The philosophers journalists have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.
People are just simply tired at being treated as dumb. They read between the lines. This makes the one way direction of old school journalism, steeped in its tradition of reporting simpliciter, sans analysis, sans critical assessment, being sidelined. Along with it, the peddlers of the old school.
The reading public now demands critical diet. This is part of the effects of reverse mental migration. People in the kampongs have sons and daughters, millions of them now, working in the cities bringing back with them new ideas and outlook. Old people, previously relied on by UMNO to moderate and control young minds, are now wising up. They get to know, through the agency of their children; how government is and should be run. More important bringing with them, challenges to the low culture.
Low culture being the simplistic perceptions by which, ordinary people see things. Example: in the past, people see UMNO as the only political party capable of representing and articulating Malay interests or that UMNO represents the one and only true version of Malay interest. Let's call them the Tun Razak generation. To these people UMNO is Malay and Malay is UMNO. Simple and low culture.
The most important effect of reverse mental migration, the most important as I see it, is the demolition of UMNO's monopoly on the mind of the Malays. Instead of accepting UMNO as savior, they accept the POSSIBILITY that UMNO uses the language of the besieged in order to subjugate Malays mentally. UMNO knows only one set of thinking- Malays are threatened here and there. The minority is plotting to overthrow the Malays and so forth. The present day generation asks- which Malays? The privileged or the ordinary Malays? Who allowed the wealth to be controlled by a minority helped along by Malay rent seekers?
I want to write with a caveat. This is not finalized yet. I shall wait for feedback from the public. This commentary on the thick book referred to as the 10th Malaysia Plan is just to show you that I am not sleeping as the former PM. I am wide awake.
I want to tell people, when writing this about Plan, I am always aware of the omnipresence of Ibrahim Ali and his band of people who are unrivaled in their love for their race. I shall reserve 30% of my writing space writing about Ibrahim Ali. Indeed I shall incorporate part 3 of my meeting with Ibrahim Ali in this essay.
Now, here is my commentary.
When I was talking with the Oracle most recently, we touched on the subject of the NEM. What's there to comment- we haven't seen a final version yet. It's a trial balloon. Now that it's being shot aggressively, I doubt we can see the NEM.
This is taking this cultural thing of 'masuk suku' to the extreme. Every policy measure announced is always followed up by the disclaimer that it's not finalized yet. Everything is not done to the full.
We brought in some foreign experts to craft out a model. I am sure there were inputs from local sources. These people are not stupid.
But the most comical reaction must come from one of the leaders of Perkasa. We shall give our fullest support to PM Najib. On, for, to what? He hasn't announced how the 30% participation in the economy by Bumiputera interests is to take place. So even before you have the details, this guy has undergone premature ejaculation. Hold on to your dick...I mean horses man.
How will the NEM be incorporated into the 10th MP?
The success of this 10th Malaysia Plan with the 10 big ideas (why do our people attach significance to rhymed association?- 10th Plan so 10 big ideas?) will depend precisely on the PM sidelining completely what's asked by Ibrahim Ali. But Ibrahim doesn't know this and Dr Zubir his intellectual extension, doesn't realize it either. How do you offer the market competitiveness and openness when you want to retain pockets of privileges or to put them in a milder term, market distorters?
The success of Najib's 10th Malaysia Plan with his 10 big ideas depends first of all, on his political will to remove the privileges of his UMNO Praetorian guards- those powerful regional division heads who control UMNO members in their divisions. This is the first step PM Najib must do because it's essential that he sends out the right signals. Signals that show him committed to the ideas of the NEM that will be driving his 10th Malaysia Plan.
Will he have the political will to round up his people who have committed wrongs – those who think they can do anything without the fear of being brought to common justice other than being brought before the party's disciplinary committee? And we all know what the Disciplinary Committee will do- whether the person brought before them is punished or not depends on which faction he belongs to. What if the wrong doer is a dyed in the wool supporter of the UMNO president? Will he be punished?
This is just an example of the privileged mentality that stands in the way of implementing a revolutionary economic plan.
So before I say anything further, I shall wait for the feedback. And whatever I say is not a final version yet ok. hehe
Dato Sak
ReplyDeleteI read your posting and put your views into context with this posting (an article by Dr Maznah Mohamad) which appeared on another website:
http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2010/06/dr-maznah-mohamad-on-umno-and-average.html
The question is: Will the 10MP get watered down during implementation with the likes of Ibrahim Ali lurking in the background fishing for the right-wing Malay votes?
