I have to sympathise with Eric Koh on his business predicament with Petronas . The bumiputera policy is the norm when dealing with any government agency, whether it is Petronas, Tenaga Nasional, etc.

But for any ruling, there is always a method to counter it. Most businesses comply with the ruling on paper only. Others, like in Koh's case, who refuse to comply, will have to appoint a bumiputera compliant agent to act on their behalf, with payment assigned directly to contractors (in this case, Koh's company) to avoid any financial issues that may arise.

It is disheartening to note that blatant discrimination is being done in the name of NEP. In the case of the above bumiputera ruling, I am sure it goes against the spirit of the constitution, but has somehow managed to remain unchallenged by either Parliament or a court of law.

It is better for the government of the day to encourage all businesses to prosper, gain from the tax revenue generated and use this for the benefit of the rural population. This should include free education from the age of four until 16 (starting school at the age of seven is too late for the present times).

By the age of 16, if the pupil is capable, then he or she should be encouraged to do higher education. The less capable should be forced to join the workforce while those with disciplinary problems should be recruited by the police or armed forces. This way, the government can start collecting tax revenues from these people at an earlier age, instead of giving them a degree at a later age and having them still remain unemployed.

However, many of our government policies defy any logical explanation. It is a wonder how the government seems to wangle itself out of these situations and get away with it.