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ETP no cure for income disparity cancer
Published:  Sep 25, 2010 9:00 AM
Updated: 1:02 AM

vox populi small thumbnail 'Whatever the growth projection, the income is not distributed evenly so the elite become super- rich while the rest become poorer.'

Doubts over accuracy of gov't growth projection

Kgen: GDP (gross domestic product) and GNI (gross national income) have no meaning if there is wide disparity in income. Ten percent of the population earning super-high income (the Umnoputras) and the rest earning sustenance level income will still give a respectable GDP and GNI figure but the reality on the ground is stark.

The result of corruption is to weaken the middle class and enrich the elite. Eventually there will be only rich and poor, and little in between. The man in the street cannot feel the effect of the so-called 9 percent Q2 (2 nd quarter) growth. Nothing at all.

Whatever the growth projection the income is not distributed evenly so the elite become super- rich while the rest become poorer. Malaysia has the worse income disparity in Asia. Pouring money into infrastructure projects which benefit cronies will only make it worse.

Furthermore, the World Bank criteria for high income is for the present - not for 10 years into the future. Don't cheat the public by taking the criteria now for 2020 as if inflation will stand still.

Anonymous: I don't think the Orang Asli will improve their per capita income whatever achievement is targeted under the ETP (Economic Transformation Programme).

Anonymous2: It is stated that Malaysia needs about US$444 billion or about RM1.3 trillion over the next 10 years for the country to reach developed status. Nearly 60 percent will come from the private sector. The big question is how to mobilise the large amount of private sector wealth which is now lying idle in the banks and getting miserly interest.

The total assets of Malaysian-owned banks is estimated to be around RM1.2 trillion. One way is for the government to issue 1Malaysia Infrastructure Bonds with a long maturity (five to 10 years) and a pay-off rate several basis points above the FD (fixed deposit) rate.

I am sure that many patriotic Malaysians will not mind subscribing to these bonds. It might also be attractive to foreign bond holders.

Adcin: I think Nurul Izzah Anwar has been fed the numbers. She rounded off 9.9 to 9 which is being generous to Pemandu chief Idris Jala and his projections. Anyway 9, 10 or 11, she has made her point.

Malays will lose power under Pakatan, says Dr M

Anonymous: With Umno, the Malays have had political power for 53 years but still have not benefitted from it. Look at the number of Malays living below the poverty line. Look at the number of Malays struggling at the lower end of the economic spectrum.

Umno doesn't benefit the Malays. It only benefits the Malays in Umno, specifically the Malays with close ties to the leadership. Look at Dr Mahathir Mohamad's son, already one of the richest men in Malaysia.

This is the group of Malays Umno protects. Yes, this group of Malays will lose the power under Pakatan Rakyat - the power to enrich their cronies.

Keturunan Malaysia Umno can think of all the strategies, but rest assured Malaysians ain't that easily going to be fooled again ... and again. Not this time. From now until election time, we want to see plentiful of real solid walk before we even bite, much less, chew and swallow.

Philip Chong: Let us give Pakatan a try and see whether Malays will lose power as what the grand old man said.

Amos: This racist fooled the rakyat to vote for him for 30 years and now he is showing his real colours. He is very, very worried that if Pakatan comes to power, he will have to run away to Argentina on a one-way ticket or spend the rest of his life in Sungai Buloh prison.

So as he gets more desperate, he will increase the intensity of his racist rhetoric and go for broke. This is a sign of a scared and desperate man.

'No tension between me and Wan Azizah-Nurul'

Makcik Har: Looking at the way the PKR members are knifing one another, it is deja vu. It is no different from Umno elections. Certainly Azmin Ali is out of place among Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Nizar Jamaluddin and the like.

When Azmin talks of party history and struggle, he reminds me so much of a certain ex-PM talking about Umno. Sorry, Pakatan, your vision to Putrajaya is only a pipe dream.

Big Picture: PKR needs leaders who can get the people on their side and leaders who can mobilise the masses on the road to Putrajaya. Good administrators like Zaid Ibrahim - who couldn't even win a by-election against an MIC novice, mind you - can play a supporting role only after the ‘Big Prize' is won.

Azmin has been a loyal party man, not only loyal to Anwar Ibrahim but to the ideals that Anwar and PKR are fighting for. I sense the insecurity of non-Malays and thus their preference for Zaid, it seems.

Like it or not, the political reality is to ‘win the hearts and mind of Malays/Muslims first' but with DAP, PAS and PKR working closely together, the non-Malays from all levels of society can get a better deal than the race-based BN headed by Umno.

DAP is multi-racial, PKR is also multi-racial and PAS is a highly-principled party and Islam is totally against racism. What better alternative can you ask for? No matter how much you like Zaid, Azmin has proven himself over many years.

Relief for 10 caught in conversion turmoil

Tiagu: Both BN and Pakatan are silent on the issue of stateless Indians in Malaysia. There are estimated of 450,000 people in Malaysia but the government is mute on this. Why are Anwar, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Abdul Hadi Awang silent? They are as guilty as BN.

They want the Indian vote but would not take the matter up in Parliament. I am disappointed with Pakatan. My whole family voted for them in the last general election. I personally convinced them to do so but now I feel cheated by Pakatan.

Ghandi: Great service by Human Rights Party, R Thiagarajan and P Uthayakumar. If MIC had done this job, my God, I can't imagine the drum-beating and self-praises for S Samy Vellu and MIC. Where was MIC all this while? Just warming their seats and enjoying the benefits thrown to them. Every issue has a solution if it's presented well to the authorities.

MIC is so blind to see real problems being faced by these poor people. MIC guys will lie through their teeth but can't systematically organise and argue their cases. MIC should wind up and join HRP as Uthaya seems to be a sincere leader.

Thanks too to the National Registration Department for being humane and ending the agony of all these victims. This is another myth debunking exercise by Uthaya that shows MIC has been taking the community for a royal ride all this while.

 


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