YOURSAY 'Under the guise of the NEP, they have taken a disproportionate share of the so-called Malay wealth.'

Umno's role in Malaysia's beggars banquet

DontPlayGod: I totally agree that Umno has played on the fears of the Malays all these decades very well. In fact, Umno has played the racist game extremely well and the Malays fell for it lock, stock, and barrel, to their detriment.

What Umno has told the Malays is that they are totally hopeless and useless without Umno protecting and defending them or holding their hands to guide them.

Now Umno's help is to place the Malays in the much bloated government service. A job that can be carried out by one man, now you will find 10, for the plain reason that the Malays have become choosy and expect free handouts, coupled with the fact that the private sector does not want them with their Umno-made "qualifications".

CKL: Under the guise of the New Economic Policy (NEP), Umno cultivates a plutocracy consisting of cronies and Umno warlords. They take a disproportionate share of the so-called Malay wealth.

That's why we have this beggar phenomenon that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad talks about. Umno is responsible for this. It also entrenched corruption, entitlement and rent-seeking behaviour.

Let's hope the socialist policies of Pakatan Rakyat can spread the wealth to the poor and give them real opportunities. That way we will have a fairer society and break Umno's hold on the rural Malays.

Anonymous #46317055: Islam isn't the problem, it is the greed for power and money that is the problem. Umno and gang have hijacked Islam and made it a tool to control the masses and to bully the non-Muslims.

Umno is the real king, and they have their warlords as in a feudal system to control and threaten the population. They have siphoned off so much wealth I believe an uprising of the peasants ala the French Revolution, is imminent.

Malaysians Are Not Stupid: Umno has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years. It is the only party to have ever held power in Malaysia. Mahathir has been the PM for 22 years. Now he is saying the Malays are beggars in their own country.

Yes, the Malays are to blame because they trusted Umno blindly, for having corrupted leaders like Mahathir and his bunch of clowns who only acted to enrich themselves.

Result - his sons are among the richest in Malaysia. Umno ministers are all multiple millionaires. You judge for yourself who is to blame.

Jean Pierre: In many ways Mahathir is right. It's a fallacy to think that Umno elites looted all the wealth and nothing was done for the common Malay folks.

Far from it. From scholarships to bank loans to business licences to university quotas to job

quotas in government-linked companies (GLCs) and civil service to investment opportunities; they have it all.

So what happened? They are begging for more while having plenty; it's easier that way. I fear even Pakatan can't appease them.

Malays will be the mighty kingmakers and no political entity or policy would be able to subdue the greed. Mahathir is merely guilty of arousing it.

Anonymous_5fb: Just look back at the Baba Nyonya culture. Ask ourselves, why this intermingling could have happened centuries ago and not now.

Ask ourselves, why cross marriages and assimilation happened so naturally then. The answers lies in the Malay culture at that time, where there was no imposition or force on the adoption of faith, way of life and so on.

Unlike now, you must convert into Muslim when you choose to wed a Malay, adopt a Muslim name, become a Malay, etc.

Well, please don't misunderstand me; I don't blame Islam as there is no such forced conversion in Indonesia, which is also the biggest Muslim country.

I don't know why this is so in Malaysia, but I do know Indonesia has no Umno. So, can I say Umno is the mother of all problems? Or is the definition of 'Malay' as per constitution where the problem lies?

Open discussion here please, no offence to anyone.

Swipenter: Mahathir is suffering from an acute dose of inferiority complex but has this unexplainable and uncontrollable urge to dictate and dominate everyone around him.

He does not like the Jews, whites, Chinese and god knows who else. Why is he so careful to hide his heritage but not his religious beliefs?

So he goes about attacking anyone he perceives as better than him or his race (if race can be defined constitutionally). In the end, we have a Mahathir who blames anyone and anything for things that go wrong except himself.

So we see him blaming the Jews, the whites, the Chinese and whatnot but never himself and/or Umno for policies resulting in the ills and problems plaguing the Malay community.

He has failed the Malay masses but has enormously benefitted his family, cronies, friends and the elitist Umno Malays. But his legacies are slowly coming apart right before his eyes.

Antibody: My solution for an integrated Malaysian society is that there must be political will to carry out the integration plan.

I suggest we should look at unifying the various communities not only through the education system but also through business and commercial plans.

There shall be no more Chinese or Malay or Indian wholly owned business entities. All shall have the three major communities input in these business entities. Similarly in public enterprises and government agencies. Any takers?

Chicken Chop: After too long in power, Umno, starting in Mahathir's era, became greedy and took it as an absolute right to do as they wish to distribute the wealth obtained from taxpayers' to their cronies and families.

Despite everybody knowing it was a wrongful act, Malaysians still gave them the vote. So it's the fault of Malaysians, too. They carry the same sin as the corruptor, Umno.

Starr: Mahathir can readily see the specks in the eyes of others but not the wood in his own.

This is how pathetic this man is.

Mahathir used race to get to the highest office in the land, he continues to wield influence using the same old tactics to psych out and bring fear into the minds of the Malays in order to cohere them into returning the Umno. But he conveniently sidetracks the question why the Malays abandoned Umno in the first place.

The new generation of Malays rejects Umno's culture of corruption, cronyism and nepotism which are attributable to the 'greed' factor, the very criticism he levels against the Malays.

If Malays are greedy, it's Umno to blame. If Malays are unmotivated, it's Umno to blame. If Malays are uncompetitive, it's Umno to blame. If Malays are too dependent on government handouts, it's Umno to blame.

In short, Umno has been responsible for the woes of the Malays. To blame the Malays for all their woes is to remain blind to the reality on the ground.

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