Ka Siong's "earnest" or is it 'FAT' hopes for Najib to be PM for all Malaysians

On 14 September 2013, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak launched the Bumiputera Economic Empowerment programme targeted to assist the Bumiputera community and to enhance their economic competitiveness. The timing of the Prime Minister’s announcement for the Bumiputera community does catch many people by surprise.

However, it is my earnest hope that the Prime Minister will continue being the “Prime Minister for all Malaysians”. The formulation of any affirmative action policies should benefit all across the board and not just intended to uplift a community from a particular ethnicity. The so-called “disadvantaged groups” are colour-blind regardless of race, religion and region.

Amidst political considerations, the Barisan Nasional still retained the federal government. The Prime Minister has to face the inevitable political reality of rewarding the Bumiputeras and thus launched a slew of measures to assist the Bumiputeras on the Peninsular as well as from Sabah and Sarawak based on the support of the Bumiputera community had shown towards BN. It is my opinion that if this sort of approach is adopted for the long-term or permanently, there will be far-reaching consequences. We must thoroughly examine how this policy will impact other races.

It should be pointed out that other ethnic groups had also supported BN during crucial moments such as during the 1999 general elections (GE), non-Bumiputera communities gave BN a strong mandate. However, BN did not tailor any related policies specifically for these groups in return.

Development should be for all

I raise this matter with the hopes that the federal government will be mindful that the country’s development should be for all rakyat, rather than for a sole ethnic group. Where national development is concerned, no one ethnic group should be ignored or left behind. Implementation of policies must consider all ethnic communities.

It is understandable if the government’s announcement is to assist disadvantaged Bumiputeras who are in need. The government should hold unto the idea of taking care of all disadvantaged groups, helping to increase their competitiveness. Perhaps majority of the disadvantage group consist of Bumiputeras. However, there are other needy groups throughout the country irrespective of race. Aiding the poor should cut across all ethnic lines. I do not oppose the government’s ability to enhance the Bumiputeras, but the government’s commitment should also reach out to other needy populations, including giving them equal business opportunities.

We greet the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia. As we are all aware, our country’s multiculturalism is a valuable asset. The nation today has developed from what it was before. However, development also depends on the efforts and contributions of all ethnic groups. We should cherish our diverse ethnic and cultural assets of which implementation of any policy should be based on.

For our country’s policies to achieve absolute equality is probably still a distant ideal. But the federal government should at least be fair and reasonable. While strengthening the competitiveness of the Malay community, the government should simultaneously focus on the lower classes of all other ethnicities. It is important to strike a balance in a multi-racial setting.

As Malaysia marches towards the next 50 years, and meeting 2020 in the near future, any implementation of policies must look at long term impacts. Policies cannot only consider helping a single ethnic group lest meritocracy which had been advocated is forgotten. The Prime Minister had launched Key Performance Indicators where it is hoped that the Malaysian economy can soar to new heights. This concept must be sustained and must not be substituted with race-based performance indicators. If the original performance-based initiative is ignored, this will cause competitiveness to be lost and runs counter to its original aims.

GLCs

We are aware that today’s local government-linked companies (GLCs) have developed to where they are based on the resources from taxpayers of all ethnicities. Therefore, there should be no racial distinction in the performance of GLCs. Moreover, GLCs need more time on the international stage to compete with other countries. More professionals are needed to help the future development of GLCs. If skin colour and ethnicity are the only priority, this will cause GLCs to become uncompetitive.

Education

In education, the Government is committed to improving the higher education opportunities for the Bumiputera community including extensive development for Mara institutes, colleges and universities.  This is acceptable. However, under the “Education for All” concept, the Government should also ensure that non-Bumiputera students have equal opportunities to be enrolled in the 18 national universities, education policies should benefit all irrespective of race including placements in public universities should be increased, ensure first class talent nurturing. There should be no discrimination in education policies as education is for everyone.

It should be remembered that when the Prime Minister launched the “1Malaysia” concept, its governance aimed to be fair where assistance and care are to be rendered to all regardless of race. It is imperative that we continue to implement this concept as it will benefit all segments of society and will help our country to continue to surge forward.

Therefore, I sincerely look forward to the near future with the hopes that the proposed Budget 2014 will be a Budget based on needs and merits. Implementation of all policies should be based on needs and merits and continue to be performance-based. It is also hoped that for a more political stable future, the Prime Minister will continue to promote policies that benefit all rakyat, so that our country can embark on the correct tracks towards becoming a fully developed nation.

Datuk Dr Ir Wee Ka Siong
MCA Youth National Chairman
MCA Education Bureau Chairman
Member of Parliament for Ayer Hitam