The former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief said Mahathir’s fear that China companies and workers would have a monopoly on China-funded projects in Malaysia was “not unfounded” because China had a track record for putting “China first”.
“China’s way of doing business in monopolistic and is founded on the concept of ‘China first’ – a throwback to ancient times when the Chinese believed they were the centre of the earth,” he wrote.
The ongoing project to restore a heritage building to house the Penang branch of the Bank of China, he said, was an example of China’s monopolistic business methods.
Pointing to a picture of the signboard, he said: “What do you see?
“You see a very tastefully done signboard announcing the rehabilitation work of a heritage building that will soon become the Penang branch of the Malaysian-incorporated Bank of China.
“Except for the bank’s Chinese name, the signboard uses Bahasa Melayu and English.
“But look carefully at the companies involved in the ‘pemuliharaan’ (rehabilitation) project. Remember, this in a small, everyday construction project.
“Who is the principal architect? Lo and behold, it’s none other than the Pei Partnership Architects of Park Avenue, New York. The principal of Pei Partnership is none other than the China-born Ieoh Ming Pei of Le Grand Louvre fame.
“Now look carefully at the last column that says ‘contractor’. Remember this is not a billion ringgit job; maybe at the most RM15 million. But who is the contractor?
“It’s the China State Construction Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd.
“This Malaysian-incorporated company is the subsidiary of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, which according to Wikipedia, is the third largest construction company in the world and the 20th largest general contractor in terms of overseas sales.”
He next questioned the likelihood of China awarding multi-billion ringgit projects it has secured in Malaysia, such as the East Coast Railway Line, to local contractors when the contract for such a sundry, everyday project as the rehabilitation and conversion of a heritage building was awarded to a China company.
“Unless we are fools or commission agents to China companies, we surely know that doing business with China is not the same as doing business with the USA, Europe and Japan. Or, for that matter, with any country practising multi-party democracy.”
This was because there was only one party in China – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – and it owned almost all the economic and industrial assets of China, he said.
Over the past decades, he said, the CCP had become the biggest business conglomerate in the world and it did business with the rest of the world very much like the way it controlled the government and the military in China.
“When Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned of the dangers of being too dependent on China economically and militarily, the pro-Najib propaganda machines pounded on him,” said Kadir.
But evidence that his warnings were well-grounded are “everywhere”, he said.
“China treats every nation that owes it money as its slave and subordinate. It’s a harsh indictment but it’s true.”