masalah melayu pulau pinang?

this is a very good piece (if the link expired, go here instead) from syed nadzri of NST. it’s regarding UMNO’s cry for the rotation of CM post in penang among the BN components. syed has described UMNO as ‘crying wolf’ (again) when they demanded that the CM’s post ought to be rotated.

UMNO wants one of them to be penang’s CM because according to them that penang without a malay CM, the malays in penang had been neglected. syed nadzri so rightly hit out at them saying, it is not necessary for penang to have a malay CM to take care of malay’s interest.

But let’s ponder for a moment whether Umno taking over the chief ministership would be a magic wand and offer a solution.

In the first place, there is the Deputy Chief Minister, a post held by Umno since it was introduced 16 years ago. Then there are four Umno Excos in the State Government. Aren’t they doing their jobs in looking after the interests of the Malays?

And what about the agencies — Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda), Mara, Urban Development Authority and the Bumiputera Steering Committee? They have to be accountable if Malays are left behind.

oh don’t forget the governor of penang had all along been a malay.

syed nadzri pointed out that the phrase ‘masalah melayu pulau pinang’ (the plight of penang malays) had sort of become a cliche, which had been over-used (and i would said abused) by politicians in forums and ceramah. well, not only politicians but i notice in particular one fanatic islamist who even go to the extend of saying something like this “how i as a malay suffer so much in penang”, not only looking at the CM being non malay but also that ‘penang is being control by DAP’. i laughed so much on reading that. at a glance we know it’s pure exaggeration.

the post of the CM, syed nadzri correctly stated that all along the post of CM in penang had been held by a chinese. ‘the realities of malaysian poltics’ won’t allow a non chinese to be a CM. well, isn’t this same as the post of the PM and DPM, which will always be held by a malay – the realities of malaysian politics see to that? so why did UMNO cry wolf? (or here)