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KUALA LUMPUR, December 20: “The NEP is adversely affecting the Malays”, said Amir Sari, one of the speakers in a panel invited to speak about the New Economic Policy.

Earlier, he stunned the audience when he spoke about how the “official” record of the infamous May 13 May incident has distorted the purported reasons for the NEP. Sari also gave alternative accounts of the tragedy which are inconclusive due to the lack of credible historical research into the incident save for a book by Tunku Abdul Rahman and a thesis by a researcher from the University of Berkeley, California.

Apart from Sari, who was an active student leader and project co-ordinator of “Institut Kajian Dasar”, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Khoo Kay Peng further discussed the NEP critically.

Nik Nazmi, a prominent blogger who graduated with a law degree from King’s College London and now a Special Assistant to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, opined that the NEP only favoured the elite few in Malaysia and felt that the policy is unfairly driven by racial considerations. Today, Malaysia is losing her competitive edge due to the NEP despite Malaysians having the minds capable of challenging the best in the world.

Whilst confessing to being a beneficiary of the NEP when he received a government scholarship to pursue his degree, he emphasised that poverty-eradication schemes should now look beyond race-based criteria.

Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst with local think-tank, Sedar Institute, presented the NEP today as being nothing more than a political tool which has swayed away from its original aims. He felt that whilst the NEP rose from the ashes of the racial riots of May 13, the NEP was meant to fight poverty of all Malaysians, and not merely of just one race.

Khoo reminded how in the 1970s, Malaysia was perceived to be a growing economic tiger together with Taiwan, Korea and Singapore; but today, those 3 countries have moved far ahead of Malaysia.

The panel discussion, moderated by Lee Khai Loon (convener for Y4C), nevertheless acknowledged some positives of the NEP such as creating a Malay middle-class. The night ended with an interactive session with the floor.

Organised by “Youth for Change” (Y4C) and aimed at reaching out to younger Malaysians, the event saw the launch of a DVD containing a series of lectures held previously on the NEP.

This event served as the forerunner of the “Siri Pemikiran Kritis: Kursus Alternatif Berkenaan Dasar Ekonomi Baru” set of 4 talks commencing on 11 January 2007. (Please click here to download the leaflet)

It will be co-organised by Y4C, Persatuan Bahasa Tionghua Alumni Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Humanity Library and the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee.

Among the confirmed speakers are Dr Lim Teck Ghee (former Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute [ASLI]) and Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (former Guthrie Group CEO and Treasurer of National Justice Party). 

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