Scrap Housing Quotas Based on Race.

Prior to the 8th March election, Pakatan made a promise in their manifesto that housing quotas would be based on need and poverty and not on race. Annuar himself on many of his ceramahs made that solemn promise.Now six months down the road, none of the five states that Pakatan took control has even started to dismantle that old bumi quota based on race.

What seems even more contradictory was the PAS govt in Kedah implementing a policy that require a 50% compliance of units to be sold to Bumis.Apparently, PAS did not subscribe to Pakatan's manifesto that Housing policy should be based on need and not on race.Instead it would seem that PAS was of the view that B.N's previous policy of 30% bumi quota was inadequate, thus the introduction of the 50% policy.

Looking at PAS history of administration in its state of Kelantan and Trengganu one thing becomes obvious.They just simply lack the experience of governing a state.Many a time they have shot themselves in the foot simply because they implemented populist policy which in reality did not work.

Introducing a 50% bumi policy in the housing sector simply means that rich bumis can buy houses at a 10% discount while poor chinese and indians have to bear the full cost. This translate to a very ridiculous situation where the poor non-malays has to subsidise the rich bumis.Not only is such a policy discriminatory but racist to the core.The criteria for qualification is race and not need or poverty.

Pakatan Rakyat made a promise that its policy would be based on poverty and need and that was the reason why it made a promise to abolish the NEP and replace it with a policy that was equitable to every one irrespective of race.That promise has not been kept in any of the PR governed states.