Economics is without a doubt one of the areas closest to the heart of the Malaysian Chinese, and rightfully so, because it is the engine that drives every other sphere in society. It is to the credit and foresight of our past and present Prime Ministers that we have attained a measure of success in balancing economic priorities with the realities attached to governing a multi-ethnic nation like Malaysia allowing the community to develop quickly and maintain racial unity. However, there are still many challenges that the Malaysian Chinese community will face in the coming decades. • Absence of a Social Safety Net One that looms large is the absence of a social safety net for our people especially as many of them reach retirement age. The Malaysian Chinese working class depends primarily on the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to provide for their retirement years. However, a study by the EPF estimates that the lifetime savings on retirement at 55 years can only provide sustenance for a period of 4 - 5 years on average. We must recognise that the Chinese Community is ageing fast and the birth-rate is steadily declining resulting in fewer children within the family that can support elderly parents and grandparents. Statistically, we also have the longest lifespan amongst the various races in the country. Today, Malaysian Chinese men have an average life span of 76 years and our women live to an average of 78 years, a phenomenon called the silvering of society. New problems will arise as it has in other ageing countries such as Japan and the USA. The older we get the more illnesses we suffer from. It is estimated that in the USA half of a person’s lifetime medical expenditure is spent in the last two years of life. How do we sustain an ageing population with good health services and standards of living in the estimated 20 or so remaining years after retirement? Unless this is addressed many of our working class retirees will income-wise be living in near poverty unless there is family support. For the Bumiputeras there are mechanisms in place in addition to the EPF. For Government pensioners there is a lifetime pension and healthcare scheme for them and their dependents. Secondly, there are institutions like the Amanah Saham Negara and the Amanah Saham Bumiputera that provides much higher dividends than that of the EPF. We will need to formulate new solutions and introduce new investment schemes that will allow us to build a more reliable SOCIAL SAFETY NET for our people! This safety net will provide the enhanced sense of financial security necessary to free up and encourage our people to venture into more high risk-return and entrepreneurial pursuits. • Rapid Changes in the Global Economy Globalisation and the rise of emerging and high growth markets the likes of China, India, and Vietnam; coupled with new and rapidly changing face of technology have resulted have opened up a whole new world of opportunities for us to take. Globalisation has also resulted in changes in the competitive advantages of different countries and the industries within them relative to each other. How do we compete effectively in an environment where cost effectiveness, efficiency, productivity and quality concerns make all the difference between success and failure? How do we create a new breed of pioneering entrepreneurs that are willing to venture into high growth industries of the future like the biotechnology sector? Globalisation has also resulted in the high geographical mobility that characterises today’s labour/ human resource market. We find a rapidly rising number of Malaysians choosing to work abroad because of higher pay and better prospects. How do we prevent the outflow of our best and brightest talents? How do we adapt (and change) age-old traditional mindsets such as the preference for family owned and controlled business structures amongst the Chinese to face the challenges of globalisation? •Realising the Potential of our SMI/SME I must admit that this is one area which is especially close to my heart. This is in no small part due to the fact that by far, a large proportion of the Chinese community is engaged one way or another, in this area of the economy. It is a vibrant sector with its own unique set of opportunities and challenges. Access to funding and finance, limited scope for operational expansion, inability to attract quality professional expertise, lack of resources to compete with bigger players coupled with limitations in networking are some of the areas that have posed problems for the sector. Yet at the same time, its potential to flourish and prosper is limitless with the right policies, programmes and incentives in place. Economic Master Plan for The Chinese Community Towards 2020 and Beyond I believe that the challenges outlined previously can only be addressed by the formulation of a comprehensive Economic Masterplan for our community within the wider aspirations and goals of Vision 2020 - a vision that will propel our country to developed nation status. We as a Party must believe and support this vision by working towards its realisation. In this we must learn from our Bumiputera brothers. They have the New Economic Policy, an economic blueprint and other policies for their community that supports and complements Vision 2020. Currently, some say the Party adopts an ad hoc approach because it lacks a uniform and systematic plan in addressing the areas and issues faced by the community. Such a patchwork approach can never provide any meaningful directions let alone harness the true potential of the resources, both human and capital, at our disposal. This Master Plan can only be produced after much careful study, consultation and dialogue with the different segments of the community; locally and internationally. I intend to formulate this Masterplan that will serve the Party and the community within 1 year of being elected to the Presidency. I will formulate and plan this together with the community, NGOs and the best and brightest of our people from within the country and abroad. Some of the contents and issues that the Master Plan will have to address are: • Measures to Enhance Social Security The MCA must look to alternate source of funds that will help to build this Social Safety Net. As mentioned, our Bumiputera brothers have institutions that alleviate the dependence of their community upon the EPF alone. The Malaysian Chinese must look towards emulating these institutions if we are to undertake this massive project of providing for the welfare of our community. • Positioning and Supporting Local Businesses to Capitalise on Global Opportunities