Dato Sak
ReplyDeleteIn the end,to escape criticism,either from Perkosa or whatever other NGO's, it will be said, by the powers in command, 'it's just a trial baloon',or 'it' not finalized yet', or in worse case scenario, 'what license, no license has been issued ...'.
That's the present weak leadership's way of getting out of a 'sharp corner'. Good example is Berjaya Corporation's gambling license. kah kah....kah..are you laughing Dato Sak.he.he.he ( From The Dying Tasik Chini.)
Sak,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is educating the "politically illiterate masses."
Your writing is surely a class above what other bloggers.
Continue to write, sir, open our minds and our brains so that we can see the stripped UMNO putras - exposed by your articles.
And remain in UMNO. You don't need to quit that party nor join the Opposition. Stay where you are and you can do wonders for this country.
Its a pity your blog is not translated into Bahasa.
Dato,
ReplyDeleteI dont see anything new or radical in the work for high income nation. I doubt about the talent corporation - those guys migrate because the ecosystem here do not enable them to proliferate. They moved out they dont see equal opportunities without political clout. Much due to put political incline non performers that lead many agencies.
You have to change the ecosystem that supports performance.
You said :
ReplyDelete"Will he have the political will to round up his people who have committed wrongs – those who think they can do anything without the fear of being brought to common justice other than being brought before the party's disciplinary committee?"
Honestly, I don't he has the political will to do the right thing. The warlords in UMNO were simply too powerful for him to handle especially when he himself carry a lot of baggage with so much skeletons in his closet. Unless true reform takes place, Malaysia is doomed. The quarrel in years to come will be between the rich and rent seeking Malays in UMNO against the poor ordinary Malay workers/peasants. Believe me.
I would laugh with you but unfortunately the "not finalized yet" often means "will be finalized later and quietly" when we the public are outraged by something else!
ReplyDeleteAnd this for the ordinary malaysian, far from being funny, means being screwed yet again!
jay
Dato'
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't think whatever is being outlined in the 10th MP will be implemented successfully. With Najib 'tak muktamad' at the helm, nothing will be ever muktamad. At the end of the day all will be just hot air.
Najib will never be able to carry out the reforms required in UMNO/BN. He has too much excess baggage and too much skeleton in his wardrobe.
With regards to one of the main thrust of the 10th MP i.e. developing talents - lets not talk about developing talents lah, retaining existing talents pun tak boleh! How many malaysian professionals that have left the countries to date? And now, there is a new trend - malay professionals are also leaving the country. I would know, I am one of them!
Najib and his gang today are not like his father and his team. Dulu they think of serving the rakyat first, but now our leaders think of enriching them first despite the slogan 'rakyat didahulukan'.
Until and unless the top leadership starts to put the interests of the country and the rakyat first, no way we can achieve the targets in 2015.
Dato' your blog is turning out to be very UMNO-critical, almost opposition-like. For a person who profess to be a card-carrying member, that says a lot about the party. And a beacon for those who detest the excesses of the dejure ruling party. What you have been writing is exactly what the anti-UMNO people have been saying for years. Unfortunately I fear your thoughts are like a hot afternoon drizzle on a hard rock. You cant get rid of the BN slimeballs, of whatever country of origin, without beating them in GE13. Until then, keep on penning your thoughts. Who knows, it could be required reading for the next government.
ReplyDeletesalam,
loveMyKris
40 years on and najib razak is no abdul razak but..... cometh the hour, cometh the man?????
ReplyDeleteMPM and Perkasa telah berjaya merungkai sebab sebab Melayu tidak maju. Salah satu sebab adalah kerana kebobrokan Melayu Liberal.
ReplyDeleteDefinisi Melayu Liberal oleh MPM
"Melayu liberal walaupun mungkin cemerlang dalam akademik dan bidang masing-masing, tetapi pengetahuan mereka hanya terhad setakat itu sahaja. Tanpa hati yang murni dan fikiran yang terbuka, seorang yang berpelajaran boleh menjadi jahil sepertimana seseorang yang tidak pernah menjejakkan kaki ke sekolah."
Yeap, Melayu liberal macam si Tanggang, macam kacang lupakan kulit, macam bontot tak mau berak, macam jeruk kurang asam, macam ... sila tambah.
