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A Budget for Whom and For What?


Speech on the 2006 Budget
by
M. Kula Segaran,

(Parliament, Wednesday):

 

Speech on the 2006 Budget by M.Kula Segaran, MP for Ipoh Barat and DAP Vice Chairman, in the Dewan Rakyat on 12th October05

A Budget for Whom and For What?

Of all the comments I have read so far  on the 2006 Budget introduced by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is the one written by M. Bakri Musa, and published in The Sun of the weekend of October 8 – 9, 2005.

         If you haven’t read it, please do, as soon as possible. The comments on the budget by the editors, editorial writers and other government sycophants, we can actually ignore because they all invariably have an axe to grand or some personal agendas or secret ulterior motive to pursue or entertain.

         M. Bakri Musa’s short but excellent article on the Budget is entitled “We have learned nothing”. I agree with most of what he says. He is blunt whenever it is necessary; he is clear – headed; and he doesn’t mince his words.

         He begins by saying that the Budget “expose one glaring reality: We have learned nothing from out experiences.

“We have yet to rationalize public expaditary and appreciate the proper role of government. We still have that civil – servant mindset of solving a problem by throwing money at it.

“With all the goodies for them, this budget is indeed by, of, and for civil servants. It reflects the increasing bureaucratization which is a large factor in Malaysia’s declining competitiveness”.

Doesn’t that sound like a breath of fresh air? Malaysian is by large saying that this budget is yet another bag of sweets for the civil servants. We are all of course for an efficient and satisfied civil service, but how many sweets and goodies must we continue to throw at them?

Has the government considered fully the socio – economic plight of the ordinary Malaysians who do not hold a civil service job? The taxi drivers, the bus drivers, the factory workers, the fisherman, the farmers, the hawkers, the coffee – shopkeepers, the small business people, the self – employed and others. What bonuses for them?

The government has been saying enough is enough and it’s time to reduce or stop subsidies for the people. Then why this throwing of more subsidies for only civil servants? What about the people in this inflationary period, a slow economy and decreasing job opportunities?

And talking about subsidies and more subsidy mentality, I say it is high time the country and the people stop subsidizing the government and its cronies and the crony contractors with the wealth of our natural resources. The government’s own subsidy mentality must stop, either by way of stopping governmental, bureaucratic and political corruption and money politics, or by way of colossal wastage and abuse and misuse of the country’ wealth as so eloquently pointed out in Auditor – General’s Report of 2005.

Allow me to quote further from M. Bakri Musa. He says; “Our leaders repeatedly highlight two major issues: the quality pf our human capital and inefficiencies of government – linked companies (GLCs).

“Recognizing is only half the problem: the others is correcting. This budget fails miserably at this time.

He also points out correctly that “Less than a quarter of the budget is for development, the rest simply operating expanses, with a huge chunk just for salaries”.

And he laments most accurately that despite the billions spent on operating costs and a quarter of that on development costs, the people are still suffering from bureaucratic inefficiency. “Those poor kampong folks who risk their lives every day crossing rickety bridges, continue being careful!”

Indeed. Many of our schools, especially Sekolah – Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina or Tamil, are infested or already eaten away by termites. Has the Education Minister taken the trouble to find out how schools in the whole country need urgent repairs or are perhaps beyond repairs? Especially after the tragic and unnecessary death of teacher Chan Boon Heng, 42, of SJK(C) Keat Hwa in Alor Star recently?

How many of our schools computer labs are now in working order, after the multimillion – ringgit scam a few years ago? Does the Education Minister remember?

It was reported in the media on 6th October, 2005 that about 600 schools hostels in rural Sarawak are in urgent need of repair. Was the Education Minister aware of that? Does he know how many schools hostels in other parts of the country are in this pathetic and sorry state? How serious is the termite problem in our schools? Or, for that maters, in our hospitals, clinic, houses and other places?

