Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Why is Mahathir back to Racism?


Malaysiakini - YOURSAY | ‘Wealth distribution should not be used to justify racism.’

Mahathir: Wealth should be distributed equally among races



Clever Voter: Income inequality exists everywhere even in communist China. The good thing is that the country has been successful in removing absolute poverty. But it is a disgrace that there are still communities without access to basic water and electricity.

Making the redistribution of wealth among races through deliberate policy is counterproductive. After more than 50 years of doing so, Mahathir knows the limits and the failure of such policy.


Using possible social risks to justify is typical of politicians. This is unlikely as the government needs no reminder we have now a fairly large middle class, where many enjoy decent living standards.

What will happen is the resurgence of rent-seeking culture where only a few will benefit from the so-called wealth redistribution policy. Our prime minister is forewarned.


Abasir: I would like to see Mahathir and his ‘billionaire’ sons distribute their wealth to the poor of all races and set an example for all other billionaires in the country.


If one were to redistribute the mind-boggling wealth of all Umno/ex-Umno leaders, their friends, families and cronies, including those unimaginably wealthy chaps with exotic tastes and titles, wealth equality will no longer be a pipe dream bandied about by crafty politicians.


Anonymous #33227154: Wealth distribution should not be used as an excuse to justify racism.

People worked hard for their wealth. It's unfair to discriminate people based on race and blame certain races for being successful because they are more hard-working.

The Chinese and Indians worked hard to develop and build Malaysia together with the Malays. The government should help all Malaysians who are poor, regardless of their race.

It's unfair and illogical to have equal wealth distribution among races, we are not a communist state. Whoever who worked harder will be more wealthy than others.

Already special privileges are given to the Malays, but Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad should not penalise other races who work hard and become more successful.

He should stop playing the racist card again, it's so Umno.


focus on your Soduko game - don't look up now 

David Dass: The poor of all races cannot wait for Mahathir to get things right. Billions of ringgit have been spent on affirmative action. Much of it has been wasted or squandered.

Look after the poor of all races. That must be a priority. The bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak have been neglected.

Do not punish the thrift and enterprise of some because of the failure of the government. After all, the successful pay more taxes. Tax revenues are dependent on successful businesses and hardworking individuals.

The truth is that all Malaysians have a stake in Malaysians of all races being successful. There are signs of Malay success everywhere. Except in the retail trade. But there are no obstacles to anyone of any race starting a business. However, there are high risks. Seven to eight businesses fail within two to three years of inception. A daunting statistic.

The government should offer incentives for multiracial ventures. That would facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise.


Not Convinced: Yes, society will be happier if the wealth disparity gap is not too wide, where we have millionaires living among beggars.

But Mahathir is wrong to focus on wealth distribution among races. He should also focus on wealth distribution within races, in particular the Malays as wealth inequality among them is highest in Malaysia.


Anonymous 2301431436259502: Water finds its own level. You can divide the wealth equally now but after a while, it's back to rich and poor because some with make more out of it and other would squander it away.

Better to give the poor better education than money.


Blessed Malaysian: Indeed, eradicate poverty through education. Teach the poor to fish rather than give them the fish.

I know this because I came from a poor family whereby the children in my community did not further their education after Form 3.


Education Minister Malaysia

He warned Chinese educationists not to have the UEC

But my parents, who were previously denied education in their younger days, strived to provide for us six siblings to continue until tertiary education.

We worked hard and studied hard because we understood that only through education, we could break the cycle of poverty. Now, all six of us siblings are graduates and doing well in life. Kudos to our parents.


Drngsc: Tun, you are wrong again. Opportunities for wealth must be equally distributed. All races must receive the same opportunity to succeed.

There are some who just refuse to succeed, refuse hard work, refuse opportunities. They just want crutches and handouts.

If they are poor, then they deserve it because there are others when opportunities present, they work hard, and so they succeed.

Malaysians must realise that you need a good education and to work hard to succeed. Not just on handouts and government help. Policies must be based on needs, not on race.

If some can succeed with same education and work hard, why can't the others?



13 comments:

  1. Did people really read the interview article, or just want to hentam Mahathir for the sake of hentam Mahathir ?

    "That's why we need to focus on tackling social poverty of all races," he said.
    "It has become our duty to determine that we distribute the wealth equally or at least to a level accepted by all the communities in the country"


    I don't see what is wrong or racist in that key statement.
    Any progressive-minded economist could have made those observations.

    Unless you are an advocate of total hands-off laissaze-faire capitalism. But we know that complete free-enterprise has an unpleasant outcome in practice, and you likely end up with 19-th Century Capitalism. A system where those who control capital retain all or almost all the economy's gains for themselves, and those who toil with their labour get a pittance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wealth distribution is a great ideal and is fair. The rich should share their wealth with the poor. Similarly they should pay more taxes than the poor, a LOT LOT more. The poor should be spared paying taxes on the basic necessities. That is why GST is bad for a poor country or in a country where wealth distribution is bad like Malaysia, because GST does not differentiate between rich and poor. It’s like drift net fishing, catch everything that swims vs line fishing, catch only the big fish.

    We should bring back GST only when:

    A. we have greater equality and better distribution of wealth, as measured by the Gini coefficient

    B. when our corruption level as measured by Transparency International is low; only then we know our GST taxes are being properly used by our government

    Round about GE19.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TDM is a master politician but never a Statesman as made out to be and hyped about when you look at his statements and policies.

