NEW TEAM: Penang's new Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (centre) seated with his deputies Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin (left) and P. Ramasamy. Standing behind (from left) are state executive committee members Law Heng Kiang, Phee Boon Poh, Law Choo Kiang, Chow Kon Yeow, Lim Hock Seng, Wong Hon Wai, Ong Kok Fooi and Abdul Malik Abul Kassim. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Many in the community, including Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, are upset by remarks made by the new Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who said on Tuesday that he wanted to jettison the so-called New Economic Policy (NEP).

The widely circulated Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia yesterday ran a frontpage lead story on Datuk Seri Abdullah's warning to Mr Lim on the issue. The headline read: 'Warning to Guan Eng. Don't make statements that will heighten racial tension - PM.'

Datuk Seri Abdullah, who is also from Chinese-majority Penang, said on Wednesday that the new state government should not ignore the welfare of minority groups such as the Malays and Indians.

Utusan Malaysia, an Umno-linked newspaper, is popular among rural Malays and its stance is often taken as reflecting that of the party leadership.

The daily followed up yesterday's report on the front page with another on the second page and an editorial.

The report on page two quoted a professor from the Northern University of Malaysia, Prof Ahmad Atory Hussain, as saying that the Malays would be economically disadvantaged if the NEP was scrapped.

The Utusan editorial said: 'The chauvinistic Chinese leaders in the DAP (Democratic Action Party) can now not only do away with the NEP, but also have the power to stop all ongoing state projects if they want to.'

Umno Youth chief Hishamuddin Hussein yesterday joined the growing list of party leaders criticising the attempt to dismantle the NEP, saying that the Penang state government was inciting racial tension and instability in the country.

Datuk Seri Hishamuddin also slammed a statement - since retracted - by DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, who called on his party's officials to boycott the swearing-in ceremony of the Perak state government.

The Umno Youth chief called the statement irresponsible and tantamount to disrespecting the Malay rulers.

Bagan Datoh MP and former deputy information minister, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, for his part, decried the 'over-zealous and extreme' attitude of the opposition DAP.

Another Umno veteran, Tan Sri Aziz Tapa, said that Malays who voted for the DAP 'lacked patriotism', adding that they would now realise that their political power would eventually erode as the NEP had helped them tremendously in improving their livelihoods.

He also said it was not inconceivable that what had happened to the Malays in Singapore could happen in Malaysia if the DAP eventually controlled the country.

Even prominent blogger Ahirudin Attan, known for his liberal views, has distanced himself from Mr Lim's plans to abandon the policy.

'Personally, I think that perhaps, in Penang, Lim Guan Eng should now take a little bit of time and let everything sink in. Let that head shrink back to size.

'Leave the NEP alone for now, because I am no longer quite with you on this,' Mr Ahirudin wrote on his popular blog, Rocky's Bru.

Some analysts, such as Mr Ibrahim Suffian, felt that the opposition should adopt a more moderate stance on the policy.

He said that the new Chief Minister, who heads the DAP, and other opposition leaders, may have been too strident about wanting to replace the NEP with a more meritocratic policy.

'For many Malays, the policy is like a security blanket although they may not have directly benefited from it. Psychologically, it gives the Malays some kind of assurance that their rights are being protected. It is a sensitive topic among the Malays,' Mr Ibrahim, who heads a public opinion polling company, told The Straits Times.

'Perhaps Guan Eng should have used a better choice of words. It is now crucial for his government to articulate how they plan to improve on the policy to allay Malay fears,' he added.

The Chinese-based DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), together with Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), seized control of four states in Saturday's election - Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Perak - while retaining Kelantan.

After being sworn in as Penang's Chief Minister, Mr Lim pledged to get rid of the NEP, which he said 'breeds cronyism, corruption and systemic inefficiency'.

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim from PKR also pledged to dismantle the NEP in the state.

PAS has taken a more nuanced approach towards the policy, with party president Hadi Awang saying on Wednesday that there were many good aspects to it, but that it should not be implemented at the expense of the minorities.

Drawn up after the 1969 racial riots, the NEP was designed to end social and economic inequality among the different races. Among other things, it gives Malays the edge in securing state contracts as well as job and educational opportunities.

However, critics such as PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim say that the policy only favours those with links to government leaders.

'This is why we need a new Malaysian economic agenda which is competitive, market friendly and believes in distributive justice, which is not based on race,' he said in an interview with news channel Al-Jazeera which was aired yesterday evening.

kumhor@sph.com.sg

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