Greedy leaders: Money, power, property and pretty women, all for themselves
M. Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, associate professor and an undercover journalist
Image Credit: Pexels - Karolina Grabowska
M. Krishnamoorthy
“Greedy Malays wanted to keep everything for themselves. Money. Power. Property. Recognition. Pretty women. An adoring public. Their social standing in the community.
“Critics like me, who have been expounding the same anti-ketuanan (anti-supremacy) and anti-NEP message for years, have little traction with the public,” columnist Mariam Mokhtar said in her comment “NEP chickens have come home to roost”. Mariam is an active blogger and defender of the truth, the Green Bean Army admiral-general, and the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO) president.
The NEP, in its current form, is not sustainable. It will not bring about economic growth, political stability or peace, her comment published in Malaysiakini stated.
Columnist Mariam Mokhtar. Image Credit: FMT
She pointed out that Malay Malay children under the age of 12 became millionaires overnight, while our children were forced to attend sub-standard schools and work hard to earn a living.
“Instead of these “successful” Malays being an inspiration to ordinary Malays, questions are now being asked about how they acquired their wealth. Their achievements were not through hard work, although they would like us to think their success was all their own doing and ability.
“They sold the population the image of the successful, entrepreneurial Malay, capable of performance on an international scale, but what we were led to believe, was probably a pack of lies. They only cared about their wealth, but ignored how their actions damaged the Malaysian economy.”
She said former corrupt prime ministers, ministers, and Malay millionaires or billionaires were under investigation by the MACC.
"We now see the ugly side of the New Economic Policy, the grand experiment in socio-economic engineering few politicians will admit has failed. The investigation of various rich and powerful prominent Malays for alleged corruption does make us wonder if the NEP chickens have finally come home to roost.
“Suddenly, all the questions we wanted to ask in the past but were unable to do so at the time - because we feared our draconian laws - and all the doubts that we kept to ourselves but would like to voice out, are finally being asked by the authorities,” Mariam added.
There are no rags-to-riches stories. “So, 53 years after the NEP was rolled out ostensibly to eliminate abject poverty among the Malays and create a more level economic playing field among the various races, we would expect more rags-to-riches stories of Malays who benefited from the NEP. Former prime ministers have allegedly misused their powers, ignored our constitutional rights, and laundered money, while some super-rich people are now taking legal action against their former political mentors. The Malaysia these greedy people created, most of whom are the main beneficiaries of the NEP, is falling apart.”
Mariam cited that the NEP created many millionaires and spawned many Ali Baba companies. These Malays didn’t gain any new knowledge, they just became skilled at living a lie. “They didn’t do any work but left it to the Chinese companies in their Ali Baba set-up to manage the business and perform. If the NEP had been properly executed, many Malays would have been motivated to work harder, grasp the many opportunities available and become independent. The NEP would have ended as it should have, in 1990.”
At the same time, institutionalised racism was practised. “Today, the NEP is many decades past its sell-by date because selfish and irresponsible Malay politicians have rebranded and repackaged the NEP, perhaps under a new name, as long as the Malay majority is dependent on the government and cannot compete fairly with the other racial groups. Politicians have also taken this opportunity to milk the rights and “special position” of the Malays to keep the affirmative action policies going for as long as possible. The pretence of “protecting the Malays” and “defending Islam” are used.”
Mariam echoed PMX Anwar Ibrahim's call for assistance on a “needs basis”.
“In the past few years, some politicians said that the NEP should be needs-based rather than race-based, and yet, no action has been taken to put this in motion. Few politicians will admit the NEP is also an excuse for institutionalised racism, and fewer still will agree that some elite Malays have become more greedy and refuse to share their wealth, their knowledge and the opportunities available with their poorer cousins.”
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns about going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman, and Member of Parliament.
She pointed out that Malay Malay children under the age of 12 became millionaires overnight, while our children were forced to attend sub-standard schools and work hard to earn a living.
“Instead of these “successful” Malays being an inspiration to ordinary Malays, questions are now being asked about how they acquired their wealth. Their achievements were not through hard work, although they would like us to think their success was all their own doing and ability.
“They sold the population the image of the successful, entrepreneurial Malay, capable of performance on an international scale, but what we were led to believe, was probably a pack of lies. They only cared about their wealth, but ignored how their actions damaged the Malaysian economy.”
She said former corrupt prime ministers, ministers, and Malay millionaires or billionaires were under investigation by the MACC.
"We now see the ugly side of the New Economic Policy, the grand experiment in socio-economic engineering few politicians will admit has failed. The investigation of various rich and powerful prominent Malays for alleged corruption does make us wonder if the NEP chickens have finally come home to roost.
“Suddenly, all the questions we wanted to ask in the past but were unable to do so at the time - because we feared our draconian laws - and all the doubts that we kept to ourselves but would like to voice out, are finally being asked by the authorities,” Mariam added.
There are no rags-to-riches stories. “So, 53 years after the NEP was rolled out ostensibly to eliminate abject poverty among the Malays and create a more level economic playing field among the various races, we would expect more rags-to-riches stories of Malays who benefited from the NEP. Former prime ministers have allegedly misused their powers, ignored our constitutional rights, and laundered money, while some super-rich people are now taking legal action against their former political mentors. The Malaysia these greedy people created, most of whom are the main beneficiaries of the NEP, is falling apart.”
Mariam cited that the NEP created many millionaires and spawned many Ali Baba companies. These Malays didn’t gain any new knowledge, they just became skilled at living a lie. “They didn’t do any work but left it to the Chinese companies in their Ali Baba set-up to manage the business and perform. If the NEP had been properly executed, many Malays would have been motivated to work harder, grasp the many opportunities available and become independent. The NEP would have ended as it should have, in 1990.”
At the same time, institutionalised racism was practised. “Today, the NEP is many decades past its sell-by date because selfish and irresponsible Malay politicians have rebranded and repackaged the NEP, perhaps under a new name, as long as the Malay majority is dependent on the government and cannot compete fairly with the other racial groups. Politicians have also taken this opportunity to milk the rights and “special position” of the Malays to keep the affirmative action policies going for as long as possible. The pretence of “protecting the Malays” and “defending Islam” are used.”
Mariam echoed PMX Anwar Ibrahim's call for assistance on a “needs basis”.
“In the past few years, some politicians said that the NEP should be needs-based rather than race-based, and yet, no action has been taken to put this in motion. Few politicians will admit the NEP is also an excuse for institutionalised racism, and fewer still will agree that some elite Malays have become more greedy and refuse to share their wealth, their knowledge and the opportunities available with their poorer cousins.”
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns about going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman, and Member of Parliament.
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