese, indian, kadazans, etc. After 50 over years of independence, we still fight among ourselves to champion one race like malay, chinese, indian and etc. Can't our politicans now concentrate and serve the people and achieve goals which was promised and set by the government of the day.
Anak Kubang Pasu's
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Anak Kubang Pasu · 1 day ago
Divided in opinion but divided in loyalty to the country. Loyalty to the country does not mean loyalty to UMNO ! Most educated Malays hate UMNO to the core. Some just could not wait to end the life of UMNO soonest due to its cancerous corruption.
Millionaire Malay contractors sending their sons overseas to England or US and getting discount for their bungalows have always been points of contention whenever NEP/DEB is concerned among non-Bumis.

Now, it seems average Malays are also getting riled up watching their fellow Datuks and Khir Toyos spending big bucks like drinking water while shouting about safe-guarding the Malay ''Rights''.
2 replies · active 1 day ago
please explain to the rural folks, thank you.
Puasa coming soon, then the balik kampung rush. I am sure ideas from the urban cities from well-read and well-informed urban dwellers will pass on to the rural folks. It will be slow but steady process.
tan hai lee's avatar
tan hai lee · 1 day ago
Ask Mr. Futuyma the famous Antropologist.
We are all Mongoloids or Mongolian origin, esp those from eastern Ganges upto south east asia.
We only divide by language, so where got other divide?
Let us all be one Mongolian.
KL 7310's avatar
KL 7310 · 1 day ago
Open your eyes and see the massive corruptions in BN. Despite being an oil producing country, we now don't have enough money to sustain ourselves. GST, subsidies cuts, betting license, all point to attempts to raise money by the government to fill up our half empty treasury. Wake up before all our money are sucked dry by corrupt politicians.
malaysmartvoter's 
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malaysmartvoter · 1 day ago
Educated Malays are not so stupid anymore listening to BN/UMNO rhetorics and sandiwara!!! Those that are still sleeping will one day wake up like the educated ones to make malaysia a better place for Malay!
lowxinpui's 
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lowxinpui · 1 day ago
Under Pakatan Rakyat, all the deserving Malays will benefit. Not UMNO Malays, nepotics, cronies.
GunaOtak101's 
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GunaOtak101 · 1 day ago
"70 per cent — felt that corruption among the community's leaders was the main threat to the Malay/Bumiputera political position as opposed to "demands made by other races in the country"

No wonder Ibrahim Ali & Dr. M are trying to sound important & relevant to the Malays over the last few months. They are the problem, not the solution.
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
That's their only purpose for maintaining the malay rights
During the 22 years as PM, Mahathir allowed and even facilitated corruption to become part of the Malaysian culture, a Malaysian way of life. He turned a blind eye to corruption that took place right under his nose and protected corrupt senior UMNO leaders. He is undoubtedly the Father of Corruption.
Lim Chien Seong's 
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Lim Chien Seong · 1 day ago
"The poll by the independent Merdeka Center released today also found a majority of Malays surveyed — 70 per cent — felt that corruption among the community's leaders was the main threat to the Malay/Bumiputera political position as opposed to "demands made by other races in the country."

As a Malaysian; I can accept a leadership that is honest, fair and transparent. I will give my full support to a Prime Minister who demonstrate these qualities; regardless of his/her skin color, religion, etc. Look at Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim's leadership subsidizes water bills of all Rakyat, for this he deserves our full support.

On the other hand, the currupt Khir Toyo, Ling Leong Sik, Samy, etc etc etc deserve to be locked up; regardless of their skin color, religion, etc.
Cik_CT's avatar
Cik_CT · 1 day ago
Every poor deserving Malaysian should be helped. By virtue of numbers (and with the claim of Malays being the largest group of poor); that means most of the help goes to Malays; but Malays who need it! Not the UMNO cronies; or rich folks who own multimillion houses (at bumiputra discount) who send their kids to UK on PSD scolarship, get the AP license, grab contracts and sell it to their MCA towkay crony, etc.

Malaysia can only be saved from this mis-governance if the Malays want better governance. If not in another 20 years this blessed country will become impoverished and its young will grow up to be maids in other countries! Save Malaysia! Vote out this BN govt!
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Agree with you cik CT
please help those most deserved group.....they are our brother and sister.
You don't want to see them suffer any longer.
yes.....if nothing is changed soon.
majority of our next generation girls will send to china/taiwan/singapore/HK to
become maid! Boys will work in the construction/manufaturing cheap/high risk
unwanted jobs oversea. A very good look at Indonesia and Philipine now and 20 years ago.
I am sure you can observe the similarity between them and us. Don't you?
Isa Rahim's 
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Isa Rahim · 1 day ago
Take note that this Merdeka Centre is an UMNO controlled entity. So take their statements with at least with a dozen pinches of salt.
lalaman's avatar
lalaman · 1 day ago
Don't need to comment/talk so much la....just get urself registered and cast your votes accordingly when the time comes. In the mean time, don't be a hippocrite by supporting corruption when stopped for a traffic offence, work honest & hard for your dough, and be less political about every issue. Its a sheer waste of time and money to some issues repeated over and over again.

