Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Aisehman's Crumbling Lesson

Aisehman has this to say:

Here's the deal for you UMNO machais out there:

"If you insist on being concerned with only your share of the cake, then this country will soon have only crumbs to eat."

In his article, Aisehman highlighted the fact that "foreign investors have little enthusiasm for Malaysia -- but it has little to do with traditional business factors such as production costs."

Below are some key points he cited:

"There is really an increasingly widespread perception that conditions of doing business here in Malaysia are not that attractive anymore," said Thierry Rommel, ambassador of the EU Commission to Malaysia.

In the commenter's, Aussiemate cited Michael Backman's thesis entitled:

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
Michael Backman
November 15, 2006

Below is an abstract I like to cite:

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns...It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall. This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.

They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million, to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather". But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).

email: michaelbackman@yahoo.com

http://www.michaelbackman.com

I don't think I need to add any further as the short thesis explains the future of the country.

Don't cry for me Malaysia!



Malaysia's first astronaut will do what no one in space has done before: play traditional Malay children's games without gravity.

The astronaut - yet to be selected - will play "batu seremban,'' or "five stones'' and spin traditional Malay tops in space, Agriculture Ministry parliamentary secretary Rohani Abdul Karim told parliament on Wednesday.

Rohani, who was replying on behalf of the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry, said the astronaut would also do batik painting and making teh tarik.

She said this in reply to comments made by MPs on what the Malaysian astronaut might do in the International Space Station.

Rohani said the training programme for the Malaysian astronaut in Russia would not cost the Treasury a single sen.

So, you hear it? Malaysia sent astronaut to outer space is to show the world that our astronaut can play batu seremban and Malay tops in space, including batik painting and making teh tarik.

That's why we spent RM80 million. And the rural schools are having financial problem to get the basic amenities and facilities for which Johor MB said was the reason they shouldn't be evaluated using the meritocracy system which is discriminatory.

14 comments:

Arena Green said...

Outsiders ultimately define our country & its people by the leadership and government of the day. That Malaysia now suffers an image problem in the international arena speaks volumes about our leaders esp so in this current climate where racist slogans are shamelessly yelled from the rooftop of PWTC for all to hear.

Well, they can rest assure that the WORLD has heard them loud and clear.

Maverick SM said...

AM, there is always a price to pay for delinquency and marginalisation of useful resources. Thw world are globalised and liberalised, yet the nation is driving fast on reverse gear.

nelsonchee said...

Dr, gear-box problem? :P

Howsy said...

Hey, how did you capture the screenshot for The Age article? It has 'ho, ho, ho', as if laughing at us. ;)

Two blackeyes in a day. As blogged in my blog, the Squatgate Scandal was again in the limelight even after a year.

O2Deprivation said...

Uplifting Malaysia's image starts with abolishing the dicriminating policies and not by spending RM80mil on a spacecraft passenger who can do batik painting and teh tarik. They just don't get it.

O2Deprivation said...

It is not about racial discrimination, it is about the priviledges not reaching the un-priviledged ones. This message must get through to the Bumi communities.

With the gravy train policy, we are losing the competitiveness. When you potray the downfall of Proton, you will see where Malaysia is heading to with such system.

We must create strong economy advantages against the neighbouring countries, generate incomes/jobs, and channel the fund to the needy.

Maverick SM said...

Howsy, just printscreen or use screen capture tools. The flash keeps changing.

I read your squat story. The issue is over. It's media story somewhere.

Helen said...

Oops, everything said by somebody already.... I got nothing to add... except, I had a good laugh reading about our space antics.

seefei said...

Malaysia should concentrate on the engine of growth (like agricultural sector) set by Pak Lah.

Set some audacious goal like Dr M vision 2020. Set the strategy, objectives and tactics clearly on the route to vision 2020.

Spell out clearly the role of the different race and the impediment. I just felt there are too much distraction and noises in the political scene.

Strong leadership is needed. In fact, if i can have my way, Malaysia should have strong handed leader with a bull dog mentality to bring this country forward.

Dubai and Emirates are going big way to prepare for post-oil sustainability. I dont see why the Malay cant do it. Only if the see the non-malay as kaki lang, Malaysia would be a different animal and little dot in the south would be habis!

But lucky that didnt happen and lil burung pipit can still find some worm down here to survive!!!

Hele said...

It's such a joke to hear of our 'achievements' - teh tarik in space, etc.
The article is so accurate. No one knows where Malaysia is. I'm currently on assignment in the Middle East and whenever people ask me where I'm from, and I tell them "Malaysia", they give me a blank look and then ask "Where is it? Near Singapore?" :P

seefei said...

hele, lil dot GLC have been very active in middle east. It is not a govt decree but a lot of these former stat board like the housing board, jtc, pwd were sold away to survive on their own. The gahmen will link them with contact in oversea market and the rest will be up to them.

in lil dot, gahmen practises the yellow book policy on stat boards. if the services offered by the stat boards can be found in the yellow pages, they have no business to be in the stat board.

hence, over the last few years equivalents of jkr, sirim, etc were sold off. these companies are encouraged to cari makan overseas and not compete with the local SMEs.

hence, lil dot got a bit of name in the major markets like india, sg & middle east...

Anonymous said...

simple... big kids act like small fellows... rakyat's money spend on bullshite... spinning tops and batu what? u call that malaysian? i thought spinning gasing are frm indonesia. malays have no culture and trying to act like they have. put the money into a good use like free education for non-bumis. also give loan to hardworking non-malays who will make malaysia proper. malays are just wasting gov. money and time!

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