Posted by FongKimLun > 2020-07-16 11:31 | Report Abuse

Yes those appointed were good at siphoning for themselves what was the cream. We will never move out of this trap as long as appointments are not by merit but by the colour of the skin

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:32 | Report Abuse

This is the sad story of all Malaysians regardless of race. Tun faults the Chinese for the wealth gap but he fails to understand that traditionally the Chinese are a hard working community, regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Instead Tun has to see what were the shortcomings that has not uplifted the Malays & in my opinion it has to do with the policies.
The policies that were promoted by Tun & then after only enriched the rich where they became richer thus causing the widening gap among a particular community/race & with the others.
There needs to be a total change in policy as promoted by DSAI.

Posted by ZackRaider > 2020-07-16 11:33 | Report Abuse

Tun M will never blame himself for all the mess that he has created for our country, Do you see Satan blaming himself for being so evil?

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:34 | Report Abuse

Indeed Tun has many pitfalls, the root cause of Malaysia’s decline started with him.

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:34 | Report Abuse

Hence the needs based versus race based thinking.

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:35 | Report Abuse

And This posting could have been more effective if it calls to action what rural voters need to do to help their urban counterparts across ethnic lines - i.e. rejection of elitist/colour/religious politics either by Tun, UMNO, PAS or Bersatu.

Posted by XiXiTan > 2020-07-16 11:36 | Report Abuse

At least he has a 750 sf flat to stay, go check some hard core poor Chinese and Indian that stay in new villages. Their condition is 100 times worst then this, no basic water, electricity, road...with leaking roofs...

Posted by ChewOnThis > 2020-07-16 11:38 | Report Abuse

This is a hidden side was not to be ignored but which has been paid lip service over the years. While the politician were busy politicking, backstabbing and what not, nothing in the way of policy or direction has the nation attempted to address this. It was left to non-profit and NGO in the past to provide some very basic necessity to the homeless and those in severe need of assistance. The only preoccupation of the super rich is to further entrench themselves in the system for purely selfish intents. Their intent was to keep the less well off segment of the society under constant stress is a well known attempt to keep them extremely busy as it is easier to control when the latter is wholly preoccupied just keeping their heads above water. I don't expect any political party in Malaysia will do anything to champion the plight of these people nor attempt to change the cause of their lifes. Hindraf as an NGO might come close in the past, but the politicians culled it when it support became dangerously close to usurping their limelight.

Posted by VanGuardLim > 2020-07-16 11:39 | Report Abuse

Thank you for opening up this can of worms. However, what has crawled out are not facts based on irrefutable statistics but emotive anecdotes that appeal to those ruled by their hearts and not their heads.

What indeed are the facts which crooked politicians like Mahathir deliberately choose to ignore? Let me list just a few.

1. Urban poverty cuts across ethnic lines.

2. The urban poor have to struggle everyday to put food on the table (a more exhausting struggle than the one supposedly waged by crooked and immensely wealthy Malay politicians for "race and religion")

3. The urban poor (often clustered in ethnic ghettos) are used as ready vote banks by scheming politicians who view poverty almost always from an ethnic standpoint.

4. The urban poor are deliberately NOT discouraged from having large families by the same conniving politicians

5. The lot of the urban poor seldom improves unlike the wealth of the politicians who champion their cause.

6. The rural urban drift was actively encouraged by myopic extremist politicians who could not stand to see "others owning towns". "Rural Development" always a Federal Ministry since independence, clearly did not cause a reversal or discourage migration while creating economic opportunities in situ.

7. The same ethnically-motivated politicians who neglected urban squalor also encouraged the influx of foreigners into the same ghettos - by looking the other way as the new migrants took over low paying jobs, services and now even retail.

Posted by Questionaire > 2020-07-16 11:40 | Report Abuse

Urban poverty is indeed common . But it affects all communities, not just the Malays. If only MP's visit a Chinese New Village or an Indian squatter area , you will find similar stories. Keep it Malaysian , and as Malaysians , let us do this together.

Posted by Wishmasters > 2020-07-16 11:41 | Report Abuse

The urban Malay community (B40) is no longer the VOTER BANK of the ketuanan politicians.

If PKR, DAP and Amananf can forge a true alliance together, they could be a very stable government to take the nation to the next level.

Posted by ElvaLove > 2020-07-16 11:42 | Report Abuse

Implement Universal Basic Income. Help the poor in a sustainable and transparent manner. The rich can pay a bit more tax. Funnel AP proceeds and "crony" monies into UBI

Posted by RandySavage > 2020-07-16 11:43 | Report Abuse

The old goats--they have to leave the scene. Move to needs based which will cover the most populous group.

