Same old, same old when Umno talks about “ekonomi Melayu”

The Umno general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, focuses on issues affecting Malays and Bumiputeras. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 7, 2013.The preamble to the resolution on economics at this year's Umno general assembly stated that it would be different from the previous years.

Yet after former second finance minister Datuk Seri Awang Adek Hussein finished his speech, the journalists who've covered past assemblies rolled their eyes, as they tried to dig out what was new.

Much of Awang Adek's seven-point speech was about demands for quotas, loans and openings in the government machinery and government-linked companies (GLCs) for Bumiputeras. That is, Malay entrepreneurs’ demands that are always expressed whenever the Umno grassroots meet to talk about the future of the Malay economy.

The main difference this time was that all of them seized on the new statistic provided by their president – Bumiputeras made up 67% of the population – to press their case for even more aid to reach that ideal target of 30% Bumiputera ownership of wealth in the country.

It’s a familiar ritual: Umno tells the government that more loans need to be given and more contracts are needed to develop Malay small and medium enterprises.

Failure to do so would make the Malays “slaves in their own lands” to “foreign races” which is a code word for non-Bumiputera Chinese (and sometimes Indians).

This time, delegates justified the help for Malays and Bumiputeras on the grounds that they were the ones who handed Umno its 88 seats and returned Barisan Nasional to power.

Yet many of the speakers who debated the economics resolution don’t seem to realise that they are trampling over familiar ground.

More importantly, why despite all that was done by three presidents and prime ministers, starting with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to develop Malay entrepreneurs, has Umno still not reached its 30% wealth share target?

The demands this time focused on a familiar target: GLCs that, in the words of several grassroots leaders, were there to help Malays and Bumiputeras.

So there was Awang Adek, Perak delegate Dr Azizah Johor and Federal Territories delegate Affandi Zahari demanding that GLCs have an effective vendor system for Bumiputera SMEs.

Also on the list of demands were easier loans from the Tekun financing scheme and desks at banks to help Malay female entrepreneurs. 

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah described the demands on GLCs as the grassroots expressing their desires to see the country’s majority community get a fair share of the economic pie.

“The Bumiputera economic agenda is a national agenda. It is necessary for social stability,” said Ahmad Husni to The Malaysian Insider when commenting on the day’s debates.

He does not view the demands as interfering in their operations as the Government was already parcelling out contracts in mega projects, such as the MRT train system, to Malay contractors.

“What is needed is to coordinate the system of giving out jobs so that it is effective.”

The demands of Malay businessmen may be one thing, but little was debated about the economy as it is experienced by the public.

So as the grassroots made more demands for aid and opportunities from GLCs and government departments, the topic of the vast wastages in government procurement was hardly mentioned.  

There was no talk about RM200 screwdrivers, RM 1,000 binoculars and soft loans of RM250 million to companies without the expertise running a massive cattle project.

Except for a brief mention in the Umno Youth assembly on Wednesday, no one talked of the problems highlighted in the auditor general’s report.

No one talked of “ketirisan” a byword popular during assemblies in Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s time as president and prime minister. It referred to leakages either in giving out aid to the wrong people or not getting value for a contract handed out.

Not one delegate talked about stamping out corruption.

Yet according to a poll by the Merdeka Centre in December 2012, 51% of Malaysians put “fighting corruption” as the No. 1 priority of the Government.  The second most important priority was fixing the electoral system at 25%.

The next problems were affordable housing (24%) and inflation (21%). Notably, 59% of the poll’s respondents were Malays.

So as Umno debates the state of the Malay economy it is unclear which percentage of that 67% it claims to represent. The minority that needs more handouts or the majority struggling to make a living while others profit from RM200 screwdriver contracts.

Fear of clowns revisited in Umno circus

"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician." - Charlie Chaplin

COMMENT Whenever the Klan holds its annual congregation, it will revive the hitherto dormant coulrophobia in me. And when I confided in a colleague hoping that she will lend a sympathetic ear, she asked, much to my dismay, if it meant that I despised cauliflowers.

The condition has nothing to do with cauliflowers, I retorted. Or any other vegetable for that matter. Coulrophobia refers to the fear of clowns.

