1. Sebelum British menakluki negeri-negeri Melayu, sistem pemerintahan adalah Raja berkuasa penuh. Semua perolehan hasil dan cukai adalah milik Raja. Pembiayaan pemerintahan dan pembangunan diperuntukkan oleh Raja.

2. Banyaklah penipuan berlaku semasa cukai dikutip. Yang didapati oleh Raja biasanya sedikit sahaja.

3. Kekurangan kewangan menjadi masalah kepada Raja. Bagi mengatasinya Raja terpaksa jual atau pajak tanah. Dengan itu wilayah negeri-negeri Melayu merosot dan menjadi semakin kecil.

4. Apabila British mengambil alih pemerintahan negeri-negeri Melayu, cukai dipungut dengan lebih tersusun dan dimasukkan ke dalam Perbendaharaan negeri dan persekutuan.

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This article appeared in the New Straits Times of April 30, 2013 

1. Malaysia has enjoyed more than half a century of peace and stability and high growths under BN coalition Governments. The seizure of power by the Malay majority upon independence as predicted by foreign observers and some locals did not happen.2. Instead under the Tunku they promoted a sharing of power and wealth between the three major races through a coalition, the Alliance. The Alliance won 51 out of 52 of the 98 Federal Legislative Council seats contested in 1955. The Tunku as Chief Minister agreed with Sir Cheng Lock Tan’s request and gave one million citizenship to unqualified Chinese and Indians, diluting the Malay majority from 80% to 60%.

3. In 1963 Singapore joined the new state of Malaysia. The PAP did not believe in sharing power. It promoted meritocracy, rule by the elites, by suggesting that Malaysia was not ruled by the cleverest and the most qualified but by Malays. This was intended to stop Chinese support for the MCA and antagonise them against the Malays and UMNO.