YOURSAY | ‘Their multi-billions would have gone a long way for the poor.’

Want to save Malays? Give 50pct profits, Anwar tells tycoons

Fair&Unbiased: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is spot on when he took a swipe at tycoons who want to uphold Malay rights but instead enrich themselves and their families. Their multi-billions would have gone a long way for the poor.

The one vote which we cast during election day seals our fate. On each election day, I have always cast my vote with a fervent wish that our country will finally be helmed by politicians who truly believe in the well-being of the people.

Election sweet talk of goodies for civil servants, "free money" for the poor and so many other promises are spewed without care that our national coffers are completely drained and cannot afford them. Once voted in, we can see the true colours emerge.

One-sided multi-billion projects are awarded to cronies of those who walk the corridors of power and we, the citizens, are milked dry all over again. The amount and degree of corruption behind closed doors make me sick to my stomach.

Yet, time and again, they get voted in and we lament our daily lives as they continue to plunder our country.

We got our best shot when the government finally changed hands. Many of us fell to our knees and cried tears of joy.

Our euphoria was short-lived, because little did we realise that a dark and ominous evil was about to strike.

Moving forward, we can see the desperation in those guilty ones who have relished the enrichment of their pockets, grasping at straws to hopefully stay alive.

Mazilamani: These so-called rich have become prosperous under the New Economic Policy (NEP) and, of course, others in power looted the nation's wealth.

Former leaders have accumulated so much wealth that it would serve their families for generations to come.

So yes, why not these politicians and tycoons share part of their accumulated wealth and annual business profits to uplift the Malays to a better level?

It is no use for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Putra president Ibrahim Ali to talk about ‘political proclamation’ to persuade Malays to change the government.

Have they identified an honest and dedicated next set of political and industrial leaders to address the Malay economic challenges?

To them, the proclamation is a direct instigation for Malays to replace the present government with mediocre, weak and corrupt leaders beholden to protect their wealth and families.

Anyway, how many proclamations has Mahathir initiated since becoming the prime minister in 1981? All his policies have failed.

MS: Facts, as always, may help make the case about the multi-billionaires who attained their untouchable, god-like status through politics.

I say "may" because it could take more than facts to convince the genuflecting hoi polloi that the leaders they worship and whose grubby hands they stoop to kiss spent decades helping themselves while bleating about their poor brethren.

For starters, their income and asset declarations (assuming they did declare truthfully) will shed some light on their eye-watering wealth when compared to those they claim to represent.

A lot will also be revealed if there is a focus on their present lifestyles - their palatial dwellings here and elsewhere, the vehicles they own or claim to be gifts, their holdings through proxies and, yes, their horses, their yachts, their planes and their favourite holiday destinations.

So, get the facts and expose them to sunlight... which they say is the best disinfectant for a disease which has all but crippled the country.

Sweet Caroline: They made their millions through the Umno-tycoons nexus promoted by the NEP, which was promulgated as a means to uplift the whole race, not the five percent or below which amassed massive wealth.

There have been many research projects and reports/books published in the past 10 years detailing some of the obscene schemes and special contracts given out and which were still given out until last year.

Very importantly, there are still many contracts still running their course which were awarded by the pre-14th general election administration. It takes time to weed out “the civil servants who served two masters”.

XED: African American academician Thomas Sowell has long been against affirmative action in America. His book ‘Affirmative Action Around The World’ has a chapter on Malaysia.

Some of his points:

1. A privileged group grows rapidly.

2. A sub-group within the privileged group takes the lion’s share for itself.

3. The will to achieve amongst the non-privileged group gets held back because of the perception that merit will not bring reward (so there would be a downward spiral towards mediocrity amongst the population).

One of his well-known remarks: “When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.”

In Malaysia, the benefits meant for the truly needy have been largely hijacked by the undeserving.

Clever voter: Anwar should be more specific though, especially the usual rent seekers.

Never mind their background, the majority of those usual big names or those who act as proxies to corrupt politicians or civil servants.

The yield will be huge given the size of the nation's crony economy, but it demands lots of sweat and tears given the size. The challenge for Anwar is to translate rhetoric into reality.

SuaraRakyatSuaraKeramat: During Anwar’s tenure as deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998, he did not publicly bring any wrongdoing by Mahathir to the attention of the public.

However, after being dismissed from his position and subsequently jailed on charges of corruption and sodomy, Anwar has become a vocal critic of his former boss.

He has since attempted to expose what he claims are past transgressions by Mahathir and other members of the ruling party.

Some have accused Anwar of trying to rewrite history and present himself as holier than thou in an attempt to gain political support.

Regardless of his motivations, it is important to remember that Malaysia's political landscape has undergone significant changes since Mahathir's time in office, and it is up to the current generation of leaders to address any remaining issues from the past while also moving forward towards a more transparent and accountable government.

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