Dato Sak, saya nak hadiahkan buku "Melayu Islam Beraja" - Kearah memulihkan Maruah, Semangat dan Kedaulatan Bangsa Melayu"
Kita boleh jumpa di Cengkih.
A PROUD PROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF PERKASA !!
boleh.. jumpa di cengkih.
ReplyDeletesaya pun nak jawab melayu macam mana yang sayangkan bangsa.
panji hitam61
ReplyDeletekatakan je pemimpim-pemimpin UMNO dan kroni-kroni mereka. Apa nak berbelit-belit. Jangan le malu-malu. rasuah ini adalah satu legasi TDM....
Solutionnya : ahli-ahli UMNO minta pemimpin mereka buat perubahan, bagi altimatum. kalau tidak, turunkan pemimpin-pemimpin itu melalui PAu atau biarkan rakyat sahaja yang menurunkan mereka.
Dato'
ReplyDeleteApparently Perkasa and MPM have succeeded in their demands.
Yet paradoxically, the 10MP has condemned Ibrahim Ali and friends to be rent seekers and dependants on crutches for more years to come.
Do Perkasa and MPM truly help the Malays in the long term ?
Salam Dato',
ReplyDeleteI like the PE part and holding on to your d*** bit, hehehe... I never realize economist can crack jokes as well!
Anyway, my comment on the "market distortion" bit (which would include "affirmative actions"/social re-engineering policies such as NEP, etc.). Maybe we can learn from the US - look at the US economic growth & its ability to attract FDIs during its affirmative-action implementation era... I don't think it has much -ve effect? Look at IMD list of Competitive Nations (M'sia included) - are all/many of them really "open" and "distortion-free"? US (3), M'sia (10), Germany (16), UK (22), Japan (27) - these are some of mothers of subsidy (read: market distorters) countries on the planet!
I would argue that it is not so much of market distortions (read: tongkats in their various forms), it is the EFFECTIVENESS of policy implementation that matters more. In our case (M'sia), it is the KETIRISAN during implementation (due to rent-seekers, cronyism, you name it) that really contributes to our inefficient economic performance. In fact in our case it is no longer ketirisan, a SYSTEMIC KEBOCORAN (and a BIG one at that!) is a more apt description! I believe many of us got blinded by the "racist & political" light of the situation (as in Bruce Springsteen's Blinded by the Light?). It is too simplistic to say that the NEP was the culprit that holds the country down! It is, however, a good & convenient political SCAPEGOAT to the non-Malays (and to the new species called "Malay liberals") to do away with an unfinished business of our social re-engineering... Maybe we should re-look at the situation again and replace the "roof" (read: government/leaders/politicians/civil servants/implementors) that contributes to the kebocoran? Just imagine the impact IF we can substantially reduce this kebocoran... maybe we can make it next to S'pore (AND WITHOUT sacrificing the NECESSARY tongkats?)...
Dato'
ReplyDeleteIt's like watching a Show of Sorts!!
The whole thing... with all the associated Acronyms tossed around like dead fishes will, like dead fishes begin to rot and smell!!
Those serious cooks never thought that their leader would be willing to only half bake the cake!
How Saaadddd....
Joe Black
Baharuddin,
ReplyDeleteGlad you raised abt the US affirmative action.. and yes there wasnt any negative effect there and as can be seen during Malaysia's AA in the NEP - there was only positive effect and spectacular growth.
And the chinkies know it...
And they(the chinkies) also know about Amy Chua's view on negative and explosive effects of extreme economic disparities especially when an ethnic minority dominates..
They know but depa buat tak tahu je, buat sengap je, buat derk aje...
they also know even the United nations also prescribed corrections for such so-called market failures - thru affirmative actions...but depa buat derk aje...
Thay also know that with present disparities in Mean Monthly Household Income(2008) of
M: RM 3,400
C: RM 11,000
I: RM 9,000,
things are just going get worse not better - the market isnt going to correct itself, and disparities are not going to go away by some 'kind' market forces...there are no such thing as any 'kind' market forces only brutal ones as brutal as Francis Yeoh is an ugly apek... and they know it and depa buat derk je...
