BarisaThe possible economic collapse in 16 years, the rampant corruption, inflated prices for Government projects and purchases the bloated civil service which will be a great burden to the Government, rampant drug abuse, the judiciary and the problems arising from the racial discriminatory policies of the Government

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Speech at DAP Perak Dinner
by Ngeh Koo Ham  
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(Ipoh, Friday) : DAP Perak has on 10/9/2007 launched the General Election fund raising campaign with the theme ‘Love Malaysia, Save Malaysia’. We hope to raise RM500, 000-00 before the next General Election of which I have pledged the 1^st RM50, 000-00. The said RM50, 000-00 will be handed over to the DAP Perak State Treasurer tonight.

At the launch of the fund raising campaign, I have raised the various issues faced by the nation. The possible economic collapse in 16 years, the rampant corruption, inflated prices for Government projects and purchases the bloated civil service which will be a great burden to the Government, rampant drug abuse, the judiciary and the problems arising from the racial discriminatory policies of the Government.

1. Possible economic collapse

The BN Government has presented for the 11^th consecutive years, a deficit budget despite having huge income from our petroleum which constitute about 40% of the Government Revenue. The Government should start planning now not to rely on the petroleum income which is expected to dry up in about 16 years’ time. If we continue to have deficit budgets we are only burdening the country with debts which we will not be able to coup when the petroleum income dry up causing the collapse of our economic system. Our nation’s debt now stands at about RM244.2 billion or RM10, 600 per citizen.

2. Rampant corruption and inflated prices for Government projects and purchases

Corruption is rampant in Malaysia as the former Inspector General of Police, Tan Hanif Omar has disclosed in his article in the Star newspaper on 12^th August 2007. The view is also taken by Transparency International which has stated that the Corruption Index has worsened since Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi assumed premiership. Malaysia’s ranking in the corruption Perception Index has dropped from 37^th place in 2003 to 44^th place in 2006. According to Mongan Stanley’s report we lost more than RM380 billion from early 1980s till 2003 to corruption under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. We cannot allow this bleeding to continue. The 2006 Auditor-General’s report once again shows that the Government ministries are purchasing goods at inflated prices. Sometimes it costs as much as 115 times more. For examples, a sum of RM10, 700-00 is paid for a set of technical books worth RM417.00 and a sum of RM5, 741 is paid for a 2-tonne car jack worth RM50.00!

3. Bloated civil service

The Government should also look into down sizing the civil service which takes up RM36.2 billion of the budget allocation. It shows the failure of the Government’s privatization policy which has burdened the people with toll and other charges imposed by the concessionaires and yet failed to reduce the size of the civil service. When the privatization policy started in 1990, we have 773,993 civil servants and the Government had announced that through privatization of the services the number of civil servants will be reduced to 500,000. However, the number of civil servants has increased. In 2006 it was 894, 88 but has increased to 1.2 million this year. The Government plans to increase the number further to 1,366,079. Unless the Government down sizes its civil service, it will be a great financial burden to the country.

4. Other problems - drug, crime, judiciary and racial discrimination

There are many other problems facing the nation. We have 1.2 million drug addicts in the country where drug is easily accessible due to corruption. Crime rate is high. Things are changing from bad to worse. There had been a 27% increase in the crime index from 156,455 cases in 2004 to 198, 622 cases in 2006. There were 8.2 cases of rape a day in the first six months of this year compared to 4 cases a day in 2003!

There are problems of corruption in the Judiciary and inter personal conflict between the judges. There is a high back log of cases with 790,000 cases pending as of last year. Cases take years to be heard and the judicial system is at a point of breaking down.

The Government’s discriminatory policy against the non-bumiputra is worsening. Only bumiputras are allowed to carry out most of the Government projects.

The UMNOs racist policy coupled with its nepotism and cronyism are to be blamed for the woes that now beset the nation. The other component parties of BN are also to be blamed for their failure to speak out or taking a stand on the racist policy and the nepotism and cronyism practiced by UMNO. UMNO says it fights for Islam but its racist policy and its practice of nepotism and cronyism are against Islam.

Tonight I would like the whole nation to know that if the nation fails or has to go through another difficult period of time, UMNO and its partners are to be blamed. Do not be deceived if they try to again find some scapegoats.

The Communists have been blamed for the sufferings of the people during the emergency and the subsequent years when they were active. However, Tunku Abdul Rahman is equally to be blamed as Chin Peng for the sufferings of the rakyat during that period. This was because Tunku had refused to allow the Communist Party to be recognized as a legitimate party to stand for country’s general election.

If gerrymandering and extreme alienation of the Chinese and Indians from the country’s political process continue, they may withdraw from political involvements. In which event, the political leaders elected with not be recognized by these racial groups.

UMNO has done it before. It ousted Singapore from Malaysia in order to deny the majority Chinese from having a say in the national election. In 1971, Kuala Lumpur was carved out to deny more than a million of Chinese voters their right to vote their representatives into the Selangor Legislative Assembly. 1^st February which has been designated as the Federal Territory Day should be a day of mourning for the residents of Kuala Lumpur and not a day of celebration because the purpose of its creation was to deny them the rights to have a say in the Selangor Legislative assembly.

The Malays are generally very well mannered (sopan) and they mix well with the other races. It is the UMNO leadership that for self interests stirs up racial feelings in order to benefit them. The present disunity among the races is caused by the UMNO leadership.

Lastly, I call on the BN Government to allow every Malaysian to automatically have the right to vote by using the register kept with the National Registration Department (NRD) and not requiring them to register to become a voter.

Yesterday, the immigration department announced that it is now using the NRD register to issue passports. The Election Commission had also announced earlier that it has to verify persons registering to vote with the NRD before conferring him the right to vote.

Why they need to register as a voter? The only reason is that it will be an advantage to the BN who has the man power to register more of its supporter than the opposition parties.

Let us all support the opposition to ensure reform to the political system so that Malaysia will truly democratic, fair and be united.

Oust the corrupt BN leaders and their cronies to save Malaysia from destruction.

(5/10/2007)