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- Published on Monday, 12 May 2014 14:52
File photo shows oil and gas industry workers. A senior lecturer from the National Defence University, Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has dismissed a news portal's list of 10 non-Malay contributions to the country. (PIC: The Malay Mail)KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial Muslim convert Ridhuan Tee Abdullah today played down non-Malay contributions to Malaysia in a rebuttal of an article listing such deeds, and dismissed the suggestion that the group were the country's largest tax contributors.
In a column published by Malay language newspaper Sinar Harian today, the senior lecturer from the National Defence University said he was “flabbergasted” by the ingratitude of some non-Malays for the freedom and tolerance they have enjoyed.
Tee then added that there were five million immigrants ready to take their place.
“Firstly, they say non-Muslims are the biggest taxpayers in the country. Wrong. I say the biggest contributors are Petronas and the other [government-linked corporations].
“Study carefully. Indirect taxes are consumption taxes. Malays pay the most as they are the majority,” he wrote.
GLCs were established as part of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s affirmative action policies for the largely-Malay Bumiputera under the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Tee then went on a point-by-point dismissal of the list of ten non-Malay contributions made by a news portal, providing counters to either reduce the significance of the group's achievements or point to Malay equivalents.
He questioned why the Olympic medals of shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei and diver Pandalela Rinong were highlighted while those by Mokhtar Dahari, Kamarudin Maidin, and the Sidek family were not.
Malaysian squash “queen” Datuk Nicol Ann David's many championships and medals also did not rate well with Tee, who pointed out that the sport was not an Olympic event.
Acknowledging shoemaker Datuk Jimmy Choo's position an icon in fashion, Tee nevertheless questioned the significance by asking how many shoes Choo has sold versus other brands.
Tee also discounted the accomplishments of Malaysia's first and only Formula One driver Alex Yoong and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion Karamjit Singh, saying these were “just average”.
Others who came in for his whittling included the first Malaysian to scale Mount Everest (M. Magendran), Howard Ashley who designed the National Mosque, and Malay film pioneer BS Rajhan.
“Why no thanks for the security forces (mostly Malay) that guard the country to allow us to become champions and rich?” Tee asked.
“The truth is bitter indeed.”
-The Malay Mail
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