Malaysia’s election | The no-colour revolution | Economist.com

 

.. This is extremely good news for many reasons. The most basic is that democracies need a vibrant and credible opposition. Any party that stays in power for half a century is liable to show signs of complacency, arrogance and corruption, and UMNO is no exception. Abdullah Badawi won by a landslide in 2004, partly because of a promise to clean things up. Voters have turned against him not least because he is seen as having failed, or—worse—as not having even tried hard.

Second, the election result is a victory for hope over fear. At times the government has used harsh laws against opponents. Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of what is now the largest opposition party, and Lim Guan Eng, the new chief minister of the state of Penang, have done time in jail. More generally, the National Front has played on the fears evoked by the ghosts of 1969, when opposition advances at the polls were followed by bloody race riots. A vote for the opposition, went the none-too-subtle message, would risk bloodshed as the Malay majority took its revenge on the minorities. Yet it was not only many ethnic-Chinese voters (about a quarter of the population) and, especially, disgruntled ethnic Indians (about 8%) who deserted the National Front. Many Malays switched too.

That is a third reason for optimism: communal tension may not be the tinderbox that Malaysia has for so long assumed it to be. If so, the result may herald new thinking about the institutionalised racism of the pro-Malay affirmative-action policies introduced after 1969. The opposition parties campaigned on a platform of “colour-blind” affirmative action—help for those who need it, not for a particular ethnic group. In the past, that would have been deemed electoral suicide. Surely Malays would not vote against their own economic self-interest? In the event many seem to have recognised that the policy has become less a means for redistributing wealth to the disadvantaged than a vehicle for corruption and cronyism.

…

Or perhaps by then UMNO and the National Front will have reformed themselves. The first signs were good. Mr Badawi accepted the setback with grace. Opposition leaders avoided gloating and told their supporters not to celebrate in the streets lest they provide an excuse for troublemakers. Such maturity and restraint may not last. But in a region where competitive politics are so often feared because they are associated with instability, they offer a beacon of hope.

Malaysia’s election | The no-colour revolution | Economist.com

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wither Malaysia under BN?

Malaysia’s election upset | Anwar overturns the apple cart | Economist.com

 

Minorities’ faith in UMNO was dented when party leaders waved the kris, a traditional Malay sword, at conferences in 2005 and 2006. The implicit threat of violence to protect Malay interests recalled bloody race riots in 1969, which followed a strong opposition showing at the polls. Fears remain that UMNO supporters might stir up trouble. But despite some inflammatory text messages spread by mobile phone, Malaysia has remained admirably calm.

Many Chinese Malaysians have tolerated the New Economic Policy (NEP), introduced in 1971 to redistribute wealth to the poorer Malay majority, as a guarantor of communal harmony at a time when all ethnic groups were getting richer. Now even some Malay voters appear to have turned against it, seeing it as an excuse for cronyism and corruption. Some voted for the opposition, a loose alliance of three parties, which called the NEP obsolete and, on taking power in Penang, has started to dismantle it, saying its provisions will not apply to state-government contracts.

…

For his part, Mr Badawi has so far ignored calls for his resignation, coming most bitterly from the man who installed him as prime minister, Dr Mahathir. But he may well face a challenge at UMNO’s general assembly later this year. In his favour, the obvious successor, Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister, is just as  closely implicated in the scandals. But Mr Badawi seems unlikely to last beyond the next election. Chandra Muzaffar, a political scientist at the University of Science Malaysia in Penang, compares him to Cory Aquino in the Philippines and Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie in Indonesia, both liberalising successors to long-serving strongmen, who were derided as ineffectual and turfed out. From the point of view of Malaysian democracy, if not of Mr Badawi, it is a rather encouraging analogy.

Malaysia’s election upset | Anwar overturns the apple cart | Economist.com

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wither  Malaysia, under BN ?

Najib in trouble?

Umno’s formula – turn everything racial

 

Old habits die hard. Sleeping Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, issued a warning to the new Penang government against ‘stoking racial tensions’.

His statement came after the state government declared it would honour its electoral pledge to do away with the NEP which spawned Umnoputras, the fat cats who drove the Chinese business community up the wall with AliBabaism, sidelined the natives of Sabah and Sarawak except for those who embraced Islam and who doled out some crumbs to the Indian community leaders for delivering Indian votes en bloc to Umno and BN and in turn betraying their community.

Umno has a simple political formula which is a death-wish – twist and turn anything that happens in the country into a racial issue – the kris-waving incident by Hishammuddin Hussein Onn two years in a row at the Umno assembly is a case in point – to rally Malay support and to pit them against the non-Malays.

When Hindraf raised legitimate concerns, their leaders were locked up under the draconian Internal Security Act after the stage was set through a deliberate campaign of disinformation linking Hindraf with terrorist organisations.

Hishammudmin, nostrils flaring, even declared that the Malays were exercising extreme restraint in the face of racist provocation – allegedly questioning Malay rights – by Hindraf. He stopped repeating his accusations when there was no response from the Malays including Umno members.

Umno’s formula – turn everything racial

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wither Malaysia, under  BN ?

