[UPDATED VERSION] MCA vice-president Chua Jui Meng and Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin will appear on TV3 tomorrow, from 7.30pm to 8pm to discuss the call for the revival of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

The discussion will be featured on the station’s business programme, The Exchange.

Three questions that will be asked:

#1: Whether the NEP is a retrogressive policy?

#2: Whether its revival will create fear and anxiety among other communities?

#3: Ways to tackle poverty issues among the Malays?

Lately, NEP becomes a hot topic due to Umno Youth call led by Khairy to revive it, saying that the Malays have still not been able to achieve the 30 percent equity target under the NEP.

MCA and Gerakan came out strongly against the NEP revival, arguing that it will be a major set-back in facing the challenges of globalization.

The Jui Meng-Khairy debate was arranged yesterday and the invitation is believed to have come from the latter, where Chua was accused of raising the issue to gain personal mileage in the forthcoming MCA elections.

If this is so, how about the another way round?

Let’s hear their opinions tomorrow.

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Bernama reported the proposal by Chua to setup a national committee to study why the Bumiputera’s economic ownership remained constant at 18.7 percent, which was already achieved 20 years ago.

In return, the idea was well accepted by Khairy, saying that what Umno Youth doing is just to finish an unfinished business of achieving the 30 percents Bumiputera economic ownership.

Now, you judge.

Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim said it was time to end 35 years of Bumiputera privileges, saying that it breeded a culture of corruption.

Via Malaysiakini:

Anwar, who was jailed after a fallout with veteran premier Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, said the affirmative action to indigenous people known as bumiputeras was unfair to Malaysia’s minority Chinese.

"Our economic policy has to change," Anwar told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo.

"In the 70s, there was poverty, not giving opportunities to the bumiputera business sector. This is 2005. We’ve been given enough assistance," he said.

"When a Malaysian Chinese, I mean the bright one, who had excelled in an exam, would ask me, ‘With this excellent result, why am I denied entering the medical colleges?’, how do you respond to this?" Anwar said.

Under a system of affirmative action since 1970, indigenous groups get economic, education and other benefits to narrow the wealth gap with the Chinese minority.

Helping Malays or cronies?

Supporters defend the policy saying that "it is to help Malays, but for me it is to help cronyism," he said.

Corruption remains a festering issue in Malaysia, forcing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to launch an eradication drive after he succeeded Mahathir, who stepped down from power in 2003 after a 22-year tenure.

Anwar was heir apparent to Mahathir before being sacked in 1998 and jailed on corruption and sodomy charges which he said were cooked up to prevent him challenging Mahathir for the premiership.

Malaysia’s Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction last September, but the corruption charge was not overturned which led to a ban on him standing for office until April 2008.

It’s very significant that Anwar is trying to be risky to garner support as he was definitely seen as singing the different tune with mass media and Malay rights’ protectors.

I hope someone out there will read this and understand that globalisation is underway, so do our economy policy too?

In case if you can’t remember well, I would like to quote what Jeff said last week.

When China unpegged, we had to followed within the hour, no choice!

(Remember? Dr Zeti had to rush to PWTC and Pak Lah right on cue for the 8pm live TV after China announced it at 7pm on Thursday!)

Aren’t we supposed to think glocal, dear Hisham and Ka Ting?

Or in case if you miss this short political show, this is a personal note by Chua to Khairy at the very end of the show, even when the host was rushing to conclude the event.

Let’s think of 0.3% of China, India, Indonesia combined, that’s a lot more than 30% of what are we thinking of, so let’s work together.

Righteously or foolishly, though I’m not that good in calculation, but the way I look at it, what Chua said make sense!

Now you say ….

Yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the Government-linked companies (GLCs) Transformation Manual with the aim to transform GLCs into high-performance entity.

It encompasses part of a larger national development strategy, focus on enhancing performance and takes full cognisance of matters relating to governance, shareholder value and stakeholder management.

He also calls on GLCs to continue offer more opportunities and projects to Bumiputere companies.

Besides, he hinted that further management changes in GLCs is expected to happend soon, where we witnessed board changes in Proton and Telekom a few days ago.

Recent development in BN component parties MCA and Gerakan party elections, combine with the GLCs transformation, August is definitely a month to stick closer eyes to.

Any little changes might just affect us, without us realising it or not, that’s fact and reality.

[UPDATED VERSION] Month of August is all about elections!

Penang chief minister Koh Tsu Koon, who is also the Gerakan vice-president announced his intention to contest the party deputy presidency, ended months of speculation that he is not so keen to go against the incumnebt party deputy-president Kerk Choo Ting.

He insisted that the outcome of the party polls wouldn’t affect his relationship with Kerk.

About 2,000 delegates from 200 divisions nationwide are expected to attend the national delegates conference on Aug 27 and 28.