For instance, on the very same  day as the schools hostels in Sarawak story appeared in the media, it was also reported that a RM200.000 can ply walk built on Penang Hill three years ago is closed now to the public as it is unsafe because it is infested with termites.

Is this termite infestation problem symptomatic of a large illness affecting our country?

We may laugh. Yes, we could very well laugh if the situation were not so serious or even tragic. The social problems in our country are serious and mounting. And no Malaysians can afford to trivialize or underestimate them.

About 6.000 Malaysians are killed on our roads every year. This is a huge tragedy. It is not enough just to have an Ops Sikap for two or three weeks daring the Hari Raya season or the Chinese New Year season. And it is no use just blaming the drivers, although many of them ought to blame. But how many did they get their driving licenses? And how may of those are “kopi” licenses?

There are 50.000 drivers without licenses in the country! Shocking? Unbelievable? But it is true> According to  The Star of 4th October, 2005, 50.000 motorist and motorcyclists have been caught driving or riding without licenses so far this year.

The report says: “According to Nanyang Siang Pau, 50.00 summonses were issued to these errant motorist and motorcyclist during the first eight months of this year.”

The report continues; Quoting Road Transport Department (JPJ) director – General Datuk Emran Kadir, the daily said that in Selangor alone, 2.026 such summonses were issued out motorcyclist, 1.649 to car drivers, 1.765 to lorry drivers, 135 to bus drivers and 69 to taxi drivers and two reared car drivers.

This is most shocking indeed! How long has this been going on? It is a wonder that no more people on our roads are killed every year. This surely warrants a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Does the 2006 Budget take this very serious matter into account? And will the 9th Malaysia Plan have provision for this matter to be tackled at the most senior level?

What has the National Road Council been doing? Sleeping? Or being eaten up by termite?

Last year, more than 6.000 Malaysian were killed on the roads. We still have about three months left of this year; how many road deaths this year? And how many serious injuries? As a Malaysia has put it correctly, if driving were a disease, it would have been an epidemic.

The transport Ministry has not been doing it job properly and seriously. A ruling was introduced during the tenure of the previous Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik barring drivers to use their hand phones on the road. But this ruling was never seriously and properly implemented or enforced. Up to this very day, under the present Minister of Transport, there is no serious enforcement. Why? We still see everyday people driving and talking on their hand phones, posing a threat to them and to others. Why? Why is enforcement so slack even when it is a life – and – death matter?

Has the 2006 budget considered the cause and implications of other serious social issues? The illegal drug addiction and trafficking problem is still very serious. The RM100 million ringgit ‘Tak Nak’ anti – campaign is a big expensive failure. Why? And why is the government wavering in it’s attend in the ending of tobacco growing in the country? The less than 20% price increase for cigarettes proposed by the 2006 Budget is a joke which will not discourage old smokers, new smokers and potential smokers from this unhealthy habit and practice. The price increase should have been at least 50%.

An average of 2.555 Malaysian commits suicide every year. Why? Are we looking seriously into this problem? Do we have enough funds and personnel and experts to tackle this problem?

How much money has been allocated in Budget 2005 to fight HIV/ AIDS? The United Nations Development Programmer (UNDP) has said that the HIV/ AIDS threat to Malaysia is very serious. The UNDP Human Development Report 2005 says that Malaysia needs to double her efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

The UNDP Report says that with some 64.000 Malaysians are detected HIV positive since 1986, the diseases is now in the verge of becoming an epidemics in Malaysia. Are we getting ready? Have we got the messages? Do we have enough money and hum resources for the job?

While still on the subject of health, I would like to congratulate both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture for being fully alert to the threat of an avian flu pandemic in this country. They jointly pledged openly to us that they are ready for any eventuality. We hope and pray they are right.

However, the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and some states government and local councils cannot be similarly praised in their efforts against the tiny mosquito. The current outbreak of dengue fever cases – including some fatal cases – in Penang and some other states is a serious blemish the way we keep our environmental, especially our drains and streets clean. In this respect, the Minister of Housing and Local Government should be sacked for his failure to ensure that local authorities under his jurisdiction were doing their job diligently and responsibly.

