Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Inequality: Taking the Bull by the Horn


A Kadir Jasin

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AS I stated in my Other Thots column in the Sept 16 issue of the Malaysian Business magazine, I am lucky to be in the company of many illustrious economic gurus and commentators.

Among them Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid, the iconoclastic former Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya, Kamal Salleh, the late Dr. Mokhzani Abdul Rahim, the late Dr Ismail Md Salleh, Rama Iyer, Thong Yaw Hong, Dr Rais Saniman, the late Dr Mahani Zainal Abidib, Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram and the Datuk Dr Zainal Aznam Yusof.

They were committed to their craft and were willing to be unpopular with the establishment by telling the truth. Despite that, many were co-opted into government committees and commissions, especially during the periods of the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Dr Mahathir.

But these days I hear that economists and private sector managers who are engaged by the government are behaving as badly as their political masters. They are more concerned with protecting the government’s image than telling the truth about the state of the economy.

From my reading of the local press, it appears that most of today’s young economists are quoted largely for their analyses of the corporate world and the stock market.

Either the media is no longer interested in socio-economic issues affecting the masses or our young economists are only interested in high-paying jobs in the banks, stock broking companies and consultancy firms.

So it is heartening for me to have made the acquaintance of economist-researcher Muhammed Abdul Khalid, when he was studying for his doctoral degree at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris or in short Sciences Po back in 2008.

The Spectre of Inequality

Muhammed had just published a book entitled The Colour of Inequality – Ethnicity, Income and Wealth in Malaysia”.

He, among other things, noted that, although Malaysia has made great strides in reducing poverty and inequality (especially among ethnic groups) from 1970 to 1990, the income gap remains high post-1990.

In fact, he wrote, the relative income gap between urban and rural in 2012 is the same as the year Malaysia obtained its independence from the British in 1957.

In terms of ethnic income gaps, the disparity has started to widen again. Since 2009, the relative income gap between the Chinese and the Bumiputeras increased by 10 per cent – unprecedented since 1970, and wiping out the gain made in the past one decade.

If Malaysians still care about justice and equality as we celebrated the 51st anniversary of the formation of Malaysia, this book should encourage us to debate more openly and to find solutions to this difficult problem.

Muhammed examines the unequal distribution of assets among Malaysians, with special focus on the gap between the Bumiputera majority and the non-Bumiputera minorities.

His main aim is to analyze the level and distribution of household wealth by understanding its origin and evolution within three time frames – the colonial era, post-independence and post-New Economic Policy. It identifies factors, processes, and structures behind the wealth gap, especially between the Bumiputeras and the Chinese.

Muhammed also examines the role of government and Bumiputera politicians in enforcing and monitoring the implementation of policies that are aimed at narrowing the wealth gap.

The outcome of his research and analyses of official data points to a grim future and he made several preliminary proposals to reduce the gap before it become unbridgeable.

Some key findings

Pre-Merdeka: Poverty in 1957 - Malays 65%, Chinese 26% and Indians 39%. Income Gap - for every RM1 the Malays had, Chinese had RM1.80 and Indians RM1.48 more. Only 9% of registered companies were Malay-owned. They owned only 1% of rubber and none in tin.

Occupation - 70% of the Malays were in subsistence agriculture, less than 3% in administrative or managerial jobs. Then 95% of professionals and managers were Europeans

Education - in 1901, only 5% of English school students in the Straits Settlements were Malays although there were 55% Malays in the school-going age. Access to school was limited. In 1938, there were 800 Malay primary schools against 1,500 non-Malay schools. In 1957, only 7% of the population had secondary education. On average, the Malayans then attended school for about 2.3 years and the Malays had the shortest.

Post-Merdeka (1957-1970): Education - Malays were still lagging behind. From 1959 to 1970, for every Malay engineering graduate coming out of the University of Malaya there were 100 Chinese. In the field of engineering only four Malays received bachelors’ degree versus 408 Chinese. In 1970, there was only one Malay graduate in MBBS and engineering respectively. In 1962, Malay enrolment in faculty of engineering totaled five and the faculty of science 16. Income gap between the Malays and Chinese widened from 1.8 in 1957 to 2.3 in 1970.

NEP Period: Increase in standard of living and socio-economic status for everyone, especially the Malays.

Poverty was reduced significantly from 65% in 1970  to 2.2% in 2012. Ownership of equity by Bumiputeras  rose from 2.4% (1970) to 23% (2012). Huge improvements in the participation of Bumiputeras in the professional field due to better educational. Income gap is reduced to 1.36 between Bumiputeras and Chinese, but widen again since 2009.

New Challenges Emerging

Although income has increased, the majority of Malaysian has no assets and the wealth gap is gaping. More than half (53%) of Malaysians have no financial asset. The median financial asset is RM 311. The top 10% have nearly 15,000 more than the median and controls 77% of entire financial asset. Bottom 50 has only 0.01%, and bottom 80% has 5.5%. More than 70% of those without financial asset are Bumiputeras.

Median financial asset for Bumi is RM1. More than 55% of Bumiputeras do not have ASB account. Average ASB investment in 2013 was RM15,402. But 72% have an average of RM554 or equivalent to 2.6% of entire fund size. The top 0.2% has 1.5 times more than the entire bottom 80% combined. The fear is this gap will continue to widen. The same happens with Amanah Saham Didik, which is open to Bumiputeras only. Based on its 2014 annual report 2014, the average investment is about RM14,500, but the bottom 86% has an average investment of RM980, while the top 0.5%, or about 1,700 kids, have an average RM 1.5 million.

