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Lee Kuan Yew says in his new book One Man’s View of the World, Malaysians who feel discriminated against driven to emigrate, thereby shrinking the talent pool needed to build a competitive nation.

Lee Kuan Yew says in his new book One Man’s View of the World that race-based policies have put Malaysia at a disadvantage. They have driven Malaysians who feel discriminated against to emigrate, thereby shrinking the talent pool needed to build a competitive nation.

 This is pertinent, and he is right. He is also right in saying that in a globalised world, people with skills, brain power and drive contribute competitive advantage, and on this score, “Malaysia is losing ground”.

 Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad must know that Lee is right, because when he was asked by the media for his response, he tried to make light of it by saying, “He’s 90 years old.” Then he proceeded to make a sarcastic jibe at Lee: “He is entitled to his opinion where there is free speech, especially in Singapore.” 

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is, however, in disagreement with Lee. He calls the views of the man who built up Singapore and was its prime minister for three decades “obsolete” – especially on the issue of race-based politics. He says they are “irrelevant in the context of the present day”.

 We can see what Anwar is implying here. He says his own Pakatan Rakyat has moved from race-based politics and therefore eschewed racial considerations in its reform agenda. It discards the New Economic Policy and opts for helping the poor based on needs, not race.

 Sure, but Lee is not just talking about current policies. He’s talking about policies implemented over the last few decades that have resulted in Malaysia’s current plight. He is talking about the effects of such policies. His views are, therefore, not obsolete.

 In fact, even in terms of current policies, the race-based ones are still in force. The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has given no indication of doing away with them. So the brain drain continues. And efforts by TalentCorp to lure back Malaysians with skills, brain power and drive now resident overseas have seen paltry results. In two-and-a-half years since it was set up, TalentCorp has managed to bring home only a little more than 2,000 Malaysians. Again here, Lee is right in saying that “these efforts may be too little, too late”.

 (Continued)