YOURSAY ‘Nepal, please learn the development model from elsewhere.’

Dr M: M'sia to be a high- income country by 2020

Swipenter: Here is how to become a rich nation, according to former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In the 1990s, Mahathir's cronies, friends and family members were already enjoying income levels beyond their wildest dreams. The 1997 Asia financial crisis set them back somewhat but his clan has done tremendously well since then.

If you want to enjoy that kind of high-income level, just copy Mahathir's style - initiate mega projects, practice secretive lopsided agreements, negotiated and close tenders, massive corruption and cronyism but only to be enjoyed by the privileged few families and their lackeys.

He is a massive supporter of the trickle down effect. By 2014, unfortunately ordinary Malaysians are finding that their present spending power is not matching up to the high cost of living and we are "enjoying" a wider income disparity than never before and a much devalued ringgit.

Good luck to you, Nepalis.

Onyourtoes: Nepal, please learn the development model from elsewhere, especially from the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries.

There is nothing to learn from Malaysia, unless you want to learn how to stifle democracy in the name of stability, crony capitalism under the pretext of collecting more taxes from the rich, corruption in the name of facilitating efficiency, privatisation to help your friends and families, destroying education in the name of jingoism, and racism in the name of helping the poor.

Negarawan: Malaysia could have already been a high-income nation 20 years ago. It is doubtful that it can achieve this status even in the next 10-15 years as long as Umno is in power.

Instead, Malaysia is getting more backward because of rampant corruption, gross mismanagement, and racist policies by Umno.

Former Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew achieved more than all the Malaysian prime ministers put together by emphasising on meritocracy and establishing a non-communal political system.

He is a true statesman and his views are highly sought by all leading nations. Mahathir, on the other hand, has turned Malaysia into a failed state with increasing religious and racial disharmony.

Armchair Newspaper: Nepal? Can't Dr M get a better invitation internationally. Another sign that his star is waning...

1Citizen: What about the rickshaw pullers and the rubbish collectors? Will they be part of the high-income society? Is high-income the strategy for national unity or national poverty?

Mahathir, please come to the ground and mix with the lower caste (farmers, fishermen and labourers) instead of with the crony elites (the tuns, tan sris and datuks).

Podeh: The attendees in Katmandu must not believe a word this evil man says. For a long time Malaysians of a certain description are already fantastic high earners.

They are the Umnoputras, the relatives of the ruling elites, the cronies who, because of their relationship, are literally "minting" their income.

The average Joes see their middle-income status relegated to that of the low income; as for the former low-income earners, they are lucky if they are still around to beg for crumbs.

This once beautiful country is now renowned for its superb level of corruption; this same beautiful country is today known for its band of elite robbers and plunderers that stand in as its government.

The income gap has widen tremendously; yes, we'll see a high income group but this group is already there for a long time. Theirs is old money... to be spent overseas quietly and magnificently.

Rightan: Yes, high-income nation by 2020 for the top five percent of population, the rest have to struggle with the high cost of living.

Maharaja: Today, in the Jakarta industrial zone, the minimum wage there is US$300, which is 10 percent higher than minimum wages in Malaysia.

What Mahathir did not say is how much we owe the world in terms of national debt and how much our household debts are.

He also failed to address the issues of our incompetency among government officials and the weak political will among our ministers to eradicate corruption.

CiViC: Yes, we are very sure, that the high-income earners now will become super high-income and the mid-income will be low income, while the low income now will fall under the hardcore poor category.

But having averaged out all for statistics purposes, well yes, Malaysia will be high-income nation.

Doc: The important lesson Nepal could learn from Malaysia was the culture of coalition, said Mahathir.

I think the most important lesson Dr M can teach the Nepalese is not to shoot their opposition leaders but fix them up on some fictitious sodomy charge.

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