“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”

- William Faulkner

COMMENT | Writing of the 12th Malaysia plan, P Ramasamy, one of the few truth speakers in Pakatan Harapan, asked: “Will there be pressure on the part of the Harapan opposition to ensure that the 12MP will not be a repeat of earlier plans?”

While I understand the need to ask this question, it is an unfair question to ask, because as we know, Harapan has always chased the same political high when it comes to the bumiputera question, not to mention the system of governance as BN/PN. To understand this, it is best to revisit Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong’s piece here.

But really, I have no idea what the real situation of the bumiputera is. I doubt anyone does. I know for a fact that the Orang Asal of this country have a raw deal when it comes to participation and equity but really, their issues are the last thing that the mainstream political class and polity care about.

Nobody really knows beyond a scattering of data points quoted by supporters and detractors, because you cannot have an honest conversation about race in this country.

We know there have been Umno ministers who...