Koh Tsu Koon Should Fulfil
His Public Mandate Of A
“Chief Minister For All
With Power” By Demanding
That Cabinet Stop
Practicing Double-Standards
And Direct Hishamuddin Tun
Hussein Onn To Apologise
For Interfering In The
Penang State
Administration.
Media Statement
by Lim Guan Eng
(Penang,
Saturday):
Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon should fulfill the public mandate won in the 2004 general elections and be a “Chief Minister With Power For All Races” by demanding that Cabinet stop practicing double-standards and direct Education Minister Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn apologise to him for interfering in the Penang state administration. If Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak can reprimand Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat for interfering in the functions of another Ministry, then he should behave fairly and consistently by issuing a similar reprimand against Hishamudin.
Ong was reprimanded for
interfering with the
Education Ministry by
pressing for action to be
taken on the misappropriaton
of development funds for two
Chinese primary schools in
Muar, Johor. Similarly,
Hishamuddin should be
reprimanded in attacking Koh
for allowing Malays in Penang
to be marginalized when he is
neither from Penang and is
not involved in the Penang
state administration.
Najib had tried to explain
Cabinet’s failure to
reprimand Hishamuddin because
government and politics were
different. Najib is clearly
confused as such distinction
between government and
politics is both illogical
and meaningless, especially
in Malaysia when everything
is politicized by BN. Najib
added that the decision to
reprimand Tee Keat was made
by Cabinet in the presence of
all heads of BN component
parties.
MCA President Datuk Ong Ka
Ting’s disappointing
performance in Cabinet in
failing to defend his Tee
Keat requires him to explain
why he dared not oppose
Cabinet for issuing such a
reprimand and that Higher
Education Minister Datuk
Mustapa Mohamad apologise on
Tee Keat’s behalf without Tee
Keat’s consent The Chinese
community strongly feels that
Tee Keat did no wrong in
pressing for an explanation
on the misuse of development
funds of Chinese primary
schools.
Both Tee Keat And Keng Yaik
Must Apologise For Failing
To Stand Up To UMNO
Ka Ting had said that MCA
would not apologise to the
government for it had done
nothing wrong. If so then MCA
should apologise to Tee Keat
and the Chinese community for
its wrongful and cowardly
behaviour in not daring to do
its duty in Cabinet.
Similarly Gerakan President
Datuk Dr Lim Keng Yaik must
also apologize for failing to
demand that the Cabinet act
consistently by issuing a
similar reprimand against
Hishamuddin. Clearly 5 MCA
and Gerakan Ministers can not
deal with one Hishamuddin.
What then is the use of
having MCA and Gerakan
Ministers when they have no
powers and dare not stand up
to a single UMNO Minister?
UMNO Balik Pulau Youth
members even demonstrated
with banners against Koh in
front of UMNO President and
Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. As the
ruling party, UMNO need not
hold demonstrations except
for protests against Israel
and the United States. Is
that how UMNO treats Koh?
Such personal humiliation of
Koh is uncharacteristic of
Malay culture of courtesy and
fine manners especially when
Koh is an invited guest.
These “kurang ajar” actions
to their invited guest by
UMNO Youth is clearly
designed to send a strong
message that Koh must
capitulate to UMNO’s demands
and take the necessary action
to help the Penang Malays
which they claim are
marginalized. The Prime
Minister has undermined Koh
by directing that Second
Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor
Mohamed Yakcop liaise with
the relevant agencies to
uplift Penang Malays when
such powers lie with the
Chief Minister.
Najib went one step further
by demanding that the Deputy
Chief Minister’s executive
powers be enlarged to have
sole authority over Malay
issues. This undermines Koh’s
claims that he is the Chief
Minister for all races. By
stripping Koh of his powers,
Koh is slowly becoming a
puppet Chief Minister without
power.
Why Are UMNO Millionaires
Distracting Attention From
Poor Malays In Sabah &
Terengganu Who Are Even
More Marginalized?
