WHILE the public are still confused over the sudden resignation of Datuk Syed Zaid Syed Jaafar Albar as the Securities Commission (SC) executive chairman, a television network levelled racist attacks against him and accused the former of “not helping Malay companies.”
In Berita 7:57 aired by Awesome TV, the news anchors said that it was probably timely for Syed Zaid to leave as it was proven that during his tenure, SC had failed to help two major Bumiputera companies to resolve their problems.
The two companies mentioned are Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd and Sapura Energy Bhd.
A voiceover soon followed, with a lady claiming that SC was not only established to regulate companies but also provide solutions and help companies in need.
She added that while company officials who breach the law should be punished, SC must also help the companies to rejuvenate itself to protect their workers’ job security.
“But Syed Zaid and his team are seen to have failed to help Bumiputera companies like Serba Dinamik and Sapura. By right, the two companies should have been helped as they are the backbone of the Malay economy,” she commented.
Calling Syed Zaid a non-Malay, she accused the former of being unsympathetic to bumiputera companies.
However, she seemed to contradict herself on Syed Zaid’s racial background later, by asking until when Malay officials will continue to persecute their own people.
“Despite being 67% of the population, Malays only hold 7% stakes in the economy. The Chinese, despite only being 21% of the population, holds 80% of the economy.
“If these Malay companies are not helped, the Malays will lose whatever stakes they have in the economic pie.”
Heaping laurels on Serba Dinamik and Sapura, she said that both companies contribute significantly to the nation’s economy.
“Serba Dinamik, for example, employs about 4,000 employees with the majority of them being Malays.
“It also contributes RM8 bil in sales in the oil and gas (O&G) sector yearly, making it the third largest company in Malaysia under the category.
“And with Syed Zaid leaving, three other high-ranking official from the SC are also said would be leaving soon,” she noted.
On that note, several netizens were unimpressed with the racial narrative taken on a regulatory matter and hurled brickbats at the news channel.
The Mamu said:
(What rubbish TV station is this? Now, we have “propaganda news” coming as the general election nears. Trying to challenge TV3?)
Echoing The Mamu’s sentiments, user ZKVI added:
(Wow, they did not even mince their words by calling him a “non-Malay”. What thrash. A police report should be lodged)
Netizen Ad Hamzah retorted: 
(What garbage of a TV station. No integrity at all)
SC a regulatory body, not political party
It is to note that while Syed Zaid did not mention reasons for his early departure, his abrupt resignation coincided with a controversial decision by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to withdraw criminal prosecution against Serba Dinamik.
It was alleged that four senior executives from the company had filed false financial statements with the stock exchange.
Firing a salvo at Awesome TV, user Aku Rakyat reminded the news channel that SC is a regulatory body and it was not their job to protect any company’s business interest.
(Wrong move Berita 7:57. SC is not about protecting bumiputera companies. It is a regulatory body and it is not their job to protect any companies. They must be unbiased and firm. If they don’t do that, how are we to progress?)
Netizen Khalid al-Walid jested:
(The “Islam is under threat” argument has ended. Now, it is about “Malays being persecuted”. The “let’s blame DAP” narrative is on the waiting list).
Awesome TV is aired on Astro, at Channel 123. – May 1, 2022
Main photo credit: The Malaysian Reserve
