二零一零年八月二十九日 凌晨一时二分
（士拉央28日讯）“女裁缝欠债阿窿找上门，二房东受困扰”事件剧情出现新转折，女裁缝黄燕妃（50岁）今现身说法，澄清根本没有欠阿隆债，斥一切都是二房东周健成因她不同意他起房租，捏造事实迫使她搬迁。
黄燕妃早前被指拖欠大耳隆债务，导致大耳隆上门讨债，造成周健成蒙受损失。对于此事，黄燕妃周六召开记者会指出，她是在去年4月开始租下位于甲洞鸿图园的店屋楼上，当时与她接洽的是一名房屋经纪人，所以房租都交由该经纪人转交屋主。
较后，该名房屋经纪人指出，由于屋主将店屋承租予周健成，因此要求她将房租转交给周健成，她在没有异议的情况下，同意了这项要求，较后即将房租转交给周健成。
反对调高房租
岂知，周健成却要求起房租，即将原本的550令吉调高至600令吉。由于之前在租店屋时，已经说明了房租的费用为550令吉，因此她坚持不肯多给50令吉，但是愿意给550令吉的房租。
她解释，她是裁缝师，该店内是她用来置放裁缝机、衣料等的地方，而且还有员工在店内工作。但是在4月份开始，她的女儿患上癌症，因此她必须照顾她，所以暂时将钥匙转交予友人保管，而友人则协助她帮忙缴房租、水电费等，较后，才将余额转账给她。
不过，周健成却拒收房租，并且在她三番五次找上门要缴房租时，周健成避而不见，打电话也不接听，传简讯要求周健成将银行户头号码告知她，以便缴房租给他，周健成也从来没有回复。与此同时，还擅自锁上她的店，造成她亏损约6000令吉左右。
捏造事实令裁缝师难堪
令她最不满的是，周健成更过份的捏造事实，求助马华公共服务及投诉部主任拿督张天赐在报上指责她欠下大耳隆的债务，导致大耳隆上门追债，令她名誉受损，而且还被亲朋好友追问怎么回事，令她觉得难堪。
黄燕妃表示，她是在本月18日看到报章登出后，才发现事情闹大了，因此马上上门找张天赐要求做出澄清，并且出示两张她分别在6月30日及8月10日的报案书后，张天赐才惊觉自己被周健成所欺骗，因此，当场为息事宁人，即要求两人立下同意书，要求双方和解，即黄燕妃缴清2个月没有缴的1100令吉房租，而周健成则开锁让黄燕妃重新营业。
周健成是在本月17日向张天赐求助指出，黄燕妃在今年4月份开始就失踪，并且还欠下大耳隆债务，导致大耳隆上门讨债，并且也破坏店外的水管等物件，令他蒙受损失。
安排这项记者会的士拉央国会议员梁自坚指出，根据这个案例，黄燕妃有权起诉周健成诽谤，因此周健成捏造事实，造成黄燕妃的名誉受损。
此外，他也谴责张天赐在未经调查，即召开记者会，造成黄燕妃名誉受损，是一个不负责任的行为。
http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2010/08/29/39.html
Sunday, August 29, 2010
指债券到期未赎回 持有人诉美丽华休闲
2010/08/28 6:40:04 PM
●南洋商报
（士拉央28日讯）一批美丽华休闲公司债券的持有人，将针对该公司没有履行5年连本带利归还协议及5年未发债券利息，诉诸法律行动，并呼吁其他债券持有人凝聚力量，集体讨回公道。
前后等了11年
这批债券持有人曾在去年就此事通过行动党甲洞区国会议员陈胜尧，针对不满债券发行公司自2005年起，连续5年没有分派利息，而要求该公司交待此事；他们也在早前致函向证券监督委员会投诉，但迟至今日仍无下文，所得答案都是：“还在调查中。”
这批投资者今日通过公正党士拉央区国会议员梁自坚再开记者会，申诉他们从1999年已等到2010年，前后长达11年，仍无法取回有关债券的投资额母金，以及过去5年来的债券利息。
“要本不要利”
他们如今“要本不要利”，力促政府以处理巴生港口自贸区发债券事件的方式来看待此事，而他们也会考虑采取法律行动。
这批投资者说，他们是在1994年以每单位1令吉25仙，购买美丽华休闲公司的债券，每项投资最低4单位（即5000令吉）。该债券的投资期限为5年，并给予每年8%股息。
促全马投资者凝聚力量
这批债券投资者声称，据他们所知，此债券投资者至少也有数千人，投资额从最低数万至百万令吉都有，而债券发行总值超过5000万令吉。
