'Open tenders will benefit, not erode, Malay interests'

Open tenders by the government for the sale of strategic land would not erode Malay interests, says Kedah Gerakan Youth.

On the contrary, the proposed open tender for such sales would benefit Malays and other Malaysians by ensuring that only those with the capability would win the bids, said the state Gerakan’s wing chief Tan Keng Liang ( left ).

Tan described as “unfortunate” Perkasa’s lack of support for the open tender proposal by the government.

“Perkasa must understand that open tender will maximize the government’s revenue for the benefit of all Malaysians. It will ensure that only those with merits, including the Malays, would win the open tender,” said Tan in a statement.

Tan was responding to remarks by Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, who yesterday said open tenders for the sale of strategic land could erode "the little remaining assets owned the Malays and bumiputeras,”

Ibrahim Ali, who is also an independent parliamentarian for Pasir Mas, said his group would object any move to implement the proposal for open tenders.

Tan pointed out that Article 89 of the federal constitution already provides for the protection of Malay reserve lands.

“Each state in our country also has their respective law to prohibit the sale of Malay reserve lands to non-Malays.

“As such, the interest of Malays in the land of our country had always been protected by the federal constitution and could not be eroded by a mere open tender,” said Tan.

Besides that, he added, an open tender process would not exclude the participation of the Malays and bumiputras.

On the contrary, such open tender process would ensure that all capable Malays would be given a chance to win the open tender process.

“The allegation of only the few privileged ‘Malay’ being awarded government projects would no longer arise,” he added.

The Pasir Mas MP had also called yesterday on government-linked companies PNB and Uda Holdings Sdn Bhd to take into account the interest of Malays and bumiputeras in the development of strategic land especially in the golden triangle near KLCC, Langgak Golf, Stadium Negara, Stadium Merdeka and the former Pudu Prison site in Kuala Lumpur.

He further called on the government to ensure that the Malays would benefit from the development projects in Sungai Buloh, Sungai Besi and in 118 other projects which involved the Malays and bumiputeras.

He urged also the Malay Consultative Council to convene an "emergency roundtable" on Aug 29 in the wake of the 13-point declaration at the Chinese Economic Congress organised by the MCA which, among others, called for the gradual removal of the 30 percent bumiputera equity and the implementation of open tender policy.

Whither RM52 bil bumi shares?

On a related matter, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng ( right ) said Perkasa, Umno and MCA would have no need to quarrel over the issue of bumiputera equity if a royal commission of inquiry was set up to probe how RM52 billion worth of shares has gone out of Malay hands.

Lim was referring to the revelation last year by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that of the RM54 billion in bumi shares given out since the New Economic Policy(NEP) was launched in 1970, only RM 2 billion remained in bumi hands.

“Clearly the RM52 billion worth of shares given to the few Malay/bumi leaders was cashed out and sold off.

“Stern action and the full force of the law should be unleashed at this open sabotage of the NEP. If the RM52 billion worth of bumi shares still remained in bumi hands, then the 30% bumi/Malay equity target under the NEP would have long been achieved,” said Lim in a statement.

Lim described as surprising the reluctance by MCA, Umno and Perkasa to address the “monstrous” hijacking of bumiputera shares and their failure to call for action against these “saboteurs of the NEP”.

“BN's refusal to take action against these NEP saboteurs and that they return the RM52 billion is an immoral act designed to protect their own cronies who have profited shamelessly from a policy that is supposed to assist the poor Malays/bumis.

“So long as (the) BN government refuses to demand full accountability and action over the "lost" RM52 billion in bumi shares, they are using the NEP to divide and rule by playing racial antagonism against Malaysians.

“Clearly (these) racial polemics over the NEP benefits BN to distract attention from the real problems Malaysians face.

“The real problems for Malaysia are not BN's claims of race or religion but deep-seated corruption, inefficiency, abuse of power, mediocrity and lack of rule of law.”

MCA to Umno: We won't back down

Muhyiddin to Soi Lek: Don't cause anger