Ways To Misunderstand ICERD

So it turns out that there is this Turkish UN representative who is flabbergasted that Malaysia chose to abstain from ratifying ICERD.

Gün Kut questioned how ICERD could become extremely politicised in Malaysia when it is for the protection of individuals against racial discrimination.

"Racism and racial discrimination is everywhere, so no state, country or government can claim there is no discrimination," he rightly explains. Interestingly, there is plenty of racism in Malaysia, but not even propagated by the Malays, who are the majority race in Malaysia.

Frequently, there are ads in the newspaper saying, "Chinese preferred" and "Indian only".

Gün said Malaysia now found itself facing more pressure than ever because it seemed as if it did not accept non-discrimination.

A lot of the people opposed to ICERD claimed that it violates the position of the Malay sultans and that of Islam. Again, I don't know where that fits in with discrimination or where they got that idea in the first place.

Initially, I thought they were trying to protect their privileges like their allocation for property purchase. But it turns out that they aren't even buying them in the first place.

Their allocation rather substantial, as the requirement in the state is for 40% of all property units to be set aside for Bumiputera (which also include Eurasians, and east Malaysian ethnic minorities). Properties reserved for Bumiputera are also given a 15% discount for units worth RM1 mil and above.

And yet:

According to the National Property Information Centre’s (Napic) Property Overhang Report for the second quarter 2018, there were 40% more unsold new residential units during the first half of 2017 than in the first half of 2016.

The number increased to 29,227 units, valued at RM17.24bil as of June 30, 2018. A year ago, it was 20,876 units, valued at RM12.26 bil.

The other privileges are like the Amanah Saham savings etc, but even those never get filled. As of today, Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1M) for example is "Fully Subscribed for Non-Bumi" but not for Bumiputera.

I don't think the Malays actually understand what ICERD is all about, but they fear losing privilege and being sidelined. Those are legitimate concerns, regardless of where in the world one lives.

The non-Malays are not happy either, because they realise that they are not being recognised for their efforts in nation-building and they aren't being treated fairly. Especially when they wish to buy homes or invest their money but aren't being allowed to do so because of quotas.

Again, not all Malays are the perpetrators, and not all non-Malays are victims. The world isn't a fair place and people's rights frequently get trampled upon.

Both sides have legitimate grouses, but they are never addressed because Malaysians believe that confrontation will lead to conflict and they fear another May 13.

"Gratitude" From East Malaysians

I was born in Kuala Lumpur and lived most of my life there. I confess that people like me do not frequently think about East Malaysia.

Not because we are malicious or have poor opinions of our fellow Malaysians who live across the South China Sea.

No. It's because we lead a completely different lifestyle -- and I had never been to East Malaysia until I hit my early 20s. You need a passport to get into that part of the country, you know. And you have to fly. There's none of that driving down, or hopping on a train or bus.

But there's one thing that East Malaysians need to know; if there's anything you need to know about us Peninsular-dwellers, us people of the Wicked West, it is this: we are in solidarity with you.

And it truly irritates us when the village idiots from West Malaysia patronise East Malaysians by stating that minorities, "should stop making “nonsensical” demands and just be thankful they are recognised as Malaysians".

I honestly have no clue where these people get a sense of entitlement -- to the extent that they feel they are being magnanimous by "allowing" the northern half of Borneo island to be Malaysians!

To begin with, you didn't even ask for it. The generation that accepted the deals enabling Sabah and Sarawak to be part of the union that is Malaysia is probably dead. Long dead.

And given that most inhabitants of Sabah and Sarawak -- from the Chinese to the pribumi -- were born there, who can be considered indigenous anyway? Given the proximity of Sabah and Sarawak to China, I would say that the Chinese were the first ever settlers on the island of Borneo.

But negligible things like solid facts, don't stop the donkey from braying.

"Those who refute Perkasa's role in defending the rights of the indigenous people are the real racists instead.

"All Perkasa wants is for indigenous Sabahans to unite and set aside their religious sentiments and demand their own rights."

He said the indigenous people in Sabah must demand their rights in many fields, such as business and education, adding that Perkasa would continue its efforts to be the catalyst of unity and wanted local ethnic groups to have a strong economic standing in the state.

“They should be getting more than the minority races. They must have control in all commercial areas, including economy and land.

“Sabah is resource-rich, and therefore, its administration must be controlled by locals, unlike in some countries, where up to 80% of business and administration is controlled by minorities.

"Sabahans should never become beggars in their own land.

I really am tired of people deciding who should own what. If you are willing to work hard, you should be able to control the business and the commercial sector.

The basic rule is that you should make it a level playing field, and be inclusive.

For your own good, you should recognise that nurturing the skills of those different from you and avoiding exploitation of any vulnerable group is only in your best interest.

