Pengganas Israel menyerang Gaza

Kepada yang dapat membantu, bantulah sekadar mampu, dengan apa jua cara sekalipun.

Kepada yang masih ada perasaan, boikotlah apa jua barangan Israel dan US.

Disamping itu, bersama-samalah kita berdoa seperti yang dianjurkan disini.

AUKU: Sekadar alasan

Merujuk kepada entry terbaru DS Anwar Ibrahim berkenaan AUKU, Malaymind terpanggil untuk mengulas.

1. Ada pihak yang mahu AUKU dihapuskan kerana menghalang perkembangan pelajar dalam bidang bukan akademik. Usul ini memang boleh difahami.

2. Walau apa jua konar orang - orang yang menyokong AUKU ini supaya dihapuskan, perkara pokok yang perlu diperhalusi ialah AUKU sememangnya tidak perlu sekiranya mahasiswa kita tahu objektif utama menjadi pelajar.

3. Cadangan Malaymind, ubahsuai saja klausa supaya hanya mereka yang mempunyai CGPA kurang dari 2.8 tertakluk kepada AUKU.

4. Ya, kita setuju AUKU menyekat kebebasan pelajar. Tapi pada waktu yang sama, kita tidak mahu pelajar yang menggunakan subsidi duit rakyat ini cuba melarikan diri dari tanggungjawab sebenar mereka untuk cemerlang dalam pembelajaran.

Retorik Harapan Baru: Satu Bangsa Malaysia

Gambar dipetik dari http://pesanan-pesanan.blogspot.com/

1. Di ceramah – ceramah dan blog - blog, orang bukan melayu mengatakan orang Melayu perlu adil dengan membiarkan semuanya sama rata – dari aspek ekonomi, politik dan sosial demi menjadi satu bangsa Malaysia. Islam juga mengamalkan keadilan (baca:kesamarataan?)

2. Kata mereka, “Kita patut hapuskan DEB, kita tidak patut mengamalkan konsep yang ‘racist’ dan kita patut menjadikan Malaysia sebagai satu bangsa Malaysia!”

3. Dan orang melayu di kampung pun bersorak gembira. Orang melayu terpelajar di bandar pun mengangguk tanda setuju.

4. Malah orang PAS pun tidak terkecuali menangguhkan dulu negara Islam kerana mahu dilihat lebih universal – satu pra-syarat untuk menjadi Malaysian Malaysia.

5. Semua ini nampaknya satu harapan baru, satu orde baru dan satu budaya baru yang lebih baik berbanding apa yang ada sebelum ini.

6. Tanpa sedar, di sinilah perangkapnya.

7. Mereka beriya – iya mahu kita bersatu sebagai satu bangsa Malaysia, tapi mereka tidak mahu pun berkongsi sekolah dengan kita?

8. Mereka mahu menghapuskan 30% DEB kerana ia nampaknya tidak adil, tetapi menyembunyikan fakta 60% ekonomi yang dikuasai mereka. (Walau jumlah mereka yang hanya kurang 30%)

9. Lebih baik lagi, mereka telah berjaya menjadikan PAS menutup mulut mengenai negara Islam menerusi Anwar Ibrahim, walhal PAS dulunya sanggup bermandi darah untuk tujuan itu.

10. Inikah maksudnya satu harapan baru?

11. Di manakah pula Melayu Islam di dalam pakatan rakyat?

12. Angguk bang, jangan tak angguk.

Raja Nazrin speaks..

Berikut adalah titah ucapan DYMM Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah yang dipetik dari The Sun Nov 20hb, 2008

Full text of speech by Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at the Diversity Matters Forum on Diasporas in the Commonwealth at Monash University, Sunway Campus on Nov 19, 2008.

The serious study of diversity and multiculturalism is precisely what the world needs at this critical juncture. I do not believe that we will ever approach the goal of human security until we are able to come to terms with our feelings of hatred, fear and apathy of our differences. If we were to spend but a tiny fraction of the resources poured into waging wars to promoting and appreciating how our differences work in our favour, rather than against it, the world would be an infinitely safer and more prosperous place.

Diversity is not only to be cherished; it is essential. I know this as an educationist for the store of knowledge does not increase until and unless there are differences in thinking. It is when there is stultifying uniformity that stagnation occurs. I know this as a Muslim for Islam recognises other religions. Islam itself is built on a history of myriad traditions. I know this as a Malaysian for what has built this country and made it strong are the contributions of its different communities. Malaysians of different races and religions have come together to put their shoulders to the collective plough despite their differences, something that many countries have not been so fortunate enough to share.

Large-scale migration of people, or in the language of this conference, diasporas, has been a constant feature in human history. As Ramesh Thakur, former Vice-Rector of the United Nations University and a noted scholar on human security, has written:

If human beings were not genetically programmed to travel vast distances, we would still be living in Africa. Whether our restlessness is rooted in curiosity about lands on the other side of the land or ocean, whether we seek to escape destitution and persecution “at home” or even whether we simply go astray, large-scale movements of peoples have been intrinsic to human nature and are an integral part of the human story.

From a purely economic perspective, theory would seem to support the presumption that international migration expands global output and increases global welfare. Moving labour from low productivity to high productivity countries improves allocative efficiency in the world economy. The persistence of large differences in average income between countries is prima facie evidence that allowing greater international labour mobility would raise world welfare. Thus, allowing labour to move across borders more freely would be a simple way to help narrow global income gaps.

But this, of course, is not the whole story. In receiving countries, public debate about immigration drives national politics, with recent electoral campaigns in Australia and the US each devoting substantial attention to the topic. Immigrants are often blamed for disrupting civil society, draining public coffers and lowering wages. At the same time, skilled immigrants receive credit for spurring innovation and the growth of technology sectors. To the extent that immigrants pay taxes and have the right to benefit from public services, they change the net tax burden on native residents. Once they become citizens, immigrants generally obtain the right to vote, altering domestic politics.

There are also sizeable effects on the sending country. Whilst emigration has brought a welcome financial windfall in the form of remittances, it has also drained poor economies of their most educated workers.

Among OECD countries, those with the largest immigrant presence in 2005 include Australia (24%), New Zealand (19%), Canada (19%) and the UK (10%). Australia, New Zealand and Canada are unique among receiving countries in using a point system (rather than quotas) for admission, in which individuals with higher levels of skill are favoured for entry. European countries take into account an individual’s refugee or asylee status in making immigrant admission decisions.Among Commonwealth countries, India is the largest example of a diaspora-enriched, as well as enriching, country. There are estimated to be some 23 million non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin. They represent significant minorities of the population of the United Kingdom, the United States, the Gulf States and countries on the African continent. Their combined wealth is estimated to be over US$1 trillion dollars in 2007, a figure roughly equivalent to India’s GDP. The World Bank has estimated that remittances by overseas Indians in 2006 were in the order of US$27 billion dollars, a little more than 10 percent of total global remittances in that year.

Significant as these numbers are, they still do not describe the full contribution. Successful migrants often return to their homeland and create new businesses, thereby acting as growth catalysts. Overseas Indians have been a vital conduit for multinational companies seeking to do business in the country. The Indian government has astutely sought to tap the Indian diaspora network by offering tax and other benefits. The latter are therefore being engaged and integrated into the country’s economic growth and development strategies.

For the receiving countries, the economic gains can be enormous. They gain a willing and energetic workforce, a thriving pool of taxpayers, and a growing domestic market for goods and services. Migrants often also take an active part in the social life and governance of their adopted countries. Many emerge as top government officials, brilliant academics and business personalities. Malaysia is a prime example of how a diaspora of Chinese, Indians and other races have led to the creation of a more heterogeneous and prosperous state. Today, all are integral to the Malaysian landscape; all belong. At the same time, Malaysians from all walks of life can be found all over the world and many have distinguished themselves in various fields.

I mention all these things with the full knowledge that there is already a long and rich discourse on these issues. I understand that among the important issues that will be discussed at this forum are how to ensure that the many diasporas are included, engaged and integrated in their adopted countries. In the remaining time available, allow me to share with you three perspectives on this issue.

First, diasporas can only be consistent with pluralistic societies. A pluralistic society is one that not only tolerates but appreciates and encourages the active participation of those of different races, cultures and lifestyles. Fundamental to the creation of truly pluralistic societies are two fundamental principles, that of equality and fairness. Of course, to ensure that these two principles are more than just nice thoughts and are vigorously enforced, the rule of law is required. And for the rule of law to be operational, there must be the most meticulous observation of the doctrine of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. In the UK in 1981, the Scarman report pointed out how minorities often had difficulty in getting good behaviour from the police and felt that they were discriminated. I have spoken long and often about these matters and do not wish to do so here. I also do not wish to appear to reduce the entire problem of managing diversity to a matter of the law. I do think, however, that it is a most basic building block underpinning pluralism.

Second, the principles of equality and fairness suggest a preferred policy of integration rather than assimilation. Integration accepts and enlists; it does not coerce. It respects and values differences as legitimate. Integration seeks a confederation of peoples and cultures unified by common values and voluntarily cooperating towards the common good.

Assimilation, on the other hand, seeks to change language, customs, religions and even worldviews. Nation-building was once thought to be impossible unless differences were subsumed into the dominant norm. Most of the time this has been achieved through relentless and merciless force. In the name of unity, immigrants have been forced to change their names, banned from using their mother tongue and prevented from holding certain jobs.

The integrationist path to nation building is a difficult one to pursue. In many ways more difficult than attempts at forced assimilation. In all of human history, wars have been waged over attempts to compel dissimilar communities either to fit into a uniform mould or else forcibly exclude them. Sadly, even today, there are those whose primary response to diversity is to pound those who are dissimilar into submission. They often react to diversity by insisting on socio-cultural uniformity rather than adaptability.

Integrationist approaches, it must be admitted, are beset by their own problems. Some countries that practice multiculturalism end up having significant enclaves of isolated and alienated communities. Each community stays in its own little box without contact with other communities. These communities are not bound by common ties or interests with mainstream society. Rather, they regard their adopted country in a purely utilitarian way, as places to eke out a living rather than a cherished homeland.