其中一名债券者黎春和说，他们当时是因为看到该公司背景强稳才有信心投资，却没想到在16年后的今天，依然无法回本。
他希望全马各地的投资者可以站在一起，凝聚最大力量来讨回当初投资的本钱。
他也说，有关债券发行者所持的产业依然在运作，但就是没有赎回债券，该公司务必给予投资者明确交待。
证监会说正在调查中
另一方面，梁自坚表示在接到投诉后，他向证监会询问此事，当局给予的回复是正在调查中，并无进展详情。
他表示已向投资者建议，采取法律行动来处理此事。
他也促请政府关注此事，并以处理巴生港口自贸区发行债券的态度来处理此事，还投资者公道。
相关债券持有人可联络黎春和019-339 2817、陈照强012-372 0388、刘志彬016-3239550
http://www.nanyang.com.my/NewsCenter/articleDetail.asp?type=N&ID=178822&SID=7&CID=10
●南洋商报
（士拉央28日讯）一批美丽华休闲公司债券的持有人，将针对该公司没有履行5年连本带利归还协议及5年未发债券利息，诉诸法律行动，并呼吁其他债券持有人凝聚力量，集体讨回公道。
前后等了11年
这批债券持有人曾在去年就此事通过行动党甲洞区国会议员陈胜尧，针对不满债券发行公司自2005年起，连续5年没有分派利息，而要求该公司交待此事；他们也在早前致函向证券监督委员会投诉，但迟至今日仍无下文，所得答案都是：“还在调查中。”
这批投资者今日通过公正党士拉央区国会议员梁自坚再开记者会，申诉他们从1999年已等到2010年，前后长达11年，仍无法取回有关债券的投资额母金，以及过去5年来的债券利息。
“要本不要利”
他们如今“要本不要利”，力促政府以处理巴生港口自贸区发债券事件的方式来看待此事，而他们也会考虑采取法律行动。
这批投资者说，他们是在1994年以每单位1令吉25仙，购买美丽华休闲公司的债券，每项投资最低4单位（即5000令吉）。该债券的投资期限为5年，并给予每年8%股息。
促全马投资者凝聚力量
这批债券投资者声称，据他们所知，此债券投资者至少也有数千人，投资额从最低数万至百万令吉都有，而债券发行总值超过5000万令吉。
其中一名债券者黎春和说，他们当时是因为看到该公司背景强稳才有信心投资，却没想到在16年后的今天，依然无法回本。
他希望全马各地的投资者可以站在一起，凝聚最大力量来讨回当初投资的本钱。
他也说，有关债券发行者所持的产业依然在运作，但就是没有赎回债券，该公司务必给予投资者明确交待。
证监会说正在调查中
另一方面，梁自坚表示在接到投诉后，他向证监会询问此事，当局给予的回复是正在调查中，并无进展详情。
他表示已向投资者建议，采取法律行动来处理此事。
他也促请政府关注此事，并以处理巴生港口自贸区发行债券的态度来处理此事，还投资者公道。
相关债券持有人可联络黎春和019-339 2817、陈照强012-372 0388、刘志彬016-3239550
http://www.nanyang.com.my/NewsCenter/articleDetail.asp?type=N&ID=178822&SID=7&CID=10
400英亩农耕地充私人发展 根登菜农恐饭碗不保
2010/08/28 6:09:31 PM
●南洋商报
（士拉央28日讯）雪州政府子公司在前朝时代出售根登新村400英亩农耕地充作私人发展，40菜农恐面临断炊之虞，更甚的是此事或牵一发动全身，影响本地平原菜的市场！
根登菜农公会今日申诉，雪州政府子公司莎阿南产业公司(SAP)在2004年把根登新村的400英亩农地转售五六间私人发展商充作发展，如今其中一家发展商近期展开填泥工程，并通过承包商发信促菜园迁离，并建议作出每英亩600令吉赔偿。
根登新村务农活动蓬勃，40名菜农过去二三十年来以务农种菜为生，而根登所栽种的平原菜，更占了吉隆坡批发公市的20%市场。
有关农地位于新村与万挠公主镇之间，整幅土地800英亩，扣除湖泊后的的农地总面积有400英亩，当中300英亩菜园，100英亩为鱼塘。
