Ethnic cracks widen in Malaysia’s ruling coalition

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia’s governing coalition sought to defuse a racial row Tuesday after a Malay official made a stunning outburst by warning the ethnic Chinese minority not to become greedy for political and economic power.

Ahmad Ismail, a district chief in the United Malays National Organization ruling party, claimed that the Malay majority was losing patience with minorities, particularly ethnic Chinese politicians.

“I urge the Chinese not to become like the Jewish in America, where it is not enough that they control the economy, but they also want to dominate politics,” Ahmad told a news conference late Monday in northern Penang state.

“Consider this a warning from the Malays,” Ahmad said. “The patience of the Malays has a limit. Do not push us against the wall, for we will be forced to turn back and push the Chinese for our own survival.”

Gerakan, an ethnic Chinese-based party in the National Front coalition government, later announced it was severing ties with Ahmad and Malay officials in Penang who publicly backed him. Gerakan leaders have recently warned they may consider quitting the government, largely due to dissatisfaction over racial issues.

The National Front comprises 14 groups spearheaded by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Malay party, which shares power with parties that have traditionally represented ethnic Chinese, Indians and other minorities.

The dispute is a fresh headache for Abdullah, who is struggling to hold the coalition together amid a threat by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to seize power by luring government lawmakers to his side by next week.

Growing dissatisfaction about racial policies prompted many Chinese and Indians to vote against the government in March general elections. Many Malays also backed the opposition, causing the National Front to retain power with only a simple parliamentary majority.

Abdullah said he was “utterly unhappy” with Ahmad’s comments and promised to “take stern action over the matter.”

Chinese officials are likely to pressure Abdullah at a National Front meeting Tuesday to penalize Ahmad, who rankled ethnic Chinese last month when he described them as “squatters” and “immigrants.” Police said last week they were investigating Ahmad for possible sedition, which is punishable by three years in prison.

Most Chinese and Indian Malaysians are descendants of 19th and early 20th century immigrants who came as traders, laborers and miners during British colonial rule.

Ethnic Chinese now comprise a quarter of Malaysia’s 27 million people, while Indians form less than 10 percent. They have grown increasingly vocal about alleged government discrimination in economic, social and religious policies.

Malays, who constitute about 60 percent of the population, enjoy a host of privileges in jobs, education and business as part of an affirmative action program launched in 1970 following racial riots fueled by Malay frustration over the Chinese community’s wealth.

Najib: Chinese will not be left out in Malaysian Ninth Plan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Chinese will not be left out in strategies to eradicate socio-economic inequalities in the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

Editor: Sounds like empty promise again… I find the politician trick is really inferior. To the best of my knowledge, there is no specific plan for “Chinese” stated in the Malaysian Ninth Plan, yet he said the community will not be left out, maybe there will a “Chinese Development Plan” Ha ha ha, that will only be what you could have in dream. As long as you still make such plan racial oriented, it is not good for the country!

Najib, who gave a ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday explaining the details of the third thrust of the strategy framework of the MTR , said an additional explanatory statement needed to be outlined to prevent the issue from being misunderstood by any party.

He added the third thrust, which concentrated on addressing persistent socio-economic inequalities between ethnic groups, would give emphasis on three groups which still lagged behind the other races in terms of income and wealth ownership.

Najib said the three groups were the bumiputras, bumiputras from Sabah and Sarawak and the Indian community.

Editor: Why there is no significant improvement among the bumiputras even though Malaysian Plan has been implementing for so many decades? Who is the real person who benefit or taking advantage of it.

“This effort will not discriminate against the Chinese community and other groups as outlined under the national philosophy of growth which we had been practising since the 1970s,” he said .

Najib said emphasis would be given to the bumiputras to enable them to have 19.4% equity ownership in the corporate sector, 15% ownership of premises and an average income of RM3,156 each; Sabah and Sarawak bumiputras to have 3% ownership in the corporate sector and have an average income from RM2,063 to RM2,858 each; and the Indians to have 1.1% ownership in the corporate sector, 3.8% premises ownership and an average income of RM3,799.

He added that Chinese ownership in the corporate sector actually increased to 42.4%, while their ownership of premises was 76.1% and they had an average income of RM4,853 each.

Editor: Really?! I don’t think so!

Najib said talented bumiputra graduates would be given assistance to commercialise their ideas based on merit and needs.

“This doesn’t mean that this strategy will be an attempt to hold back the opportunities that can be gained by the non-bumiputra entrepreneurs,” he added.

Najib said the mid-term review period would also see a progressive liberalisation of the economy as an engine of growth, and the foreign investment committee guidelines would be reappraised to prevent the private sector from seeing the guidelines as a hurdle in their efforts to participate in the country’s economic activities.

Editor: Perhaps ONLY kindergarten students will trust the above statement. Ha ha ha..

“Unsuitable provisions will be repealed to ensure more market-friendly guidelines,” he added.

Najib said another strategy was the restructuring of the labour force without recognising racial differences in economic activities.

The private sector would be encouraged to employ bumiputras and non-bumiputras would be encouraged to work in the public sector, he added.

“The Government has no intention to force any public or public-listed companies to increase the bumiputra workforce in their operations,” he said.

Najib said the people should not ignore the reality of the existence of a huge disparity between ethnic groups, regions and between states and districts.

“The third thrust of the strategy to eradicate inequalities between the ethnic groups will benefit everyone and those who still need assistance from the Government.

“Such efforts will be continued to ensure equitable distribution of wealth and the participation of all ethnic groups, which will help to improve the quality of the people’s lives and guarantee national unity,” Najib said.

Editor: Having independent for 50 over years, yet we are still talking about “racial policies”. Wouldn’t Malaysian think it is totally outdated?

Contributed by: The Star