1. ‘New Economic Model to boost growth and win back foreign investment’

Comment: That would depend on, inter alia, if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the Umno supreme council can successfully rein in Perkasa which is still seeking to build its support. For now, PAS and PKR (both largely Malay-Muslim political parties) command something like two-thirds of the Malay-Muslim support which leaves Umno with only one-third support.

2. ‘Developed nation status in 2020 through economic liberalisation’

Comment: Without sincere and substantive economic liberalisation measures, it would be a Herculean task to come anywhere near a First World status.

3. ‘Malaysia has fallen behind in the race for global investment and domestic investment rates’

Comment: The shrinking cake is exerting tremendous pressures on race-based political parties and NGOs such as Perkasa, which in turn frighten foreign and local investment away. The cycle of declining investment becomes self-fulfilling if nothing is done to prevent this decline.

4. ‘Malaysia’s education system churns out tens of thousands of graduates who are ill-equipped for high knowledge jobs’

Comment: Malaysia rode on the strength of its natural resources – first tin, rubber, palm oil and then petroleum. Tin is already gone. Rubber is in a sunset industry now compared to its heyday. Petroleum is a non-recyclable resource. Palm oil is facing competition from other oils. What can the country bank on next? Human capital.

But the perceived flip-flop educational policy is the concern of many who fear that it may set back the nation another generation. Will the government rise to the occasion and be prepared to benchmark against the world’s leading developed nations’ educational standards? And adopt top-notch quality, inspiring and visionary educational policies?

5. ‘An economic growth at 6.5 per cent by 2020'

Comment: Any layman can dream up a nice figure for the future and make the people feel good. But how often do people remember if such a hoped-for forecast has been attained or not? Who really bothers in, say, the year 2020 when they look back to the rosy economic forecast made in 2010?

6. ‘A budget deficit which hit a 22-year high of 7.4 per cent of gross domestic product in 2009'

Comment: Why has the budget deficit ballooned to such an alarming level in a relatively short period of time? What has been the return on public investment?

What kind of value has the rakyat obtained from the high public operating expenditure? These are just some questions that require adequate and honest explanations to the public.

7. ‘Plans to cut subsidies and to introduce a goods and services tax’

Comment: What about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public operations? Is a developing country like Malaysia ready for the GST?

8. ‘Government funds that own around half the market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia’

Comment: If this is true, how has the return on investment being used? Is there any connection between this sizeable amount and the contentious wealth-distribution issue brought up by Perkasa?