Ku Li Blasts Najib For Putting Politic Beyond Policy Reform

PETALING JAYA
Wednesday, 23rd March 2010

Saying that only political change can bring economic reforms to Malaysia, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (picture) last night blamed the Najib Administration for crippling the national economy by putting politics ahead of policy reforms.

In his sharpest barb yet directed at Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Umno veteran urged the prime minister to end race-based affirmative programmes in the New Economic Policy (NEP) drawn up 40 years ago which he said was a cover for “corruption, crony capitalism and money politics”.

“To make that leap we need a government capable of promoting radical reform. That is not going to happen without political change,” the Kelantan prince and former finance minister said when launching the second edition of “No Cowardly Past” by lawyer James Puthucheary here last night. Puthucheary, who was once a politician and economist, died 10 years ago.

The Gua Musang MP mocked Najib for delaying announcing his proposed New Economic Model (NEM) and suggested that the new policy may only be a rehash of the “old” NEP, drawing chuckles from the audience.

The chuckles stopped when the 73-year-old reminded his audience how deeply race-based policies had scored themselves in the minds of the powerful few, noting that the NEP was dragged back to life by Umno Youth six years ago because “it was and remains the most low-cost way to portray oneself as a Malay champion.”

“The NEP is over. I ask the government to have the courage to face up to this,” he added.

He called on the Najib administration to restore independence in public institutions and to overhaul the education system and repeal “repressive laws” such as the Printing Presses Act, the Universities and Colleges Act, the Internal Security Act and the Official Secrets Act.

“Confidence in the rule of law is a basic condition of economic growth,” said the politician popularly known as Ku Li.

Tengku Razaleigh added that “radical reform” and not “piecemeal measures” was needed to move the economy forward but strongly suggested that it may not be possible under the present leadership.

Asked to clarify his meaning, Ku Li explained that Najib needs to move fast and translate his proposed policies into action to plug the swift drain of talent out of the country.

Najib is now in Hong Kong to promote Malaysia to fund managers and investors at the Credit Suisse’s 13th Asian Investment Conference which starts today.

The Prime Minister is due to receive a report on the NEM which he announced when taking office last April. The report and policies will be fully announced in June when Najib tables the 10th Malaysia Plan as the government wants public feedback to shape the NEM.

Malay right-wing groups have said the NEM must be guided by the NEP which was officially abandoned in 1990 and subsumed into the National Development Policy which ran from 1991 to 2000.

Razaleigh, who was unsuccessful in challenging Najib for the Umno presidency last year, remains a harsh critic of the ruling Barisan Nasional government policies particularly its refusal to give 5 per cent oil royalty to his home state Kelantan.

However, he has pledged loyalty to Umno despite calls to quit his Gua Musang seat and his division leadership. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat has privately urged him to join them but he has declined the offer.

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Poor Dayak/Iban In Kuching Scavanging For Living : Where Are the Iban Politicians and NGO like SADIA and SDNU?

KUCHING
Tuesday, 23rd March 2010

Where are the Iban Politicians and NGO such as SADIA and SDNU?

Sometimes in November last year (2009), while I was driving in the vacinity of Stapok, I saw two adult females and two children at the age of between 8 to 10 years scavanging the rubbish bins placed by MBKS in that area.

Based on their looks, I knew that they were the  poor dayak/Iban who lived around that area or could be as far as the Desa Wira resetlement scheme. And this morning, Borneo Post published the hardship of a single mother by the name of Entunan and her three young children age 11, 9 and 6 years old.

Entunan story that she shared with the Batu Kawah representative YB Tan from Sarawak United People Party (SUPP) was really sad. According to her, she built the hut where she and her children is staying using the scrapped metal, zinnc sheet and wood that she could found nearby. As for the expenses of the family, she relies on the money provide by the government and the local church. Looking at the high cost of living in Kuching, I just could not imagined how could she and her four children could live with the amount of RM 340 in Kuching. Another sad story that she shared with YB Tan was how the children going to school which is located about thirty minutes walking distance from their hut.

Entunan story is just a tip of an iceberg of the poor dayak/Iban in Kuching. There are many more Iban who migrated to Kuching and suffer like Entunan. But the point that I want to raise this morning is about the roles of the Dayak YBs and NGOs in helping these poor Iban families in Kuching.

We have so many YBs in DUN and parliament, but why none of them came forward to help these poor Iban. Politician like Jabu Numpang, Jemut Masing,Snowdan Lawan who openly claimed themselves as the dayak politicians and who had won the seats by dayak votes, but doing nothing to help the poor Iban/dayak in Kuching. Where are they?

Talking about dayak association or NGO, we have SADIA, SDNU and many more, but where are they? Are they only interested to get government grant or joining the association as a stepping stone to enter politic? And if barisan Nasional (BN)  politicians have been doing nothing to help the dayak, the PKR should take this opportunity. Being the new party to the dayak, helping the poor dayak/Iban in Kuching can help to increase PKR popularity amongst the dayal/Iban voters.

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