Grand Plan or Grand Illusion?

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said that to ensure Malaysia could compete globally, it needs proper implementation, coordination and execution.

He said that to achieve that, all Malaysians must be united and work together while embracing the 1Malaysia concept, where people are given priority in any of the government’s programmes.

The prime minister said this when opening the Seri Murugan Centre (SMC) at the Vivekananda Secondary School in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday 12 June 2010,

“When I took over as the prime minister in April last year, I decided to build a new Malaysia on the spirit of 1Malaysia where we must be united and be part of a large family and combine the best of each community,” Najib said.

“This will enable each Malaysian, irrespective of ethnic background, to realize his or her maximum potential as a Malaysian,” he said.

“That is why we have undertaken this change, this transformation, this journey towards transforming our country to be a new Malaysia that is stronger, more prosperous — a new Malaysia that is not only confined to physical intellectual boundaries but one that can meet global challenges,” Najib said.

“We must not have any fear and instead possess a great sense of confidence to become a great nation. And this can be done if we are united.”

Great words indeed!

While I appreciate and applaud the prime minister for his vision and vitality in wanting to transform the country into a united, prosperous and globally competitive nation as capsulized in the 10th Malaysia Plan, I cannot help but lament the fact that the current socio-political scenario in the country is such that any grand plan to move the nation forward at this juncture is almost certain to result in excruciating failure and frustration.

This is simply because, lately there has emerged an exceptionally extreme form of racialism propagated and promoted by certain reactionary non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that is causing uneasiness and jittery among the people.

The highly vigorous, vocal and visible NGOs led by some very agitated and angry characters, including a veteran MP, have been vehemently hurling accusations on the purported economic deprivation of their race and the alleged depredation or plundering of what is supposed to rightly belong to their race.

It is surely a sad and sorry situation that after more than half a century of being an independent nation, with its people living and co-existing in peace and harmony, a small group of insecure, insensitive and intolerable individuals are now throwing a racial spanner into the otherwise harmonious and progressive machine of growth.

If Najib sincerely wants his dream of Malaysia becoming a great nation to be realized, he must first of all deactivate this racial time-bomb and immediately nip the rousing racist campaign in the bud. He should not compromise with the racist elements in his efforts to eliminate racial exclusivism in his effort to build a one Malaysia.

It is no point offering a grand plan for the growth and development of the nation if no positive concrete action is taken to unite the multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-linguistic population.

Perhaps, Najib may not be aware that the current high brain drain rate to other countries is a direct result of the fear of the emerging repulsive racism. Many of those who left, or are planning to leave, love Malaysia and are loyal to the nation, but the prevailing wind of racism they perceive made them uncomfortable and unhappy in the land of their birth.

The voting pattern of the 8th March 2008 general election and the subsequent by-elections is a clear indication that everything is surely not right on the racial front. The perceived inequality, discrimination, injustice, unfairness, whether real or not, of the people should not be ignored and dismissed by Najib, but should be carefully, prudently and critically studied, reflected, analysed and evaluated, with concrete constructive measures taken to resolve them.

Obviously, Najib has been and is being frustrated by the many unnecessary political obstacles and unwarrantable bureaucratic procedures in his attempt to accelerate the country’s economic engine.

At the level of public service, it has been an accepted reality that the “little Napoleons” of the civil have been giving the average person real hard times, even in dealing with very simple matters. This has alienated the government from the people. This is so obvious when it comes to complaints about various matters. The people go to Michael Chong instead of the government complaints bureau!

Truly, the prime minister faces a real uphill drive, with the many political potholes along the path, made worse by the administrative red tapes putting the brakes on his dream trip to fulfill his vision of a one great Malaysia.

He has to deal with both the racist characters and his own party warlords on the political front and, with the deadwood civil servants in his own administrative backyard which is still engulfed in a complicated bureaucratic culture.

So, Datuk Seri Najib, if you truly and sincerely want to transform the country into a great nation of excellence and prosperity, then your first task is to restore the people’s confidence and let them know that they have a real equal stake in this land they are born, breed and brought up.

You need to take a firm uncompromising stand against the racist characters and, at the same time, start cracking the whip on the little Napoleans who have been bullying the little people under your care.

Ultimately, your vision can either be a Grand Plan or a Grand Illusion, depending on your commitment and courage to take the brave and bold measures to eliminate the weed from the wheat,