该家发展商所拥有的土地面积约100英亩，涉及的菜农及养鱼业者共9人，他们所持有的地段，从15英亩至80英亩不等。
促雪民联介入调解
根登菜农公会及十多名菜农今日通过士拉央区国会议员梁自坚召开记者会，促请雪州民联政府介入调解此事，确保菜农可以继续生存，同时也表达坚决不走的意愿。
这批菜农的首要意愿是得以留在原地种菜，他们甚至愿意向发展商认购有关地段，若逼不得已，他们希望雪州政府在根登新村附近另觅一块适合地点，让他们生存。
菜农申诉，他们在过去二三十年来一直向州政府申请临时地契，但当中只有一名农友成功取得，而其临时地契目前也已失效。
菜农说，前朝政府当初把该地段临时地契交由莎阿南产业公司处理，令人遗憾的是，州政府子公司没有优先考虑菜农的情况，就把整幅土地分批的转售给五六家发展商。
刘志刚：菜农若被逼迁 将影响本地平原菜市场
根登菜农公会秘书刘志刚说，根登菜农若被逼迁，将牵一发动全身影响本地的平原菜市场，因为，该村菜农每天平均出产150至200吨本地菜，并批发给吉隆坡批发公市。
该新村主要是栽种苋菜、蕹菜以及菜心3种。
刘志刚说，承包商之前来函表明建议作出每英亩600令吉赔偿，他们当年在开发农地，每英亩成本已达3000令吉，如今的成本更高至1万5000令吉，有关赔偿费“什么也做不了”。
他强调，菜农要的不是赔偿，他们只希望可以在原地生活，因为，他们世代在这里务农为生，没有其他的谋生技能。
他指出，此事已刻不容缓，因为，有关发展商已开始在地段上填泥，而该工程也影响了当中一块菜园无法耕种，有关菜农至今已损失10万令吉。
“我们很担心一旦开了先例，其他的发展商也会陆续进驻，届时，40名菜农的生计将深受影响。”
梁自坚：若逼不得已 盼物色地点安顿菜农
梁自坚说，这批在当地生活及务农多年的菜园，因为土地转售而沦为“非法”。
他表示将协助菜农把此事向雪州两名行政议员赛韦尔以及耶谷沙峇利反映，要求他们介入调解此事。
“根据我早前向莎阿南产业公司了解进展，有关回应告知该公司与发展商之间的售地协议已完成，我们对此感到不满。”
他指出，菜农愿意与莎阿南产业公司及相关的发展商针对此事商谈，他们甚至愿意向发展商买回各自的农地，确保生计不受影响。
“倘若真的逼不得已，也希望州政府可以物色一块地点来安顿这批菜农。”
http://www.nanyang.com/NewsCenter/articleDetail.asp?type=N&ID=178673&SID=8&CID=15
●南洋商报
（士拉央28日讯）雪州政府子公司在前朝时代出售根登新村400英亩农耕地充作私人发展，40菜农恐面临断炊之虞，更甚的是此事或牵一发动全身，影响本地平原菜的市场！
根登菜农公会今日申诉，雪州政府子公司莎阿南产业公司(SAP)在2004年把根登新村的400英亩农地转售五六间私人发展商充作发展，如今其中一家发展商近期展开填泥工程，并通过承包商发信促菜园迁离，并建议作出每英亩600令吉赔偿。
根登新村务农活动蓬勃，40名菜农过去二三十年来以务农种菜为生，而根登所栽种的平原菜，更占了吉隆坡批发公市的20%市场。
有关农地位于新村与万挠公主镇之间，整幅土地800英亩，扣除湖泊后的的农地总面积有400英亩，当中300英亩菜园，100英亩为鱼塘。
该家发展商所拥有的土地面积约100英亩，涉及的菜农及养鱼业者共9人，他们所持有的地段，从15英亩至80英亩不等。
促雪民联介入调解
根登菜农公会及十多名菜农今日通过士拉央区国会议员梁自坚召开记者会，促请雪州民联政府介入调解此事，确保菜农可以继续生存，同时也表达坚决不走的意愿。
这批菜农的首要意愿是得以留在原地种菜，他们甚至愿意向发展商认购有关地段，若逼不得已，他们希望雪州政府在根登新村附近另觅一块适合地点，让他们生存。
菜农申诉，他们在过去二三十年来一直向州政府申请临时地契，但当中只有一名农友成功取得，而其临时地契目前也已失效。
菜农说，前朝政府当初把该地段临时地契交由莎阿南产业公司处理，令人遗憾的是，州政府子公司没有优先考虑菜农的情况，就把整幅土地分批的转售给五六家发展商。
刘志刚：菜农若被逼迁 将影响本地平原菜市场
