Another bumi booster, but why are they still behind?

The BN may have announced a series of new race-based measures to boost the economic situation of the bumiputeras, but who is to be blamed for the community falling behind even after almost a half-century of affirmative action?

Seri Setia state assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad asked this today, pointing out that the only suspect is Umno, which together with its coalition partners have ruled the country since independence.

"The prime minister (left), deputy prime minister and their Umno party owe an explanation to all Malaysians - whatever their race or religion - as to why the bumiputera community has remained so weak under their stewardship?

"Umno has after all been in power - via the Alliance and BN - since Malaya became independent in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, some 56 years at the helm of the country," he said in a statement today.

Despite Umno often using its bumiputera agenda as the party's cornerstone struggle, the bumiputera community remains in a precarious position, said Nik Nazmi, who is also Selangor state assembly deputy speaker.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak have continued to fall behind.

Just as bad, Nik Nazmi said the socio-economic gap within the bumiputera community too was increasing.

The blame lies solely on Umno, which has proclaimed itself as champions of the Malays, said the young politician.

‘Mismanagement and corruption'

In truth, Nik Nazmi said the bumiputeras lagging behind is due to BN's mismanagement and corruption.

"All Malaysians are paying for the failed policies of this government and its predecessors - who were more concerned with spin rather than substance, preferring to throw money at problems in the hope that they would go away," he said.

The key, Nik Nazmi said, was to make the bumiputera community stable and prosperous without the need of constant state intervention, which is unlikely to be the case with the latest measures that Prime Minister Najib Razak unveiled yesterday.

In describing the new measures, he said, "Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different results."

"Malaysia - bumiputera and non-bumiputera alike - desperately need a new way of governance to move this country forward," he added.