One in every four Malaysia has no property asset and 74% of them are Bumiputeras. Within racial groups, about 30% of Indians and 17% of Chinese have no property asset. One in every four Bumiputeras have no property asset.

Current policies on taxation and education combined with the imperfections in the labor market, i.e. hiring preferences, threaten to widen the inequality further. The poor of all groups will have less upward mobility.

Muhammed’s findings and conclusions require closer examination by politicians on both sides of the political chasm and by economists, socio-economic planners and administrators.

We cannot dream of forging a united, progressive and inclusive nation if the wealth gaps among and with the races keep growing. Neither can we take pride in our improving GDP growth.

Wallahuaklam.

30 comments:

Unknown said...

"communism makes everyone equally poor. but capitalism makes everyone unequally rich"

unfortunately in every country where democracy and capitalism are practiced, we will get into a situation where to top 20% control the other 80% in everything.

is there a better way to do this? maybe. is this a best way to do this right now? absolutely.

Zed-85 said...

Dato’

What had been communicated to the “rakyat” is that the average of household income is about RM5,900 by Abdul Wahid Omar. So, the Government said that we are on our way to become a high income nation by 2020.

This however as we all know, did not factor into account the substantial income gap between very few and the majority of citizens.

We are fortunate to have people to come up with real numbers that represent a more accurate picture on what is happening.

I think, based on your writing, “Education” plays a major role that had improved Malays economic standing.

We cannot say at this moment in time that the Malays education achievements have been sterling. The existing education policy did not able to produce satisfactory numbers of Malays with good educational achievements.

How many Malays are bachelor’s degree holders versus the high numbers that are only having certificates?

I fail to understand the rationale of new policy that universities must ensure graduates pass and have good command of English. English proficiency should be a pre-requisite into universities as most of references and literatures are in English. Languages should be taught at the early stage of education rather at the end. Students in Engineering, Medicine, Law and Science do not have the time to pick up English with the existing burden in their studies.

There are other things as stated on your writing, such as the ownership of properties by Malays and financial standing needs to be remedied.

One of the greatest achievements made by Margaret Thatcher, the PM of UK and Lee Kuan Yew, the PM of Singapore is the success in providing homeownership to their citizen (regardless to their race) which their citizen have reap the reward and benefit to this day.

colourblind said...

Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century took the world by storm when it was first published in French last year. After being published in English this year, it quickly flew off the shelves in bookstores around the world and has become bestsellers ever since.
It is hailed as among the world's most important economics books which can be mentioned on the same breath of those Karl Marx's Das Kapital and Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations.
If you care to understand how world's wealth distributed throughout the centuries and predictions where's the world's is heading to, then this book have to be on your shelves.
We also have the Malaysian version of it in the form of "The Colours of Inequality" penned by our local economics. It is borne out of his exhaustive research after spending years in France under the wings of his French economic gurus; a place where Thomas Piketty's book first published. It is a must read book for EPU and the economic think tanks here in their efforts formulating Malaysian economic policies for the future.

awang batuburok said...

Salam Dato,

Terimakasih atas perkongsian maklumat yang sangat bermunafaat untuk dijadikan panduan.
Apa yang sangat mendukacitakan hari ini perangai ahli ahli politik MELAYU-ISLAM samada dlm UMNO, PAS, PKR lebih mementingkan agenda peribadi dan kaum kerabat (kroni) dalam kerja kerja politik mereka tanpa memberikan fokus untuk kebajikan rakyat majoriti.
Sekarang ini lahir kelompok2 elitis dalam UMNO, PAS, PKR yang mencongak kerja kerja politik untuk kepentingan peribadi dan kroni kroni semata mata...maka berlaku lah jurang ekonomi yg semakin melebar, yg kaya semakin kaya, rakyat majoriti semakin meleset ekonomi mereka.
Budaya jilat menjilat tangan pemimpin yang berkuasa perlu ditinggalkan demi kesejahteraan agama, bangsa dan negara untuk generasi akan datang.

Berilah hak dan amanah kpd yg benar benar layak, bukan berdasarkan kpd kroni ampusana-ampusini.

MOKHTAR said...

SALAM DATO,

I THINK THE PRESENT GOVT KNEW ALL
ALONG ABOUT THIS INEQUALITY. THEY ARE MORE FOCUS TO ACHIEVE THE DEVELOP NATION STATUS.$ SIGN MATTERS MOST.
THEY KNEW THAT THE MALAYSIAN PARTICULARLY, MALAYS & BUMIPUTRAS ' MUDAH LUPA '..WE DO REALLY HAVE A SHORT MEMORY... GIVE MORE BRIM & HAND OUTS,THEY WILL GET THE SUPPORT. AS EASY AS THAT.
YOU PROPAGATE THAT THE LIFE THEREAFTER IF MORE IMPORTANT THAT PURSUING DUNIAWI.HARTA KEKAYAAN HANYA UNTUK ORANG2 KAFIR.
'ISLAM' IS VERY EFFECTIVE WORD TO USE TO MAKE MELAYU MALAS,BODOH,..AND ALL THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES.FRIDAY SERMON ONLY TALK ABOUT SYURGA, NERAKA & KEGEMILANG DUNIA ISLAM 1000 TAHUN DAHULU.
SALAH SIAPA??????????

A KADIR JASIN said...

1. Sdr Mokhtar, I would be nice and helpful if sdr could type in lower case. Capital letters are hard to read and do not represent the standard writing method.

