Monday, March 8, 2010

New Economic Model = 1Malaysia???

The past one year it's been 1Malaysia here 1Malaysia there!!! It's been bandied about and proclaimed at every opportunity. However like everyone else who is of sound mind and intelligence, all it is just empty promises and mere slogans. Here again the present UMNO/BN government fails to understand that the rakyat has matured tremendously more so after the 12th general elections. No longer does the general public depend on the Main Stream Media for updates or news on what is happening on the political front. Even housewives have their laptops or net books to browse the internet for the latest gossips on artists. I know this because my wife has a netbook herself and she keeps herself abreast with the latest news and gossips not only on gossips of Malaysian artists but also on the political front.
How sad it is to note yet again the New Economic Model will again most likely fail miserably when it is eventually unveiled. Of course it isn't fair for me to comment on it as it is yet to be unveiled (further delayed apparently for fine tuning konon!!!). One only has to keep abreast of the latest happenings and the demands being made by the newest peer pressure group threatening yet again that the Malay and Bumiputra rights must not or never be threatened or cast out. It's an open secret that only selected well connected Malays and Bumiputras actually benefit from affirmative action which has been practiced under the New Economic Policy since the 70s. Those not who are not well connected have to work as hard as any other Malaysian to earn a living competing with all races. Those who don't depend on the government must be really humiliated and ashamed with the actions of this group of NGOs claiming to protect the interest of the Malays and Bumiputras. At the end of the day we all know all they are interested in is protecting their own interests. I know of many Malays who face the open and brutal market for business opportunities and they in fact are one of the few who have actually done well enough or even better than any other. To say that these Malay Malaysians should and must be further protected is an INSULT to the highest degree. Well, that is how I would personally feel.
In finality the world is getting smaller day by day. If we as Malaysians still profess and insist in practicing affirmative action it is just a loss for the Malays in particular and all Malaysian irrespective of race and creed in general. There is no way for us to compete in the international and open market if we still practice protectionism. Will the New Economic Model be just another slogan like 1Malaysia?? Unfortunately I believe it will. It will be just another slogan to harp on to garner support to benefit the UMNO/BN government and those who are well connected to get richer while the poor Malaysian on the street who aren't as lucky or well connected - terus berada di takuk lama!!!!!!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Getting worse!!!

It's been a weeks since I've come back from work in Qatar. Honestly I've started and stopped writing a post a couple of times since I've been back. I seem to lose focus on what I'm writing whenever I start then I just stop and delete what I've written. After scanning and reading most of the posts in my favorite websites and blogs it seems that not much has changed and the political climate remains as volatile as ever. MPs leaving parties, evidence being witheld in cases, mud slinging among top politicians and so on. I wonder if there are more like me out there in Malaysia, feeling lost, feeling unsure, flabbergasted, shocked and most of all angry at what is happening.
I've often stated I am lucky that I work overseas, earning much more than an average Malaysian. Thankful for being able to give my family what I didn't have when I was growing up. Saving for my children's future and of course for when I retire. However is it all in vain? With the way the country is going at the moment I don't really know if I will be even welcome in my own country. The racial divide is getting wider and wider by the day, this PERKASA is evidence in itself that there are some who think the country owe it to them to have special rights and privileges. Who are they to say that they deserve more than others?? Who are they to demand that the should and must be assisted in more ways than one.
It's an open secret that only well 'connected' malays in Malaysia will get contracts and benefits. Ask any ordinary malay man on the street if he has been given anything in terms of benefits. The answer will be a big ZERO. So all this hullaballoo with the formation of PERKASA is only a smokescreen to protect certain individuals or groups personal interests. Well that is what I feel personally that is. How long are we to endure these injustices and double standards under the current government. 1Malaysia touted by Najib is nothing but a slogan and nothing more. The Prime Minister needs to do more to prove his worth and not just trumpet his slogan everywhere he goes without any action. Malaysians have worked hard to be where we are now, racial tolerance/acceptance once rock solid to a point being a beacon or example to other countries around world is now left in tatters with the recent racial problems rearing it's ugly head.
Najib may not be using racial sentiments but his underlings are. As a leader he should be reign in these individuals and put a stop to it. Is it due to the fact that these individuals are warlords within UMNO who still wield influence and can determine his political future being the reason Najib can't act?? Your guess is as good as mine. However if it is not stopped the situation will only get worse. At the end of the day I'm only a single voice, a single individual voicing his dissatisfaction and anger. I treat everybody with respect, race and religion has no bearing on how I personally treat or look a person or individual. I teach my children the same thing. For one to be respected, one needs to respect others first. Basic moral values seem to be disintegrating with each passing day. How are we to instill moral values to the younger generation when we ourselves do not practice what we preach??
One can only hope and pray that there are many like me out there in Malaysia. Hoping and praying that things will change for the better. Doing our bit to ensure our children grow up in a better Malaysia. Reading and understanding what is going on in our beloved Malaysia and making the right decision when the time comes. We ordinary Malaysians have been taken for a ride, we have been blindfolded and fooled by individuals who only think of themselves and their well being for far too long. It's time for us to the Rakyat to determine who works for who. Many have said it and I am not ashamed to repeat it we shape our own destiny, so to all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion, let us all live in peace and harmony. Let us build a better future not only for ourselves but also for our future generations.