http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sedition-act-replacements-will-worsen-racial-disparity-dr-m-says
12 June 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad doused Putrajaya's Sedition Act replacement Bills in cold water today, predicting that instead of achieving equality, the new legislation would only maintain existing injustices and disparities among races here.
The former prime minister said the proposed laws ― National Harmony Bill, National Unity Bill and National Unity and Integration Commission Bill ― will spell the end of the New Economic Policy (NEP), an economic model mooted in 1971 to close the socio-economic gap between the largely-urban Chinese and the rural Malays as well as other indigenous Bumiputera.
While he said it may seem fair to promote equality among the races, doing so within Malaysia's racial makeup would only result in the country's existing rich getting richer, while the poor continue to languish in poverty.
“Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural country,” Dr Mahathir said in his latest blog posting.
“In Malaysia, we maintain our racial origins, language, culture, our schools, even our universities. Following that, we live in different areas, practice different lifestyles and our activities differ too.
“In our respective businesses, each have our own networks based on race, language and culture,” he explained.
Among the races, Dr Mahathir said the Chinese are the most successful of all ethnic groups here, followed by the Indians who are just ahead of the Malays.
This disparity, he said, renders it difficult to force harmony and unity among the races through such laws.
The NEP was mooted for this very purpose ― to close the gap between the poor, rural Malays and other Bumiputera groups, and the other races ― Dr Mahathir pointed out.
“If the National Harmony Bill is passed, then the NEP cannot be carried out any longer. This means the country will practice meritocracy ― those with merit and high capabilities will get it all.
“Scholarships, university placements, contracts, job opportunities and many other things will be awarded based on merit,” he said said.
“Of course this is fair. But there is a high likelihood that the poor, those whose poor backgrounds do not accord them the opportunity to live in a better environment for study; who lack the opportunity to go to established private schools; who lack good food; good health... this is the group that would not fulfil the necessary requirements or possess the necessary merit to get anything.
“Perhaps they may not even be called in for interviews. And because of this merit system, the poor (Bumiputera) will stay poor and the rich will become richer,” he added.
As such, the country's longest serving former prime minister maintained that the new laws to replace the Sedition Act would not bring about equality but widen existing disparities among the races.
“Indeed the Bills would only destroy the remnants of past efforts to maintain economic balance among the races,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced two years ago that his government will repeal the controversial Sedition Act, a 1948 British-enacted preventive law that critics said have been abused to silence opposition dissent here.
Last week, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) revealed details on three separate Bills meant to replace the Act, including one to promote harmony and another prescribing mediation as a means to resolve disputes.
The conciliatory tone of the National Unity Bill is a departure from the restrictive nature of the colonial-era Sedition Act, as it aims to promote mediation as a means to solving any dispute that come under a list of “prohibited grounds”.
The list covers race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
It also includes other grounds where discrimination “causes or perpetuates systemic disadvantage”, “undermines human dignity”, or “adversely affects the equal enjoyment of a person’s rights and freedoms in a serious manner” based on colour, descent or ancestry, nationality or national origin, ethnicity or ethnic origin, or religion.
Another proposed law, the National Harmony Bill, also seeks to spell out offences that will come under its purview, instead of the broad interpretation of sedition that has seen the law being applied to a broad range of instances.
Dubbed the National Harmony Bill, it outlines a list of punishments for conduct that is deemed to be deliberately aimed at instigating or leading to threats or actual acts of physical harm based on racial and religious hatred.
The bill also proposes to outlaw incitement against the Rulers, racial or religious hatred — proposing a penalty of RM5,000 fine, up to seven years’ jail time or both for each of the three categories.
The third bill will deal with the formation of a National Unity and Integration Commission, which will be tasked to promote national unity, integration, equality and non-discrimination, among others.
It will also be empowered to investigate complaints of discrimination, leading to the establishment of an unfair discrimination tribunal should mediation efforts fail.
Cadangan ganti Akta Hasutan wujud ketidakseimbangan kaum, kata Dr Mahathir (TMI)
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/cadangan-ganti-akta-hasutan-akibatkan-ketidakseimbangan-antara-kaum-kata-dr
12 June 2014
Bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir mengatakan tiga rang undang-undang yang akan menggantikan Akta Hasutan hanya akan menyebabkan ketidakseimbangan antara kaum di Malaysia. – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad memberi amaran usaha menggantikan Akta Hasutan akan mengakibatkan ketidakseimbangan antara kaum di Malaysia.
Tiga draf awal berkaitan akta keharmonian nasional menurut bekas perdana menteri paling lama berkhidmat itu, akan menyebabkan usaha untuk membentuk keseimbangan menerusi Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) yang diperkenalkan sebelum ini menjadi sia-sia.
"Sesungguhnya rang undang-undang ini akan menghapuskan saki-baki usaha mengimbangkan ekonomi antara kaum," kata Dr Mahathir dalam tulisan di blognya, Chedet.cc hari ini.
