Indian daily: Malaysian economy 'limping'

An Indian daily has said that the Malaysian economy was now in a critical state, with an exodus of factories moving to neighbouring countries, thanks to a culture of corruption made worse by the New Economic Policy.

"Today Malaysia’s economy is limping. Its labour is now expensive, so many of the export-oriented factories are fleeing to Indonesia, Vietnam and China. The economic stats are still robust, but mainly on the back of global demand for the country’s tin, petrochemicals and palm oil," said the Hindustan Times in an editorial yesterday.

Commenting on a recent visit by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to Mumbai following his acquittal on January 9, the paper said that far from improving the economy of poor Malays, the NEP had only enriched a few cronies of top Barisan Nasional leaders.

Describing Anwar as one of the first Malay leaders to call for a needs-based system in helping the poor without racial preference, the paper quoted him recalling his fallout with former boss Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Things came to a head when Anwar was told to ready a 2 billion ringgit bailout for Mahathir’s son’s sinking shipping line," it noted.

The paper said Anwar during his visit had praised Indian Muslims living in secular India, and compared it to how the government back home had used Islam to perpetuate their rule.

"Consider: the government sentenced a young Malaysian model for un-Islamically drinking beer in 2009 even while Mahathir’s son holds the multi-million dollar franchise for San Miguel beer," it wrote, believed to be referring to the case of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who despite telling the Pahang Shariah court to carry out the caning sentence on her, had her caning sentence replaced with community service through a last-minute decree from the Pahang sultan.

Anwar was in Mumbai on the invitation of renowned social activist Raj Mohan Gandhi, the grandson of the Indian legend Mahatma Gandhi.

-Harakahdaily