Lord Zam Rants And Fumes Against ASLI Initiated 'Citizens Wish List'.

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said Friday the citizens' wish list issued by 42 non-governmental organisations does not represent the aspirations and wishes of the people nor does it reflect the reality.

"Rather, it is a clever attempt to disunite the people in the country," he said.

Zainuddin said that although some of the eight agendas could be accepted, the first one pertaining to efforts to strengthen national unity was unacceptable because it was not based on the reality and the unity achieved since independence.

The first agenda states that new sustained efforts are urgently needed to rebuild national unity as ethnic, linguistic and religious divides have deepened, causing genuine pain and hurt to many in the nation.

"This is a statement that ignores the reality acknowledged by the world and the people as well as Malaysia's achievements since independence. One thing that is recognised by the world and has been a model (for the world) is the unity of the people and their ability to live in harmony.

"This is not a citizens' wish but the wish of a handful of people. This is uncalled for," he told reporters when asked to comment on the citizens' wish list initiated by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) in commemoration of Malaysia's 50th anniversary of independence. The 42 NGOs which provided feedback for the list want the government to adopt these agendas, called the New Malaysian Agenda.

Zainuddin said the first agenda in the list bordered on racism and did not take into consideration the values that have been accepted by Malaysians all this while. "They (42 NGOs) are an elite group which cannot be considered as representing the people and are not a group representing the feelings of the people below and they are removed from the heart and pulse of the people," he said.

Describing their approach as extremely chauvinistic, Zainuddin said the principles of the country's independence were based a social contract that had been accepted all this while by the majority of the people and strengthened by the New Economic Policy which is aimed at balancing the economic status of the various races in the county.

He said the first agenda underscored by the group would not help boost the people's confidence as the country celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence because what was needed was views that could further nurture the values that had strengthened the country all this while.

"It is surprising that the group of 42, which is regarded as a group of highly educated people, cannot see the reality. This is regrettable and the majority of the people in the country are offended...a clever attempt to split the people," he said.

Zainuddin said he felt that the government would not accept the list as something that could be considered. "We (government) believe in our ways. To strengthen and improve national unity, the government will accede to the people's wishes and not the wishes of this group of 42," he added.

He said most of the other agendas listed, including those on developing a world-class education system, enhancing international competitiveness and remaining engaged with the global economy, were not new to the government.

All these had been in practice for a long time and Malaysia was more advanced than several other big nations in recognising the importance of a global economy and a free and open market, he said. (Bernama)

***** Can a proposal to unite the nation actually cause disunity? Well, Zam seems to think so and prefers to keep the status quo as it is based on 'reality' and a 'social contract' that had been 'accepted all this while' by the majority (? of the people) and 'strengthened' by the New Economic Policy(!). General elections coming up real soon?
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