Which brings me to my third point. Integration is a gradual process consisting of many acts over many generations. By and large, immigrants everywhere have common needs and wants. They want food on the table, money to spend, their children educated and to be able to lead useful lives. They desire good homes, a physically secure environment, good healthcare and protection in their golden years. But many, especially those of subsequent generations, will also yearn for a deep sense of belonging and identity. To be incorporated into the wider community and not to be treated as strangers.

In this regard, the effort of some Commonwealth governments to introduce deliberate diversity policies in their public services is therefore a timely and responsive measure that can have manifold consequences down the line. Diversity needs to be promoted at every level, down to local governments and communities.The idea behind multiculturalism is that countries with people of different cultural backgrounds should allow them to live a free life without being forced to do things they don’t want to do. What characterizes democratic life is that it is the person who decides, whether he or she wants to adjust more and be absorbed, or remain aloof. At the same time, the need to forge a community of people with shared values and interests remains paramount. The French riots in 2005 served as a reminder about what can happen if a country allows its immigrant communities to drift in the fringes of society without meaningful integration.

Where do we draw the line between the individual’s right to live the life he or she chooses and the need to forge a cohesive society? The notion that the burden of responsibility rests solely with receiving countries is perhaps misplaced. On the part of immigrant communities, the spirit of respecting and accepting local traditions, local history and system of government is equally important. A spirit reflected in the Malay saying, “di mana bumi di pijak – di situ langit di junjung”.

Multicultural societies are fast becoming the rule rather than the exception. Contrary to the rhetoric, however, it is not becoming a source of strength. Mankind is failing - and failing badly – at creating a sense of community. Instead race, culture and religion have become the dominant discourse.

We must avoid falling into a new and destructive form of modern day tribalism. Nothing is inevitable. Cultures can co-operate as much as clash.

We need to reclaim religion from those who would distort its truths. We must reject radicalism and extremism of all types. If there is someone in my society who is hungry, or unemployed or sick and cannot afford treatment, then it diminishes me even if he is of a different race or religion.

Anak kecil main api

Anak kecil main api,
Terbakar hatinya yang sepi
Air mata darah bercampur keringat
Bumi dipijak milik orang

Nenek moyang kaya raya
Tergadai seluruh harta benda
Akibat sengketa sesamalah kita
Cinta lenyap diarus zaman

Indahnya bumi kita ini
Warisan berkurun lamanya
Hasil mengalir ketangan yang lain
Peribumi merintih sendiri

Masa depan sungguh kelam
Kan lenyap peristiwa semalam
Tertutuplah hati terkunci mati
Maruah peribadi dah hilang

Kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa
Yang akan menentukan bangsa
Bersatulah hati bersama berbakti
Pulih kembali harga diri

Kita sudah tiada masa
Majulah dengan maha perkasa
Janganlah terlalai teruskan usaha
Melayukan gagah dinusantara

Happy Deepavali

Image is taken from AnginPerubahan

Serangan kepada Najib telah pun bermula..

1. Malaymind tidak pernah mengenali pemimpin - pemimpin politik secara peribadi. Kebanyakan perspektif sendiri dibuat berdasarkan perspektif orang lain - secara prejudis mahupun tidak.

2. Begitulah kuatnya pengaruh bacaan alternatif dalam menentukan persepsi kita pada waktu ini.

3. Sepertimana dijangka, serangan terhadap DS Najib yang telah pun bermula sejak dulu, kini mula diperhebatkan. Segala cerita lama, cerita baru malah cerita lama yang diperbaharui juga telah pun mula bertapak di dalam blog-blog.

4. Sepertimana biasa juga, orang melayu terutamanya orang yang 'kuat' islamnya, akan menerima berita - berita ini tanpa usul periksa kerana ia tidak melibatkan pemimpin mereka. Semua orang tiba - tiba menjadi malaikat apabila dibandingkan dengan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO.

5. Dari satu deklarasi ke satu deklarasi, maka lahirlah cerita bahawa DS Najib telah pun menjadi seorang Hindu, membunuh Altantunya dan juga menelan duit rakyat melalui urusniaga mega kerajaan. Ketika ini, dosa pahala sudah tidak diambil kira lagi kerana DS Najib adalah orang UMNO dan orang UMNO 'kebanyakannya' memang begitu jahat.

6. Dengan modal 'kebanyakan' itu, maka semua orang UMNO terkena palitnya, termasuklah Malaymind yang tidak pernah mengenali DS Najib. Malangnya, aura baik Tuan Guru Nik Aziz tidak pula terkena Malaymind walhal beliau lebih kerap dijumpai.

7. Pokok pangkalnya, semua mata tertumpu kepada UMNO kali ini. Lebih tepat lagi, kepada DS Najib. Semua orang pun, apabila berada di dalam kedudukan itu, akan menjadi mangsa kutukan, umpatan malah segala jenis fitnah.

8. Bagi Malaymind, DS Najib bermula dengan tidak begitu baik dan ini boleh dikira sebagai satu advantage. Kualiti terbaik pemimpin hanya diketahui apabila berlakunya krisis.

9. Oleh itu perwakilan UMNO sekalian, jangan sekali - kali menjual undi . Bak kata Tuan Guru Nik Aziz, orang bagi kain, pakai, orang bagi duit, ambil tapi undi? Jangan sesekali!

10. Kenali wakil kita secara peribadi sebelum memilih mereka. Paling tidak, pergi saja berbuka puasa dirumah mereka di Jln Duta seperti Malaymind sebelum membuat ulasan.

11. Pilihan anda menentukan jatuh bangunnya UMNO PRU ke 13 nanti!

Malay Anthropology: The true revelation of Malay Openness

(Picture taken from lesson in anthropology forwarded in emails)


1. I read a lot about all these anthropology thingy about Malays. They had said that Malays was never existed, therefore should not be recognized as a race.

2. According to them, Tun Dr Mahathir is genetically Indian and Pak Lah himself is originated from Hainan. Jeanne Abdullah’s ancestor on the other hand was a Portuguese.

3. If that were the case, why would they bother to critic that the Malays is conquering the land, which is ironic?

4. Wake up Malaysian!

5. If 2 of our Prime Ministers are confirmed not truly Malay, why do you keep talking nonsense about how Malays oppressed non-Malay here in Malaysia?

6. I bet China and Singapore will not give the same opportunity to Javanese (Read: Malays) to be a Prime Minister unlike what you have here in Malaysia.

7. Therefore I wonder why do you hate Malay so much? (Read: Javanese, Pattanis etc)

8. We have given you so much!

Sistem kehakiman yang bebas?

1. Selain daripada ahli politik dan institusi beraja, menjadi peguam adalah kerjaya elit kerana besarnya pengaruh mereka dalam sesebuah negara.

2. Hatta parti politik pun boleh diharamkan oleh mereka, apatah lagi perkara picisan lainnya.

3. Ironinya juga, ramai peguam di negara kita adalah dari kaum India walaupun UMNO menekan kaum tersebut sepertimana tuduhan HINDRAF.

4. Itulah peliknya apabila kaum yang kononnya ditindas itu dapat menguasai golongan seelit itu tapi apakan daya, ramai orang buat – buat buta.

5. Peguam – peguam melayu hanyalah menjadi balaci di dalam Bar Council tetapi itu tidaklah menjadi hal. Malah, orang melayu takkan mahu bercakap mengenainya kerana takut dilabel rasis.

6. Lagipun, menjadi balaci bukanlah bermakna mereka ditekan. Ia umpama dijulang dan dihormati kalau mengikut logik bukan melayu.

7. Bercakap mengenai reformasi sistem kehakiman pula, pemimpin melayu pembangkang telah berjaya membuktikan manipulasi BN terhadap badan kehakiman dengan pelbagai isu samada relevan ataupun tidak.

8. Mereka berjaya meyakinkan rakyat agar menamatkan kononnya penguasaan BN dari terus memperalatkan sistem kehakiman dan menggantikannya dengan syor-syor yang dicadangkan oleh mereka yang menguasai Bar Council.

9. Mereka percaya, apabila badan kehakiman adalah bebas dari BN, maka ia akan menjadi benar – benar bebas.

10. Soalnya lupakah kita siapa yang ramai menjadi peguam?

11. Malah kalau diteliti isu-isu terpilih yang dibawa oleh Bar Council setakat ini, kita akan tahu siapakah pula yang bakal menguasai sistem kehakiman kita. Yang pastinya, ia bukanlah dikawal oleh tangan orang Melayu.

12. Kawan, kebebasan mutlak sememangnya tidak pernah wujud. Janganlah menjadi begitu naif.

Salam Aidil Fitri

Berlalunya Ramadhan bulan keberkatan,
Berat hatinya solehin meninggalkan,
Mohon dari Allah untuk segala kesejahteraan,
Mohon maaf dari kalian atas segala keterlanjuran.

Selangkah ke hadapan

Malaymind pernah terbaca satu buku ‘ The 7 habits of Highly Effective People’ oleh Stephen R. Covey. Menurut beliau, orang yang efektif ada 7 sikap: 1.Be proactive 2. Begin with the end in mind 3. Put first things first. 4. Think win / win, 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood 6. Synergize. Yang terakhir ialah Sharpen the saw.

Apa signifikannya mengamalkan sikap sebegini dalam kehidupan kita? Apa sebabnya sikap – sikap ini menjadi intipati untuk menuju kejayaan?

Bacalah, kat bawah cuma summary. Nak baca lebih-lebih, kenalah pergi beli bukunya.


1. Be proactive

Perubahan diri kita perlu bermula dari dalam diri kita. Kita yang perlu membuat keputusan untuk meningkatkan diri kita, bukannya menunggu elemen dari luar.


2. Begin with the end in mind

Mulakan dengan mengetahui apa yang mahu kita capai di akhirnya. Apa objektif utama kita? Apa Key Performance Index (KPI) kita?


3. Put first things first

Gunakan sepenuhnya apa yang kita ada untuk tahu menyusun apa yang patut didahulukan untuk mencapai objektif kita.


4. Think win / win

Tumpukan supaya semua orang boleh menang. Fikirkan kemenangan untuk kita dan juga orang lain. Jadikan supaya semua orang mendapat manafaat atau paling tidak, tidak mendapat keburukan dari apa jua objektif kita.