If you can't do that, don't expect/ preach your "leaders" to do so. Remember, the change starts from your own self, not by posting comments during lunchtime break.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Very apt advice there. More to action and less to talk. However if all the MI readers are silent and don't post their opinions, then this website is like all the other newspaper online sites, boring and dull.
Eti Soppo's 
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Eti Soppo · 1 day ago
If the poll result is unbiased and is assumed to reflect the actual scenario going forward, GE13 is going to be interesting since neither BN nor PR is strong enough to getting majority support. A weak government will not be beneficial to the country's development.
Logic Think's 
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Logic Think · 1 day ago
All we ask for is something that universal human rights of any country, any race will support. That is, "Only he that work will get to eat". Simple idea isn't it?

However the Umnoputras want it the other way around, those who do not work, but only sign a document get to eat the Lion's share while those who work, remain as the coolie. Sounds like the 16th century..... too bad.... how to 1Malaysia???

Can somone answer me - ie those who still believe in the present government?
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Transparent's avatar
Transparent · 22 hours ago
If those who apply for work/tender do not pay anything to these people then thw whole corruption will stop forever because it can never work one sided. But those who greed still pay to these people just to get the contract and by virtue of giving you are actually supporting them and of course no different from them as well or maybe worst than them!
Easier said than done, my friend, easier said than done. Tell me, why in the first place all the tender/work are given to contractors of one party only? If you can understand it, then you will know why those ''other'' contractors who apply for tender/work have to ''do'' something to get the job.
MeorUSA's avatar
MeorUSA · 1 day ago
anybody can demerit UMNO. Polls cannot dehumanised Malays.
Action speak louder...for the rich or poor Malays. You can polls (as you please)the results but you cannot polls the intentions.
Haiyaa, why don't they votes for the opinion polls in favor of the government so that BN will conduct snap election soon. The faster they die lor....
This so-called Malay rights stuff is to intimidate the Malay rather than helping them. Only the handicapped needs extra help in order to survive. While all the non-Malay can survive without any special right, why can't the Malay do it as well? I am sure they are well capable of doing what others can do. Those UMNO cronies are so used to receiving special treatment and they are scared of change. Therefore, they brainwash other Malays to follow them. Please my fellow Malaysian, stop using Malay, Chinese or Indian. We are one big family and should only be addressed as Malaysian. The more 1Malaysian slogan is mentioned, the more I feel there is gap among us. Wake up Malaysian! Whether you are originally from this land or not, every citizen needs to contribute and gain from the community.
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Very very well said.
Don't you see? Malays are being told daily that they cannot compete, they will die off, Chinese and Indian will eat their lunch, Malays are stupid, lazy, illiterate, cannot speak English ... Sooner or later, Malays either believe this, or they get fed up being told this! That's the reason the polls are divided!
kathirvel's 
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kathirvel · 1 day ago
The Malaysian Government has been promoting Malay Contractors - for almost all types of products and services that the government uses or needs. This has been going on for fifty years. Any reasonably intelligent person can take advantage of these policies and profit from it without much sweat. Their percentage and the percentage for the patrons are all properly calculated and included in the contracts at the expense of the taxpayer, Other citizens also suffer because their money is eaten away by these contractors.

Having tasted once, these contractors come back for more and more - it is easy money.

What has all these done for the Malays? Yes, a small group of Malays have become filthy rich at the expense of the people.

Has this policy created a community of contractors who can go out and compete in the open market for jobs and services. Simply look around and ask how many rish or for that matter less rich Malays engage Malay contractors to construct their bigand small palaces or even doing small repair jobs to their houses.

All government IT contracts goes to Malays. Go to any of the shopping malls - and who is the one supplying computer equipment and supplies? One might find some Malay suppliers in small towns and villages where others do not want to venture.

One would have expected that since the government contracts has an almost guaranteed profit, they can take risks and build their businesses for open competition. It does not happen.

From the day Malay children start school, they learn very quickly that the government is there to look after them right up the grave. They only look to government for employment. Private sector is all too difficult for them.

UMNO has very successfully created a community that is and will be for ever dependent on government. And they also control their thinking process - do not ask anything - just accept and do what UMNO wants.

Just look at the following two reports in the columns today. This is the tip of the iceberg of how contractors want to and will continue to rape the Malaysian government under Malaysian polices.

# High Court to hear petition to shutter royal-owned contractor
# Ex-contractor loses RM480m suit against defence ministry.

This is what PERKASA Ibrahim and Mahathir like to perpetuate. Keep on giving additional crutches and make them ever more dependent so that they and their children can rule for ever.

The Malays will never learn to compete and be self reliant in this world. The children will have to learn this right from school and learn how the Chinese and Indians think and do things.

After fifty years - how many Malay contractors are there who can .
Hello Merdeka x Center.

How do you correlate what you write now with the recent 72% popularity of Najib? Are you implying that the general public is fickle minded, volatile and hence can change their minds in just 2 weeks?