What is Anwar doing about this issue? Trying to get numbers? He should be leading the narrative for the future of he country..!!

Posted by TipTopJoe > 2020-07-16 11:43 | Report Abuse

Urban migration is a global phenomenon, not just in Malaysia or by Malays. Studies indicate that the 10 most populous cities in the world by 2050 will be found in Asia, Africa and Latin America, consigning the top cities of today down the populous scale. Europe, the U.S. and Japan urbanization was done earlier while the third worlds are playing catch-up. There will be bound to be urban poor and shanty towns. Rural living is good but you won't make much money there unless you are rich farmers, which is not done in Malaysia, yet, perhaps never will be. Singapore and later, China, have done a good job to make their cities look good. Singapore is a pioneer in this - China is copying from them. They even have a Raffle city on Chungqing.

Malaysian government should look at the bigger picture - need based rather than race based to develop the nation. The old method of the seventies need to change otherwise we would be stuck there and unable to move on with Korea, Taiwan or Indonesia.

Posted by TipTopJoe > 2020-07-16 11:44 | Report Abuse

our graduates will continue to languish as grab or delivery drivers if we continue to reject PPSMI.

What more when China arises and dominates world trade and technology with their current unicorns?

Posted by YolandaOng > 2020-07-16 11:44 | Report Abuse

Our problem lies in the powerful politicians enriching themselves by corrupted ways and neglect the poor in their own race and the whole nation. The only time they defend their own race poor is when they need their support for votes by fanning racial sentiments. Hope we see through these wicked and selfish politicians and do not fall into their traps.

Posted by ApplePlay > 2020-07-16 11:45 | Report Abuse

For flacks sake. The poor are poor wherever they exist

The question to be addressed is : Why are they poor?

The answer to that question is the same wherever poverty occurs. And the fault is not necessarily with the poor themselves. So that inevitably programs to address poverty are ineffectual because society has not changed

As a society, Malaysia readily embraces poverty, because poverty fosters dependence on people who love to control and repress. Poverty also allows the non poor to feel superior and gives them “the right” to exploit the needy

It’s an appalling indictment of Malaysian society that poverty exists at the level it does in what on the surface appears to be an affluent society

BTW, don’t blame the failure of the education system on the inability of parents to be stand in teachers. Many successful and well educated persons were born of illiterate parents. How do you think society has progressed?

Posted by SonGokuSSJ5 > 2020-07-16 11:46 | Report Abuse

Please take a census of the top 3,000 richest people in Malaysia.

This time please include politicians, politicians' children, politicians' wives, politicians' abang adeks, kakaks makciks, and saudaramaras.

We should not be surprised at the results.

Posted by DannyFangs > 2020-07-16 11:47 | Report Abuse

Full truth said out ! Anyone can just see for themselves when you travel by the LRT train, inside the train , you can see some Malay ladies carrying packed food probably it could be for their breakfast or lunch. No- Malays could be also seen , with simple , a bit untidy clothes or with slippers etc. Outside from the train, you can many pathetic low cost houses , looks very sad ! Yet these bad Politicians play the ugly game non- stop !

Posted by FongKimLun > 2020-07-16 11:48 | Report Abuse

Another policy of Mahathir and LPPKN, birth control pills for non but none for Malays? My heart bleeds everytime I hear/see this, we have to work d@mn hard and put with nonsense from others. We suffer emotionally and mentally everyday if every hours. Our health is not in prime. So it is not so simple like all on a silver plate!

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:49 | Report Abuse

Many issues had been mentioned here, minus one critical issue.

No matter how hardworking one provides for the family, when the number of children is a lot, the end quality will drop. The quality of education, living condition, health, nutrition, etc is a factor of the number of people in the family. If income increases but the number of mouths increases even faster, the problem is not solved. We all know the cause of this problem is one of the R in the 3R's.


FongKimLun is right. This problem needs to be controlled.

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:50 | Report Abuse

The reality is that cake has shrunk. For obvious reasons the non-Malays mostly have reduced their numbers for the simple reason of quality management. The saying 'cut your coat according to your cloth' still holds true. Before we fault others we must get our priorities right. Our aims and activities must conform with our resources and circumstances. If not we are digging our own graves.

