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You know what? people like Dr Lim Teck Ghee really earn my respect, standing firm to their integrity.

It is people like Dr Tan that deserves our utmost respect in a country where skins are so thick that reputation is a ringgit a piece. Here it does not matter when one is wrong, as long as one is spinning for the right people in power.
When is the last time one hear of a government front bench politician, a police head, a senior government servant or any of the cronies ever admitting their wrongs and resign as a consequence? I am 50 years old and I have yet to know of one!

One salute to the few good men like Dr Lim Teck Ghee who stand up for their views and integrity.
I'm buiilding atombstone for democratic discourse and place IT in front of Muhyiddin's palace. He has no guts to counter facts and figures, opinions well based wiith equally reasoned debate or arguments. A potential PM just disisses his rival's stduies and findings with one label "Rubbish" and wins the battle.
Malaysia will soon lose its war with such UMNO leaders. God protect us from such of his ilk. ISAmen.

It is a terribly sad day that Dr. Lim has resigned. I’m not surprised. My understanding of him from respected circles is that this is that sort of man, 110% integrity. Wish we could say that of our politicians.

He is highly respected among the Malaysian and international academics. I had the chance to meet and talk to him couple of months back in his office. Humble, engaging, thoughtful, clever and non-confrontational man. He wanted people to think and he was very concern about issues in this country, which is reflected in the direction he took CPP.

Instead of engaging or having a debate about this very important matter, the government just hantam only. The people who wrote this report were highly respected academics working or had worked for international agencies. Why can’t we have a debate and talk or be more transparent about methodologies…….oh sorry no need to answer… just rhetorical….. sigh..

Dr. Lim won’t have problem finding another job. I’m sure there is queue of people waiting to snap him up. The true losers again is Malaysia.

"...conclusions that cannot be vigorously justified." just means it can be justified, but not vigorously, or extensively. The earlier conclusion is not far off from, say, acid test. Further, nothing was mentioned about fundamental flaws, just "shortcomings in assumptions", thus reinforcing the earlier conclusion.

The biggest loser is actually the Malays themselves as all the cronies would have parked their illgotten money outside the country after exiting and reap the commisions. If only the Malays are smart enough to demand that the 30% is spread throughout ALL Malays...........this issue will not arised. Everytime a 30% is given , the crony will take his cuts besar besar first and left the crumbs to the pengikut-pengikut, sure the downline will grumble that the pie is not big enough and create issues to get more but the poor nelayans, farmers will just stay poor and left behind. The riches would or are already on the way out and the ones left have little choice and won't be able to contribute much to develop this nation. MM was right that the Malays will be the ones left behind in globalisation as their so-called saviours in Umno are the ones that let them down. Time will tell. Owning a worthless 100% economy is just like a hell banknote.

What is Ramon Navaratnam and the others who collaborated in the study going to do? Do they accept the position forced on them by UMNO and be labelled as UMNO lapdogs? It is no excuse to say that it is the political reality in Malaysia, because that is saying that their positions or jobs are more important than their principles or intellectual honesty. Do they stand firm with Dr. Lim Teck Ghee? Do they believe in their own work and stand up for it? Or do they accept the label their work is false and is published for partisn political purpose? Which the truth. Is the study a serious study, if so, they should stand by their convictions and principles. If it is a political leaflet, they can stay put, but accept the jibe that they are not men of principles.

sad. very sad. if i were dr lim, i would have resigned too. imagine dr lim, a professional, who put all his heart into the study had those top MPs who are not professional at all or even economic experts, accusing his study as 'rubbish!', 'unreliable!', 'irresponsible'. how would you feel if you are in dr lim's position?

granted even if the gomen disagree with the findings, and a possibility ASLI could be wrong, the gomen should act like matured reasonable adults, as someone mentioned here, to engage in dialogue with ASLI instead of hurling accusation at them.

always it is they who are right and others who are wrong.

sad. so sad. i weep for my country.

Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, I salute you for standing up to what you believe in and not bow down to political pressure that is bend on twisting the facts.

