Two Gems From Pak Lah - "Open Tender System Not Fair; NEP Not Racially Biased!"

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday lashed out at the Penang state government for adopting a fully open tender system as it does not guarantee fairness to those who are financially weak to compete.

He said in principle the proposal by the state government to emphasise on equitability appeared to be good but this would actually result in only those who were financially strong benefiting from the system.

"The transparency, open tender and open bidding approach is certainly good and gives comfort to everyone but we have to remind them that not everything that is said to be equitable is fair. Actually, only the strong and those with financial capacity will derive benefits from it.

"This is our reminder to them because it is our (Barisan Nasional's) responsibility as the opposition party (in Penang) to give our views and we will become an opposition that is active, sensitive and curious about what is happening in Penang. We are not around just to keep the seat warm," he said at a thanksgiving gathering held by the Penang Umno Liaison Body, here Saturday night.

He clarified that the New Economic Policy (NEP) was not merely for the Bumiputeras as it also assisted the Chinese and Indian communities because the policy was not racially biased. He said the NEP was a national approach implemented to eliminate poverty regardless of race, enable equitable distribution to the people including enlarging the Bumiputera Commercial and Industrial Community (BCIC) and ensuring a robust economic growth to be enjoyed by all races.

Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the State Umno Liaison Body, reminded the 11 Umno Assemblymen, who represent the Barisan Nasional (BN), to fight for the cause of all races in the state.

"They have a heavy responsibility not only as the Assemblymen in their constituency but also as the opposition in the State Assembly," he said.

As such, he praised the strategy of the State Umno Liaison Body to give each Assemblyman a responsibility or portfolio to monitor the implementation of state government policies.

At the meeting of the state Umno management committee chaired by Adullah earlier Saturday, it was decided that a 'shadow executive council' would be appointed with each of the Umno assemblymen who won in the recent general election being given portfolios equivalent to the state government executive council.

The Prime Minister also gave an assurance to the people of Penang that the federal government led by the BN would continue to give effective service to the people and fulfil the promises contained in its manifesto.

Also present at the gathering were deputy chairman of the Penang Umno Liaison Body Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Perlis Umno Liaison chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim. (Bernama)

***** Pak Lah is partly correct when he says that the open tender system does not guarantee fairness. However it is a much, much better mechanism than the closed system which was nothing but a corrupt, crony-serving money dispensing machine that Umno used avidly and uninterruptedly for five decades to stay in power and enrich a couple of thousand Malays.

As for the NEP, if it is not racially biased then why is every non-Malay totally against it while many Malays are vehemently objecting to even a watering down of its 'non-racial' policies? One would have thought that a near fatal blow in the last polls would have taught the umnoputeras a lesson in objectivity and honesty, but from Pak Lah's doublespeak it looks like they have yet to learn anything. Consigning Umno to the rubbish bin of history is our best bet.
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