vox populi small thumbnail'This clearly indicates Najib is not the man for the job as he is unable to implement his own policies without having to kowtow to racist groups.'

Perkasa hijacked NEM, says NEAC man

Anonymous_3f96: Finally, some government insiders like National Economic Advisory Council member Zainal Aznam Mohd Yusof are opening up. Perhaps it is the Egypt factor, and people are gradually becoming less fearful.

Has Perkasa and its ilk like Utusan Malaysia ever made any constructive suggestion as to how we can achieve Vision 2020? Or maybe they are happy with the status quo? How will the government pay for the 1.3 million government servants (90 percent of whom are bumiputeras) and the billions in handouts once the country's oil reserves are depleted?

The biggest danger will come from the unemployed and underemployed graduates. With the mushrooming of universities and colleges, tens of thousands of young Malaysians will be joining these ranks.

Remember the Egyptian revolution is being led by the unemployed graduates. Hosni Mubarak built hundreds of universities in Egypt but couldn't provide the graduates with jobs. The same thing may happen here if the economic reform is stifled by vested interests like Perkasa. A stagnant economy cannot provide jobs for our graduates.

Pakman: Unfortunately the extreme wing of Umno is more powerful then the whole kitchen cabinet under PM Najib Razak. So how do we progress from here? Except to change the government which is willing to implement a new economic policy which encompasses the full Malaysian spirit.

JBGuy: I am shocked that Najib is powerless against Perkasa. This clearly indicates he is not the man for the job as he is unable to implement his own policies without having to kowtow to racist groups. If Najib cannot even make the reforms he promised, he should make way for a PM who can.

DragonStar: Of the RM54 billion shares allocated to the bumiputera, only RM2 billion remain in their hands. No one claimed responsibility and no one is willing to initiate an investigation but some are now even asking for more.

The 30 percent share that is reserved for the so-called bumi is actually benefiting the Umnoputras. In other words, Umnoputras are a burden to the Malaysia economy.

Limml: Sad. BN controls the government, Unmo controls BN, Perkasa controls Umno and finally, TDM (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) controls Perkasa.

Anonymous_408d: Of course, the old man (Mahathir) knows more than Najib. He has Malaysian politics in his stranglehold and is playing the country and the rakyat like a chess board. Najib timidly does what he is told. Mahathir believes the country and the people are his to do as he pleases.

What is surprising is that Rosmah Mansor has not put a halt to this. She is not my favourite person, but for all the unpopularity she has earned, it is obvious that she is not a pushover, so her submission here is odd. She takes her husband's post very seriously as it gives her the status she craves and this brings out all the protectionist instincts in her, even if for the wrong reasons.

At any rate, she is not a wallflower. Much as her ambitious nature is seen as ruthless, she is a go-getter and one can only imagine what milestones she would achieve if she wanted to take this country to higher ground.

Maybe she will surprise us all, but none of us is holding our breath. Meanwhile, why she lets the old man control her husband is a mystery.

Loyal Malaysian: So now we have confirmation what has been reported in the alternative media - that the New Economic Model is new only in name.


Isa Samad's appointment ‘bad news for market'

Sunshine: Kudos to Maybank Investment CEO Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and NEAC member Zainal Aznam for speaking with refreshingly blunt honesty about the appointment of Isa Samad to Felda. Najib and the minister in charge must seriously re-consider the appointment.

Felda became a success story under the leadership of honest, dedicated and no-nonsense civil servants such as Taib Andak and Raja Muhammad Alias, not under politicians nearing the end of their shelf life such as Yusof Noor and Isa Samad.

If the government is concerned about the political leanings of Felda settlers, the solution lies with making the organisation ever more effective in matters relating to the improvement of the socio-economic status of settlers and that is achievable by having a person of integrity as its leader, not a discredited politician.

Fly Emirates: Palm oil heavyweights like Lee Shin Cheng of IOI, Lee Oi Hian of KLK or Kuok Khoon Hong of Wilmar should have been enlisted to manage Felda as a form of national service.

Malaysia and Felda settlers would have gained tremendously from their experience in managing and running billion dollar palm oil plantations and trading units. Instead, the Malaysian government chose to appoint a politician who has no experience in the palm oil industry.

Terus: It doesn't just send the wrong signals, but it reflects badly on the hundreds if not thousands of younger bumiputera talents. Who will believe there are no other bumiputera more qualified to take the helm?

It is just a pure indication of political patronage or cronism whichever way one looks at this appointment. It is a confirmation that our political leaders are not bothered with public perception.

Anonymous_3e4b: What to do when we have loads of illiterate Felda settlers ready to vote for BN?

Anonymous_3ebe: It is rather ironic that Mahathir should lament the sad state of the nation and attribute it to the prevalence of corruption as he had towards the end of his ‘reign' laid the foundations and seeds for corruption in every area of public life.

No need to elaborate on the decay of the judiciary, the police and the undermining of the royalty and of course the cronyism which has become the opium of the Umnoputras.

It's so sad to see Malaysia reduced to a state where the brightest talents are driven away subtly, the not so smart remain and unskilled labour from Indonesia are imported to boost the Muslim population.

If this is not the beginning of the end, pray tell us what is?

Armour Man: It is good that now high-profile figures are speaking up against corruption, cronyism and the decadence of our beloved country. Middle-class Malaysians and opposition leaders have been talking about these issues for years.

Public figures and corporate leaders have largely kept quiet, preferring to echo and parrot Najib's fancy concepts, presumably to look good and be on Najib's good book. I hope more high-profile figures will be vocal with the truth.

Kingfisher: Tengku Zafrul and Zainal Aznam's remarks and concerns are pertinent and it is utterly deplorable how a known defaulter can be nominated by the government to a senior position of responsibility for economic development of a very significant sector.

Such indiscretion is either a sign of irresponsible arrogance or a blatant subversion for "looking after our mates". Until such time as our national leadership places national interests above individual preferences, we the public will continue to bear a heavy burden and pay an exorbitant price for multiracial ‘harmony'.

Loyal Malaysian: Yes, let the Umnoputras appoint that tainted Isa Samad. Independent investors ought to know better whether they will still want to trust in a company managed by such a character.


BMC residents lose 'brutality' suit against police

Anonymous_40a7: Killed by cops in the lock-up, but the ‘accused' got scot free (A Kugan). Shot by cops, and then plant evidence to make victim look like a criminal (Amirulrashid Amzah).

Beaten by cops for an expired road tax and got money stolen, but the ‘suspect' runs away (Chia Buang Hing). Pregnant lady assaulted and robbed by cops, but still little action taken (Chow Soo Meng).

Now, the courts say that the cops are not guilty of brutality against Bandar Mahkota Cheras folks. Sounds like from a movie. In reality, it's happening in Malaysia, at this very moment. The police should rename themselves Polis Di Raja Mafia.

4056: The police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and the judiciary thought they are being paid by Umno and therefore work for them. All their heads of department owes their promotion to them.

When are they going to mature and know that they are working for Malaysia and not Umno. They must hold the interests of the people at heart. I bet you that all of them are BTN-ised and read Utusan Malaysia.

Lim Chong Leong: What is police brutality? The police knows nothing about being brutal. Anwar Ibrahim's black eye was self-inflicted. Kugan merely drowned in the toilet bowl. Aminulrasyid tried to run down police officers dutifully manning a road block.

Chia was carrying drugs, so they had to take his money. The pregnant lady was selling illegal alcohol, so she needs to be slapped and her money confiscated.

 

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paid subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.