Open Letter to Dr.M

I read this mail in Malaysiakini addressed to Tun Dr.Mahathir, an interesting mail.

Dear Tun Mahathir,

I refer to Tun’s article entitled ‘Walk in the Shoes’ written on the July 20, 2009 on Tun’s website. Allow me to share my opinion with regards to what had been written by Tun.
2. I believe the questioner perceived that non-Malays are feeling very oppressed and disappointed with the “injustice” against them in Malaysia (by a government that is controlled by Malays). The non Malays have strong reasons for feeling very oppressed and disappointed with the injustice towards them in Malaysia. In fact non-Malay bumiputera specifically the Orang Asli and Sabah and Sarawak bumiputeras also share the same feeling as they too were not given the same treatment as the Malays whereas they are the original inhabitants of this country. How many non-Malay bumiputera were accepted into the government sectors and government owned corporations like Petronas?
3. I do not know if this questioner ever asked non-Malay luminaries the same question that is the feeling of Malays as to the state of their ancestors’ country that they have now become a race that relatively speaking are the poorest and still lagging behind.
Tun, the keywords here are ‘the poorest and lagging behind’ and that means irrespective of race, Malay or non-Malay. If aid had been given to those who are deserving and in need without taking into account race, skin colour and religion and it was found that the majority of the deserving poor are Malays, it would have been well received by all. No one will question such a policy. It is only wrong to create a purpose and then systematically misuse a policy to provide priorities to a particular race without taking into account the merit and need. In fact if such a policy is implemented - by taking into account needs and merits in deciding the distribution of aid, the majority of the Malays will automatically receive the benefits.
It has been more than 30 years the NEP has been implemented and there are still many Malays who are poor and lagging behind. Does this not give an indication that the NEP has failed in its implementation and that something drastic needs to be done? The gap between the poor and the rich keeps increasing where wealth is only directed to a group of Chinese, Indian and Malay individuals. When you were in power, you gave many lucrative contracts to your non-Malay friends and some of them went to become among the richest individuals in Malaysia. Why didn’t you give the contracts to Malays back then? If you did, what happened to them?
And by using the argument that the richest individuals in Malaysia are from those who are non- Malays, Tun presumed that it is all right to continue the NEP by giving priority to the Malays and punishing the non-Malays who are poor and lagging behind? Is not the original intention of the NEP to help all who are poor and in need of economic aid regardless of race? Since when has the NEP been exclusively reserved for the Malays only?
Oh yes, is it not according to anthropological and historical studies, that most of the Malays in Malaysia and their ancestors actually originated from Indonesia, Thailand and India? Even from China? So their ancestors’ country is actually not Malaysia, just like mine? For example yourself, Tun.
4. If he were to ask and the luminary answered sincerely, he will find that the Malays are most disappointed with their relative poverty that they are forced to keep asking all the time and also lagged in various fields. Does it mean that with the existence of the NEP for more than 30 years now (almost reaching 40 years actually), the Malays have truly progressed and no longer lagging behind in various fields? Has it ever been pondered that the number of Malays who have progressed and no longer lagged behind had increased is due to the lowering of the yardstick or standard as well as the quota given by the government to enable them to be accepted for participation in specific fields? Is this to be regarded as an achievement to be proud of? Isn’t that self deceiving?
5. They try to convince themselves they are masters in their own country but they know that actually they are not masters. The non-Malays are the true masters. Is it so very important for the Malays or the non-Malays who are all Malaysian citizens to be jostling to be the true masters? Why are Malay Political leaders like Tun so obsessed with the mission to be ‘masters’? Tun was almost correct by saying (only very few) non-Malays are the true masters even after 30 years of the NEP being used to give priorities to the Malays. The question then, how could this happen?
The Malays have been helming the country through Umno. Priority is given to Malays in business, economy, education, job opportunities and etc. through the NEP, yet the ones who become lords are a handful of non Malays? How can this possibly happen? Is that not strange and weird? Whereas those in power are the Malays and policies involving important sectors gave priorities to the Malays?
And Tun, please rectify the misleading statement ‘non-Malays are the true masters’ by adding ‘a few’ in the front. I am a non-Malay and I do not feel at all that I am master.
6. Because they are willing to share their country with other races, the race that originates from much more ancient civilisation (4,000 years old) and who are more successful, today what little that they still have is being removed from them.
Tun, please clarify ‘what little that they still have is being removed from them’. This statement is very confusing and irresponsible. Priorities set aside for the Malays and the Sabah and Sarawak bumiputera are enshrined in the constitution and no one can change or amend those facts except with the power of 2/3 of the parliament. What that is frequently disputed here is the lack of fair treatment and implementation that veered from its real provisions as well as the tendencies of political leaders who attempt to twist existing facts according to their distorted interpretations for their own selfish interests.
7. Think only of the New Economic Policy (NEP). Corporate wealth distribution in the NEP is 30% for bumiputera (even though they are 60% of the population) and 40% for other races as well as 30% for foreigners. But after 39 years of effort, the portion that is with them is only 20%, while the portion that is with the other races is almost 50%, even though they form only 26% of the total population.
Thank you for sharing this statistics, Tun. This clearly proves that, the NEP policy implemented all these years has failed terribly! If it had been implemented regardless of race but looked only at needs, undoubtedly those who will benefit the most would be the Malays as most of them are poor and from them who make up ‘60% of the population’. Why is Tun still tenaciously defending the NEP implementation that has failed and only benefits very few individuals?

In line with Tun’s logic (twisting statistics to support arguments and making it into a believable ‘fact’), I am a third generation inhabitant in Malaysia, just like Tun. Why can’t I obtain the same treatment as that received by Tun? I have no statistics of non-Malay citizens born in Malaysia who are the third, the fourth generation compared to ‘Malays’ who immigrated to Malaysia, lived here for less than 3 generations but received the same treatment as the original inhabitants. For example, Khir Toyo? Syed Hamid Albar? Many foreign citizens in Sabah possess MyKad and the ‘Malay Bumiputera’ status? Statistically (referring to the number of years living in Malaysia), I am definitely more qualified to receive ‘better’ treatment than them, right?
I believe the statement that corporate wealth distribution of 30% for the bumiputeras is not very accurate; instead 30 % for Umnoputra is more accurate. The total membership of Umno is less than two million and this means that this 30% corporate wealth distribution is savoured by Umnoputra – who represent but only 7 % of the Malaysian population. Agree?
Additionally, is it the fault of the non-Malays that they were brought here and multiplied here? Why must the ‘blunder’ done by other people (the British) be borne by the non-Malays, particularly new generations like me? Non-Malays do not have the option but to serve and pledge allegiance to Malaysia and what is requested is fair and equal treatment as has been provided for them in the constitution. That is all, Tun.
Read more: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/109151