5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Dahulukan dengan memahami orang lain, barulah menjadikan orang lain faham.


6. Synergy

Jadikan 1 + 1 = 3.


7. Sharpen the saw

Tajamkan, asahkan dan tingkatkan lagi diri tanpa batasan.


Sekiranya orang melayu boleh mengamalkan idea ini secara berterusan, Insyaallah kita akan menjadi bangsa yang berjaya!

Raja Petra: Coli Pengganti Tudung?

1. Jika diamati secara mendalam, pemakaian menutup aurat diwajibkan ke atas wanita adalah untuk memuliakan mereka.

2. Pakaian yang tertutup ini melindungi mereka dari teriknya matahari, menutup keaiban mereka (sekiranya ada) dari dipertontonkan kepada umum dan menjadikan mereka lebih dihormati dikalangan masyarakat. Natijah kewajipan ini sememangnya jelas memihak untuk meninggikan martabat wanita.

3. Secara spesifiknya, Al-Quran juga menggariskan wanita muslim menutup aurat dengan cara melabuhkan tudung melitupi bahagian dada. Kita semua tahu mengapa.

4. Lelaki sememangnya sanggup membayar untuk melihat tubuh wanita, apatah lagi yang percuma.

5. Walaupun kita di Malaysia tidak menghadapi masalah untuk memakai tudung, ironinya sesetengah dari wanita kita gagal untuk memahami konsep sebenar menutup aurat. Di mana -mana saja kita dapat lihat mereka yang bertudung tetapi masih lagi tidak menutup bahagian dada, yang memakai tudung tapi masih berpakaian ketat dan nipis, malah yang memakai tudung namun masih melakukan perkara terkutuk.

7. Disitulah kefahaman kita mengenai bezanya Islam sebagai agama dan muslim itu sebagai pengikutnya. Kita tidak membuang agama hanya kerana segelintir pengikutnya yang songsang.

8. Soalnya, disebalik semua kebaikan yang didapati dari majoriti komuniti kita yang bertudung, masih ada mereka yang berada di zaman dinasour yang mempertikaikan tudung.

9. Mungkinkah mereka mencemburui wanita kita yang bertutup, atau mahu membuktikan bahawa semua wanita melayu kita adalah sama seksinya berbanding wanita bukan Islam?

10. Undang - undang Malaysia tidak memaksa wanita muslim bertudung, malah mereka yang memakai serban ke sekolah dulu pun kalah di mahkamah. Kita adalah bebas dan majoriti wanita kita masih memilih untuk bertudung dan ia wajar dibanggakan.

11. Penulis berpendapat rencana Raja Petra adalah anti-establishment, anti-wanita malah ia membuktikan Raja Petra mungkin adalah pesalah seks. Dia bukan sekadar menulis tentang agama Islam tanpa tauliah, tapi merupakan seorang yang tidak mampu menggunakan logik.

12. Ye lah, manakan dapat menutup bentuk dada tanpa memakai tudung ? Lainlah kalau konsep aurat mengikut fahaman beliau adalah sekadar mahu menutup buah dada. Kalau begitu coli sahaja pun sudah mencukupi bukan?

13. Aduhai si Raja Petra.

(Artikel Raja Petra boleh dirujuk di sini. Jangan melawat Malaysia Today secara terus kerana ini membantu Raja Petra menjana pendapatannya)

Jawapan secara dalil disini.

Throw Stones, Hide Hands

Image Reference: UCSI001881 License: Uppercutrf Royalty-Free.

1. Reading some of non-malay comments in Tun Mahathir's latest posting had made me laugh.

2. Some labeled Tun as a racist and started to yell that we should live as one Bangsa Malaysia. Some even implies that Tun does agrees to Ahmad’s remark by writing such article.

3. My opinion and I believe Tun's? Ahmad was wrong and he must apologize. He alone.

4. However, what amuses me is to see how these non-Malay use 'we as one Bangsa Malaysia' when it comes to making the Malays feeling guilty. Ironically, it does not apply when it comes to Sekolah Wawasan, Wee's art videos, abolishing of NEP and supporting of HINDRAF.

5. For those who didn't know, the chinese have rejected the ideas of Sekolah Wawasan because it is a 'one bangsa Malaysia' school where we can mingle with each other. They're also in support of abolishing NEP because it protects Malay from being economically discriminated by them and some secretly support Wee because his videos are merely 'art' not 'insult'.

6. These of course should not be considered as racist.

7. Indians on the other hand continues to support HINDRAF in exchange of MIC. They tend to believe that UMNO kills and discriminates Indians.

8. They forgot that out of their 9% small population, they already have their own university, most of them are in professional job-segment and they have the biggest temple in South East Asia there in Batu Caves. Plus, Malaysia comes with no caste (Kasta) as India itself!

9. Therefore, stop being such a hypocrite and stop condemning Malays alone. Everyone is responsible for this social sickness.

10. Don't throw the stones to us and hide, pretending that we didn't know.

11. On the other hand, don't expect us to throw the stones and apologize as if we're the only one who throws it!

12. We can only be one Bangsa Malaysia if only you fight for our rights and we fight for your rights. To get all you want and to have all we want is not the way.

When Malaysia Today is Gone.,

1. I have seen a documentary that a people can earn up to USD17k per month for a million hit they get.

2. Obviously someone is using the same technique to generate his income and yet not paying the sue he losts and not being responsible for the chaos he makes. He didn't even believe in open court, facts or the consequences he had made.

3. In fact, he is too coward to face all the real people he accused.

4. For this kind of blogger, anything else is not important except for the daily hits he gets. All he wants is a story. A story that he can gain from.

5. He is willing to accuse everybody from BN or PR without proof and getting the hits for his sensations. He is willing to make stories in order to maintain chaos and gain something out of it.

6. He provokes extremist in BN and PR so that he will be in the headlines and both parties are in chaos.

7. He knew, PR will back him up if BN uses ISA, and BN will back him up if he exposes PR's skeleton.

8. This signifies how irresponsible he is and how the fame is what he need.

9. Irresponsible people shall not be entertained. In fact, they shall be avoided at any cost as the Joker in the movie Batman.

10. Joker only wants chaos in order for him to prove that everyone is as evil as him. Raja Petra illustrates this character.

11. If he is a true journalist that hates BN so much, he can write at Harakah's or even Suara Keadilan, but he will not do so since he do not want to attack BN alone. He wants to make hits whenever any story surfaces.

12. Blocking Malaysia Today will block Raja Petra's income. This is what matters to him apart from the content of his writings. He knew he had lost his dignity and he care less about laws and orders.

13. Unfortunately, the power to do this is in BN's hand and they're to be blamed for it. I believe, this blocking will be the first step before arresting him under ISA, if he insisted.

14. At that time, he may already be a billionaire and retire from writings if BN had not taken this first step.

15. Hopefully Malaysia will be in peace when Raja Petra losts his tools and suara rakyat is now in parliament. No more talking useless politics and dirty accusations without proof.

16. Parliament is the place where oppositions can make a difference and PR had completed their team for check and balance.

Melayu dari kacamata TDM : Interview pada 2002

Dipetik dan diadaptasi dari jebatmustdie:

Agak panjang, tapi it's worth to read between the lines

Apa yang patut orang melayu buat?

1 - Yakini diri, kuatkan azam, bersedia untuk susah
2 - Tingkatkan penguasaan bahasa inggeris, kejar ilmu
3 - Tingkatkan daya saing

Lagi senang untuk bercakap dari buat, tapi inilah resipi untuk mengubah budaya melayu!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MINGGUAN: Datuk Seri telah menjadi Presiden UMNO selama 21 tahun, satu tempoh paling lama dibandingkan dengan presiden-presiden UMNO yang lain. Bagaimana Datuk Seri melihat orang Melayu selama 21 tahun Datuk Seri menjadi Presiden, dari mula-mula hingga sekarang.

DR. MAHATHIR: Ada juga kemajuan di kalangan orang Melayu. Tapi ada juga unsur-unsur negatif yang telah muncul dalam UMNO sendiri dan dalam masyarakat Melayu. Hakikatnya ialah kita tidak dapat mencapai matlamat kita iaitu Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB). Walaupun ada beberapa orang Melayu yang nampak berjaya baik dalam bidang perniagaan atau profesional, tetapi umumnya tidak ada banyak perubahan - baik dari segi sikap dan nilai-nilai yang dipegang oleh orang Melayu.

Apakah sikap dan unsur-unsur negatif di kalangan orang Melayu?

DR. MAHATHIR: Umpamanya, ramai yang suka mencari jalan mudah untuk menjayakan sesuatu, walaupun jalan yang mudah itu akan membawa akibat buruk dalam jangka panjang. Tidak ada yang serius untuk berusaha. Kita dapati di kalangan penuntut Melayu, walaupun jumlahnya ramai kerana jumlah orang Melayu juga telah meningkat, tetapi keinginan untuk mengejar ilmu agak berkurangan, terutama di kalangan penuntut lelaki.

Dalam bidang perniagaan ada yang betul-betul berusaha dan mencapai kejayaan tetapi lebih ramai yang hanya nampak peluang daripada lesen ataupun kontrak yang diberi oleh kerajaan untuk dijual kepada orang lain.

Datuk Seri menyebut tentang kegagalan mencapai matlamat DEB. Banyak mana yang dapat dicapai?

DR. MAHATHIR: Dulu kita capai sampai 20 peratus tetapi sekarang berkurangan hingga kepada 19 peratus. Daripada 19 peratus itu, 17 peratus adalah yang dimiliki oleh institusi-institusi bumiputera yang diurus oleh kerajaan, bumiputera sendiri cuma memiliki dua peratus. Bukan kerana kita tidak beri, kalau hendak dikira jumlah yang kita beri kepada bumiputera lebih daripada 30 peratus. Tetapi hampir semuanya dijual. Sebab itu kita tidak dapat mencapai matlamat. Sebab orang kita hendak cepat dapat duit. Kalau jual boleh dapat duit cepat. Kalau simpan, tidak merasa.

