For the past few years and on many occasions, Najib had given assurance that he will not foresake the Malays and Bumiputera. This time assurances and promises are not sufficient and they want more than that.
Bumiputera will not hear of excuses to do things quietly.
Not even an article from Beruang Biru to ask "Apa lagi rakyat mahu? can help relieve the demand for remedial action. Definitely not with a spin by listing all that PM has umum, lancar, perkenal, ilham and rasmi. To debunk, ask: has it delivered?
There is an SMS circulating:
Dijemput datang beramai-ramai ke Majlis Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Bumiputera pada Sabtu, 14 Sept 2013 di DATC UITM Shah Alam. 830 pagi - Forum: Tan Sri Dr Wan Zahid & Prof Dato' Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali. 1030 pagi - Pengumuman khas Agenda Ekonomi Bumiputera oleh YAB Perdana Menteri. Terbuka kpd orang ramai. Menteri kabinet & pemimpin Bumiputera akan hadir. Mari bersatu & tunjukkan sokongan kpd Agenda Bumiputera. Sila forward SMS ini kpd kawan-kawan.Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of EPU, Dato Abdul Wahid Omar gave a broad outline of the area to be covered. [Read Utusan Malaysia here.]
But this morning at 10 AM, it is the deadline for all related agencies to submit their immediate plan of action to EPU.
Since it looks like a rush job, we'll pass up on the event. At 8:00 AM, it is too early for bloggers. Secondly, there is more fun and satisfaction to hear great jazz performances at the KL International Jazz Festival 2013 by Lee Ritenour, Ezra Brown, Rudresh Mahanthappa, etc.
Sceptics
Although hopeful, his previous postings have been highly doubtful of Najib. He seemed to view Najib as incapable of appreciating the sensitivity of the Malay cause and the rakyat on the ground at large.
Perhaps, it is out-dated thinking in today's neo-liberal times. The common thinking these days seemed to be that anything that is from the past and working well, including initiatives by Tun Abdul Razak, is out-dated.
It was Omar Ong who advised and persistently insist Najib abolish the Ministry for Entreneurship Development.
Omar Ong also got Najib to abolish the Bumiputera shareholding requirement for public listing by introducing Ekuinas.
Najib only realised later that the Malays are not happy.
At the second opportunity to deliver the key note speech at the UMNO General Assembly, Najib made attempt to appease the UMNO members. Our sources claimed PM's key advisor, Omar Ong scolded him for "going backward."
Until Najib dissociate himself from Omar Ong and get honest and hardworking people to help him (repeat: honest and hardworking), he will continue to be caught in a crisis of confidence.
Economy is claimed to be good and much of Malaysia's accolade highlighted by the media, but why is the ground not happy?
Dismantling
When Ekuinas was established, management did not want to play the social role of replacing the lost Bumiputera shareholding. They wanted to do Private Equity and Venture Capital but with Government money.
Ekuinas was buying up Chinese companies and providing exit for Chinese companies and most recently Indian companies. [Read Din Turtle here.]
When Ekuinas eventually exit from their investment, Ekuinas's so-called Bumiputera stake will eventually get diluted and it does not increase bumiputera presence in PLCs. Will Ekuinas be used to increase equity participation of Bumiputera?
As pointed out to now Dato Abdul Rahman when there was only few tables and chairs at Ekuinas office, Bumiputera that started the business will neither benefit from Ekuinas's so-called professional management and equity participation. Nor will they at exit point.
So, Ekuinas was never about developing Bumiputera entrepreneurs but another aimless Government institution. Most likely, it was Omar Ong hoodwinking the Bumiputera business community.
There is then Khazanah Nasional that was initiated by Tun Dr Mahathir but Tan Sri Nor Mohamaed Yakcop turned it into another Temasek.
Nor Yakcop must have been fascinated with KPI and quantitave scoring system from books he read that he thought he can improve profitability and efficiency using those.
However, Khazanah's KPI did not spell out anything other than profitability and efficiency. Nor Yakcop turned Khazanah into another Temasek by using Tan Sri Azman Yahya at Danaharta and Banks to 'steal' companies off the hands of Malay entrepreneurs like Tan Sri Halim Saad and Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.
Coercion, deception and fraudulent means was also used.
Despite being under private hands, the Halims and Tajuddins gave employment, passage for professional career, and contracts and subcontracts to Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
But Khazanah only talk of "nature and nurture" at forums and seminar but nothing comes out of it. Not only is there no Bumiputera empowerment programme, existing Bumiputera staff were disempowered.
It was a dismantling exercise.
Education and Employment denied
Since then, Malays and Bumiputera have been on the slide in education - enrollment in University plummet, admission into strategic subjects down into the teens in percentage, and scholarship allocation minimised by the liberal policies for Chinese application of government scholarship.
