Sunday, September 15, 2013

Malaysia trapped by BN’s fixation on mediocrity, says DAP

Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “fixation on mediocrity” and “political quotas” is keeping Malaysia in the middle-income trap, DAP’s Lim Guan End said today, in a veiled critique of the ruling coalition’s fresh measures to entrench race-based policies.

While the party secretary-general did not specifically mention the New Economic Model (NEM) that has a stated aim of uplifting the dominant Bumiputera community, he highlighted common complaints that have dogged race-based affirmative action that was first introduced in 1971.

“With BN’s fixation on mediocrity instead of a culture of excellence, on political quotas rather than performance and on empty rhetoric rather than concrete action, Malaysia risks being left behind and unable to escape the middle-income trap.

“The time has come to adopt policies that unite and respect the people instead of dividing them and denigrating them as second-class or third-class citizens as a pretext to create more millionaires,” Lim said in his message ahead of Malaysia Day tomorrow.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced a list of over RM31 billion in various loans, contracts and programmes that will be made available to the Bumiputera, with the express intention of strengthening the group’s economic participation and boost their ownership of commercial property.

But the announcement was also seen as a spiritual renewal of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that had been introduced following the racial riots of May 13, 1969 and ostensibly to lift the poorer sections of the Bumiputera Malay group in a bid to help it catch up to the economic progress of other communities.

Although technically defunct since 1990, the application of the NEP remains very much alive albeit unofficially.

Today, Lim said the government needed to address pressing concerns on crime, corruption, education and employment, if it were serious about narrowing a widening gap between urban and rural Malaysians, rather than continuing with decades-old strategies that have not borne the intended results.

“Reducing income inequality, not creating more millionaires, will help resolve Malaysia’s four real problems and realise the Merdeka promise of a prosperous and just Malaysia that is safe, clean, green and healthy,” he said.

Economists yesterday told The Malay Mail Online that the decision to extend and widen pro-Bumiputera policies, seemingly to bolster support ahead of the Umno election, could cost the country further in terms of competitiveness in the global arena.

Malaysia is currently mired in a so-called middle-income trap and is targeting to reach developed nation status by 2020.
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “fixation on mediocrity” and “political quotas” is keeping Malaysia in the middle-income trap, DAP’s Lim Guan End said today, in a veiled critique of the ruling coalition’s fresh measures to entrench race-based policies.
While the party secretary-general did not specifically mention the New Economic Model (NEM) that has a stated aim of uplifting the dominant Bumiputera community, he highlighted common complaints that have dogged race-based affirmative action that was first introduced in 1971.
“With BN’s fixation on mediocrity instead of a culture of excellence, on political quotas rather than performance and on empty rhetoric rather than concrete action, Malaysia risks being left behind and unable to escape the middle-income trap.
“The time has come to adopt policies that unite and respect the people instead of dividing them and denigrating them as second-class or third-class citizens as a pretext to create more millionaires,” Lim said in his message ahead of Malaysia Day tomorrow.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced a list of over RM31 billion in various loans, contracts and programmes that will be made available to the Bumiputera, with the express intention of strengthening the group’s economic participation and boost their ownership of commercial property.
But the announcement was also seen as a spiritual renewal of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that had been introduced following the racial riots of May 13, 1969 and ostensibly to lift the poorer sections of the Bumiputera Malay group in a bid to help it catch up to the economic progress of other communities.
Although technically defunct since 1990, the application of the NEP remains very much alive albeit unofficially.
Today, Lim said the government needed to address pressing concerns on crime, corruption, education and employment, if it were serious about narrowing a widening gap between urban and rural Malaysians, rather than continuing with decades-old strategies that have not borne the intended results.
“Reducing income inequality, not creating more millionaires, will help resolve Malaysia’s four real problems and realise the Merdeka promise of a prosperous and just Malaysia that is safe, clean, green and healthy,” he said.
Economists yesterday told The Malay Mail Online that the decision to extend and widen pro-Bumiputera policies, seemingly to bolster support ahead of the Umno election, could cost the country further in terms of competitiveness in the global arena.
Malaysia is currently mired in a so-called middle-income trap and is targeting to reach developed nation status by 2020.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-trapped-by-bns-fixation-on-mediocrity-says-dap#sthash.espYp5cL.dpuf
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “fixation on mediocrity” and “political quotas” is keeping Malaysia in the middle-income trap, DAP’s Lim Guan End said today, in a veiled critique of the ruling coalition’s fresh measures to entrench race-based policies.
While the party secretary-general did not specifically mention the New Economic Model (NEM) that has a stated aim of uplifting the dominant Bumiputera community, he highlighted common complaints that have dogged race-based affirmative action that was first introduced in 1971.
“With BN’s fixation on mediocrity instead of a culture of excellence, on political quotas rather than performance and on empty rhetoric rather than concrete action, Malaysia risks being left behind and unable to escape the middle-income trap.
“The time has come to adopt policies that unite and respect the people instead of dividing them and denigrating them as second-class or third-class citizens as a pretext to create more millionaires,” Lim said in his message ahead of Malaysia Day tomorrow.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced a list of over RM31 billion in various loans, contracts and programmes that will be made available to the Bumiputera, with the express intention of strengthening the group’s economic participation and boost their ownership of commercial property.
But the announcement was also seen as a spiritual renewal of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that had been introduced following the racial riots of May 13, 1969 and ostensibly to lift the poorer sections of the Bumiputera Malay group in a bid to help it catch up to the economic progress of other communities.
Although technically defunct since 1990, the application of the NEP remains very much alive albeit unofficially.
Today, Lim said the government needed to address pressing concerns on crime, corruption, education and employment, if it were serious about narrowing a widening gap between urban and rural Malaysians, rather than continuing with decades-old strategies that have not borne the intended results.
“Reducing income inequality, not creating more millionaires, will help resolve Malaysia’s four real problems and realise the Merdeka promise of a prosperous and just Malaysia that is safe, clean, green and healthy,” he said.
Economists yesterday told The Malay Mail Online that the decision to extend and widen pro-Bumiputera policies, seemingly to bolster support ahead of the Umno election, could cost the country further in terms of competitiveness in the global arena.
Malaysia is currently mired in a so-called middle-income trap and is targeting to reach developed nation status by 2020.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-trapped-by-bns-fixation-on-mediocrity-says-dap#sthash.espYp5cL.dpuf

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