Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Interval: Najib's head

War against rent-seekers. The PM is aware of the dangers and has said it - going after the rent-seekers in the system is equal to putting his head on the chopping block.

The New Straits Times-trained Sheridan has the story here. Main excerpts:

Najib says his head is on chopping block

By Sheridan Mahavera

SINGAPORE, April 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed tonight that he has put his political career on the line by committing to purging rent-seeking and patronage politics in Malaysia’s economy.

He said this is because those who benefit from these practices are powerful and politically connected, and he hinted that they could even exert their influence in Umno, the party of which he is president.

Najib, who has made needs-based instead of race-based affirmative action an important plank of his administration, said that his approach has put him in a “dangerous” position.

“We don’t want rent seekers and the politics of patronage in our economy. I committed to that and it is dangerous because they are politically connected.

“But we have to help the Bumiputeras who need help, the Sarawakians, the Sabahans and the Orang Asli. Not just the Malays.

“Affirmative action has to be market-based, merit-based and needs-based because we want a more equitable society,” he told the audience at the Singapore Foreign Correspondents Gala Dinner here tonight.

“Every single Malaysian who is poor and vulnerable must be helped. If you are earning less than RM1,500 a month, you must be helped and it does not matter if you are Chinese, Indian or Malay.”

The prime minister reiterated that affirmative action policies will continue under the New Economic Model, parts of which he announced last month, but they will target the needy from all communities. This is in contrast to the financial aid and preferential treatment given to Malays which was a main feature of the New Economic Policy and which was practised by previous administrations ....

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:30 pm

    Chop his head..

    I'm bored with Najib and his sidekick, Omar Ong.

    Tukar PMlah... political scene damn boring... start a new drama....

    at least Anwar is trying to re-invent himself as an anti-jew.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:38 pm

    DATOK ROCKY,

    The problem is some of the UMNO warlords are on the towkays' paychecks. The towkays use these UMNO warlords to acquire Concessions, AP, Mining Rights, Development Licences. Najib should chopped off this "chains of malay miseries"

    Prof Awe Kecik.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:53 pm

    I am an independent observer, and my take on this 'head on the chopping block'?

    Rhetoric.
    Say and do mismatch
    Walk the talk this aint.

    I will change my mind when I see action. Quick wins:

    a. AP for whatever. Cars especially.
    b. Tenyeh surat mintak projek.
    c. More govt transparency in procurement
    d. Flip, then flop. Then flopped.
    e. Strong political will to empower MACC
    f. Judiciary
    g. AG
    i. Police
    j. Actions against rent seekers who blew up taxpayers' money
    k. Federalism
    l. Fairness for all

    Pseudonym : Melayu Baru

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ying Wei Jin1:33 pm

    I would dare argue that the chances of significantly reducing these rent seeking problems would be BETTER if there was a change in government.

    With only one coalition in power all these years,it is fair to say that in the history of Malaysia,the beginning and prevalence of the problem of rent seeking is highly correlated with the dominance of that one coalition.

    Do you really expect Najib to be successful in cracking down on his comrades' cronies and their cronies?And this is assuming that Najib himself is clean.

    In short,those who believe in the featured article believe because they want to,not because it is true.Because what Najib said is plain pathetic.

    P.S.I didn't say RS problem would magically disappear if there is a change in government,I said there is a greater chance(of RS problem reducing)under a new government but for Najib or anyone in this current coalition,it is impossible.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bro

    Since the PM is committed to rooting and stamping out rent seekerism, he should immediately look into the $482 Shah Alam GH stalled project in Selangor.

    News is it's already costing $200 million more than it should and the clock hasn't stopped ticking!!

    More than that, he should immediately tender out all car AP's so that the Govt can get in revenues of about $3 billion a year instead of handing it gratis on a platter to the gaji buta AP Kings, MP's, Mokhzani, Aduns, Assemblymen, etc.

    With such measures, we can probably shelve GST for another 10 years!

    dpp
    We are all of 1 race, the Human Race

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ripe candidates for head on the chopping block:

    1. UMNO rent seekers.
    2. MIC/MCA other BN component parties rent seekers.
    3. The towkays who make full use of the rent seeker services.

    For the rent seekers activities to be stopped, the towkays needs to be stopped as well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2:38 pm

    This is to bluff the Singaporeans. They are really stupid if they believe this. We Malaysians know better.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Seriously? Why is it that we've only heard Najib talk a lot about getting rid of patronage when there is no visible changes being made?

    He has had a year. During that year he and his government have said some good things (and not followed through), and said some dumb things (and also not followed through).

    Najib might not be a full flip-flop, but he certainly is starting to sound like an empty can.

    -Vish.

    ReplyDelete
  9. saying all these while still partnering with Perkasa?

    paris hilton can promote religious pratices

    ReplyDelete
  10. wandererAUS4:32 pm

    Muslims' Money paying Israeli Zionist Jews to poke them in the ass!!
    The Jews are definitely having great fun...earning easy just copy and paste 1SRAEL into 1malaysia...

    All they need doing is to see the UMNOputras' interests are protected...fine tuned the word all inclusive and use flowery language to spice words deflecting the lies!
    UMNO selalu Boleh...when they come to deceiving!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5:19 pm

    ......This is in contrast to the financial aid and preferential treatment given to Malays which was a main feature of the New Economic Policy and which was practised by previous administrations ....

    Correction.....

    preferential treatment given to SOME SELECTED Malays...

    Nak tanya sikit...

    I am a Malay, macam mana nak dapat rasa sikit pun takpa, "the financial aid and preferential treatment given to Malays"????

    Special kut celah mana yang asyik duk melalak sangat ni? Pasai segelintir yang dapat, kami di humban segala hina dan celaan..

    Tolong buat pembetulan diatas OK!

    PERWIRA

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous11:03 pm

    Careful Mr PM.
    Avoid falling in the same league as OTK in MCA.

    PARAMESWARA

    ReplyDelete
  13. How credible is PM Najib? We will know in about two years time when the GE will be held.If his 1 Malaysia is genuine, if his NEM is actually being implemented fairly, if he will carry out much needed reforms in the Police and the Judiciary, if he has the political
    will and courage to control his numerous racist supporters, if he can diassociated himself from vested interests, then we can decide whether he should be given another chance to lead Malaysia into the future.Otherwise, Pakatan is apparently the better choice!

    ReplyDelete
  14. DAP claims it can wipe out rent-seeking and patronage in 14 days.

    Truly gempak. And it seems like a very practical way to do it too. Click and read all about it.

    But will Najib cooperate to do what is necesary?

    I don't think so. You know why?

    Because it means the complete breakdown and collapse of UMNO's super-structure which is itself sustained by rent-seeking.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous7:37 pm

    Najib giving head... let me shave first... I want to climax

    ReplyDelete