Is it true that Malays are
marginalized in Penang? Has
UMNO leaders forgotten that
there are poorer Malays who
are not millionaires like
them and even more
marginalized in the poorest
states of Sabah, Kelantan,
Terengganu Kedah and Perlis.
Penang has the lowest poverty
rate in the country at 0.3%.
By focusing only on Penang,
UMNO is trying to distract
attention from their failure
to prevent Malays from being
marginalized in the poorest
states with the highest
poverty rate of Sabah(23%),
Kelantan (10.6%),
Terengganu(15.4%), Kedah (7%)
and Perlis (6.3%). UMNO
leaders must be naïve to
think that Malaysians,
including Malays, are so
gullible as to believe that
Malays are marginalized in
Penang but not in other
states.
For millionaire UMNO Malay
leaders to complain that
Malays are marginalised in
Penang is hypocritical and
discriminatory when they
ignore non-Malays who are
marginalised not just in
Penang but also (together
with other non-Penang Malays)
throughout Malaysia. Not
every Indians and Chinese
whether in or outside Penang
are millionaires? Poor people
come from all races.
The United Nations Human
Development Report
consistently list Malaysians
as suffering the worst income
inequality between the rich
and poor in South-East Asia.
This is conceded by the Ninth
Malaysian Plan (9MP) which
showed the share of income of
the bottom 40% of the
population declined from
14.5% in 1990 to 13.5% in
2004 whilst the share of the
top 20% of the population
increased from 50% in 1990 to
51.2% in 2004.
All Malaysians Face
Marginalization
The income inequality,
measured by the Gini
coefficient, within the
Chinese community worsened in
the period 1999 to 2004 from
0.434 to 0.446 whilst for
Indians from 0.413 to 0.425.
The income inequality amongst
bumis was even worse from
0.433 in 1999 to 0.452 in
2004. Marginalisation of
Malaysians generally can be
seen with the 9MP showing the
Gini Coefficient nationally
worsening from 0.452 in 1999
to 0.462 in 2004.
How come UMNO does not talk
of reducing the widening
income disparity between rich
Malay millionaires like him
and poor Malays but continue
to hit out at Chinese as if
there are no poor Chinese and
all Chinese are millionaires
like him? If UMNO is sincere
about helping poor Malays and
Malaysians who are
marginalized he should be
asking the government to
abolish the 5% bumi housing
discounts given to million
ringgit homes (as if Malay
millionaires like him need a
discount) and distribute
Petronas RM 70 billion
ringgit profits to the
people.
Distribute Petronas Oil
Earnings To All
What the poor and
marginalized Malaysians need
now is increase in disposable
income to deal with rising
inflation and living costs,
whether in the form of pay
rise or government grants,
which the 2007 Budget has
miserably failed to provide.
Since Petronas was formed in
1974, its earnings have
exceeded RM 500 billion as
compared to Singapore which
does not have a drop of oil.
If a non-oil exporter like
Singapore can give S$2.6
billion (RM 6 billion) cash
under the 2006 Budget to all
Singaporeans, especially the
poor, why can’t the Malaysian
government do so when
Petronas has earned nearly RM
500 billion. Oil importer
Singapore has given $10.675
billion (RM 24 billion)
directly to its people since
2000 as compared to Petronas
which has not given a single
cent.
This year its pre-tax profits
hitting RM70.2 billion jumped
21 per cent compared to RM58
billion in the previous
financial year ending 31
March 2006. Net profit rose
to RM43.6 billion from RM35.6
billion. To get an idea of
Petronas' size, the net
profit of Malaysia's largest
listed company, Malayan
Banking, was just RM2.5
billion. This year alone, the
oil company has paid the
government a total of RM41.7
billion - equivalent to what
it would take to build 23
Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC)
complexes, including the
Petronas Twin Towers.
Instead of taxing Petronas,
DAP suggests that the pre-tax
profits be distributed to
every Malaysian to a maximum
of RM 2,000 each with the
remainder given to Petronas
for capital investment
purposes. If an oil importer
Singapore can give tens of
billions to its citizens why
can’t an oil exporter like
Malaysia do so.