No, the general public reads your minds very well. They've already come to the conclusion that Merdeka x Center must be full of morons.
As a young educated malay, I say no to all this affirmative action nonsense, no to this Ketuanan Melayu garbage, and no to NEP . There is nothing attractive about any of the above.

I know too many of my generation who were given good jobs, based on near zero qualifications, only to fail miserably at putting any added value into their positions/careers. This is the true face of the NEP: lazy malays, who just barely pass their exams, and through their relatives on the board of Company ABC or XYZ, often get the jobs other more deserving Malaysians should have gotten.

If this is the end product of 'affirmative action', then I'll tell u now, if it continues, the entire country will go back to the dark ages within the next 50 years. All it has bred so far is unproductive malays addicted to handouts. Do we all want your kids to be unproductive clueless zombies? I certainly don't
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Agree with you Hardy
Many others will be happy to work among the Malay graduates you mentioned, for all they have to do is to laze around with them, and get their paycheck at the end of the month by just sitting around updating facebook/msn. This is the ultimate drug UMNO prescribed to the Malays, either by downgrading their abilities or promoting the ''glamour'' of Rempits.
Remember Projek Mat Cemerlang?
anak Malaysia's 
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anak Malaysia · 23 hours ago
Malaysia is crush by rampant corruption nowaday.. every single project cost bilions of Ringgit.. even widen up the LRT can cost more than 10Bilion ringgit.. how can it be reasonable? Where is our rakyat tax money being spend? Our hard-earned taxed money being wasted by corruption. I wonder if our UMNO/BN leader still practise selfish attitude twd corruption, then I really bet our beloved M'sia will go to bankrupt for sure.. not till 2019.. mayb much earlier than this..
Transparent's 
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Transparent · 22 hours ago
If the pool result show that everyone happy with Najib reforms then we do not need PR. Of course there are always some people are happy and some are depending on what you get and what you fight. Conslusion can be made that no Govt can say they have done the best as the Opposition will always creating some issues. That's politic! It's always a cycle but only in Malaysia the cycle has yet to happen. As a result those in Opposition were not happy because they have yet to govern and take "some" advantage for "their" future and not the Malaysian!
Merdeka centre is so half full. Malays are not divided, they are growing mature.
1Malaysia's 
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1Malaysia · 22 hours ago
What now Umno ? Believe the poll's accuracy or ignore it ? Najib, it's your take ... DO something bloodly GOOD for all Malaysians starting now.
You're the LEADER of Umno.. ( and PM of All Malaysians as you declared not long ago, remember ? ) It's time for you to chop off the heads including deputy ministers & ministers who 'sabotage & never really support ' your 1 Malaysia concept in Umno. Take action against the madman of Perkasa.
Show us you got the guts. Show us you got balls to do it. Show us you really mean it, the 1 Malaysia concept.
If it's merely a political slogan that's hollow, well... just shut up & sit down. Let others who really believe in Malaysian citizen's concept take the job. He must has the guts & ball to do it man!
Need not say more but fully agree with our Malaysian Malay brothers comment above speaks for itselves especially the comments by Malaysia Boleh, Nasir Arafat, Ishtiaq, hapahapa, UtusanReader1 and many others.......Hidup Rakyat Malaysia !!!
nowadays, no money no talk!
many are struggling to survive for their everyday needs.
all the gomen care, collect all the taxes as much as they can, and spends more, instead of helping the rakyat. they spends more to enriched themselves.
kalau tak bayar pelbagai cukai, kena sita, kena saman atau kena penjara.
adakah gomen sekarang pikir pasal rakyat? yang i tahu, mereka hanya mementingkan diri sendiri.
A colorful logo and slogan is not going to help when underling issue remain unaddressed. In this country we have fake CDs, fake Tshirts, fake hanbags, fake softwares, fake money, fake press freedom, fake MACC, fake judiciary, fake police, fake polls, fake election to make fake politicians and they all go well with the fake 1Malaysia theme. So what can we say except to VOTE THEM OUT!
Malaysian of all races and creed, please raise up and make your voice heard in the next election. We all love Malaysia and do not want it to be wasted at the hands of UMNO/BN.

UMNO/BN have been good at dividing Malaysians and this has stagnated our progress as a nation both economically and socially. We can be as good as our southern neighbours or even BETTER!

First task now is to get ready to kick this UMNO/BN govt. out!
errr....this poll is lim kok wing's...ha ha ha...
UMNO telah memperbodohkan rakyat selama ini. Dan Melayu Baru mesti bangun dan sedar bahawa orang yang kaya adalah orang UMNO yang dekat dengan Najib dan kunchu-kunchu dia.
The Malays are not stupid anymore.They are smarter then the corrupted BN govt.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
not stupid anymore.............pleaselah bro dont insult the brotherhood
vincent tan's 
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vincent tan · 16 hours ago
The government should help the poor Malays, poor Chinese & poor Indians.
Now the government is doing exactly the opposite.
Of course the rich Malays want the affirmative actions to continue to make them richer!!!