The govt should now make public the research methodology they used to determine bumi equity and let the people decide if they are right or wrong...and please do not tell me the methodology is classified.

Now, my question to all: do we want leaders that are not willing to play fair? Is the rich politicians getting richer?, is there really fair distribution of wealth? Is there truth in the marginalisation of races? Next question is to find out how long the NEP has been full-filled and how long the raayat has been fooled.

MCA, MIC, other component BN parties, any comments? You guys have been awfully quiet. Are you really representing your members?

So far no one from UMNO has challenged ASLI facts and figures with their fact and figures.

All I hear is that ASLI is wrong. Come on..all the Khairis anb AABs and Muhyiddins of thjis country..do justice..give us your figures..or are these people incabable of doing research but bark only.

Blur sotongs......all of them

Integrity is just a word in the dictionary to many. Used unashamedly during votes garnering. How many has the courage to walk the path?

Obviously this man does. Hats off to Dr Lim.

Dr Lim, I salute you !
You are truly a man of integrity.
You walk the talk and standing tall.
Unlike those who 'cakap tak serupa bikin' and always hide under the 'tepurung'.

The UMNO led government has just handed in one good reason why our Malaysian intelects who are presently abroad should continue staying abroad! All the cock talk about bringing them back to the country is just that..cock talk!

These were the recommendations highlighted by ASLI which unfortunately has to be retracted. There will be no progress if we fail to have productive discussions and intellectual discourses.

1.Enterprises owned by the GLCs must be managed by competent professionals with expertise in the business of the company under their charge. Senior management positions cannot be determined on the basis of ethnic background.

2.The government should cease allocating equity to individual Bumiputra during IPOs, unless a mechanism can be introduced to ensure that the beneficiaries play a prominent role in the management of these companies. The allocation of shares to Bumiputras before IPOs tend to promote Ali-Baba relationships that only serve to undermine investor confidence and foster ill-will.

3.Bumiputra trust agencies, such as the ASN and ASB, should be the primary beneficiaries of IPOs allocated to this community. At the same time, there should be equal determination by the Government to increase the share participation of the Indian and East Malaysian Bumiputra communities through similar community-based trust agencies.

4.Government initiatives to promote enterprise development on the basis of affirmative action will undermine entrepreneurial endeavours, which have emerged primarily among SMEs, without state support. The government should focus its attention on promoting key economic sectors and SMEs as a means to develop Malaysia’s economic potential. The government should particularly tap into the potential of the new middle class to create thriving enterprises and find means to support such endeavours.

5.Affirmative action and the promotion of Malay-owned businesses have created serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages whiled also hindering the creation of a competitive economic environment. The government should not continue with the continued promotion of such policies.

6.In calculating the respective ethnic shares of the corporate equity, there is a need to apportion the share of GLCs as well as nominee companies according to the ethnic composition of the country. This will provide a fairer and more objective composition of the respective ethnic shares as compared with the current methodology.

7.Government policies to enhance Malay Bumiputra and other ethnic minority participation in commerce and industry are better achieved through capacity building efforts such as investment in human resource development and skills training rather than through forced equity restructuring.

these are just some of the examples that causing malaysia's brain drain.

I pity malaysia.

Using his own logic which questions the ethnicity of those involved in the study, it would appear that all government data/studies (and his too) cannot be taken seriously because they are undertaken by a Malay bureaucracy or academics to promote a particular Malay agenda.

Change the word "Malay" here to "UMNO".

I feel UMNO does not deserve to use the name "Malay" !

Let's do some Maths:

ASLI's claim - UMNO's claim = Remaining figure.

45% - 18.9% = 26.1%

It is just that UMNO cannot explain where the 26.1% went... Has it really gone to the bumiputra or non-bumiputra? I would say no..

Go and take a guess on where it went.

when a married man is sus pected by wife of having an affair, deny, deny, deny.
That is what Umno is doing.
But this question of Bumi equity cannot be resolved until the actual definition of bumiputra is agreed upon. We now have migrants from other countries such as Indian subcontinent(mahathir)/arab states(Syed Mokhtar)/Indonesia (Khir toyo) who embrace malay culture are claimed to be bumis while those born and bred in Malaysia for countless generations who did not embrace malay culture are considered non-bumi.