根登菜农公会秘书刘志刚说，根登菜农若被逼迁，将牵一发动全身影响本地的平原菜市场，因为，该村菜农每天平均出产150至200吨本地菜，并批发给吉隆坡批发公市。
该新村主要是栽种苋菜、蕹菜以及菜心3种。
刘志刚说，承包商之前来函表明建议作出每英亩600令吉赔偿，他们当年在开发农地，每英亩成本已达3000令吉，如今的成本更高至1万5000令吉，有关赔偿费“什么也做不了”。
他强调，菜农要的不是赔偿，他们只希望可以在原地生活，因为，他们世代在这里务农为生，没有其他的谋生技能。
他指出，此事已刻不容缓，因为，有关发展商已开始在地段上填泥，而该工程也影响了当中一块菜园无法耕种，有关菜农至今已损失10万令吉。
“我们很担心一旦开了先例，其他的发展商也会陆续进驻，届时，40名菜农的生计将深受影响。”
梁自坚：若逼不得已 盼物色地点安顿菜农
梁自坚说，这批在当地生活及务农多年的菜园，因为土地转售而沦为“非法”。
他表示将协助菜农把此事向雪州两名行政议员赛韦尔以及耶谷沙峇利反映，要求他们介入调解此事。
“根据我早前向莎阿南产业公司了解进展，有关回应告知该公司与发展商之间的售地协议已完成，我们对此感到不满。”
他指出，菜农愿意与莎阿南产业公司及相关的发展商针对此事商谈，他们甚至愿意向发展商买回各自的农地，确保生计不受影响。
“倘若真的逼不得已，也希望州政府可以物色一块地点来安顿这批菜农。”
http://www.nanyang.com/NewsCenter/articleDetail.asp?type=N&ID=178673&SID=8&CID=15
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
KING RATS OF THE NEP
Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, chairman of SP Setia Bhd provided statistics to show that Malaysian Chinese businessmen have prospered and fared well under the pro-bumiputra New Economic Policy.
He said Chinese individuals controlled 73% of the wealth owned by the top 40 richest Malaysians and make up eight of the top 10 richest Malaysians. The people know who these persons are. Some of them are not only among the richest in Malaysia but in the world.
The people also know how they made their fortunes in the past 40 years. The complaint is not that there is no Malaysian Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Kadazan, Dusun, Iban or other non-bumiputra who has found fame and fortune under the NEP. There will always be those who will thrive even in the most brutal and oppressive regimes.
The complaint is that due to the abuses of the NEP, Malaysians have been deprived of their inalienable right to seek a livelihood with dignity.