2. Those say the world is not important to Muslim and the hereafter is, are not telling the truth about Islam.

3. We Muslims a told many times a day to perform the Solah/Solat (and other religious duties) and to spread over the face of the earth to seek success and to always remember Allah.

4. I don't think you can buy Malay votes with BR1M and handouts. As the last GE had shown, many pocketed the money and voted the opposition.

5. Good education is still the best, the cheapest and fastest way of empowering the poor. The majority of the poor are the Malays and other Bumiputeras. But the standard of our National Education is declining while private education is becoming elitist.

6. A new opportunity is arising and trust agencies like PNB, Tabung Haji and LTAT can take advantage of. Many non-Bumi businessmen are looking to partner these agencies. But I was told by a top manager of one of these trust agencies that they were "discouraged" from buying into Chinese companies for fear of backlash, citing the MGO by PNB for SP Setia shares.

7. Many Chinese-owned family companies are aging and many younger family members who own minority shares want out. They want to strike out on their own.

8. Instead of gambling on the likes of 1MDB, the government should facilitate the expansion of the proven agencies mentioned above.

Thank you.

ismail muda said...

Datuk, nama2 spt Raja TS Mohar, Tun Ismail Ali, TS Taib Andak, TS Hashim Aman, TS Nayan Arifin, TS Ainudin Wahid, TS A Rahman Arshad, TS Awang Had Saleh, RM Alias, TS Hasan Merican dll adalah antara tokoh2 pentadbir, korporat & pendidik yg banyak menyumbang kpd kemajuan DEB. TS Taib Andak antara pioneer yg bangunkan Maybank. Demikian juga yg lainnya.
RM Alias adalah tokoh yg sgt berjasa membantu Kerajaan mengatasi isu kemiskinan org Melayu. Jasa beliau tiada tolok banding. Felda begitu gah sehingga akhir zaman Tun Mahathir. RM Alias disisih dari felda atas desakan Pemuda Umno yg diketuai oleh Dato Hisham ketika itu. Sejak itu bermula lah era pentadbiran politik dlm felda. Mengimbas kembali jasa RM Alias, felda muncul konglomerat terbesar dlm negara. Felda Holdings, sebuah gergasi Melayu yg menguasai 43 buah syarikat dgn turn over perniagaan melebihi rm15 bilion setahun. Koperasi peneroka iaitu KPF muncul sebuah koop terbaik negara mengatasi Bank Rakyat & KPF diiktiraf antara 50 koop terbaik dunia. Penduduk miskin seramai 112 ribu keluarga atau 2 juta org keluar dari kepompong kemiskinan. Kejayaan felda holdings menguasai perniagaan downstream sawit menjadi buah mulut semua org termasuk pengiktirafan dunia. Mantan Presiden MCA Tan Kon Swan pernah berkata Kerajaan sgt bertuah dan org Cina sgt respect kejayaan Felda membina empayar perniagaan yg tak bole digugat oleh sesiapa pun. Org Melayu sgt beruntung kerana memiliki sebuah koop yg kuat menguasai ekuti 51% dlm felda holdings.
Sayangnya org2 muda yg menjadi penasihat PM Najib tidak tahu sejarah DEB dan sejarah felda. Mereka tidak kenal apa itu DEB dan barangkali ada yg anti DEB?? Akhirnya sykt di bwah felda holidings diapongkan di bursa dan kooperasi KPF diarah melepaskan pegangan emas 51%. Sayang sekali harta sebuah lombong emas dijadikan milik awam. Koop KPF tidak mungkin berjaya spt dulu. Empayar perniagaan milik peneroka sudah jadi lipatan sejarah.
Benar lah kata2 Lee Kuan Yew yg negara kita ramai kehilangan talent di kalangan tokoh2 Melayu kerana politik. Bole dikata setiap agensi Kerajaan, GLC, badan berkanun Kerajaan/anak syarikat diterajui org politik. Maaf cakap lah Datuk, di mane perginya agensi utk tolong org Melayu spt Dara, Ketengah, Kesedar, Kejora, Lkwj dll? Apa prestasi Risda, Felcra dan felda skrg? Apa jadi rancangan tanah pinggir beribu2 ekar???
Saya percaya peneroka, pekebun, peserta atau pekerja agensi pmbangunan tanah ini masih dlm kategori miskin kecuali peneroka felda yg benar2 berjaya. Mengharap pendpatan dari tanaman sawit getah semata2 sekadar cukup makan dan Kerajaan dijangka terus membayar Brim kpd mereka. Tak kan lah Menteri yg jaga ICU EPU tak kenal pekebun2 luar bandar & tidak dpat mengira pendpatan org kg. Realitinya skrg miskin di bandar lebih buruk dari miskin di luar bandar. Sepatutnya org2 muda di Pemandu kena makan dan kenal belacan budu, bacang mangga langsat duku....

zainal abidin awang kechik said...

Salam untuk seisi keluarga..

"Demi Arafah yang di muliakan dan sesungguhnya "HAJI ITU ARAFAH" saya berdoa semoga Malaysia tercinta itu di lindungi dari rasuah serta seluruh rakyat di beri kekuatan dari berhadapan dengan segala macam bencana ekonomi yang akan mendatang diatas kelalaian kita semua"


salam

*bank saudagar luar mula takut dengan cara 1MDB membuat keputuasan dan over cook browing*

kundoq said...

Datuk,

Naik taraf sekolah rendah dan menengah kebangsaan di luar bandar kepada taraf paling hebat.Di situ anak melayu dan di situ tempat melahirkan melayu yang akan merubah maruah bangsa.

