Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: The "success" of NEP
From: tloh@husc8.harvard.edu (Teck Loh)
Date: 21 Nov 92 18:52:06 EST
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <1992Nov21.143527.26791@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg> othman@ntrc25.ntrc.ntu.ac.sg (othman (EEE/Div 4)) writes:
>Ahmad On (on@husc10.harvard.edu) wrote:
>: 
>: I'd just like to throw out a few facts on the effect that the NEP
>: has had on the Malaysian economy in the past 20 years or so.
>: 
>: 1. $30 billion was spent on poverty eradication.  But, the government
>:    admits that only $12 billion of this reached the target groups, with
>:    the rest going to administration and infrastructure costs.
>:    Unfortunately, it is unlikely that even this $12 billion reached the
>:    groups targeted for poverty eradication since some of the recipients
>:    obviously did not deserve it (i.e. rich Bumiputras).
>
>Is this part of the NEP? It is  excessively low. Could it also include training
>cost which do not give direct cash to the target group?
>

I do not think the word "poverty eradication" is the right word to use here. The money has been spent for the rich and poor Malays. The figures here are rather
vague .

>: 2. The quota system at local universities has had preverse effects on
>:    economics development in two ways:
>: 	a. It has resulted in greater non-Malay student enrollment
>:            abroad, causing massive loss of foreign exchange.
>
>The fact is correct but the conclusion is poor. IT is not the quota rather
>the lack of university. In fact the quota had not even been reached. I've
>met Malaysian students who are offered places in Malaysian universities 
>ending up at NTU. Also a lot of quota places are not being filled because
>of being rejected, according to MCA.  
>

Of course, my dear friend who has been fed with the silver spoon, the quota
is not the problem. What do you mean by Malaysian students? chinese, Malays,
or Indians? By the way, where do you get all these rubbish? Please don't
lie in this group.

>: 	b. It has encouraged emigration among non-Malays who are
>: 	   disillusioned with the status quo, causing a brain-drain
>: 	   for the Malaysian economy.
>
>Again the fact is correct but the conclusion is ridiculous. CAn you explain why
>I'm in Singapore? I will say that only fools want to stay and work in Malaysia
>given the extermely low salary. Of course I'm one of the fools when I go back
>to Malaysia in March 1993. 
>

The conclusion may be ridiculous for you but not for me. I think you are 
ridiculous by saying that the conclusion is ridiculous. Therefore, you are
saying that most people migrated because of higher salary. Why not you migrate
to US or Japan which has higher salary? Don't compare apples and oranges.
Staying in Singapore is just like staying in Malaysia considering the food,
wheather, culture, etc.

>:    Also, government sponsorship for Malay students abroad has resulted
>:    in less financing for local universities, causing declining student-
>:    faculty ratios and reducing public regard for domestic tertiary
>:    education.
>
>This can be one of the reasons but not the only one. The reasons are deeper
>but I like to summarise it as 'overseas trip'.
>

I agree with you that this can be one of the reasons but not the only one. The
reasons I have are different from you. I believe the hiring of lecturers
based on quota has resulted in the low quality of many lecturers. Look at
the qualifications of some of the lecturers and you will know the the reason. Please also look at the quality of the students that has been admitted due
to the quota.

>: 
>: 3. Although 45 percent of all eligible Bumiputras participate in the
>:    Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) unit trust scheme, only 1.3 percent
>:    of all eligible Bumiputras owned 75 percent of ASN shares in the late
>:    1980s, despite the $50,000 ceiling imposed on individual ownership.
>
>IT WILL BE nice to know how big is the ASN share. Is it 5billion? 75% of that
>is 3.75 bil. IF there are 16 million in Malaysia. Let us say 60% are bumi,
>assume that only 25% are above 21. There are therefore 2.4 million investors.
>1.3% of them is 31,200. With maximum of 50,000, they contribute 1.56 billion.
>Of course if you calculate the % when ASN first start in 1981, then the figure
>is valid but that is not how you do an honest figure. The figure should be
>taken in late 1980s or 1991, when people are becoming aware of the benefits.
>

Very good calculation but too many assumptions. By the way, what are you 
trying to say? The problem is not with when the statistic was taken, it is
the problem with the figure "1.3%". Look like the very rich Malays are taking
advantage of this quota system.

>: 
>: 4. The various consequences of ethnic streaming and double standards
>                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>The FULL boarding schools constitute only a smal percentage of the total
>student population so how can that be an overall ethnic streaming. How can it
>be a double standard when similar chinese based private elite schools are
>allowed to exist? IN fact some of these missionary schools are among the best
>in the nation, in fact produce much more better qualified students than these
>bumis based elite schools.
>
>
Most of the chinese based elite schools are run by the private. Quality 
education is the key for survival. We do not need to compare the Islamic,chinese, Indian or mixed schools. Just compare the differences between the races in
the mixed schools. The problem is that why should I study hard if I know that
the government is going to help me out somehow. There is no incentive to
work hard. Remember the day when my friends and I have to study 18 hours per day. Many of my friends were not able to go to college. Others who has a different
skin color were given places in the local universities or oversea scholarship,
although their results were worst than ALL my friends. Don't give me more
excuses.
.
 
>:    in tertiary education have undermined and continue to undermine
>:    Bumiputra self-esteem and confidence as well as public perception
>               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Well this is too much. In fact it has the opposite effect.
>Public perception is very hard to gauge but I assures you that the majority
>do not feel that there is any problem. The people who have grudges are the 
>opposition parties such as DAP, which do not manage to gather that many votes.
>Even if you double the number of DAP votes to take into account the possibility
>of canvassed votes, the number is still a minoriy because the chinese and
>Indians are the minority unless you are led to believe that they make up 50%
>of the population, which is nonsense. They are more obvious because they are in
>towns and live in better houses.
>	You do not see the majority poor natives.
>

Malaysians are Malaysians no matter whether they are chinese, Malay, Indians.
Of course, people like you do not feel that there is any problem. Why bother if
I am given a bigger pie? It is a matter of conscience. At least, I have come
across some articles by the bumis starting to address their concerns with
the "priviledge law".

>:    of ethnic relations.  
>: 
>: (Figures taken from "Pacific Affairs".  I can't remember the exact
>: issue but if you're interested, I'll be glad to look it up for you.
>: It is, IMO, a very interesting overview on NEP in the past 20 years.)
>	VEry interesting review indeed but I'm sure the figures come from
>government agencies but they way they conclude based on those figures are
>outrageous. Some of these figures had been used by Government agencies to
>correct the mistakes by 1990s. Of course this were not reported.
>	There are still many more to be corrected.
>
>As to the ongoing correction, maybe the younger Malay students can explain to
>us the current situation. I may be out of date but from what I've observed,
>it is still not enough. Howeve under current policies, the government is
>SLOWLY going into the correct direction, which is not the destruction of the
>NEP, rather making its implementation more cost effective. 
>

It is people like you that make life difficult for the others. I think that
the NEP should be abolished. A fair policy based on needs should be created 
where all poor Malaysians should be given fair opportunities to help themselves.No more education privledges for a certain group with special skin color. No
more scholarship, licenses priviledges. It is time for a change. 
No more divide and rule. Enuf is enuf.

>Othman bin Ahmad, School of EEE,
>Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2263.
>Internet Email: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg
>Bitnet Email: eoahmad@ntuvax.bitnet
>

T-P Loh.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean