Fear not if NEP is dismantled, Malays told - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Breaking up the New Economic Policy (NEP) will not marginalise the Malays, a political scientist said.

“There was no suggestion to do away with a welfare system that help Malays in need but a safety net mechanism that will help and protect all Malaysians who are poor on the basis of merit in the DAP's manifesto,'' said Dr Farish Noor, a senior fellow of NTU Singapore's Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

“I think the Opposition managed to win the support of the Malaysian public as a whole including the Malays because it was inclusive and took into account all sections of the society,” he said.

It simply promises a fair chance to everyone because many Malaysians, including the Malays, have not been given an equal chance, he added.

“I am prepared to give them a chance. I want to see the emergence of non-racial politics in Malaysia,” he said.

Human rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz said a new language needed to be used when addressing issues relating to the NEP because there were still deep-seated fears among some Malays.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/16/nation/20663165&sec=nation]