Malaysians irrespective of race or religion is entitled to the inherent dignity and inalienable equal right to a livelihood and a standard of living adequate for the well being of himself and his family.
Malaysians are entitled to seek a livelihood with dignity. They need not in the struggle for survival have to be like the King Rat in James Clavell’s novel who engaged in bribery, corruption and black market activities to survive in a Japanese POW camp.
The King Rat, an enlisted man without distinction in civilian life becomes a major power in the prison camp by being the most successful trader through bribery and corruption and black marketeer.
The Japanese gave the prisoners nothing other than filthy huts to live in and the bare minimum of food. Officers were reduced to wearing rags and were closed to losing their humanity. Even the senior officers had to come to the King Rat for help in selling their valuables to buy food.
The King Rat thrived in the brutal environment of deprivation of a prison camp. The abuses of the NEP or its bastardization as described by Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, have created an environment that has spawned King Rats.
The implementation of the NEP required the government to grant wide discretionary powers to officers in approving licenses, permits and other instruments to intervene in economic activities.
By wielding such powers, it allowed such officers opportunities to seek payments from business tycoons to street vendors to obtain licenses or approvals. Hawkers and street vendors have to make under counter payments before they are granted license to eke out their meager earnings.
Business tycoons have to pay much more for their projects to move. This has given rise to both petty corruption and grand corruption. How else can you make a living in a country ranked 56 in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index?
Malaysians should not be subjected to such indignities.
Tan Sri Liew called on the Chinese businessmen to work with their Malay counterparts. This has been done from the outset of the NEP. The disingenuous did not wait for Tan Sri Liew’s call. Many contracts given to the Malays were subcontracted to Chinese contractors.
Class F contracts are only given to bumiputra contractors selected according to the personal discretion of government officers or local council mayors and not by open tenders. The Ali Baba system has put paid to the noble objective of granting contracts, licenses and permits to Malay businessmen to uplift their economic status.
After 40 years and billions of ringgit in contracts 82% of the rural poor and 67% of the urban poor are still Malays. So long as the majority of Malays remain in poverty, Perkasa and the extremists will claim that the NEP must be continued. The NEP will then stand for the Never Ending Policy.
One cannot blame the Chinese and non-bumiputra contractors taking on the jobs as second, third or even fourth hand sub-contractors. They also have to survive. They also have needs. Many of these sub-sub contractors end up not being paid for the work they have done.
In many instances the contractors at the top have taken payments upfront leaving nothing for the sub-contractors. I know of many Chinese and non-bumiputra subcontractors who end up being bankrupts in this way. Why should these sub-subcontractors be forced to earn a living in this way? If Class F contracts are awarded based on needs and not race, much grief and suffering would be avoided for all involved.
Tan Sri Liew pointed out examples of the spectacular gains made by Chinese businessmen under the NEP. It must however be noted that due to the restrictions imposed by the NEP especially under the Industrial Co-ordination Act and key economic areas, Chinese businesses are not a force in manufacturing and they are no longer owners of the number of banks and finance companies they had before the 1970’s.
During the 1980’s the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry have repeatedly complained that if foreign investors were exempted from the obligatory Bumiputra equity participation requirements in their Malaysian enterprises, why were Chinese enterprise forced to bear the same obligation. The complaints fell on deaf ears. The consequential result was the tie up between the Chinese entrepreneurs and Malays who were influential politicians or former top level bureaucrats (including military).
This was not the objective of the NEP. The NEP was intended to be the catalyst for mutually equal tie-ups between Chinese and Malay entrepreneurs to strengthen Malaysian companies’ economic resilience. Instead it became a mix between business and politics.
In the long run this did not portend well for a healthy business or social–economic environment.
Tan Sri Liew said business was all about profits and not politics. Businessmen are in the business to make money. The King Rat when asked by the British captain who liberated the prison why the King Rat was in a far better health and condition than the other ragged, emaciated and sickly prisoners, he replied that there was no harm in looking out for number one.
The British captain retorted it was no harm provided it was not at others’ expense. Similarly there is no harm to continue the NEP provided it is not at others’ expense. In reality the costs and expense is too high and disproportionate to the gains.
