The 3 False Claims That Selangor Is More Developed Than New Zealand, Has Better University Education Than Singapore And Is Less Corrupt And Cleaner Than Belgium Is Sufficient To Disqualify Selangor’s Bid To Be The First Developed State In Malaysia.
 

Press Statement
by Lim Guan Eng  

(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is his own worst enemy by wildly exaggerating the case of Selangor as a developed state to the extent that:

• Selangor is more developed than New Zealand,
• Selangor has better university education than Singapore; and
• Selangor is less corrupt and cleaner than Belgium.

These shocking results were revealed in a meeting held on 4.7.2005 between Selangor EPU chief and Deputy State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Munit Kasmin with me, accompanied by DAP Selangor State Chair Ong Chee Kin, State Assembly Opposition Leader Teng Chang Khim, Sekinchan ADUN Ng Suee Lin and DAP Selangor Organising Secretary Lau Weng San. 

No person including 25 million Malaysians will believe that Selangor is more developed than New Zealand or has better universities than Singapore. Perhaps Dr Mohd Khir Toyo should visit Singapore or New Zealand to see for himself how far ahead these two countries are ahead of Selangor in terms of educational or economic attainments.

Most ridiculous and astounding of all is the claim that corruption is effectively controlled in Selangor until Selangor is cleaner than Belgium. The capital of Belgium is Brussels is also the capital of the European Commission. Belgium has in place a system of internal controls that checks and acts against corruption. The effectiveness of such controls is substantiated by Transparency International which placed Belgium as No. 17 in the World Corruption Perceptions Index(CPI).

Belgium scored 7.5 out of 10 points in the CPI and is level with USA and Ireland. In comparison, Malaysia is No. 39 and barely passed scoring 5 out of 10 points. Selangor is definitely not one of the least corrupt states in Malaysia. Any claims to Selangor being developed may have justification if related to corruption. That Selangor is cleaner than Belgium is no different from claiming that the student with a C is better than a A student.

These 3 false claims alone would have disqualified Mohd Khir Toyo’s contention that Selangor is a developed state. Datuk Mohd Khir should respect truthful and reliable information as necessary conditions to restore public and investor confidence in his management of Selangor’s economy.

As Selangor has not achieved developed state status, DAP urges that the Selangor Menteri Besar celebrations beginning on August 27^th be cancelled. This will not only save millions of ringgit in private donations or public funds but also salvage the integrity credibility and reliability of both Selangor and Malaysia’s economic reputation. Selangor will be the laughing-stock if it goes ahead and spend millions of ringgit to promote the lie that Selangor is the first state in Malaysia to be developed.

(06/07/2005)