Dr Lim Teck Ghee, you definitely have respect from many wise people.

Your sacrifice is indeed exemplary for safeguarding the principle of integrity. Best wishes.

My appologies! It should be Dr Lim not Dr Tan!

Now that I have acknowledged my error, do I need to resign? :)

Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, I salute you for your courage to stand up against an avalanche of criticism from the ruling party. In the first place, the NEP has been concieved to ensure that there is fair distribution of wealth with the ultimate objective of national unity in mind. The other prong is to eradicate pverty irrespective of race. This second prong has been forgotten since the NEP was concieved in 1971. The emphasis has always been on ethnic share of the economic wealth of the country. After almost 50 years of independence and some 30 over years of the NEP, we are told that the Bumiputra community managed to have only 18'9% of the equity of the wealth of this country. Can you really believe it? Give it another 50 years, the same argument will be forwarded, because, it is a never ending story,,,it is easy money and once equity is given, it is turned into cash and this being the case, it will always remain stagnant. Of course, when people like Dr. Lim and associates pointing out the flaws oif the policy, next we hear is "rubbish". The real ' rubbish' are those who buried their heads in the sand and refused to see the actual happenings. We are 'threatened" with the holocaust of the "May 13th" incident recurring. If the methodology of calculation is what it claimed to be to state that it is only 18.9%, then let it be made known. The reality is ugly. Statistics are man made and can be turned anywhere one wants to! Set the target figure and then work backwards to justify the under achievement. I remember the Mid-term Review of the Third Malaysia Plan, where the late Tun Tan pointed out to the late Tun Razak that the figures when added together either do not make the 100% or exceeded the 100% and this prompted the late Tun Razak to call all his top officials in the EPU to have a meeting where he lectured them on accuracy, so that the government would not be embarassed. One or two of the senior officials are still alive whilst a couple of them have left us completely. Transparency must be shown in a sensitive matter like this. Because you may say what you want and whether the rakyat will believe it or not!

Dr. Lim, never mind the criticsm on the good work done. History will bear out and you will definitely have the last laugh without forgetting that we are now living in a globalized world!

It seems every day pass, more and more lies is flooding the street. Worst, such diversion do nothing good to the country besides for politikus gains.

This trend will not change until overall Malaysian realise the country resources can no longer sustain politikus exploitations.

The crucial oil depletion has start from year 2005 but the news is rarely noticed by the people.

According to the latest world oil export projection, Malaysia will stop being oil exporter in year 2020. You can check the URL here
http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/10/5/215316/408

If the policies maker refuse to abolish the anti-competitiven/anti-efficiency policies such as NEP, there will be little luck for the country to avoid economy crisis in next ten year.

iimigration is a clear sign of problems in an area. animals migrate when it is winter.

so many malaysians are already thinking of immigrating...

discussions of immigration for the future generations and the need to be equipped to immigrate is common and taken seriously by more and more ...

just the reality of life i guess ... one can always vote with one's feet ...

SIL/Datuk/Tan Sri/ Cronnies/ Umno Putras: "Look at all these bloggers. They can talk all they want, bash us all they can, but we are filthy rich, and you guys have nothing and nobody, suckers! With the whole system is in the "game", you guys don't even have a chance for a proper/fair law sue.. SUCKERS!"

This is basically the mind set of our current "Politician". No amount of begging, screaming, yelling, humuliating will make them change. We need to vote them out on the next election. I will re-register my address from my hometown to KL where I can vote for DAP or even Keadilan.

what is happening ? truth cannot be told, is our nation going the way africa has gone. the weakness is showing up..whither are we bound

Think-tanks should be allowed to think, not tank.

Dr Lim's heroic gesture to defend Asli's findings torpedoes Umno's reputation once and for all. In fact, Umno's standard reaction to deny and rubbish the findings without even a rebuttal of substance exposes their under-handedness in this whole matter. Deny, obfuscate, threaten. What else is new in their modus operandi?

