KOTA KINABALU: The call by
Malay-Muslim groups, including the Muslim Consumers' Society and Muslim
Consumers Association Malaysia (PPIM) to boycott Chinese businesses is
dangerous, says Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan.
In a statement here, the
State Reform Party (STAR) Chairman said the development brought racism into a
darker and more sinister level in Malaysia, and if left uncontrolled will lead
Malaysia into turmoil and anarchy.
"The call is also a
reflection of utter disregard to social harmony and is only the tip of the
iceberg in emerging social conflicts in the nation," Jeffrey said.
"This is all due to gross mismanagement and neglect on the part of the
federal leaders."
He said it was shocking how
the Prime Minister is keeping quiet about such a dangerous development despite
his call for social harmony and unity under the concept of 1Malaysia.
"The socio-political
situation now is being made worse by the Home Minister who is so arrogant that
he is asking more than half of the Malaysia's voters who voted against the BN
to leave the country!" he said.
"Is Malaysia being
purposefully led to descend into total chaos by its own leaders? Has this
minister forgotten that he is the Home Minister for all Malaysians and not just
the Umno/BN members and Malays?
"This behavior by the
Malay Muslim groups and the Home Minister is so unbelievable that one can only
wonder if they have any leadership
wisdom left in them. They make us reel back in utter disbelief at their lack of
reason, good manners or diplomacy.
"Don't the Malay-Muslim
groups know that boycotting the Chinese businesses is impossible and even if it
can be done it will spell disaster for the Malaysian economy?
Are they so ignorant of the
fact that by boycotting Chinese businesses they won't even be able to survive?
How would they live without simple things like salt, sugar, coffee, tea, and
noodles since these are supplied through Chinese importers and distributors? So
don't even talk about electrical goods, building materials and cars!
"How do you deny the
hard fact that the Chinese run the majority of the businesses in Malaysia and
without them the country will collapse overnight?
To quote Wikipedia,
'Malaysian Chinese constitute one group of Overseas Chinese and constitute the
third largest Chinese community in the world, after those in Thailand and
Indonesia.
Within Malaysia, they represent
the second largest ethnic group. Malaysian Chinese are dominant in both the
business and commerce sectors, controlling an estimated 70% of the Malaysian
economy. They are also one of the biggest taxpayers, contributing almost 90% of
the national income tax and 60% of Malaysia's national income.'
"A wise Malaysian would
know that we can't do without the Chinese, and if we want Malaysia to maintain
or improve its economy, we need to make the Chinese our friends instead of
bullying antagonizing them.
"It is also a fact that
the non-Chinese are benefitting tremendously from development and social
programmes funded by revenues collected from the Chinese business sector.
"We need to learn from
the hard lessons from our neighbouring countries where the Chinese were
prosecuted and officially discriminated against, and this had caused the
glaring economic decline and social poverty that have caused international
embarrassment to these countries," he said.
Jeffrey also reminded the
anti-Chinese groups of the horrendous trend of brain drain in Malaysia. Quoting
Wikipedia, he said these people left Malaysia for good because of
"corruption, social inequality, and educational opportunities, and the
government's Bumiputera affirmative action policies.
As of 2011, Bernama has
reported that there are a million talented Malaysians working overseas.
Recently the brain drain has increased in pace: 305,000 Malaysians migrated
overseas between March 2008 and August 2009 compared to 140,000 in
2007."
"The Prime Minister had
started a program through Talent Corp to attract these talented ex-Malaysians
to return and contribute to the country's development," he pointed
out.
"So why are the
Malay-Muslim groups demanding that 51 percent of the Malaysian voters also
leave Malaysia? Let's note that this
figure includes hundreds of thousands of Malays who support the opposition. Can
we even imagine what will happen to Malaysia if these people actually pack up
and leave tomorrow?
"This call to boycott
Chinese businesses is so far the worse development after the recent general
election, and is shows continued desperation and fear among the BN leaders.
It's as if they are trembling at the sight of their own shadows. The Prime
Minister needs to speak up against this call lest the BN and Umno is continued
to be seen as supporting extreme racism in Malaysia.
"His continued silence
in the face of this increased racism, anti-Chinese activism, and heightening of
the Malay supremacy is shocking, and he dearly needs to speak up against it to
show the world that Malaysia is a mature democracy that is model of progress,
wisdom and social harmony."
