Eat This!
I came across this article while surfing on the Sin Chew Jit Poh website:
"Who's The One Being Marginalised? updated:2006-09-02 09:00:00 MYT
Recently, some people have been making inflammatory remarks in political circles. They claim to be defending the rights of an ethnic group, but in reality they are more keen on protecting their own interests.
Early in August, someone tossed a burning firebrand on the Penang Chief Minister post rotation issue. Since then, it's been a "hot" topic for a whole month. The flames showed no sign of dying down. In fact, they grew even fiercer, burning away the concealing cover of decoys and diversions to reveal the whys and wherefores behind all the fuss.
UMNO Tanjung Division Chief Ahmad Ibni Hajar's words, reprinted in a newspaper, have enlightened us regarding the agenda behind the blazing controversy.Ahmad believes that Malays in Penang are lagging behind because development projects in the state were allotted to RM2 companies, which caused them to fail. He also echoed the PM's sentiments that the real reason Malays in Penang had been marginalised was because most of the top positions in the state government were held by people who were "unfit for the job.
"In order to "rescue" the Malays in Penang, there are two steps that the government wants to take:The first is to put Ahmad in charge of a wholly bumiputera-owned consortium, which will in turn be responsible for planning and overseeing development projects in Penang and Butterworth. In other words, this consortium will be able to take a cut from any future mega projects in Penang. That is, if it doesn't just take all the profits from the project outright.
We know that Penang received several lavish gifts under the 9MP, such as the second Penang bridge (worth RM3 billion), the Penang monorail (worth RM1.1 billion) and the Penang Outer Ring Road (worth another RM1.1 billion).These mega projects are like fat juicy slabs of meat, with the private construction industry drooling over them. Do you think a certain privileged group would pass up the chance to get first dibs on such choice offerings?
Ahmad's blunt words had already made things quite clear. He "hoped that the Penang monorail project would be reserved for the only Penang company that had bid or the project, in order to properly look after the interests of the Malays in that state."This consortium claims to be the saviour of the Malays in Penang, but it seems more like it's just there to divide the spoils and grab a share in the wealth.
We can already foresee that these mega projects will help the consortium get rich very quickly, while the Malays in the kampungs won't really benefit from them at all. For the second step of the "rescue" operation, the government wants to appoint Malay elites and professionals from various fields to top positions in the Penang state government as replacements for those "unworthy people" currently holding onto those same positions.
It should be quite easy for the government to gather these elites and professionals. However, the PM is the PM of the whole of Malaysia. Before adopting such a strategy, shouldn't he consider the big picture? If he assigns a large consortium and the elite of the country to run the Penang state government, what kind of message will he be sending about that state's position and authority? Penang is only one of the states in Malaysia. All the policies implemented by a state government are linked to the framework that has been set by the central government. If they feel that the Malays in Pennag have been marginalised, then it's high time the Malays themselves do some soul-searching.
In a dog-eat-dog society, minorities are subordinate groups that are oppressed by those in power. They have little clout and their concerns are usually ignored. This is what it means to be marginalised. For instance, the Chinese community, which has a slowly decreasing population and is often afraid of standing up for its own rights, can be said to be in danger of being marginalised. Malays are the majority in this country. They have the NEP to support them and often get their way when it comes to religion, politics, education and other areas. In any situation, they have the advantage over the other ethnic groups, yet despite all the privileges they enjoy, they still think they are being "marginalised." Yes, it really is high time that they partook in some critical self-examination.
In Penang, those who want to live comfortably in their own houses and run their business can do so simply by relying on their own ability and determination. They don't need to be elites or professionals, nor do they need to be graduates from Oxford or some other famous university. Irrespective of ethnicity, any Penangites who have achieved anything have done so through their own hard work and determination in the face of various obstacles. This just goes to prove that no one who is willing to work hard will ever be left on the sidelines.
(By Tan Poh Kheng/Sin Chew Daily)
(From Editors Desk) Sinchew-i 2006/09/02"
You said it Ms Tan! I'm all Malay, if you want to get technical.. yet I find the virtue in this article. It's high time that we wake up, accept the facts & take responsibility for our future. Whining about being marginalised won't really cut it.
