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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Tuesday): The Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be asked to report on the status of implementation of the recommendations by the two  Royal Police Commissions and in particular on the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) on the first question-and-answer session in Parliament next Tuesday.

I hope that all the doubts and uncertainties in the past ten months  about the establishment of the IPCMC as well as the implementation of the 125 recommendations of the first  Dzaiddin Police Reform Commission and the eight recommendations of the second Dzaiddin Nudesquat Commission would be put to rest with a clear and  categorical statement by Abdullah in Parliament at the end of my question next Tuesday.

My other questions for the 30-day eight-week Parliament meeting beginning next week and ending on May 4, 2006 include:
 

1. To ask Abdullah, who is  the Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister:

• why the reform and integrity pledge he  made in the 2004 general election has still to take-off  after two years and whether they will be the underpinnings of the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

• to explain why the government-linked company (GLC) transformation programme such as key performance indicators (KPI), transparency and the greater focus on a “Malaysian Agenda” instead of a “Malay Agenda”  had been such a great disappointment and the  remedial measures that are being taken to create world champions of the GLCs.

• To ask the Finance Minister to report on progress of turnaround plans for Proton and in particular the justification for the one euro sale of M.V. Agusta causing a loss of some RM400 million.

• To ask the Minister for Internal Security why recent   punitive actions had been taken against China Press, Sarawak Tribune and Guan Ming Daily which had a most chilling effect on press freedom when there should have been a fairer and more consultative approach to deal with these press problems.  (Note: Questions for oral answer had to be submitted by Feb. 17, 2006).

• the  total remuneration and expenses paid in  the 17-month appointment of Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi as Higher Education Envoy with Ministerial  rank and what had been achieved by the appointment.

• whether the Special Branch will be given proper legal basis and an  annual report on the Special Branch activities in accordance with the principle of democratic and accountable  governance would be tabled in Parliament.

2. To ask the Minister for International Trade and Industry  to give a full list of the APs for cars which were released for last year and this year, outlining the  policy changes that have taken place since last year.

3. To ask the Minister for Higher Education how he proposes to resolve the higher education crisis highlighted by the poor international ranking of Malaysian universities to establish Malaysia as an international hub of educational excellence.

4. To ask Defence Minister to give a full list of the big-item defence hardware expenditures part of which had been left idle whether for lack of spare-parts or other reasons and the resolution of these problems.

(07/03/2006)