It remains for one to ask - if the NEP is to eradicate poverty by spreading wealth irrespective of race, then why is there a yawning gap between the rich and poor malays, apart from the increasing cohorts of poor indians and chinese?

One asks further - if the NEP is predicated on the special position of 'bumiputras', then why are the indigenous natives not as wealthy as the malays by now? In fact, if you have a term 'indigenous natives', wouldn't that mean the malays are not indigenous, in which case they're also immigrants? And since they're also immgirants, wouldn't then their right to bumiputra status also be the same right that must be enjoyed by other immigrants, all the more now so when the descendants of those immigrants are nowadays born in the same maternity wards as the descendants of the malays who had agreed to the social compact?

The NEP has been hijacked by Umno elites and cronies to bamboozle everyone else - the rural and urban poor malays, the chinese, the indians and the indigenous natives.

How else can one explain why permanent residency and citizenship status can be conferred on immigrants from indonesia so exclusively that one can only suspect they want to increase malay stock in order to perpetuate some form of malay supremacy in order to protect their political interest?

How else can one explain why they insist on par-value as the basis? If the NEP is about poverty reduction, then it's about wealth creation, so how does holding shares at par value make for more wealth than holding shares at market-capitalized value?

How else can one explain why the present PM can find it in him to say the GLCs cannot be included because their wealth returns to the government to be distributed? Hello there, that's tax collection from enterprises so why should it be any different? And the last one checks, those GLCs are bleeding big time because their so-called assets and wealth have been fleeced by NEP-inserted bumiputras, leaving mountains of debts to be bailed out using taxes collected from everyone.

The day is long gone for Umno to pretend as hero of the malays; malays whose eyes are open have seen through the game; the game's up; the cronies are grasping at straws; the people already know. You can't continue to throw into the path your definitions of nationalism, malay-ism and special rights. They're irrelevant in this global world. In fact the NEP is to Umno what Proton was to Malaysia ; the project started with good intentions, then got screwed up with bad management and supplies, now it bleeds and awaits bailout. Who is going to bail out Malaysia, let me ask you?

From the comfort of their armchairs in Perth, under the soft light of their private swiss bank vaults, shopping in the oxford streets of the world, they may think they've arrived but how clear will their conscience be when the country collapses under its own weight of denials, debts and dimwittedness?

Dr Lim sacrificed a high position in New York to return and serve his country; few can hold a candle to that. That this country returns his compliment in such a nefarious manner, as it has done so many times with others before, reflects the real condition we're all in. Draw your own final conclusions.

And good luck ahead, Dr Lim.

All these are moving targets aka shifting of goal poles and what not. All these are common nonsensical act of the present crop of BN politicians who still love to dominate and suppress. When they realise that the research reports and recommendations might just affect their current sources of easy money from automatic allocation IPO shares without hard work, APs aka better than currency printing, etc, the politicians concerned are lighting quick to rubbish them all.

Can not really blame them…. They are doing their job and that is their life. And their life is basically got stuck in the vicious cycles of big money politics and big money politicking, not to mention the absolutely serious and BIG money gambling too in fancy places like London, cruises, etc.

Ask them about the noble objectives of NEP, NDP, I think the ordinary folks know much more than them. When the election comes, I think this time we know who to vote….

"..We need to vote them out on the next election. I will re-register my address from my hometown to KL where I can vote for DAP or even Keadilan".

I am with you but can anyone show me where to register? Also, I really don't feel the opposition is doing enough to get new voters into the party. There are alot of us who are NOT voters now but would really like to vote in the next election....just show us how. We are fed up with what's going on...lies and more cover ups. BTW, this is the time when you don;t get to see the MCA and MIC guys when you need them most.

"The government needs to move on. What we need is to foster inter-ethnic partnerships based on competitiveness and merit,"

Sounds good to me. Someone should put him in parliment.

Good write up Neil.
Let's try to send this link to as many people as possible. We need to let as many people know about the denials and injustice that is going on. Not many is aware of this site.