In the PTPTN program, there have been scams done by the Chinese-run Universities that Najib's administration failed to realise.
It is beneficial to oppose the existing Government.
Najib must seek ways to be more relaxed on PTPTN repayment in view of the difficult employment situation. Pay one must, just like what others had to repay dearly for foreign education. It is a matter of responsibility but give them some breathing space.
While local students are made to pay, the Chinese students receiving scholarship for foreign Universities tend not to return but worked abroad.
Some hare-brained established Talentcorp to spent millions to entice unpatriotic Malaysians to return and work with better pay and AP to bring home cars at the chagrin of the other patriotic but less paying Malaysian employees.
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| Experienced Bumiputera Managers removed by Omar Ong to be replaced by outside Chinese |
Since no more Bumiputera policies allowed, discrimination in employment by GLCs and Chinese owned corporations have become rampant and open. For instance, the requirement to know Mandarin.
As soon as Omar Ong managed to remove Tan Sri Hasan Merican and got himself on the Board of Directors of Petronas, the former Petronas Manager personally ensured Chinese are brought into Petronas and Bumiputera mangers are systematically removed.
By adopting Malay, he earned him places into Sekolah Menangah Sains Muar and later scholarship to study in Oxford. But, Omar Ong was never thankful to the Malays and in turn, was vengeful.
It is heard that there are "directive" instructing Petronas, Khazanah and PNB companies CEOs to bring in Chinese management and officers and pay market value despite the existing capable Malays are being underpaid.
When Dato Idris Jala retrenched 3,000 MAS staff (majority Malays), he rehired 3,000 aviation newbies and some getting two to three times more than existing pay structure. That is not turnaround but no common sense.
His years at Shell made him a racist who pigeon hole people's ability by their race and stereotyped fellow Bumiputera as one.
This discriminatory practises by Bumiputera leadership and management towards Bumiputera had led to an exodus of Malays with expertise to go abroad. They felt their sacrifice for the nation was unappreciated. Government seemed to appreciate the unpatriotic Malaysian.
If the Government is puzzled by the waning support for BN from middle class malays, do not look too far.
Failing Entrepreneurs
Without any effort to reverse existing discriminatory policies, some Ministries resorted to half measures of encouraging untrained and inexperienced Bumiputera graduate to pursue entrepreneurship.
Their destiny is only expected without efficient system support and capital backing them.
How are they to survive when major government projects were given to non Bumiputera with no opportunities for existing Bumiputera players to subcontract.
In addition, there are rampant practise of GLCs like Putrajaya Holdings having biasness in favour of Chinese companies like Sunway and WCT to make life easy for them. Suspiciously, there are cases of payoff and unfair tender practises involved.
Najib initiated effort like TERAJU and promised Malay contractors subcontracting work in projects like the new Menara UDA and RM40 billion train project.
But, UDA Chairman Dato Nurjazlan preferred a turnkey subcontract to a Chinese group. He was just plain lazy to soil his hands.
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| Coat and tie does not make you clever, Husni |
Husni was supposed to identify and assist Bumiputera contractors for the train project but he was too stupid to know he was duped.
Out of 20 Bumiputera companies short-listed, he could not spot that only two are genuine while the rest are Ali Baba companies. [Read here.] Bumiputera ended getting only RM18 million subcontract works. This information came from sources in the Persatuan Kontraktor Bumiputera.
Yet Husni tried to lie by saying that 40% of the train contract was given to Bumiputera. That 40% was Syed Mokhtar's MMC and as a main player, that cannot be considered as part of subcontracting program for Bumiputera.
Now that Government is giving another RM160 billion for rail programs, how much more peanuts will the Malay monkeys be given as subcontract? Thanks TERAJU!
That is not the end. It is heard Husni is involved in putting together the program to announce Polisi Memperkasakan Bumiputera. May God help the PM.
All the while, Husni claimed that TERAJU is involved in data collection and analysis. That is also another lie. The truth is TERAJU's work is done by PEMANDU and MacKinsey. Some of the work are done by our network of "friends."
Husni only knows dog shit stock analysis. Not socio-economic analysis. Furthermore, he had always been indifferent with the plight of the Bumiputera and never involved himself before this.
Physically displaced
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| PKNS's Datum Jelatek project to displace malay voters out of malay area |
If that is not bad enough, Bumiputera are being physically pushed and displaced by government policies, both BN and Pakatan Rakyat, in favour of big developers for high priced developments.
In areas like Pulau Pinang and Selangor, Bumiputera are being displaced in wholesale for political reasons and strengthen DAP Chinese stronghold of power.
There is supposed to be a housing program to help the rakyat owned affordable homes by PR1MA.
