BN components wake up too late Umno has sold them out

Written by Maclean Patrick, Malaysia Chronicle

Political parties based on racial demographics looks good on paper, especially when one takes into accounts the specific needs of the various communities.

But as a nation matures and it economic strength increases, political parties that were set up to represent any given ethnic group would actually be a detriment to the group it supposedly champions.

The very nature of “majority rules” cancels out the voice of any party hoping to champion their communities. The loudest voice drowns out all other voices.

In Malaysia, the loudest voice not only drowns out all other voices but also suffocates. This is what we see happening in Barisan Nasional. And it is coming to a tipping point at this very moment.

UMNO as the majority stakeholder in BN has gone beyond being just the majority voice, it is also the bully of the playground.

Of date, Gerakan, MCA and MIC have been relegated to mere spectator status as UMNO runs rampant.

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong did not really hit it on the head when he blamed government officers for not following the Cabinet's directives in the issuing of scholarships to top scoring students.

But if he continues to deflect blame rather than go after the root of the problem, which is big brother UMNO, then he is right in that BN components will have to "close shop" and soon.

“If this trend continues, many Barisan Nasional parties will have to close shop because such a practice will only scare away young voters," Star quoted him as saying. “Many talented young people will also be driven away and this will make the brain drain problem even worse."

Officers are following directives - guess whose?

The true reason is a numbers games and it is fairly simple to grasp.

Wee does not have to point fingers at government officers. Government officers are also following directives, and it is these other directives that need to be changed.

In 2004, a new ministry was formed - the Ministry of Higher Education. The then minister, Shafie Salleh, stated at the UMNO 2004 general assembly, "As the Higher Education Minister, I will ensure the quota of Malay students' entry into universities is always higher".

Here, we have a clear indication on who really controls the number of young Malaysians entering university and ultimately who gets the government grants.

If there should be any fairness in the giving out of government aid to deserving students, then this quota system has to be removed and any form of racially-inclined directives totally removed from the system.

It is sad that such deserving students are turned into political pawns by political parties to curry favour from their various communities.

MCA would now champion the plight of the Chinese students and MIC will champion the plight of the Indians students.

Yet, why have these parties been relegated to beg from big brother UMNO?

Why does our children’s futures rest in the hands of political parties whose only agenda is to maintain their own survival?

Government scholarships are tax-payers money. Money contributed by the people towards the development of the nation and this includes supporting the education needs of our children.

If the child is deserving of such aid then it is the responsibility of the nation to help realize that child’s full potential. Forget the politics, forget the quotas and even the majority voice; think of the human being and their right to a full education.

BN component parties wake up, UMNO has sold you out.

Malaysia Chronicle

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