Good write up Neil.
Let's try to send this link to as many people as possible. We need to let as many people know about the denials and injustice that is going on. Not many is aware of this site. The future of your children and that of their children depends on us doing the right thing today....vote for able people to protect fairness and genuine intentions of truly building a harmonious society. We just cannot keep quiet and let others fight for us and pretend all will be well.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/58035

Khairy to Asli: Damage done
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Oct 11, 06 3:26pm
Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaluddin said the think-tank should be more careful in exploring race-based issues.

Business Times - 09 Oct 2006

MALAYSIA INSIGHT
A lack of openness is driving investors away

One example is the reluctance in discussing the extent of NEP's success

By PAULINE NG
KL CORRESPONDENT

FOR years now, Malaysia's market players have racked their brains for remedies for its slumping stock exchange. Last week, when the Dow Jones set new all-time highs, Bursa Malaysia 's pulse flickered briefly, a six-and-a-half year peak barely raising any interest.

Although the country has gradually rolled back capital controls which in 1998 made it a pariah in the international community, there has been close to zero interest in the Malaysian market, except for very brief periods of large foreign buying or hedge fund activity - which is strange, given that Malaysia's economic growth has been reasonably impressive and its reserves solid, courtesy of surging oil and commodity prices and strong exports.

Somewhat belatedly, the regulatory authorities are trying to inject confidence into the market. It is, for example, attempting to clean up bad public listed companies (PLCs) and ensuring only quality share offerings get listed after the disastrous late 1990s implementation of the disclosure-based system and the notion of caveat emptor. Many retailers have gone to the extent of closing their trading accounts.

Surveillance of PLCs has been stepped up, and the Securities Commission recently warned them 'to perform to stay listed'. On its part, Bursa has made it easier for foreign investors and introduced new products. But nothing seems to excite the market. Even the proposed reintroduction of securities lending and regulated short-selling (RSS) for some 40-odd companies this month is expected to meet with muted enthusiasm. Already, a foreign stockbroking firm has noted it was too cumbersome to be effective.

The nod for dual listings on the local bourse also seems ironic now in view of an increasing trend by controlling shareholders to take their companies private and delist them in order to relist on other regional bourses. After enduring years of poor single-digit valuations in the Malaysian market, controlling shareholders are looking at other options. Often this means looking abroad.

More the pity then for the Malaysian exchange, for there are good undervalued companies that deserve a second look. However, as much as regulators can do their utmost to ensure PLCs abide by corporate governance rules or to drum into entities the principles of corporate social responsibility, it appears all too hollow given the corresponding lack of transparency or accountability at the municipal, state or national levels. This in spite of the many, many glaring examples of mismanagement.

What are foreign investors to think? And what are they to make of the political stand-off between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his former boss Mahathir Mohamad, which shows little sign of ending? Or the current controversy surrounding Malaysia's over-three-decade-old affirmative action policy which favours bumiputras or indigenous Malaysians who are mainly Malays?

A report on the New Economic Policy (NEP) by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) Centre for Public Policy Studies has concluded that bumiputras actually own closer to 45 per cent of Malaysian corporate equity - or more than double the government's figure of 19 per cent.

There are significant implications should Asli's figures be accurate, since the continuation of the national policy is based on the premise that the stated objective of ensuring bumiputras hold a third of the country's wealth has not been achieved.

Both Asli and the government use different methodology and mechanisms to reach their conclusions. Already, the top leadership has dismissed the think tank's report as inaccurate, irresponsible and liable to incite anger - in other words, the less said the better.

But don't expect the debate to end. It will continue to be discussed - if not openly in mainstream media - in homes, offices, coffee-shops and online. As Malaysia continues to argue the pros and cons of extending the NEP indefinitely, refusing to address larger and more pressing issues, investors - local and foreign - will continue to head for greener pastures. And Malaysia's competitors will undoubtedly pull even further ahead.

