Govt must take another look at NEP: Anwar
January 16, 2006
Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: The New Economic Policy (NEP) should be discontinued as it has the tendency to promote corruption and many other contentious issues that bring about costly consequences to the Government and country, according to former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said after three decade the NEP had outlived its purpose and called for a total reform of the national economic agendas to make the economy more vibrant and provide equal benefits to the multi-racial people in the country.

"I am not disputing the wisdom of the formulation of the NEP in the 1970s. The community (Malays) felt insecure after the May 13, 1969 racial incident but now after more than 30 years³n any policies after three decades it can be reformulated," he said.

"Why I talk about NEP lest you forget I was Finance Minister for eight years and we had worked very hard to ensure our competitiveness," he said.

The Keadilan Advisor said his call might see many Malays upset because it is seen as favouring the non-bumiputeras especially Chinese.

He categorically denied that his call is a grudge and based on malice and bitterness after six years behind bars.

"After being stripped naked, kicked and treated like an animal with food thrown at you, I am not coming out as someone malicous and with bitterness...I want to move on," he said in his talk at the Sabah United Chinese Women Association Chinese New Year luncheon at the Airport View Hotel, Thursday.

Also present were Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, former Minister of Social Services Datuk Kong Hong Ming, former Umno Assistant Minister Datuk Nahalan Damsal, and party leaders Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Datin Saidatul Tun Said Keruak.

It was organised by the Sabah United Chinese Women Association led by Wong Kin Ying. In his talk entitled "The New Economic Policy" in his capacity as Visiting Professor of Georgetown University, Washington DC, he said he was labelled as anti-Malay by some.

"Yes, I am pro-Chinese, pro-Indian, pro-Kadazan, pro-Iban because I am Malaysian," he said.

Anwar said the country's economy was no longer robust and there is a decline in Malaysia's position in the competitiveness index, media freedom as well as increase in the corruption index.

"As for media freedom, it has gone down to 150 which is just about where Libya and Zimbabwe are. Are we Malaysians not worried about this? We are losing our competitiveness and investments," he said.

Furthermore, he said the gap between the poor and rich in the country had widened so much, which is among the worst in Asia.

"So who are these poor people is what Sabahans should reflect on. Fine, Umno and the BN had given opportunity to the local-based parties but they have failed miserably," he said.

"While other areas in Malaysia are considered as middle-income economy, many parts of Sabah are equivalent to Africa as they are categorised as low-income economy," he said. He said a total economic agenda change was needed to ensure the poor Bumiputras get the facilities to enhance their lives.

Anwar also lamented the existence of what he described as second class citizens in the country who received less equal treatment. "Unless you are in Umno then you are safe".

He recalled that when he was in prison he met a young convict who had to spend three months in jail after he was not able to fork out bail for stealing a pair of RM40 jeans.

"He told me he is poor so cannot bail himself out but that there are big fishes who stole millions but go scot free," said Anwar to laughter from the floor.

He said he had advised Sabah Keadilan leaders to chart a state policy, which must include whatever recommendations they think are needed in Sabah.

"If you talk about the (petroleum) royalty, yes why not. This is a State rich in resources but having poor people. It does not make sense," he said, adding it was illogical for agencies such as Yayasan Sabah, which has huge tracts of concession area not to make money.

"That's why I said scrap the NEP," he said, adding changes must be made even if it means promoting small Chinese companies to go up the ladder rather than weakling companies that never performed and are only bankrupting the country.

"We have to create a new mind set. We cannot have leaders who are too pre-occupied with amassing wealth. Support only those who give clear undertakings to protect the agreed constitutional guarantee."

It should be a policy for leaders to severe all business ties when they are appointed as State or Federal Ministers so that they can focus on their work and not busy amassing wealth.

ANWAR, who was a former Education Minister, said the Government must depart from the education policy where prejudices of languages exist, to honour the promises in the constitution to protect the right of the people. The constitution not only guarantees Bahasa Melayu as the national language and English as the second language but also the development of mother tongues of the multi-racial people in the country, which must not be impeded.

"However, this was disrupted," he said referring to the teaching of Science and Maths in English in schools in the country.

Encouraging the teaching of other mother tongues in the national education system is a win-win situation, he said the present situation could lead to the possibility of vernacular languages like Kadazandusun in Sabah going extinct.

Anwar also said those appointed as vice-chancellors in public universities in the country must be qualified and professional academicians to ensure the country has quality human capital resources.

"Not a mediocre guy who acts like an Umno branch chairman telling students not to read this and that. What kind of professors ask their students not to readÆhey (students) will be as stupid as their professors," he said. 

Source: http://dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=39505