Zaid: Malaysia richer, happier if Tun Ismail had lived to be PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — Malaysia would likely have become a richer, happier and more united country if Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman had lived to succeed Tun Abdul Razak Hussein as the third prime minister, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today.

The former de facto law minister said the New Economic Policy (NEP) that Dr Ismail had helped push out in 1971 would have achieved its goal of lifting Malays mired in economic poverty while being fair to Malaysia’s minority races instead of being perverted to keep a few Malay leaders and their cronies in power now.

“If he had been healthier and had lived longer, he would have succeeded Tun Abdul Razak as Prime Minister and Malaysia today would be a richer and happier country.

“The policy that makes the Malays ‘special’ would have a different meaning, and as the co-architect of the New Economic Policy Tun Ismail would have undoubtedly made this country prosperous, democratic and united in ways we have not been able to experience,” Zaid said in a statement.

While the one-time Umno senator who had joined the opposition before turning independent made no mention of it, he is likely referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s announcement last week for a RM31 billion injection to the dominant Bumiputera community, widely panned as a reversal of his New Economic Model (NEM) policy first introduced in 2009.

Political analysts have criticised the so-called Bumiputera agenda, saying it reversed Najib’s promises to roll back race-based policies and was a politically-motivated decision ahead of the upcoming Umno elections.

Others have also labelled the NEM an “exaggeration” of the now-defunct NEP, and described the contained measures as violating Article 8 of the Federal Constitution that guarantees equality to all Malaysian citizens.

Proponents of Bumiputera affirmative action insist that Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which outlines the special position and privileges of the group, provides for the measures announced ostensibly to uplift the community.

Najib had also mooted the set up of a Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Council and pushed government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) to increase Bumiputera property ownership, among other measures.

Political observers saw the move as an attempt to fortify Najib’s position within the largest component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and appease Malay voters who have showed the most support for Umno in the May 5 general election.

Johor-born Dr Ismail had earned a reputation as an incorruptible Malay leader and nation builder who was strongly opposed to racial bigotry. He had served as Razak’s deputy from September 1970 until his death from a heart attack on August 2, 1973, aged 57.

Then a student, Kelantan-born Zaid recalled meeting Dr Ismail in 1972 and was impressed by the latter’s advice to play fair to all races in helping aid the economically-backward Malays, who remain the country’s most dominant ethnic group.

“What I can remember about this quiet man was his advice that we needed to do all we could to help the Malays — but that we had to do it properly and with fairness.

“I did not have the guts to ask him to elaborate, but I was sure he wanted the Malays to be fair to the other communities at all times as leaders of the country,” Zaid, now 62, said.

However, the lawyer-turned-politician said the policy of lifting the economically-backward Malays has become a policy “to uplift those favoured by the leaders”.

“The policy of increasing and strengthening Malay participation in the civil service and public institutions has turned into a monopoly.

“The policy to moderate the Malay mind/values so they become competitive and able to understand and appreciate the nuances and lifestyles of different people has become the opposite, making them parochial and fearful instead,” he said.

In his strongly-worded statement, Zaid said a new breed of Malays were now in charge, whose “leaders have no shame admitting that they are wealthy or about parading their affluent lifestyles” or their “special” status by taking the NEP policy to its extreme.

“The policy to uplift the economically-backward Malays has changed them beyond recognition,” Zaid said.