Is UMNO Afraid Of Answering
The Question Who Amongst
The Malays Own 45% Or RM
325 Billion Of The RM 715
Billion Market
Capitalization of Bursa
Malaysia?
Deputy UMNO Youth President
Khairy Jamaluddin talks of
the failure of the New
Economic Policy(NEP) to
fulfill its objective of 30%
bumi equity compared with the
18.9% in 2004 and that the
Ninth Malaysian Plan(9MP) is
the final chance to achieve
it. This is untrue because
the 18.9% bumi equity is
based on par value of share
capital of limited companies.
The 9MP claims that in 2004,
the Chinese owns 39%, Indians
1.2%, nominee companies 8%,
others 0.4% and foreigners
32.5%.
Par value of share capital is
a false reflection of the
real or true worth of the
company. A more accurate
assessment, though not the
most comprehensive and
objective test, would be to
take the market value of bumi
equity of all listed
companies in Bursa Malaysia
(BM). As a millionaire from
his previous RM 9.2 million
shareholdings in ECM-Libra,
which he has since sold,
Khairy should know that his
worth is not based on par
value but market value.
In February 2006, Professor
Dr Lim Teck Ghee of the
Centre for Public Policy
Studies(CPPS), submitted a
report that showed as at 30
September 2005, bumi
ownership of shares in BM
amounted to 45% or RM 325.08
billion out of the market
capitalization of RM 715
billion.
Are UMNO and Khairy afraid of
answering the question who
amongst the Malays own the
45% or RM 325 billion out of
the total RM 715 billion
market capitalization of
Bursa Malaysia? Malaysians,
especially Malays who do not
possess millions of shares or
imported vehicles APs, should
focus on the important
question who the rich Malays
are who have benefited. And
not be distracted by false
lies of such rich or
millionaire UMNO leaders who
do not wish to answer this
question and try to distract
attention with lies that the
30% bumi equity of the NEP
has not been achieved.
How Many Malays Are As
Rich As Khairy, Roslan &
Effendi?
How many poor Malays or
Malaysians can afford to buy
RM 9.2 million worth of
shares like Khariy or spend
RM 3.5 million on a wedding
by Datuk Roslan Hashim.
Malacca-born businessman
Roslan said his wedding gifts
to his bride included
RM444,444.44 in cash and a
further RM22,222.22 in dowry.
Other gifts include a BMW
320i worth RM250,000, a
RM150,000 jewellery set, a
diamond ring worth RM20,000,
a RM25,000 Rolex watch and
other designer items.
Or other rich Malays who have
benefited from the NEP such
as Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk
Seri Effendi Norwawi. In
court documents on the
divorce settlement with his
former wife Zariah Hashim @
Farida Effendi revealed that
he had generously given her
assets worth more than RM20
million, exclusive use of two
houses in Kuala Lumpur and
Kuching worth RM10 million
and RM2.5 million,
respectively. Since the
divorce, Effendi claimed that
he provided monetary
assistance amounting to
almost RM1 million, costs of
maintaining the house, maids,
drivers, security and cash.
Just as the 2007 Budget has
not benefited lower-income
groups, we should adopt the
correct macroeconomic policy
and discard nationally
divisive and outdated
policies of quotas and
subsidies. Such racial
policies like the NEP must be
replaced by those which
forges national unity and
encourages competition, value
creation and meritocracy.
Malaysian must abandon the
racial premise of the NEP and
its false pursuit of 30% bumi
equity to pursue the real
UMNO Malay owners who possess
the 45% market capitalization
of Bursa Malaysia.
However such rational
arguments would be useless
against the bullying
aggression of UMNO leaders
who thinks that such tactics
can force Koh to surrender
and capitulate. Koh must not
back down but prove that he
is the Chief Minister with
power by asserting his
personal authority and
control over government
agencies in Penang. Failure
to do so would not only be
his personal failure in his
first test as future Gerakan
President but also a betrayal
of the overwhelming mandate
given to him in the 2004
general elections by Penang
voters.
(16/09/2006)
* Lim Guan
Eng,
Secretary-General of DAP |