Be afraid, Umno; be very afraid.
To the uninitiated Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality ranging from 0 to 1, with 0 representing absolute equality and 1 representing absolute inequality. In 2007, Malaysia’s Gini coefficient was 0.441, an improvement over the 0.462 in 2004 but let’s not forget that in 1990 the Gini coefficient was 0.442, this means we have hardly made any sustainable progress in addressing the problem of income disparity for nearly two decades.The government should be spending more money on education and health care programmes specifically designed for the lower income group to help narrow the gap and not overpriced military hardware and wasteful projects awarded to inept crony contractors and other ill-conceived spending.The bottom 40 per cent of households have an average income of RM1,222 whilst the top 20 per cent earn an average of RM8,157; thus, some say that an inheritance tax, increased taxes for the higher income group and GST (Goods & Services Tax) will help narrow this gap.This is debatable, however. First, the government must stop the leakages that are bleeding us to death.
Show us first that you are prudent with our money before asking for more. You are answerable to the Rakyat; this is not your fiefdom.Other than this, entrepreneurship programmes for the young should be given attention in our quest to be a fully developed nationRecently I received a message from an irate parent in Klang, Selangor. His son and nephew go to a secondary school there and were excited when told that they could choose to be members of various clubs/societies.The boys had a keen interest in business and applied to join the Young Entrepreneurs Club. Their applications were, howevers turned down on grounds that the said club was for Bumiputeras only. Why not call it the “Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Club” then?What kind of message is this sending to the students? Did some bigoted and overzealous civil servant get over excited about Teraju and decide on his/her own? I would not be surprised as the prime minister himself has opened Pandora’s Box when he reneged on his NEM pledges and tried to dress up old wine (NEP) in a new bottle (Teraju).Within Pakatan Rakyat so far, only DAP has roundly condemned the NEM and Teraju paradox. They have every right to do so as the DAP led Penang state government under the stewardship of Lim Guan Eng has reported that 70 per cent of the two state firm’s open tenders have been won by Malay contractors, showing that the community is not only able to compete but thrive in a competitive environment.Malay contractors won 16 out of 23 tender awards, or 70 per cent, from the Penang Development Corporation(PDC) and 44 out of 66 or 67 per cent of contracts issued by the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) in open tenders since Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang in March 2008.sooner or later, your lies that Malay’s need crutches will be debunked. In fact there is no need to wait another decade or so, I am saying it now: Malay contractors CAN compete; it is only Umno contractors accustomed to preferential treatment who cannot.PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who is also the MP for Pokok Sena, said last month that the establishment of Teraju is a sign that the previous established agencies have failed in driving Malay and Bumiputra agenda.I quote him verbatim : “We already have Mara, Bank Rakyat, UDA, Ekuinas and many other agencies to help the agenda of Malay transformation. To include Teraju which has the samepurpose as these agencies is not really helpful and only adds to the whole mess in the Malay and Bumiputera transformation agendas.”This statement, while true, does not answer the question on whether PAS approves of the “Bumiputera Agenda”.Does Islam which is the basis of PAS struggle condone discrimination based on ones ethnicity? It would be good if PAS can address that aspect of Teraju.No one at the PKR national leadership has said one iota on the Teraju issue, they seem to be too busy bickering who is going to “Teraju” (Spearhead) PKR Selangor, who is going to “Teraju” PKR Wilayah etc, what they need is a good “Terajang”(kick) in the hind quarters.Please remember your political power comes from the votes of the rakyat not party positions. Wake up and get your act together.This blessed country is teeming with natural resources and good, hard working , decent people, if properly governed and not hijacked by selfish politicians we can turn Malaysia into a powerhouse that may even rival Hong Kong.
If that happens, I would not be surprised that Singapore asks to rejoin the Federation they left in 1965, but as it stands now I can hear the guffawing of Singaporeans from across the causeway right until Putrajaya.
readmore Waking up to class politics in Malaysia ? Will the Real Honest Malay Please Stand Up
But the Supreme Court will not be deciding the merits of their discrimination case. What's at stake is the very definition of what a class action can be. And that has everyone from the captains of big business, to the leaders of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, to civil rights lawyers very interested in the outcome.
Walmart's argument is that lawsuit shouldn't be allowed because a class action that covers so many women, working in different stores, in different states, in different jobs, is just too broad. Lawyers who support the company add that if there is discrimination at a particular store then the women who worked
To the uninitiated Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality ranging from 0 to 1, with 0 representing absolute equality and 1 representing absolute inequality. In 2007, Malaysia’s Gini coefficient was 0.441, an improvement over the 0.462 in 2004 but let’s not forget that in 1990 the Gini coefficient was 0.442, this means we have hardly made any sustainable progress in addressing the problem of income disparity for nearly two decades.The government should be spending more money on education and health care programmes specifically designed for the lower income group to help narrow the gap and not overpriced military hardware and wasteful projects awarded to inept crony contractors and other ill-conceived spending.The bottom 40 per cent of households have an average income of RM1,222 whilst the top 20 per cent earn an average of RM8,157; thus, some say that an inheritance tax, increased taxes for the higher income group and GST (Goods & Services Tax) will help narrow this gap.This is debatable, however. First, the government must stop the leakages that are bleeding us to death.
Show us first that you are prudent with our money before asking for more. You are answerable to the Rakyat; this is not your fiefdom.Other than this, entrepreneurship programmes for the young should be given attention in our quest to be a fully developed nationRecently I received a message from an irate parent in Klang, Selangor. His son and nephew go to a secondary school there and were excited when told that they could choose to be members of various clubs/societies.The boys had a keen interest in business and applied to join the Young Entrepreneurs Club. Their applications were, howevers turned down on grounds that the said club was for Bumiputeras only. Why not call it the “Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Club” then?What kind of message is this sending to the students? Did some bigoted and overzealous civil servant get over excited about Teraju and decide on his/her own? I would not be surprised as the prime minister himself has opened Pandora’s Box when he reneged on his NEM pledges and tried to dress up old wine (NEP) in a new bottle (Teraju).Within Pakatan Rakyat so far, only DAP has roundly condemned the NEM and Teraju paradox. They have every right to do so as the DAP led Penang state government under the stewardship of Lim Guan Eng has reported that 70 per cent of the two state firm’s open tenders have been won by Malay contractors, showing that the community is not only able to compete but thrive in a competitive environment.Malay contractors won 16 out of 23 tender awards, or 70 per cent, from the Penang Development Corporation(PDC) and 44 out of 66 or 67 per cent of contracts issued by the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) in open tenders since Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang in March 2008.sooner or later, your lies that Malay’s need crutches will be debunked. In fact there is no need to wait another decade or so, I am saying it now: Malay contractors CAN compete; it is only Umno contractors accustomed to preferential treatment who cannot.PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who is also the MP for Pokok Sena, said last month that the establishment of Teraju is a sign that the previous established agencies have failed in driving Malay and Bumiputra agenda.I quote him verbatim : “We already have Mara, Bank Rakyat, UDA, Ekuinas and many other agencies to help the agenda of Malay transformation. To include Teraju which has the same
If that happens, I would not be surprised that Singapore asks to rejoin the Federation they left in 1965, but as it stands now I can hear the guffawing of Singaporeans from across the causeway right until Putrajaya.
readmore Waking up to class politics in Malaysia ? Will the Real Honest Malay Please Stand Up
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