Apa yang tidak kena dengan orang Melayu? Kenapa mereka jadi begitu?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya tidak tahu apa nak kata. Kita sudah kata berkali-kali, jangan buat perkara semacam itu, tetapi ada yang datang jumpa saya, minta lesen dan kontrak. Mereka kata, “Saya susah, bagilah pada saya peluang.” Tapi dia beri juga kepada orang lain.

Matlamat DEB gagal dicapai walaupun sesudah 30 tahun. Ertinya, dasar diskriminasi positif pun gagal mengubah orang Melayu. Jadi, apa yang perlu dibuat?

DR. MAHATHIR: Itu orang Melayu patut tanya pada diri mereka sendiri, apa yang patut mereka buat. Saya sudah tunjuk apa yang patut mereka buat, tapi mereka masih juga hendakkan tongkat, hendak subsidi, hendak diberi keistimewaan.

Datuk Seri, kalau kita tarik balik subsidi dan hak istimewa itu, apakah orang Melayu akan mengubah sikap mereka?

DR. MAHATHIR: Itu kita sudah kata, umpamanya kita hendak benarkan 10 peratus bukan Melayu ke dalam Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) dan program matrikulasi, itu pun orang kita tak sanggup. Kita hendak dikelilingi dengan satu kubu supaya orang lain tidak boleh masuk. Esok, kalau kita kena keluar dari kubu kita, kita tak boleh berperang dengan orang.

Apakah Datuk Seri rasa orang Melayu sudah bersedia untuk menghadapi persaingan tanpa perlindungan kerajaan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Belum bersedia. Sebab itu kalau kita masukkan 10 peratus pun mereka bersungut. Kita hendak kuota sana, kuota sini, kita juga hendak subsidi itu, subsidi ini.

Kita anggap, diberi layanan istimewa oleh kerajaan sebagai satu perkara yang mulia. Sebenarnya tidak mulia. Umpamanya, kalau di dalam negara, kita perlu diberi perlindungan sepanjang masa, keadaan kita samalah seperti orang Red Indian yang terpaksa dilindungi kerana begitu lemah dan ini akan menjadikan kita bertambah lemah.

Mengapa orang Melayu masih belum bersedia menghadapi perubahan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya nampak satu daripada masalahnya ialah politik. Ada orang apabila kita hendak buat perkara yang betul, maka mereka akan ancam melalui politik supaya jangan menyokong kerajaan.

Dalam politik demokrasi ini, begitulah. Bila kita hendak buat perkara yang betul, yang baik dan yang sakit sikit, ada orang berkata, ini sebahagian daripada isu politik.

Umpamanya sudah lama saya suruh orang kita belajar bahasa Inggeris, bukan (tujuan) hendak ganti bahasa Melayu, cuma hendak belajar bahasa Inggeris. Tetapi hal ini dijadikan isu yang cukup besar hingga kita tidak dapat laksanakan.

Hari ini, kita baru sedar bahawa bahasa Inggeris itu penting. Demikian juga dengan ilmu-ilmu lain yang saya sudah desak lama, lebih kurang 30 tahun dulu supaya belajar ilmu-ilmu lain itu, tetapi ada yang kata itu sekular, politik. Yang dahsyat sekali Pas. Pas tunggu saja bila kita buat sesuatu, ia jadikan isu supaya perkara yang baik ini tidak tercapai.

Siapa yang menentangnya?

DR. MAHATHIR: Sesetengah nasionalis bahasa Melayu. Orang ini ingat kalau kamu boleh bercakap Melayu dengan baik, sudah cukup, tidak tahu bahasa lain tidak mengapa. Ada juga segelintir dalam UMNO begitu. Jadi dia cari jalan mudah, maka tak perlulah dia belajar lebih.

Kena belajar Inggeris susah, lebih senang belajar dalam bahasa Melayu. Tapi, belajar dalam bahasa Melayu pun kita lihat budak-budak Cina boleh dapat kelulusan yang lebih baik. Dia berpidato dalam bahasa Melayu lebih baik daripada budak Melayu.

Tapi dalam hal ini Datuk Seri, bantahan dan rasa tidak senang nampaknya juga datang daripada kalangan UMNO sendiri.

DR. MAHATHIR: Yalah, dalam UMNO juga ada yang semacam itu, tapi mereka tidak jadikan itu sebagai isu untuk menghentam kerajaan, ataupun cuba menghakiskan sokongan kepada kerajaan. Mereka ini kritik kerana tidak faham tujuan sebenar kita membuat sesuatu.

Tentang mentaliti subsidi dan tongkat. Terdapat dua pandangan, satu pandangan mengatakan orang Melayu tidak berubah, tidak mahu kerja kuat kerana adanya tongkat itu. Jadi kalau kita hendak ubah orang Melayu, kita kena buang tongkat itu. Tetapi bila kita hendak membuangnya, mereka kata mereka tidak boleh bersaing tanpa tongkat. Bagaimana kita hendak pecahkan mentaliti ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Sebenarnya orang Melayu mampu buat. Kita telah buktikan apabila orang Melayu sanggup buat sesuatu, dia dapat menguasai perkara itu sama ada dari segi menuntut ilmu atau membuat kerja dengan cekap dan sebagainya. Semuanya boleh, tetapi keinginan untuk berusaha bersungguh-sungguh amat kurang sekali.

Kenapa?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya tak tahu. Kita cuba tunjuk secara teladan. Kadang-kadang saya sudah tunjuk kita kerja kuat, bila balik dari luar negara, saya terus pergi pejabat - hendak tunjuk kerja kuat. Tetapi ada orang kata, Doktor bolehlah… itulah jawabnya.

Semua orang kagum melihat Datuk Seri bila balik pagi ini (Jumaat) boleh terus pergi kerja, tetapi mereka tidak ikut juga.

DR. MAHATHIR: Apa lagi… hendak tunjuk teladan sudah tunjuk, nak tunjuk ajar sudah ajar, marah sudah, menangis sudah, baca doa pun sudah. Semua saya dah buat.

Jadi apa yang silap dengan orang kita, Datuk Seri?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya anggap itu sudah menjadi satu budaya bagi kita. Kalau kita lihat ke tapak projek, kita harus tanya pada diri kita, kenapa tidak ada seorang pun Melayu yang bekerja dalam projek pembinaan. Apakah orang Melayu berbeza dengan orang Jawa, orang Sumatera yang bekerja kuat di situ. Mereka kerja sampai malam. Takkan kerana kulit kita coklat seperti ini, maka kita tak boleh buat kerja.

Itu budaya kita. Kita tak tahu susah, hendak senang selalu. Kalau naik tinggi sedikit, sudah gayat. Kerja lama sikit - letih, lenguh sampai tak boleh tidur. Saya selalu pergi melawat ke tempat tapak projek, saya lihat ada orang Indonesia, orang Cina, orang India, tapi orang Melayu tidak ada. Kalau kita lihat di situ kita tidak tahu ini Malaysia, negara orang Melayu. Kita ingat ini negara asing.

Datuk Seri, adakah ini kerana orang Melayu masih dengan mentaliti lama, di mana cukup makan dan cukup pakai sudah memadai?

DR. MAHATHIR: Baiklah… kalau cukup makan, cukup pakai, jadi tak payahlah bising-bising lagi. Apa nak politik lagi. Tapi kita bising. Kita hendak itu dan ini.

Apakah Datuk Seri berpuas hati dengan kedudukan orang Melayu setakat ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Tidak. Cuba kita `cabut’ orang Cina, apa akan jadi. Katalah kita ambil Kuala lumpur, semua yang milik Cina kita keluarkan termasuk rumah dan bangunan mereka, apa yang tinggal… Kampung Baru… itu saja.

Selepas 44 tahun kita merdeka kita cuma ada tempat di Kampung Baru saja. Yang ada bangunan tinggi-tinggi pun milik agensi kerajaan. Cuba fikirkan tentang itu.

Datuk Seri, cubalah kita buat perubahan drastik, kita cabut hak istimewa Melayu.
DR. MAHATHIR: Mereka akan menjerit. Mereka tidak dapat hak istimewa. Mereka anggap hak istimewa ini satu kemuliaan. Sebenarnya hak istimewa bukan sesuatu yang mulia. Kalau kita kena selalu pakai tongkat, bermakna kita daif. Antara orang yang kena pakai tongkat dengan orang berjalan tegak, yang mana kamu pandang tinggi? Orang yang pakai tongkat atau orang jalan tegak?

Tapi itu akan memerlukan satu pembaharuan minda.

DR. MAHATHIR: Itulah yang akan terjadi, kita akan adakan seminar, bengkel dan macam-macam. Semua bercakap, para intelek akan bercakap sepanjang masa. Mereka berdebat dan mengeluarkan idea yang menakjubkan, tetapi di bawah ia tidak ada apa-apa makna.

Bukan susah hendak kerja. Hendak kerja ada dan kita boleh beri, tetapi kita rela biar orang lain buat kerja kita.

Kita hendak dapat duit subsidi. Duit subsidi hasil daripada kerja orang lain. Duit itu bukan datang daripada kita. Kalau hendak tahu, lihat cukai pendapatan, banyak mana orang Melayu bayar, banyak mana orang lain bayar. Bermakna duit yang dapat kepada kerajaan yang kita keluarkan sebagai subsidi itu datang daripada orang lain. Sampai bila kita hendak bergantung kepada orang lain?

Hanya Datuk Seri yang boleh bercakap kepada orang Melayu secara berterus terang dalam soal ini. Tidakkah Datuk Seri mahu mengejutkan mereka sekali lagi untuk menyedarkan mereka?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya sudah buat macam-macam, saya sudah pujuk, merayu, berdoa. Macam-macam saya sudah buat.

Ternyata orang Melayu masih menghadapi masalah besar. Boleh Datuk Seri sebutkan tiga saja masalah orang Melayu yang Datuk Seri anggap paling besar?

DR. MAHATHIR: Yang pertama, tidak sanggup untuk bekerja keras, tidak sanggup belajar bersungguh-sungguh. Tidak sanggup membuat sesuatu dengan bersungguh-sungguh.

Yang kedua, bila ada saja sesuatu perkara atau isu berlaku, kita sudah lupa tentang isu sebelum itu. Bila kita asyik tumpu pada isu itu maka kita berkelahi sesama sendiri. Ini balik kepada Melayu mudah lupa.

