Making His Angle Wider

Huzir Sulaiman, actor and comedian, wrote an article recently in Star which attempted to showcase the rejection of policies for Malay Special Privileges and New Economic Policies among the "children of the establishment", the children of law-abiding, yeoman civil servants before the era of Dr Mahathir Mohamad. These individuals gave their thoughts about what's wrong about the policies encompassing the rights of the Malays. This is coming from another individual who is critical of Malaysian politics while earning comfortable income somewhere else in the globe.

It is obvious that certain characteristics and profiles were chosen to establish an article opining against the concept of Malay constitutional privileges. Sure, Islam promotes equality and ensures the rights of all are protected but Islam also has rules of sovereignty. One can study "Piagam Madinah" and instantly acknowledge that the rule of multiracial nation is also included in the teachings of Islam. Islam also talks about social imbalance and aid to the needy and poor. The New Economic Policy was established to restore these imbalances and above all, to diminish race by economic function.

Datuk Zahim Albakri, (son of Datuk Ikmal Hisham Albakri, the first Malay architect and the first President of Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, who designed the National Library, Putra World Trade Centre, and the Bank Bumiputera headquarters in KL) suggested that a non-Malay Prime Minister does not bother him at all. His statement needs some alignment. A non-Malay Prime Minister should not bother any of us if that is the will of the majority in this country. Perhaps Huzir realizes that the country in which he resides is far more democratic than ours, having to declare to the whole world that she is not ready to have a non-Chinese Prime Minister.

Datin Saidah Rastam, the individual interviewed about the concepts of NEP and Malay Special Privileges admitted that she benefited from the NEP, however, doubts that it should be continued because of the abuses. Very convenient of her! This is the same with rich lawyers who benefited from lucrative privatization contracts from the Government and now the biggest critique of them all.

Finally, if Datin-Iskandar Said is not sure of the definition of Malay, she should study the Constitution which clearly defines what constitutes a Malay in the eyes of the law.

The children of the Establishment tackle some difficult issues.

Huzir's blog