I read with interest the comments by Dr Mahathir Mohamad on how "... the free-trade agreement (FTA) with the US may harm the economy and constrain government policy ..."

Here is the man who, through his mega-projects, made the government procurement process what it is today replete with favoritism, cronyism, ineptitude and virtually no accountability for incompetence of the bidders on the tenders dispensed. In any case, only certain favored minions, Umno-puteras and their kin ever had any real chance of procuring these government tenders with leftover crumbs given to those it was designed to help.

Now he balks at the FTA since this will imply very aggressive competitors entering the fray. They would be far more efficient in the process (seeking competency of sub-contractors, as opposed to seeking 'cronies') and can deliver on-cost, on-schedule and meet customer expectations. So, despite his criticisms of the Malays for not taking full advantage of the opportunities his regime provided and his stated objections to the AP status (another bastion of protectionism), he back paddles furiously when a potential partial cure (the FTA) looms on the horizon.

Open competition is something that efficient enterprises thrive on. It brings about many benefits that monopolies are unable to provide: true alternatives or choices to the consumer, generally lower prices, less red tape, more transparency, accountability and faster timelines. An enterprise becomes efficient out of sheer necessity the market forces see to it. Inefficient entities just have to learn fast or fall to the wayside (in Malaysia, this will read as Proton, MAS etc.).

If the FTA is imposed and adhered to without any 'back-doors' (and we are notorious for these), the rakyat will get what it pays for and can expect better services/products delivered efficiently in the manner desired with full accountability for failure. It will also put an end to the perpetual cycle of dependency on government handouts to those who don't have the determination to succeed. Competition will, logically, weed out the inefficient ones.

The former prime minister also talks about the " with the FTA with Japan, we will import Japanese manufactured goods including motorcars; in exchange we can export vegetables and fruits. We are not the greatest producers of vegetables and goods. These are low value things".

Now, one of the fundamental rules of competition is that you build on your strengths. If market gardening is not your strength, you don't emphasise it or invest considerably in it if you cannot compete effectively in it. Is he then thinking that Malaysia can compete effectively in all fields high value added industries as well as low-margin ones?

Why does he not talk of raising the standards on timber, palm oil, rubber and tin production? In other words, arenas where we have strengths and some competitive advantage. Should we not be focusing and building on these strengths to become world-class in each one? Investing heavily in technology in these areas would not only lift the respective efficiencies within these fields but also serve to provide barriers (high cost of entry) into these industries by competitors.

Could it be that Mahathir is concerned that the FTA will now open the doors to real competition that his former benefactors (kin, cronies and others with ties to him) will have to outperform to win future bids? He talks of "if we lose that (protection from FTA) we will not be able to correct the imbalances" (economic, between the races).

Almost forty years of the NEP is sufficient time for learning in the globalised economy of today. In all that time, the only bumiputeras who were the real beneficiaries were those with connections, in other words not the ones who needed help the most. Forty years is too much time and the people of Malaysia deserve better. In chastising the Malays before, Mahathir talked the talk - now let him walk the talk.