Empower the Bumiputera, Everyody Gains

THE Kedai Kopi Assembly (KKA), unlike the UGA or the annual general meetings of other political parties, is a multi-racial gathering.

Naturally some members asked why only Bumiputera Economic Empowerment. Why only Malays and Bumiputeras? They asked. No one is poor among non-Bumiputeras? What has happened to 1Malaysia (people first) and New Economic Model (inclusiveness)? Even the Malay members asked the same questions.

Nobody objects fighting poverty and inequality. Even Pope Francis had declared: "We have to say, ‘thou shall not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality."

I Heaar - Empowering Bumiputera Economy

The KKA noted that the government failed to meet target for Malays and other Bumiputeras after 42 years. Why not the government get together 10 or 20 best economists and successful Bumiputeras to help chart a new policy for the government to implement.

Stop employing foreign consultants. If civil servants are not capable as one minister said, why not use the expertise of local economists and the successful Bumiputeras?

What has happened to Uda, Bernas, Finas, Fama, Mampu and all other agencies that are supposed to assist the government in creating the Bumiputera business and industrial community? Some had been privatised to individuals. What are these individuals doing to help their bangsa?

What good is transformation, KPI and NKRA when things don’t improve and the people don’t believe?  Then we had the report card systems and things progressed. Now things got worse. The 2008 results were bad and the 2013 result were worse. If the government is serious about the KPI, the grandmaster must go down to Padang, visit all Umno branches, pray at the suraus and talk to the petty traders. Show leadership by example.

Tengku took leave officially to visit all divisions. Even when he was on the way out he continued to meet the rakyat. If anak raja could do that, why can’t the son of a former Prime Minister? Don’t just think of holidaying in Monaco, Sydney and Las Vegas.

If the wives are good at networking as being regularly claimed by some ministers, bring them along to meet the rakyat. They can also network with the rakyat. Enough of holidaying di London, New York, Monte Carlo for shopping and attending fashion shows.

A kaki lawak suggested that new constituency, preferably a shopping mall, be created for the hardworking PM’s spouse to contest. She may win unopposed and then, like I say a zillion times, make her Minister.  It may be a jenaka by some, but I am committed to the idea of legitimising the position of the PM’s wife so that all of us can be above board, transparent and accountable.

Only Umno invites people from all over the world for its annual assembly. Who pays for their trips? It is very lavish compared even to Chinese Communist Party. Party portrays government. If the party is lavish, do not expect government to be thrifty and careful with taxpayers’ money. If the KPI is genuine, some minister would have been sacked. The non-performing ministers stay and the grandmaster instead appoints advisors with ministerial rank. Who runs the country – the PM, the ministers or the advisors?

So at assembly literally nobody talked abuse of power, corruption, wastage of funds and other hot topics that are widely discussed outside like the 1MDB, the ringgit depreciating and the KLIA2 cost overrun (from RM2billion to RM4billion). Not just KLIA2, literally every construction project eventually costs much more than the awarded price. Nobody talked about personal debt which is one of the highest in the world. What about NPL? Any attack on IMDB or Khazanah is seen as an attack on PM.

Launching Imported Blue Ocean Strategy

 Is the role of the GLCs to produce UMNO millionaires? Some debaters made it to sound as if joining UMNO is about making money and the GLCs must now make UMNO members rich. How to do it, they did not say. The grandmaster said he would himself monitor GLCs. What was he doing before this? Has he not always been the Khazanah chairman? Or was he relying solely on deputy chairman and chairman of Khazanah Exco, Nor Mohamed Yackop who lost over RM30 billion of Bank Negara’s money.

Nor Mohamed was MOF II during Pak Lah’s sleeping era and later under Mohd Najib’s 1Malaysia. During that period national debt rose to over RM500 billion.

Of course Umno supports Bumiputera economic empowerment. It’ was a capital for the recent party election. The non-Bumiputeras were initially upset, but they are less unhappy now because in implementing the pemerkasaan, the Chinese as usual will get the most. They have money and they know money talks with many Umno politicians. They have experienced many similar policies since 1971 and they always come out better.

During the recent general elections, many Chinese tycoons played double game. In the open they supported the BN. Behind the scene they gave tens of millions to the Pakatan Rakyat.

If Mohd Najib has guts, he should assemble these Tan Sris and Datuks and told them he knows who gave what to the PR. He should tell that unfortunately the PR did not win and he is still the PM, and they better not play ball with him. But he would not do that.

If he is serious about Bumiputera economic empowerment, he should have a team outside hid office to chart out this policy. The PMO people and his foreign consultants have failed. They could not even get him a good result at the election. Even his political secretaries and special assistants lost.

Now that he is chairing it himself. He should be doing economic planning for country. But his ministers said our civil servants are not up to the standard, so Mohd Najib paid billions to employ foreign consultants. During the election, his foreign consultants proposed the slogan "I love PM". Lucky, he won narrowly in 3 sets.  The next time round, it’s not too sure that he can still win in 3 sets. Tun M won all five general elections in straight sets.