Australia's Aboriginal land councils on their way to becoming richer than Penny Wong's Hakka and Cantonese clans in Malaysia

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

Penny Wong in Sabah in 2013,attending the Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA) President, Datuk James Hwong's (seated left) daughter's wedding.

Australia's proposed constitutional amendments are similar to the Malaysian Constitution's Article 153 in that they are intended to "recognise" the indigenous population as people with special rights and privileges arising from historical claims of occupation dislodged by British colonialist. The Aboriginal land councils are all in support of the proposal and in leading the campaign to pass the amendments the leader of the ruling ALP in the Senate, the Sabah born and raised  Senator Penny Wong has been careful to  downplay the huge financial gains that can accrue to minority clans,  like they have to her Hakka and Cantonese people in Sabah and the rest of Malaysia.

That having been said, the proposed amendments have the support of Australian business groups,and leading lawyers like Mark Leibler, a tax expert who has played an important role in advancing the proposal. Their support suggests that business and their advisors have learnt from the Malaysian (and South African) experience realise that much can be gained by giving away a small portion. Given the continental scale of mining and other land based businesses in Australia that small portion can easily exceed anything that WOng's clansmen might haev ever dreant of. 

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Aussie Finance Minister attends 'do'

Published on: Friday, January 04, 2013

KOTA KINABALU: AUSTRALIAN Finance Minister, Penny Wong (seated second right) attended the wedding reception of Ellie Hwong (seated second left) to Dr Joey Kong Chung Yin at the Shangrila-Tanjung Aru Beach Resort in Kota Kinabalu. Ellie is the daughter of Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA) President, Datuk James Hwong (seated left).

Also present were Sabah Publishing House Sdn Bhd Managing Director, Datuk Clement Yeh (standing, fourth left) and his wife Datin Tina Yeh (standing fourth right), Penny's father, Francis Wong (seated right) and former senior police officer, Datuk Henry Chin (standing, second left).

Others present include businessmen Datuk Lau Kok Sing (standing third right), Koh Tiew King (standing right) and his wife and Frankie Liew.