Kalangan rakyat Malaysia terutamanya yang terlibat secara langsung bagi menentukan halatuju negara dengan cara mengundi pada 5 Mei 2013 sudah pun sedia maklum yang Barisan Nasional berjaya untuk terus kekal memerintah bagi penggal 5 tahun seterusnya daripada sekarang.
ReplyDeleteWalaubagaimanapun, tidak sampai 2 minggu selepas keputusan Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 diumumkan, kalangan yang pro Pakatan Rakyat telah melaungkan semboyan buat pertama kalinya untuk….. Untuk menumbang & menggulingkan kerajaan Barsian Nasional sekarang ini melalui perhimpunan secara besar-besaran.
ReplyDeleteItu antara perancangan kalangan pro Pakatan rakyat. Setakat ini, belum ada lagi pengumuman & kenyataan rasmi yang keluar daripada kalangan pemimpin tertinggi Pakatan Rakyat
ReplyDeletetidak usahlah menggunakan mekanisme yang sebegini rupa untuk menjatuhkan sesuatu kerajaan.
ReplyDeletePutrajaya cannot turn a blind eye to the call by Malay groups to boycott Chinese businesses as the campaign risks derailing the government’s economic transformation plans that could further slow down Malaysia’s growth, corporate leaders and an economist have warned.
ReplyDeleteThe Malay and Chinese Chambers of Commerce, as well as economist Yeah Kim Leng, said the federal government needs to step in immediately to arrest the campaign they separately described as “unhealthy, childish and racist” from gaining ground and further spooking foreign investors even as Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew just by 4.1 per cent for the first quarter of the year due to the political overhang resulting from delayed elections.
ReplyDelete“It will not just give impact in our country, but potential investors will also reconsider this kind of race issue in the market and businesses,” Yeah, who is chief economist at RAM Holdings Bhd, told The Malaysian Insider.
ReplyDelete“For businesses, they will suffer the boycott. The result could dampen the national income, and dampen growth, make a lot of people lose job opportunities,” he said.
ReplyDeleteYeah also cautioned that such a boycott had far-reaching results than the proposers may have first imagined as the discriminatory campaign would eventually affect all ethnicities. Unless steps were taken to strongly “discourage” the instigators of the boycott, investors still wary over the “politicisation of businesses” may choose to explore opportunities elsewhere and this would affect Malaysia’s foreign direct investment (FDI), he said.
ReplyDeleteThe call to buy Chinese goods and services last was mooted last week by several Malay-Muslim groups, including the Muslim Consumers’ Society, who had faulted Chinese voters, whom they saw as being pro-opposition supporters — especially of the predominantly Chinese DAP — for causing the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition’s weaker score at the May 5 polls.
ReplyDeleteRAM Holdings Group chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng said BN's win after garnering 133 parliamentary seats in the general elections is considered positive signs for policy and growth continuity.
ReplyDelete"The challenges now going forward remain in the external environment, particularly due to the fragile economy,"
ReplyDeleteTo continue funding key infrastructure projects and giving assistance, Yeah said the government has to carry out efforts to increase revenue and focus on subsidy rationalisation to targeted group.
ReplyDelete"Revenue can also be raised through further privatisation and sale of assets,"
ReplyDeleteKenanga Research said given the criticism and pressure to wipe out corruption and review the archaic affirmative action policy, the onus is on BN to make the necessary changes and ensure key infrastructure projects are be dished out fairly and completed on time with minimal cost overruns.
ReplyDeleteApart from concerns of rising subsidy, Kenanga Research said the government’s promises of annual cash handout to poor households and individuals under BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia) scheme, gradual reduction in car prices of 20-30 per cent and subsidising the construction of one million affordable homes
ReplyDeletewould further raise the fiscal operating expenditure (opex) in the near and medium term.
The fiscal opex reached a record high of RM205.5 billion in 2012, up 11.5 per cent or 21.9 per cent of GDP.
ReplyDeleteAt the rate the government is spending and dishing out funds, we will not be surprised to see opex increasing by another 5-10 per cent this year as opposed to the official target of a reduction of 0.3 per cent.
ReplyDeleteTo mitigate the rise in opex it depends on how soon the government would resume its planned fiscal consolidation, mainly by reducing subsidies
ReplyDeletetidak prlulah boikot2 ni
ReplyDelete