Opposition party leaders have lambasted ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) for not having given all ethnic groups in Malaysia a fair opportunity to discuss the New National Agenda (NNA).

Parti Keadilan Rakyat information bureau head Tian Chua pointed out the danger of leaving out the views of all concerned, given that Umno holds "unilateral authority in BN", and its component parties "can only concede without dissent".

He said the proposed NNA was raised by Umno Youth without prior consultation with BN component parties - a situation that mocks the much vaunted "spirit of consultation" within the coalition.

Chua said a national agenda should be a vision reached through consensus of all citizens.

"This is an old strategy of Umno to unify its strength through ethno-centrism and then comfort other kapitans (heads of component parties) with another approach. Is every race being given a fair chance to discuss the governance of the nation?"he asked.

'Repeat performance'

Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement that he was disappointed with the policy announced by Umno president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his other capacity as BN chairperson.

"This has reminded me of the endorsement of (former premier) Dr Mahathir Mohamad's '929 Declaration' at a BN supreme council emergency meeting in October 2001, which decided that Malaysia is an Islamic State."

"In the same way, (it has now) endorsed Umno Youth's call for revival of National Economic Policy (NEP). Will this prove to be another nation-building blunder?"

He claimed that policy decisions passed at MCA, Gerakan and MIC national conferences are "ignored and disregarded at all levels of the government decision-making process".

"Questions are immediately raised as to whether Adbullah's promise to be 'fair to all' can be fully implemented," he said.

"DAP proposes the convening of a national consultative conference involving all political parties, professions, NGOs and religious groups to decide the best economic strategy for the nation."

Umno drama

PAS secretary-general Kamaruddin Jaafar described Abdullah's statement as "histrionics".

He said the whole episode - from Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein's call to revive the NEP to the BN supreme council decision - is nothing more than a "self-directed drama" by Umno that is not new either.

"If Umno has failed to achieve the bumiputera share ownership of 30 percent under the NEP, it should admit its failure and given an explanation to the other BN component parties," he said.

Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Bong Hon Liong said there is a need to observe how the proposed policy is implemented before its success can be judged.

He was also of the view that the NEP is out of synch with the trend of globalisation and, as such, the government will have to make revisions to the 30 percent target for the bumiputera equity stake.

A Chinese business leader who did not want to be named described Abdullah's statement as fair, saying that the share equity issue is not a new one.

However, he cautioned that the government should ensure that all impoverished people are taken care of, in the process of realising the equity target for bumiputeras.