Jeff,
Would you like to consider my alternative views about the issue? http://muhdkamil.net/mystory

Business Times - 10 Oct 2006

Furore over statistics of Malay stakes

Claim that NEP target long crossed angers many

By S JAYASANKARAN
IN KUALA LUMPUR

AN acrimonious debate has broken out in Malaysia over a think tank's claim that the ethnic Malay share of corporate equity had reached 45 per cent by September 2005.

The claim is controversial because since 1971, Kuala Lumpur has always pushed for Malays to own at least 30 per cent of the country's corporate equity. The current figure, according to the government, is 18.9 per cent. But the think tank, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, or Asli, asserted that that target had not only been met but surpassed by a fair bit.

The ruckus goes to the heart of the New Economic Policy (NEP), Malaysia's overriding economic ideology for 35 years. The policy, originally intended to expire in 1990, has been extended to 2020 and seeks to bridge the economic disparities between Malaysia's ethnic Malays and their richer non-Malay fellow-countrymen by using affirmative action to favour the majority Malays.

The original aims of the NEP which was promulgated after race riots in 1969 were never disputed: the elimination of poverty irrespective of race, and the restructuring of society so that no race would be identified with a specific economic function.

Over the years, however, the policy's central feature has become one of restructuring, specifically the ethnic-Malay wealth-ownership targets which the government set at 30 per cent in 1971. For those purposes, the government defined ''wealth' as the ownership of share capital of all limited companies - at par value. The government figures have always been disputed. In the late 1980s, Fong Chan Onn - then an economics professor at University Malaya, now a full Cabinet minister - came to the same conclusions as Asli has, using ownership on the KL bourse as a benchmark.

In any case, Asli's claims, like Mr Fong's previously, were dismissed out of hand. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi described them as 'inaccurate'. Agriculture Minister and vice-president of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) Mohyiddin Yassin called them 'rubbish' and demanded an apology.

Asli's claim stemmed from an inspection of ownership based on market capitalisation of all companies on the stock exchange. The government's figures, however, come from a round-up of the shares at par value of all companies - including listed ones - registered by the Companies Commission.

The government's methodology has always been criticised by economists as flawed; shares at par value hardly constitute value as even bankrupt companies, or those with negative asset value, can have share capital. It also implies that a RM1 share in an ethnic Malay private company, for example, would have the same value as, say, one share in gaming conglomerate Genting, which is valued by the market at around RM25.

But Asli went one step further and classified 70 per cent of the ownership of government-linked corporations (GLCs) like Tenaga Nasional and Telekom Malaysia as Malay. It isn't clear how Asli arrived at the figure but so-called Malay ownership of GLCs is a common non-Malay perception: at least 85-90 per cent of the companies' staff are Malay, while a big portion of its contracts have to be given out to Malay firms. For its part, the government does not ascribe any ethnicity to its GLC shares.

It's all very mystifying for non-Malaysians. 'What strikes me as surprising are all these old stories,' said Manu Bhaskaran, the Singapore-based partner of US consultancy Centennial. 'The world is moving on and talking about globalisation, of attracting the best talent - and Malaysia is still obsessing about the ethnic division of spoils.'

It's good to know that there's a valid argument in regards to the semantic value of 'THE NUMBER'. I always wonder how in the world they get the magical 18% value. There's no transparency in the research and studies leading to that number. What are the variables, companies, research criterias being use? What are the base values and assumptions? I would like to see more research on this topic.

And it somewhat puzzles my partially retarded mind on why some people dont seem to be too happy about the increase number of Bumiputra's equity of national wealth? I mean that can only prove one thing - that NEP works! Wohoo. Oh wait....

mki,

Let me take your calculation as true. So it's 38%, where do we go from here?

Dear 3rdGen,
We should consider whether the (GLC) 70% attributes to Bumiputera is a valid and reliable %. The GLC factor is the only variable which contribute to the diff between 20% and 38%.

Dr Tan has wisely and courageously chosen to make a stand.

He not only declared that "It is the fundamental right of the Malaysian public to question all government statistics and policies, more so when these are not transparent or defensible", but underlined his statement boldly by means of his resignation.

While Mirzan chose to bend, Dr Tan stood firm.

