A little bit more about the NEP ...

Peace,

In my earlier post, i spoke of the NEP as a 'group to group' implementation strategy. Here (below) Tun Dr Mahathir ( taken from his blog chedet.com ) wrote a piece and gave his opinion on the positive aspects of NEP especially in the area of education. Many Bumiputras benifited from the NEP's push in Education, I am one of them. My family could not have afford it without assistance. My Biasiswa Pelajaran of RM15 per month during my secondary school days was a lifeline.

Ironically, so did many Bumis who today are criticising the NEP wholesale ... in Malay tradition we call these people " kacang lupakan kulit". In Penang " Tak padan muka" or we will simply say " Siru lebih, sudahlah... tok sah dok perasan macam hang terror sangat...!". In Hokkien, it would be more fun... but a little rude...so i will spare you.

I highly recommend you read Tun's article. You may not agree with all that he suggest, but it is not very smart to 'throw it all' just because you disagree with a point or two. May i also suggest you read Ye Lin-Sheng's (not his real name) book The Chinese Dilemma. Again, you do not need to agree nor disagree wholesale. We need to learn to agree to disagree...

As i suggested in the earlier article, the NEP may have its flaws but the good points far outweigh the bad ones. This is especially true if you look at it from the macro angle.

However, if we look at the micro angle, i know of many non-bumi friends who were poor and could have benefited from similar assistance. I have a Chinese friend who's mother was a washer woman and she, her three sisters and mom lived in a miserable tiny room in a gangster infested area in Penang. By sheer hard work and focusing on stuying hard they all became successful and graduated with tertiary education. But their childhood could have been less painful with a little help. I sincerely think that they should have also benefited from the NEP as my family and I did.

This is where we should focus today, making sure we do not missed out a single needy family nor person who deserves assistance.

What do you think?

anas zubedy
http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com

CRONYISM AND THE NEP by Tun Dr Mahathir

1. When the New Economic Policy began to show some results in the early eighties, the Western Press and local opponents of the Government began to talk about cronyism. Whoever succeeded in a developing country like Malaysia, did so because they were the chosen favourites of the Government, particularly the head of the Government.

2. I came in for virulent attacks because some Malays actually did well in business. They were all labelled my cronies whether they were indeed my cronies or not. Anyone who succeeded was immediately defined as my crony.

3. Many close friends, relatives and members of my family who failed in business would not be called cronies.

Click here to continue http://test.chedet.com/che_det/2008/08/cronyism-and-the-nep.html#more