In an era where information has never been so crucial to economic and business success, people need to be informed and educated of the importance of areas like the necessity for knowledge based society and economy (K-Economy) if they are to successfully compete in the global arena. MCA must take the lead in creating education resources for our local businesses that will allow them to further build and grow. We must create a Global Information Database that will network our businesses with businesses in other countries. I have over the years been in touch with different countries and they are prepared to share their databases with us. The latest is FICCI and CII of India, two national Chambers of Commerce representing 250,000 organisations and members. Others are Taiwan, Hong Kong, China. I will capitalise on these connections in order to support our local businesses. • Harnessing the Potential of the Small Medium Enterprises / Industries (SME / SMI) Sector The SMI Bureau of the MCA must be at the forefront of coordinating our efforts in this area. I will personally look towards heading more trade delegations to other countries with the purpose of promoting our SME/SMIs. I believe that coordinated effort with current Government initiatives will allow these companies to compete globally. • The role that MCA’s Economic Entity (Huaren Holdings) can play in this Master Plan I believe that the Economic Entity of MCA, Huaren Holdings, can play a very strategic role in the Master Plan for the Chinese community. Managed well, with the proper constitutional structures in place that will make it openly accountable, Huaren Holdings can help fund many of the social projects that the MCA will undertake to increase the wellbeing of the Malaysian Chinese. A Strong Economic Entity to Support the Malaysian Chinese Community The Party has come a long way since the collapse of its ambitious corporatisation drive in the late 80’s through the MPHB saga. Today, that economic legacy continues through Huaren Holdings, the Party’s official investment arm. It controls the highly profitable Star Publications Bhd., the nation’s largest circulating newspaper. Since the sale of MPHB, Star Publications remains the only truly profitable entity in the MCA’s small stable of companies. I believe that we need to move beyond the stigma of past failure if we are to harness the true potential of our economic entity. Instead we ought to learn from the mistakes of the past and reposition the Party and Community for the future. Much has changed since the 70’s and 80’s. As mentioned earlier, the often tense communal politics of the yesteryears are today largely a relic of the past. We are the proud beneficiaries of a political system that places unshakeable emphasis on national unity, prosperity and economic opportunity for all communities. We are the Wawasan 2020 generation! Therefore, we need to reposition our future business and investment endeavours in the true spirit of goodwill, brotherhood and nation building. We need to go back to the original objectives of community welfare set by the founding fathers of the Party. We need to change the image and perception of Huaren Holdings from that of an ethnically backed and motivated economic entity into a truly modern corporate star performer that will benefit not just the Chinese community, but the nation as a whole! Operationally and strategically, this Economic Entity will be modelled after reputable, well run and proven Government-linked corporations (GLC’s) like Temasek and PNB. It shall possess, at the very minimum, the following characteristics: • All entities in the grouping are to be run and managed exclusively by professionally employed corporate executives recruited from the best of our people here and abroad. There will be a general policy of political non-interference in management decisions. The Board of Directors will comprise of business people and other personalities held in high public esteem. • Measures will be introduced to enhance corporate transparency and accountability in all areas of business. For example, an across-the-board open tender system for the award of contracts must be instituted with processes that safeguard the interests of investors. There must be clear built-in safeguards to ensure that no person or group however powerful can misuse the assets of this Economic Entity for their own personal benefits. • Profit and performance oriented. There will be a proper system of business portfolio management which entails: 1. Investing in profitable and high-growth potential business concerns whether listed or private, local or foreign; 2. Unlocking value of profitable companies through listing etc; 3. Involvement in the regional market of China, ASEAN and India • Substantial portion of non-reinvestment profits generated shall be used for BENEVOLENT PURPOSES and are to be channelled back to fund community projects approved under the various Master Plans. These include areas such as support for SJKCs, Independent Chinese Schools, training programs, scholarships and bursaries for the poorer and especially outstanding students, supporting the poor, elderly, disabled, orphans, single mothers and the sick who have no support. • Party leaders especially Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and State Excos through their influence in Government will have to contribute to the growth and success of this economic entity. • We will have to consider giving recognition to Party leaders on retirement who have contributed substantially during their political tenures. For example when they retire from active politics they may receive benefits like gratuities and lifetime healthcare benefits. CONCLUSION While not exhaustive, these are issues and areas where I know the MCA can provide proactive and meaningful direction and leadership for the betterment of the people we represent. I stand as a candidate for the Presidency of MCA with a vision to overcome these challenges. I believe my almost one decade experience at the helm of the Health Ministry and prior to that as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry will stand me in good stead to serve the community in this crucial area. 
