YOURSAY 'Just go tell PM Najib Razak to practice what he preaches about moderation, assuming he is sincere about it.'

Racial extremism bad for economy, warns ex-diplomat

your say, YoursayKingfisher: Catharsis after 35 years of in the comfort zone would seem a little baffling if not disconcerting as many would think that the rot that is evident now was already in the making for some 25 years.

Yes, we are fast losing credibility as a progressive nation. Yes, we are increasingly being identified as nation unnecessarily and deliberately divided along race and religion. Yes, the social distribution mechanism is significantly unfavourable to lower middle class and the poor.

Yes, the ruling elites are increasingly unmindful of ethical obligation in use of public funds. Yes, our public education system has not gained a commensurate qualitative indicator as compared to the fiscal inputs.

Yes, we have a civil service struggling to identify quality service without neither being beholden to political power nor being enticed by irregular and inappropriate rewards. Yes, there is a blurring of theocratic and civil aspect in social and institutional discourses. The list is endless.

Continue-The-March: We need more people like former diplomat Razali Ismail to speak up against people like Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali. Razali has traveled enough to see that the world is not stopping for Malaysia to catch up and definitely not providing handicap for pampered bumiputeras.

We were among the top in many categories in the region, our public education, judiciary, etc. Genting Highlands was the first casino resort built in the region since the 60s. It could have growth to become the premium tourist destination of the world and a major foreign currency generator for the country.

However, every time at the convenience of some opportunistic politician they threatened to close down the casino complex. Now Singapore has over taken us, the Philippines is building multiple casinos at Manila bay and will overtake us.

Malaysia's Genting Highlands is now like a backwater gambling hangout instead as the premium destination that it could have been. Chinese in China speaks better English than Malaysians now. The world is moving forward, but Malaysia is moving backward.

Tan Kim Keong: Razali is just stating the obvious. Just go tell PM Najib Razak to practice what he preaches about moderation assuming he is sincere about it and let the world see that he is an authentic leader.

Razali, being the chairperson of the Global Movement of Moderates, should hold Najib accountable for the standards of human rights, democracy, independence of the judiciary, justice and fairness in our country.

First thing Razali should do is to tell Najib to stop the practice of ad hominem in his speeches during religious and his political meetings. In short, censure Najib for being disingenuous.

Anonymous_5fb: Razali, this is not new at all. Many non-Malays who had voiced these same sentiments, but the responses were "balik China", "apa lagi Cina mau", "jangan cabar hak kita", "saya pantang dicabar", etc.

Even Malays had voiced these out too, but they were called "pengkhianat bangsa', "infidel", "semua in kerana Anwar".

But we have to keep speaking out so that the majority Malays realise the bad things that Umno had done to our beloved country. Again Razali, I thank you for voicing this out.

The Watchman: If the Malays continue to support Umno and its policies, they can only have themselves to blame when Malaysia becomes a pariah state.

The real tragedy is bright moderate Malays refuse to speak up and challenge this handful of stupid, corrupted and racist individual who are slowly but surely destroying the country.

KhorSE: The reality is that most of those who enter politics are looking for quick gains for themselves.

Until and unless we have people entering politics for noble reasons (to help fellow citizens), the leaders that we have are there not because we choose them but chosen by their party.

Homesick: Do you think all those in power and their cronies really care about Malaysia? The answer is no. They only care about remaining in power and stealing as much as they can.

If and when Malaysia go under (God forbid), they will just pack their bags and go and live a life of luxuries in Europe or some paradise islands in the Caribbean with their ill-gotten loot.

Swipenter: Umno Baru is the biggest threat to our national security, economic interests and development, national unity and human resource development.

The Umno Baru-dominated government discriminates its own citizens based on race and religion. It robs the hard working and entrepreneurial class to feed their cronies and those with crutch mentality. They chase away our young and the brightest to other countries by depriving them of equal opportunities.

They erect obstacles to thwart your progress and potential if you are not of the right race and religion, ranging from education to business. Meanwhile, they rob us blind, deplete and squander our national wealth and resources through massive corruption and mismanagement.

They siphon huge sums of illicit capital to feather their overseas nests and yet have the audacity to blame those who are discriminated for the ills affecting our country.

Would anyone who has the entrepreneurial spirit, resources and brains want to put all their eggs in such a basket?

The Stig: "We should not let populist polemics lead us to squander possibilities by attaching our fates to a debilitating culture of welfare dependency," said Razali.

I think this statement hits the nail on the head. We only have to look at Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan and ask ourselves if this is what we could have been. Then we look at Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam and ask ourselves if we are doing the same mistakes all over again.

Hang Babeuf: "Racial extremism bad for economy, warns ex-diplomat."

Also bad for the moral integrity of the nation... if PM Najib's government has any time or inclination to worry about such things.

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