Meanwhile, the eldest son of Ling Liong Sik, Ling Hee Leong is expected to announce his candidacy for the MCA Youth deputy chief post.

However, he declined to comment which post he is going for and had said earlier that he didn’t rule out the possibility of contesting the top post.

Incumbent Youth secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai and Kapar MCA Youth chairman have announced their decision to contest the Youth chief post.

It’s going to be a close fight, meaning to say, do-or-die, just like this and this.

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Just a reminder, remember to watch the talk tonight, 7.30pm on TV3.

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Yesterday, through a press conference, Hee Leong made the announcement to contest the deputy youth chief post, which means a four-corners fight will take place.

TV3 Berita Terkini at 4pm reported that Rafidah Aziz will hold a press conference and responds to every query once she completes her studying every details regarding Approved Permits (APs) issues.

She was saying so when asked by reporters at Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in Jalan Duta.

A not-so-new business strategy, but it’s still applicable till now.

Nails are dissipated on the Penang Bridge by irresponsible people from both sides of the bridge. Then, someone will appear and offer you the patching up service for a fee that is definitely higher than normal market rate.

Worst still, a mechanic registered with Penang Bridge Sdn. Bhd. was arrested in connection with the scattering of nails.

Harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi …

Life must be hard nowadays, cari makan sampai Jambatan Pulau Pinang?

Even the deal with HK remain unknown, the all-time-ready AirAsia will fly to Brunei in September as confirmed by the CEO Tony Fernandes. Quote:

“Brunei is like home to us. The people want us to come and we come here.”

It won’t be a long wait before AirAsia goes global.

This will be a joke if he misses this.

“No, no, no, no“, “God is my witness” and “Go ask Pak Lah!“.

Those are the only words by Rafidah Aziz when asked about the issues raised by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.

Meanwhile, International Trade and Industry secretary general Mohd. Sidek Hassan rebuffed Dr. Mahathir AP claims that the released Approved Permit (AP) list was incomplete.

At the same time, he defended the the issuance of APs to former ministry officials, saying the approval was granted irregardless of the applicant’s background, as long as they fulfilled the criteria.

On questions over their abilities, he said AP holders do not need to have facilities to assemble since the imported cars are “completely build-up”.

The secretary-general stressed that reviews on the applicants’ eligibility are carried out from time to time and will revoke the APs immediately when their eligibility is in question.

Unfinished business.

The longer this issue drags on, the more juice is being churned out.

I’m merely a spectator, but the fanatic one.

[UPDATED VERSION] Former PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has responded to the board decision. This time, he chose to utilise the conventional way, which is the written statement. According to him, he makes this explanation because newspapers and TV cannot possibly report all the facts to the public.

Very importantly, he pointed the finger right towards the International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz, whom he accussed of misleding Umno delegates over the Approved Permits (AP) scandal.

Prominent points by him, via Malaysiakini:

• His son fulfilled the AP conditions and received a small number of APs (95) to import the Porsche.

• He was being forced to reveal everything in order to protect the interest of the national car industry.
• He is not satisfied with the private letter by Rafidah Aziz, which he found out that the contents and attached documents as prove are not align.
• He clarified that although he is now 80 years old, however he is not senile yet. Short say, “tak nyanyuk lagi“.
• He was forced to make a clarification because Rafidah Aziz lies to the Umno delegates and the public.
• He clarified that there was never any decision by the government not to release the list of names of AP recipients to the public during his tenure as the Prime Minister.
• He clarified that even though he was once trade and industry minister, he was NOT the predecessor of Rafidah Aziz.
• He believes that if Malays to become rich, their wealth must be obtained in the right way, not through get-rich-quick scheme (term as laid down by Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan)
• Rafidah Aziz as a minister has the responsibility to ensure that AP abuses do not occur.

Full statement can be read here and here(BM version).

Rafidah Aziz must feel the heat now, not only the ball has landed in her court now, a hot baton too.

Someone somehow sometime, must go. Malaysians like me are going to experience a sleepless night, can’t help thinking of the market new spin.

As Aisehman says:

“Cakap serupa bikin,” I remember someone demanding a while back.

It is when the going gets tough that we are usually able to judge people for what they say.

Now is the time.

Jeff has some reminders too, in case if you need more, just like me.

Mack would like to convey this message to Rafidah: Don’t ever underestimate Dr. Mahathir and NO, he is not senile, yet.

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Dr. Mahathir lashed out a single tone by saying that he doesn’t need any apologise from anyone and showing no sympathy to the cry-show. To him, it’s significantly a no-show. Quote:

“I am not interested in whether people are rude to me, apologise to me or not. I am interested in knowing the truth … that is all because this (APs) has an effect on the national industry and economy.”

“I also have a lot of people who say very nice things about me and decide to fight against me.”

It’s only the beginning of a drama, a very political one.

July 18 - July 23: Beijing, China

Extremely HOT!