NEP was bastardised to benefit select few

theedgedaily.com

The New Economic Policy (NEP) could have probably ended in 1990 if it was implemented properly, said CIMB group chief executive Datuk Nazir Razak.

Lamenting that the NEP had been “bastardised” to benefit a select few through negotiated tenders, Nazir said the policy had to be prolonged because it was not properly implemented.

He said that he could not understand why privileges such as construction jobs could not be given to bumiputera contractors through a competitive bid.

“The government should have created competition among bumiputeras through a ‘preferential open tender’ system under the NEP,” said Nazir.

“If a certain portion of the jobs are to be given to bumiputera (contractors), I can’t understand why they cannot do preferential open tender limited to bumiputeras,” he said during Transparency International Malaysia’s (TI-M) CEO Forum entitled Transparency in Motion, which is jointly organised by TI-M and The Edge here yesterday.

“If we have implemented it properly, the NEP could have been over in 1990.”

Nazir was elaborating on an answer given by the Special Taskforce to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) co-chairman Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon who said there would be more opportunities for corruption if the government had a complicated layer of red tape.

In Malaysia, the matter was further complicated by the “NEP layer” and the government had to peel these layers one by one to prevent corruption, Yong said in response to question from an audience on whether the government actually had the political will to fight corruption.

On another question if CIMB Group had a racial bias in its recruitment process, Nazir said everything in the company was based on merits except for a training programme at entry level that is for bumiputeras only. “If they make the cut after one year, they will be absorbed,” he said of the trainees.

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Nazir also said there was a need to give more freedom to the mainstream media to help them regain their credibility as part of the efforts to fight corruption.

“We cannot control (the press) anymore because it will give more credibility to the blogs,” he said, citing examples of Indonesians who were not so bothered with what posted on the Internet since their mainstream media was free.

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Umno’s so called Malaysia biggest asset, Mat Rempit rob and terrorize

Mat Rempit rev up nuisance with wild-west style robberies

The Mat Rempits have “revved” up their nuisance level from street racing to robbery.

Police have detained 21 youths of a gang who terrorised their victims by forcing them to drive to a secluded spot and robbing them.

Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Ahmad Sofian Md Yassin said the victims were intimidated and helpless by the large of number of youths on motorcycles.

The youths, all males who called themselves “Double 77” and “Mat Rempit Town”, were nabbed from their homes in Gombak and Seremban in separate operations since June 11.

Eleven motorcycles, 26 handphones and a gold chain were seized from the youths.

He said the youths were involved in at least 30 cases in Sentul and elsewhere in Klang Valley since early this year.

“They would spend the money on modifying their motorcycles,” he said.

“They would first gather at hawker stalls and cybercafes and than would ride around and pick their victims randomly and trail them between midnight and 5am,” he added.

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Selangor cancels Utusan Malaysia subscription for unfair reporting and stoking racial flames

Selangor cancels Utusan subscription

When contacted, Nik Nazmi said that the decision to end the subscription of the publications was done due to the “unfair reporting and its choice to play the racial card.”

“Based on certain news articles, the Selangor Government found that the newspaper had chosen to play the racial card and it did not practice balanced reporting.

“This approach is certainly putting the people and state government at logger heads and it is not healthy,” he said.

Nik Nazmi also added that there was no gag order issued to the heads of departments on news releases to the Utusan media.

A check at a few local authorities revealed that the administration unit had cancelled the advertisement contracts and informed newsvendors to stop the delivery of Utusan publications.

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Affirmative action: What went wrong

Welcome to Sun2Surf

ONE reason for the scepticism surrounding the affirmative action policy is its very label. The policy’s perceived racial bias is exacerbated by the constant reference to bumiputra or Malay rights by politicians from all sides. The fact that it addresses the needs of other underprivileged communities and ethnic groups is lost in the discourse of racial politics.

The noble objectives of the policy formulated by our founding fathers to honour Article 153 of the Federal Cons-titution affirms the special position of Malays (kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu dan bumiputra mana-mana negeri Borneo) while recognising the rightful interests of other ethnic groups (kepentingan kaum-kaum lain).

Lately, the rhetoric of Malay rights and political dominance (ketuanan Melayu) and the ugly emergence of racist sentiments among political parties has contaminated a balanced and honest approach to the nation’s multiracial predicament.

The Constitution is clear in specifying that Malays and other bumiputra groups be given a fair allocation of government positions, scholarships and other aid in education and training as well as permits or licences in trade and business. It does not specify the allocations for other ethnic groups but Article 153 (9) states that in reserving opportunities for Malays and bumiputras, Parliament does not have the right to jeopardise (menyekat) business or trade, presumably for the other communities.

While the spirit of the Constitution is indeed fair and its objectives noble, that is to correct the unequal and inequitable distribution of opportunities and wealth among the country’s citizenry, its interpretation has been skewed along the way by political lobbying.

At the implementation level of affirmative action programmes, it must be admitted that the predominance of Malays in the government and government agencies has resulted in a biased slicing and apportioning of the country’s educational and economic cakes.

Government policy in helping underprivileged groups is seen to be biased because a predominantly Malay government is doling out aid and opportunities to underprivileged rural groups, the maj-ority of whom are Malays. In the US, for instance, affirmative action is applauded because a white government is providing aid to its marginalised non-white population, including native Americans.

It can be said that effective lobbying by Malay political groups has managed to put the interests of their community above the others. The corollary to this is that non-Malay political lobbies have not been quite so successful in championing the causes of their respective groups.

It is time political discourse in Malaysia takes on less of a racial undertone and political parties argue out their positions rationally and objectively. It’s time the racial card is replaced by a trump card which is unspecific as to its colour and specifications. Affirmative action must revert to its original name and spirit.

Halimah Mohd Said

Kuala Lumpur

Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin: Dr. Mahathir wanted to become a dictator

Former judge hits out at Dr M

A retired Federal Court judge has lashed out at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad alleging that the former premier had wanted to amend Article 121 of the Federal Constitution because he wanted the judiciary to be under his control.

“I believe the Prime Minister at the time wanted to become a dictator; I may be wrong but this is my conclusion,” Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin yesterday told reporters after receiving ex-gratia payment from the Government for the pain and loss he suffered during the 1988 judicial crisis.

Previously, Article 121 stated that judicial power of the Federation was “vested in a Supreme Court and such inferior courts as may be provided by federal law” but it was replaced in 1988 to place the courts’ jurisdiction in the hands of Parliament.

Azmi, 75, who received the payment from de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, said: “He wanted to amend Article 121 which calls for the separation of powers. He already headed the Legislature and Executive. Now, he also wanted the judiciary under him.”

Adding that Dr Mahathir was “very clever” and always “killed two birds with one stone”, Azmi alleged that Dr Mahathir’s agenda was tied to the Umno 11 case involving then Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah whose supporters had challenged his post as Umno president.

“With the judiciary under him, he could tell judges what to do. I am sure he will deny it,” said Azmi who was among six judges involved in the judicial crisis two decades ago.

Tun Salleh Abas, sacked as Lord President of the then Supreme Court (renamed Federal Court in 1994), also received his payment yesterday. The others who have already accepted the undisclosed payment were then Supreme Court judges Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Wan Mohamed Salleh and Datuk George Seah.

Compensation was also given to the families of the late Supreme Court judges Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh.

Azmi broke down and cried when he started talking to reporters at his house. He said his remaining 10 years as a judge were the worst days of his life where he only heard “simple cases” and lost the opportunity of being promoted.

“It (the payment) brings to an end the shameful episode of 1988.”

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