Najib tidak akan buat seperti itu,tetapi saya letak harapan tinggi kepada Mukhriz.Cubalah di Kedah sebagai perintis.

Perkasakan bangsa dari awal.Berikan guru guru yang penuh dedikasi dan punya jati diri.

Orang melayu kebanyakannya tidak mampu adakan kelas tusyen,lagipun pusat tusyen hanya ada di bandar atau pekan.Di sini saya syorkan sekolah hingga petang untuk melengkapkan pembelajaran.

Utamakan ilmu kepada anak melayu,saya yakin,mungkin tempoh 15 tahun kita akan merasa perubahannya

terima kasih..

budakjawa said...

Assalamualaikum YBhg. Datuk,

Sebagai sebuah negara perdagangan kecil yang suka atau tidak terpaksa mengamalkan dasar ekonomi terbuka di era globalisasi, ini adalah kesan sampingan yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Ia sentiasa berkaitan efficiency vs equality. Efficient is not necessary be equal.

Walaupun Malaysia sebuah negara yang kaya dengan sumber asli, ini tidak bermakna semua perkara pada setiap masa boleh diberi secara percuma atau disubsidi. Sumber asli tidak boleh diperbaharui dan akan habis.

Tetapi majoriti rakyat Malaysia seperti kelaziman, sentiasa mahu dijaga, diberi subsidi dan dibantu oleh Kerajaan untuk hidup selesa sehingga mereka lupa hakikat sebenar ekonomi dunia dan kurang berusaha baik dalam bidang ekonomi mahupun pengetahuan (sadly, this is so true especially among malays). sebahagian mereka lebih minat berhibur dan sebahagian lagi lebih minat berpolitik berbanding memajukan diri dan menyumbang kembali kepada masyarakat.

Logik mudahnya, dengan menukar Kerajaan, selesailah masalah dan nasib semua rakyat berubah sekelip mata. Ini tidak perlu dihairankan kerana inilah sikap sebenar orang melayu yang sentiasa mahukan sesuatu dengan cara yang mudah. Sebab itulah ramai orang melayu yang tertipu dengan skim cepat kaya yang merupa dalam pelbagai bentuk skim seperti mlm, swisscash, forex, hartanah, emas dan banyak lagi.

Keadaan ini bertambah teruk dengan kualiti ahli politik yang kita ada di kedua-dua belah pihak yang meracuni fikiran rakyat dengan dakyah masing-masing, dan bukannya mendidik dan membangun rakyat. Anggota pentadbiran, tidak perlulah saya ulas kerana telah banyak dibincangkan oleh Datuk dan masyarakat umum.

Mahu tidak mahu, rakyat perlu lebih berpengetahuan dan berperanan dalam ekonomi dan pembangunan negara. Amerika tidak maju kerana Presiden mereka, mereka maju kerana rakyat Amerika seperti Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet dan ramai lagi. The least we could do is to be a wise consumer. we know how a company make a living. Use consumer power to give a lesson to the greed and irresponsible business.

Orang Melayu pula harus sedar dan mengubah sikap mereka. Negara memerlukan lebih ramai rakyat Malaysia yang menyumbang kepada pembangunan dan menggerakkan ekonomi negara dan bukan free rider atau passenger yang mengharap kepada Kerajaan. Jangan hanya tahu bercakap soal syariah compliant sedangkan kita tidak terlibatpun dalam bidang ekonomi. jangan sibuk membangunkan sistem ekonomi atau kewangan islam sedangkan kita tidak terlibat secara aktif dalam ekonomi.

Semua kesukaran ekonomi yang kita hadapi adalah berpunca daripada sistem kapitalis yang diamalkan dunia. As a muslim, we should know the root cause of the problem, we can blame others but look at ourselves first.

wallahualam

ab said...

Salam Dato,



A very heart wrenching `data'..



The `top'10% owns almost 90% of the nation wealth.


The remaining lowest 80% of the people owns about 5%!.



Dato mentions indirectly that education will alleviate this `poverty' of the national wealth and income gap amongst the 80% of the population..That is a very great idea.



BUT, WHY the malays vs non malays income/wealth inequality INCREASES, rather than DECREASES, after so many millions of malays receive education, and after so hundred of thousands of malays graduates/ postgraduate educated since 1970s onward until now?



AND would you care to list the national top 15 billionaires,and the combined assets of these peoples,and PLEASE TELL me on the education status of them?...




Let me tell you that they are no more than MCE certificate holders mostly,except for one or two,and some are not even gone to school, school dropsouts pun ada juga la.



The doctrine that this severe national inequality of income and wealth,where a tiny numbers own and control THE MOST OF THE NATION INCOME AND WEALTH can be `treated' with `more' education is nonsensical at best, and perhaps bullshit as well.



THE TOP 10 percent are mostly, and actually`given' the wealth,by(or buy) unlimited monopoly, and unlimited opportunities by the PM/PMO ,and subsequent PM/PMO, and the following PM/PMO,the next PM/PMO and the present PM/PMO laaa...


Only a few made their `bundles'and `goodies' dengan tulang empat kerat dan aqal mereka...




PM/PMO IS THE REAL DOCTRINE for wealth, riches as well glamour in this nation..




The treatment for this malady is:-

Get the PM/PMO to educate themselves from zero in the field of macam mana kerja dengan tulang empat kerat dan guna aqal,kumpul duit dan harta elok elok untuk 80% of the population...



SCAMMING is outdated, with their education and skill is already used for so many years...dah tak jalan laa!.



