“1 Malaysia” and "half past six country" ?

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in his maiden speech as the new prime minister, told Malaysians that his administration would strive to live up to the slogan "One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now."

He said the government would adopt "new approaches for new times -- a government that places a priority on performance, because the people must come first."

"We must reach out to all parts of Malaysia... to all our diverse communities. In our national discourse and in pursuing our national agenda, we must never leave anyone behind," he said.

"We must reach out to the many who may have been disaffected and left confused by political games, deceit and showmanship," he said.

Just what exactly is the meaning and definition of the “1 Malaysia” concept that our dearly beloved Prime Minister has been promoting since his elevation to office?

According to his answer in Parliament to 14 MPs from across party lines, it’s not a new concept. In fact, he states that it’s the goal of national unity envisioned by past prime ministers of this nation with a different approach and method according to the current condition of the world.

The Prime Minister also states, on record, that the 1 Malaysia concept is the guideline on how to achieve “bangsa Malaysia”, which translates into English as a “Malaysian race”.

Our Prime Minister also states that the primary aspect of the 1 Malaysia concept has three core elements. These are:

• Mutual acceptance amongst the races and peoples of Malaysia

• Nationalism based on principles of the Federal Constitution and the Rukunegara

• Social justice

Allow me to reproduce this piece:

The malaise of 1 Malaysia - The Malaysian Insider

Non-Malays must have felt like bit players today reading comments from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the man who promised that he would usher in a new era of equality for all Malaysians.

He appealed to PAS to reconsider the proposal to form a unity government with Umno, saying that the Islamic party should not allow political considerations to get in the way of uniting the Malay/Muslim community.

But what about the rest of the country? What about the Chinese, Indians, Kadazandusuns, Dayaks, Sikhs, Eurasians and others? What role will they play in a Malay unity government? Who will look after the interests of non-Malays? Will crumbs be tossed their way?

Najib attempted to assure non-Malays that they have nothing to fear but his answer only served to raise red flags.

“Just because there is a unity government doesn’t mean non-Malays will be neglected. They will still have a role,” he said today. How comforting?

Sorry, Mr Prime Minister, non-Malays do not want to be bit players. They do not want minor roles. Chinese, Indians and others do not want to be accorded second-class status.

They yearn to be treated as equals in the only home they have. Little possibility of that happening in a government dominated by Umno/PAS.

Mind you, this is not paranoia. If Umno and its institutions (read: Utusan Malaysia) are insufferable and arrogant with the power vested in them now, one can only shudder at the thought of now intolerant and blind to the rights of other Malaysians they will be with the heft of all Malay political power?

Meanwhile, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi described it as a bold step the approach adopted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to further liberalise the Malaysian economy.

He said Najib, since taking over as prime minister, had implemented several approaches and measures which would bring many benefits to the country.

“The latest approach of further liberalising the economy is a bold measure. The most important thing is that it does not sacrifice the New Economic Policy (NEP), particularly the aspect of eradication of poverty because there is unfinished work here.

“Furthermore, the restructuring of society should also continue to be implemented to ensure racial balance (in terms of employment by sector and occupation as well as economic ownership) so that no one is marginalised or forgotten,” he said

Abdullah's predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed the efforts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to liberalise the economy, saying they were “not going to help anybody”.

The plan seemed designed to make Najib popular, said Dr Mahathir, adding: “It will not help the Chinese, Malays or Indians.”

“I think it's a kind of move more designed towards becoming popular. I don't know if it will help the economy, because Malaysia has been growing since independence,”

“Now that there is a lack of growth, this is due more to external reasons. It's not about internal things,” he told reporters.

When Dr Mahathir retired in October 2003 he promised not to interfere in government,but then, in 2006, he declared Abdullah's government as a 'half past six country' with no guts.", most recently, in his blog che det.com., he asks "Where has the RM253.6 billion, the payments made by Petronas to the Federal Government, from 2004 to 2009 gone to ?", indeed, where's the money gone to ?