Posted by ZackRaider > 2020-07-16 11:51 | Report Abuse

We must however move from the anecdotal to the statistical. The anecdotal wrenches at our heartstrings. But the statistical will give us the facts that we need to formulate policy and work our action that is required to deal with the problem. After 60 years of Independence with Malay leaders at the helm and after 50 years of the NEP with dominant Malay leadership and almost exclusively Malay civil servants in charge of everything and with billions of Ringgit spent on all sorts of schemes and subsidies funds and projects why are there so many Malay poor ? Indians were displaced from the estates and from Government service and with no help from anyone became marginalised. Gangs replaced family and community. Race became the basis for preference, opportunity and employment. The Chinese survived because of their dominant position in the commercial sector. Many left the country. An honest survey must be conducted to determine accurately what is the position of poverty in Malaysia. And an objective analysis must be conducted to fund out why past policies and actions have failed. It is ridiculous to blame the Chinese for the problem of Malay poverty or to punish them for being industrious and enterprising. It is even more absurd to ignore the plight of poor people of all races - including the Orang Asli and the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. .

Posted by XiXiTan > 2020-07-16 11:52 | Report Abuse

Sorry ZackRaider . But when did you ever witness a Malaysian government decision which was based on fact?

Perception, maybe. Beliefs, often. Opinions, frequently. Corruption, too often.

Any quick assessment of the quality of or even the existence of facts would explain why that is the case

In Malaysia, if you don’t know the facts, or if the facts have been manipulated, then you don’t need to worry about the problem.

It’s a syndrome common among Malaysian politicians. It’s called Burying your Head in the Sand

.....and it exists DESPITE RACE

Posted by ChewOnThis > 2020-07-16 11:52 | Report Abuse

One interesting but suppressed statistic pertains to the purchasers of luxury vehicles in the country. An auto-industry insider says there is good reason for this figure to remain concealed - it nails the lie routinely trotted out by politicians like Mahathir.

Posted by ZackRaider > 2020-07-16 11:53 | Report Abuse

Why not if a silly rant like 'the Chinese own the towns and cities' is good enough to extricate oneself from his self made conundrum not to mention regain favour from one's vote base?

Posted by VanGuardLim > 2020-07-16 11:53 | Report Abuse

wow

Posted by XiXiTan > 2020-07-16 11:54 | Report Abuse

We need to also know why the number of Malays from rural have moved to urban in such big proportion. What happen to rural jobs? Where are they mostly coming from, the East states? These are the States controlled by religious party like Pas. They should be happy living there, closer to their believe rather than coming to sin cities. So why are they moving in huge numbers? No jobs offer by the religious party? There is a need to discuss this as part 2 to your story so that people know the full story of migration. We know they are poor but why would they come to cities to become poor in first place? No heaven in the religious states? Bring about the truth so people can judge Pas. I find that all malays dare not touch on issues regards to this party, and that gives ammo for this party to grow bigger. Is that what you want?

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:55 | Report Abuse

The Malaysian Corrupt Elites are a mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc... they are multicultural, yet they use racial tensions and 3R narratives to their advantage

Unless you are an DUMB supporter, please stop jumping guns the moment "Malays" or "Islam" is being mentioned!

Posted by GOD IS HERE > 2020-07-16 11:57 | Report Abuse

Guys This is why Maszlee (and other weak-performing Bersatu Ministers) helped bring down Pakatan Harapan. Imagine we had a reform-minded PM & a reform-minded Education Minister--imagine how MUCH they could've accomplished in 22 months!

"Their parents also had a tough time helping them out with their homework. Even their teachers found teaching these subjects in English difficult."

-- we must weed out underperforming teachers, get rid of any pedophiles and negligent teachers, and re-integrate integrity throughout every school, PPD, and JPN office

-- we must implement systemic civil servant reform: whistleblower protection, a more open & protected media & removing 16th-century "kenyataan awam" restrictions

-- we must de-politicize the Education Ministry: it is NOT a coincidence many of our psychopathic Prime Ministers and to-be Prime Ministers were ALL Education Ministers.

This requires bravery. What this posting has said here is accurate to a tee. "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln."

Posted by Flash18 > 2020-07-16 11:58 | Report Abuse

再跌再进，看老板给不给机会。等你-30%

Posted by FongKimLun > 2020-07-16 12:00 | Report Abuse

Kleptocrats is the main contribution to this malaise
and as long as they are voted and control the government with their loot and billionaires families things will get worst. Amusing that they have been kept in power for decades by the poorest of all races and still have strong support. My relatives only voted for BN and scold us for voting opposition.

