Media Statement by Ngeh Koo Ham in Ipoh on Wednesday, 18^th July 2012:

Mah Hang Soon shamlessly continue to claim credit for what Pakatan Rakyat did

I feel ashamed for Dato' Mah Hang Soon, the MCA Exco member in the BN State Government when he continues to claim credit for the 2,500 acres of land approved to the nine independent Chinese Schools in Perak.

MCA has been in Government for more than 50 years but was not able to approve any land to support the 9 independent Chinese Schools. The 2,500 acres of land were approved when Pakatan Rakyat became the Government in Perak in 2008.

Even the RM2.0 Million premium imposed was reduced to RM10,000 only after Pakatan Rakyat pressured BN to follow Pakatan Rakyat's policy of imposing nominal premium for non-profit organizations.

In order to show that Dato' Mah Hang Soon or MCA has no say in the BN Government of Perak, even the 99 years lease with 80% premium rebate for Kg Tersusun and Chinese New Villages (which is worse than the terms for freehold title granted under Pakatan Rakyat Government) announced by him was not adopted by the BN Government due to objection from UMNO.

Dato' Mah Hang Soon lied when he said the leasehold titles approval to Chinese New Villages is 99 years. It is only for 60 years. He lied when he said premium rebate given was 80% for 99 years lease when in fact it is only 50%. Many New Villagers were cheated when they paid premium for 99 years lease but were issued only with 60 years titles.

I called on Dato' Mah Hang Soon to come clean on this matter.

I am lodging a police report against BN Perak Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Zambry Bin Abdul Kadir and Dato' Mah Hang Soon for cheating the people.

If Dato' Seri Zambry bin Abdul Kadir and Dato' Mah Hang Soon want to claim credit for themselves, they must do what Pakatan Rakyat has not done.

I call on Dato' Seri Zambry and Dato' Mah Hang Soon to approve a yearly grant of RM2.5 Million to the 9 independent schools for the next 5 years as the amount received from the joint venture for the 2,500 acres of land is only RM1.1 Million per year for the next 5 years and not the expected RM3.6 Million annual income as the development of the proposed plantation has just commenced.

As a show of my support for these independent schools, I will donate another RM10,000 to Nan Hwa Private School in Manjung. I had donated RM40,000-00 to Nan Hwa Private School last year.

I call on both of them to also act immediately on the lands approved for Religious (Sekolah Agama) and Tamil Schools so that these schools will also be having immediate income to ease their financial burdens.

* Ngeh Koo Ham, DAP Deputy Secretary General & MP for Beruas