A brief example is more than sufficient to illustrate the point. Under the NEP between 1995 and 2000, the Seventh Malaysia Plan for primary education development allocated 96.5% to the national primary schools which had a total environment of only 75%.
The Chinese primary schools which had a total enrollment of 21% was allocated with only 2.4% while Tamil schools with 3.6% of the total enrollment was allocated 1% of the budget.
Despite announcements by the government on a reduction of reliance on racial quotas for admission to public universities in 2004, 128 students who obtained the best possible grade of 5A’s were denied their first choice of course in medicine. The only thing they have in common is that they are not bumiputras. Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir informed the Dewan Negara on July 27 2010 that SME Bank from 2006 to June this year approved a total of RM9.8 billion loans involving 5,447 applications and other programmes of which 90% of the beneficiaries are bumiputra SMI’s.
According to the Federation of Chinese Malaysia Youth Section Strategy Research Committee Head Professor Dr Chin Yew Sin there are about 519,000 SMEs in Malaysia and they have not received loans from the SME Bank.
The costs of the NEP to Malaysia among others, is the thousands of primary school children who have to do with less, the lost to the nation of the hundreds of brilliant and talented scholars who cannot realize their full potential and hundreds of thousands of small and medium enterprises who face financial difficulties because of race.
The whole world has recognized that inequality within a nation and between nations leads to poverty and generally poorer living conditions. A socially equal system should achieve fairness in distribution and opportunity among everyone. The NEP cannot drive Malaysia out of its present social-economic quagmire.
Just as in the novel, where the King Rat becomes the strongest in an environment that rewards cunning, luck and strength, he in the end becomes food for someone stronger, Malaysia cannot sustain its development in an environment where the bastardization of the NEP rewards the cunning and the disingenuous.
The nation can only prosper where integrity, ethics and good governance are practiced. The few Malaysian Chinese businessmen who have thrived under this restricted environment cannot justify the continuance of the NEP and the social and economic losses suffered by all the others.
William Leong Jee Keen
Member of Parliament
Selayang
17th August 2010
BE A FRIEND FOR CHANGE
YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Every vote counts,
Every ringgit is vital.
The struggle for justice is won through personal sacrifice. It may take the form of tireless efforts or generous financial contribution.
Every contribution, no matter how small, like a droplet of rain flows into a sea to form a wave of change
Send your contribution to:
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Malayan Banking Berhad
Account Number: 564191025409
He said Chinese individuals controlled 73% of the wealth owned by the top 40 richest Malaysians and make up eight of the top 10 richest Malaysians. The people know who these persons are. Some of them are not only among the richest in Malaysia but in the world.
The people also know how they made their fortunes in the past 40 years. The complaint is not that there is no Malaysian Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Kadazan, Dusun, Iban or other non-bumiputra who has found fame and fortune under the NEP. There will always be those who will thrive even in the most brutal and oppressive regimes.
The complaint is that due to the abuses of the NEP, Malaysians have been deprived of their inalienable right to seek a livelihood with dignity.
Malaysians irrespective of race or religion is entitled to the inherent dignity and inalienable equal right to a livelihood and a standard of living adequate for the well being of himself and his family.
Malaysians are entitled to seek a livelihood with dignity. They need not in the struggle for survival have to be like the King Rat in James Clavell’s novel who engaged in bribery, corruption and black market activities to survive in a Japanese POW camp.
The King Rat, an enlisted man without distinction in civilian life becomes a major power in the prison camp by being the most successful trader through bribery and corruption and black marketeer.
The Japanese gave the prisoners nothing other than filthy huts to live in and the bare minimum of food. Officers were reduced to wearing rags and were closed to losing their humanity. Even the senior officers had to come to the King Rat for help in selling their valuables to buy food.
The King Rat thrived in the brutal environment of deprivation of a prison camp. The abuses of the NEP or its bastardization as described by Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, have created an environment that has spawned King Rats.
The implementation of the NEP required the government to grant wide discretionary powers to officers in approving licenses, permits and other instruments to intervene in economic activities.