Penang CM slams PM, denies stoking racial tension

 

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has vehemently refuted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s claim that he was stoking racial tension over the issue of dismantling the New Economy Policy (NEP) in the island state.
In a sign that could signal the start of a rocky relationship between the federal and the state governments, Lim has instead slammed Abdullah for seeking to provoke racial tensions with his allegations.
“I said we will have an open-tender system (in Penang). What’s the problem with that? Unless Abdullah doesn’t like open tenders but corruption, cronyism and inefficiency.
“I don’t understand what has it (abolishing the NEP) got to do with marginalising the Malay or the Indian community. I think he is not right, (he’s) going on the wrong facts and trying to provoke (racial) sentiment,” Lim told a press conference after witnessing the swearing-in of 10 of his state excos at the Dewan Sri Pinang today.
Yesterday, Abdullah expressed his dismay over the plan by the DAP-led state government not to practise the NEP, an affirmative action policy which favours the bumiputeras.
“Do not marginalise the Malays. I want to ask Lim Guan Eng what are his plans for the Malays in Penang. What are his plans for the Indians in Penang. What are his plans for other minority groups in Penang?” said Abdullah.
Who hold the shares?
At the press conference, the Penang CM argued that the NEP was a source of corruption, citing the example of the unequal distribution of wealth, including shares which were ‘swallowed up’ by a few selected individuals.
“If they want to help Malaysians, I asked these people to ‘vomit out’ some of the (bumiputera) shares… Who hold these shares? Perhaps (Umno Wanita chief) Rafidah Aziz,” he claimed.
“We have not enacted any policy which marginalises a certain group. The only decision that we have made is to waive the (traffic and hawkers) summonses – tell me, which group loses out with that?”
In a sarcastic tone, Lim said the premier’s criticism could have been linked to his revelation yesterday that the RM25 billion project of the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) had yet been approved by the local authorities.
“I understand why he may not be happy with my decision on the PGCC, but the PGCC is not even related to a Malay developer,” argued the Penang CM.
The PGCC is undertaken by developer Abad Naluri, an associate company of Equine Capital Berhad which is controlled by the premier’s ally, businessman Patrick Lim.
Abdullah ‘not informed’
Lim also suggested that the prime minister might have made his criticism without checking out the facts beforehand.
“The PM maybe provoked by Utusan Malaysia – that I wouldn’t know. (But) I understand, because when he launched the PGCC, he was not informed that the project was not even approved, still he went ahead and launched it – this could be just the same case,” a combative Lim said.
Asked on his assurance to the Malay community in the state that they would not be marginalised, Lim reiterated that his government is for all races.
Meanwhile, PKR – DAP’s ally in the state government – gave the party’s backing to the Penang state government on the decision to do away with NEP.
“The NEP is no longer new – it has been there for 30 years and it has failed to a certain extent,” said Bayan Baru member of parliament Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, who is also PKR state chief.
“It’s time to explain to Malaysians about the Malaysian Economic Agenda which is fairer,” said Zahrain, referring to the need-based policy advocated by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“The Malays would not be sidelined in the new state government, this is an assurance that Lim has given to me and it’s the duty of the state government to ensure all communities are taken care of,” said Zahrain.

Penang CM slams PM, denies stoking racial tension

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wither Malaysia, under BN ?

New Selangor to benefit all, irrespective of race, ends cronyism, corruption

 

Newly sworn-in Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today the New Economic Policy (NEP) would not be an issue in Selangor as the government was more concerned with bringing development to the people, irrespective of race.
He said the three-party coalition comprising Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP and Pas, which formed the new state government following the recent general election, was not race-biased.
Instead, the whole Selangor population should enjoy the fruits of development, he told reporters after taking his oath of office as the 14th Selangor Menteri Besar before the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at Istana Bukit Kayangan today.
“I don’t see the NEP as an issue, so I don’t want to discuss about it. What I want to discuss is whether we have done enough to help the needy among the Malays, Chinese, Indians and others,” he said in response to reporters’ questions whether Selangor would follow the move by the DAP-controlled Penang government which proposed to abolish the NEP in the state.
Nevertheless, he said, “We must respect the rights given to the Malays as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, but not to the extent of jeopardising the cohesiveness of the society.”

State News

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Selangor  under  Khir Toyo, a sad state of affairs

Hishammuddin bashes DAP decision to abolish NEP

 

The DAP’s decision to abolish the New Economic Policy (NEP) could cause national instability, said Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said in a statement that the NEP had played a crucial task in equity distribution among the rakyat and their economic role, successfully eradicating poverty in many areas since it was introduced in 1971 after the May 13 riots.

Hishammuddin was responding to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s decision to not practise the NEP.

Lim had on Tuesday told reporters that the DAP-led state government would not practise the NEP after his swearing-in as the new Penang Chief Minister, citing the policy as a source of cronyism, corruption and inefficiency.

Hishammuddin said the move would not only negatively affect the Malays, but all Malaysians as well.

DAP decision will affect all Malaysians, says Hisham

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So-called benefits of NEP

wither Malaysia under the  BN government ?

Nazri: Umno cannot use NEP to persuade Malays to support BN

 

The Umno supreme council member said it appeared that the Malays, especially in the town areas, had become more confident now and felt they could compete with the other races on a level playing field.

“We (Umno) have to really sit down and think. It looks like the educated Malays do not care about Malay rights anymore,” he said when contacted.

“The Malay doctors, lawyers, engineers feel they have made it on their own merit.

“It looks like the NEP is not something that can be used to persuade the Malays to support the Barisan Nasional.

“The Malays are saying ‘you can’t scare us by talking about us losing our rights, because we are here on our own merit’.”

Nazri said it looked like some Malays felt that the NEP was unfair, and questioned why special rights should be given to the Malays.

He described the new confidence among the Malays as good for the Malay psyche.

Nazri: We may see end of NEP

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A capable and confident Malay in Penang

Capable Malay scores 21 As in SPM