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Monday, 1 March 2010

Malay Consultative Council a New Dilemma for Najib

Khoo Kay Peng

Najib's
1Malaysia vision is facing yet another serious threat. 80 Malay groups came together to form the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) to push the government to maintain affirmative action for the country’s dominant race.

A Malay leader revealed that the MPM wants the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government to maintain a “guided” New Economic Policy (NEP) that protects the Malays and Bumiputras, saying the community was worried about moves to abolish subsidies and other forms of aid.

The fact is the federal government cannot afford to hand out subsidies and aids forever. Malaysia's oil reserve is depleting. Our over dependence on oil revenue is slowing stalling our ability to fund socio-economic development programmes.

Najib has identified the need to build a high growth economy through innovation and creativity. The question is how is he going to convince these Malay NGOs that what they are doing (blind protection of Malay rights) is going to generate more pain than gain for the community.

As a small economy with limited resources, we should have focused on growing the economic pie and not fighting over crumbs. The newly established MCC should prove that it is not all talk but no walk.

What can the MCC do to help in capacity building of the Malays? Malay may be the dominant race in Malaysia but it is just a minority race globally. The community must work harder and acquire as much knowledge and skills as possible to compete with the world's best. Education and knowledge acquisition is the only option for survival. Not racial chest beating or making unreasonable demands.

If MCC is only interested in making demands on Malay rights and blame the non-Malay but keeping quiet on their Malay leadership own mismanagement and all other ills which have much larger implication on the Malay community, it risks being treated as a shallow organisation and a group of racial opportunists.

MCC or Perkasa may not be Ibrahim Ali's best bet to retain his MP seat. He should not be given another opportunity.

Najib should state his stand on the MCC and Perkasa if he truly believes in his own 1Malaysia. We are awaiting to be reassured.

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