Yang ketiganya, apabila kita dapat sesuatu, kita tidak begitu menghargainya. Umpamanya kita dapat banyak bantuan subsidi, kalau diguna dengan baik kita akan dapat banyak untung, tetapi kita tidak gunakannya dengan baik.

Menjelang perhimpunan UMNO, orang Melayu sedang berdebat tentang soal penghapusan kuota universiti serta program matrikulasi dan MRSM dibuka kepada bukan Melayu. Ini satu isu yang betul-betul menyentuh hak istimewa Melayu. Kenapa Datuk Seri memilih waktu ini untuk melakukan perubahan ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya tidak memilih masa. Saya lihat keadaan. Kalau keadaan memerlukan kita membuat tindakan, kita bertindak. Kita kata, kita perlu melakukan strategi, kalau kita buat begini, maka politik akan jadi begini. Kalau kita asyik fikir itu saja, bermakna kita tidak buat apa-apalah.

Perkara yang baik yang hendak kita buat, tidak ada yang popular. Kalau hendak jadi popular, apa saja orang minta, kita berilah. Kalau dia kata beri kuota 100 peratus kepadanya, kita beri. Kita boleh popular. Tetapi soalnya, baik atau tidak?

Perubahan ini (pembukaan MRSM dan Program Matrikulasi kepada bukan Melayu) adalah satu perubahan yang cukup besar, sebenarnya.

DR. MAHATHIR: Ini tidak besar, sedikit sangat.

Setidak-tidaknya itulah tanggapan di bawah sekarang. Sehingga bila keluar berita tentang perkara ini, pemimpin UMNO sendiri tidak dapat memberi jawapan.

DR. MAHATHIR: Kita sudah beri jawapan. Kita sudah terangkan kenapa kita buat. Di Malaysia terdapat 54 peratus Melayu, 26 peratus Cina, 10 peratus India, enam peratus bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak (empat peratus lain-lain), itu pecahan masyarakat kita. Tetapi kita hendak latih orang Melayu dalam keadaan terasing daripada semua ini.

Esok bila kita keluar, kita hendak masuk masyarakat itu kita tidak tahu dan tidak mampu. Kerana kita tak pernah lihat orang. Jadi kalau kita sukar hendak buat demikian - orang Melayu bila keluar dari institusi pelajaran maka dia akan terkapar-kapar, hendak cakap dengan orang pun tidak tahu. Kadang-kadang bila bercakap dengan orang lain tidak tahu bahasa pun, jadi akhirnya kita dapati penuntut yang lulus dari universiti - dapat ijazah tapi tidak dapat kerja.

Sekarang orang bertanya tentang mohon kerja, ditanya lulus dari mana. Mereka jawab lulus universiti di Malaysia. Ada yang kata, Melayu yang lulus di luar negara mungkin mendapat lebih peluang kerja daripada Melayu yang lulus dari universiti dalam negara. Kenapa? Kerana universiti dalam Malaysia ini, kaum-kaum sudah tidak bercampur gaul lagi.

Dalam universiti mereka tidak campur sama sekali, hendak bagi senang tidak bercampur ialah kita masukkan sikit soal agama. Kita hendak tidur dalam satu bilik asrama, tak boleh (campur kaum lain) sebab kita nak sembahyang, kita takut kotor. Kita cari jalan supaya kita diasingkan.

Semasa saya belajar di universiti, saya bercampur dengan Cina dan India. Saya masih Melayu dan pegangan Islam saya masih kuat.

Datuk Seri menggambarkan ini penyakit orang Melayu sekarang. Apakah dengan langkah drastik yang dibuat oleh kerajaan sekarang kita akan mengubah sikap orang Melayu?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya tidak buat benda yang drastik, baru 10 peratus. Sedangkan dalam masyarakat kita 45 peratus terdiri daripada orang bukan Melayu. Kalau hendak ikut peratusan sepatutnya 45 peratus. Tapi kita cuma masukkan 10 peratus dan kita sudah berasa takut.

Sekarang timbul kebimbangan orang Melayu. Permulaannya 10 peratus Datuk Seri, tapi apa akan berlaku selepas ini? Keretakan sudah berlaku dan itu yang membimbangkan Melayu. Apa jawapan Datuk Seri kepada kebimbangan ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya tak ada jawapan. Pada pendapat saya, kalau kita mampu bersaing dengan 10 peratus, kita akan mampu bersaing dengan 20 peratus dan 30 peratus. Tapi kalau kita kata dengan 10 peratus pun kita tidak berani, maka kita tak boleh bersaing sampai bila-bila.
Datuk Seri percaya orang Melayu sudah bersedia untuk bersaing tanpa perlindungan kerajaan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau mereka tidak dicuba, sampai bila-bila pun kita tidak akan tahu.

Datuk Seri, apa akan jadi jika perubahan ini tidak berjalan dengan baik? Pada tahun ini semuanya nampak baik. Tetapi dalam pengajian-pengajian kritikal seperti perubatan, pelajar bumiputera masih tidak dapat memenuhi kuota. Bagaimana hendak tangani hal ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau kita tidak biasa susah, kita tidak kuat kerja. Kita senang, hendak masuk universiti ada tempat, semua kita ada. Yang hak orang lain pun kita hendak lagi, tapi dia tidak boleh masuk, bukan sebab sudah penuh.

Inilah masalah orang Melayu - tidak pernah susah, dapat dengan senang. Kalau susah sikit, dia menjerit. Bukan susah banyak, susah sikit saja. Tidak ada yang radikal, hanya 10 peratus.

Pada fikiran Datuk Seri, dengan perubahan ini sikap Melayu boleh diubah?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya harap begitulah, saya tidak tahu macam mana lagi. Saya mungkin salah.

Tentang pengajaran mata pelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris. Apakah ia akan diteruskan dan tidak mungkin berpatah ke belakang semula?

DR. MAHATHIR: Sudah tentu, kalau kita semua tidak mahu, apa saya nak buat. Saya tak ada kuasa.

Tentu Datuk Seri sedar bahawa orang Melayu perlu dibuat keputusan untuk mereka dan dipimpin mereka.

DR. MAHATHIR: Jika saya buat keputusan untuk mereka dan memimpin mereka, sepatutnya sekarang saya sudah berjaya. Saya sudah buat keputusan, tetapi tidak jadi juga. Kita kata orang Melayu tidak ada peluang hendak berniaga, saya putuskan kita beri peluang kepada mereka. Kita ada lebih 30 dana untuk tolong orang Melayu. Tapi kalau dapat duit pun, dia tidak berniaga betul-betul.

Datuk Seri, kalau pengajaran bahasa Inggeris dalam dua subjek itu untuk Tahun Satu dimulakan tahun depan, ia akan mengambil 11 tahun untuk melihat hasilnya. Apakah kita ada masa 11 tahun?

DR. MAHATHIR: Tidak, kita mahu mulakan semua sekali secara serentak. Itu kalau saya. Saya ada cara saya. Kita akan adakan kursus seperti dua tiga mata pelajaran digabungkan untuk diajar secara serentak di Tahun Lima atau apa saja cara dia belajar untuk Tahun Lima dengan mencantumkan pelajaran (dua subjek itu) dari Tahun Satu, Dua, Tiga dan Empat secara serentak. Kita boleh buat, bukan mustahil sangat tetapi kita perlu kerja kuat, kita kena belajar.

Jadi semua pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris akan dilakukan secara serentak mulai tahun depan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Semua sekali. Saya boleh. Saya tahu bagaimana hendak melaksanakannya.

Tetapi Datuk Seri, ini suatu tindakan untuk kembali kepada aliran Inggeris sebenarnya.

DR. MAHATHIR: Tidak, tidak perlu sama sekali.

Apakah salah kalau kita wujudkan semula aliran Inggeris?

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau begitu, mati langsung bahasa Melayu. Bahasa Melayu kita guna. Kita kena hidupkan bahasa Melayu. Identiti kita terikat kepada bahasa kita.

Selain mengajar Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris, kenapa tidak perkenalkan semula aliran Inggeris sebagai satu pilihan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Tak boleh. Kalau kita beri Inggeris sebagai satu pilihan bermakna orang Melayu tidak belajar bahasa Inggeris. Nilai ekonominya akan jatuh. Orang ini akan tinggi nilai ekonominya dan orang ini tidak ada nilai, terutama dalam dunia sekarang yang mana orang Cina, Jepun, Perancis dan Jerman pun belajar bahasa Inggeris.

Kenyataannya, bahasa Inggeris menjadi lingua franca dan kita pula tidak mahu belajar. Kita tidak mahu belajar sebab kita orang Melayu.

Datuk Seri, terdapat sedikit kebimbangan di kalangan pegawai pelaksana tentang guru-guru yang akan mengajar dalam bahasa Inggeris tidak bersedia dan sebagainya. Itu kita baru bercakap bagi Tahun Satu, tetapi kalau Datuk Seri hendak laksanakan secara serentak, kita boleh bayangkan masalahnya.

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau kita hendakkan sesuatu, kita perlu terus selesaikan masalah sepanjang masa. Bila kita menghadapi sesuatu masalah, kita tidak boleh kata inilah penyelesaiannya. Kalau kita laksanakan kita akan berjaya, tidak. Penyelesaian itu tidak sepenuhnya betul. Semasa kita melaksanakan, kita akan jumpa bermacam-macam masalah lagi.

Tugas kita ialah mengatasi masalah. Kita perlu teruskan. Begitulah cara kita menangani krisis kewangan. Tiap-tiap hari kita duduk berbincang bagaimana hendak mengatasi masalah.

Datuk Seri, apakah perubahan-perubahan yang berlaku dalam beberapa bulan ini yang orang Melayu anggap sebagai perubahan drastik, boleh dilihat sebagai petanda awal ke arah penghapusan hak istimewa orang Melayu?

DR. MAHATHIR: Pada saya, yang pertama, itu bukan langkah awal untuk menghapuskan hak istimewa orang Melayu. Yang kedua, saya anggap hak istimewa orang Melayu adalah satu tongkat. Dan kalau kita selalu guna tongkat, sampai bila pun kita tempang.

