Much has been said in this forum about Malay special rights. I agree that the Malays, West Malaysia's natives, have been pampered excessively by the previous prime minister's administration, at least until his paradigm shift to Vision 2020 in 1991.

However, abolishing special rights is tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Special rights may mean inequality in what is supposed to be a democratic society. But, given the historical reality that there is a native and non-native sector of the population, a wee bit more leeway needs be given to the native sector of Bangsa Malaysia.

This native sector was underprivileged during the colonial era and is culturally weak having undergone civilisation decline in the century immediately before colonialism came. Special rights strengthens the natives because it is a morale booster. It gives them recognition and confidence.

But special rights must be implemented with stringent safeguards. It has to be equitable at all times lest the non-natives and minority native tribes feel aggrieved.

The government should provide loans, subsidies and quotas to Malays but it should make sure they go to qualified Malays, that is, those who make the grade in their studies or professions.

Loans and subsidies should be repaid after a time period fixed by the government. Quotas should not be rigid. If they are not filled within a certain period fixed by the government, they should be scrapped.

Special rights should not be a gravy train where Malays are fed by the efforts of the Chinese and Indians and they get away with minimum effort. The Mahathir era brought about this sorry state of affairs to the Malay society.

Special rights should be all about longer carrots and longer sticks. That means, Malays should be made to pay a little bit more for the state of their well-being. And they should be rewarded a little bit more in everything by the state.

If they breach the law and go against organisational discipline, they should be made to pay a little bit more for their misconduct too. Paying more while benefiting more gives Malays a sense of responsibility as the eldest siblings of Bangsa Malaysia. Rights are of no use if there is no responsibility.

In religion, culture and language the same applies. While Islam is backed by the government, the rights of non-Muslims should be upheld. Muslims should refrain from criticising non-Muslim faiths and vice-versa. Muslims should respect the rights of non-Muslims as their younger siblings in the Malaysian family.

Malay culture and East Malaysian native culture together form 60 percent of national identity as opposed to 40 percent Chinese and Indian culture now. The latter duo should always be respected by the former duo.

Malay should remain the national language but there should be no stopping non-Malays from learning their own languages. English should be promoted widely. Malay should also be spoken correctly as a mark of respect for the national language. The government should promote Malay as a world-class language in Asean and at UN and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meets.

The government should also enrich the Malay language by incorporating English and Sanskrit words in it, without undermining the simple, existing Malay terms. Borrowing should only be done if there are no (or a lack of) Malay words to describe a certain subject.

Quotas for jobs should always be reasonable. The ratio of 55 natives to 45 non-natives is very sound and should be upheld. There should be no bailout of non-performing native businesses. They should be made to learn the hard way.

Native control of the economy at 30 percent (achieved in 1990) can still be realised in a regime of merit and competition. This can be done by having the government levy a reasonable 'bumiputra economy fee' on every firm, native or non-native, depending on its earnings.

The fees will be used by the government to set up a bumiputera economic fund, accountable to parliament, to manage the economic well-being of the natives in both good and bad times. All land in the country should be charged a reasonable 'bumiputera rent' which goes to the above-mentioned fund.

This is to ensure that the natives own land, even if it is through indirect and collective ownership.

In a nutshell, special rights for Malays should stay but they have to be reinterpreted to meet the true objectives of a masyarakat adil that the New Economic Policy (NEP) trumpeted in 1971.