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Malaysia is one of the most successful amongst developing nations in the provision and development of education at all levels. For example, we now have as many universities as Australia and certainly many more colleges. Education is increasingly universal, as a result of which there has been a rapid expansion in the number of our middle class. We recognise the huge resources the government has invested into this sector and the Party should continue to support the efforts of the Prime Minister and both the Minister of Education and the Minister of Higher Education.
However there is a saying "Do not make the good the enemy of the Best". In short, we need to continually strive for excellence. Set out below are some of my thoughts on the subject of education for our community. Education for the Knowledge Economy For the Malaysian Chinese, the importance of educational and academic excellence has always been one of the hallmark traits of our culture and community. However, the challenges presented by the new millennium necessitate a re-thinking of the way we view and educate our children. Today’s global knowledge economy requires the creation of a knowledge-based society. The workforce of today is no longer just ‘manual or physical’ labour working at the behest of the greater mind of the employer. They ARE the MINDS of the business, ‘selling’ their knowledge to the companies and organisations that hire them. Therefore it is no longer sufficient for our children to know ‘how things operate’; they must now be trained to think on ‘how to operate things better’. Their minds must be trained to explore, to adapt and be creative, as well as to continually learn and grow in a dynamic global environment of continuous and rapid change. As it is there are certain areas of concern that we, as a community, must address before the vision of a knowledge based society can be realised. Transforming Our Mindset
I believe that what the Malaysian Chinese community critically needs today is a changing of mindsets towards the way we view and think about the education system in our community. We cannot afford to look at education solely through the narrow lenses of our community in isolation, but through those of the broader world perspective. We must recognise that the current methods of education employed today may be insufficient to equip our children to meet the challenges of the future. There must be a renewal of ideas and teaching methods in the Chinese medium education system. For instance, we need to be sensitive to the fact that academic intelligence is only one form of human intelligence. Psychologists have identified at least some 7 more forms of intelligence such as emotional intelligence, creative intelligence, artistic intelligence etc. Each one is important to the renewal and reinvigoration of our society. Not every one is academically strong nor should those that are sound academically deny themselves the fullest use of the other faculties of intelligence. For if nurtured, it will create an all-rounded community of poets, writers, scientists, engineers, painters, architects, dancers, athletes, musicians, teachers, philosophers, ecologists, craftsmen, skilled technicians and many other professions that make our world more vibrant. In short, our educational system should be one that capitalises on the diversities of intelligences that make each and every one of us unique individuals. Harnessing the Power of Languages I also believe in harnessing the power of our spoken and written languages. Language is the medium in which the knowledge of the world is acquired. As Malaysian Chinese we are uniquely poised to capitalise on the economic emergence of China as well as the booming overseas Chinese economies and networks through the usage of Mandarin. At the same time we must also acknowledge the very real importance of English as the single most important language for international communications and acquiring knowledge today. Our government has recognised that we are in general producing students that are mediocre in languages. Educational Funding
Another vital area is the issue of educational funding for students and schools. MCA-owned institutions of higher learning like TAR College, KOJADI College of Technology and UTAR have served an important role in addressing some of these problems. However, much more can be done to ensure that our children have access to the very best education possible. Not all of our families can afford to let their children have a good education. This is where I believe a strong economic arm can play a crucial role in generating the resources necessary to fund our community’s educational needs. We should also look at ways to improve and upgrade our own centres of learning so that we can begin to match the standards of the world’s best educational institutions.
