Mention of substandard Bumiputeras sets off Dr Mahathir in blog post

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) today delivered an acerbic reply to reports quoting economist Dr Lim Mah-Hui as saying that the private sector was not keen to employ Bumiputeras as they were not able and lacking in quality.

In his blog, Dr Mahathir wrote sarcastically that only now he understood why Bumiputera contractors had never been awarded contracts by the Malaysian private sector.

"It is common knowledge that the government is controlled by Bumiputeras of poor quality. The 1.4 million civil servants employed are almost 100% Bumiputera who have been appointed as officers and general staff," Dr Mahathir wrote with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

He said the end result was a Malaysia which had not been administered well by incompetent leaders and had not developed as fast as neighbouring countries who also achieved independence around the same time.

"The government which is made up of inefficient and substandard Bumiputeras failed to handle the country's economic slump during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Many businessmen and entrepreneurs in Malaysia, especially from those who possessed great merits, went bankrupt during the currency crisis due to Bumiputera action plans."

Until now, Dr Mahathir added caustically, the country's economy and currency has not been able to recover due to the substandard Bumiputera government. Therefore, he concluded, in order to avoid the country stagnating further, substandard Bumiputeras should not be given the opportunity to further their studies as they were bound to fail anyway.

"The private sector is correct in encouraging meritocracy, it is not for the lack of opportunities given to Bumiputeras, but because merit comes first. I fully agree that meritocracy is good for Malaysia," Dr Mahathir said disparagingly.

"Do not give anything that is not based on merit. People of no quality have no rights or place in Malaysia. Let those with bad qualities continue on their path as long as they have quality, since being meritorious is all that matters."

The fight for Malaysia's independence from the British colonial masters was all about giving everything to those who merit it, and not those who were substandard, Dr Mahathir scornfully said, adding that those without quality should know the fruits of Malaysia's independence was not for them.

Dr Lim, a member of the DAP-led Penang government’s think-tank, had reportedly said that the private sector was not keen to hire Bumiputeras because they were not able and lacking in quality.

It was in reply to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar who contended that the private sector had not given much opportunities to Bumiputeras.

Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum released the Human Capital Index 2013 which reported that Malaysia had talented individuals who were being driven abroad due to lack of opportunities and affirmative action plans.

Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a slew of affirmative action policies in the form of the RM31 billion Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Agenda. It led economists to wonder where the RM31 billion was coming from. – October 22, 2013.