Speech by MP Alor Gajah, Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, Motion of Thanks to DYMM Yang di Pertuan Agong

Mr Speaker,
The results of the recent General Election have been an eye opener to us all, and especially so to the Barisan Nasional. Above the row of the political tsunami, what are the people actually saying?

Very simply put, the people have said they want change. Do not be mistaken, that’s not the same as saying they do not want the Barisan Nasional. The still want the BN government. But they want it to change its attitude and the way it has handled the running of the country.

The Barisan Nasional government has been ruling the country for the last fifty over years. It has been doing a great job. Having been a part of the government myself, that was the impression we got. Has not the rakyat given the BN its mandate to rule, time after time? We have won in twelve elections. This continued renewal of the mandate was the reason that the government has continued to give what it believed the people wanted. Economic progress, social economic development, improvements in wellbeing and people’s welfare, raised political stature in the international arena, greater education and employment opportunities, narrowing of income disparities the records show that the BN has successfully steered the country from a backwater economy to the forefront of the global industrializing nations. We believed that we were doing the right thing.

In the March General Election, the Government, through the Barisan Nasional has been weighed and measured by the people. The verdict, it has not measured up. It has been found wanting. The rakyat has come to the opinion that we in the BN have lost the ability to listen and to hear. We had even challenged the rakyat to say what they had to say through the ballot. That they have done. And if we have not got the message then, it should be loud and clear now – the BN has shortcomings it needs to address.

This is no longer the time for excuses or finger-pointing. The correct and urgent thing to do is to make right the areas we have been found wanting. Let’s put our backs to it and do what only the Barisan Nasional, with its wealth of experience, its might of resources, and its power as the government machinery alone can do. After all, the rakyat has in its wisdom found it fit to give the BN another mandate to run this country for the next five years. For those who did not vote for the BN, we need to ask them not to shut us out, but to give us a chance to restore the confidence lost. Needless to say, there is a long and bumpy road and some bitter medicine that the ruling coalition must take to win back the hearts and minds of all Malaysians. By Malaysians, I mean the rakyat who live and toil for a living on this Malaysian soil. I do not mean it as the Malays, or the Chinese, or the Indians, the Kadazans, the Ibans. I refer to the collective peoples who make up the populace.

Where did we go wrong? Let’s take a look at the basics. Every government owes it to its citizens to provide for their basic needs security, housing, education, healthcare and justice.

Just where are we on those issues from the point of view of the man in the street. To be fair, the Barisan Nasional has done not too badly over the years. In some areas, it has done a splendid job, in other areas, there is undeniably room for improvement.


What is the people’s take on Security?

Mr Speaker,
The crime rate has been on the rise steadily, especially over the last three years. For 2007 alone, reports showed that violent crimes rose by about 13 percent, rape cases went up by almost 30 percent and gang robberies went up almost 160 percent. This trend is very disturbing and should be looked into urgently. To eliminate the concerns of the rakyat, we must ensure more police personnel in crime-prone areas with the establishment of more police “pondoks” and in industrial areas. The number of tourism police should also be increased in areas which are popular with tourists. The rakyat’s confidence in the police had also diluted somewhat because of the number of high-profile murder cases that were still unsolved – like the killing of former Lunas assemblyman Dr Joe Fernandez eight years ago and the killing of a Singapore IT professional in Kuala Lumpur. In efforts to improve the investigative powers of the police, we should seriously look into improving our forensic science and the establishment of modern crime laboratories. Perhaps we should seriously look into the adoption of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police. Let us all heed His Majesty’s advice that there is room for improvement in making the Royal Malaysian Police a premier force.

Excuses such as our crime rate is still lower when compared to other countries bring no comfort to the rakyat. The rakyat cares little for statistics they cannot feel or grasp. They only know that they have to fork out money to engage security guards to watch over their homes. They cannot understand why they should pay for professional “police”. Ironically, the gated and guarded concept that was once found in high end residential property is now a common feature in all housing estates. Not for its snob appeal, but for its necessity.


What about Education?

Mr Speaker,
The rakyat is already grateful for the benevolent education system in the country. Primary education is compulsory and free. Secondary education is subsidized and open to all those who seek it. There is no real issue here. The real issue is the lack of affordable education at the tertiary level. Year after year, there is the expected outrage at the lack of places for deserving students. The perception is that the distribution of places and financial assistance to students is unfair and not in keeping to the principles of meritocracy. There is always the accusation of unfair admission policy to local universities. Allocation of places to local universities that are fair and equitable, scholarships and financial assistance to deserving students, a policy of meritocracy which in the long run will enrich our human capital - these are areas in education that beg to be looked into.

Some are also unhappy with the criteria for entrance into local universities. The matriculation programme, which is used for entrance into local universities, takes one year, while those who have to sit for the STPM have to go through two years. I propose that the government adopts a single entry system. If the government wishes to maintain the matriculation programme, then it should be opened to all races.

