Spores development speaks for itself, not Selangors
ObserverPublished: Jul 6, 2005 5:24 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
In Shaukat Ali's letter headlined Consider the position of minorities elsewhere, he asked '... who in Singapore are the top civil servants, the commissioner of police, chief justice, the one, two and three-star generals in the Singapore Armed Forces, and the top CEOs in the corporate sector?'
Well, without doing much research, I can tell him that Singapore's president, no less, and its foreign minister are Indians. Even from a cynical point of view, their positions in comparison with our Malaysian situation, are something our minorities here can only dream of. Of course, we cannot compare our Yang Di Pertuan Agong and other Sultans with the position of president, but a Chinese or Indian Malaysian foreign minister to represent Malaysia?
MCA lost its senior finance portfolio after it withdrew from the Alliance. The one and only Chinese chief minister (Gerakan, Penang) is hanging on, precariously in fact, and would have been replaced if not for political expediency.
The federal ministers are only part of a so-called power-sharing arrangement. They readily acknowledge their positions to be the prerogative of the prime minister. MIC president S Samy Vellu's quick about-turn from his earlier bold statements on de-recognition of Crimea State Medical University is a good example.
There is no point in arguing about favouritism and nepotism as they exist everywhere in the world and it is up to the electorate in each country, to decide to what extent they can tolerate them. The crux of the problem here is institutionalised racial discrimination where race takes precedence over merit as official policy.
Financially, instead of lowest tender, our contracts go to the most well-connected politically, with multi-level rent-seekers. The effects are beginning to show in terms of productivity and efficient use of resources. So far, we are lucky to have Petronas to hide our excesses. What happens when the oil runs out?
Singapore, as a small island with very limited natural resources, has been acknowledged worldwide as a developed nation. Whatever criticisms we may have of it, Singapore's development speaks for itself. Unlike the self-proclaimed developed status by Selangor, which is currently the butt of jokes.
If form, rather than substance matters more, then Shaukat can happily accept Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Khir Mohd Toyo's 'Semuanya OK' for all our official policies.
Well, without doing much research, I can tell him that Singapore's president, no less, and its foreign minister are Indians. Even from a cynical point of view, their positions in comparison with our Malaysian situation, are something our minorities here can only dream of. Of course, we cannot compare our Yang Di Pertuan Agong and other Sultans with the position of president, but a Chinese or Indian Malaysian foreign minister to represent Malaysia?
MCA lost its senior finance portfolio after it withdrew from the Alliance. The one and only Chinese chief minister (Gerakan, Penang) is hanging on, precariously in fact, and would have been replaced if not for political expediency.
The federal ministers are only part of a so-called power-sharing arrangement. They readily acknowledge their positions to be the prerogative of the prime minister. MIC president S Samy Vellu's quick about-turn from his earlier bold statements on de-recognition of Crimea State Medical University is a good example.
There is no point in arguing about favouritism and nepotism as they exist everywhere in the world and it is up to the electorate in each country, to decide to what extent they can tolerate them. The crux of the problem here is institutionalised racial discrimination where race takes precedence over merit as official policy.
Financially, instead of lowest tender, our contracts go to the most well-connected politically, with multi-level rent-seekers. The effects are beginning to show in terms of productivity and efficient use of resources. So far, we are lucky to have Petronas to hide our excesses. What happens when the oil runs out?
Singapore, as a small island with very limited natural resources, has been acknowledged worldwide as a developed nation. Whatever criticisms we may have of it, Singapore's development speaks for itself. Unlike the self-proclaimed developed status by Selangor, which is currently the butt of jokes.
If form, rather than substance matters more, then Shaukat can happily accept Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Khir Mohd Toyo's 'Semuanya OK' for all our official policies.
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