I humbly ask one thing of you East Malaysians: that you unite with us in fighting the bullies and those who seek to disunite us.

The Fools Behind Malaysia Airlines' Downfall

Most of you have probably heard of how Khazanah Nasional has taken Malaysia Airlines private.

They're calling it an overhaul, but you and I know that it's essentially a bailout - using taxpayer funds.

As usual.

I have stated in the past, that a major aspect of Malaysia Airlines loss is due to crony involvement.

The cronyism was well on its way even back in the 1990s, when the Loony Tun and his prodigy Daim Zainuddin were piloting this country into destruction.

For the full story, read this piece: Here Are Insider Reasons Why Malaysia Airlines Bailout Will Not Work.

It's mind-blowing.

The Complacency Factor

One thing I have learned in life is to take everything with a pinch of salt.

I analyse every piece of news that lands on my lap and even mull over the motive behind it.

Naturally, that was what I did when I came across this article from Bloomberg View that questions if Malaysia is Asia's Weakest Link.

For those of you in the know, Michael Bloomberg was a former mayor of New York City who in an attempt to reduce crime in the city, instated rather racist laws like "stop and search" in which black young men were targeted by the police.

I lost my respect for him then. He later attempted to control the in-flow of guns into the city by regulating them, but that earned him the wrath of the National Rifle Association of America (who are a bunch of nutcases themselves).

Anyway, by that time, it was too late, as both the right wing and left wing hated him in possibly equal measures.

Bill de Blasio appears to have done a much better job so far, but I digress.

Back to the article: Oxford Economics apparently ranks Malaysia the "riskiest country in Asia of those we consider," more so than India, Indonesia and even coup-happy Thailand.

Why, you ask.

Malaysia wasn't included in Morgan Stanley's "fragile five" list of shaky emerging economies last year, as were India and Indonesia.

But Fowler scratches at a number of Malaysian vulnerabilities that deserve more attention: external debt levels that in recent years have risen to close to 40 percent of gross domestic product; a higher public debt ratio than India; the biggest short-term capital flows among the 13 major emerging markets Oxford tracks, including Indonesia; and a shrinking current-account surplus.

I really do take many "financial services" corporations very lightly. After all, they are the ones who predict the strength of economies with grave seriousness - until they are proven to be completely wrong!

They then lose huge sums of money and promptly run to their governments for a bail-out of which the tax-payer bears the cost.

Anyway, the article does have some valid points, which is why I brought it up in the first place:

What really concerns Oxford, and myself, is the complacency factor in Putrajaya. Malaysia is effectively a one-party state, having effectively been ruled by the same party for six decades.

Its 40-year-old, pro-Malay affirmative-action program chips away at the country's competitiveness more and more each passing year.

The scheme, which disenfranchises Malaysia's Chinese and Indian minorities, is a productivity and innovation killer. It also has a corrupting influence on the political and business culture.

"A climate of entitlement amongst the Malay community limits entrepreneurialism and vested interests within the United Malays National Organization still resist change," Fowler argues.

Read the rest of the article on the web.

A Victim Of Popularity

Poor Ibrahim Ali.

All he wants is to be a nice, quiet, unassuming freedom-fighter cum human rights activist.

But he's misunderstood.

Unloved.

Criticised.

Even heckled by those who are less willing to suffer fools gladly. In short, he's a victim of popularity.

How distressful it must be, to be so .... popular. Especially when one is defending Malay rights, as per the Constitution.

We all know how downtrodden the Malays are, and how Ketuanan Melayu is taking a backseat to significantly less important matters like the economy, for example.

The very nerve of Malaysian citizens to neglect their priorities.

But not Ibrahim Ali.

With renewed strength and fortitude, he plows on, like an impotent but well-trained kerbau in the sprawling padi fields of Kedah.

Affirmative Action: Bad for growth?

You and I know that on the issue of the NEP, Najib is merely lubricating his jaws with saliva.

But here are some thoughts on the issue of affirmative action, which is a huge portion of what the failed NEP was all about.

Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Razak, is in the process of overhauling what is likely the world's most extensive and intensive affirmative action program, called the New Economic Policy, or NEP.

First instituted in the early 1970s, the NEP was designed to expand the role of the impoverished Malay community in the national economy. The Malays represent the majority of the population, but back when the NEP was launched, Chinese immigrants and foreign firms owned the vast majority of the country's assets.

To fix that, the Malay-dominated government adopted all kinds of rules and regulations that gave special perquisites to Malays. Malay-owned companies received preferential treatment when bidding for state contracts, for example, while the government mandated Malay investors receive 30% of initial public offerings on the local stock market. It was an amazing experiment in social reconstruction.

Read the rest of it HERE