Ibrahim vs Najib

August 15, 2010

Perkasa issues Najib an Ultimatum

by Hazlan Zakaria @www.malaysiakini.com

Malay rights NGO Perkasa today told PM Najib Abdul Razak that he must do all he can to address the economic woes of Malays, or risk losing their support in the next general election.

“If nothing is done, Malays will react. They might be silent now, but they will show their displeasure at the next general election. The Malays will reject UMNO outright,” PERKASA president Ibrahim Ali told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He warned that UMNO and the PM would lose the votes of the Malays should the government continue to kowtow to non-Malays and allow the erosion of Malay economic privileges, which he said are enshrined in the federal constitution.

“The Malays are worried by the government’s approach to spurring the economy. And the minister in charge seems to be keen in taking away what remains of Malay and bumiputera wealth,” claimed Ibrahim.

He was responding to the 12 resolutions which the MCA congress came up with yesterday, one of which demanded the reduction of the 30 percent bumiputera equity.

In addressing the Chinese Economic Congress, Najib – who is also finance minister – had given his assurances to the congress that the Foreign Investments Committee (FIC), which monitors the application of the 30 percent bumiputera equity policy, will soon be dismantled. Najib also said he would welcome more Chinese involvement in Malaysia’s economic development.

Striking a raw nerve

Both statements struck a raw nerve with Perkasa, which has been championing for Malays to be given a greater economic stake.

“I condemn and censure the demands by the congress to reduce the bumiputera 30 percent equity and for more non-Malays to be appointed into government-linked companies.”

The Pasir Mas parliamentarian argued that not many Malays are directors or are employed by the non-Malay cartels which have been given special considerations by the government, such as Robert Kuok’s sugar empire or independent power producer YTL.

As such, Ibrahim said he believes the 30 percent equity and positions reserved for Malays in GLCs are vital to ensure they have their share of the nation’s wealth.

“The Malays and bumiputeras do not want to be given only table scraps. We also want the main course of the economic stake,” said the veteran politician.

Malays, Ibrahim stressed, are no longer satisfied by mere pittance such as the occasional “duit raya”, welfare assistance doled out by the government and even the targeted RM1,500 minimum income for bumiputeras. These, he said are only “bread and butter” to Malays, who want their lion’s share.

Nazir the ‘Chinese’ hero’

Ibrahim also hit out at the PM’s brother and CIMB head Nazir Abdul Razak  for claiming that the New Economic Policy (NEP) had been ‘bastardized‘ to enrich the few.

“Nazir is talking nonsense,” snapped Ibrahim. He added that Nazir is far from qualified to make such an assessment on this or on other economic matters.

“Even if he is a banker, he is new. And we have to ask how he got to where he is today. CIMB did not become successful because of him,” Ibrahim sniped.

He added that CIMB was previously Bank Bumiputera, and was helped by state petroleum firm PETRONAS several times before it was able to stand on its own. “Let him be the Chinese hero, but I am fighting for my own race,” said Ibrahim.

