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Malaysians And Sarawakians Risked Being Marginalised Politically, Educationally And Economically If  Vision 2020 Of Malaysia Being A Developed Nation Does Not Encompass Full Democratisation And A Malaysian Identity Speech - Bintulu DAP Dinner by Lim Guan Eng (Bintulu, Saturday): Malaysians and Sarawakians risked being marginalized politically, educationally and  economically if Vision 2020 of Malaysia being a developed nation does not encompass full democratization and a Malaysian identity.  The Indians and some Sarawakians are economically marginalized. Whilst absolute poverty has been reduced, the problem of relative poverty and urban poverty still exists. Despite the efforts of government programs, many including in Sarawak remain poor because government efforts in the past appear to focus more on creating a bumiputra millionaire class than uplift the economic living standard of the masses. For example millions of shares reserved for bumis are never allotted to ordinary people or poor bumis but always to sons and sons-in-laws of Ministers.  All Malaysians  should fight for full democratization and forge a Malaysian identity to ensure that your voice is heard. Malaysians must not allow ourselves to be divided by race or else risk our country’s wealth to be divided for the few. With the problem of corruption remaining unresolved, Malaysians can no longer allow our economic wealth to benefit the few. Democracy should ensure the people are the real “bosses” and not elect bosses that control us.  Malaysian Chinese faces political marginalization. With  the declining birth rate of the Chinese community, Malaysia Chinese population is expected to reduce from our present 26% to less than 20% of the population by 2020. Will the Chinese be a better position to talk about economic, cultural, education and political rights now or in 2020?  Clearly Malaysian Chinese have to entrench these rights now for by 2020 no matter how persuasive our arguments. Like other Malaysians denied their rights by BN, the Malaysian Chinese has to stand together with them to fight for full democracy and a Malaysian identity. As a first step Malaysians should seek full local government elections which was banned in 1965.   Only with democracy and a Malaysian identity can we find a solution to our educational, economic and political problems be solved. Taking a racial position is divisive and against national unity. For instance non-Malay component parties whether SUPP, MCA, MIC and Gerakan should declare whether they endorse Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh's remarks in the UMNO General Assembly that as the Higher Education Minister, he will never allow non-Bumiputera students to enter UiTM and he will not compromise on this matter. Such remarks are hurtful to non-bumis and not in the Malaysian spirit. Education should not be racialised but instead democratised and open to all. There are 60,000 non-Chinese students in Chinese primary schools and no non-Chinese have been denied entry into Chinese schools. And yet we have a Minister of Higher Education declaring he will never allow non-bumis into UiTm.  If Chinese and Tamil schools are open to every Malaysian regardless of race and religion, why can’t the government do the same by progressively multi-racialising our educational institutions and not restricting it to only one race. How can such a racial approach foster national unity? Dr Shafie had also assured UMNO delegates that so long as he remains as Higher Education Minister the number of Bumiputera students in public universities will always exceed the given quota. For example, he said in 2002, there were 69 % Bumiputera students, while the quota was only 63%, while in 2004, there were 64 %  Bumiputeras (the quota was only 53%). Where is meritocracy in our education system if a Minister can guarantee that bumi students will always exceed the given quota? By assuring that bumi students will always exceed the given quota, Dr Shafie is mocking the efforts of bumi students who do well and doing a grave injustice to non-bumi students with excellent results. Clearly qualified non-bumi students are less likely to be given their rightful place in universities because of such political statements by Dr Shafie, who is trying to regain his popularity in UMNO after losing in the UMNO Supreme Council elections. Without a meritocratic system, Malaysia’s can not succeed in facing up to the challenges of globalization by being competitive and having a well-trained workforce. The non-Malay BN component parties must strongly condemn Dr Shafie as not only failing to act in the national spirit but also betrayed of BN’s promise of educational excellence and opportunities for all Malaysians.  (2/10/2004) * Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General