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Nazir, is your big brother listening?
Published:  Sep 12, 2011 9:12 AM
Updated: 1:16 AM

your say 'Well said, Nazir, but transformation is very difficult thing to do. Those who have it easy will want to continue with the corruption...'.

Nazir: Transform or risk Middle East-style upheaval

Joe Lee: "Governments here will have to adopt greater openness, more debate and increased transparency," said CIMB boss Nazir Razak.

Quite apart from his other grand pronouncements on the global economy, might we be a little skeptical of Nazir's pontifications? His brother's Umno can't handle openness, cannot debate, and most definitely cannot withstand transparency.

Pakatan Rakyat should make an offer to Nazir - join us; we'll give you a senior position (let's say foreign minister) with which to put expression, meaning and action to the great stuff that you are talking about here.

Instead of just talking the talk (trust me, the 'thunderous applause' that you got was just people who are in the ‘bodek-bodek' business), it's not real until something real happens - and that something real cannot happen until your brother's government has been toppled.

Malaysianearthquake: This is the son of Abdul Razak Hussein and the brother of Najib. He is in his position at the helm at the CIMB because of his brother, who is the Umno PM.

Malaysians should not be too quick to judge him. Let's put it this way point blank - Najib is promoting his brother Nazir for a political post for he knows that he is down and out in the eyes of all Malaysians and he does not want DPM Muhyiddin Yassin to replace him.

Patriot: These people given the privileges and protection against failure, always speak in two tongues - one for the local people and another for the foreigners to ensure them we are vigilant in areas that may interfere with any openness in business and economical growth and cooperation.

Nazir may seem sincere in asking for economic reforms to survive in this very limited and competitive field of foreign investments but he has to toe a certain line laid out by his peers and cannot make some progress in this area or else he may face the VSS type of exit.

David Dass: Why are we not able to see Nazir's speech for exactly what it was? We have no difficulty acknowledging Marina Mahathir's statements on various issues as being made with conviction and belief. We do not say that her statements lack credibility because of her father.

Nazir has consistently advocated reform and open government. The fact that he makes his statements in public forums is significant. These statements will be construed as criticism of the current administration, and of many of the administrations in the Asean region.

Nazir is concerned about the economic implications of popular unrest. He is concerned, as we are concerned, that internal strife will result in unstable government. His is a simple call which we all subscribe to - greater openness, more debate and increased transparency. Do any of us quarrel with that?

This is a timely speech by Nazir. We have seen developments in Singapore and Thailand. Our politicians should not be disconnected from grassroots grouses and expectations. They do so at their peril.

A more educated electorate demand far greater transparency and the social media often discloses things not reported by the media.

But there are differences between the Middle East countries and Malaysia. For a start, we have a democracy with democratic institutions. And we have a strong opposition.

Wfworker: Notwithstanding Nazir's connections, he can hold his fort in his business. You can just look at others, being given all the connections and yet failed miserably and even now seeking easy handouts. Surely, all of you can name enough of these individuals to close all your fingers.

Those are the guys who actually siphoned off all the national resources given to them on a silver platter. If all those could have had done like Nazir, maybe the 30% bumiputera equity would be such that they could not deny any more, it would have been 50% by now.

Michael Ng 34f2: I would rather lump his speeches with the Perak royalty. They are both of the same class.

ONG: The last time I checked, Nazir is still a Malaysian citizen like the rest of us, and as a citizen, he has the same right as the rest of us to make comments on our political climate and also to make suggestions to our political leaders.

It is not fair, and not logical, for anyone to ask if Nazir would have become CEO of CIMB if his brother was not PM, and his father was not Tun Razak. That we will never know because the fact that he is Razak's son and Najib's brother cannot be changed.

It makes better sense to tell us if he's performed reasonably at CIMB. Even if his performance has not been ranked no 1, I still can't crucify him just because he is Najib's brother. He only deserves to be crucified if his performance has been real bad. That I don't know, so let experts tell us.

I hope people are not going to make a rule to prohibit others from becoming CEOs if they happen to have fathers or brothers who are or have been a PM.

Up2U: Well said, but transformation is very difficult thing to do. Those who have it easy will want to continue with the corruption even if they risk being chased out of office eventually. Their greed overcomes their better judgement.

Anyway, with so much dirty money accumulated, they can always move to another country. Look at Thaksin Shinawatra, Imelda Marcos, etc. How many will end up like President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan or Suharto of Indonesia?

Foo: Sir, Is your brother listening?

 


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