KUALA LUMPUR: DAP leader Tony Pua today lashed out at Umno Youth for lodging a litany of police reports against him, saying that the move signified Umno's incapacity to reform.
And this, he said, ended all hopes of a successful implementation of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's all-encompassing New Economic Model.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP also stressed that he would not be cowed by such threats.
All 22 Umno Youth divisions in Selangor filed police reports against Pua yesterday following his recent call on the state government to rescind the bumiputera discount for commercial and upscale properties.
He had suggested that the savings from such a move be better utilised for corporate social responsibility programmes for the poor.
However, the DAP publicity chief had come under intense attack from Umno leaders, and the party's newspaper Utusan Malaysia, with Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan warning Pua not to play with fire by challenging the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera.
“I will not be threatened by the reports for making positive suggestions to improve both the economy of the state as well as the welfare of the poor,” said Pua in a statement.
“I strongly believe that the majority of the population, including the majority of bumiputeras will understand and support the proposals to promote greater equity for bumiputeras and Malaysians,” he added.
Pua said the police reports were “completely frivolous and childish”, and contrary to Umno's claim, it was not him, but the latter which was "dangerous and provocative".
Proposal in line with NEM and 10MP
The Oxford-trained politician also noted that Najib himself had proposed in the NEM as well as the 10th Malaysia Plan that affirmative action programmes would be reformed to be "market-friendly and merit-based" and would be focused on the "bottom 40% of lower income earners".
“I would have thought that my proposal was completely in line with both the NEM and 10MP. Why should the government impose a policy to continue subsidising those who can already afford a property costing millions of ringgit?” he asked.
Pua said the police reports proved that Umno and its youth wing, despite the rhetoric by its leaders to be inclusive, progressive and focused on the poor, were only interested in protecting the interests of those who had benefited lucratively from their connections to Umno.
“The Umno president (Najib) as well as the Umno Youth Chief (Khairy Jamaluddin) have been doing the song and dance on how their party is capable of change and reform.
“However, these are proving to be empty rhetoric, for it is now demonstrated clearly that Umno leaders are only interested in upholding 'ketuanan Melayu' (Malay hegemony), even if it is at the expense of public policies, principles of social and distributive justice as well as the greater needs of the poorer bumiputeras,” he added.
This was one of the rare occasions that Pua had lashed out at his fellow Oxford graduate Khairy, as the two were said to be close despite their political differences.
FMT
05/08/10
And this, he said, ended all hopes of a successful implementation of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's all-encompassing New Economic Model.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP also stressed that he would not be cowed by such threats.
All 22 Umno Youth divisions in Selangor filed police reports against Pua yesterday following his recent call on the state government to rescind the bumiputera discount for commercial and upscale properties.
He had suggested that the savings from such a move be better utilised for corporate social responsibility programmes for the poor.
However, the DAP publicity chief had come under intense attack from Umno leaders, and the party's newspaper Utusan Malaysia, with Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan warning Pua not to play with fire by challenging the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera.
“I will not be threatened by the reports for making positive suggestions to improve both the economy of the state as well as the welfare of the poor,” said Pua in a statement.
“I strongly believe that the majority of the population, including the majority of bumiputeras will understand and support the proposals to promote greater equity for bumiputeras and Malaysians,” he added.
Pua said the police reports were “completely frivolous and childish”, and contrary to Umno's claim, it was not him, but the latter which was "dangerous and provocative".
Proposal in line with NEM and 10MP
The Oxford-trained politician also noted that Najib himself had proposed in the NEM as well as the 10th Malaysia Plan that affirmative action programmes would be reformed to be "market-friendly and merit-based" and would be focused on the "bottom 40% of lower income earners".
“I would have thought that my proposal was completely in line with both the NEM and 10MP. Why should the government impose a policy to continue subsidising those who can already afford a property costing millions of ringgit?” he asked.
Pua said the police reports proved that Umno and its youth wing, despite the rhetoric by its leaders to be inclusive, progressive and focused on the poor, were only interested in protecting the interests of those who had benefited lucratively from their connections to Umno.
“The Umno president (Najib) as well as the Umno Youth Chief (Khairy Jamaluddin) have been doing the song and dance on how their party is capable of change and reform.
“However, these are proving to be empty rhetoric, for it is now demonstrated clearly that Umno leaders are only interested in upholding 'ketuanan Melayu' (Malay hegemony), even if it is at the expense of public policies, principles of social and distributive justice as well as the greater needs of the poorer bumiputeras,” he added.
This was one of the rare occasions that Pua had lashed out at his fellow Oxford graduate Khairy, as the two were said to be close despite their political differences.
FMT
05/08/10
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