PERKASA UGUT UMNO

Perkasa ugut Umno hilang undi Melayu jika layan tuntutan MCA

Oleh Syed Mu’az Syed Putra

August 15, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Ogos — Datuk Ibrahim Ali memberi kata dua agar kerajaan tidak melayan tuntutan-tuntutan ‘melampau’ Kongres Ekonomi Cina Malaysia semalam, jika tidak ia akan kehilangan sokongan orang Melayu dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13. “Sekiranya kerajaan meneruskan tuntutan Kongres Ekonomi Cina Malaysia tersebut, maka kepentingan kaum Bumiputera yang digariskan dalam Model Baru Ekonomi (MBE) dan Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 (RMK-10) akan menjadi retorik semata-mata.
“Sekiranya kerajaan tidak segera memperbetulkan hal ini, saya yakin Umno akan menerima padah pada pilihan raya umum akan datang,” kata Presiden Perkasa itu pada sidang media di sini hari ini.
Kata beliau jika ia berlaku orang-orang Melayu akan menolak kerajaan pimpinan sekarang.
“Mereka melahirkan rasa marah terhadap tindakan kerajaan dalam beberapa perkara terutamanya soal ekonomi orang Melayu.
“Jika tidak mereka akan kehilangan sokongan orang Melayu pada pilihan raya umum akan datang,” katanya.
Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas itu berkata, jika tidak diperbetulkan tidak mustahil kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) akan jadi seperti kata pepatah Melayu “yang dikejar tak dapat, yang dikendong tercicir.”
“Dalam usaha untuk menarik bukan Melayu sokong Barisan Nasional, pengundi-pengundi Melayu akan kecewa dan lari kepada parti lain.
“Ini hakikat yang akan berlaku,” katanya.
Jadi Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri perlu bertindak tangani perkara ini, kata Ibrahim yang menubuhkan Perkasa selepas pilihan raya umum ke-12.
Mengulas lanjut, Ibrahim berkata, Perkasa dan Majlis Perundingan Melayu akan mengadakan sidang meja bulat tergempar bagi membincangkan secara terperinci mengenai isu berkenaan.
“Kita akan mengadakan persidangan meja bulat ini pada 29 Ogos bagi membincangkan agenda ekonomi Bumiputera dan 12 perkara yang diluluskan oleh Kongres Ekonomi Cina,” katanya.
Wakil rakyat itu turut kesal dengan kenyataan Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan CIMB,  Datuk Nazir Razak yang akhir-akhir ini banyak keluarkan kenyataan yang menyentuh hal berkaitan ekonomi termasuk orang Melayu.
“Beliau (Nazir) mengatakan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) sebagai “bastardisation”, Apa maksud “bastardisation”?
“Kalau DEB gagal itu soal pelaksanaan tetapi soal matlamat dan cara untuk mencapai tahap 30 peratus dengan mengekalkan tindakan kesungguhan itu mesti diteruskan. Adakah itu juga dianggap “bastardisation”?,” soalnya.
Semalam Nazir mengambarkan DEB sebagai sesuatu yang telah “dipernyataan-haramkan” dan menyimpang daripada tujuan asalnya.
“DEB seolah-olah dilihat seperti dipernyataan-haramkan (bastardisation),” katanya pada sessi soal jawab selepas menyampaikan cermahnya pada Kongres Ekonomi Cina semalam.
Mengenai Permit Import (AP), Ibrahim menyifatkan Nazir tidak memahami matlamat AP yang dikeluarkan kepada Bumiputera.
“Nazir juga mengatakan beliau tidak bersetuju untuk menghapuskan kuota Permit Import (AP) Bumiputera terutamanya dalam bidang permotoran.
“Beliau juga mengatakan ini kerana beliau sendiri tidak ada AP. Saya percaya beliau tidak memahami matlamat AP yang dikeluarkan kepada Bumiputera,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, AP diwujudkan untuk menolong Bumiputera dalam industri permotoran dan automotif di negara ini.
“Ini kerana rangkaian kedai alat ganti dan ejen-ejen dipegang bukan Melayu jadi dengan cara keluarkan AP ia banyak membantu orang Melayu berjaya dalam bidang automotif dan akhirnya hasil daripada kejayaan dilaburkan dalam bidang lain.
“Sepatutnya hak keistimewaan seperti ini patut dikekalkan oleh kerajaan dengan merujuk kepada hak keistimewaan orang Melayu di bawah Fasa 153 Perkara 4 iaitu hak istimewa orang Melayu,” katanya.
Pada sidang media hari ini, Ibrahim mengecam Kongres Ekonomi Cina Malaysia semalam yang menuntut ekuiti bumiputera sebanyak 30 peratus dalam semua sektor ekonomi dikurangkan secara berperingkat.
“Dalam 12 perkara yang dibuat semalam saya bagi pihak Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) mengecam dan mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya termasuk meminta kerajaan supaya mengurangkan ekuiti 30 peratus Bumiputera,” katanya.
Kata Ibrahim, keputusan itu jelas memperlihatkan sikap mereka yang tidak ada akal budi dan berterima kasih kepada orang Melayu dan Bumiputera yang selama ini bertolak ansur begitu rupa atas ikatan yang dinamakan sosio kontrak dalam asas Perlembagaan dan isu ini sangat sensitif kepada orang Melayu.
“Ia amat melampau dan memperlihatkan tamak kerana sasaran 30 peratus yang diminta mewakili 67 peratus majoriti rakyat di negara ini,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas tindakan Kongres Ekonomi Cina Malaysia yang menuntut hak ekuiti Bumiputera sebanyak 30 peratus dalam semua sektor ekonomi dikurangkan secara berperingkat-peringkat.
Semalam, Kongres Ekonomi Cina Malaysia mahu kerajaan mengamalkan sistem tender terbuka dalam penawaran kontrak kerajaan agar persaingan adil dan tidak berat sebelah dalam bidang perniagaan tempatan dapat dicapai.
Tuntutan itu adalah antara 12 deklarasi yang terkandung dan diluluskan dalam kongres ekonomi yang dirasmikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak pada sebelah pagi.

