Thursday, November 16, 2006

Lending A Helping Hand

I must say that the overwhelming amount of politically motivated racially-biased rhetoric being generated by the UMNO General Assembly has dulled my ability to make coherent responses myself. Hence I've decided not to dwell with the specifics of whatever the delagates raise. But there has been one point which I found "recurring" throughout, which was raised by many parties, whether radical or moderate.

I found it curious that in order to extend and entrench economic, social and political privileges to Malays, and more specifically to Malay politicians, the UMNO delegates will go to the far ends of the world to describe how weak in performance, poor in wealth and pitiful trailing the other communities and the rest of the world. It is almost as if without the Never Ending Policy, Malays will disappear from the face of the earth. And hence, according to Maulizan Bujang, Umno Johor delegate:
...the other races should understand and accept the Malay agenda with an open heart. Umno Johor believes that the Malays must be helped without the stipulation of an end to its (NEP) duration. It should also not be limited to just 30 percent but up to any amount.
Now, I'd put it very very simply. It is absolutely the last thing on my mind, and on the majority of the non-bumiputeras out there who are equally fair-minded, that the poor Malays should not receive extra assistance from the government and the community.

On the contrary, we want to specifically provide extra assistance and help to the poor Malays in the country, as well as the deserving poor of all other Malaysians. I'm personally more than happy to contribute from my personal finances based on whatever I can afford to meet that objective.

What we specifically object to, is to provide special privileges to the likes of Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros at my personal political, social and financial expense. Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros epitomises the typical UMNOputra who has the uncanny ability to somehow live way beyond his means. Why should Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros receive any favours from me, when he clearly already belongs to the wealthiest 1% in the country? Is there logic and justice in that?

We will lend more than a helping hand to poor Malays to ensure that they have a more than equal opportunity to prosper. But the Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros, and his brethen in UMNO, deserves no such hand.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seriously do anyone really think don't think that NEP benefit mostly the UMNOputras? Frankly even the 2,000 delegates attending the General Assembly deep down knows that.

But what does it mean when most of the 2,000 delegates cheered on Mauzilan Bujang and Mat Rahmat? It means that structurally there is something very wrong with UMNO. How is that that such a large number of middle-class community leader don't recognize that they are cheering apartheid? At its very core, UMNO is feudal, held back by leadership that still know it can be.

What is even more disturbing is that the next generation leaders of the likes of KJ don't get it that when they turn on rhetoric even louder, they are in fact trapped by that feudalism, becoming part of it.

The economic gap between the races is still wide but what is worst is that mental gap is even wider.

Anonymous said...

The NST on page 9, November 16(Thursday), under the lower right column titled "Media under attack", where Kedah UMNO representative Senator Tajul Urus Mohd Zain lambasted the NST reporters for highlighting the issue of Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros in front of some 3000 delegates and observers and to the applause from the delegates. Referring to Zakaria as ayahanda(dear father), Tajul said the Zakaria was merely doing the normal thing that everybody did - build any building first, if there's problem, just pay the fine. (My summary).

Just makes me sick. Can you imagine he said "Zakaria was merely doing the normal thing that everybody did - build any building first, if there's problem, just pay the fine." Tajul even has the guts to call Zakaria ayahanda.

Anonymous said...

Lending a helping hand indeed.

Trashed said...

James,

If you have politicians articulating those thoughts, obviously they do not believe in abiding by the rule of law or following procedures. What kind of "leadership by example" do they provide ?

Does it really surprise you that the followers will do the same ?

I thought that AAB would crack down on these when he was given the mandate of the GE but he does appear to have blinkers on, doesn't he ?

We neeed strong leadership from the very top.

Anonymous said...

What is to be noted is that AAB respond to all these rhetoric is that the NEP ended in 1990 but the objective continued which is 1) economic balance by race and 2) poverty eradication.

It shows he still understand that these ideas are futile. My own guess is that he think he is letting them vent their frustration.

The truth is nothing is going to change much. He is not going to overspend, he is not going change qoutas or the NEP/NDP. In the end he think all he has to do is focus on implementation. He will take the path of what he has always been about - moderation and compromise and that is the problem, he won't face the problem head on.

This is Malaysia - nothing is as good as it seems and overall it does not look as bad as it sounds i.e. mediocrity is our hallmark, our blessing and our curse.

Anonymous said...

can you imagine how horrible it is for me to follow the general assembly and listen to all the crap that they spew out?

it was hell writing that story :/

Anonymous said...

.... I only see zombies at the UMNO gathering....Romero's night of the living dead!!

Anonymous said...

I was thinking on my way to work while being trapped in a traffic jam, what needs to be done to ensure that we have a good group of people who are genuinely interested in making the country a better place for everyone? Maybe we should regulate the wealth accumulation of our politician. Have a maximum limit to the amount of wealth they can amass (an amount that allows them to live comfortably and yet forbids them from turning into greedy monsters) Whoever feels that they need to amass more than the regulated amount can then opt to exit politics and concentrate on their business venture and should have no business in representing the people as it clearly indicates that their real passion is in making money. Will that work? I am still wondering.

Anonymous said...

Interesting write-up in Australia's "The AGE" newspaper.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/while-malaysia-fiddles-its-opportunities-are-running-dry/2006/11/14/1163266550487.html?page=fullpage#

Pity there's next to no chance of our leaders waking up to reality. Congratulations, we are officially the laughing stock of the world. Then again, what else is new?

Malaysia Boleh indeed.....

Anonymous said...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/
while-malaysia-fiddles-its-opportunities
-are-running-dry/2006/11/14/1163266550487
.html?page=fullpage#