Dengan lain perkataan, akan sampai satu masa kelak di mana hak ini akan dihapuskan.

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau kita sudah jadi kaya, boleh beli harta Cina dan orang lain semuanya, kita lebih pandai daripada Cina, kalau kita masuk dalam pertandingan kita menang, apa perlunya hak istimewa orang Melayu. Orang Cina di Malaysia tidak ada hak istimewa. Mereka mungkin menganggap didiskriminasi. Tetapi mereka lebih berjaya daripada kita.

Pada fikiran Datuk Seri, kenapa orang Melayu begitu bimbang akan kehilangan hak istimewa ini?

DR. MAHATHIR: Mereka tidak ada keyakinan. Sebab itu saya minta mereka lihat bagaimana (Datuk) Azhar Mansor belayar seorang diri keliling dunia. Bila orang Melayu jumpa dia, mereka tanya dia pakai ilmu apa, mereka ingat Azhar boleh dapat ilmu ajaib yang boleh bawa dia keliling dunia.

Jika tidak ada lagi hak istimewa Melayu, apakah kita kembali seperti Malayan Union yang UMNO tentang dahulu?

DR. MAHATHIR: Kita tentang Malayan Union dulu kerana mereka beri semua sama rata pada waktu orang Melayu cukup lemah. Dalam keadaan Melayu begitu lemah, mereka akan hilang semua. Sekarang bukan kita hendak beri semua. Kita cuma beri 10 peratus saja, supaya dengan itu orang Melayu dapat uji kebolehannya.

Saya ada bercakap dengan Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (Kolej TAR), sebab apa tidak masukkan orang Melayu. Mereka kata ia terbuka, bila-bila masa mereka boleh masuk. Kita sediakan mereka biasiswa tetapi budak Melayu tidak mahu pergi ke Kolej TAR. Sebab apa, Cina banyak sangat dan mereka pandai-pandai pula. Tak ada permohonan Melayu ke Kolej TAR. Orang India ada juga mohon, tapi Melayu tidak mahu.

Pemuda UMNO ada membuat sedikit penyelidikan yang antara sebab Melayu tidak mahu belajar di IPTS kerana pertama tiada surau untuk bersembahyang dan satu lagi soal makanan, takut makanan yang dijual bukan halal.

DR. MAHATHIR: Kalau begitu tidak perlu pergi belajar ke luar negara. Kalau kita pergi England, takkan mereka sediakan surau di dalam Universiti Cambridge, di Universiti Nottingham. Boleh kita tentukan makanan semuanya disembelih, mereka tidak makan babi? Apa lagi alasan yang hendak kita beri?

Dasar 10 peratus kepada bukan bumiputera. Bolehkah Datuk Seri beri satu jaminan bahawa ia akan kekal 10 peratus?

DR. MAHATHIR: Bukan saya yang boleh beri jaminan. Ini untuk masa depan. Mengenai masa depan ini saya tidak tahu. Saya mungkin tiada lagi.

Apakah harapan Datuk Seri kepada ahli-ahli UMNO menjelang perhimpunan kali ini selepas Datuk Seri memimpin selama 21 tahun?

DR. MAHATHIR: Saya gagal (ketawa sinis). Saya gagal mencapai perkara yang lebih penting - bagaimana hendak mengubah orang Melayu. UMNO pun kadang-kadang menjadi rosak kerana terlampau berebut hendak dapatkan tempat sampai sanggup kalau tidak dapat tempat, bagi orang UMNO kalah.

Tidakkah itu satu kenyataan yang penuh kekecewaan?

DR. MAHATHIR: Tak tahulah… nak kata kecewa. Tapi saya bercakap berkenaan benda yang benar dan nyata. Saya tidak suka berselindung. Saya tidak suka menjadi begitu diplomatik. Saya kata apa yang saya fikir benar. Kalau orang kata tidak benar, tidak apalah. Tapi ini yang saya rasa dan lihat.

Katalah jam dapat diputar ke belakang dan Datuk Seri berada pada 28 Jun 1981, hari pertama Datuk Seri menjadi Presiden UMNO. Apa yang akan Datuk Seri lakukan?

Dr. Mahathir: Saya mahu jadi ahli biasa sahaja (sekali lagi ketawa sinis). Sebab saya tak boleh buat apa-apa (untuk mengubah orang Melayu).

Menang di Permatang Pauh? : Ma Fi Musykillah

1. Seperti yang ramai menjangkakan, Anwar menang. Walaubagaimanapun, Malaymind secara peribadi gagal menjangka jumlah majoriti yang pada mulanya munasabah dikatakan hanya dalam 3000 undi.

2. Seperti yang dinyatakan oleh akubetul, Malaymind bersetuju Anwar menang disebabkan faktor tempatan. Isu nasional nampaknya tidak memberi kesan terhadap undi malah strategi UMNO untuk menggula – gulakan rakyat dengan penurunan harga minyak dan menjatuhkan maruah Anwar kekal tidak berjaya lagi buat masa ini.

3. Tidak dinafikan, Anwar membawa harapan rakyat. Kepetahan bercakap, karisma dan bijak mencari sokongan merupakan resipi Anwar sejak dari dulu lagi. Malah, beliau mampu menjadi orang tengah buat DAP dan PAS yang memang tidak pernah pun sebulu.

4. Itulah kelebihan Anwar.

5. Disebalik kemenangan itu, TDM tetap menyalahkan DSAAB di dalam tulisan terbarunya dan meminta ahli UMNO memberi tekanan supaya DSAAB meletak jawatan. DSAAB pula tetap menafikan ia adalah satu mesej untuk beliau.

6. Di pihak Pakatan Rakyat, mereka nampaknya sudah mula berkira-kira untuk memerintah Malaysia kerana menganggap kemenangan ini adalah mesej jelas dari rakyat Malaysia.

7. Namun, ramai juga yang menganggap perjuangan Anwar perlu berhenti di peringkat ini. Anwar sememangnya dilihat boleh menjadi ketua pembangkang yang hebat dan menjadi ‘check and balance’ di Parlimen, tetapi beliau tidak mempunyai ciri-ciri menjadi perdana menteri.

8. Yang pastinya, rakyat sudah boleh tidur lena dengan adanya Anwar di Parlimen kerana persepsinya, beliau adalah pejuang rakyat.

9. Namun sekiranya beliau dan penyokong fanatiknya tetap berkeras untuk merampas kerajaan menjelang 16 September ini, maka kita rakyat akan menjangkakan satu episod baru politik tanah air.

10. Ironinya Anwar gagal menjadi PM, sudah tentulah pelbagai alasan bakal diberikan. BN akan tetap menjadi kambing hitam kegagalan Anwar.

11. Menang di Permatang Pauh? Ma Fi Musykillah.

12. Mahu menuju ke Putrajaya? La’

TDM'S Speech: Current Global Economic Impact on Malaysia

SPEECH BY

TUN DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD

AT THE MAFAA DIALOGUE

AT THE SHERATON HOTEL SUBANG, PETALING JAYA

ON WEDNESDAY, 20 AUGUST 2008

—————————

“Current Global Economic Impact on Malaysia”


1. Malaysia is a trading nation. It had been one for 1800 years. It is hard to believe this but this is what I read in a paper written by an American academic who was attached to one of the Malaysian Government Universities.


2. In the beginning it was only about collecting jungle produce like gums and aromatic wood to exchange for lacquer ware, ceramic and paper etc from China. Since then we have made tremendous progress in trading. Now we produce and export, apart from raw rubber and palm oil, also microchips and electronic manufactured goods.


3. A trading nation is very sensitive to what is happening to its trading partners. Obviously when partners do well, we can expect to export more and do well ourselves. And the reverse is also true. When partners suffer from economic disease, we tend to catch the disease as well.


4. That is why you may remember we promoted the slogan “prosper thy neighbour”. When neighbours are prosperous we can expect to sell more to them and vice versa. Apart from that in these days of easy travel and porous borders we can expect a fallout from neighbours with problems in the form of illegal immigrants.


5. Today we have become a world trade centre, exporting and importing from almost 200 different countries. The economic health of these countries are important to us. And certainly the economic health of the world is extremely important to our own economic health.


6. What is the economic situation in the world today? There is turmoil and unprecedented increases in the prices of practically everything.


7. We have seen some inflation before but never on the scale we are seeing now.


8. Oil for example went up by almost 400%. Other raw materials like steel, copper, aluminium have also gone up sky high. So have food grains and edible oils.


9. The increases in prices of these basic raw materials have inflated the prices of everything else.


10. Oil is crucial to transportation, whether by land, sea or air. The sharp increase in oil price must push up the cost of everything that is transported by any means anywhere. We have as yet not found alternative fuels and improvements in fuel efficiency have not reduced consumption significantly.


11. World consumption of fuel oil goes up everyday. Although new reserves are being found and produced, production has not been able to keep up with consumption. Demand pull has increased the price a little but the ridiculous increase of 400% is more due to speculation and manipulation. On any day more oil is traded than is produced or available in storage. These activities are what cause the increase in oil price, the apparent shortages and again the greater increase in price.


12. The increase in other raw material price is due to increased demand by two economic giants, especially China. Together with India and several other Newly Industrialising countries of Asia, all developing rapidly and involved in massive construction and industries the demand for raw material like steel, copper, aluminium, rubber, edible oils, food grains has caused shortages and unprecedented increases in price. The shortage of food grains was caused by seasonal decreases in production. But this is going to happen again and again.


13. The war in Iraq is another important factor. Every United States President has promised to reduce the deficit in the U.S. budget but at the end of their terms the deficits have increased. But President Bush is going to leave to his successor the biggest budget deficit in the U.S. history. But worse than that he will leave behind a much-devalued U. S. dollar.


14. It is due to his reckless spending on tax cuts of 1.3 trillion for the rich. The war in Iraq has already cost the U.S. 3 trillion dollars according to (former World Bank Chief Economist) Joseph Stiglitz and will continue to cost more.


