Pak Lah: Equality is not necessarily fair

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: "please remember that equality does not always mean fairness."

“Equal distribution is not necessarily fair if the fate of the underprivileged is not taken care of and their rights not defended."

“I am not just talking about bumiputras. I am also referring to the Chinese and Indian communities.”

“Much has been said about the New Economic Policy and I want to stress that we want to eradicate poverty regardless of race, ensure equal opportunities for all races and work to improve the economy and ensure equal distribution of wealth,” he said, adding that Umno representatives would play an effective role as the state's Opposition.

“All the 11 state assemblymen are Umno members but they represent all Barisan component parties.

“Now they have a bigger responsibility not only to their constituents but also to be an effective Opposition in the state assembly.

“Your role is to defend the rights of all – not just the Malays. You must stay true to the Barisan spirit,” he said.

“If we can do this, together we will emerge victorious in the next general election."

Source: TheStar Online: Pak Lah: Ensuring equality not enough

Dear Prime Minister, I have to agree with you in total. Your statements are profound and full of intellectualism and idealism, but it is profound and it conforms to the rule of law and the rule of natural justice.

But can I asked why Barisan Nasional are not practising what you preached? It's Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin. You state here in no uncertain words that the NEP is to eradicate poverty regardless of race, ensuring equal opportunities of all races and ensuring equal distribution of wealth. Please Mr PM, tell me and give me one factual evidence that the NEP had been carried out in the manner of what you had preached. I give you a few pointers:

1. All the APs were given to Bumiputeras to import cars without paying duties. Name me one non-Bumi businessman who was given APs to import cars for retailing or distribution. I have the full list of all those who received APs as it was published and I had kept it for your record.
2. Name me a Class F contractor who is a non-Bumi?
3. Name me a PWD-DBT contract that was awarded to a ordinary non-Bumi contractor or even a crony contractor?
4. Tell me why Petronas employs more than 95% Bumiputeras with the balance mostly expatriates?
5. Tell me why I can't be enrolled at UiTM? I tried and they rejected me and informed me that I am not a Muslim Malay. I said to the officer that probably I am only one Chinese and 99.99% of the others are Malays but they said "Sorry, I can't change the rule."
6. Tell me why those non-Bumis who are also poor cannot buy house with 15% discount if NEP is to eradicate poverty irrespective of race? Tell me also why we poor non-Bumis cannot subscribed to Amanah Saham Nasional and other benefits 100% reserved for Bumis?
   

We are happy you exclude the rich Chinese and Indians from all these benefits but tell me why rich Malays have the same rights and privileges to all these benefits which were supposed to eradicate poverty irrespective of race? Many of the recipients of the benefits of the NEP are wealthy Malays and that include Kamaladdin and Khairy, Mukhriz, Mokhzani, and we hear from Khairy that your son bought you a house in Australia for RM60 million.

You said: “Equal distribution is not necessarily fair if the fate of the underprivileged is not taken care of and their rights not defended" but show me evidence that the underprivileged non-Bumis were taken care of and their rights are defended by Umno. We have factual evidence of all the Umno General Assembly debates where non of your leaders had stood up to defend their rights, the rights of the poor and underprivileged non-Bumis. We had not once hear of any Umno members at Umno AGM that had spoken up for the non-Bumi underprivileged. Show us your words are words of integrity, not mere rhetorics, not talking cock!