poobalan.com

No doubt its a party election campaign strategy. Just like UMNO leaders who touched on hot issues to gain votes, MCA is also doing the same. Chua Jui Meng who is going for broke is proposing that the NEP is replaced with a new policy. This is surely going to be made into a controversy, as the politicians make use of certain statements by Chua and start a war of words. We might even see him arrested under ISA either for his own protection or to investigate his statements.

Before we proceed, let’s look at his proposal. Chua says NEP is a bone of discontent for the Chinese and Indians. He suggests that it is replaced with National Economic Consultative Council III. He believed the NECC III would bring back the support of the Chinese and Indian voters to Barisan Nasional in the next general election.

“I believe that a fair and open economic policy will bring in greater foreign direct investment, stimulate domestic investments for a repeat of the strong economic performance in the 1990s and restore the confidence of the rakyat.”

According to Chua, when National Development Policy (result of NECC 1) was in place between 1990 and 2000,:

“The NDP was fair and liberal to all races, resulting in plentiful economic and educational opportunities for all.

“As a result, the non-Bumiputera communities gave overwhelming support to the BN, giving it decisive electoral victories in 1995 and 1999.”

Chua said the introduction of the National Vision Policy in 1999, when the NECC II was established, saw an extraordinary election victory in 2004.

“If we don’t close the NEP before the next general election, I can tell that the BN has to forget about the Chinese and Indian votes because the opposition has agreed that the NEP must be scrapped.”

Thus he stresses that its time to replace NEP. Only the poverty eradication aspect should be retained (in other words - wealth distribution via discrimination is rejected).
The Star reported that Chua reasoned after 38 years since the NEP was introduced, the Malay middle class was now large and securely established.

“The need for the NEP therefore no longer exists, and the Constitutional rights of all Malaysians should be restored,” he said during his manifesto launch here today.

What do you think? Chua Jui Meng for MCA president or ISA?

Bye bye to NEP? Or just do cosmetic changes to it to please the public? Or maintain it?

Popularity: 1% [?]

What is Race Relations Act? I found a similar named Act in UK, the 1976 version which was updated in 2000:

The Race Relations Act 1976 was established by the British Parliament to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race.

Items that are covered include discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin in the fields of employment, the provision of goods and services, education and public functions.

The Act also established the Commission for Racial Equality with a view to review the legislation.

The Act incorporates the earlier Race Relations Act 1965 and Race Relations Act 1968 and was later amended by the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000, notably including a statutory duty on public bodies to promote race equality, and to demonstrate that procedures to prevent race discrimination are effective.

In 2003 additional regulations made certain forms of discrimination due to religious belief illegal also.

The Act (2000) is found here.

Back in Malaysia, MCA Youth proposed the setting up of the Act on 14th September, following the arrest of Sin Che journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, but the letting off of Ahmad Ismail:

The MCA has proposed to the government to draft a race relations act to strenghten relations among multi-ethnic Malaysians.

Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said such an act was relevant and necessary, in view of racial issues resurfacing and plaguing the nation, of late.

He said the proposed act could also reinforce efforts taken by the unity, culture, arts and heritage ministry to promote unity and solidarity among the people.

“We will propose to the ministry. Such act is needed to look into race relations, (and) how to engage a multi-racial community into postive relations and avoid discrimination.

“Some countries have in place, such an act, where you can’t discriminate or belittle other races,” he told reporters after opening The Federation of Malaysian Clans and Guild Youth Association’s annual meeting here today.

Barely 5 days after that, this is the response from Home Minister Syed Hamid (NST):

The Cabinet has agreed to enact an Act on race relations to prevent possible racial conflicts.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia still had to cope with sensitive issues relating to racial problems and relationships despite having achieved its independence 51 years ago.

Syed Hamid said his ministry would be working closely with the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry in formulating the Act.

He was also quoted on Malaysiakini:

Responding to queries, the home minister said Shafie Apdal’s ministry will be drafting the law after consultations with various groups.

The Home Ministry is tasked with giving feedback on the penalties if the law is infringed.

On the need for the act, Syed Hamid said: “Even in the European nations, a law governing race relations is now important as they too are becoming ‘rainbow’ nations. What more for us?

“But the law is still in the early stages of drafting and it will be take some time before it is ready to be looked at.”

The minister also said that the cabinet will look at other countries’ race relation laws before deciding on Malaysia’s.

Basically, such Acts are to avoid discrimination in services, employment, public functions etc. But in Malaysia, it may also incorporate clauses to ban questions special rights of Malays, nationality of citizens, economic allocations etc.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Khairy’s NEP question causes a stir
Beh Lih Yi | May 15, 08 2:07pm

http://malaysiakini.com/news/82903

A question from Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) on the New Economic Policy (NEP) stirred up a row in Parliament today when the opposition accused him to have prepared the answer for a minister.  The opposition MPs made the noisy protest during the question session this morning after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Amirsham A Aziz was seen reading out a prepared answer to a supplementary question from Khairy. Khairy, in his original question, has asked whether the government is planning to change existing policies which were formulated based on the NEP spirit, especially those related to assisting the bumiputera, in line with the opposition’s call to reject the policy.

Answering, Amirsham said the government will continue with policies based on the NEP, which was implemented in 1970, as it will help to ensure an equal participation of different races in the economy if the NEP spirit is achieved.  “The government has no plans to change the policies formulated based on the NEP spirit which is aimed to enhance the standard of socio-economy not only for the bumiputeras but also the Indians, the indigenous people and the minorities in Sabah and Sarawak,” said the minister. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 1% [?]