The rakyat is also unhappy with the treatment of vernacular schools. They questioned why such schools are being marginalised and not regarded as in the mainstream of the country’s national education system. Why is the establishment of vernacular schools not included in the normal development programme of the Education Ministry, but the establishment of such schools regarded as political compromises? Why are they no proposals for the establishment of vernacular under the development plans of the Ninth Malaysia Plan?


Justice

Mr Speaker,
There is no denying that the Judiciary system is another sore point with the rakyat. The image of the judiciary has been systemically and insidiously eroded over the years. In this respect, the Prime Minister’s call for the setting up of an independent commission to look into the appointment of judges is a first step into restoring the dignity of our once towering judiciary. Some quarters may see it as too late in coming. I say, better late than never. I would like to record my thanks and congratulations to our Prime Minister for having taken the first step towards judiciary reforms. The setting up of the judicial appointments commission, the reforms to the Anti Corruption Agency – these are examples of what can be done when the government puts its mind to it. As His Majesty says, the Prime Minister’s move to empower the Judiciary reflects the government’s commitment to ensure that the Judiciary system is just, respected and independent of any influence. We certainly hope to see more reforms in the pipeline.


Economy and Socio-Political Concerns

Mr Speaker,
In all fairness, going through the Barisan Nasional’s track record in running the country, it is evident that it has been immensely successful. It has promoted growth across all sectors of the economy. It has attained new levels of social wellbeing for the people – improving healthcare, increasing access to education, reducing income disparities, creating jobs, and so on. What then could be the reason that some people are beginning to turn their backs on the Barisan Nasional. I have no empirical answer to that. The general reason cited by those seeking change is that the Barisan Government is arrogant and repressive. I do not intend to split hairs over whether those allegations are true. Suffice to point out that the results of the elections underscored among other things, the consensus on those broad allegations.

Since the beginning of the Malaysian Chinese Association, we have always believed in a model of cooperation based on race. Each party represents a different group of people yet they fight for the same goal. Going back to the days when the original founding fathers sought Independence from England, it must be remembered that the three parties went in as equals. It must also be remembered that the point of the delegation to England was to prove to the colonial masters that as diverse as we may be, we could be counted to live together in harmony. In the myopic view of the whites then, it was impossible for people who are not of the same genus to live together under one roof, peacefully. Malaysians are different – they pray to different Gods, they speak different languages and they eat different foods. That has always been the case. Then we convinced them that we are capable of living peaceably together.

The new media is rife with criticisms about racial respect and harmony. And if one is familiar with the new media, one would see and read the many unkind things being said about a certain race because of some overzealous politicians. How was it possible to nurture such a misguided notion of imagined superiority, I will choose not to detail. There is not wrong or unusual to motivating a race to do better. But, it is wrong if that is done by sowing contempt and disdain and by establishing a climate of discontent towards another race. As long as some citizens perceive themselves to have unequal rights and as long as politicians continue to propagate the ideology of superiority or first among equals, the racial harmony that our forefathers have dreamt about will remain a dream. The sad reality is that such prejudices are being consciously perpetuated.

Government development programmes must be seen to bring benefits to all Malaysians, irrespective of race, but based on needs. The Government should be in the forefront in promoting meritocracy at all levels. In this context, Government Linked Corporations (GLCs) should not see just one race at the helm. The rakyat will question why are GLCs only helmed by one race? Is this because there is no one from the other races that is capable of doing so. Government services should also reflect a more racial mix, especially at counter services.

The awards of government contracts, particularly small contracts, should not be race-based but again, based on capability and experience. Criteria such as the company’s or contractor’s experience, back ground and track record should be more important factors for consideration. Similarly, banks should also use these criteria in the provision of loans to SMEs.


Conclusion

Mr Speaker,
The people have asked for change. Change is within our power. With regards to the MCA, the results of the 12 General Election tells me that despite our good intentions, the Malaysian Chinese whose rights we profess to fight for regard us as a disappointment. There have been rumblings, but I do not want to presume that the 12th GE is the beginning of the death knell for race based politics. The MCA started out as an organization to help the then Chinese workers to settle into this new chosen home. It decided to get involved in politics when it felt that the British had neglected the Chinese in the provisions of the Constitution.

I would like to say that we have achieved much – thriving Chinese schools, new villages, Chinese culture, educational opportunities, SME’s. We were once relevant. But the winds of change blow hard. We, in the MCA and the BN, should take cognizance of these changes and expand our dimensions and strategies. New issues have emerged which are important to the rakyat, especially the younger generation. We need to meet their aspirations if we are to remain relevant to the people.

The 12 GE saw the Barisan Nasional losing an unprecedented five states. Analysts say it was a protest vote against the ruling coalition. It is not that the people love the opposition more, but that they love the BN less this time. In the final analysis, they want a change. The change can come from us, or without us. The next five years are extremely crucial to all of us. Change is imperative for our survival.

With this, Mr Speaker, I wish to support the motion of thanks. Thank you.

# Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn is MCA Vice President