DAP MPs and former elected representatives outraged by the irresponsible and frivolous demands of National Service Council for blank cheque to exceed RM500 million expenditure by one of the worst- planned and badly-executed programme plagued with flaws and problems Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (released by DAP Hqrs) (Wuxi, Jiangsu, Saturday): The 11 DAP leaders on the private South Yangtze tour are outraged by the irresponsible and frivolous demands of National Service Council for a blank cheque to exceed RM500 million expenditure for one of the worst- planned and badly-executed programme plagued with flaws and problems in the nation’s history. Instead of restoring public confidence in the efficiency, professionalism and integrity of the national service training programme, by removing the growing concerns of parents and members of the public about the many flaws in the national service training programme as highlighted by the catalogue of incidents involving drug abuse, fights, assaults (both of trainees and trainers), sexual harassment, extortion, gangsterism and other forms of lax and breakdown of discipline, it is the height of temerity and unaccountability for the national service training council to ask for a blank cheque to spend more than RM500 million purportedly to set up a special camp for national service bullies. The group of DAP MPs, former elected representatives and DAP candidates in the private tour of Yangtse South include:
The DAP group demand that there must be a full and satisfactory parliamentary audit of the RM500 million expenditure by the National Service Training programme before it is allowed to commit additional expenditures, and that the special camp for national service trainee "bullies" should be frozen if it could only be established by exceeding the RM500 million originally approved for the programme. (17/4/2004) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman & Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor |