Kadir: Malays, Orang Asal will not fare any worse under PR
Kadir Jasin says the Indians and Chinese will be the driving force in any new government in Putrajaya.
(Free Malaysia Today) – The topic on everybody’s lips since the 12th General Election in 2008, when the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) lost the coveted two-thirds majority in Parliament, has been what will become of Malays and Muslims when Umno is driven out of power. “That doesn’t mean that Pakatan Rakyat, or any alternative Opposition, was strong enough to seize power in Putrajaya but that the people are turning against Umno/BN.”
Umno has been synonymous with Malays and Muslims for so long. “The 2008 loss has been made worse by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the last General Election, the 13th, in 2013.”
A veteran newsman, Kadir Jasin, braves himself to answer the Malay/Muslim question in his latest blog posting but concedes “it’s a long story for starters.”
“The Opposition coming to power in Putrajaya will be very popular because they will go after wrongdoers in Umno/BN and bring them to justice. At the same time, they will focus on the Malays, Muslims and Orang Asal first before accommodating the demands of the Chinese in business and Indians in the professions.”
The Indians and Chinese, he stressed, will be the driving force in any new government in Putrajaya. “This will be seen when they are accommodated in the government sector and Umno/BN’s policies based on using proxies are abolished. Only genuine business people will be accommodated.”
“Islam, Malay culture, customs and traditions will be left to the sultans as we can see from the experience in Selangor and Perak under the Opposition.”
Likewise, the offer of autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak will win the support of the people in the two territories for a new government in Putrajaya.
Briefly, the Malays and Muslims will not fare any worse under a Pakatan Rakyat Government in Putrajaya while the country as a whole will be better off, ventures the former New Straits Times Group Editor in Chief. “The smart Malays will do better under a new government. For the fate of the other Malays, just look at Selangor, Penang and Kelantan under Pakatan.”
“The country will do well with less corruption, no abuses and leakages since the politics and economy will be better administered. Pakatan will claim credit here when they can as a result pay everyone better.”
The Chinese will exert their economic strength, said Kadir in looking into his crystal ball, while Indian professionals will further excel in their various fields. “The Malays can still use their numbers as leverage to drive home their advantage here and make themselves count under a new government.”
Pakatan, in short, will not be able to treat Malays and Muslims and Orang Asal as stepchildren and get away with it, if they want to continue to rule at least for a time and ensure peace and harmony in the country in the meantime. “No government can afford to ignore the Malays, Muslims and Orang Asal.”