Secondary School Dropouts Finally, we must also acknowledge that we are seeing a significant and increasing number of high-school dropouts from our community. These students are primarily from the vernacular Chinese schools who encounter difficulty coping with the change in language medium when they move on to national secondary schools. Unable to understand what they are being taught, they become demoralised and disillusioned when it shows in their poor results. We cannot afford to lose our youth. As every seed has the potential to grow and become a flourishing plant, so every one of our children has the potential to become a valued member of society. Therefore we as a community and the MCA as its representative Party must strive to improve the educational system of this nation so that not one of our children gets left behind. Education Master plan for the Chinese Community Towards 2020 and Beyond Give me two years to produce an Education Master Plan for the Chinese Community. In drawing up this master plan, we will take a holistic approach drawing on the collective wisdom and ideas of a wide segment of our community, as well as ideas and inspirations from abroad. We will work together with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education during this process. The following are some of the areas we should address and potential solutions which we can adopt as part of this Master Plan.
• Strengthening the Teaching of Mandarin The Party must continue to improve and encourage the study and usage of Mandarin in our schools. We will undertake greater cooperation with the authorities and academics in China to help us in this endeavour. Malaysia and China’s bilateral relations have developed at a remarkable speed. Good Mandarin speaking Malaysians including amongst the Bumiputeras will further strengthen the communications between our nations and industries.
• Safeguarding the Right to Mother Tongue Education We have to safeguard the right to mother tongue education in line with one of the founding goals of our Party. We will continue striving in the sphere of BN, to relocate, expand and increase the number of Chinese primary schools. We will persevere and lobby for more government grants for these schools. We will also be steadfast in our goal to see that these schools are staffed with sufficient numbers of qualified teachers.
• Helping to Upgrade the 60 Independent Secondary Chinese Schools We have to work together with the Chinese educationists to strengthen the system of education in the 60 secondary Independent Chinese schools and to provide the support to them in expanding networks in countries like China and India to make available affordable higher education for these students. Particular attention must be paid to establishing stronger links with more premier Chinese and Indian universities to take in the best of our students in fields in which these universities excel in. • A Programme to Upgrade English in Chinese Schools To enable the transition into the knowledge-based society and economy, we will have to upgrade the spoken and written skills of our students in the English language. The English language is undeniably the single most important language of communication and knowledge in the world. As an example the Life College of which I am Chairman of the Board, a not for profit college, has sent its CEO to China to study a program for the teaching of English outside of the normal school curriculum. This program was developed by a group of dedicated academics and social workers, many trained in the West, who drew up this program to help their youth upgrade their command of the English language. Over the last few years it has produced thousands of teachers from rural and urban schools trained in this method. Their success has been convincing and I have already spoken with their leaders and they are prepared to share their expertise with us. We can source this program to help our SJKC’s and Independent Chinese schools in SJK schools. • Vocation Specific Schools and Colleges Our newly revamped economic arm can invest in private institutions of learning such as private colleges which are vocation specific such as Nursing and allied health colleges, Design and Arts colleges, Business Schools (offering post-graduate courses like MBA, Masters of Finance etc) and other similar institutions. Such institutions will complement our existing institutions like TAR College and UTAR by offering courses at subsidised fees. This is why an economically strong business arm for the Party is so important. Furthermore, with a strong profitable economic arm we can significantly increase the number of scholarships or bursaries available to students that will enable them to study at renowned institutions worldwide. • Developing Creative and Lateral Thinkers