    In trying to survive the toxic politics of Race, Religion, Royalty, Constitutional Rights etc etc in Malaysia, he does not have the vision nor the knowledge required to really know how to bring the country and it's citizens towards a better future for everyone and compete and stand tall with the rest of the developed and civilised world.

    Why this is so is because of statements like "Wealth should be distributed equally among races". Why didn't he say "Wealth should be distributed equally among Malaysians" or "Wealth should be distributed only to the Poor"? Does it not clearly shows he is playing politics and not really doing something which will benefit the country by such application of communistic and socialist ideology. Religion wise, TDM should also know his own religion also promotes Capitalism and not Communism or Socialism ideologies.

    Most politicians never learn about history once in power for they will always lose touch with the wants and hopes of it's citizens.

    Wealth is only talk about by rich men who wants more and more or political cronies looking for loopholes to enrich themselves thru such twisted logic.

    The ordinary guy in the street wants jobs, free education, free healthcare, business opportunities, freedom, peace, security, rule of laws, affordable houses to buy or rent, good Government, honest and trustworthy politicians, capable administrators in all fields etc etc etc.

    What has it got to do with Wealth for the ordinary Malaysian?

    ReplyDelete
  4. "TDM should also know his own religion also promotes Capitalism and not Communism or Socialism ideologies."

    ????

    U write as if Capitalism has a sole claim to marketing economy while Communism or Socialism identify only with a classless struggle!

    Marketing economy IS there long before the formulation of Capitalism, Communism or Socialism.

    The capitalists of the ages have conceptualized that marketing economy IS the core of their ideology. But they have no right to 'copy-right' that concept as their very own.

    Similarly, classless society has been an eon struggle for the masses on mothership Earth. Communism or Socialism have no sole claim to it either.

    All said, these schools of sopo ideologies have conveniently trade-marked two humanity utopian doctrines as there VERY own invention!

    Many later day disciples of these sopo dogma binded themselves to that rigidity of their sopo faith w/o fail. Holding on to the 'fight' that these two diagonally opposing ideas that have no common grounds & overlapping concepts!

    Thus, in this regard, u r right about mamak vis-a-vis his sopo approaches along the line of his understandings of his religious faith.

    But ain't u doing the same?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. u dun know what is communism the economic theory. thats y u non stop talking kok abt ccp market economy can be related to communism.

      Delete
    2. ck always tok-kok, wakakaka

      Delete
    3. Who's talking cockgaroo?

      Show some substances lah! Not just veiled farts of zilch consequences.

      Even though, u DON'T care about what the readers think, BUT u ada maruah ke?

      Or yr definition of maruah can be pick&choose to suit yr mood?

      Real pathetic to the nth … tsk tsk sigh…

      Delete
    4. Doing what, CK?

      I think your new economic concepts and theory between concepts of capitalism, communism and socialism will make Milton Friedman (1996 Nobel prize winner for economics) toes laughing.

      Anyway, it's ok. Nobody can be a "Jack of all trades".

      Sometimes, it's more respectable to be quiet and listen first before opening up and jabber away.

      You failed and get a "F" for economic issues!

      Delete
    5. Wakakakaka…

      Firstly, r u sure u qualified to give mark on economic issues? This will definitely make Milton Friedman's toes laughing no end.

      Doing what?

      From what U have said so far, u r just one of those bookworms chewing through the ideas of the others.

      U DON'T think out of the box. Playing safe & emulating the whole farts of the straightjacketed old schools!

      Obviously, u think Capitalism has a monopoly on marketing economy!

      A simple question of ain't there marketing economy way before the 'invention' of Capitalism? This would put tolls on yr failed thinking!

      Hahaha… what about yr understandings of Communism and Socialism? Digging out from Engel & Marx? Can go further back in time ke?

      FYI, as far as economic 'theory' goes, Friedman's hypothesis has been proven to be a surface scratching (my words - simplified & ignored many critical parameters) by many others researchers. Those econ events he 'predicted' failed to happened after his postulations only put him in the same class as many other economic theorists!

      Thus, how many respect do u still upstate him? Perhaps, keeping his famed 101 textbook (a brick volume) as pillow!

      Oooop… Nobel laureate er! So what! Go & read about that old fool Watson on his eugenic claim on the black lah.

      Who's laughing?

      Someone who only know how to follow the texts of the book lah!

      Indeed, pathetic to the nth.

      Delete
    6. call a stag a horse, talk black into white, communism n market economy become interchangeably....

      Delete
    7. 指鹿为马?

      What a fart!

      U still can't get the point.

      For a straightjacketed f*ck like u, communism CAN never go hand in hand with marketing economy!

      Said WHO? Yr father's petrified silo definition of sopo definition lah Right?

      Pathetic to the nth…

      Delete
  5. CK, ah.

    Not much difference between You and TDM espousing economic social ideals under the cover of Communism, Socialism, Racism and Religious bigotism. Just spin and spin it around until it all gets messed up and Capitalism becomes a dirty word.

    Who actually prosper a country and it's people? Is it adherents of idealism in Communism, Socialism, Racial and Religious bigotism?



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spin?

      U r just a blurry capitalist of zilch consequences!

      Why zilch consequences? Read no further than yr silences about the questions I raised. Don't understand WHAT questions, read AGAIN. If still can't get them, sleep on it lah.

      Wakakakakaka……

      Who actually prosper a country and it's people?

      Unfortunately, u ONLY have eyes on yr pet countries. Along the way, all the blackspots, abuses & discriminations r been sidelined & ignored!

      U want a lesson for who actually prosper a country and it's people?

      A benevolent administration with GOOD governance!

      Not a label such as democracy!

      Delete