Tiga rang undang-undang itu ialah Rang Undang-Undang Harmoni Nasional, Rang Undang-Undang Perpaduan Nasional dan Rang Undang-Undang Suruhanjaya Perpaduan dan Integrasi Nasional.
Dr Mahathir mendakwa akta baru tersebut akan menghapuskan dasar pemilihan berasaskan agama, bangsa, keturunan, tempat lahir, jantina serta ketidakupayaan.
"Keadaan terpisahnya kaum atau bangsa dan pencapaian mereka yang tidak sama tidak membolehkan penyatuan dan harmoni di kalangan mereka dengan mudah," kata beliau.
Dr Mahathir berkata jurang perbezaan antara tiga kaum utama di dalam negara menyebabkan akta tersebut tidak sesuai digunakan.
"Pencapaian masing-masing kaum atau bangsa juga berbeza dengan kaum Cina mendahului kaum India dan Melayu dan kaum India sedikit sebanyak mendahului kaum Melayu," kata beliau.
Jika rang baru ini diluluskan, Dr Mahathir berkata DEB tidak dapat dilaksanakan dan dasar meritokrasi akan diperkenalkan.
"Apabila rang undang-undang ini diluluskan, maka DEB tidak boleh dilaksanakan lagi.
"Ini bermakna negara akan mengamalkan meritokrasi – iaitu mereka yang mempunyai merit atau kebolehan tertinggi akan dapat segala-galanya," kata beliau.
Dr Mahathir berkata walaupun usaha tersebut akan menghapuskan diskriminasi, tetapi ia masih akan mewujudkan ketidakseimbangan.
"Memusnahkan diskriminasi berasas kaum atau bangsa akan menjadikan kita semua sama-sama sebagai warganegara. Tetapi ia akan kekalkan ketidaksamaan dan ketidakadilan yang sedia ada.
"Cadangan untuk rang undang-undang yang akan dibentangkan oleh perdana menteri bukan akan menghasilkan persamaan (equality) atau keadilan. Ia akan mengekalkan ketidaksamaan dan ketidakadilan yang terdapat sekarang," kata beliau.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Nancy Shukri baru-baru ini mengesahkan menerima tiga draf awal berkaitan Akta Keharmonian Nasional bagi menggantikan Akta Hasutan 1948.
Bagaimanapun, perkara tersebut masih lagi belum dibawa ke Kabinet untuk dibincangkan. – 12 Jun, 2014.
12 June 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad doused Putrajaya's Sedition Act replacement Bills in cold water today, predicting that instead of achieving equality, the new legislation would only maintain existing injustices and disparities among races here.
The former prime minister said the proposed laws ― National Harmony Bill, National Unity Bill and National Unity and Integration Commission Bill ― will spell the end of the New Economic Policy (NEP), an economic model mooted in 1971 to close the socio-economic gap between the largely-urban Chinese and the rural Malays as well as other indigenous Bumiputera.
While he said it may seem fair to promote equality among the races, doing so within Malaysia's racial makeup would only result in the country's existing rich getting richer, while the poor continue to languish in poverty.
“Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural country,” Dr Mahathir said in his latest blog posting.
“In Malaysia, we maintain our racial origins, language, culture, our schools, even our universities. Following that, we live in different areas, practice different lifestyles and our activities differ too.
“In our respective businesses, each have our own networks based on race, language and culture,” he explained.
Among the races, Dr Mahathir said the Chinese are the most successful of all ethnic groups here, followed by the Indians who are just ahead of the Malays.
This disparity, he said, renders it difficult to force harmony and unity among the races through such laws.
The NEP was mooted for this very purpose ― to close the gap between the poor, rural Malays and other Bumiputera groups, and the other races ― Dr Mahathir pointed out.
“If the National Harmony Bill is passed, then the NEP cannot be carried out any longer. This means the country will practice meritocracy ― those with merit and high capabilities will get it all.
“Scholarships, university placements, contracts, job opportunities and many other things will be awarded based on merit,” he said said.
“Of course this is fair. But there is a high likelihood that the poor, those whose poor backgrounds do not accord them the opportunity to live in a better environment for study; who lack the opportunity to go to established private schools; who lack good food; good health... this is the group that would not fulfil the necessary requirements or possess the necessary merit to get anything.
“Perhaps they may not even be called in for interviews. And because of this merit system, the poor (Bumiputera) will stay poor and the rich will become richer,” he added.
As such, the country's longest serving former prime minister maintained that the new laws to replace the Sedition Act would not bring about equality but widen existing disparities among the races.
“Indeed the Bills would only destroy the remnants of past efforts to maintain economic balance among the races,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced two years ago that his government will repeal the controversial Sedition Act, a 1948 British-enacted preventive law that critics said have been abused to silence opposition dissent here.