CON jobs masih laku lagi juga di negara ini..



Bytheway, the graph for newly available jobs has almost plateaued off some years ago and the rate of newly available jobs is also getting smaller with the increasing number of job seekers ratio to the working population.




Abu Bakar Ab Rahman

RD. said...

Salam Dato.

Yes. Education is the best avenue where the Malays could elevate their economic stature.
But PLEASE reduce religious activities in school or leave it at home. Those who opted religious studies for their children should send them to Sekolah Agama.

budak jawa said...

YBhg Datuk,

tertinggal komen pasal inequality. Man jadda wa jada, siapa berusaha dia berjaya. Sekumpulan kecil yang menguasai kekayaan ini adalah kerana kelebihan mereka samada dari segi kemahuan, usaha, kemahiran mahupun pengetahuan mereka. Allah tidak menghalang umatnya mencari kekayaan dunia asalkan dengan cara yang mematuhi hukum syarak.

Apa yang lebih penting adalah apabila kita memperoleh kekayaan tersebut, perlu insaf bahawa pemilik mutlak kekayaan tersebut adalah Allah Taala dan kita hanya merupakan pemegang amanah sahaja. Menyedari hakikat ini, kekayaan tersebut perlulah dibelanjakan dan diagihkan sewajarnya. Keperluan diri sendiri, keluarga dan masyarakat melalui nafkah, zakat, sedekah dan waqaf dan sebagainya termasuklah hadiah. Maksudnya kekayaan tersebut perlulah bergerak dan tidak duduk diam seperti yang dituntut oleh agama. Duit RM10 yang bergerak kepada 10 orang dalam sehari mampu menyara kehidupan 10 orang, sebaliknya duit RM1,000 yang tidak bergerak hanya mampu menyara kehidupan 1 orang sahaja, malah sebenarnya boleh dikatakan tidak diperlukan untuk menyara pemiliknya pun (maka kerana itulah ia tidak dibelanjakan dan tidak bergerak kepada orang lain. jangan berhujah kata itu adalah simpanan untuk kecemasan, keperluan pada masa hadapandansebagainya kerana ini hanyalah contoh mudah untuk tujuan pemahaman).

Malangnya umat islam memandang jijik dan rendah terhadap kekayaan menyebabkan mereka bukan sahaja tidak berusaha mendapatkan kekayaan, malah memandang rendah terhadap orang yang berusaha mendapatkan kekayaan. Hakikatnya sikap manusia yang menyimpan harta di dalam hatinya sehingga mereka menjadi kikir, bakhil dan tamaklah yang patut dikeji dan bukannya usaha manusia mencari kekayaan itu yang dipandang keji. Hal ini kerana mencari kekayaan dan menguruskan dengan sebaiknya itu adalah termasuk di dalamperkara yang dituntut oleh agama, sebab itulahterdapat hukum agama berkaitan dengannya. Hanya keutamaan mencari kekayaan itu adalah kurang berbanding keutamaan mencari redha Allah. Maksudnya kekayaan itu bukanlah matlamat tetapi adalah alat untuk mencapai matlamat iaitu redha Allah.

Salah faham ini pada pendapat saya amat kritikal membentuk pemikiran sebahagian besar masyarakat Islam di Malaysia dan seluruh dunia menyebabkan mereka ketinggalan dalam bukan sahaja ekonomi malah dalam banyak perkara lain. Ini juga berlaku dalam bidang ilmu di mana ilmu-ilmu bersifat keduniaan dianggap sebagai tidak islami dan memadai bagi umat islam sekadar mempelajari ilmu ukhrawi. Sebagai contoh, pelajar kursus ekonomi islam, yang kebanyakannya datang dari aliran agama, yang tidak mengambil subjek makro dan mikro ekonomi konvensional. Bagaimana mereka ingin memahami kelemahan ekonomi konvensional sekiranya mereka tidak mempelajari ilmu tersebut? tidak perlu meletakkan perkataan islam untuk menjadikan sesuatu perkara itu patuh syariah. Yang penting adalah substancenya. ekonomi konvensional pun sekiranya tidak fokus kepada keuntungan dan kepuasan maksimum dan tidakmengamalkan riba adalah satu sistem ekonomi yang patuh syariah.

Akhirnya, kesimpulannya saya buka kepada para pembaca yang bijak laksana.

Wallahualam

azhar said...

salam Dakj

cara mencari wang dan cara membelanjakan wang perlu diajarkan kepada orang melayu.

elakan berhutang lebih lebih lagi yang melibatkan hutang bertambah disebabkan kadar tertentu kali masa pinjaman.

orang melayu mesti peka dengan segala tindakan negetif/sabotaj serta tindakan-tindakan yang boleh menghalang mereka mencapai kemajuan ekonomi.perkara ini perlu dinyahkan segera.

melantik orang melayu yang sedar diri tentang bangsa dan agamanya dalam menguruskan agensi agensi pembangunana ekonomi bumiputra.

dah kaya tolong keluarkan zakat.

Zed-85 said...

Saudara ab,

Your comment,

The doctrine that this severe national inequality of income and wealth,where a tiny numbers own and control THE MOST OF THE NATION INCOME AND WEALTH can be `treated' with `more' education is nonsensical at best, and perhaps bullshit as well.

My comment,

If you go to kampong and approach those who only has a primary school certificate or SPM/MCE or maybe Mat Rempit and tell them that 10% of the population control 90% of the nation wealth, they would probably say, so what?