PERKASA BANTAH JUAL TANAH STRATEGIK

Perkasa bantah tender terbuka jual tanah strategik kerajaan

Oleh Syed Mu’az Syed Putra

August 15, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Ogos — Perkasa menentang cadangan kerajaan untuk menggunakan mekanismes tender terbuka bagi penjualan tanah-tanah strategik dan juga syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC). “Perkasa dengan keras menentang habis-habisan cadangan kerajaan untuk melakukan tender terbuka bagi tanah-tanah strategik kerajaan termasuk GLC.
“Ini kerana ia seolah-olah mahu menghakis sedikit kekayaan ekonomi yang masih dimiliki orang Melayu dan Bumiputera di negara ini,” kata Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali ketika sidang media hari ini.
Beliau berkata kerajaan perlu mengkaji semula cadangan tersebut supaya ada mekanisme baru walaupun tender terbuka tetapi mesti mengandungi kepentingan orang Melayu dan Bumiputera.
“Seperti yang tercatit dalam muka surat 94 laporan RMK-10, kalau tender terbuka dibuat tanpa mengambil kira kepentingan orang Melayu dan Bumiputera apa akan jadi milik dan aset ekuiti mereka dalam negara ini?
“Ia termasuk tanah-tanah tanah-tanah strategik di kawasan “Segitiga Emas” sekitar KLCC, Langgak Golf dan di mana sahaja tanah strategik serta GLC seperti Percetakan Nasional Berhad, CTRM dan Nine Bio.
“Justeru, saya percaya kalau diteruskan dengan apa yang dicadangkan dalam Model Ekonomi Baru (MEB) dan RMK10 pada muka surat 94 secara tender terbuka saya percaya kepentingan Bumiputera yang dikatakan dalam agenda MEB tidak akan kesampaian dan akan jadi retorik semata-mata,” katanya.
Sehubungan itu, Ibrahim yang juga Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas turut mencadangkan Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) dan Uda Holding Sdn Bhd turut mengambil kira kepentingan orang Melayu dan Bumiputera dalam memajukan tanah-tanah strategik.
“PNB akan memajukan hartanah di kawasan Stadium Negara dan Stadium Merdeka, jika PNB memajukan tanah ini dengan harga jualan yang terlalu mahal maka orang Melayu pasti tidak akan mampu membelinya maka harta Melayu akan jatuh kepada bukan Melayu.
“Maka PNB diseru ambil kira pertimbangan ini iaitu dalam melaksanakan projek di kawasan stretagik itu harus ambil kira pertimbangan orang Melayu dan akan jejaskan hak 30 peratus ekuiti seperti yang disasarkan,” katanya.
“Selain itu, Uda Holding telah diamanahkan untuk memajukan tapak Penjara Pudu dan kita harap sebahagian besar pemilikan tanah di kawasan itu juga dapat dimiliki oleh orang Melayu,” katanya.
Beliau juga mahu pembangunan di Sungai Buloh, Sungai Besi dan 118 projek lain perlu melibatkan orang Melayu.
“Kita mahu orang Melayu mendapat sebahagian daripada daging bukannya tulang atau kuah yang tiada isi,” katanya.