The widening curves are simply just diverging and come 2020, lackeys like Amirsham, Zainal Aznam and others in the NEAC are just going to go "ooops!", while Danny Quah and Andrew Sheng will be smiling in anticipation of a big pat on the back by the Hua Zong and Dong Zong; relieveed that they have fulfilled their missions - having been paid RM millions over the NEM roll-out years, not only by NEAC but by the institutions of racism - the many Zongs.
But depa buat tak tahu je, buat derk je
Setan!
Redevelopment of Kg Abdullah Hukum> Setia 6 billion
ReplyDeleteMRT Greater Kuala Lumpur Gamuda
35 bil
Gaming License Ascot/Vincent Tan
1 bil
Sg Besi RMAF Base Malton Group
15 bil
Pahang water transfer Loh&LOh
0.5 bil
Almost RM 60 bil awarded or RUMORED to be awarded and not a whisper from ANY political party.Thats good ya?
Try awarding the above to BUMI companies >> immediate outcry guaranteed from MCA,DAP,PR,MIC.Umno Youth...and all the mainstream papers will be full of issues on cronyism.
Reason for outcry is cos BUMI companies are deemed not capable to handle big projects.
Malays are leaving too because there are just not enough good paying jobs that fits their qualifications.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Chinese businessmen leave and establish their global businesses overseas plus setting up their headquarters in say Singapore, jobs dry up.
The government just cannot absorb too many Malays and pay them high at the same time.
Guys like Ibrahim Alis are driving even more Chinese businessmen out of this country. IN other countries the future is more predictable. Overhere no one knows what would happen next. Will 67 percenters like Ibrahim Alis come to power ?
Who in the right mind would allow 67% of their income goes to rent seekers? Even 30% is already hardly acceptable and most businesses prefer to operate overseas let alone 67%!
Silly guys but they really destroy the country.
Tuan,
ReplyDeleteSmall countries like Brunei and Singapore are gaining from Malaysia, Our PM has lost the bargaining power and has easily gave in to their demands.
Soon Bank Simpanan Nasional will change hands to some crony . They are swindling everything like the billions lost in FELDA's bank balance.
2/2
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the three hundred and fifty thousand locals who had egressed from our shores last year was no less in magnitude in some of the earlier years, something which the parliamentary session did not report in its ambivalent answer session.
That we have cases like Sime will also make the rakyat antsy we have the management capability to sustain profitability of overseas investments using domestic funds.
And we know from our economic history that foreign investments have been the main bulk of market-movers, whether in the employment, subcontracting or stock markets. However they are to this day still dependent on foreign labour for their low-cost, high dividends, export enterprises.
And foreign labour cannot be weaned from plantation operations. We have no iron-men-three to harvest oil palms.
Thus, reading back to the four factors and question aforementioned, how is the government going to resolve this issue of private investment - to enthuse domestic investors to prime the economy and to wean foreign investors away from low-cost labour to move towards employing more locals for higher-value activities in a five-year timeframe?
Let's converge everything now.
One, there are two schools of thought about a market. Open it to the world or exercise local constraints.
The conventional wisdom is to practice free enterprise and open it to the world. Those for local constraints will say if we do that, first-mover advantage and information asymmetry will favor those with capital, know-how and market access to have an immediate entry edge so that a free market economy has hidden dangers. Like economic and livelihood enslavement as well as cultural and social distortions.
But take Singapore and HongKong as open economies, and Japan and Korea as open-but-constrained economies. Both sets are thriving and sustaining. So it has to be something other than the size of the aperture which provides the clarity of the final photograph.
It's the focus. Therefore, what are we focused on? Those places must have common elements which make them successful in a globalized world.
One senses the planners of the 10MP realize what those elements are and have tried to put together a pathway.
But the possible upcoming tragedy is whether they have under-shot what is needed by over-providing for the stigmatizing social issues which may emanate and that is because the government has not done its homework before this plan was erected to draw the attention of all to the dire economic situation before us that would have sharpened the focus needed to come to terms with the stark realities which have been whitewashed and ignored for too long.
Let's take a walk now to massage out the perspective. It's sukan week in Melaka, a state where one may say the disparity between the Malays and Chinese is less apparent. The Malays and Chinese are at par with one another. They are mostly simple folks. Melaka's economy is dependent on tourism and manufacturing that are evinced by The Eye and Batu Berendam/Air Keroh etc. Note that neither provides much 10MP inspiration in this BN state with an animal-unfriendly MB.