The current dengue outbreak in so many parts of the country is proof once again that the most appointed and unelected local councils and authorities are unfit to do their job. There is deep and widespread public disappointment with the performance of these councils. Local authorities in Malaysia presently have power over a combined total about RM 20 billion ringgit a year of public money to spend, but being an unelected they have absolutely no accountability.

I would therefore like to reiterate our call for the restoration of elections for these local councils and authorities. The Hon’ble Pr9ime Minister and Finance Minister must remember that taxation without representation is a most basic form of corruption. RM20 billion ringgit of public money a year is a stake.

Crime against Women

These crimes against women happen all over the country on a daily basis. Violence against women, rape and murder included. What are we doing apart from soothing assurances after the events and after the tragedies? After the Canny Ong rape cum – murder, the Minister for Women Affairs promised that the authorities were collating a profile on the perpetrators of rape and murder. After more than two years, where is the profile? Were the police involved in collating this profile?

When is the Royal Malaysian Police Force going to put more uniformed and a plain cloths personnel on the street, housing gardens and shopping mall to protect the Malaysian citizens especially women against such terrorist acts? And we have not mentioned the incidence of burglaries and armed robberies.

Months have passed since the Royal Police Commission come out with its report of findings and recommendations. These days we hear very little about the implementation of those proposals. Why? We were told some months ago that the Royal Commission had broken itself up into committees. Then one fine day we read in the media that the police force would need a few billion ribggit to implement those proposals.

When it comes to the public safety, money shouldn’t be any problem, so long as there is accountability and transparency. Has Budget 2006 provided for a large ad more efficient police force? If not, why not? Are we making provisions in the coming Malaysian Plan?

Taking Care of Our Minorities.

An annual budget, just like a 5 – year development plan, should always play the role of forging unity in our multiracial Malaysians society. This means taking care in all fields and areas of human endeavour – education, higher education, employments, business opportunities, health care, etc. Approved permits (AP) are in the controversy zone at the moment – or rather over the last four months. If we are to retain the AP policy, then it should be done more fairly and justly. Malaysian minorities and less fortunate socio – economic groups should be the first priority in the awarding the APs in the future.

Minority Indians

In this regard I would like to stress that our minority Malaysian Indian Community who now from about 8% of our population must not be neglected any longer. Their ancestors, as we know, were brought here from India by the British to work on the rubber estates and to build roads, as well as to work in health and survey and other departments. They contributed tremendously towards the socio – economic foundation of this country. It would not only be the height of ingratitude to neglect this minority now; very serious social and political ramifications and repercussions could develop as a result of such benign neglect. In fact that is an understatement to some extent already. Some social consequences in terms of crime are already noticeable. My advices: Don’t allow this neglect to continue and fester until it explodes into a tragedy like they have in Sri Lanka.

Annual budgets and five – year Malaysians Plan must take this into serious consideration. Before neglect turns into despair and desperation, frustration and anger.

Here some issues and areas of dissatisfactions among many Malaysian Indians which the Prime Minister should urgently pay attention to:

University Intake.

University intake for Indians reduced by about 50% from the over 10% quota in 1970 to 5.2% in 2003. In 2004 the supposed meritocracy system was introduced but it turned out to be “meritocracy without merits”. Hundreds of especially poor ethnic minorities Malaysians Indian students were deprived of their right to education. Matriculation courses for entry into public universities are almost exclusively for the majority community.

Medical Seats.

Medical seats in the universities of Malaya were reduced by 98% from 16 seats in 2001 to only 1 seat in 2003. This is effect means that the almost 1.8 million Indian have to compete for just (1) medical seats at this universities. When they opted to study at affordable Universaties overseas, the state in June 2005, in an effort to reduce the number of ethnic Malaysian Indian medical students studying overseas acted. The Crimea State medical universities medical degrees were derecognized for dubious and questionable reasons. In an effort to reduce the number of Indian medical doctors most other foreign medical universities with high ethnic Malaysian Indians student enrolment is currently having it status reviewed. The local medical universities are far worse off in all respect in comparison with the Crimea University.

