[2483] Hypocritical accusation of cronyism

It is a bit surprising to read about the controversy revolving around both Gardenia and Federal Flour Mills. The accusations have been wild and one reason for the call for the boycott of Gardenia, apart from the racist undertone about Gardenia being Malay-owned and the FFM being Chinese-owned, is cronyism on the part of Gardenia.^[1]

Gardenia is ultimately linked to Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. With the tycoon is getting everything — that is not an overstatement — from the government, it is easy to level the accusation of cronyism against Gardenia. But this accusation is really hypocritical.

Why hypocritical?

Since on the other side of the controversy either created artificially or filled with nuanced, is Federal Flour Mills, it is important to see how it rates against Gardenia. The comparison is not pretty.

FFM is ultimately linked to Robert Kuok, yet another Malaysian tycoon. Did you know how Robert Kuok first made his fortune? It was through sugar monopoly granted by the government through the protectionist import substitution industrialization policy of the early Malaysian years. That monopoly lasted for decades, possibly shielding him from competition from abroad. That is also cronyism, just in case that fact has been overlooked. Kuok is a crony from another age, but he is a crony of the state nonetheless.

Choosing one crony over the other is not a fun game for me. None is an angel but for racists, one is the angel and the other is the demon just because of skin color.

  

The breadmaker also denied charges it had been directed by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), which has a 30 per cent stake in Gardenia, to stop buying flour from Federal Flour Mills Bhd (FFM) for allegedly racist reasons. [Gardenia takes out ads to deny crony, racist claims. Yow Hong Chieh. The Malaysian Insider. December 30 2011]