And where else can one find an army of clowns assembling under a single roof other than in the Putra World Trade Centre where Umno members from far and wide crawl out of the woodwork for their annual pilgrimage to the capital.

When this dreaded circus takes place, I cower with trepidation under the blanket and observe from a safe distance the numerous mind-numbing and incendiary antics that unravel.

While any self-respecting racist bigot will be proud of what is served, for the rest of us, it leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.

Every year, Umno delegates, without fail, will trek the extra mile to drive home the point that Malaysia is still trapped in a Jurassic political era.

They will paint a bleak picture that if the party is voted out of power, the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, will run circles around the Malays.

So in order for the continued survival of the Malay race and the preservation of their special rights, they must never, ever, vote for the opposition.

Never mind the fact that the opposition consists mostly of Malays themselves, for they are after all, marionettes in the hands of the Chinese DAP puppet masters. And the Malays in DAP? Treacherous creatures!

What is more disturbing is that among the ranks of Umno are numerous bright individuals who have no qualms dimming themselves for the sole purpose of political elevation.

A worthwhile gamble
Umno annual meets are also a nail-biting experience for the likes of MCA, MIC and Gerakan, whose leaders must later squirm uncomfortably in their seats, scanning each crevice in their brains in vain for a plausible excuse to defend the indefensible.
In the aftermath of such meetings, these leaders will struggle to explain the reasons for their respective parties continued affiliation with Umno.

Umno leaders and members still appear unable or just refuse to grasp the simple logic behind the overwhelming support for the opposition as witnessed in the two previous general elections.

It is not because of love for the opposition but rather their loathe for the ruling coalition that motivates non-Malay/Muslims to back Malay/Muslim candidates from the Islamic PAS, and Malay/Muslims to back non-Muslim Chinese and Indian candidates from the secular DAP.

The opposition simply surfs on the tsunami of discontent.

On many occasions, such as in the recent astronomical salary hike in Selangor, the opposition has shown that it is not infallible and nor are its leaders heaven-despatched messiahs to liberate Malaysia from the throes of tyranny as portrayed by their demagogues.

The discerning voter is aware that the opposition coalition is a fragile pact between parties with diametrically opposed ideologies, which are ever suspicious of each other. And giving them the opportunity to rule can have severe repercussions.

But when confronted with the arrogant and racist outbursts from Umno, that gamble appears to be a risk worth wagering on.

For example, one veteran Penang delegate, whose physical appearance betrays his Indian roots, suggested that 1Malaysia be changed to 1Melayu because non-Malays did not back Umno.

And instead of reprimanding him over his callous statement, the Kedah menteri besar, who also has Indian roots on the paternal side, defended him.

Jet-setting Rosmah

Then there was the Kedah delegate, who deserves a lashing from Indiana Jones' whip, for his warped argument that gazetting the Lembah Bujang historical site will cause Umno to lose votes.

Concentrate on the majority and not prioritise the minorities, he argued, completely oblivious to the priceless value of such archaeological treasures.

Not to be outdone, another not-so-bright spark magnanimously remarked that he has forgiven the Chinese for turning their backs on the ruling coalition in the last polls.

Unaware that he resides in a democratic nation, he failed to realise that forgiveness is not required for a citizen who exercises his or her right to choose the party of his or her choice.

But such unintelligible and belligerent statements are hardly surprising when it comes from Umno, whose president himself suffered from post-election 1Malaysia amnesia, and lashed out at Chinese voters, while his deputy publicly proclaimed that he is Malay first, and Malaysian second.

However, the top prize for absurdity must definitely be awarded to the Federal Territories delegate who defended Rosmah Mansor's private jet-setting on a heartstrings-tugging romantic note. He has taken the art of apple-polishing to a record high altitude.

Having lost the support of the more informed voters, Umno, with unsavoury characters like this in its midst, seems destined to fall down and break its crown, and MCA, MIC and Gerakan will come tumbling after.

And after reading the words of that great entertainer Charlie Chaplin, perhaps it is an injustice to clowns to put them on the same platform as these politicians. Perhaps it is not coulrophobia that I suffer from but rather politicophobia, or at least the Umno brand of it.

---

RK ANAND is a member of the Malaysiakini team.

