MCA’s Failure To Move A Resolution To Abolish The 30% Bumi Equity
Requirement Is A Failure Of Ong Ka Ting’s Honest Politics And Breach Of
Promise To Express The Wishes And Defend The Interests Of The Chinese
Community.
Press Statement
by Lim Guan Eng
(Petaling Jaya,
Sunday):
MCA’s failure to move a resolution at its General Assembly urging a removal
of the 30% bumi requirement is a failure of Ong Ka Ting’s honest politics
and breach of promise to express the wishes and defend the interests of the
Chinese community. What is the use of MCA leaders such as MCA Vice-President
Datuk Lim Siang Chai condemning Minister of International Trade And Industry
Datuk Sri Rafidah Aziz only in the Chinese press but not in the Malay or
English press?
Rafidah knows that MCA is not serious about opposing her comments that the
30% bumi equity requirement has not curbed foreign (FDI) when they dare not
condemn her in Cabinet or in Parliament. How then can Ong talk about honest
politics or fulfil his pledge to defend the interests of the Chinese
community?
As compared to other past MCA Presidents, Ong is very smart in that he sings
different tunes to different language media. That is why he has decided to
speak only to the Chinese press alone without the English or Malay press for
fear of offending UMNO. However such ‘sandiwara” politics will not deceive
the Chinese community. Ong must be naïve to think that the Chinese voters
are so gullible that he has achieved results when he dare not even send in
memorandum of the unhappiness of the Chinese Economic Consultative
Council(CECC) towards the Ninth Malaysian Plan((9MP) when meeting the Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on 6 August 2006.
The 30% Bumi Equity May Not Have Curbed The Flow Of Foreign Direct
Investment(FDI) But It Has Failed To Accelerate Economic Growth To Fully
Developed Status As Compared To South Korea That Was Worse Off Than
Malaysia 40 Years Ago.
Rafidah claimed that the FDI under the 2nd Industrial Masterplan
of RM 270 billion exceeded its target of RM 260 billion. The 30% bumi equity
may have not have curbed the flow of FDIs but it has failed to accelerate
economic growth to fully developed status as compared to South Korea. From a
situation where Malaysia was almost thrice more prosperous than Korea in
1966, Korea is now more than 3 times more prosperous than Malaysia.
In 1966 annual per capita Gross Domestic Product(GDP) was less than US$ 130
as compared to Malaysia’s US$350. By 2005 according to the International
Monetary Fund., GDP per capita in Korea had far exceeded Malaysia at
US$16,421 as compared to Malaysia’s US$5,040.
The New Economic Policy(NEP) and the 30% bumi equity requirement are the
principal reasons why Malaysia performed worse than South Korea. Instead of
promoting transparency, we promote corruption. Instead of merit, we have
quotas. Instead of technical “know-how” we have political “know-who”. Lack
of competitiveness, inefficiency and poor productivity is the price we pay
for the government’s continued reliance on the NEP.
Malaysia hopes to attract some RM2,894 billion in investment - both private
and public - during the 15-year period to 2020. But do these investments
benefit the country when we do not even have sufficient workers until we
have to import them from foreign countries?
The government such be encouraging capital intensive and high-value
investments centred on knowledge and ICT, not on labour intensive
investment. Such dependence on foreign workers is unhealthy and as of
December last year, there were 1.8 million foreign workers of which 32
percent were in the manufacturing sector and 8.8 percent in the services
sector.
Malaysia should learn from South Korea and Taiwan whose commitment towards
excellence and cost competitiveness has created world-class companies like
ACER, Hyndai and Samsung. Hyundai and Posco Steel Corp of South Korea has
succeeded where Proton and the corrupt-ridden Perwaja has failed. MCA
should be pointing out to Rafidah the contradiction of seeking global
competitiveness and promoting a quota policy in Cabinet instead of only
playing the gallery to the Chinese press.
(27/08/2006)
* Lim Guan
Eng,
Secretary-General of DAP |
http://dapmalaysia.org
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