MP Shahrir Slams Dr Mahathir.
The following report is from TheStar:
It is insulting to suggest that Johor Malays are weak and incapable of competing with others in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR), said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.
He was commenting on a recent statement by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that he was not confident that the Malays could compete with the people coming into the IDR.
Shahrir said it was not fair to say that Johoreans were weak.
While he has respect for Dr Mahathir’s views, he felt that the former premier had himself created such a situation and was now complaining about it.
“This is the result of his own strategies and policies. The present Government is just building upon what he has created.
“I don’t understand why he thinks that Johor Malays are weak and I think it is an insult to the Johor Malays,” Shahrir told a press conference after officiating Umno Youth’s sponsorship of books.
Shahrir noted that Kedahan Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary had control over much of the logistic hubs in the IDR with his ownership of the Johor Port, Senai airport and 70% of Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
“Maybe its true that we are weak and since he (Dr Mahathir) is Kedahan, maybe that is why he decided to give the ports to a Kedahan.
“That’s why he has always taken advantage of us, but we intend to prove him wrong,” he said.
***** In my opinion Dr Mahathir is playing politics when he expresses his anguish about the 'weak and incapable' Malays. Isn't he the one who on many occasions castigated the very same Malays for being too dependent on the government and admonished and urged them to throw away the tongkat? At least this was my first reaction when I read about his criticism of the IDR.
More than anyone he is the main person responsible for the state of lethargy many Malays are in today. While talking and crying publicly about their mentality, officially as the head of government he was instrumental in giving massive mega freebies to them as a whole. If he were in power today this lopsided benevolence would have continued ad infinitum. What Pak Lah is doing in the IDR is the appropriate treatment if the Malays are to get away from the subsidy and quota culture which has been squeezing and choking their God-given talents and ingenuity.
Therefore it is absolutely justified for Shahrir to call Dr Mahathir's bluff and put him in his place. I can't for the life of me figure out why an internationally respected statesman like the Tun should now come down to this level. It's a pity really.
Image - Source
It is insulting to suggest that Johor Malays are weak and incapable of competing with others in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR), said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.
He was commenting on a recent statement by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that he was not confident that the Malays could compete with the people coming into the IDR.
Shahrir said it was not fair to say that Johoreans were weak.
While he has respect for Dr Mahathir’s views, he felt that the former premier had himself created such a situation and was now complaining about it. “This is the result of his own strategies and policies. The present Government is just building upon what he has created.
“I don’t understand why he thinks that Johor Malays are weak and I think it is an insult to the Johor Malays,” Shahrir told a press conference after officiating Umno Youth’s sponsorship of books.
Shahrir noted that Kedahan Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary had control over much of the logistic hubs in the IDR with his ownership of the Johor Port, Senai airport and 70% of Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
“Maybe its true that we are weak and since he (Dr Mahathir) is Kedahan, maybe that is why he decided to give the ports to a Kedahan.
“That’s why he has always taken advantage of us, but we intend to prove him wrong,” he said.
***** In my opinion Dr Mahathir is playing politics when he expresses his anguish about the 'weak and incapable' Malays. Isn't he the one who on many occasions castigated the very same Malays for being too dependent on the government and admonished and urged them to throw away the tongkat? At least this was my first reaction when I read about his criticism of the IDR.
More than anyone he is the main person responsible for the state of lethargy many Malays are in today. While talking and crying publicly about their mentality, officially as the head of government he was instrumental in giving massive mega freebies to them as a whole. If he were in power today this lopsided benevolence would have continued ad infinitum. What Pak Lah is doing in the IDR is the appropriate treatment if the Malays are to get away from the subsidy and quota culture which has been squeezing and choking their God-given talents and ingenuity.
Therefore it is absolutely justified for Shahrir to call Dr Mahathir's bluff and put him in his place. I can't for the life of me figure out why an internationally respected statesman like the Tun should now come down to this level. It's a pity really.
Image - Source
Labels: Malaysian Politics.
posted by The Malaysian. at 4/01/2007 12:16:00 PM
1 Comments:
The analogy I draw on this issue is what every parent understands. A small child needs to be helped and protected so that he can progressively learn about the world around him. But as a child grows up, parents need to reduce the cocoon of help and protection around the child. This is so that the child can learn independence and confidence to be his own person. A parent who fails to cultivate such survival skills in a growing child is doing a great disservice to both the child and the family. The child is at risk of becoming a dysfunctional adult, unable to survive in the outside world and a serious burden to his family.
The Malays in this country must learn to look beyond the "Ketuanan Melayu" rethoric to realise that the cocoon of special privileges surrounding the Bumiputras is perpetuating their weakness. The NEP has been running for more than 30 years. Time for the adult to grow up.
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