Speech by Lim Guan Eng in DAP FT State Ordinary Convention in DAP National Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 3^rd October 2010: 

Malaysians must embrace the future by practicing good governance, balanced development, integrity, shared society and a culture of innovation 

I wish to congratulate the DAP FT State Ordinary Convention for holding its first ever meeting for the new DAP Headquarters. This is a new beginning for DAP and we hope also the promise of a better future for all Malaysians.

Malaysians have been stuck in the past far too long with primitive thinking of racial supremacy, tolerance of corruption and hostility towards democracy and freedom. Instead of focusing our resources on how to move forward, we are dissipating our energies by protecting civil servants and school principals that calls the Chinese prostitutes, mata sepet and balik China or the Indians beggars, si botol kicap and even dogs. We do not pay our civil servants to insult and denigrate us but to give us good service. How do we reward good if we do not punish bad?

47 years after the formation of Malaysia the time has come for Malaysians from Peninsular Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to embrace the future. Malaysians can embrace the future of prosperity for all by practicing good governance, balanced development, integrity, shared society and a culture of innovation.

We need good and democratic governance. We can only embrace the future with ideas of freedom and democracy that underpins growth and prosperity. We need a professional civil service centered on efficiency and productivity. Not only can the professional civil service do their work faster and with lower cost, we also want higher value in return for every RM spent.

Needless to say, there must be integrity in leadership with zero tolerance for corruption. No society can survive if we reward the corrupt and punish the whistle-blowers. Malaysians have no choice but to choose between survival of corruption and BN or the survival of integrity and Malaysia.

Allowing economic growth will generate prosperity but ensuring balanced development for all will engender social justice and political stability. Failed policies that has seen foreign direct investment drop by 81% from USD 7.3 billion in 2008 to USD1.4 billion(even behind Indonesia and Vietnam) must be discarded. Instead we must bring in policies centered on optimal allocation of resources and maximizing outcomes and results.

We can no longer be indifferent that the monthly income of the bottom 40% of households is RM 1,440. This is because the bottom 40% of households affect 10 million Malaysians. In response the BN government sets a monthly household income of RM 2,300 by 2015.

Should this RM 52 billion be returned and distributed to the lowest 40% households or 10 Million Malaysians that earns RM1,440 monthly, we need not wait until 2015 but will immediately achieve the monthly household income of RM 2,300.

The target of RM 2,300 can be achieved now and not wait until 2015 if we take stern action and demand a return of funds against those responsible for the RM 52 billion bumi shares allocation scandal. Since 1970, RM 54 billion worth of shares were allocated for Malays and bumis. However only RM 2 billion remain in bumi hands. The refusal of BN to take any action clearly shows that those responsible for the hijacking of the RM 52 billion of shares and betrayal of trust were BN leaders. Should this RM 52 billion be returned and distributed to the lowest 40% households or 10 million Malaysians that earns RM1,440 monthly, we need not wait until 2015 but will immediately achieve the targetted monthly household income of RM 2,300.

For any society to prosper, it is essential that it must be a shared society that sees equal opportunity and diversity as a source of unity and strength. USA is the largest economy in the world because it sees itself as a land of opportunity open to all. For instance, more than half of the successful high-tech companies in Silicon Valley in California are migrants to USA.

For this reason Malaysia must adopt a culture of innovation, creativity and excellence. A good education is a pre-condition but we must also nurture innovators, not just entrepreneurs. Only with innovation, can we join the race to the top.

We should not permit BN to create fears about the future by using our differences to hate each other. Instead we should be inspired by hopes of a better future through co-operatiion and working together. We should not submit to threats to resist change but seize the opportunities that change offers.

In the short 30 months since the political tsunami of 2008, PR and DAP has shown that we can govern well. We we can govern fairly. And we can deliver not only excellence but a better future for you and your children.

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan