Mariam Mokhtar | Umno Baru killed the Malay entrepreneur
It is not difficult to spot the jaguh kampung (village champion), but it is not easy to decide what drives Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan. Is it his blind arrogance, his ignorance, or his stupidity?
To announce during a press conference, that there is nothing more to learn in geography once one has opened an atlas, is shocking. He then persuaded Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to reduce the number of hours of Geography, so that secondary schools can include lessons in “Entrepreneurship”.
It is eye-wateringly worrying that Ahmad Maslan is the deputy finance minister. That is bad enough, but Malaysians can gain no reassurance from the knowledge that Najib Abdul Razak (right) is the finance minister.
Last week, Ahmad Maslan wondered why Chinese children were more enterprising than Malays. He said that despite an education, few Malays became entrepreneurs. He seemed dismayed that Malays were content to become wage-earners. He suggested that Chinese children, who helped in their family businesses, gained useful skills in entrepreneurship.
Has Ahmad Maslan ever wondered what Umno Baru’s policies have done to the ordinary Malay? After copious handouts, many are in a vegetative state, whereas other communities know that to survive they need to be competitive, learn new skills, communicate effectively and keep abreast of technology. With few incentives to be more competitive, why should Malays try?
Read more here: http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/284173
