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Saturday, 12 February 2011

Chinese leader sceptical NEM will change things

It is feared that the delay in implementing reforms will retard economic progress.

KUALA LUMPUR: The New Economic Model (NEM) is nullified by the decision to set up the proposed Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC), president of the Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Yew Sing, said here today.

Tan was commenting on a recent statement by National Economic Advisory Council member, Zainal Aznam Mohd Yusuf, that the commission, which was meant to promote merit-based affirmative programmes, was killed off by Malay rights group Perkasa.

“Communal policies are already a well-known issue in nation. If the government still hesitates to carry out economic reforms, (we are) afraid that the only consequences will be (a nation) paralysed,” Tan said in a statement.

The goverment came under heavy fire from opposition leaders who accused Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak of “rescinding” his own NEM.

They claimed that the initial motive of the NEM was to eradicate conservative race-based policies, and to liberalise and heal the economy.

The move (to establish the NEM) ran into fierce protest from groups like Perkasa. Najib was seen to have caved in to their demands when he said that the Bumiputera agenda will continue in an expanded race-based affirmative programmes under the NEM.

Najib also recently announced the setting up Teraju, a new unit to drive the Bumiputera economic agenda. Opposition leaders claimed this move signalled yet another lack of political will on Najib’s part to introduce real reforms.

Tan said that NEM had initially sparked new hope for Malaysians, especially those affected by the race-based policies.

But he said that the electorate has now become weary of the government’s efforts to introduce reforms because of the delay in implementing the NEM.

He claimed that the government is dragging its foot over reforms to pander to racist demands from Perkasa.

He said this was evident when the government adopted the Bumiputera Economic Congress resolution last year which called for the Bumiputera quota system to be maintained. The congress was organised by Perkasa.

One of its resolutions also demanded that the government stick to the 67% for Bumiputera and 33% for non- Bumiputera formula in the allocation of national and social wealth.

Tan said all these moves will retard the nation’s progress.

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