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Date Posted: 23:23:14 10/16/06 Mon
Author: Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) (Dr Lim Teck Ghee)
Subject: Bumiputra Equity: Dr Lim Teck Ghee resigns from ASLI-CPPS
In reply to: Thinking Allowed. Thinking Aloud. 's message, "Bumiputra equity: ASLI backs down but researchers unfaltered" on 23:20:12 10/16/06 Mon

Bumiputra Equity: Dr Lim Teck Ghee resigns from ASLI-CPPS
Dr Lim Teck Ghee (picture below), director of Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), has resigned after ASLI backed down under severe intimidation from parties which disputed its findings on Bumiputra's equity share of the country's wealth.

Dr Lim says he is resigning because he cannot agree with ASLI president's statement in justifying the back down, and that there is a need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship.

Read Dr Lim's press statement (in PDF) here.

Screenshots earlier blogged that ASLI president, Mirzan Mahathir, had said that on re-examining the methodology and conclusions of the report, "ASLI has concluded that there are shortcomings in assumption and calculation that led to conclusions that cannot be vigorously justified."

However, theSun quoted sources as saying that consultants and researchers at the CPPS involved in putting it together are standing by their work. They, nevertheless, accept that the political reality left the institute no choice but to back down in order to stop the attacks on ASLI.

In his resignation statement, Dr Lim says, as Director of the CPPS, he takes full responsibility, and stands by the findings of the study and the other studies that were submitted in a comprehensive report to the Government on the 9th Malaysia Plan in February 2006.

However, Dr Lims adds that since he cannot agree with Mirzan's statement, and because of the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship, he will be stepping down from his position as Director at the end of October. Quote:


I hope the public space opened up by the Centre’s work on this particular, as well as other important, issues will be expanded on and vigorously defended by others. It is the fundamental right of the Malaysian public to question all government statistics and policies, more so when these are not transparent or defensible.

Dr Lim is a former UN regional advisor and World bank senior political scientist. He is also a recipient of international academic awards.

For context, read Dr Lim's response to critics' queries on the mechanism and the purpose of the study compiled by ASLI-CPPS.

At a public forum held on September 27, Dr Lim said that "the NEP is a very divisive instrument and race-based affirmative action that will jeopardise our economic growth and social cohesion".

"The government needs to move on. What we need is to foster inter-ethnic partnerships based on competitiveness and merit," he added.

Verily, where Dr Lim falls, the country's dignity stands monumental.


CPPS response to comments in malaysiakini on corporate equity distribution study

The CPPS would like to take the opportunity to respond to various comments on its recent study on the corporate equity issue.
Firstly, the study was undertaken by a multi-racial group of scholars and consultants as part of work in connection with the Ninth Malaysia Plan. It was submitted to the prime minister, cabinet ministers and other government leaders in February 2006 as part of a bigger report which included findings of studies on education, the civil service, low-income communities and Penan.

Following initial release of the report to the government, the report was made widely available to various political, social and economic bodies in the country.

The corporate equity study was based on a combination of primary and secondary research. The study found that the official methodology for computation of corporate equity distribution – first used in the 70s and continued till today - is narrowly based, unrealistic and has resulted in an underestimation of the true volume and value of bumiputera equity.

Using alternative methodologies, the study has estimated that the bumiputera corporate share is considerably higher than the official figure of 18.9 percent in 2004 – in fact it may be as high as 45 percent. This is because, besides the original listing requirement of 30 percent, the bumiputera share has been considerably augmented by that held by government-linked companies (GLCs), which are among the major holders of equity in corporate Malaysia.

Other findings of the study are that the government has played an effective role in redistributing wealth more equitably among all Malaysians. The study also provides evidence of one important new development, that is, the emergence of business partnerships forged along inter-ethnic lines.

A number of these partnerships comprise bumiputera from the new middle-class, created through their access to human development opportunities that has provided them with skills in the corporate sector.

The emergence of such inter-ethnic partnerships, most of which started as small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), was not fostered through government directive. These partnerships were based on the coming together of business people in endeavours where each partner has contributed to the development of the new enterprise. The rise of such inter-ethnic partnerships augurs well for the promotion of national unity in Malaysia.

The study concludes that the focus of the government on racially-based affirmative action programmes to redistribute wealth is misplaced and is jeopardising economic growth. It is clear that selective patronage has resulted in serious intra-ethnic Malay cleavages, while also undermining inter-ethnic social cohesion and equitable socio-economic development for the country as a whole.

The focus of the government should be on policies that transcend a racial dimension and which address issues from a structural perspective. The study recommended that for the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the government should focus on promoting the development of SMEs, where genuine entrepreneurial capacity is to be found and encouraged.

The centre welcomes the opportunity to discuss its findings with other non-partisan bodies and individuals. The centre also hopes that the findings of the study and the larger report (several chapters focus on marginalised Malaysian communities) can generate thoughtful and rational discussion on the country’s social and economic development strategies.

In this connection, we would like to point out that casting aspersions and questioning motives based on race is not helpful. In particular, we are concerned with the comments attributed to Prof Shamsul Amri Baharuddin.

Using his own logic which questions the ethnicity of those involved in the study, it would appear that all government data/studies (and his too) cannot be taken seriously because they are undertaken by a Malay bureaucracy or academics to promote a particular Malay agenda.

Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Director, Centre for Public Policy Studies


SOURCE: Malaysiakini September 28, 2006


Posted by Jeff Ooi on October 11, 2006 11:24 AM | Permalink
Website - http://www.jeffooi.com/2006/10/bumiputra_equity_dr_lim_teck_g.php#more

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