Last week, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) revealed details on three separate Bills meant to replace the Act, including one to promote harmony and another prescribing mediation as a means to resolve disputes.
The conciliatory tone of the National Unity Bill is a departure from the restrictive nature of the colonial-era Sedition Act, as it aims to promote mediation as a means to solving any dispute that come under a list of “prohibited grounds”.
The list covers race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
It also includes other grounds where discrimination “causes or perpetuates systemic disadvantage”, “undermines human dignity”, or “adversely affects the equal enjoyment of a person’s rights and freedoms in a serious manner” based on colour, descent or ancestry, nationality or national origin, ethnicity or ethnic origin, or religion.
Another proposed law, the National Harmony Bill, also seeks to spell out offences that will come under its purview, instead of the broad interpretation of sedition that has seen the law being applied to a broad range of instances.
Dubbed the National Harmony Bill, it outlines a list of punishments for conduct that is deemed to be deliberately aimed at instigating or leading to threats or actual acts of physical harm based on racial and religious hatred.
The bill also proposes to outlaw incitement against the Rulers, racial or religious hatred — proposing a penalty of RM5,000 fine, up to seven years’ jail time or both for each of the three categories.
The third bill will deal with the formation of a National Unity and Integration Commission, which will be tasked to promote national unity, integration, equality and non-discrimination, among others.
It will also be empowered to investigate complaints of discrimination, leading to the establishment of an unfair discrimination tribunal should mediation efforts fail.
Cadangan ganti Akta Hasutan wujud ketidakseimbangan kaum, kata Dr Mahathir (TMI)
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/cadangan-ganti-akta-hasutan-akibatkan-ketidakseimbangan-antara-kaum-kata-dr
12 June 2014
Bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir mengatakan tiga rang undang-undang yang akan menggantikan Akta Hasutan hanya akan menyebabkan ketidakseimbangan antara kaum di Malaysia. – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad memberi amaran usaha menggantikan Akta Hasutan akan mengakibatkan ketidakseimbangan antara kaum di Malaysia.
Tiga draf awal berkaitan akta keharmonian nasional menurut bekas perdana menteri paling lama berkhidmat itu, akan menyebabkan usaha untuk membentuk keseimbangan menerusi Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) yang diperkenalkan sebelum ini menjadi sia-sia.
"Sesungguhnya rang undang-undang ini akan menghapuskan saki-baki usaha mengimbangkan ekonomi antara kaum," kata Dr Mahathir dalam tulisan di blognya, Chedet.cc hari ini.
Tiga rang undang-undang itu ialah Rang Undang-Undang Harmoni Nasional, Rang Undang-Undang Perpaduan Nasional dan Rang Undang-Undang Suruhanjaya Perpaduan dan Integrasi Nasional.
Dr Mahathir mendakwa akta baru tersebut akan menghapuskan dasar pemilihan berasaskan agama, bangsa, keturunan, tempat lahir, jantina serta ketidakupayaan.
"Keadaan terpisahnya kaum atau bangsa dan pencapaian mereka yang tidak sama tidak membolehkan penyatuan dan harmoni di kalangan mereka dengan mudah," kata beliau.
Dr Mahathir berkata jurang perbezaan antara tiga kaum utama di dalam negara menyebabkan akta tersebut tidak sesuai digunakan.
"Pencapaian masing-masing kaum atau bangsa juga berbeza dengan kaum Cina mendahului kaum India dan Melayu dan kaum India sedikit sebanyak mendahului kaum Melayu," kata beliau.
Jika rang baru ini diluluskan, Dr Mahathir berkata DEB tidak dapat dilaksanakan dan dasar meritokrasi akan diperkenalkan.
"Apabila rang undang-undang ini diluluskan, maka DEB tidak boleh dilaksanakan lagi.
"Ini bermakna negara akan mengamalkan meritokrasi – iaitu mereka yang mempunyai merit atau kebolehan tertinggi akan dapat segala-galanya," kata beliau.
Dr Mahathir berkata walaupun usaha tersebut akan menghapuskan diskriminasi, tetapi ia masih akan mewujudkan ketidakseimbangan.
"Memusnahkan diskriminasi berasas kaum atau bangsa akan menjadikan kita semua sama-sama sebagai warganegara. Tetapi ia akan kekalkan ketidaksamaan dan ketidakadilan yang sedia ada.
"Cadangan untuk rang undang-undang yang akan dibentangkan oleh perdana menteri bukan akan menghasilkan persamaan (equality) atau keadilan. Ia akan mengekalkan ketidaksamaan dan ketidakadilan yang terdapat sekarang," kata beliau.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Nancy Shukri baru-baru ini mengesahkan menerima tiga draf awal berkaitan Akta Keharmonian Nasional bagi menggantikan Akta Hasutan 1948.
Bagaimanapun, perkara tersebut masih lagi belum dibawa ke Kabinet untuk dibincangkan. – 12 Jun, 2014.
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