Stop hiding there is no place to hide anymore

I agree with Najib here.

Time for protection over, get used to it, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Malaysians must face new global realities and accept increased competition and removal of subsidies*, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.

He said today that subsidies for industries must be restructured and gradually phased out to promote private investments.

“Giving freer rein to private initiative and market forces... has important consequences,” he said in a speech at an economic conference.

* where would the money go?

I agree Prime Minister but does Perkasa, UiTM and UMNO people agree with you on this aspect?

In a globalised economy, one must adapt to competition from abroad and yet day in day out we have this staple diet of Malaysian vs Malaysian, or Malays vs every other Malaysian. Faithfully and consistently upheld by Awang Selamat, Utusan Malaysia, Ibrahim Ali, BTN, blah blah blah...

The world does not owe Malaysia or Malaysian Malays for a living.

The sooner we face the world as 1 united nation the better. In the 1950's Malaya enjoyed windfall gains from sales of rubber during the Korean war. The Korean Peninsular was ravaged by the most potent weapons bar the atomic bomb and civil war of the most savaged kind (some of the tales I came across made my neck hair froze) and yet look at the Koreans now.

Pretty soon, China, Vietnam and Indian is going to overtake us.

As we aspire to be competitive, innovative and capable, the government must not forget its duty to assist the weak, disadvantaged and disable because I always held the belief that a government, elected or otherwise, has a morale duty to enable its citizens to live with safety and dignity.

While Najib says the nice things what are the right things to be done?

1) the government should take the lead - abolish the "protection" it afforded itself via ISA and OSA so as to be transparent, corruption free and walk talk and upright with no fear of being found dishonest

2) the citizens should aim for self-betterment - embrace new knowledge, language capabilities, technical capabilities, strive to become pragmatic or innovative etc. And NOT say/do stupid things like abolishing vernacular schools that gives Malaysia multi-lingual advantage, speaking English is funny , protesting against meritocracy etc.

The bottom line is, how much subsidy we can save and what do we gain from that?