TAMIL SCHOOLS

80% of the 523 Tamil Schools (ethnic minority Malaysian Indian schools) are in dilapidated conditions with almost no sports, recreational, computer, library and others basic facilities accorded  to National Schools and is still not made fully aided government schools when primary school education has been made compulsory by Law. The prime minister announced a sum of RM 1.8 billion for primary and secondary schools in the 2004 budget (NST 13/9/2003 at page 12 (Note: all the above are in breach of Article 8 (equality before the law and article 12 (rights to education) of the federal constitution and the Education Act 1968.About 95% of these Tamil schools do not have kindergartens unlike 99% in National schools which has the same.

HINDU TEMPLES DEMOLISTION

Malaysia is about the one and only country in the world where one temple is unlawfully broken down by the authorities in every three weeks contravening article 11 (freedom of religion) of the Federal Constitution and the Penal Code. The emergency ordinance (outdated by 40 years) is often used to legalize their action. There have been reported cases of policemen torching temple, Molotov cocktails thrown into temples by policemen and state authorities or they are simply burnt down or bulldozed down.

There is an urgent need to set up a special fund to assist the Indians with an initial amount of at least RM500 million like the one I had suggested on 13July1999 during my speech in Parliament while debating the issue of the repeal of the South Indian Labour Fund.

Today the Malaysian Indian Congress President said if the government failed to help raise Indian equity MIC will close shop. This is merely a false threat by the MIC. We Malaysians know that the government will not and does not bother the least about raising the Indian equity from the present 1.5% to 3%. So will the MIC close shop as threatened by the MIC president? No way! In the past the promises by the President like he will stay put in Lunas if the BN lost in the by election was never kept. Remember the toothless tiger he was in the U turn he took on the issue of the Crima University derecognization issue?

The following other issues could not be raised due shortage of time imposed by the speaker.

MAJORITARIAN RULE THROUGH CIVIL SERVICE

Employment in the Civil Service sectors (Indian participation in the civil service reduced from about 40% in 1957 to about 2% in 2003.The remaining 2% of this Indians largely work in the clerical and industrial manual group (IMG). For promotions etc there is no equal opportunity. This is contrary to article 8(equality before the law) of the Federal Constitution. An equally Employment opportunity Commission should be established.

NO BUSINESS LICENCES / OPPORTUNITIES

Mearge or no business licenses / opportunities / small business / commercial licenses for Malaysian Indians to run businesses resulting in only 1% Indian participation in the country’s economic wealth. (and that too believed to be largely held by one state sponsored Indian millionaire)

VICTIMIZATION BY POLICE

Studies have revealed that Indians form about 60% of innocent people shot dead by the police, 60% of innocent people dying in police custody, 60% of suspects / detainees in police lockups and other detention centres.

NO EFFECTIVE LEGAL AID

Out of the aforesaid 60%,almost 95% of them plead guilty when they may not necessarily be guilty. Most of the crimes they commit are poverty  related. They cannot afford legal fees and neither is there an effective legal aid system.

LOWEST PER CAPITA

Studies have revealed that Indians have the lowest per capita income of only about RM 1000.00 per month when the national per capita income is projected at RM 14,954 in the 2004 budget (NST 13/9/2002 at page 15) This is about 95% below the national average. At the ground we are aware of many Indian families earning a mearge RM 450.00 per month.

ABUSE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Everyday even Indian women and children are not spared. As part of the interrogation an India lady was told to perform oral sex on another detainee at the Rawang police station. Her husband was then brought in naked before her and her daughter. She was then told that her 18 year old daughter would be raped later that might.