"Who's The One Being Marginalised? updated:2006-09-02 09:00:00 MYT
Recently, some people have been making inflammatory remarks in political circles. They claim to be defending the rights of an ethnic group, but in reality they are more keen on protecting their own interests.
Early in August, someone tossed a burning firebrand on the Penang Chief Minister post rotation issue. Since then, it's been a "hot" topic for a whole month. The flames showed no sign of dying down. In fact, they grew even fiercer, burning away the concealing cover of decoys and diversions to reveal the whys and wherefores behind all the fuss.
UMNO Tanjung Division Chief Ahmad Ibni Hajar's words, reprinted in a newspaper, have enlightened us regarding the agenda behind the blazing controversy.Ahmad believes that Malays in Penang are lagging behind because development projects in the state were allotted to RM2 companies, which caused them to fail. He also echoed the PM's sentiments that the real reason Malays in Penang had been marginalised was because most of the top positions in the state government were held by people who were "unfit for the job.
"In order to "rescue" the Malays in Penang, there are two steps that the government wants to take:The first is to put Ahmad in charge of a wholly bumiputera-owned consortium, which will in turn be responsible for planning and overseeing development projects in Penang and Butterworth. In other words, this consortium will be able to take a cut from any future mega projects in Penang. That is, if it doesn't just take all the profits from the project outright.
We know that Penang received several lavish gifts under the 9MP, such as the second Penang bridge (worth RM3 billion), the Penang monorail (worth RM1.1 billion) and the Penang Outer Ring Road (worth another RM1.1 billion).These mega projects are like fat juicy slabs of meat, with the private construction industry drooling over them. Do you think a certain privileged group would pass up the chance to get first dibs on such choice offerings?
Ahmad's blunt words had already made things quite clear. He "hoped that the Penang monorail project would be reserved for the only Penang company that had bid or the project, in order to properly look after the interests of the Malays in that state."This consortium claims to be the saviour of the Malays in Penang, but it seems more like it's just there to divide the spoils and grab a share in the wealth.
We can already foresee that these mega projects will help the consortium get rich very quickly, while the Malays in the kampungs won't really benefit from them at all. For the second step of the "rescue" operation, the government wants to appoint Malay elites and professionals from various fields to top positions in the Penang state government as replacements for those "unworthy people" currently holding onto those same positions.
It should be quite easy for the government to gather these elites and professionals. However, the PM is the PM of the whole of Malaysia. Before adopting such a strategy, shouldn't he consider the big picture? If he assigns a large consortium and the elite of the country to run the Penang state government, what kind of message will he be sending about that state's position and authority? Penang is only one of the states in Malaysia. All the policies implemented by a state government are linked to the framework that has been set by the central government. If they feel that the Malays in Pennag have been marginalised, then it's high time the Malays themselves do some soul-searching.
In a dog-eat-dog society, minorities are subordinate groups that are oppressed by those in power. They have little clout and their concerns are usually ignored. This is what it means to be marginalised. For instance, the Chinese community, which has a slowly decreasing population and is often afraid of standing up for its own rights, can be said to be in danger of being marginalised. Malays are the majority in this country. They have the NEP to support them and often get their way when it comes to religion, politics, education and other areas. In any situation, they have the advantage over the other ethnic groups, yet despite all the privileges they enjoy, they still think they are being "marginalised." Yes, it really is high time that they partook in some critical self-examination.
In Penang, those who want to live comfortably in their own houses and run their business can do so simply by relying on their own ability and determination. They don't need to be elites or professionals, nor do they need to be graduates from Oxford or some other famous university. Irrespective of ethnicity, any Penangites who have achieved anything have done so through their own hard work and determination in the face of various obstacles. This just goes to prove that no one who is willing to work hard will ever be left on the sidelines.
(By Tan Poh Kheng/Sin Chew Daily)
(From Editors Desk) Sinchew-i 2006/09/02"
You said it Ms Tan! I'm all Malay, if you want to get technical.. yet I find the virtue in this article. It's high time that we wake up, accept the facts & take responsibility for our future. Whining about being marginalised won't really cut it.
posted by elya at 3:22 pm
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