Tuesday, March 09, 2010

PM's new economic model hijacked?


The delay behind the announcement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's New Economic Model has prompted opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang to wonder if it has been hijacked by “Neo-NEP Umnoputras” like Perkasa.

He said the assurance by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that no Malaysian would be sidelined failed to convince when from all indications, it appears that the NEM is being held to ransom.

In view of this, Lim challenged the cabinet to make a bold policy decision tomorrow to make public the draft of the NEM.

He also urged the government to invite public consultation and “not allow irresponsible interest groups inimical to the '1Malaysia' concept to hijack and monopolise the formulation of the NEM.”

“Malaysians and the world are wondering what new economic model of greater innovation, creativity and competitiveness could be formulated by Najib against the backdrop of reactionary and extremist pressures,” he said in a statement.

The DAP leader was responding to Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali's statement that the Chinese community would use the next general election to seize control of the country.

Dismissing this as a baseless alarm, Lim also said the warning that Artilcle 153 of the Federal Constitution would be trampled on with Malay interests sidelined, should be read as the fear of the Neo-NEP Umnoputras about losing their stake.

Setback for Najib's 1Malaysia

The Ipoh Timor MP said when Najib became prime minister last April, he announced that the government would unveil a new economic model to ensure that Malaysia made a quantum leap to escape the middle-income trap to become a high-income country.

Last May, he noted, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the new model would be announced in the second half of the year.

“Time is clearly of the critical essence to launch a new economic model as Husni subsequently admitted in a very frank speech in December that the country lost a decade in economic stagnation.

“In actual fact, Malaysia has not only lost one decade but four decades in failing to fully realise the economic potential of the rich natural and human resources of the country resulting in Malaysia losing out to other countries such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea,” he said.

Lim pointed out that the time-line for the announcement of the new model has been repeatedly deferred from last year to the beginning of this year, then to this month to coincide with Najib's completion of one year in office and now June, when the 10th Malaysia Plan would be presented to Parliament.

“The disruption of the plan to announce the new economic model to commemorate Najib's first anniversary as prime minister is a setback for his '1Malaysia',” he said.

courtesy of FreeMalaysiaToday

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