by Lim Guan Eng

(Kuala Lumpur, Thursday): Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the Cabinet had decided that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi remain silent and let all Ministers reply to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s allegations. Mahathir had launched fierce attacks on the Badawi administration, especially on the cancellation of the RM 15 billion double-tracking rail project, the national automotive policy’s and the AP Kings impact on Proton, the sale of MV Agusta for 1 euro to a 2-euro company sustaining more than RM 500 million in losses, and the cancellation of the RM 1,113 million “scenic” crooked half-bridge to Singapore.

The questions Mahathir raised are important and must be answered by the Ministers concerned especially the RM 500 million losses in MV Agusta after less than one year and the exorbitant cancellation costs of the scenic bridge where compensation for the cancellation are estimated at RM 1,120 million or RM 7 million more than  if the bridge was built at RM 1,113 million.

However whilst we are focused on such weighty national issues, Malaysian youths also demand an answer to the pathetic state of Malaysian football. I know Mahathir does not like football. When asked whether he watches the World Cup, he said “it is silly for 22 people to chase one ball - (go) buy (them) one each”. Something is wrong with Mahathir if a people’s game enjoyed by billions throughout the world is considered silly by Mahathir. What then are other games not considered silly by Mahathir?

Mahathir may not like football but he should demand that Badawi answer why Malaysia have no chance of qualifying for the World Cup when we defeated South Korea to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Watching South Korea play in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I still remember James Wong scoring the winning goal when we defeated Sotu Korea 2-1.

Why is it that a country whom we regularly defeated in football 25 years ago is now so far ahead of us that they regularly qualify for the World Cup and were even semifinalists 2002 World Cup? Malaysia now has slim chances of qualifying for the “greatest show on earth” or even beating a reserve South Korean football team.

Similarly how did we lose out economically to South Korea. In 1966(before the adoption of NEP) annual per capita GNP in South Korea was less than US$ 150 as compared to Malaysia’s US$350. By 2003 GNP per capita in Korea had far exceeded Malaysia at US$12,033 as compared to Malaysia’s US$3,880 in 2003 according to the World Bank. From a situation where Malaysia is twice more prosperous than Korea in 1966, Korea is now more than 3 times more prosperous than Malaysia.

Clearly South Korea achieved such successes because it stressed on meritocracy, efficiency and competitiveness all necessary towards optimal utilization of resource allocation. In contrast Malaysia were left behind by South Korea because of our adoption of NEP with quotas, crony capitalism, patronage and mediocrity that hindered productivity and development.

Instead of privatization, we have piratisation. Instead of merit, we have quotas. Instead of technical “know-how” we have political “know-who”. Instead of value-creation, we have corruption. Instead of good governance, we have black magic. After all how many bumis have APs or own shares in publicly-listed companies.

Malaysia has consistently suffered the worst income disparity between the rich and poor in South East Asia where the richest 10% in Malaysia controls 38.4% of our economic income as compared to our poorest 10% controlling only 1.7%. We can be proud of reducing absolute poverty levels but we should be equally ashamed that Malaysians have the most unfair distribution of wealth in South-East Asia.

The NEP has set Malaysia back and the fixation of 30% equity share for bumis will not allow Vision 2020 of Malaysia becoming a developed nation by 2020 top succeed. UMNO Youth Deputy President and Pak Lah’s son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin had said that the NEP is necessary as UMNO’s paramount concern is that the Malays would be left out if Malaysia is a developed nation by 2020.

This is wrong as the major concern would be whether the vast majority of Malaysians regardless of race or religion will be left out. This is the theme of Malaysian First WHERE national unity should be based not on race or religion but on a common identity centered on democracy, freedom, justice, integrity and human dignity. Secondly the importance of becoming global champions in academic excellence, economic competitiveness, technological merit and knowledge management to ensure economic prosperity that is shared equitably with all Malaysians.

Let us therefore be Malaysian First not only economically but also enjoy seeing a Malaysian team perform in the World Cup.

(29/06/2006)