BarisaPerak DAP launches its General Election Fund with a target of RM500,000-00 and its chairman donating the first RM50,000-00. The theme of the fund raising campaign is ‘Love Malaysia, Save Malaysia’

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Media Statement 
by Ngeh Koo Ham
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(Ipoh, Monday): Today, Perak DAP formally launches its General Election fund raising campaign with the theme ‘Love Malaysia, Save Malaysia’. It hopes to raise RM500,000-00 and I hereby pledge to give RM50,000-00 towards the fund. 

Perak DAP has planned a special dinner for this fund raising campaign to be held on 5^th October, 2007 Florex Restaurant, Ipoh at 7.00 pm. My donation of RM50,000-00 will be handed over at the said dinner. I call on the people to donate generously to the fund. 

The people must not carried away by euphoria of a grand 50^th Merdeka Celebration (where millions of the tax payers money were spent) and a ‘feel good’ budget presented by the Government. 

True patriotism is not waving flags, shouting slogans and spending hugh amount of our country’s money just to have a great celebration. True patriotism is to truly love Malaysia sacrificially and to manage Malaysia in a responsible way. 

The people must realize that unless we wake up to the fact that we are a sick nation, our country will face collapse or serious crisis in the not too distant future. 

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 dries up causing the collapse of our economic system. Our nation’s debt now stands at about RM244.2 billion or RM10,600.00 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 worsen 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 Morgan 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 privatisation 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 privatisation 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 894,788 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 size 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 hugh 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 people must ensure a strong opposition in this coming general election to ensure that there will be better check and balance. 

The DAP needs your financial support to be better organised. The people demands a effective DAP but we need a strong machinery to do that. Your financial support is needed to help us build up this machinery. Therefore, donate generously to Perak DAP General Election Fund.           

(10/9/2007)