I am sure Najib and Nazir are close not only as siblings but also as "colleagues" in driving forward Bumiputra (and National?) socio-economic agenda. They must have been of the same mind and coordinated what each said last week at the same forum, the MCA organized Chinese Economic Congress. They knew full well they would draw flak from obvious quarters within their own community; not least of all Ibrahim Ali's obligatory vitriol on the subject of the NEM.
Why then did they do it? There is only one answer here; both sincerely feel the NEP in its current form WILL kill the nation and time and timing is running out! They know the NEP has to be replaced by a more holistic and inclusive economic policy but resistence from within UMNO (and yes, Perkasa is also UMNO) is too strong because the NEM will push the diseased UMNO (sick with money politics and patronage) over the brink. There is no other way for genuine renewal in UMNO but death, and rising like the Phoenix from the ashes. Obviously, resistance to forced change is great when change is made less palatable by the fact that proof of resurrection can only come after taking their own lives, so to speak! It is like most people look towards the rewards of being in heaven but none are looking to die for it. Alas! the UMNO Malay (and perhaps Malays in general) is faced with Hobson's Choice because death is inevitable and hopefully this makes change possible.
After 40 years of the NEP, there needs to be a more viable option going forward. Najib definitely knows this and therefore his call for a high income society and his lastest plea to the Chinese business community to help grow (once again) the domestic economy. This was augmented by Nazir's bold "bastardization" statement. The NEM must replace the NEP and our Malay brethren must accept the reality they may have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the sacrificial altar but change they must and that this is a zero-sum situation. Whatever the NEM seeks to achieve for the sake of the vast majority (Malays, Chinese, Indians and all other races) must be at the expense of the privileged few that were created by a "bastardized NEP".
The sooner the UMNO mind can accept that change is not a choice and that it is safe to make changes, the sooner we can move forward as a nation. For this, UMNO leaders if they are sincere about the Najib proposed NEM and 1Malaysia must walk their talk and initiate a canibalization of the UMNO NEP mindset to bury the NEP once and for all.
In marketing and strategy, there is a meaning for "cannibalization" which refers to a reduction in the sales volume, sales revenue, or market share of one product as a result of the introduction of a new product by the same producer.
For example, if Coca Cola were to introduce a similar product (say, Diet Coke or Cherry Coke), this new product could take some of the sales away from the original Coke.
Although business cannibalization may seem inherently negative, it can be a positive thing. It sometimes involves a carefully planned strategy, and it also forces a company to think outside the box in order to evolve with the changing needs of both the marketplace and the consumer. In the world of e-commerce for example, some companies intentionally cannibalize their retail sales through lower prices on their online product offerings. Seeing these on-line discounts, more consumers than usual may buy them, especially if they'd previously been anchored to the retail prices. Even though their in-store sales might decline, the company may see overall positive gains.
In project evaluation, the estimated profit generated from the new product must be reduced by the earnings on the lost sales (Reference Wikipedia)
There are none so blind as those who will not (probably cannot afford to) see.
Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor cyber friends
kicking and screaming to the sacrificial altar korban
walski
zero sum
najib political death ... eroding political will and capital
Salahuddin ilk...
TRH Sak know this thats why still in UMNO
Nazir 'anak bangsawan' should stop talking cock
by A Voice
The MCA Economic Congress has just ended.
Blogger AK47 Sakmongkol [read here] believe it was a success over Perkasa-led Kongres Ekonomi Bumiputera (KEB). Obviously, Malay liberal inclined Sak would see any public expression of openness, liberalisation, and laisse fairre economic policies as a success.
KEB exposed the glaring weakness in the assumptions of the New Economic Model (NEM). The Kongres Ekonomi Cina (KEC) supported the NEM and it's weak and unjustified assumptions.
Najib and Nazir deserve Ibrahim's lashing. Najib seemed to go back on his words at Perkasa that NEM was a trial baloon when he seeked the Chinese to take a lead in the NEM.
Is Najib turning into a chameleon like Anwar's changing colors to different audience and following the popular voices? That is not the act of a leader but a political monkey jumping from tree to tree unable to have a coherent position on issues.
Anwar lies. Leaders should not.
Nazir described the NEP as bastardised from it's origional objective of eradication of poverty to enriching few pockets.
Impractical
Let's come back to the MCA Economic Congress which seemed more appropriate to be called Kongress Ekonomi Cina (KEC) for the consistency in view with DAP.