Posted by DannyFangs > 2020-07-16 12:00 | Report Abuse

I caution this "kleptocrats are the only problem"--this is a dangerous simplification. We need to really, deeply get to the bottom of our failing reforms.

See my comment above: weed out the disgusting negligence & abuse throughout the Education Ministry (RM60 billion budget--per year!), implement media protections to report on these stories, de-politicize education (every PM, nearly: a former Education Minister!), implement the IPCMC, and vastly overhaul a bloated civil servant payroll.

Posted by SonGokuSSJ5 > 2020-07-16 12:02 | Report Abuse

Yes, kleptocracy is a symptom not a cause.

Posted by ApplePlay > 2020-07-16 12:03 | Report Abuse

If 68% Malays stay in urban areas, then why did someone claimed towns are owned by the Pendatangs?

Posted by HasimahSarah > 2020-07-16 12:05 | Report Abuse

Staying in urban areas and ownership in Urban areas are two completely different things. Regardless, I firmly oppose Tun M’s insensitive remarks regarding ownership. People work hard and sacrifice much to own property regardless of race have my 100% support. I am Malay.

Posted by Questionaire > 2020-07-16 12:06 | Report Abuse

The poor urban Malay and non Malay are played out by the rich elite politicians who only pay lip services to the poors. These politicians are only interested for lobangs and how to make their assets grow and how to add more kosong to their account. V pathetic

Posted by Wishmasters > 2020-07-16 12:07 | Report Abuse

Why? Because the UMNOPUTRAS have taken all the nation's money for themselves.

Posted by ElvaLove > 2020-07-16 12:07 | Report Abuse

This is what all poor Malay should realize: we need solidarity. There are poor urban Sabahans. Poor urban Sarawakians. Poor urban Chinese. Poor urban Indian. Poor urban orang asli. Poor urban refugees.

You can literally copy-paste this story to any group in Malaysia and the story is shockingly similar, on the major failures.

This country cannot succeed until stories like these are reported every single day, from every single group, with the emphasis on the ridiculous politicization with zero genuine reforms.

Minimum wage increases. Cleaning up the corruption, abuse, negligence, waste, and politicization of the Ministry of Education. Clean public servants. Vastly improved whistleblower laws.

Posted by RandySavage > 2020-07-16 12:08 | Report Abuse

But the sad fact of the matter is that as far as the political narrative is concerned, I believed most Malays have bought into the umnoputras narrative that it is the Chinese rakyat that is the reason for their lack of wealth.
The Chinese rakyat knows they cannot depend on the govt., they toil and work hard to make a living.

But it is not like that evil old man's depiction that all the Chinese rakyat are wealthy - they are many struggling to make ends meet.

Posted by HasimahSarah > 2020-07-16 12:09 | Report Abuse

"Indeed, given that the Malay community is growing and that urban areas are now increasingly Malay, change in Malaysia can’t take place without the support of the Malays who have the least, but who work the hardest."

Posted by VanGuardLim > 2020-07-16 12:12 | Report Abuse

Pasir Gudang MCA wants Dr M to apologise for 'rich Chinese' remarks

JOHOR BARU: Pasir Gudang MCA members are seeking an apology from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after he claimed that Chinese were "rich and owned all the cities in Malaysia".

Pasir Gudang MCA deputy public complaints bureau chief Ang Tun Chek said the remarks by the former prime minister could instigate disunity among the races.

"As the former prime minister and an MP, I would expect him to work towards uniting the races and not the opposite.

"It is unfair to the Chinese community that he has labeled us as rich and owners of cities in the country when, clearly, cities are not owned by any race but by their respective state governments," he said during a press conference at the Pasir Gudang MCA office here on Wednesday (July 1).

Ang said he was also disappointed that some Chinese politicians had not spoken out on the matter.

"As representatives of the people, they should voice out against such racially sensitive remarks," he said, adding that Dr Mahathir had also received many votes from the Chinese during the last general election.

"We've made a police report against his statement and we want an official apology.

"I would also like to plead with the Malaysian Chinese not to take Dr Mahathir's remarks to heart, and not harbour ill intent against any race in the country because of what he said," he added.

Earlier, The Star reported that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had rebutted the former prime minister's claims.

He said there were enough recent reports to show that the Chinese, in all levels of income, had already declined.

“I am not sure if Dr Mahathir is pretending not to know or whether he is merely playing the racial card, ” Dr Wee had said

Posted by VanGuardLim > 2020-07-16 12:13 | Report Abuse

Guan Eng: Skin colour won’t guarantee if you’re rich or poor

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reminded one and all, in a thinly veiled criticism against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that ethnicity had little to do with wealth.