15. Other countries would have gone bankrupt with the twin deficits the United States suffers from. Although the United States has not, still the faith in the U.S.D. as a trading currency and as reserves has all but disappeared. The dollar is but a shadow of its former self. Once countries reject the U.S.D. as trading currency and as reserves the greenback would become quite worthless. Unfortunately the countries, including Malaysia, which hold dollar reserves will lose also. That is why countries like China, Saudi Arabia, Japan and little Singapore keep on trying to shore up the US Dollar.


16. Of course it is not just Bush who is making the US Dollar useless. It is the playing around with money by institutions and funds in the US. Loans and mortgages are sold like commodities. The amounts involved are huge. Cash has almost been outlawed as plastics of all kinds are used as money in daily transactions.


17. Banks distribute credit cards without caring whether the holders would have money to pay or not. They claim to know the average losses and therefore despite failures to meet credit card debts they would still make profits.


18. But when millions of credit cards are used worldwide the bad debts must be quite considerable. People are living on the never never as never before. But one day all these shuffling of figures in bank books must blow up.


19. Apparently that is what has happened to sub prime lending for housing. Banks and institutional funds are falling like nine-pins. The Great United States which use to tell us not to bail out bankrupt companies now put up as much as 200 billion dollars to bail out the banks and now the mortgage companies with fancy names like Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae.


20. With all these things happening to the financial sector of the United States the Dollar cannot possibly stay strong. When it weakens a lot of countries which hold reserves in US Dollar must suffer. And Malaysia too must feel it as despite very early warnings we still like a chunk of our reserves to be in US Dollar.


21. Inflation takes place all the time in every country. Certainly Malaysia is not an exception. The factors influencing inflation are internal as well as external. And as a trading nation with total trade of more than 100 billion a year, Malaysia cannot possible escape the current world wide inflation, an inflation which affects every one of our trading partners.


22. Nevertheless we would be more fortunate than most of our neighbours. This is due to the unusual rise in the prices of the commodities we export. We also export manufactured goods but the imported contents of these are high and they have all increased in price. Still the trade balance will remain much in our favour for some time.


23. What are the raw materials we export? Although we are a small producer of oil, our population is not big. After consuming about two thirds we can still export a tidy sum. Together with our foreign oil operations our revenue from oil actually exceeds our total revenue from income and corporate tax. For a country with a small oil production we have done rather well and hopefully will continue doing well for some time.


24. All the taxes and dividends from Petronas would go to the Government Consolidated funds and much of it would be used to subsidise pump prices for oil. The Government has withdrawn much of this subsidy but I think even at the higher pump price there would be some subsidy element.


25. Oil price may go down but never to the old level. So Malaysians will have to put up with high oil price.


26. Gas is subsidised by Petronas. Now gas has to be imported by Petronas at world prices. To sell it at low prices fixed by the Government for the IPPs (Independent Power Producers) would mean Petronas would have to subsidise it. Other oil companies would not want to do it. Perhaps you may have noticed that Natural Gas for motor vehicles is only sold by Petronas.


27. Over time consumption of oil and gas will exceed local supply. There will be no excess to export and to earn the money to subsidise oil and gas prices. Government revenues from other sources would not be enough to subsidise oil prices. So we will have to face this prospect of high oil prices, even if world prices go below US100 Dollar per barrel.


28. With increases in oil prices other goods and services will increase in price also. And of course the increases in raw material prices world wide will increase the cost of these at home. Construction material and construction cost must all go up.


29. Generally the impact of Current Global Economy on Malaysia would be to raise the cost of living – i.e. it will cause inflation. Now the rate of inflation is said to be 7%. This is misleading. For most ordinary people it must seem much more. Just the increase in oil price is 40%. And the increase in other food products are much higher.


30. Malaysians will be facing unprecedented inflation rate. The result must be demands for increases in wages and salaries. This must add to cost and will contribute to increases in prices of local products as well as exported goods.


31. But then the increases in oil and raw material costs must affect other countries too. Our competitors would not be free from high inflation. So the competitive advantage of the low labour cost countries would not increase much as their costs would also have to go up.


32. But oil is not the only raw material we export. We also export palm oil and rubber together with some tin, pepper and cocoa. All these have increased in price and will therefore increase our export earnings. In fact the present increase in the value of our trade and the surplus are mainly due to the increases in oil, palm oil and rubber prices.


33. The raw material price increases are far more beneficial to us than the increase in the price of manufactured goods. This is because much of the manufactured goods have imported contents which have all increased in price. The profit margin may not increase percentage-wise. Besides although the figure for exports of manufactured good may be quite high, we would earn little for they are mostly tax-free.


34. Still manufacturing will remain important because of the employment of large numbers of people. Unfortunately more foreigners would be likely to be employed and their remittance would be very substantial. The outflow of cash would be quite substantial.


35. Although the cost of travelling would go up, there will continue to be more tourists coming to Malaysia. This is because our main source of tourists are China and other Asian countries. These countries are likely to grow higher than world average and more people would be wage earners in new industries. They would want to travel.


36. Initially the people in newly industrialising countries would go to places closer to their countries. We are close to all these countries and so we would benefit from the economic growth of these countries. Our tourist industry does not depend on Europe or America. So the reduction in the numbers of European and American tourists will not affect us.


37. Although palm oil and rubber production can go on producing forever, but Malaysia is short of land. More and more of our estates would be developed in foreign land. This will contribute to our economy.


38. Malaysia’s growth will slow down as much because of global regression as by local factors. What is certain however is that we will have a high cost environment domestically and internationally? All countries will have to learn to deal with this new global and domestic environment.


39. For a time we would be less negatively affected than most other developing countries. But eventually we will have to face the fact of a world in economic turmoil, a high cost world and a shifting of the centers of growth from the West to the East.


40. When finally the world learns to live in this environment Malaysia will find everything has changed. The old comfortable way of growing the economy will be gone. Whether Malaysia will emerge better off or worse would depend upon our understanding of the changes and the adjustment we will make. We will see our trade and our growth becoming more influenced by the countries of Asia, in particular China and India. The increasing wealth of the Gulf States will also change the direction of our trade and the sources of foreign investments.


41. Investments from the oil-rich states would be largely in property development. If we succeed in training our workforce we may continue to attract high-tech industries.


42. Of course the impact on Malaysia of current global economic changes would depend much on how we adjust to them and how we manage them.

TDM's Speech: Approaching 2020 – Major Trends that will Impact Malaysian Business

Speech by

Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

at the Perdana Leadership Foundation Forum

at Sime Darby Convention Centre

on 8 August, 2008

——————–

Approaching 2020 – Major Trends that will Impact Malaysian Business


1. 2020 is only 12 years away – not a very long period of time. So it should not be too difficult to predict what would happen on the way, and when we reach there.

2. Trends are things that you can observe happening now but can be expected to progress into the future. By extrapolation one should be able to predict fairly accurately the changes that trends would have on things, on peace and war, on fashion, on morality, on politics and on business.

3. Unfortunately trends can take a sudden turn, even a 180 degree turn. Then all your predictions or projections can become so much nonsense.

4. I have seen things change so radically in this country that all my expectations have proven to be wrong. Trends also do not move in a straight line. There can be any number of twists and turns that what happens in the end would be very far from what you expect or predict would happen.

5. But we can to a certain degree be fairly sure that certain things would happen. Malaysia has, for example a high rate of population growth – some 2.1 per cent or 21 per thousand heads of population per annum. Based on this and our knowledge that presently our population is 27 million. By 2020 our population should be around 35 million.

6. Population growth is a trend that we can take into account its effects. There would be a bigger market even if per capita does not increase. But the likelihood is that per capita and GDP would increase in tandem. We have seen this in Malaysia’s growth in the past.

7. We are therefore going to have a fair sized consumer market. Shopping complexes would have to be increased in number and upgraded. Already our shopping complexes are of the same standard as in developed countries. But we would need to upgrade them.

8. A mass consumer market will make local manufacturing more viable. And there are many things that we can produce. Like Korea and Taiwan we would learn to design and manufacture many things not just for our markets but for export as well.

9. Against this, expect increased and less restricted imports. We must be more competitive. We must develop skills in hi-tech products and we must pay higher wages. The days of low labour costs would have been over before 2020.

10. Our workers must be highly qualified and be trained in higher skills. The workers we would need must be able to handle and service automatic machines, not just assemble things. We will learn to design and produce some of these machines.

11. Training of the workers must be done at specialised training centres. Computer programmes will be needed to do this.

12. What all these means is the business of specialised education and training would become big business. The training centres would also cater for foreign students if we use English as a teaching medium.

13. Malaysia cannot any longer offer itself as a cheap labour country. But the chances are our highly trained workers would still cost less than similarly trained workers in the developed countries. This may mean a shifting of some middle range hi-tech industries to Malaysia.

14. Our advantage today is still the ability to take instructions in simple English. But there will be a spread of English language capabilities in China, Vietnam and other competitors of ours.

15. Accordingly our advantages seem likely to be eroded not only because others are acquiring working knowledge of English but we ourselves would probably downgrade learning of English.

16. I hope that the teaching of science and mathematics in English would continue. But I am not sure. If the decision is made not to, then the hi-tech industries are going to bypass us.

17. Long ago we decided that agriculture would not be able to create the number of jobs for our growing population. Agriculture is good in terms of food security. But for this we would have to go into hydroponics, fish farming etc if we want to be self-sufficient. Such modern agriculture would depend less on labour than on technology. The result could be more unemployment.

18. When we decided to build KLIA, we looked at the demand in a hundred years’ time. Getting a piece of land near the city for a large enough airport capable of future expansion is not easy. When we built Subang we projected 400,000 passengers per annum. But by 1990 it was handling 11.0 million passengers. There was no way we could expand there. We started looking around but we were handling 18.0 million passengers before we found a suitable piece of land.

19. We never wanted to make the same mistake again, not with airports nor with other infrastructure.

20. Malaysia has the best system of expressways and roads in south East Asia. But still they are clogged. We need to build more and more.

21. I think we need to change our approach. Instead of building roads we should improve mass public transportation. It is unfortunate that the government decided not to implement the project for double-tracking and electrification of the north-south railways. Had this been implemented we can take off much of the heavy traffic from the highways and there would be less cars clogging the roads as more people travel on medium speed express trains. Now the government may be forced to reconsider this railway project but the cost would be more than double. The longer we delay the higher the cost. Worse still the greater would be the need.