'Umno having GRAND FIESTA while flood victims SUFFER': It's a despicable lie - Shahrizat

KUALA LUMPUR - A clearly angry Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, rubbished claims that Umno members are having a fiesta at the general assembly here while flood victims suffer in Kuantan, Terengganu and Johor.

Slamming the Oppositions for the alleged statement, she said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak left the assembly after his policy speech to visit the victims on Thursday.

"These are total lies; the statement is truly a despicable statement (memang bangsat betul la statement tu).

"Yesterday our president left us in this hall to visit the affected area and the victims. Today, the Deputy Prime Minister left us to visit the place," Shahrizat told a press conference after launching the Skuad Sayang donation box for flood victims in Kuantan at the 67th Umno General Assembly today.

Backbiting

She said it was the Wanita Umno's Skuad Sayang that has been with the flood victims from the first day of the floods volunteering to help and assist the families.

"Several ministers, MB, MPs, Adun, division chiefs and delegates are not here today because they are there (at the affected flood area).

"Even some of the Wanita members are there, all doing ground works for the flood victims," Shahrizat claimed.

Questioning the Oppositions whom she said has not gone to the grounds to help the victims, she said Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh is "wasting" her time at Parliament when her constituents need her.

"Where is the opposition? From what I heard, Kuantan MP is busy in Parliament and was not seen anywhere in the affected area.

"What does she want to do with the victims and voters in Kuantan? Same goes to Indera Mahkota MP?

"If the PM and Mentri Besar were not on the ground, the voters there would have been drifted away (hanyut la semua pengundi di sana)," she said.

Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Hassan Malek, who was present at the press conference said that Fuziah was "unnecessarily" calling for an emergency state at Kuantan in Parliament when she should have been on the ground to ensure that aid is given to the victims.

"Even in Parliament, Fuziah was shouting away asking for darurat. What is the point you are here when people need you there?" he said. - The Sundaily

FRUITS OF UMNO-BN'S DISHONEST CULTURE: Hundreds of millions swindled mostly by bank staff - cops

Fraud by bank employees is getting more serious as losses incurred by banks due to money swindled by staff has increased to RM473.82 million over the last five years.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Department's Head of Unit for Banking and Financial Crimes Supt Harjinder Kaur Gurdial Singh said overall the banks suffered losses amounting to RM789,106,376 for various types of fraud during the period.

In 2008, it was RM10.1 million, RM27.1 million (2009), RM85.4 million (2010), RM84.5 million (2011), RM191.8 million (2012) and RM390 million (up to November 2013), she told reporters during a special interview on commercial crime in Kuala Lumpur today.

She said among fraud cases involving bank employees were withdrawing money from accounts that have been inactive for more than three years and not crediting cash deposits into customers' accounts.

Bank branch managers were also found abusing overdraft facilities by abusing accounts of customers.

"Our investigation found 60% of the bank fraud was committed by their own employees, 30% by the management while 10% were by the account holders themselves," she said.

Apart from cases of fraud involving bank employees, other fraud involved criminal breach of trust (CBT), document forging, misappropriation of properties and attempts to cheat through banks said Harjinder Kaur.

"What is more shocking is that 60% of bank fraud was committed by women compared with only 40% by men, while 70% of the victims in these fraud cases were men," she said.

She also said bank officers and employees were advised to comply with standard operating procedures (SOP) when processing loan applications from customers.

"Members of the public are advised to be cautious with their security details and personal documents which could be abused by third parties," she said. - Bernama

Pakatan looks jaded and tired

There must be renewal, rejuvenation and a fresh approach and fresh impetus in the way of doing things.

COMMENT

At this point in time, Barisan Nasional seems to be gaining momentum while Pakatan Rakyat seems to be pushed into a corner. One thing for sure is that Pakatan must put some semblance of order in its house in due course so as to avoid floundering during the Sarawak state polls which must be held by 2016 the latest.

Recently though, Pakatan leaders have been finding themselves on the receiving end in the Selangor state assemblymen salary hike issue.

A salary hike is okay but an increase of over 100% is difficult to be explained although it may be justified as the PKR-led Selangor state government can afford it.

Still, this state government which has always boasted about its financial prudence as one of the hallmarks of its administration is now finding itself in a tough spot due to this salary hike move.

