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Ten questions for Abdullah on his campaign
trail in Ipoh Timor on fulfillment of his pledge for a clean, efficient,
trustworthy and accountable government and development of First-World Ipoh
Media Conference Statement
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at the DAP Ipoh Timor election operations
headquarters
by Lim Kit Siang
(Ipoh,
Monday):
The unprecedented visit of the
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Ipoh Timor later today
has demonstrated that the Battle for Ipoh Timor is not a battle between Lim
Kit Siang and Thong Fah Chong but a battle between the DAP and the Barisan
Nasional and two Visions about the future of Malaysia – whether there
should be a meaningful restoration of parliamentary democracy, whether
Abdullah’s pledge of a clean, incorruptible, people-oriented government
which wants to hear the truth from the people should remain at the level of
words but not deeds and whether to preserve or abandon the 46-year Merdeka
“social contract” that Malaysia is a secular democracy with Islam as the
official religion but not an Islamic State, whether ala-PAS or ala-UMNO.
When he first became Prime Minister, Abdullah said he does not want
“apple-polishers” and wants to hear the truth from the people. MCA
parliamentary candidates like Thong Fah Chong is the stereotype
“apple-polisher” in the Barisan Nasional, and if Abdullah really wants to
hear the truth from the people, he should come and meet me, for I can tell
him the real truth from the people which he can never hear from the MCA or
Barisan Nasional candidates.
On
the historic occasion of Abdullah’s visit and campaign trail in Ipoh Timor,
I hope he can throw light on ten questions on the fulfillment of his pledge
for a clean, efficient, trustworthy and accountable government and
development of First-World Ipoh:
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Why is he conducting the
shortest and most undemocratic election campaign in the 11 general
elections in the nation’s 46-year history – only 7 ˝ days, which is even
shorter than the nine-day election campaign period in the dirtiest general
election of the five Mahathir general elections – when he should be
conducting the most free, fair and clean general election with an end to
the 3M abuses of money politics, media manipulation and lies and the abuse
of government machinery and resources.
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As the Anti-Corruption Agency
director-general said last month, that “There are so many rivers in the
country, the sea is so huge, how can there be no fishes”, why not a single
“shark” had been arrested in his four months as Prime Minister for
corruption – as there were only two “middling fish” in the two
high-profile arrests of Eric Chia and Kasitah Gaddam.
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Is Abdullah prepared to change
the meaning of “Malaysia Boleh” by declaring as the nation’s objective the
goal for Malaysia to be internationally recognized as among the ten least
corrupt nations in the world instead of falling 14 places from 23rd
position in 1995 to 37th position in 2003, by the introduction
of two measures:
(i)
Ministers,
Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Mentris Besar, Chief Ministers,
State Excos required to publicly declare their assets and those of their
next-of-kin to be subject to public scrutiny where there is obscene,
ostentatious and disproportionate wealth and incomes from ill-gotten means;
(ii)
Sacking of
Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Mentris Besar, Chief
Ministers, State Excos and confiscation of disproportionate wealth and
income as compared to their known salaries.
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As Abdullah has said he does
not want “apple-polishers” but want to hear the truth from the people, is
he prepared to end unfair and undemocratic press laws and censorship to
restore press freedom, starting by opening up radio and television to all
fair and democratic use by all political parties and candidates in the
2004 general election?
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As education is the key to the
nation’s international competitiveness and prosperity, is he prepared to
totally revamp the education system to ensure quality of education in
tertiary, secondary and primary schools where meritocracy will be fully
restored as the most important criteria, with Malaysian universities
internationally recognized as in the league of the world’s best
universities, with appointment of University Vice Chancellors,
Professorships and academicians guided solely by meritocracy.
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Whether he will support a new
deal for mother-tongue education, where Chinese primary schools are built
or relocated not because there are votes to win in a general election, but
solely based on needs and demands by pupils and parents because a
Barisan Nasional government must recognize this as a fundamental right
of Malaysians in our multi-racial nation.
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Whether he will defend the
46-year Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a democratic, secular
and multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion but not an
Islamic State, admit that the “929 Declaration” by UMNO and Barisan
Nasional that Malaysia is an Islamic State is unconstitutional, arbitrary
and unilateral and formally withdraw the declaration.
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Whether Abdullah will agree to
restore local government elections in Ipoh so that the people of Ipoh will
have an elected Ipoh Council reminiscent of the days of the Seenivasagam
brothers – with the people of Ipoh themselves creating a first-world Ipoh
and deciding the future, welfare and quality of life in Ipoh and not as
at present, subject to the whims and fancies of unelected politicians and
irresponsible and bureaucratic civil servants.
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Will he establish a Royal
Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the mismanagement,
maladministration, abuses of power, breach of trust and all forms of
malpractices of an appointed-Ipoh Council for the past 30 years, in
keeping with his commitment to efficiency, accountability and integrity.
In the sixties, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was established to inquire
into the corruption, abuses of power and maladministration of
opposition-run elected local government for the years 1959 – 1963. The
time has come for a Royal Commission into the corruption, abuses of power
and maladministration of the appointed Ipoh Council for the past 30 years,
which should also specifically deal with the following issues:
(i)
Taman Hock Lee
scandal where, against all principles of good governance and planning
principles, a light industrial estate was approved in the heart of a
residential area;
(ii)
The highest
assessment rate in the country – at some 16% as compared to 8 – 9% in other
parts of the country;
(iii)
The parking
meter scandal with each meter costing RM34,000;
(iv)
The outrage of
the Ipoh Council acting as “moral guardian” and “moral police” in
persecuting youngsters by issuing summons to couples holding hands in city
parks; and
(v)
The despoliation
of the aesthetic beauty of Gua Kek Lok Tong as a popular place for all
races, posing health hazards with the erection of pylons.
10. Is Abdullah prepared to apologise as Home Minister for the past six
years because of the double rise in crime rate and the fear of crime,
whether in the streets, public places or even the privacy of the homes; as
illustrated by the gruesome abduction-rape-murder of Canny Ong, who hailed
from Ipoh, and to state when Malaysians can feel safe again for themselves
and their loved ones and to be free from the fear of crime by restoring to
all citizens the right to safety and security in their home, communities
and country.
(15/3/2004)
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Lim Kit Siang, DAP National
Chairman
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http://dapmalaysia.org