Chinese Ingratitude

Ibrahim Ali calls Chinese groups ‘ungrateful’, ‘extremists’

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

August 15, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali described the MCA’s Chinese Economic Congress as “ungrateful” after the congress called for economic liberalisation, adding that the demands showed they are “extremists”. MCA president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek said yesterday that a merit-based and needs-based system would contribute to the path for Malaysia to be globally competitive.
“Perkasa denounces and condemns outright their request for the government to lower the 30 per cent equity for Bumiputera. This shows their ungrateful attitude to the Malay community and Bumiputeras who have compromised and tolerated because of the social contract in our constitution.
“The demands are greedy and extreme because the 30 per cent target asked by the Bumiputera represents 67 per cent of the population,” the Perkasa chief told reporters here.
The Pasir Mas MP questioned the logic behind the congress’s call for government-linked companies (GLCs) to include more non-Bumiputeras and international expertise on their board of directors.
“They also ask that non-Malays are elected in GLCs. I want to ask how many company owned by non-Malay cartel which are given special treatment by the government have elected Malays into their board of directors. I also want to know how many Malay professionals have been appointed into the cartel companies?” he asked
The Malay rights group also rejected the government’s proposal to have open tender for sale of strategic lands and GLCs.
“Perkasa will go against the government proposal to have open tender for strategic land and GLCs. This is because the proposal will chip away from the little economic wealth is still owned by the Malays and the Bumiputeras,” he said.
He added that government must review the proposal and have a mechanism whereby the open tender system will continue to maintain the interests of Malays and the larger Bumiputera community.
Ibrahim said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must remove the little Napoleons around him.
“The prime minister must quash all the concerns and ensure that there are no Napoleons around him that are attempting to sabotage the Malay and Bumiputera agenda. If the government does not fix all of this then I believe Umno will feel the consequences in the upcoming general election,” he said.
He added that Umno will alienate Malay voters in their attempt to garner support from non-Malays.
“In their efforts to get non-Malays to support Barisan Nasional, Malay voters will get frustrated and run to a different party. This will happen so the prime minister and the deputy prime minister must act on this,” he said.
Perkasa has been a staunch defender of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and has criticized Najb’s New Economic Model (NEM) for neglecting the Malay agenda.
Its director of economic bureau, Dr Zubir Harun, has said that Perkasa is worried that the NEM will have a Chinese agenda and warned that the Chinese community will use the next general election to take over the country.
MI

Ibrahim's Anger

Ibrahim Ali raps Nazir Razak for talking ‘nonsense’ about NEP

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

August 15, 2010

Ibrahim: If he does not understand why certain group are given AP then he should ask.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali has criticised Datuk Seri Nazir Razak for talking "nonsense" about the New Economic Policy (NEP) — a day after the top banker called for all Malaysians to jointly grow the economic pie. Nazir, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s younger brother, told the MCA Chinese Economic Congress of how NEP-type affirmative action policies had been abused by Malay and Bumiputera businesses.

The CIMB group managing director also spoke about how he felt the Approved Permits (APs) system for cars should be done away with.

“I think Nazir is talking nonsense. If he does not understand why certain group are given AP then he should ask. APs have been given during the era of Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Dr Mahathir.

"This is because the Malays could not break into the automotive industry. That is why we can see Naza is very successful today,” the Perkasa chief told reporters today.

Ibrahim advised Nazir to consult before making any further statements regarding the NEP.

“I would like to advise Nazir that even he is banker, he is still new and consider how he was able to get that position. We must consult when it comes to economic matters especially from the former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He has been the prime minister for 22 years. When our ringgit was attacked in 1997, we did not surrender to the pressure from IMF and World Bank but our economy has recovered,” he said.

The Pasir Mas MP stressed that the APs is important to ensure that Malay community has a stake in the automotive industry.

“I believe Datuk Nazir does not understand the goal of why APs are given to the Bumiputeras. It is to help the Bumiputeras in the automotive industry which is controlled by the non-Malays so with the AP system, it can help the Malays to be successful. From their success, they can invest into other fields,” he said.

However Ibrahim admitted that NEP has failed in terms of implementation but stressed that it must be continued.

“What does he mean by bastardised? If NEP has failed then that is a question of implementation but in terms of goals and ways to achieve the 30 per cent equity by maintaining affirmative action, that must be continued,” he added.

He said that NEP and APs are important for the community to have a continued source of wealth.

“So this special treatment must be maintained in regards to Malay special rights as stated in article 153 of the constitution. We must remember that the Malays are limited in terms of money spinning,” he said.

“For example, we as Malays and Muslims cannot deal with things which are forbidden in Islam. If we see gambling, liquor sales, and entertainment outlets are controlled by the non-Malays and receive billions in one month. We see how the money spin flows but we as Malay and Muslims are not involved. Where is there money spinning to help the Malay community?” he said.

MI