What more when Pakatan has always touted that Selangor is a model of cost-conscious management and wise administration.

This being the case, a too-substantial salary hike will certainly be frowned upon by some members of the public at times like this. Yes, the timing is way out indeed.

Of course BN leaders are also having a field day attacking Pakatan over this issue but if the MPs’ salary is also hiked up tremendously, then it is a case of pot calling the kettle black.

Back to the Selangor matter, doing damage control after the pay rise is announced shows that Pakatan leaders did not act in cohesion nor was there much discussion before this move was implemented.

In future any major change in policy involving administration and finance should be discussed and a general consensus be reached before implementation because blunders like this can cause fence-sitters to swing their vote towards BN.

In addition to proper discussion before execution, Pakatan’s plans must also be clearly explained to the citizens.

For example, this columnist’s Christian friends are worried that if Pakatan comes into power, hudud will be implemented immediately.

Many Christians are ignorant of the fact that PAS intends to first file a motion in Parliament to amend the federal constitution before implementing hudud.

From here we can see that due to a lack of information, many voters can still be confused about Pakatan’s stand on certain issues and if the confusion is not cleared up, it can be detrimental to Pakatan and cause people to doubt Pakatan’s ability to govern the nation well.

Pakatan leaders must now focus on being a strong opposition. It is good that a roadshow called ‘Faham GST, Tolak GST’ will be launched in KL in two weeks time on Dec 20 to educate the public about GST (Goods & Services Tax) so that the citizens can know more about GST.

Right now there are still many people who do not really comprehend what GST really is simply because of skewed information from the media.

Fresh approach

Pakatan leaders must be at the forefront on all issues facing the public and the current main issue is the rise in the cost of living due to the hike in petrol prices, electricity tariff, etc.

Therefore Pakatan MPs leading a protest in front of KL City Hall on Monday, Dec 16 at 11am to protest the assessment hike is certainly a good idea as we have elected these Pakatan MPs to be our voice.

Also kudos to KL’s Pakatan lawmakers for opening counters in night and morning markets to collect petition signatures from the citizens who are against the hike, the sum of which is ridiculous.

Moreover KL City Hall has billions in revenue.

It is time too for Pakatan leaders to go for a retreat in order to re-draw their roadmap. This is a necessity due to the GE13 loss. Pakatan leaders cannot be carrying on in the same manner as before because improvements need to be made in administration and the mechanics of operation.

Pakatan should now re-focus and set its goals a little differently. There needs to be some re-alignment and re-adjustment. In short, Pakatan needs to re-strategise.

There must be renewal and rejuvenation as Pakatan now seems jaded and tired. There must be a fresh approach and fresh impetus in the way of doing things.

This is so that Pakatan can come back with renewed vigour to champion for the people’s welfare and wellbeing.

Pakatan must avoid blunders and fluff-ups that is happening now. There is no better time for Pakatan to re-invent itself as the present time as the next general election is still a long time in coming.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.

Malaysian lecturer escapes jail over bribery charges in Perth

(Bernama) - A Malaysian-born Perth university lecturer has escaped imprisonment after admitting he took thousands of dollars in bribes to increase exam marks for students who would otherwise have failed.

The Australian Associated Press said Foong Tuck Cheong, 54, pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court in June to three charges of corruption and two counts of bribery following a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation into offences committed at Curtin University in 2012.

Foong increased the marks of two students who should have failed units for their Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management and Economics) degree.

One student paid him A$3,000 (RM8,800) and the other paid A$1,500.

For a third student - whose father in Malaysia had known Foong for many years - he increased the mark on one assignment and gave him a pass mark on another project even though the assignment had not even been submitted.

Judge Philip McCann today sentenced Foong to 16 months jail, suspended or two years.

He said the offences were very serious and had the potential to cause serious damage to Curtin University's reputation.

While it was important to send a message to others that jail would follow such offending, and that academic integrity was taken seriously, McCann acknowledged Foong's behaviour was "irrational and out of character", and accordingly suspended the sentence.

It followed Foong being told he was about to be made redundant after 24 years with the university, which left him "emotionally devastated" and affected his judgement.

Foong was also fined A$6,000 for his actions relating to the Malaysian student.

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