It would seem that the issue of bumiputera 'rights' has crept up (yet again) with the announcement by Musa Hitam that for the Iskandar Development Region to succeed, we would need to give up the preferential treatment for bumiputera contractors under the New Economic Policy.

Cue outcries of 'traitor to the Malay race', 'kacang lupakan kulit' and the like. Cue statements from members both within Umno and the opposition to stake up their claims that Malay nationalism needs to be upheld, and they'll be damned if one inch of Malay soil is given away. And as usual, Islamism is offered as an excuse when the boundaries between religious and ethnic realities are blurred and emotions are stoked to a unsurprising high.

Of course, there are also individuals such as myself who believe that this is a step in the right direction.

I reiterate what I've said before - the New Economic Policy is a good idea that has been erroneously implemented. And if it has not improved the socio-economic status of the Malays in three decades, then it is unlikely to improve things in the next 30 years unless the mechanism is tinkered with.

It is all too easy to become complacent when you 'know' that there are pots of gold waiting to be harvested by the wrong people with the right connections. The only proven method of increasing quality is by competition, and if we are to succeed internationally, then we should strive to achieve international standards. The opening up of bits of our economy should slowly but surely expose our local contractors to the rigours and competition of international business.

After all, nobody is going to care about your ethnicity when it comes to the international scene. What we need is sustained long-term investment that will increase local productivity, and if we cannot find it locally then we should be rectifying the situation whilst ascertaining the reason behind our gradually declining FDIs (foreign direct investments).

And whilst I welcome this move, it should be pointed out that while change is difficult, it is more easily managed when explained in a comprehensive manner. This would involved a rational explanation from the powers-that-be and more importantly, tenders that are offered in an open and transparent manner that would satisfy even the most right-wing members of society that yes, this just might be better for not only the Malay race but our society in general in the long run.