It is really a proud momemnt for me when I heard the news that Barack Obama had won the US Presidential Election. For the first time, a Black President will occupy the White House. Hats off to the people of America for a wise move! Change is the essence of life. Refuse changing is refuse living. The people of America understood this phenomenon well. I really feel proud of being black after seeing the newly crowned President-Elect giving his victory speech. As human beings history, the first man in this universe was a black and today Obama made everyone of us proud and happy. You have changed the mindset of the world. You have realised your father's dream.You made it my Brother!!! Can Malaysia adopt this mindset???????????????
May be in 1000 years to come provided there is no UMNO in this part of the world.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
SOCIAL CONTRACT Vs RACIAL CONTRACT
The Pakatan Rakyat Kedah state government's ruling of imposing a 50%
Bumiputra quota on houses in the state does not help either. Why 50%?
Why even 30%? Should in the first place there even be a quota?
If you have not done so this you should read Zaid Ibrahim's book "In
Good Faith", Zaid has addressed this matter of Article 153 and the
"Social Contract" with great clarity.
What the Kedah state government has done is unconstitutional. Article
8 and Article 153 of the Constitution do not allow this. You just
can't dictate how people run their businesses.
Those who support the imposition of quotas argue that there exists a
"Social Contract" that allows them to do so. But while they mention
this "Social Contract", they fail to mention the terms of this
"contract", what it says, and who is bound by it.
In short, if I am not a party to that contract can I be bound by it?
The contract was entered into by the Malays and the then immigrant
Indians and Chinese; of course it is not really a written contract as
much as a verbal contract and we all know that a verbal contract is
not worth the paper it is written on.
Nevertheless, should Malaysian-born Indians and Chinese who have never
even visited India and China be made to abide to a verbal "contract"
made by their immigrant parents and/or grandparents? How long will
this "contract" run? Will Indians and Chinese 1000 years from now
still be made to abide to a "contract" made in 1957?
There should be a cut-off date. There must come a point of time when
all Malaysians are regarded as equal. How can an Indonesian who
migrated to this country a few years ago be regarded as Bumiputra when
Chinese and Indians who come to this country in the 1400s are still
second class citizens?
Yes, Article 153 accords Malays certain rights and privileges. But
that same Article, and Article 8, do not allow imposing of quotas and
permits which deny Indians and Chinese their rights in favour of the
Malays. This, many people do not seem to understand.
We also seem to have forgotten that the New Economic Policy is a
two-pronged attack. Other than reducing the gap between the different
races it is also about reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.
And this would mean regardless of race.
When we talk about the Malay farmers and fisherman. We do not seem to
realize that there are Chinese farmers and fishermen as well. Poverty
does not recognize race.
It is time that the "Social Contract" be reviewed. A new "Social
Contract" must be drawn up that looks into the SOCIAL structure and
not RACIAL structure that the present "Social Contract" addresses.
Only then can it be called a "Social Contract". If not, then let us
call it what it really is, a "Racial Contract".
The poverty level also needs to be reviewed. The new "hardcore"
poverty level should be RM1200. Anyone earning below RM1200 per month
should be considered poor. That would mean a high percentage of
Malaysians. Then the NEW "Social Contract" should address the needs of
those who live below the NEW poverty level of RM1200.
And the NEW "Social Contract" should no longer be a verbal contract
but chiseled in stone. And it should be a contract to take care of
Malays, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Ibans, Dayaks, etc. As long as
you are poor, meaning earning below RM1200 then you are taken care of.
That should be Malaysia's NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT.
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