Is it so?

I found this in Malaysia-Today taken from Utusan (a Malay daily) where it stated that the Menteri Besar of Pahang, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said that UMNO members were afraid to discuss issue relation to the National Economic Policy (NEP) as it's members were afraid to discuss in the open so as not to cause uneasiness to the non Malay. I find this difficult to believe as UMNO members are seen, I stand to be corrected, very ultra in defending the NEP. A good example UMNO Youth who are willing to literally fight so as to safeguard their interest. A such Adnan is more wrong for stating what he state in his press statement.

The NEP since introduced was a controversial socio-economic restructuring program launched by the Malaysian government in 1971 under the premiership of Tun Abdul Razak and ended in 1990, and was succeeded by the National Development Policy in 1991. Although the NEP was hailed in some quarters as having reduced the socio-economic disparity between the Chinese and Malay majority, others accused it of having reduced non-Malays to the status of second-class citizens by cementing ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy). It is also a known fact that the NEP not only cause a sense of discrimination among race but also seen that a certain group of Malay actually benefited from it where the richer gets richer and the poorer get poorer. Look at all the Malay kampungs all around, still you will see hard core Malay suffers because of poverty.

Coming back to the article below, as I remember correctly, UMNO members speaks and defend it with even the raising of the Kris. For example, the UMNO's Deputy Permanent Chairman in 2004 UMNO General Assembly, waved a book about the the 13th May riots and during his speech declaring, "No other race has the right to question our privileges, our religion and our leader", continuing that any such action would be akin to "stirring up a hornet's nest". Worst still when you have leaders in Cabinet raising the Kris to show Malay Supremacy in defending the NEP. Now is that a show of concern among the non Malay? I think it is.

That is why I never believed that we should tolerate with one another as the word tolerate may not seem a good word as in cause great confusion in a multi religious and multi racial Malaysia. Tolerate would mean "to put up with and to endure". Instead we should stress to our children that we actually live in a harmonious Malaysia understanding one another culture, race and religion.

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12/07: Anggota Umno takut bincang mengenai DEB, kata Adnan

Kelantangan pihak tertentu termasuk pembangkang mempersoalkan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) antara lain disebabkan anggota Umno terlalu takut untuk bersuara dan membincangkannya, kata Menteri Besar Pahang, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

Beliau berkata anggota Umno juga terlalu ingin menjaga perasaan pihak lain sehingga tidak berani memperjuangkan DEB.

"Kenapa DAP dan pihak-pihak lain terlalu lantang mengemukakan soalan-soalan begitu sensitif, begitu racial bentuknya? Jawapannya ialah orang Umno takut, takut bersuara, bila kita takut bersuara orang beranilah.

"Kita takut banyak sebab. Takut kerana hormat orang dan takut kerana hendak menjaga perasaan hati orang lain," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Exco Kerajaan Negeri di sini, hari ini.

Adnan berkata demikian ketika ditanya mengenai pihak tertentu termasuk pembangkang yang lantang mempersoalkan isu-isu sensitif secara terbuka sejak akhir-akhir ini.

Adnan berkata DEB bukan memperjuangkan satu kaum sahaja sebaliknya ia memberi keuntungan kepada semua.

"Contohnya, kenaikan gaji baru-baru ini ada yang menyatakan bahawa kerajaan menggunakan kenaikan gaji untuk menolong orang Melayu, sebenarnya duit yang diperolehi itu akan digunakan di kedai-kedai orang Cina juga, kedai-kedai orang India," katanya.

Menteri Besar Pahang itu berkata rakyat perlu memahami apa yang tersirat di sebalik DEB yang bertujuan mengekalkan kestabilan negara ini.

Adnan berkata beliau menyokong pandangan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada Persidangan Perniagaan Meja Bulat "Economist" bersama Kerajaan Malaysia semalam berhubung kesediaan kerajaan mengkaji semula polisi atau peraturan yang tidak mencapai matlamat pengagihan ekonomi. - BERNAMA