People need to have education so that they can better understand what is happening around them. Educated Malays will be more informed in matters and thus the Government will be compelled to change for the better or be voted out.

We are not expecting all the Malays to be billionaires. The vast majority of the Malays that earn RM2000 or less have minimal education. What can you do with RM2000 nowadays? If they have better education then they can have better jobs and earn more.

Our neighbour Singapore with limited resources are able to create jobs for their citizen and even importing hundred thousands of workers from JB, why can’t we?

China is going to be the biggest economy in the world. They are now making their own air-craft carrier, fighter jets, smartphones etc. I’ve met a few of their Engineers working with Huawei Technolgy in KL. Each of them hold a Phd.

India has managed to send their rocket to the Planet Mars and now orbiting the planet.

With Malay holding MCE/SPM certificates as you stated, how far do you think we can go?

raja2u said...

Assalamualaikum,
YBhg Dato' dan Pembahas yang saya hormati."Taking the bull by the horn" adalah satu cabaran yang memerlukan keberanian dan ikhlas seikhlasnya.Untuk berjaya kita hendaklah tegas dengan pendirian mengatakan" A spade is a spade ".

Saya hairan mengapa orang sanggup mengatakan orang Melayu malas dan kegagalan orang Melayu bukannya disebabkan kegagalan pihak pemerintah.Saya beri contoh orang Melayu terkebawah sehingga DEB diperkenalkan.DEB telah menghasilkan begitu banyak professional bumiputra seperti juruterbang , doctor ,peguam , pendidik dan sebagainya yang sebelum itu dikatakan orang Melayu tidak berbakat.

Kelemahan graduan kita sekarang mungkin disebabkan penuntut kita dibendung dari bergerak aktif dan kreatif. Mereka dilayan seperti murid sekolah menengah dan disekat dari bergerak aktif melalui akujanji menggariskan do and don't. Ini adalah gara-gara setengah pihak takut kelantangan penuntut institusi pengajian tinggi akan mendedahkan kepada umum kelemahan , jika ada dikalangan pemimpin seperti yang berlaku dalam tahun tujuh puluhan.

Bukannya orang Melayu tidak berbakat dalam bidang pembinaan, misalnya.Mereka yang terlatih tidak diberi peluang mengamalkannya kerana pada tahun lapanpuluhan kerajaan memperkenalkan dasar transfer of technology dengan menawarkan kerja kepada kontraktor besar luar Negara dan juga kepada kontraktor besar dalam Negara yang ditakrif sebagai kontraktor berwibawa. Ini menjadikan kontraktor bumiputra dalam banyak kes sebagai subkontraktor sahaja.

Bagaimana pula dengan petani penternak kita diluar Bandar. Kalau kita teliti buku bajet pruntukan besar disediakan untuk program pembasmian kemiskinan diluar Bandar.Soalnya samada peruntukan tersebut benar-benar digunakan untuk tujuan tersebut atau dipindah untuk membangun projek mega.

Memang ada juga kenarannya orang Melayu Malas. Siapa mereka itu? Mereka adalah pemimpin yang malas berfikir dan dan menyerahkan kepada orang lain untuk berfikir bagi mereka. Mereka mencari jalan mudah dengan out sourcing kerja mereka kepada orang lain yang mungkin ada agenda sendiri yang menyebabkan keadaan kucar-kacir sekarang.

Raja Abdul Rahman bin Raja Mohammad Dain,
Pencetus Strategic Vision,
Petaling Jaya.

Delima Pena said...

Salam Datuk,

Syabas Datuk kerana tak kenal penat menulis untuk kebaikan dan kepentingan negara.

Malaysia would indeed have been a role model country for many to emulate had we Malaysians, leaders, politicians, administrators , corporate leaders, businessmen included, go about performing our work and carrying our responsibilties with sincerety and, embrace positive values of transparency, accountability, morale compass, etc and not marred by own selfish interests, greed and kiasu and a host of other negative values which are detrimental to the common good.

I would like to share something of my own shocking discovery of what is happening in Cyberjaya. As I was driving in Cyberjaya, the signage of one housing development called Lake Front Villas @ Cyberjaya caught my eyes. According to the brochure, the Lake Front Villa is an exclusive 'gated and guarded sanctuary set in the heart of Cyberjaya' community. This particular development by MCT Consortium Berhad is the building of a millionaire gated community of 110 bungalows ranging in price from RM 2.4 million - 3.6 million (the RM 3.6 million bungalows facing the lake cost RM 3.6 million). This development boasts a housing project that exudes 'privacy and peace'.

What is interesting about the project is :
1. The houses are nearly all sold with the exception of only a few units left
2. There was no soft launching and official launching at all - thus, public is not aware - no advertisements, etc, yet nearly all units have been taken up
3. Purchasers are all Chinese. So far, only 4 bumi purchasers that only happen by coincidence and through exploring out of curiosity
4. No quota for bumis, as according to developer, developments in Cyberjaya have no bumi quota
5. No bumi discount. Every purchaser enjoys a 5 percent discount

My questions to the authorities are :
1. Is this whole thing happening with your eyes wide open?
1. Is it legally and morally right?
2. Where is your vision of building a just and equitable society?
3. Do you believe that racial integration is irrelevant to the extent that you allow only the Chinese to enjoy the so called 'peace and privacy' by encouraging them to live only with their community?
4. Even if you believe that the Malays generally cannot afford these type of houses, don't you think that the few Malays who can afford should be given equal opportunity to own such houses and have access to proper dissemination of information regarding the project?
5. What safeguards have you put in place to prevent irresponsibility on the part of the developer and their covert practices?
6. Can you justify your act of encouraging secluded living for the Chinese community only when all taxpayers bear the burden of the development of Cyberjaya ?
7. I am of the view that this is one of the many areas that bumis are being discriminated. Please do a soul searching exercise whether your actions have contributed to the perpetuation of discrimination towards the bumiputras in this country.