Much as most critic view KEB resolutions as suffering from 'business as usual' preservation of old NEP, KEC resolutions suffer from the same issue of impracticality.
The Chinese can't deceive the Bumiputera majority to claim of being marginalised, thus seeking for more opening of opportunity.
Bumiputera equity ownership in Bursa stands at best at 20%. Excluding foreign ownership, Chinese equity ownership is estimated at almost 65%. Property ownership and the whole supply chain of retailing is dominated, if not monopolised, by Chinese.
The demand they made on the Prime Minister cannot avoid from being perceived as greedy and insensitive.
Other than Chairman of SP Setia, Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, who said that Chinese business strive under NEP, every speakers and presenters seem to take a common planned line to criticise the NEP to seek for more openness, liberalisation and free market.
This include CIMB CEO and younger brother to the Prime Minister, Dato Nazir Tun Abdul Razak.
Melayu liberal
In a tone more direct, harsh and politically incorrect than his interview with Mingguan Malaysia few months back, Nazir decide not to allow the newspapers to tone down his views.
Without mincing his words, Nazir described NEP as having been bastardised i.e. deviating from its original purpose of social engineering experiment to eradicate poverty.
Nazir claim NEP appeared to enrich small pockets of people. He added, "But now it is so embedded in every thing that we do, in every part of the government, in every part of businesses that it become a problem."
What does he mean by "a problem"? Let's read cautiously Malaysiakini version of his speech below:
Nazir Tun Razak says NEP 'bastardised'
Malaysiakini, August 14th, 2010
In the harshest rebukes yet of the New Economic Policy (NEP) yet, CIMB group CEO Nazir Abdul Razak described the NEP as having been bastardised by deviating from its original purpose.
"I have strong opinions about how the NEP has been bastardised over the years," he said in a question-and-answer session after delivering a talk at the Chinese Economic Congress this afternoon.
Saying that it has come a long way from the social engineering experiment originally aimed at eradicating poverty, Nazir (right) said that the NEP has appeared to enrich small pockets of people.
“At that time, no one knew what the outcome would be. It was a social engineering experiment that no one had ever done before in any country. So they gave it 20 years. And they felt that after 1969 they had to give it a try.
“But now it is so embedded in every thing that we do, in every part of the government, in every part of businesses that it become a problem.
“And today, every time I mention the NEP, I get blasted,” Nazir said when fielding a question from the floor on his thoughts on the policy.
"What I don't understand is giving these people Approved Permits (AP).That should go.
"If you just want a small number of people to make money, might as well just give them money," said Nazir, was reported to be the highest-paid GLC CEO back in 2007, drawing in an income of RM9.35 million then.
Incidentally, the main architect of the New Economic Policy when it was drawn up in 1971 was Nazir's own father, the country's second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein.
'Time to review NEP'
Boldly departing from the normal comfort zone, the banker also said that the affirmative action needs a relook.
“Now we need to address what kind of affirmative action we want to have. It is so infused in everything. But we will one day need to confront it one way or another,” said Nazir, who is the younger brother of current PM Najib Razak.
The NEP officially came to an end in 1990, but its traditions and policies still continue to this day. Najib had announced a New Economic Model back in March to reform and rebuild the Malaysian economy.
However, details still remain to be made public.
'Ignore extremist groups'
Speaking after delivering his luncheon address titled “Strength in Diversity, Beyond the Rhetoric”, Nazir also told the mainly Chinese participants to look beyond party calls advocating the rights of their own race.
Careful not to name names, he just advised the participants to “ignore them” when asked his stand on such groups.
“We have to accept that in a free and open society, we have to expect extremes. A few noisy people in the corner do not make up the majority or represent the majority.
“We as the majority have the strength to ignore them. Don't get too caught up with what others are saying, or what they are doing.
“Don't waste your time engaging with them,” he said.
Earlier, he also joked that he is a descendant of an immigrant family.
“I told Tan Siok Choo (grand-daughter of one of MCA's founding members Tan Cheng Lock) that her family came to this country earlier than my family,” he said in between chuckles.
Removed from reality
Clearly, Nazir was speaking from the perspective and interest of a corporate man who wish to see an easier passage for his company or business's quest for profit.
Nazir is not concerned whether the high income will ever be attained by Sibu Iban working in sawmill monopolised by Chinese tycoons. THese tycoons' business model is based on paying them at poverty level income of RM14 a day.