22. We are putting some half a million motor vehicles on the road every year. The decisions to reduce the price of cars lead to more vehicles clogging the roads, stuck in traffic jams and going nowhere.

23. Building more roads is not the answer. We should see more railway lines.

24. Business depends a lot on ground transportation. Road transport will become more and more costly as the price of oil will never go back to the old levels.

25. Look at it in whatever way, the answer would still be improved and more extensive network of railway lines. Presently our railway lines run north / south. We need to have more east / west lines also.

26. We have been able to enjoy cheap oil because we have a relatively small population to match our small production. By 2013-2015 we would be producing as much oil as we consume. There would be no excess oil for export at world prices. so there will not be oil export earnings to subsidise local consumption.

27. We can continue to sell at low prices but Petronas will have to bear the losses as it does now with gas. The other oil companies would need to be compensated if they are forced to sell at low prices. But there would be no revenue from oil exports to pay to the foreign companies. After 2015 production in the country will be less than consumption. Then we will have to import oil at world prices. Again oil prices must creep up steadily.

28. Petronas has gone abroad to produce oil and gas. Costs of investment for these have shot up threefold. If government takes over all the profits from Petronas to subsidise oil and pay for development. It will not be able to invest in exploration and production abroad. This would be disastrous for Petronas and for the country.

29. Tourism. It is estimated that by 2020, 200.0 million Chinese will be going abroad.

30. India would be another source for tourists. Also in large numbers.

31. We have some problems with tourists from these two countries disappearing. But if the government will not be nasty, the tour operators, hoteliers and other service industries should see a great deal of prosperity.

32. Provided that we handle tourists well we would be welcoming 35 million foreign tourists in 2020, one per head of population. Those in the business should prepare for the influx.

33. So far I have talked about the domestic and relatively controllable side of business and the economy. The foreign side will be more difficult to manage as we have little control over it.

34. After the hedge funds attacked the U.S. Dollar they have been forced to regularise their activities. But the current fall in the value of the US dollar is more due to the intemperate spending by the American government, although there is a currency trading element as well. Loose lending practices involving risky housing financing has created huge losses by banks, funds and institutions.

35. The United States is bankrupt. It has a debt of 14 trillion dollars and it consistently suffers from twin deficits in its balance of payment and government expenditure. The US dollar is backed by nothing, no gold, no foreign reserves. The only reason why it has not collapsed completely is because people still accept payment in US dollars, especially for oil. If the countries of the world cease to buy US bonds, stop paying for imports in US dollars, then the US will have no money to pay for its imports. The greenbacks would be just useless pieces of paper.

36. Unfortunately if the US Dollar has no value and its economy collapses, the repercussions will be felt by everyone, including Malaysia which carries 30% of its reserves in USD and sells 20 per cent of its products to the US. The resultant worldwide depression will be worse than in 1929-30. Everyone believes the United States would do something to save itself from bankruptcy. But do not rely on it too much. We have to think and act for ourselves. We need to prepare ourselves for a world in deep depression.

37. Today’s oil prices are far too high and will damage the economies of the poor as well as the rich.

38. Accompanying the rise in oil prices is the increase in the prices of raw materials such as steel, copper, aluminium and some rare minerals. This is due simply to increases in demand by two awakening giants; China and India. China’s and India’s per capita is lower than us at the moment. Imagine the purchasing power of their 2.3 billion people when their per capita doubles for example. They will suck in everything the world produces.

39. A frightening thing happened recently – the shortage of food grains. It had not happened for decades. But in future we can expect this to happen again and again.

40. Trying to tackle the increases in price one by one will not work. We may be able to handle oil prices through greater fuel efficiency but what about the other raw materials; what about food?

41. We believe in a free market; in supply and demand determining prices. But markets can be manipulated and shortages can be created. In fact today huge quantities of goods can be traded without the goods really existing. This was what happened when currency trading was allowed. The total trade in currency was very many times more than the total value of world trade. Similarly the total volume of oil traded would be more than the total amount of oil produced or consumed. Seems that the trade in nothing is worth more than the trade in something.

42. We have forgotten why we promoted free markets and free trade.

43. The systems we created were for our own good but they have now become the systems we must sustain even if they destroy us. Something is wrong here.

44. All systems and ideologies were good until rogues see ways to abuse them for their own benefit or profit. This is what we are seeing happening to the free market. It is being abused simply because governments have abdicated their responsibility to prevent crimes in business and punish rogue businessmen. If we are going to benefit from the free market and free trade, governments will have to go back to regulating them.

45. Then people will say that the market and trade would no longer be free. But actually despite trade being free, it is not really free. We still cannot trade in certain goods, arms and dangerous chemicals for example. We still have to fill forms and submit to examinations by a host of officials. We still have to pay tax or if not we have to prove that our goods are not taxable.

46. Anyone trying to import or export goods must be familiar with the formalities that must be gone through.

47. Clearly trade and markets are even now being regulated one way or another.

48. So what’s wrong with governments regulating trade and markets to make sure that the trade and the markets are real, not virtual?

49. What’s wrong with requiring everyone to declare correctly what they are trading in, with whom they are trading, whether they really have whatever it is that they want to buy or sell, and of course the accounts which everybody else have to declare. It is ridiculous and grossly unfair that currency trading which is capable of destroying whole nations is not transparent and submits their accounts to no one.

50. What’s wrong with insisting that virtual trading in virtual markets at ridiculous prices be disallowed, be made illegal?

51. What’s wrong with limiting the loans the traders take and ensuring that banks do not take risks beyond their capacities?

52. There are a host of other regulations which can be put in place to ensure that the free market is about trading and marketing real things in a well regulated manner. Deregulation may have merits but clearly the demerits are far greater.

53. As to currency, there should be new bretton-woods involving all the countries of the world. A new international financial regime should be put in place so that exchange rates cannot be manipulated and rogues stopped from creating virtual money to play around with.

54 In other words we need to bring order to the free market and free trade. If they look less free it does not matter. We must remember that the systems are devised for our good and not for us to be sacrificed to ensure the good of the systems.

55. But frankly I don’t think we can persuade the rich countries to agree to change or modify the present free market system. They would want their rogues to abuse the system and make huge profits stealing from the poor. But we should try.

56. In the meantime we should look into adjusting and managing a high-cost economic environment domestically.

57. There are in the world today high cost countries and low cost countries. Generally the developed countries are high cost countries. Still they are competitive and their standards of living are without exception higher than in low-cost countries.

58. If we care to remember, we must acknowledge that relative to the past, our own costs are much higher now. I remember the days in my boyhood when 1 sen could buy two items of spices. A plate of noodles (mee) would cost 5 sen.

59. Today we do not talk of sen anymore. We pay for everything in Ringgit and in multiples of Ringgit.

60. Yet we must know that despite this higher cost of goods and services our standard of living is far higher than in pre-war Malaya. Even in the early years of independence the prices of goods and services were much lower than now.

61. In 1967, 10 years after independence our population was 10.0 million. Today it is 27.0 million. The per capita in 1967 was 950 USD. Today it is 6,000 USD. Obviously our income growth is higher than population growth.

62. That is why, despite there being more of us, despite our higher cost of living, our standard of living has actually improved.

63. There is something to be learnt here. Can we speed up the process of increasing income, increasing our cost of production and yet remain competitive? I think we can.

64. We talk of the wage price spiral and we are afraid that this might happen to us if we raise wages. We fear that cost of production would increase as wages increase and we would not be competitive. We would not be able to attract investments whether from domestic sources or foreign. But let us work out the percentage that wages constitute in the total cost.

65. Supposing it is 20% of total costs. If you raise it by 25% it will increase your total cost by only 5%. You can do this once a year or every two years while improving your productivity by other means, by better machines or automation for example.

66. Think. Malaysian costs are already higher than 30 years ago, higher than those in other ASEAN countries except Singapore. Still we are attractive. One of the greatest assets we had was political stability and consistency in government policies. There were other things which made Malaysia attractive. If we improve on these assets, the increase in costs (not just of labour but transport and materials) will not make us any less attractive or our products less competitive.

67. We must also remember that the pressure of increasing prices will be felt by our competing neighbours as well. They too will have to increase their cost of production. So our cost will not be, comparatively speaking, so high as to make us totally uncompetitive.

68. But consider the effect of increased income all round. There will be more money to purchase goods and services. However unions must not increase their demands when wages are already being increased. Instead they should cooperate in improving productivity. In the end they will gain more.

69. I never liked the low wages paid our wage-earners. It restricts their purchase of goods and services. If their purchasing power is increased then retail businesses especially, would enjoy greater sale. More would be spent on leisure. Other businesses such as transportation would prosper. And government would earn more income also.

70. I don’t often admire Singapore or what it does. But when Singapore gained independence it carried out a programme of steadily increasing wages every year. Some businesses and industries left Singapore but the efficiency of Singapore’s authoritarian government retained many of the investors and industries. We sometimes wonder why investors go to Singapore when they could come to low-cost Malaysia. I think you know why.

71. I think we should systematically raise wages. If we manage wage increases carefully enough, the wage price spiral would not be too damaging. In time it would settle and we would adjust to a high cost environment while our living standards also improve. Even our poor people will be less poor.

72. When people generally earn more money, they spend more money and somebody will make a profit and the government will collect more taxes. The so-called mega projects contributed much towards the growth of Malaysia’s economy and increased living standards all round.

73. There is a lot of talk today about the increasing cost of doing business but no talk about managing and adjusting to a high cost economy. Certainly there is no talk about deliberately increasing and managing cost. Yet unconsciously this was what we have been doing all these years. And we have been successful at it. Otherwise with our higher cost we would be poorer than our low-cost competitors. But we know we are more prosperous than them.

74. The world trend today is towards higher cost of everything. Our cost must increase anyway.

75. We can just rise with the tide.

76. But since high cost goes with prosperity, why not rise above the tide by actually creating and managing a higher cost economy.

77. That way we can achieve our 2020 target.

Thank you.

Program Ummah : 23 Ogos 2008

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