This came after Mahathir reportedly said in an interview with Asia Times that Chinese Malaysians had become extremely rich and “practically own all the towns in Malaysia”.

He reportedly said that such disparity in wealth was unhealthy.

In his Facebook post last night, Lim (above) said the Chinese in Malaysia were tired of such “simplistic” labelling, as there exist many Chinese who were not rich and many non-Chinese who were.

“Malaysia is not colour-coded, we are all Malaysians who live together in the towns, cities, and villages.

“Similarly, skin colour does not guarantee that you are rich or poor. This is wrong,” Lim said, although he did not name Mahathir in his statement.

He urged Malaysians not to be divided along racial lines, but instead to unite on common principles such as upholding justice, freedom, prosperity for all, as well as to fight against corruption and abuse of power.

Previously, Mahathir’s remark on this matter also drew criticism from other leaders in DAP and PKR, who accused him of perpetuating the “rich Chinese” narrative.

Among others, Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung cited the work of economist Muhammed Abdul Khalid and said that intra-ethic differences accounted for 93.71 percent of economic disparity, while inter-ethnic differences accounted for only 6.39 percent. Muhammed previously served as Mahathir’s economic advisor.

Posted by Questionaire > 2020-07-16 12:14 | Report Abuse

Yes....The government's responsibility is to help the poor citizens, irrespective of race…!

Posted by Wishmasters > 2020-07-16 12:15 | Report Abuse

Most of the towns were founded and built by Chinese entrepreneurs for the purpose of trade. They prospered.Now if we look, some areas of the towns have been taken over and even owned by foreigners or newly-made citizens. Who then is to be blamed for this? In the business world, it’s always the survival of the fittest.

Many Chinese continue to live in rural areas and some in towns are not rich. They are among the hardcore poor. The rich Chinese have worked hard to achieve what they have, some arguably using questionable business practices.

Posted by ElvaLove > 2020-07-16 12:16 | Report Abuse

Whenever Mahathir faces a problem, he will stir up racial tensions for people to talk about so that it distracts people from the issues that really matter. This has always been his trick and we won’t fall for it anymore.

Mahathir is facing a dilemma because he cannot get the support of Pakatan Harapan to become PM again. Spewing nonsensical racist garbage proves he is not suitable to be our PM.

Posted by RandySavage > 2020-07-16 12:16 | Report Abuse

This is the problem when Malaysians still want to make Mahathir relevant.

He will tell you one day that the Chinese are rich because they work hard and Malays must emulate them. The next day, he will tell you that the wealth of the Chinese is an unhealthy trend.

Then he will also tell you he has always kept his promises. Why not ask Mahathir to show us photos of the houses and cars his children have?

Posted by TipTopJoe > 2020-07-16 12:17 | Report Abuse

I don’t think this 95-year-old has any moral authority to make this comment unless he is willing to declare his and his family’s wealth and how they acquired it.

If the Malays are still poor today, it is because of him having been PM for over 24 years and doing nothing to improve their lives but instead enriching himself, his family, and his cronies.

Yes, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng also has no moral grounds to speak after the below market value purchase of his bungalow and by pushing for developments in Penang against the wishes of the people who voted them into power.

We dare him to hold a referendum to let the people of Penang decide if they want the projects that have been proposed and are already on the way.

Posted by YolandaOng > 2020-07-16 12:17 | Report Abuse

Only now Guan Eng opens his mouth to respond to Mahathir’s ‘rich Chinese’ statements. There are also a lot of poor Chinese.

When I go to the government hospital in my hometown, I can see there are just as many poor Chinese as there are poor Malays. They have to queue for a long time to see the government doctors. If they are rich, they would have gone to the numerous private clinics in town.

During the movement control order (MCO), the gym in my hometown, owned by a Chinese family, had to close. The entire family lost their income. I don’t really know how they survived.

I renewed my membership even though I don’t go to the gym anymore because I felt sorry for them and because they had been nice to me. They work very hard, from 7am to 11pm, every day, seven days a week.

On the other hand, Mahathir and his children are very rich. There are rich and poor Chinese.

There are hardworking and lazy Malays. But there are also greedy and opportunistic politicians.

Posted by ApplePlay > 2020-07-16 12:18 | Report Abuse

The media should run daily profiles on all the rich Malays, Chinese, and Indians daily. Every day, profile one super-rich person and how they came about their wealth.