We will work with the Education Ministry for the introduction and inclusion of modules within and outside the school curriculum that will help and encourage students to become analytical, critical, creative and innovative lateral thinkers. The Chinese word for learning "xue wen" literally means, "Learn" and "Ask". Our students must never be afraid to ask questions and always be actively seeking answers. As it is we are producing students who depend too much on rote learning and memory skills. • Training the Trainers We will need to develop a comprehensive program to train and equip our educators i.e. teachers, PIBG, and School Boards. It is vitally important that the people responsible for our children’s education are themselves thoroughly equipped and able to provide the very best ideas and values to their teaching methods. • Arresting the Dropout Rate We have to formulate measures to remedy the unacceptably high level of dropout rates of our schools. If left unaddressed, this can contribute to the growth of social ills within our community - gangsterism, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, prostitution, etc. We have to help our youths overcome the present weaknesses within our system. We also need to be sensitive to the fact that academic intelligence is only one form of human intelligence. We have to train our teachers to be sensitive to the other forms of intelligence that our youths possess. • New Areas of Knowledge We must formulate policies to encourage our students to venture into new and emerging areas of study like biotechnology, biosciences, agro-technology, and ICT instead of over-focussing on disciplines popular in the past and present like law, medicine and engineering. • Promoting Postgraduate Studies We need to produce more postgraduates i.e. Masters and PhD holders, especially in the fields directly related to the knowledge economy such as the Sciences and Technology. As a political Party we will have to convince the government that more funds be provided for post-graduate education especially in good universities in the world for all races if we are to achieve our aspiration to develop a truly knowledge based economy. • Learning from the Best We must recognise that China has been transforming its education system from bottom to top over the last ten years with many successes. We have to learn from the best in the world, including China, and supplement the many efforts and resources our Government has invested into the education of our youth. • Identifying and Nurturing Creativity We need to give a fair amount of attention to the development of our children’s creative and artistic intelligences. In order to encourage this aspect of our youth’s development, I will propose to the community the idea of setting up a Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Academy. The Academy will draw our most talented and creative individuals to express their ideas visually, literally and artistically in a conducive environment. • Character Building Education must provide for character building. Our students will become future members and leaders of the community. We need to inculcate in them values of integrity and honesty so that in future our partners in the rest of the world will say that it is good to deal with the Malaysian Chinese because they are men of character!
CONCLUSION
It is my sincerest hope that I will be given the privilege and opportunity, as President of the MCA, to help bring about the reforms necessary to raise the educational standards of the Chinese community to be on par with the best of the world!
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Demographically in 2004 the Malaysian Chinese only make up 25.4% of the population compared to 28.1% in 1991, whilst the Bumiputeras are 65.7% in 2004 compared to 60.6% in 1991. In a period of 13 years the Bumiputera population increased by about 5.0% while the Malaysian Chinese population decreased by 2.7%. If this trend continues and bearing in mind that the Bumiputera annual population growth rate is much higher than the Chinese it would not be surprising that by 2020 the Bumiputera community will increase to well over 70% or more and the Chinese will decline to about 20%. A significant percentage in our population’s decline is due to the large number of our families emigrating overseas. We have to stop the outward migration of the Chinese community started in the `70s. The vast majority of these families emigrate because they feel that their economic and children’s educational opportunities lie overseas. The Economic and Education blueprints must address these issues. Furthermore as the representative Party we must assure them that we do indeed hear their voices and they are truly equal and valued citizens of this country.
We as a Party must also ask ourselves - does the Chinese Community support us because they honour and respect us as their Party and their leaders, or do they vote for us because we come under the banner of the BN? As long as the BN Government promote policies that are seen to be fair and liberal they will support the BN. Can we develop the Party to that level where they will support us throughout the country on our own rights and merit? If we can do this then our members can live within the community with their heads held high. We can then expect more widespread support for our candidates in every General Election. We will win not only because of the BN but also because of our own merit! Then the Party will be able to contribute in a more meaningful and positive way to the continued victory of the BN. Political Master Plan for The Chinese Community Towards 2020 and Beyond I propose to establish a high powered committee on Political Renewal for the MCA which will draw from the ranks of our political elders, Party leaders and political scientists to advise the Party on a new political culture and direction for the 21st century. The Party is now 56 years old. In the past 20 years alone the world has undergone great changes. Many political parties in the world have disappeared while others have begun to change, to reorientate, to propose new political direction and goals to accommodate these changes. MCA must do the same lest we become irrelevant.