A KADIR JASIN said...

A Muslim intellectual was reported in the local media recently as saying that some "kafirs" countries are more Islamic than Muslim countries.

That has been my stand all along. Many non-Muslim countries practise values which are espoused by the Quran.

And this is further proven when our Home Minister, Ahmad Zahid, who attended an Islamic Secondary School, is copying the NYPD methods of fighting corruption among its members.

I have to ask Ahmad Zahid, what about the Quran? Isn't majority of our policemen and women are Muslims?

It's ok to learn from NYPD. But there are better examples next door and nearby - Singapore, Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

Anyway, I hope Ahmad Zahid's trip to NY is worthwhile and not an excuse to be seen near his boss.

Thank you.

A KADIR JASIN said...

From The Star/Bernama:-

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak chaired the Bumiputra Economic Council (BEC) meeting at the Bangunan Perdana Putra here.

The two-hour meeting yesterday discussed initiatives and programmes to empower the bumiputra economy. It was held before Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, tables the 2015 Budget next Friday.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Sarigar Abdullah, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, and CEO of the Bumiputra Agenda Coordinating Unit (Teraju) Husni Salleh.

The Bumiputra Economic Council was set up to replace the Bumiputra Agenda Action Council as the leader in drawing up the strategy to empower the bumiputra economy. — Bernama

My questions:

1. What has happened to the Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Bumiputera that PM presented at UiTM after the 2013 GE?

2. What has happened to PM's call to the big companies and tycoons to include race, gender and age (young) in their employment?

3. What is he doing and going to do with the widening income/wealth gap among the races that puts the Bumiputera at the bottom of the packing order?

4. What is he going to do about the collapse of palm oil and rubber prices which is badly affecting smallholders and Felda settlers?

5. As PM and Finance Minister he is doubly responsible for our well being.

Thank you.

msh said...

Salam Dato.

Teruskan usha murni Dato melontar perkara sebenar....ia itu kedudukan ekonomi sebenar dlm negara dan ekonomi antara 2 kelompok besar ..bumiputra dan bukan Melayu ..terutama kaum Cina.

Juga dari segala data yg dipaparkan....betapa tidak tepatnya gambaran yg rakyat dapat dari kerajaan tentang jurang kekayaan kaum.

Bila mana kerajaan berkata kita 'on track ..to be catergorized as a high income nation'...sy rasa ini satu 'statement' yg tidak lagi memberi apa2 makna bila 70% rakyaat masih tidak mempunyai pendapatan yg melebihi Rm5900 sebulan seperti yg digembar gemburkan.

Dato....ini menguatkan lagi apa yg Dato kata bahawa pakar ekonomi yg menasihati Najib cuma bercakap atau berkata2 apa yg 'political masters' mereka mahu dengar sahaja.

Hata....'standard' penasihat ekonomi ini cuma sbgai 'loud speaker' yg bercakap tanpa apa2 rasa tanggung jawab.
Mereka jauh dari berminat untuk membetul apa yg tidak betul dan lagi teruk bila mana tidak bercerita sebenar.

Jika dibandingkan dgn tokoh2 ekonomi yg Dato sebut ...sy kura penasihat ekonomi Najib cuma 'nenghabiskan beras' negara sahaja.

Juga...kita perlu ingat ..salah satu sasaran yg kita mesti capai ialah jurang ekonomi antara 2 kaum terbesar wajar dirapatkan jika mahu mencapai matlamat Wawasan 2020.

Dan sasaran ini sy kira tidak ditangani hingga kehari ini....cuma cakap2 saja.

Sy kira paparan dan fakta yg Dato lontarkan dari tulisan (kaji selidik) Muhammed wajar diberi perhatian serius oleh Najib.

Syabas sekali lagi Dato....tentang topik ini...sy sendiri akan membaca buju tersebut..untuk memahami lebih lanjut keadaan sebenar terutama tentang jurang kekayaan Melayu/Cina.

Ini sy kira wajar untuk umum ketahui kerana org Melayu asyik dituduh tidak adil sentiasa....dan adakala sudah melampaui had yg boleh diterima.

Lagi sedih bilamana cuma ada 2 atau 3 org Melayu dari 20 org billionair negara yg jadi sudah dikira tidak adil oleh org Cina.

Kini selepas hampir 20tahun Merdeka...'hardcore poor...urban poor..rural poor...dan apa segala poor'...dimonopoli oleh org Melayu.

Apa yg tak adilnya dgn pemerintahan Melayu?

Ya memang tidak adil....KERANA ORG MELAYU BUMIPUTRA DIANAK TIRIKAN OLEH KERAJAAN.....sebab yg lebih kaya adalah yg Bukan Melayu.

Terima kasih.

Anak Melayu said...

Salam Dato',

Saya pernah cuba dptkn geran teknologi dr satu agensi kerajaan. Juri kebanyakkannya Melayu, kertas kerja saya direject.

Tp yg peliknya, idea sy menarik seorang pelabur cina. Dia minta jumpa dn bincang. Pengawai pelaburan kerajaan tidak mampu menandingi keupayaan pelabur swasta (majority cina) dlm membuat penilaian potensi pasaran sesuatu idea, produk, teknologi atau perniagaan.

