PM denies neglecting Bumis for Chinese, Indian support

Najib Razak says he is supportive of all communities that make the nation great but not at the expense of the Bumiputera.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Razak today denied that he has ignored affirmative action measures for the Bumiputeras in the move to win back the Chinese and Indian support.

“Thus, to say that I ignored affirmative action, simply put, is nonsense,” he said in his latest postings in his blog NajibRazak.com.

Najib today listed 13 allegations and claims that had been hurled at him and the government, along with his responses.

“As Prime Minister, I am also very supportive of the Chinese, Indian and all other communities that make our nation great. But it is definitely not at the expense of neglecting the Bumiputera,” he said.

Najib said his primary focus was to increase the economic pie, so that there was more to go around for all races.

“As long as I can ensure growth in the economy, there will be social mobility, and all races will be able to move up the economic ladder,” he said.

Touching on claims that 1Malaysia is the same as Malaysian Malaysia, Najib said 1Malaysia is a call for unity, and the most important difference between the two is that 1Malaysia explicitly accepts the Malaysian Constitution in its entirety, particularly all the provisions listed under article 153.

“Malaysian Malaysia was originally a concept opposed to article 153, and its modern use has been ambiguous at best. Had 1Malaysia been exactly like Malaysian Malaysia, there would not have been a Majlis Permerkasaan Bumiputera, TERAJU and others.

“Had 1Malaysia been exactly like Malaysian Malaysia, there would not have been the New Economic Model (NEM), a framework to increase inclusivity in the economy but at the same time empower the Bumiputera community to be more competitive,” he said.

Najib said thus, to say that 1Malaysia is equivalent to Malaysian Malaysia is nothing short of a distortion of reality, with the sole intention of misleading the Malays.

On the allegation over the “crooked bridge” that the government did not dare to build on Malaysia’s own land without approval from Singapore, Najib said it was not built because Malaysia was committed to adhering to all agreements that it had signed.

“Any such bridge, if built in place of the Johor causeway without the express permission from Singapore’s PUB (Public Utility Board), would be in breach of property rights under international law,” he said.

The prime minister said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has advised the government regarding the legality of any modification to the Johor causeway under international law.

“AGC has advised that pipes within the Johor causeway are subject to the Johor-Singapore water agreement (1961, 1962), which outlines that the said pipes belong to the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore, and that any modification of pipes must be approved by PUB,” said Najib.

He said Malaysia-Singapore relations have improved “to a point where we are now engaged in projects and ventures that are a win-win proposition for both countries.”

“To increase the connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore, we are now building a High Speed Rail and even mooting the idea of a friendship bridge that will not breach international law and see us build something that both countries want,” he added.

- BERNAMA