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10 Questions by the people of Negeri Sembilan to the State Government   Media Conference Statement (2) by Loke Siew Fook (Seremban, Saturday): The people of Negeri Sembilan have long lost hope in their Barisan Nasional elected reps to raise important issues and questions in the State Assembly as the records of the Assembly in the last seven years which is totally dominated by the BN has proven this.  I’m raising ten important questions to the state government through the media to be answered in the State Assembly sittings which are subjects of public interests in Negeri Sembilan.   1)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the Menteri Besar, YAB Dato Seri Utama Tan Sri Isa Samad (Linggi) to state that in the face of intense economic competition in the region and in particular the relocation of many industrial activities to China, the impending implementation of AFTA in 2004 and the stagnation of inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into the country, what are the impacts to the state’s economy and what are the strategies taken by the State Government to cushion the negative impacts and strengthen the local economies.   2)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the Menteri Besar, YAB Dato Seri Utama Tan Sri Isa Samad (Linggi) to state what are the steps taken by the State Government to reduce red tapes and bureaucracy in government departments in the state and to fight corruptions as was ordered by the new Prime Minister to all state governments recently. Negeri Sembilan has nothing to be proud of having anything of “the best” or “the first” in the country but we are currently holding the record of having the longest-serving Menteri Besar in the country. This record is meaningless unless the head of the state government can utilize his long experiences to make the state the most efficient and corrupt-free in the country.   3)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the Menteri Besar, YAB Dato Seri Utama Tan Sri Isa Samad (Linggi) to state what are the current status of the RM800 millions Seremban roads upgrading project which was announced in February this year. Has this project been shelved or just a Barisan Nasional political gimmick to fish for votes in the coming general election?   4)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the Menteri Besar, YAB Dato Seri Utama Tan Sri Isa Samad (Linggi) to state clearly that the State Government will respect the cultural rights and sensitivities of major communities in the state and will preserve all historical and cultural places and landmarks like the Jalan Lee Sam cemetery ground and all other cemeteries in the state.   5)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the Menteri Besar, YAB Dato Seri Utama Tan Sri Isa Samad (Linggi) to state when Negeri Sembilan and in particular Seremban town can become flood-free as Seremban town has been hit by flash floods every time there is heavy rain despite the many allocations announced by the government to solve the flood problem in the last 10 years.   6)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the State EXCO for Culture, Arts and Tourism, YB Dato’ Lilah Yassin (Serting) to state what are the impacts of the SARS epidemic and other external factors to the tourism industry in Negeri Sembilan and in particular the tourist arrivals in Port Dickson and what are the steps taken by the State Government to enhance the image of Port Dickson as a tourist attraction to further develop the tourism sector in Negeri Sembilan.   7)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the State EXCO for Works, Telecommunication and Post, YB Dato’ Lilah Yassin (Serting) to state why the phase two of upgrading and landscaping project in the Seremban Lake Garden has not been completed despite the scheduled completion date on 12 September 2003, the total costs of the project and when is the exact date the Seremban folks can fully get back their only green lung in town for leisure purposes.   8)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the State EXCO for Housing and Local Government, YB Dato’ Dr. Yeow Chai Thiam (Lukut) to state why four years after the Nipah/JE virus outbreak, the State Government is still unwilling to restore the pig farming industry in Bukit Pelanduk .   9)         The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the State EXCO for Housing and Local Government, YB Dato’ Dr. Yeow Chai Thiam (Lukut) to state how many abandoned housing projects are there in Negeri Sembilan currently and what are the steps taken by the State Government to help and protect the interests of the affected house buyers.   10)       The people of Negeri Sembilan to ask the State EXCO for Basic Infrastructure (Electricity and Water), YB Dato’ Darus Salim (Johol) to state why the State Government has allowed the State Water Department to increase the water tariff in the state and to pass the bucks to the consumers for their wastages and mismanagement when the department is unable to provide clean and quality water to the consumers. (8/11/2003) * Loke Siew Fook, DAPSY National Secretary