One feedback received claimed that a private Bumiputera developer can deliver an adjacent product at cheaper and better quality than Dato Jamaluddin Jarjis's PR1MA project.
Unfortunately, this psychotic former MOF II is also involved in formulating policies for Bumiputera. What can one expect of him when PRI1MA awarded a whole RM1.5 billion contract to a single Chinese company and linked to Sunway. Read in OutSyed the Box here.
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| The inferring ones |
He is interfering in every other Government Departments and Agencies by telling the head to answer to him. By selling the Prime Minister's name, he is scaring everyone to get his clearance before doing anything.
It is as though PM had empowered him but actually JJ wants to come out as a hero to bring good ideas and proposal to PM himself.
Ole cheap trick, JJ!
Systematic denial
The New Economic Model is supposed to be bring about high income and inclusive.
However, it looks like only the GLC CEOs and top corporate management position holders benefit with multimillion salary and perk deal.
This is despite playing safe with only bottom line to think about, no social responsibility to bear, and taking no or infinitesimal risk.
Seminars, forums and discourses had discussed the Malay agenda. Resolutions and proposals have been submitted to the Prime Minsiter but it was ignored by the previous EPU Minister and Khazanah.
PEMANDU and their coterie of foreign consultants played the role to block such effort to restructure society.
In a just society, there is supposed to be no race or social grouping that dominates and monopolises any aspect of economic, social, education, employment and political life.
The majority Chinese management of PEMANDU refuse to cooperate. For example, the NKEA excludes the Bumiputera agenda, SME and construction sector.
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| Sabah dan Sarawak Bumiputera are not just display for tourists |
In 'fixed deposit' Sabah and Sarawak, there seemed to be a systematic denial.
Poverty is still in existence and at large, basic infrastructure of road, water, and electricity is limited, inaccessibility to education remains, healthcare is rudimentary and various basic problems still prevail to the Kadazan, Bajau, Iban, and all the 60 sub-ethnics.
Money have been disbursed to Sabah and Sarawak but implementation and delivery still a problem at large. There have been systematic leakage from the top.
The plight of Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak is made worse by the liberal and tolerant culture of Sabah and Sarawak which made Chinese totally dominating the economy.
Rush job
There is many more discriminations and leakages in the Bumiputera empowerment programs. Abuses by well to do Bumiputera families and top government officials are rampant.
After the election, many complains have been made to Najib on his policies as advised by his coterie of "Advisers" and officers that had neglected Bumiputeras.
Many still giving Najib a chance and hope he will change. Much is expected of the Saturday announcement.
Six major areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship, property ownership, and GLC management change will be carefully combed and scrutinised by Bumiputera intellectuals. Special attention will be given to effort to uplift significantly our Bumiputera brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak.
The substance of each announcement will be assessed and no Wow! factor will easily divert the critical and analytical minds. The policies must be inclusive and not neglect other sections of society. Social justice must be the prime consideration and not corporate greed.
Thus far heard, PM has gone through the first discussion on his speech and he is not quite happy. Many involved have failed to meet the Prime Minister's expectation.
Strangely, a Chinese was asked for input by a certain PMO "adviser" to define Bumiputera for PM's speech.
Thus far, proposals that reached EPU have been only medium and long term. It only means leg dragging by government agencies. Till 10 this morning (Thursday), agencies are still being whipped to throw in immediate to execute programs for EPU.
TERAJU is being left out from giving any proposals. It is like PEMANDU and MacKinsey doing the work. What do expect from neo-liberals orang putih minded?
The fear now is the announcement seems to be a rush job and not a think through effort. The announcement could be only a broad brush stroke or even rhetorical. Kesian Najib but problem is he still rely on the same bunch of opportunists and incompetents around him.
Hope he makes it through because we are going to enjoy 12 hours of non-stop Jazz....
Political implication
If he does not deliver, Najib must have heard that PAS and PKR are courting Malay intellectuals to find areas to champion and attract Malay voters. Current approach to marginalise Bumiputera will not gain them any political ground.
The last election proves that without Malay and Bumiputera votes, Pakatan cannot takeover government.
Thus, they are taking the religous flank to bite into support of Iban, Bidayuh, Kadazan, and other non Muslim Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak. Problem is it can only be championed by DAP and they dare not contest inland.
Even Lim Guan Eng had privately said he can’t wait to see his father kick the bucket for him to take DAP to a non chauvanistic and racialist approach. Don't ask us how we know that.
For UMNO and BN, fear factor will not work in the upcoming GE14. Voters will be more mature.
The emphasis is on political product and it's deliverability. No more political promotional and campaign gimmicks by shallow brained branding experts.
* Edited 13/9/13 8:00 AM