Malaysia's Racial Policies Jeopardize Trade Deal, EU Envoy Says
Once more, the EU envoy to Malaysia is setting his sights on Malaysia's racial economic policies. In his latest salvo, Thierry Rommel, who earlier this year provoked a harsh response from UMNO members with a similar statement, says in a Bloomberg interview that:"The philosophy [behind the race-based policies] is basically one of discrimination and protectionism with selective and discretionary market opening".
and
"It has already hampered free-trade talks with the U.S. and with Australia, and it will certainly complicate free-trade talks'' with the European Union"
Couldn't have said it better.
Everybody else on earth agrees except UMNO and its slavish followers. Having been weaned on a constant diet of rent-seeking and patronage, one can understand why party members are reluctant to let go of a rice bowl that has grown and bloated in size over the years.
Expect over the next few days some more posturing and feral responses from the party faithful who are already in siege mentality from the recent 40,000 strong Bersih march.
The next elections are going to be very interesting indeed.
posted by hew @ 9:48 am
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