In the Ninth Malaysian Abdullah has reported that the country generated an average GDP growth of 6.2 per cent per annum from 1991 to 2005 and the target for average real GDP growth in the five years 2006-2010 under the Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP) is 6 per cent per annum.  When former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahahtir Mohamad presented Vision 2020 on 28th February 1991, Malaysia required an average annual growth of 7% during the three decades to 2020 so that our GDP in 2020 can be RM 920 billion in real (1990 Ringgit) terms.

Malaysia is capable of reaching its gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of RM920 billion in 2020 only if it achieves an average growth of 8.8 percent in the next 15 years from 2006-2005.  Malay Research & Strategy Foundation fellow consultant Datuk Dr Mohd Dahan Abd Latiff said the projection was based along the calculation of the GDP of RM262 billion in 2005.

Dr Dahan said with the 6% GDP growth already set for 9MP, or RM351 billion target in 2010, growth required for the remaining 10 years -- 2011 to 2020 – to achieve developed nationa status has to be at about 10.2 percent. The target of 10.2% for 2011-2020 is clearly impossible as the National Mission had set a growth rate of only 6.5% for this period. Even this 6.5% growth rate is doubtful as Malaysia is expected to be an oil importer from 2011-2020.

The NEP is to blame for Malaysia’s failure to achieve developed nation status. Why is it that countries worse off than Malaysia 40 years ago were able to achieve developed status earlier? Whilst our country has made some economic progress in absolute terms as compared to 40 years ago, we are worse off in relative terms compared to countries such as South Korea. In 1966 annual per capita Gross Domestic Product(GDP) was less than US$ 130 as compared to Malaysia’s US$350. By 1980, barely 10 years after the NEP was launched in 1970, South Korea had caught up with a per capita GNP of US$1900 as compared to Malaysia’s US$ 1,830.

By 2005 according to the International Monetary Fund., GDP per capita in South Korea had far exceeded Malaysia at US$16,421 as compared to Malaysia’s US$5,040. From a position where Malaysia was almost 3 times better than South Korea 40 years ago, the NEP has made us three times worse. Without the NEP, Malaysia would have an additional 3-4% economic growth every year.

UMNO claims that the bumi equity is only 18.9%, far below the 30% target in the NEP.   Based on market value, Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute(ASLI) estimated that bumi equity is actually 45% or more than RM 325 billion.

The revelations by ASLI expose the real reasons why UMNO leaders continue to provoke racial sentiments and blame the Chinese by using them as scapegoats for the so-called failure of the NEP. By denying the fact that the bumi equity is 45% based on market value, UMNO leaders are making a desperate attempt to distract attention from poor Malays asking who are the rich Malays who have benefited from this RM 325 billion and demanding a share of such wealth.

Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was right when he mentioned that the Chinese in Malaysia were systematically marginalized but he was half-right because he forgot to include Indians, orang Asli, poor Malays and bumis from East Malaysia. Malaysian can not continue to give Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a 91% electoral mandate when he fails to deliver his promises to enlarge democracy, end corruption, end political double-standards and discriminatory policies such as the New Economic Policy, quotas, income inequality and socio-economic injustices.

The United Nations Human Development Report consistently list Malaysians as suffering the worst income inequality between the rich and poor in South-East Asia. This is conceded by the Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP) which showed the share of income of the bottom 40% of the population declined from 14.5% in 1990 to 13.5% in 2004 whilst the share of the top 20% of the population increased from 50% in 1990 to 51.2% in 2004.

Not many Malaysians, whether Malay or non-Malay are rich like UMNO, MCA or MIC millionaires. How many Malays own APs or shares or are millionaires like UMNO Youth Deputy President Khairy Jamaluddin who can own RM 9.2 million worth of shares or like Datuk Roslan Hashim who can spend RM 3.5 million for his wedding or Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi who can afford to give RM 42 million worth of properties and RM 1 million cash to  his former wife.

Not many non-Malays are as rich as MCA Deputy Youth President Ling Hee Leong who became the youngest billionaire at 27 years old when he borrowed RM 1.2 billion to purchase 3 publicly listed companies.

No wonder MCA members from MCA Bukit MertajamDivision in Penang are leaving MCA when the 4 MCA Ministers supported the Cabinet decision to accept ASLI’s apology and retraction of Dr Lim Teck Ghee’s academic research that bumis corporate equity control is 45%. 106 MCA members from Bukit Mertajam MCA gave 3 reasons for leaving the party yesterday in protest against MCA’s betrayal of their responsibility to fight for the rights to fight for the Chinese community. 

One, the failure of the government to build a single Chinese primary school out of the 180 new primary schools under the 9MP even though the Chinese contribute to the country’s economic development with their taxes. Two, the failure of MCA Ministers and Deputy Education Minister to fight corruption in contract works on Chinese primary schools where RM 30,000 is paid for value of work of onlty RM 3,000/-. Three refusing and disagreeing with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew that the Chinese in Malaysia are systematically marginalized.

The former MCA members compared MCA leaders as lousy cats who do not know how to catch mice. Instead of supporting world renowned academics like Dr Lim Teck Ghee, the 4 MCA Cabinet Ministers chose to support UMNO leaders like Mirzan in abandoning Dr Lim.

The time has come for Malaysians to undertake the historic mission to punish BN by denying them their 2/3 majority for failing to fulfill their promises and marginalizing all Malaysians, especially refusing to share the country’s wealth with all Malaysians regardless of race or religion.