Dgr kata byk pelaburan dibuat GLC mengalami kerugian dr projek Petronas di Kanada, ternak ikan import di Pahang dan pelbagai mcm masalah termasuk MAS. Ini berpunca dr para pengawai pelaburan kerajaan (melayu) yg kurang visi.

msh said...

Salam Dato.

Ralat: Typo error....tulisan sy diatas...hmpir 60 tahun Merdeka...bukan 20 tahun..maaf.

msh said...

Sdra Anak Melayu ...jelas yg kontraktor dan peniaga bumiputra dipandang rendah oleh org Melayu sendiri.

Ini lah sebenarnya yg dikatakan 'tidak adil atau diskriminasi kaum'....kaum melayu bumiputra disisih oleh pegawai kerajaan dan juga dari Bank2 dlm banyak perkara.

ATAU pun....juri2 sudah 'dijaga' barangkali...mudah dpt habuan dari org Cina agaknya...
Faham2 sajalah..

Jika tidak masakan...12...13...15..pegawai kastam Melayu dicekup dlm sebulan saja.

budak jawa said...

YM Raja Abdul Rahman,

Satu saja komen saya. Terlalu banyak alasan. Memanglah keadaan itu wujud, tetapi itu adalah cabaran. Apa-apa perkara pun ada cabaran yang perlu diurus dan dihadapi. Read the situation dan jangan terlalu bergantung kepada Kerajaan. Memanglah besar cabarannya, tetapi kalau tidak kuat berseorangankita perlu berjemaah. Ini yang payah dikalangan orang melayu. Payah nak bersatu.

Kalau kita taknak mengaku kelemahan kita, sampai bila pun kita tak dapat memperbaiki kelemahan tersebut dan akan sentiasa menyalahkan orang lain.

Terpulanglah. Orang yang berusaha akan terus ke depan meninggalkan orang lain yang hanya bercakap. Mungkin kita patut beri pemerintahan negara kepada DAP supaya Malaysia dapat menjadi seperti Pulau Pinang dan kepentingan orang Melayu dijaga sebaiknya. Lagipun, itulah trend terbaru anak muda melayu sekarang.

jlabu said...

Singapura negara kepada 3 terkaya dengan $ 61,000.perkapita.Apa mau kita ?Negara macam semua,hebat macam singa.

jlabu said...

Pembetulan,semut,bukan semua.maaf.

Zed-85 said...

Saudara MSH,

Sekiranya orang melayu tidak menolong bangsa sendiri, ini bukan dikira sebagai diskriminasi kaum. Ini penyakit lain yang perlu ada ubatnya.

Jurang kekayaan yang besar bukan sahaja melibatkan kaum cina sahaja tetapi juga orang melayu. Orang melayu yang mewah sedikit bilangannya tetepi mengawal peratusan yang besar kemewahan dalam negera berbanding ramai orang melayu yang miskin dan sederhana.

Kita perlu juga bersaing dengan bangsa cina tetapi orang melayu tidak patut asyik menuding jari kepada orang cina sahaja. Orang melayu patut mempunyai semangat menolong bangsa sendiri.

Kalau negara kita hendak maju seperti negara Korea, Jepun dan lain-lain, negara kita perlu bersaing untuk ekspot dagang dan menarik pelabur. Ini bermakna orang melayu bukan sahaja perlu bersaing dengan orang cina tetapi kepada semua bangsa lain dalam dunia.

Saya mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha kepada DAKJ, saudara MSH dan semua.

Sallam

PENGUNDI AMPANG said...

Datuk AKJ,

Siapa kata Melayu bangsat?

Tataplah TV saban senja dan malam;
Yang berniaga impot-ekspot,
Yang legasi karunnya tujuh keturunan,
Melayulah.....
Melakonnya.

msh said...

Salam Sdra Zed - 85...DAKJ dan semua pembahas Islam.

Terima kasih...dan Selamat menyambut Aidil Adha...moga segala amalan diberkati Allah Taala.

Zaaba anak Sarawak said...

There is no secret about the facts…
so obvious and so ignored… by Najib & Co…. termasuklah my dear orang Sarawak…Idris Jala…

Imagine, Sarawak the state with the most natural resources but with the poorest (or next to poorest) population…

How to equate the sterling economics data announced regularly by the government and the stats?
Najib & Co interested?
Only masa nak PRU/GE je…

Agree that education as a way forward but we are also screwing (sorry for the language!) our education system.

Q1 - Macam mana sekarang?
Q2 - What is the first step?
Q3 - Remove Najib? Is that good enough?

FELDA..? Sad case...
1) FGV beli 49% of FELDA Holdings from FELDA for RM6 billion...
2) Lepas tu FGV beli remaining 51% of FELDA Holdings from KPF for RM2.2 billion...
(Please correct if my memory fails me...!)
-->>> Really MIND BOGGLING...

Do you agree with me that it is mind boggling Tok Kadir?

Dulu orang nak beli PLUS dan semua konsessi tol yang lain pada harga RM50 billion dengan syarat:
1) Tol tak dinaikkan lagi
2) Tempoh konsessi tak dilanjutkan
3) Tak perlu dibayar gantiruji oleh gomen
4) Lain-lain (tak ingat)

Najib tak nak? I wonder why...personality clash?
Duit gantirugi untuk konsessi boleh digunakan untuk membangun negeri miskin seperti Sarawak...

For a political novice like me, it sounds and looks great especially for poor Sarawakians...

So back to Q2? What next?

About Me

My photo
I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).