But what saddens me greatly was Pak Lah calling the ASLI findings on bumi equity stake "baseless". Has he been fairly and accurately advised on the matter? Has he himslef checked on some of the facts in the ASLI report?

I am concerned that the PM may not have been accurately and fairly informed before he made that "baseless" comment.

How accurate is Kit Siang's assessment of the retraction, which he termed as a "triumph of brawn over brain"?

If he is correct, then what good does strong-arm tactics to force statistics to be massaged do? Would that be tantamount to ostrich-like burying of heads in sand? Or pulling of wool over some eyes?

But the figures are in the public records. And an impartial analysis of the facts will reveal the truth.

There was a letter, "Anwar was no different from those in Umno" from "Saifulbahri Kamaruddin" published on Malaysiakini today (11 October).
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/58041

Part of it read:

I was a journalist in the mainstream media for over 20 years, and very often I covered Anwar's functions, especially involving Umno, its youth wing and Abim (Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia). I had never heard of one speak with so much disdain of the Chinese before. We, the journalists, knew that Anwar was trying to be all things to all people, so when he addressed 'kampung' people with a skewed view of inter-communal affairs, he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

The reporters would duly file their stories to the editors, who then would mangle the reports to make Anwar look good, even if that meant less accuracy. Yes, indeed - Anwar appointed most of the editors in the mainstream media, and he certainly did not mince his words when it came to relations with Singapore or the ethnic Chinese. At one Umno youth rally in 1987, he ranted and raved, urging Chinese Malaysians to 'go back to China' if they were not happy in Malaysia. But, of course, that was not published for fear of damaging his image.

(end excerpt)

Are other politcians also trying to go around telling folks what they want to hear?

I regret voting for the BN in the last general election. All the component parties are race-based or race-b[i]ased. I reckon it's about time someone set up a 'No2BN' campaign via the internet. eg. www.no2bn.com - 1001 reasons why we should not vote BN! Let me know if anyone out there is interested.

For the UMNO elites to continue receiving their "pocket" money, I bet you that at the next UMNO General Meeting, someone is going to announce that the bumi stake has dropped from 18.9% to, say, 13% and everyone shouts in unison, "We must keep the NEP!!!" Asked to explain their computation of the 13%, they would say, "Not possible - OSA".

And talking about being a bumi, let's look at all our prime ministers for a start -
1. Tunku Abdul Rahman (Thai blood)
2. Tun Abdul Razak (Bugis blood)
3. Tun Hussein Onn (correct me if I am wrong, a tinge of English blood?)
4. Tun Mahathir (Indian blood); and
5. Datuk Abdullah Badawi (Chinese blood and from the spouse side, Japanese blood).

Need I to say more?

kmi,

Agree. I think 70% is a fair figure. Further, NEP is a good policy if we truly practise what's the original intention inked by our previous leaders. It is not sustainable the way it's being implemented. Malaysia will be a third country if not because of our petroleum. Use the best talent we have and let's defend our country. Don't marginalise us as we're in the same boat. In 5-10 years, we'll be swapped by China and India companies, product and even mega buyovers from them. Unless we want to shut ourselves out of this world then use the best and defend our tanahair. Asli's show the percentage figure but more importantly it tells the truth on how to sustain NEP without further erasing Malaysia from the world map. I can live with the original NEP but not the one used by greedy people to get more money.

Bravo! Dr. Lim.
Malaysia must say thanks to you for your stand firm on the principal on questioning the figure release by the government.
That nothing wrong on query the statistic if the ways of calculation is not transparent....

I fell suprise why MCA dead silence on this issue.. Are they totally agreed on what the UMNO putra accuse on ASLI report?
Why the government didnt make a hhuuha when receiving the report on february this year.

...so to keep the % below 30%, the government will send Khazanah out to by up the companies and they will be placed under GLC. At this rate, it will always be under 30%. Am I right or wrong?

