[lg policy] Malaysia: Shared dilemma for BN and Pakatan

[Harold Schiffman]

Mkini: Shared dilemma for BN and Pakatan

This country is at a crossroads. This is a crossroads which we cannot
afford to pause for too long to decide which path to take. In the
recent weeks, we have seen both coalitions, Barisan Nasional and
Pakatan Rakyat, making their political agenda public. Both coalitions
are determined to convince the people that they are a better choice to
be entrusted with the power to rule and govern this country. Prime
Minister Najib Abdul Razak's administration has announced its
Government Transformation Programme (GTP) which contains more than
7,000 nationwide activities, over 2,000 projects and 100 programmes.
GTP aims to address teething issues such as gaining access to quality
and affordable education, crime prevention, reducing corruption,
addressing poverty, upgrading infrastructure in the rural areas and
improving public transportation.

These are long-standing issues which have a direct impact on the
people's standard of living. His administration has asked to be given
12 months to deliver some significant results.  Najib's main concern
is the cooperation of the civil service to help implement the vast
ranging activities and programmes. Past programmes and plans had hit
the brick wall due to a lack of enthusiasm from the civil servants and
a poor coordination and management from the executives. Not to be
outdone, the newly minted Pakatan informal coalition has unveiled its
common platform which defines the coalition's position on various
areas e.g. education, economy, healthcare, women, labour, security,
language, culture and others.

Most significantly, the Pakatan leadership has promised to implement
the Equal Opportunity Act to address any potential victimisation and
marginalisation. The coalition has vowed to move beyond the race
affirmative policy.

Ketuanan Melayu vs Ketuanan Rakyat

The New Economy Policy which promotes selective treatment and special
privileges based on race is a crucial and serious issue. This issue
has not been properly addressed by both coalitions. While BN has
chosen to liberalise certain sectors which are not dominantly
controlled by the Malays, it has steered clear of any suggestion to
promote meritocracy in the country.
The coalition leader, Umno, believes that there is still some
attraction in its propaganda as the anointed protector and defender of
Malay supremacy. The party has been using the federal resources to
promote this agenda through the secretive and controversial Biro Tata
Negara courses which are purportedly conducted to imbue nationalism
and patriotism.

In actual fact, the courses were used as propaganda tool by the party
to strengthen its position within the Malay-Bumiputera electorates
which it sees as key to its electoral success.

The main problem with BN's approach is that real wealth is not
distributed to the vast majority of needy ones. Instead, the NEP has
been manipulated and abused to enrich a selected few and fuelled
massive corruption within the system.

Pakatan has countered with its pledge to do away with the race
affirmative policy and move towards a need based policy. It argues
that this policy will eventually help those who really it.

Naturally, its 'ketuanan rakyat' (people supremacy) approach is
popular with the minorities.

However, it stops short of explaining how it intends to help build the
confidence of Malay community especially the civil servants, rural
folks and small business community that they will not be overwhelmed
by competition and market forces.

It is rather naïve for the Pakatan coalition to expect their 'ketuanan
rakyat' or need-based policy to be successful without successfully
addressing the inferiority and psyche barrier of the Malays to accept
such drastic changes.

This mindset has been inculcated since the implementation of NEP in
the early 70's. The Malay community was mentally prepared to accept,
expect and demand for their special rights and social status.

However, this does not mean that members of the community do not want
to break away from this shackle. A number of young Malay graduates
have spoken out about the humiliation they faced from the society's
perception that their community is lazy, weak and genetically
inferior.

Addressing the Malay dilemma

The Malay dilemma is nothing cultural or genetics. What is truly
needed is a comprehensive strategy to help integrate the community
back into mainstream development and the real world.

What they need is real empowerment and not perpetual protection. The
empowerment must be guided and administered properly so that the
community does not feel humiliated or a need to defend their survival
and integrity.

There is a need to build a strong confidence within the Malay psyche
that they are as capable as other communities within and without the
country to enhance their standard of living and to stamp a mark at the
international level.

They must believe that knowledge acquisition, determination, hard work
and creativity are what they need to succeed and not endless
protection and handouts from the ruling regime.

The most crucial area which requires immediate attention is the
education system. The state of national schools is a good indication
of the problem which plagued the community. More than 90 percent of
students attending the national schools are Malay.

The Chinese community avoided sending their children to national
schools because of a low quality perception. With such a perception,
are these schools doing any justice to the development, education and
character building of the Malay students?

The focus of the BN government should not be mainly about the medium
of instruction or gaining prominence for the Malay language and
culture solely. Ironically, the government spends more than RM30
billion annually on education sector and yet its executives and
officers are not able to ensure quality education at the national
schools.

The improvement of national schools is crucial to help the Malay
community to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and
self-confidence to compete with others. By putting the national
education system in proper order, it will help to improve the
enrolment from other communities.

Before the nationalisation of English medium schools in the mid 70's,
they enjoyed more than 75 percent enrolment from the Chinese
community. This is the best historical evidence which proved that
parents put commercial value and good education above cultural
consideration.

Crucial questions for both coalitions

A low participation of Malays in the private sector is a stumbling
block to end this race affirmative action too. Less than 20 percent of
Malay businessmen are participating in the small medium industries.
Most of the bumiputera equity shares are being held by government
agencies or special purpose bodies created to participate in the
private sector or a handful of connected individuals.

This issue had created a raging debate about the real bumiputera
equity ownership just before the 12th general election.

The debate has achieved very little to address the problem of gross income
and wealth inequality in the Malay community. Moreover, finger
pointing, political interest and racially charged statements had
worsened race relations in the country.

The main problem has yet to be adequately addressed by both
coalitions. How to enhance, strengthen, promote and encourage Malay
entrepreneurship in the country?

How many Malay owned businesses are producing products and offering
services that could attract consumers from all walks of life? How many
bumiputera companies can survive and prosper in the private sector
without depending on any contracts and handouts from the government?

These are crucial questions that both BN and Pakatan will have to
seriously ponder and help to answer. Both coalitions cannot survive
having the NEP and race based affirmative policy perpetuated. Not in
its current form which is riddled with self-interest and abuses.

However, without seriously addressing these serious shortcomings and
inferiority complex of the Malay community it will be difficult to see
how both BN and Pakatan can be successful in their attempt to convince
the majority that we are ready to move forward as a nation and not a
nation divided.

BN has to undo and repair the damage it has done to the community with
its skewed and irresponsible implementation and abuse of the policy.
Its opponent, Pakatan, has to convince the community that it can move
forward without the imaginary clutches.

Both must help to connect the Malay community to mainstream
development and the international community. Otherwise, the
frameworks, proposals and programmes introduced by the two competing
coalitions will meet a common destiny – failure.

The main dilemma for the rest of us is time is running out.

http://khookaypeng.blogspot.com/2009/12/mkini-shared-dilemma-for-bn-and-pakatan.html

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