The NEP Has Not Been a Total Failure

Malaysian society has changed tremendously during the past 25 years under a stable political environment and a government that has largely delivered the basic goods for most citizens to earn a living.

No doubt some have to work much harder than others. The other day I spoke to a young Malay petrol attendant; he worked as a security staff at a government building during the day and worked the night shift pumping petrol.
I asked if he was married and he told me that his wife was expecting their first child and he believed it was his responsibility to work the extra job as he wanted his wife to take care of the baby.

Under the NEP program, we have produced thousands of Bumiputra engineers, doctors, lawyers and other professionals who now earn decent salaries and live in all areas of the urban landscape.

After 35 years of such affirmative action where the other citizens have been deprived of opportunities based on purely meritocratic criteria, it is time to start an affirmative action program like PEACE where action is focussed on a strictly needs basis and not race.

P for Poverty
E for Eradication
A for All
C for Citizens
E Effected

I believe that all citizens will support any government initiative that provides assistance to the poor, the marginalised and the neglected based on the principle that

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

This would also be in line with the PM's call that no Malaysian should be left behind.

As the AP scandal shows, some people have been fed fish for more than 20 years and now they can only meow for more.



Photo: The global environment is like the sea, shaping and forming the country. If we do the wrong things, we will not last long