Source Aliran
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: It is so unsettling and upsetting to read of the proposal to grab 20 percent of leasehold land belonging to the ethnic minorities upon the expiry of lease terms. The immediate question that comes to mind is: is there no end to UMNO’s greed?
 
This proposal comes from no less than Deputy PM Zahid Hamidi, who mooted the establishment of a “bumiputra land corporation”. He suggested that the 20 percent takeover would apply if the land area size exceeds 20 hectares (50 acres) for agricultural land or eight hectares (20 acres) for industrial use.
 
This proposal by Zahid, who is also UMNO president, no doubt reflects the thinking of his party.
 
As always, the greed is disguised as a need to help the poor, rural ethnic Malays. In reality, do they benefit in any way?
 
In the past, transport companies owned by the ethnic minorities were taken over for the benefit of the Malays. Equity stakes of 30 percent were acquired in companies controlled by the ethnic minorities to benefit the Malays. A string of banks owned by the ethnic minorities are now no more.
 
All these policies formulated in the name of the Malays only made a group of wealthy Malays extraordinarily powerful and super rich. Several of them have sizeable stakes in scores of companies.
 
They have easy access to these opportunities because of their close connections with the powers that be. Their political positions and involvement guarantee them all it takes to satisfy their greed.
 
How come the poor, rural Malays have not escaped from their poverty? Why are these Malays still trapped in their misery? Why has their fortune not changed?
 
For this, we must blame a group of rich and powerful Malays who have grabbed so much for themselves. Apparently, they have successfully obstructed the poor, rural Malays from benefiting from these vast opportunities. It is a deliberate policy – it would seem – to keep the rural Malays poor so that even more opportunities can be created in the name of the Malays while blaming the ethnic minorities for the backwardness of the community.
 
It is time for well-meaning and fair-minded Malays to speak up – some have done so – and expose this insidious ruse. The rural Malays must be made to understand that the minorities are not responsible for their abject living conditions today; rather, their Malay leaders are seen to be primarily responsible for their poverty.
 
University academics and professors must be at the forefront in championing the cause of the rural Malays. They have influence and their researched views will carry weight. They owe it to the rural Malays, in the name of humanity, to come forward and take a strong stand to help these Malays.
 
Coming back to the proposed land grab, let’s see how it will affect our economy. It is well-known that 90 percent of taxes are paid by the ethnic minorities. Even Dr Mahathir acknowledged this publicly. It is these taxes that keep the government going; it is these taxes that provide the facilities and services we, as a people, enjoy in this country; it is these taxes that ensure that we are entitled to healthcare services from the general hospitals; it is these taxes that fund our public transport system.
 
If the ethnic minorities are forced to give up 20 percent of their land upon renewal or extension of their leases, not only would they lose 20 percent of their land, they would lose a lot more. They would lose 20 percent of their income, which means they pay 20 percent less taxes – which is not in the interest of the country. In terms of land value, they would lose all they had invested in developing the land, which could, in certain cases, run into millions of ringgit. In other words, their total loss would be colossal.
 
Would it be fair for the minorities to suffer so much? This is nothing but daylight robbery! Where is the conscience of those behind this proposal; where are their ethics; where is their sense of justice? It is horrendous that they could come up with such a proposal without any effort or contribution. It is their lopsided sense of entitlement that makes a mockery of all that is fair and square.
 
Will Anwar – who has been talking so much about justice and fairness, who has so often promised that all will be treated equally, who has declared that the Constitution will be respected – go along with this insidious proposal? He will be judged on this, and his decision will have a bearing in the next general election.
 
I hope Anwar will be guided by this quote by Sir Richard Branson: “Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don’t let them drag you into the mud.”