By wielding such powers, it allowed such officers opportunities to seek payments from business tycoons to street vendors to obtain licenses or approvals. Hawkers and street vendors have to make under counter payments before they are granted license to eke out their meager earnings.
Business tycoons have to pay much more for their projects to move. This has given rise to both petty corruption and grand corruption. How else can you make a living in a country ranked 56 in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index?
Malaysians should not be subjected to such indignities.
Tan Sri Liew called on the Chinese businessmen to work with their Malay counterparts. This has been done from the outset of the NEP. The disingenuous did not wait for Tan Sri Liew’s call. Many contracts given to the Malays were subcontracted to Chinese contractors.
Class F contracts are only given to bumiputra contractors selected according to the personal discretion of government officers or local council mayors and not by open tenders. The Ali Baba system has put paid to the noble objective of granting contracts, licenses and permits to Malay businessmen to uplift their economic status.
After 40 years and billions of ringgit in contracts 82% of the rural poor and 67% of the urban poor are still Malays. So long as the majority of Malays remain in poverty, Perkasa and the extremists will claim that the NEP must be continued. The NEP will then stand for the Never Ending Policy.
One cannot blame the Chinese and non-bumiputra contractors taking on the jobs as second, third or even fourth hand sub-contractors. They also have to survive. They also have needs. Many of these sub-sub contractors end up not being paid for the work they have done.
In many instances the contractors at the top have taken payments upfront leaving nothing for the sub-contractors. I know of many Chinese and non-bumiputra subcontractors who end up being bankrupts in this way. Why should these sub-subcontractors be forced to earn a living in this way? If Class F contracts are awarded based on needs and not race, much grief and suffering would be avoided for all involved.
Tan Sri Liew pointed out examples of the spectacular gains made by Chinese businessmen under the NEP. It must however be noted that due to the restrictions imposed by the NEP especially under the Industrial Co-ordination Act and key economic areas, Chinese businesses are not a force in manufacturing and they are no longer owners of the number of banks and finance companies they had before the 1970’s.
During the 1980’s the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry have repeatedly complained that if foreign investors were exempted from the obligatory Bumiputra equity participation requirements in their Malaysian enterprises, why were Chinese enterprise forced to bear the same obligation. The complaints fell on deaf ears. The consequential result was the tie up between the Chinese entrepreneurs and Malays who were influential politicians or former top level bureaucrats (including military).
This was not the objective of the NEP. The NEP was intended to be the catalyst for mutually equal tie-ups between Chinese and Malay entrepreneurs to strengthen Malaysian companies’ economic resilience. Instead it became a mix between business and politics.
In the long run this did not portend well for a healthy business or social–economic environment.
Tan Sri Liew said business was all about profits and not politics. Businessmen are in the business to make money. The King Rat when asked by the British captain who liberated the prison why the King Rat was in a far better health and condition than the other ragged, emaciated and sickly prisoners, he replied that there was no harm in looking out for number one.
The British captain retorted it was no harm provided it was not at others’ expense. Similarly there is no harm to continue the NEP provided it is not at others’ expense. In reality the costs and expense is too high and disproportionate to the gains.
A brief example is more than sufficient to illustrate the point. Under the NEP between 1995 and 2000, the Seventh Malaysia Plan for primary education development allocated 96.5% to the national primary schools which had a total environment of only 75%.
The Chinese primary schools which had a total enrollment of 21% was allocated with only 2.4% while Tamil schools with 3.6% of the total enrollment was allocated 1% of the budget.
Despite announcements by the government on a reduction of reliance on racial quotas for admission to public universities in 2004, 128 students who obtained the best possible grade of 5A’s were denied their first choice of course in medicine. The only thing they have in common is that they are not bumiputras. Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir informed the Dewan Negara on July 27 2010 that SME Bank from 2006 to June this year approved a total of RM9.8 billion loans involving 5,447 applications and other programmes of which 90% of the beneficiaries are bumiputra SMI’s.
