DAP should back Anwar’s call for a needs-based national economic agenda

Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s call for the government to focus its economic agenda based on needs and not race is a step to move the country forward and one aspired by those who voted in expectation of a new Malaysia. MCA supports the call that it is time to move away from the Malay agenda to a Rakyat agenda in the fight to eradicate poverty, irrespective of race. MCA asserts that poverty has no colour, and the fight to eradicate poverty should thus be on a needs-basis and not race-based. The New Economic Policy (NEP) that is supposed to restructure society and eradicate poverty failed badly as a result of over emphasis and focus on race-based affirmative economic policies resulting in the failure of the policy. These affirmative action policies have been camouflaged, hijacked or diverted to enrich a few cronies instead of the broad poverty base that knows no racial barriers.

MCA is concerned that of late there have been numerous announcements of a possible return to a race-based economic agenda similar to the failed NEP. Using Pakatan  Harapan’s losses in the recent by-elections as an excuse to return to race-based economic policies is lame and unjustifiable. Voters voted against PH in these by-elections because of unfulfilled promises, non-deliveries and bad policies unrelated to race. Voter disappointment should not be an opening for a narrative by Economic Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali to return to the path of abusing the NEP that did not benefit the nation but only enriches a selected few.

MCA is glad that Malaysia’s designated 8th Prime Minister, Anwar has courageously put his foot down whereby the PH government and New Malaysia is about a more level playing field which is less race-based and more needs-based. MCA is perplexed as to why DAP seems to have ignored the “ugly return of racial policies” and have lost their voices in speaking out against the scourge of a race-based economic agenda.

We have seen Azmin Ali expressing the government’s commitment to return to a race-based economic agenda to regain votes from the Malay ground after two by-election setbacks recently. Now, our Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng who proudly declared himself “I am not Chinese, I am Malaysian” is keeping silent on Azmin’s proposition to the government.  This is the time for Guan Eng to speak out for the interest of all Malaysians, in line with his declaration of “I am not Chinese, I am Malaysian” - in recognition of all Malaysians who had put him into that office.

Why is DAP on Azmin’s race-based economic agenda?

The most vociferous of all Lim Kit Siang who has been roaring like a tiger against race- based policies has also fallen silent. Every DAP leader - Anthony Loke, Teresa Kok, Hannah Teoh, Teoh Nie Ching, have also fallen silent despite DAP’s earlier sworn undertaking to eradicate the distinction of Malaysians along Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra categories.

With their silence, are they agreeing with Azmin’s proposition to return the government’s economic agenda to race-based, instead of needs-based?  All progressive Malaysians must be thankful that Anwar, the designated Prime Minister-in-waiting, has spoken out, to set it straight that our national economic agenda must be based on needs. We at MCA enthusiastically support Anwar on this and hope there will not be another U-Turn to the years of the failed NEP.

Lim Guan Eng thwarts MCA’s decades-old delivery of affordable education

MCA notes that poverty has no colour because the B40 group covers every race – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asal, Natives of Sabah and Sarawak. To uplift the B40, one strategic thrust by MCA is to deliver very affordable tertiary education and skilled training to every Malaysian and we have done this through Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, TAR University College, VTAR Institute, which is open to all Malaysians.

Despite these, Guan Eng unilaterally abandoned TAR UC by refusing to allocate the annual matching grant which was provided by the BN government in the past to aid Malaysians who wish to advance themselves via affordable education. I ask every Malaysian to compare Guan Eng’s belligerent attitude towards TAR UC and his silence on Azmin’s call to return to a race-based economic agenda.

DAP may have allowed many U-Turns on PH government policies. However, this is one instance that Malaysians must not be sold out by DAP which has gone soft in selling the Malaysian Malaysia in spirit and intent of 1Malaysia, whereby the Bumiputra requirements were being progressively removed by the BN government.

Senator Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker
MCA Vice President

-MCA online-