Breaking the Shackles

NEP & RENT SEEKING

Star Metro; July 26, 2005

When I read the Star this morning, the cover page of Star Metro caught my eyes.

"Entitled: Breaking the Shackles: It is hard to keep the number of addicts in Malaysia down when those who leave rehabilitation centers turn to drugs again, often within days after their recuperation."

The next thing that cross my mind is the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel re-arrangements.

How true it is about UMNO. For 35 years since NEP was implemented in 1970, which was stated to end in 1990 (i.e.20 years rein) and 15 years since the policy had expired (we are now in 2005!!!!), we have UMNO Youth crying of uneven playing fields, inequality, and injustice. Paradoxically, the non-Malays had not called it at such. They swallowed all the inequalities and injustices and they had to play second fiddle, second-class citizens and been by-passed in every corners of economic hand-outs, deprived of meritocratic vocational elevations and benefits classified as privileges for the Bumis and often referred to as "RIGHTs" by politicians.

Yet, we continue to hear the rumblings of Nefarious waves pounding the sea wall, striking hard and pouncing on racial fabrics, tearing them apart - the cry for more candu and schizophrenic drugs, and blaming the failures on others who plays no part in their system management and decision making. They want the candu system to be extended for another 15 years and more vigorous and behemouth doses. They claim that: the playing field is uneven and that they could not play the same game? They were the rulers and they hold absolute power; they were the ones that decide the rent-seeking and they put in places all those privileges and tokens that had enriched only a few of their own, while many of those of their own were deprived eventhough they had work hard and were deserving. Then, all others were blamed for the system failure while the system managers claimed their ignorance and innocence.

As long as they don't correct their mindset and ideology, and built a system based on meritocracy, they will remain dependent on candu

"If you keep doing what you had been doing, you will keep getting what you had been getting, nothing more, nothing less." What a shame!