According to the Federation of Chinese Malaysia Youth Section Strategy Research Committee Head Professor Dr Chin Yew Sin there are about 519,000 SMEs in Malaysia and they have not received loans from the SME Bank.
The costs of the NEP to Malaysia among others, is the thousands of primary school children who have to do with less, the lost to the nation of the hundreds of brilliant and talented scholars who cannot realize their full potential and hundreds of thousands of small and medium enterprises who face financial difficulties because of race.
The whole world has recognized that inequality within a nation and between nations leads to poverty and generally poorer living conditions. A socially equal system should achieve fairness in distribution and opportunity among everyone. The NEP cannot drive Malaysia out of its present social-economic quagmire.
Just as in the novel, where the King Rat becomes the strongest in an environment that rewards cunning, luck and strength, he in the end becomes food for someone stronger, Malaysia cannot sustain its development in an environment where the bastardization of the NEP rewards the cunning and the disingenuous.
The nation can only prosper where integrity, ethics and good governance are practiced. The few Malaysian Chinese businessmen who have thrived under this restricted environment cannot justify the continuance of the NEP and the social and economic losses suffered by all the others.
William Leong Jee Keen
Member of Parliament
Selayang
17th August 2010
BE A FRIEND FOR CHANGE
YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Every vote counts,
Every ringgit is vital.
The struggle for justice is won through personal sacrifice. It may take the form of tireless efforts or generous financial contribution.
Every contribution, no matter how small, like a droplet of rain flows into a sea to form a wave of change
Send your contribution to:
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Malayan Banking Berhad
Account Number: 564191025409
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Jadual Masa Untuk Majlis Buka Puasa
Selamat Berpuasa kepada saudara dan saudari bergama Islam.
Jadual Masa Bagi YB William Leong Menghadiri Majlis Buka Puasa．
13/8(Jumaat) Kg Gombak, Kuang
14/8 (Sabtu) Bandar Baru Kundang, Kundang
15/8 (Ahad) Restoran D’Manggis bt16, jalan Kuang
16/8 (Isnin) Kg Sungai Serai, Kuang
17/8 (Selasa) Kg Setia, Batu 20 Pekan Kuang,
18/8 (Rabu) Batu Arang
19/8 (Khamis) Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang
20/8 (Jumaat) Kg Damai, Kuang
21/8 (Sabtu) Surau Ladang Baru, Kg. Cempedak Baru
23/8 (Isnin) Surau di Taman Tun Perak, Rawang
24/8 (Selasa) Masjid di Bandar Country Home, Rawang
25/8 (Rabu) Surau di Jalan Desa 1/15, Bandar Country Home
26/8 (Khamis) Surau di Appartment Palma, Bandar Country Home
1/9 (Rabu) Masjid di Batu 16 Rawang
6/9 (Isnin) Surau di Taman Tun Teja, Rawang
7/9 (Selasa) Surau di Taman Jati Batu 17, Rawang
Jadual Masa Bagi YB William Leong Menghadiri Majlis Buka Puasa．
13/8(Jumaat) Kg Gombak, Kuang
14/8 (Sabtu) Bandar Baru Kundang, Kundang
15/8 (Ahad) Restoran D’Manggis bt16, jalan Kuang
16/8 (Isnin) Kg Sungai Serai, Kuang
17/8 (Selasa) Kg Setia, Batu 20 Pekan Kuang,
18/8 (Rabu) Batu Arang
19/8 (Khamis) Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang
20/8 (Jumaat) Kg Damai, Kuang
21/8 (Sabtu) Surau Ladang Baru, Kg. Cempedak Baru
23/8 (Isnin) Surau di Taman Tun Perak, Rawang
24/8 (Selasa) Masjid di Bandar Country Home, Rawang
25/8 (Rabu) Surau di Jalan Desa 1/15, Bandar Country Home
26/8 (Khamis) Surau di Appartment Palma, Bandar Country Home
1/9 (Rabu) Masjid di Batu 16 Rawang
6/9 (Isnin) Surau di Taman Tun Teja, Rawang
7/9 (Selasa) Surau di Taman Jati Batu 17, Rawang
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