Critical Thoughts

Heard and read the news that the new Penang government is abolishing the NEP in Penang. To me it does not make any real difference as to whether NEP is abolished or not. For so long the policy which was intended to help the Malay poor has been abused by the establishment who rely on dosage form development to enrich themselves. The NEP, for all it claims and purposes, has no real relevance in today’s Malaysia. We have come really a long way since then. Look at how smoothly the transition of power happened in the five states that fell to the Barisan Alternatif. This would not have been possible in 1969.

Having said that however, I do concede that my father was a product of the NEP, and had this policy not come into existence, he would have remained in a remote kampung in Johor tapping rubber, and yours truly will be the son of a rubber tapper. But of course, we are talking about fifty years ago.