Save Resources for the Nation

For the past five decades, the UMNO/BN Government have not been prudent in the utilisation of the country's resources. Much of these resources have been squandered on mega projects that do not benefit the masses. Instead they went into pockets of the few UMNO cronies through privatised companies or government linked companies.

There is no reason why our country should trail behind Singapore, Taiwan or South Korea in terms of social economic development if and if only the financial resources were spent on useful and productivity improvement projects.

One serious problem that plagues the country is the discriminatory wealth-sharing policy of Malaysia called NEP - New Economic Policy. This policy was introduced after the racial riot in 1969. This policy was nobly aimed at eradicating poverty of the people regardless of race and creed but somehow it was implemented with much prejudice against the non-Malays. Scholarships were mostly granted to the Malays even though they did not secure good results in the SPM or at matriculation level. Besides, jobs were mostly offered to the Malays in the civil service, military and para-military and the police forces.

Many of the non-Malay childrens have to go overseas to pursue their tertiary education on their fathers' scholarships as they could not get into the local universites to pursue courses of their choices. This has caused a serious brain and financial drain from the country during the past three decades. Many of the Malay scholars are also reluctant to return to Malaysia upon completion of their studies abroad of various reasons.

The Government relies heavily on three financial sources namely, Employees Provident Fund, Petronas and Revenue Department.

Many if not most of the GLCs are not performing and they rely on the Government perenially for fresh fund injection almost every year. If at all they make money, it is siphoned out. Known cases in point are Sime Darby, FELDA, Golden Hope, MAS etc.

At the time of writing, it is learned that the privatized water concessionaire is running into serious cash flow problem and may require a financial bail-out from the Federal Government.

Recently it was reported that The Higher Education Scholarship Fund, PTPTN, may face or is likely face with a mind-boggling deficit amounting ot RM46bn by the end of the 11th Malaysia Plan ending 2016. Besides RM23 million were loaned out to "ghostly" students. The Government of the day will have to account for this loss and the deficit. It has been lumbered perienially with non-performing students' debts.

I can only sum up PTPTN's case with just a four-word phrase - "Highly Incompetent and Inefficient" For a trial and change, let the whole management be partially replaced by qualified non-malays. I am sure, this sorry state of affairs will be reduced significantly in the years ahead.

One can easily surmise that the Ketuanan Melayu policy has failed miserably in the area of social-economic development and if allowed to persist, it will drag down the progress of the other ethnic groups.

Of late, our PM announced in his budget speech that he intended to introduce the ETP - Economic Transformation Plan In connection therewith in an efort to elevate the income of the masses, five mega projects were propsed - a 100-storeyed high rise buidling and four super-duper highways! As I pointed out, these projects will benefit the foreign workers more. It has been estimated that no less than 25,000 aliens will be brought into the country from Indonesia, Bangladesh and neighbouring countires to work on these projects. At the end of the day, only a handful of the UMNO cronies will benefit from these five mega projects.

I am most surprised that our former PM, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, endorsed the project! A self-glorifying project that benefits not the masses but only a handful of the umnoputras!

The masses have voiced out vociferously against the multi-storeyed mega project. No less than 200,000 sound-minded citizens have thus far protested and more will be protesting against the white elephant project.

If the proposed four super-duper highways are going to be implemented, then it must be toll-free and not to tax the people any further. They can use the Petronas money to fund the project.

How could not the PM know about this project? He announced it in the Parliament and moreover he is the Chairman of PNB!

Let us save the money for the rainy day and channel it for human development of the unemployed, upgrading of the standards of local universities and offering more scholarships to all the sons and daughters of Malaysians regardless of race and religion who qualify for entry into them. With output of better qualified human resources in the future, they will be able to contribute and spur the country into an industrialised economy by 2020.

The proposed ETP fails to give expression to how it is going to attain a high income economy. Nor does it mention nor propose any plan to attract and set up high-tech industries into the country. We cannot build up nor enhance the income of the masses if we are going to remain content with the labour intensive or screw-driver industries that are prevailing in the country now.

For a successful 1 Malaysia to be realised, all Malaysians must be treated alike without prejudice by virtue of their ethnic and religious backgrounds. The education system has to be revamped and liberated for children of all races to mix, intergrate and study together. In this way, racial harmony among these leaders of tomorrow is enhanced for the betterment of the country.

Let us criminalise all forms of religious, political and social extremism or bigotry for the sake of the country's survival and prosperity.

United, we will succeed; divided, fall. Let us seriously save for the rainy day and channel our funds to really projects that benefit the masses.