Another 14 year old boy was arrested from his house and was told to do 150 push ups in police custody. When he stopped at 20 he was kicked and the police boots broke his leg.

LABOUR CLASS

Hopelessness poverty and lack of opportunities leads to high Indian involvement in crime arising out of poverty.80% of ethnic Malaysian Indians have degenerated into becoming laborers, Industrial Manual Group (IMG) workers, office boys, security guards, public toilet cleaners, general workers, road sweepers, beggars, squatters, criminals, gangsters etc, as a result of direct discrimination by the state.

ETHNIC MALAYSIAN INDIAN POOR

Indians form sixty (60) % of urban squatters and forty-one (41) % of beggars (the economist 22/2/2003). About 80% this community is in the poor and / or hardcore poor bracket.

POVERTY AMONG ESTATE WORKERS / LABOURERS

Fifty-four (54 %) of  Malaysian Indians works as plantation or urban underpaid laborers. (Asia week 26/1/2002)

PATHETIC MONTHLY WAGES

After 46 years of independence the state has capped the monthly salary of plantation workers at RM 325.00 per month and RM 350.00 per month for rubber tappers. Can YB  survive on RM 350.00.

POOR STUDENTS

RM 200 million was allocated to assist poor student to continue with their education (NST 13/9/2003 at page 12) but it is doubtful if even hardly 1 % of the Indians benefit from this.

EMERGENCE OF A NEW ETHNIC MALAYSIAN INDIAN CRIMINAL CLASS

Over the last 25 years a new ethnic Malaysian Indians criminal class has emerged as a result of the aforesaid years of direct discrimination. High incidences of slashing and killing largely among themselves take place even over the most mundane issues.

SQUATTERS

Due to rapid development large plantations have been developed resulting in the plantation workers being displaced and forced to become squatters. Their squatter colonies are in turn demolished to make way for development with no or little alternative.

ORPHANDS / OLD FOLKS

The majority of orphanages and old folks homes are filled up with members of this community. This is another clear indicator of poverty.

SKILLS TRAINING

Access to even the lowest level skills training Institutions are deprived for this community resulting in most of them remaining unemployed or unskilled workers. Even at the NTS Arumugam Pillai skills training Institute which was build on funds derived from the dissolution of the South Indian Labour  Fund, not a single ethnic Malaysian Indian student was admitted in the fist intake.

PENSIONERS 

Budget 2006 gives a one – off sum of RM 200 to pensioners. While they are happy with this, the amount is too mearge, especially compared to the benefits givens to civil servants.

We must not forget the many and enormous contributions pensioners have given to the nation. They have given thirty-five or forty years of – or the best years of their lives – to service for society, and they clearly deserve more, particularly in these inflationary times.

I fully support the call from one Ravi Sanggang of Mentakah, Pahang, (NST, Letters, October 5, 2005) on the government to give pensioners at least RM 1000. Instead of a mere RM 200 to tide over this difficult period. After all, how much can you buy/ or do these days with RM 200?

FOREIGN WORKERS

Last but not least, I would like to touch on the plight of foreign workers in our country. How we treat our foreign workers tells the world what kind of a society we are – whether we are caring as we claim to be, kind and civilized and compassionate to our fellow human beings, or whether we are brutes and cruel and even inhumane.

It is a great shame that many foreign workers in this country have been subjected to all manner of bullying, cruelty and even outright cheating and exploitation.

We read in the daily newspapers of foreign workers not being paid for months on end for work already performed. What kind of employers are these? We hear of employers keeping their passports or travel documents and disappearing.

This scandalous state of affair must stop. The government should have no mercy on employers or agents or any other party exploiting and cheating foreign workers, regardless of their work permit or immigration status. Work done must be paid for fairly and promptly. Those who do not must be pu8nidhes more severally for their anti – labour and anti – human activities.

 

 

(12/10/2005)


* M. Kula Segaran, MP for Ipoh Barat and DAP Vice Chairman

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