So in this simple state this morning, you hear the sirens and foghorns blaring as the government outriders call for traffic to make way for the school buses full of exclusively Malay kids ferried to the games in a state that's going to reflect how the rest of the country will remain to be while we grow some subway tracks and new housing estates in the federal territories and places like Iskandar.
We need to get real about things that are already at the door.
The last three Malaysia Plans missed their economic targets.
ReplyDeleteThis tenth is dependent on private investments with a services thrust.
It aims to achieve a high income economy based on an NEM that targets six percent GDP growth year on year from private investments to grow from two percent per year under the 9MP to 12.8 percent per year under the 10MP.
Let's read that as 12.8 percent over last year [which had contracted by (minus)17.2 percent over the year before], and then 12.8 percent over this year when the next year ends, and so on, give or take year-to-year adjustments.
In short, that's calling for private investors to come park their money here at a clipped pace with accelerated pro-Malaysia sentiments.
This then if i may say is the overall bottom-line to the entire Plan.
To create and ferment that attractiveness, the government will hit three areas - half its deficit, reshape the workforce and push for urbanization.
Since its development expenditure will remain unchanged from the previous to this plan, it will have to spin the private sector coin. Thus the increase in privatization by five-fold over the 9MP from twelve billion to almost sixty three billion with fifty two projects. It will also add twenty billion to mezzanine some of the PFIs.
We will have to wait until October to get the meat of the twelve NKEAs (national key economic areas) where the Plan will manifest its realization the most.
But considering the five thrusts of the 10MP are just an expansion of the four thrusts of the 9MP, the twelve NKEAs leave nothing different to mind.
Which comes to the main message of this post:
For what it is attempting to do, is the 10MP too weak given the lackluster outcomes of the previous plans, the crimped global economic situation today and the lack of innovative powers within our ranks?
For a plan to work, all mandatory factors must work hand in glove. In our case, the following factors come to mind:
- implementation forte and completeness;
- federal-state coordination and cooperation;
- velocity of change in the soft aspects of people and policies;
- resolution of social issues which can throw monkey wrenches into the works.
Apart from extraneous factors beyond our influence, these are the key and recurring prerequisites to work the plan to its conclusion.
Realizing that momentum of change is the imperative, the planners have used the carrot and stick approach. The carrot is to loosen some of the restrictive policies; the stick is to reduce subsidies and tighten foreign worker employment.
What needs to be done next in the coming months to the NKEAs is to address just one question:
why should a private investor invest here over other places?
To answer this question, we have to dichotomize private investment into domestic and foreign.
So far we know domestic investment has been virtually insignificant in the last term.
In fact, some of it has left for overseas because our domestic market is too small in granularity for their scale of growth. There has been outflow with no signals of backflow of profits.
'UMNO knows only one set of thinking- Malays are threatened here and there. The minority is plotting to overthrow the Malays and so forth.'
ReplyDeleteI am not an UMNO member. But, tell me Dato, that the statement is completely false. Are there not people in Malaysia who are willing to sell this country to foreigh powers just to achieve their political objectives. Like many other Malaysians I need an answer.
Salam Dato'
ReplyDeletePandangan Dato berkaitan RMK 10 mmg ditunggu 2. Saya tulis dlm blog saya supaya pembaca saya merujuk kpd blog Dato sbg sumber.
Mungkin ramai yg layari blok dato tapi merasa kecewa kerana tak banyak yg dapat difahami...mungkin dato menulis utk bacaan mka yg taraf edn-nya tinggi tapi ramai juga peminat dato spt saya ini yg tak berapa faham bahasa inggeris tahap PhD yg dato guna..agaknya aspan fahamlah tu ..kami terkial-kiallah dato..barangkali ada juga baiknya dato tulis tajuk 2 spt RMK10 & sabsidi ini dlm bahasa myu..saya mmg kagum dgn keupayaan dato menulis dlm bahasa inggeris yg kdg2 saya kena ada dictionary disebelah saya
Wbp terima kasih atas pdgn dato yg saya faham juga isi kdgnnya.
Anon 12-6, 23:11,
ReplyDeleteThanks & I share your view... one fine day some Melayu akan mengamuk... but by then those Melayu keparat dah blah somewhere else together with their konco2... yang jadi magsa nya Melayu jugak... aduhai... how can we change the ending to this story line?