The following are some of the contents that the committee will address as part of this political blueprint for this century. • Defining Core Values for MCA A political Party must have clear, unequivocal core values and direction. Without them it will not be able to focus and consolidate its strengths and efficiently direct them towards the achievement of stated goals. Under these circumstances, destructive factional fights quickly spreads, and if violence and coercion also become involved, the Party can be eventually destroyed. Some of the necessary values for a political Party to possess are: love and care for their people, fairness, justice, integrity, discipline, courage in their convictions and tolerance for different opinions. • Clean, Committed and Capable Leadership Our Prime Minister has provided strategies and policies that are truly people-centered. The MCA must stand together with him on this call. Our people have every right to demand the highest integrity from their political leaders. The Malaysian Chinese community will respect and support us as a Party when they see us as possessing the 3 Cs - Clean, Committed and Capable. • MCA and the Community, Fish and Water: Leadership through Vision To overcome our community’s disinterest and disenchantment with the political process we must begin to transform our Party increasingly and clearly to a nation and community-centered system. We must never forget that the MCA is to the Malaysian Chinese community and the nation as the fish is to the water. The fish cannot exist without the water, but the water can exist without the fish. The people’s welfare must truly come first and our words, programmes and actions must never be merely symbolic but always serving the greater interests of our nation. The Party must be seen to be leaders of the community through clear vision presented by Master Plans for Politics, Education, Economics and Culture. • Engaging Our Youth With an ageing trend in our Party, we must question our relevance to the youths of our community. If we do not engage the youth we will find that the MCA will lose its influence within the community in the future. We must begin to understand them better and ask about the ideals that they hold. They are the key to our country’s future. Our Party must tap into their hopes and dreams so that we will be better able to provide a political foundation for them that they will be willing to contribute towards. They will be a key voice that I will seek in the creation of our Economic, Education and Political Master Plan. • Integrity of the Party Membership List Measures will need to be taken to ensure the integrity of the Party’s membership list. • A New Disciplinary Committee Here we will have to emulate UMNO. Members of the Disciplinary Committee will be appointed from the ranks of our party elders who are no longer in active politics and will therefore have no conflict of interest. • Harvesting the Ideas and Experience of our Seniors We will invoke the provisions of Article 50 of the Party’s Constitution and establish the MCA’s Council of Elders. I strongly believe that our seniors who are no longer in active politics will be able to help and advise the President and the Party on the new Master Plans and projects that we will undertake.
CONCLUSION
MCA needs to build a new vision, new goals and to formulate plans to achieve them. These plans must be based on clear core values in order to win Party members’ and the public’s support. The Party must be respected and be driven by high ideals and objectives if we are to become relevant to the increasing numbers of Malaysian Chinese middle class. They are increasingly affluent, educated and critical. If we are to reenergize and catalyse our Party in the 21st century then we need to be transformed into a Party that has dignity, ideals and high ambitions for the people. In short a Party that can be respected. I stand before you as a Presidential candidate with a promise to transform us into a Party that will always have a strong and influential voice in the halls of power long after we are gone! For the sake of our children and grandchildren we need to undergo this process of dynamic change. Are we prepared to do so? You decide! |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3, 2023: Datuk Chua Jui Meng, a former political heavyweight in Johor, passed away due to heart failure today.
Chua had spent a fortune campaigning in Gelang Patah for about a year before GE13 before he was “stabbed in the back by his party bboss Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat comrade, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.
Chua Jui Meng left MCA to join PKR in July 2009 and was a former Johor PKR chief. (Facebook pic)
IT WAS most unfortunate that the majority of MCA central delegates rejected my vision for the party as outlined in my presidential election manifesto in 2005.
In July 2005, again I debated with Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin on TV3’s Exchange over the dispute on NEP’s 30% bumiputra equity target. There was much public outcry when the government maintained that it had only achieved 18.7%. I maintained that there must be something wrong with the figures or the implementation for the statistic to remain unchanged after 20 years.
After the 2004 General Election, I was not reappointed a minister after I took a strong stand against MCA’s acquisition of Nanyang Holdings Bhd.
I then tried my best to revitalise MCA, coming up with a very elaborate manifesto of reform for the party in my two bids for the presidency in 2005 and 2008. Unfortunately, the MCA central delegates did not heed my warnings that MCA was heading for political doom.
Vote for Change, for our children’s future
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