The economic agenda of MPM and Mukkriz’s mea culpa

If someone were to ask me- what do you think of the round table discussion sponsored by the Malay Consultative Council (MCC) I will answer as follows.

I did not attend that forum although I did get an invitation to go there. I was gladly spared the preaching of Ibrahim Ali and the sleep inducing drone of Mukhriz Mahathir. I have read the statements of the gadfly from Pasir Mas- Ibrahim 'Stopa' Ali( he is also known as stopa among his local supporters) and also the bloody hazy but almost sounding meaningful noises from MUkhriz Mahathir.

I suddenly realised this. Between the posturing of Ibrahim Ali and his MCC and the clueless MUkhriz , the whole shebang about fearing or hoping for Malay economic salvation is just hot air and a blatant excuse for some special Malays to make more money. Yes sir- it's all just an excuse for some people to make money and to ensure the way to make money stays there in the NEM.

Ibrahim Ali can continue making money for championing Malay economic interests. He can build more bridges, have money to send people for Haj or Umrah, he can get more land from Menteri Besars etc. People like MUkhriz Mahathir can also continue making more money fighting the imaginary dragons that are coming after the holy economic interests of the Puteras. If you look at his Fibre Optic business- his is probably the only Malay name of significance there and his brother's Kencana Petroleum or whatever, is just another Chinese moneyed company.

We are fooled people.

Hold on- before you readers say- you are denouncing Mukhriz because you are a supporter of KJ. Allow me to quickly say that KJ is quickly building up frustrations and disillusionment among his supporters. Young Man- stop mollycoddling the human apparition called Dhalkari. His master is Mukhriz still. Our advice to him is stop uncleToming around.

He must live up to his vocation as the real ketua Pemuda UMNO- the voice of conscience of UMNO- not the voice of the mindless herd. He must live up to what he represents- the possibilities of the nameless average Joes in UMNO. His victory in the Ketua Pemuda race previously showed to the world, that you can succeed without having to carry the name of bin Tun Razak, bin Hussien Onn or bin Mahathir. Anyone with above average intelligence can succeed in UMNO. He has proven that and must live up to that symbolism of opportunity. And remember, it was the Ketua Pemuda who decided the outcome of the contest between Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh in 1987.

But first:-

Allow me first to elaborate on what I think has become a standard operating procedure by UMNO people and their soul mates outside. Let's start by stating that Ibrahim Ali is UMNO in its worse form. Let's talk about the way they force things in their favour.

When a few churches were burnt to the ground, we didn't see any riotous response. There may be a number of reasons why that is so. Maybe its Christian teachings- I don't know which. Maybe, because PM Najib handled it the way he thinks is the best way- give money to burnt churches. We saw young Christians offering flowers to people in the streets, something strange in a Muslim dominated country.

We did not reach that calamitous level of church burnings, we can already see the different manner of reactions. Any hint at all of some impairment to the much worshipped concept of Malay dominance is likely to result in near mutinous reaction.

It has been a number of months, since PM Najib started dismantling some of what he thinks are impediments to greater competition. He has liberalised some subsectors in the service industry. In one of my articles, I have pointed out that these subsectors are of no consequence to Malay economic interests as Malay participation in those is very minimal to start with. As early as that time, Ibrahim Ali regarded that move as a challenge and threat to Malay economic interest. Inadvertently he was saying- PM Najib isn't Malay enough.

Even then, Malay groups were agitated. UMNO hawks are also seething over the abolishment of a Ministry which was tasked at looking at Malay economic interests. In effect, they were looking at the economic interests of special Bumputeras only. The abolishment of that ministry is therefore sacrilegious.

People like Ibrahim Ali responded the only way he knows best- carry out some form of riotous actions. Go to Penang, herd all those impoverished traders who were impoverished since Gerakan time with collusion from UMNO Penang. Demonstrate here and there. Create anarchy where possible. Cow the government into submission.

So UMNO some in a prized cattle or sow.

If we were to study the statements given by Ibrahim 'Stopa' Ali and the convoluted ideas of Mukhriz Mahathir, we wonder actually what the round table on the NEM is all about. Ibrahim Ali is at least true to form- he wants the NEM to reflect the dominant and overriding interest of Malays. By Malays he meant the puteras in the Bumi. Hence article 153 should be read into every economic measure taken by the government.

But Mukhriz? We don't know what his message is. No the NEM does not sideline the NEP. Maybe the MPM is misunderstood. Hello, Minister- the MPM is pressing for more intense affirmative strategies- something you should be criticizing unequivocally as they are rejecting the dismantling of the economy. MUkhriz is more interested in not offending the MPM as they have a large Malay membership. MUkhriz was careful not to jeopardize a potential support base. So he does what a generic politician will do- hunt with the dogs and run with the hare.

Its time all Malays see the real agenda of the economic measures insisted upon by MPM and the new measures that are waiting to be announced. They are actually two sides of the same coin- the same coin representing an excuse for privileged Malays to make more money. 

bersambung lagi.....