I’ve read the summary of ASLI’s report (coz still need sometime to read all of it..5 articles right) and from my opinion IT IS NOT RUBBISH! It is reasonable and show the reality of our country, so why make a big fuss about it? By the way..did our MP’s read the report? I don’t think so. To our MP’s please read it before make you comment. To Dr. Lim, bravo for your good effort and your stand, now i'm putting you as one of my idol.. ;)

I’ve read the summary of ASLI’s report (coz still need sometime to read all of it..5 articles right) and from my opinion IT IS NOT RUBBISH! It is reasonable and show the reality of our country, so why make a big fuss about it? By the way..did our MP’s read the report? I don’t think so. To our MP’s please read it before making any comments. To Dr. Lim, bravo for your good effort and your stand, now i'm putting you as one of my idol.. ;)

I still don't get it. Those who defended ASLI's study, please answer this question? SINCE WHEN DOES THE COMPANIES IN THE STOCKMARKET REPRESENT ALL (I REPEAT: ALL) COMPANIES IN MALAYSIA? HOW ABOUT MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT LISTED, HOW ABOUT THOSE SMALL FAMILY BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT EVEN INCORPORATED?

Anyone out there who happens to be a Manchu so that he can tell us of his Syndrome???........guess not ...back to the Page 3 girls on the sun newspaper online.....

I thought the government should be very happy because NEP has achieved the goal up to 45%. It becomes the only policy I can think of that is successful. Wonder why they deny this, sounds fishy

Yes I agree with nukethem, they should include all RM2 companies with million ringgit deal, one such is cigarette/alcohol labelling business.

Hi caribenar and MyLan,

It is a pleasing thing to know that you are willing to change an incompetent government.

However, I have a question to ask you, in the event your place consists of only 2 candidates, UMNO and PAS, who would you vote?

I am not asking this for fun, as I personally believe this reality is very true as Keadilan may not have enough to cover many areas.

Regards...

ok, you cant defend nonsense.

Take the allocation of 30% quota upon listing for example. All listed companies are required to allocated 30% to bumiputra or they dont list.

Which means bumi must have at least 30% ALLOCATED throughout. Whats this nonsense about holding 18.9%?

Add that to the GLC capitalisation, which is about 50% of the Market (Look the their board and you will know who the govt. favor, and who they held it for) and other individual and corporate shareholding. Dont you think it may even surpass the 45% quoted by ASLI?

I think together with GLC++, it is near to 75% and above, including those allocated and sold for a profit.

Do you think this policy of "gimme 30% of your company" or "gimme 30% of your money" or "else you dont list" should continue?

Look at our exchange and its policies, and you know why its in dire straits now. And they try all sorts of trick to make it work (eg: short selling etc) but not the 30% rule.

I was told by my merchant banker fren, once a big swiss company approach them for listing. Once they learn about the 30% thing, they left his office in a hurry.

My conservation above proved what SFX said in another article perfectly. That all the quotas gonna kill us in the long run.

We will sink as one soon.

Actually I was surprised it took so long for this Asli report to appear. More than 10 years ago I met a financial consultant who worked as a part time lecturer in MU before & he told me a story. He said a MU professor done a research & concluded that at that time the 30% had already been met. The professor was about to give a seminar to talk about the result of the research. If I remember correctly MCA people were to assist in the organsing of the seminar but then again news went to some very important policies makers & the professor & the consultant who assisted in doing part of the research & some other relevant people were all visited by the SB people & so the seminar was aborted. I believe bit of the news regarding the research were reported in the Nanyang Press at that time, of cause there were no mention of the SB visit then !

Actually I was surprised it took so long for this Asli report to appear. More than 10 years ago I met a financial consultant who worked as a part time lecturer in MU before & he told me a story. He said a MU professor done a research & concluded that at that time the 30% had already been met. The professor was about to give a seminar to talk about the result of the research. If I remember correctly MCA people were to assist in the organsing of the seminar but then again news went to some very important policies makers & the professor & the consultant who assisted in doing part of the research & some other relevant people were all visited by the SB people & so the seminar was aborted. I believe bit of the news regarding the research were reported in the Nanyang Press at that time, of cause there were no mention of the SB visit then !