Najib or Nazir would neither have an inkling or appreciation of the difficulty to them for RM10 is the cost of one-way one hour boat ride from the rumah panjang to Sibu town.
He couldn't possibly appreciate that 5 sen rise in sugar or basic food or 78 sen rise in petrol makes live difficult for the poor. Frankly, this blogger doubt the brothers knows what the common pariah or rakyat had to undergo.
As politician, Najib only want the rakyat to believe they are given priority.
Both the brothers do not know the hell the poor Malays are facing to secure scholarships for theiur children to further education. And yet we motivate them to study hard and don't indulge in politics because education will lead them to a better future.
This is one problem with this country. Too much expectation is placed on people with myopic vision, but is actually tuned to self interest rather the interest of the common rakyat and nation, to provide input into economic policy. Members of the NEAC was a classic example.
The likes of Nazir is likely to believe in the mantra that meritocrasy will push Bumiputera to work harder and succeed.
And, he is likely to believe that Malay must get out of their shell to see beyond the immediate frontier to not depend on their Bumiputeraness and attain competitiveness, global competitiveness.
Blue blood and shielded
It doesn't matter if he is the son or/and the brother of the Prime Minister, this 'anak bangsawan' and Melayu liberal should stop talking cock.
Ibrahim Ali is right to say in his Sunday press conference, "Nazir is talking nonsense.
Nazir had subtly lashed at Perkasa by seeking all to ignore. Clearly, he was playing to the gallery to be a "chinese hero." A clear indication he is an 'anak bangsawan' far removed from the reality that Perkasa is popular at the ground and building into a major force.
Ibrahim Ali continued, "Even if he is a banker, he is new. And we have to ask how he got to where he is today. CIMB did not become successful because of him."
He is still restraining himself because Nazir's career path was never as banker.
Nazir took a similar career path as elder brother Nizam. He started out as a company dealer in a stockbroker. He did not go through the tough training as analyst or fund manager or credit analyst, but the easier path of matching deals left and right.
With his blue blood connections, he expectedly did well and rose to become CIMB Securites CEO, after the company was taken over by CIMB.
Only then did he moved to Merchant Banking and rightly push the organisation strategically for fee based income. For all you know, the people at Ministry of Finance or Bank Negara had whispered to him of the impending industry restructuring.
Would he had rose to CEO if he had been Jailani bin Miskon from some Kampung Parit something in Batu Pahat, Johor? Jailani would not, because there is no one to guide and shield him.
Talking cock
Even as CEO of a bigger CIMB, with a commercial bank and all other financail services subsidiaries, certain circle cast doubt in his capability to pull of the job he is in now.
For instance, Government had to merge three major plantation companies into a gargantum mess, to generate fee based income to the estimated tune of at least RM300 million. It was a deal decribed as the fee justify the deal.
Now do you understand why he said NEP is a problem? That only means it was a hindrance for him to propose more funny corporate restructuring exercises.
If Nazir is really the new Malay capable of being competitive, just before CIMB goes bust from bad loans, he should leave to an MNC company.
The Malays would like to see neo-liberal embracing Nazir make it without using his Bumiputera status and blue blood connection. See how he carries his Cambridege degree and "Investment Banking" resume.
Switching places with another Cambridge trained failure at the top of Khazanah does not count.
Sometimes these 'anak bangsawan' can talk cock but their views are seldom far from reality? How does his brother's Nizam, Johari and Nazim fair? Would Nazir dare to claim they did not use their position and blue blood connection to seek for Government or Government related contracts and jobs?
Perhaps it best to limit it to just questions this blogger already has answers.
That is exactly one problem with NEP. The royals, blue blood and powerful are using the NEP program to help further enrich themselves than really giving the marhaen a chance.
The abuse by even those claiming abuse of NEP that denied the real Malay and Bumiputera from the real oppotunity. The real enriching benefit of NEPs were distributed among royalties, pembesar and bangsawan, and politicians at the expense of the truly deserving and sloughing Bumiputera.
The abuse by the royals, blue bloods and powerful are seldom done in co-hort with non Malays, particularly Chinese. Most of them look patronisingly down on their fellow Bumiputera.
Nizar, for instance, rise using his Bumiputeraness and Malay blue blood connection but refuse to assist and guide other Bumiputera. The biggest complain against Nazir is he discriminate against Malay and perhaps out of his own inferiority complex, look more highly at non Malays in CIMB.
This is because Nazir got it easy on a silver plater. He fits in this blog's derogatory description of a Melayu liberal.
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