Speech by Ngeh Koo Ham, DAP Perak Chairman at the DAP Perak 17th Annual Convention
1. The need for further integration and understanding between the people of different religions and races
Our nation is still very divided because of race and religion. This is the outcome of BN's rule of using race and religion to divide and rule. The race based approach dividing Malaysians into Bumiputras and Non-Bumiputras in addressing structural inequality continue to divide us. Similarly, heightening religious differences also continued to divide us. So many events sanctioned by BN have perpetuated this division. The latest incidences are the refusal of BN Government to allow the Christians to use the word "Allah", accusing the Christians of creating a Christian State, refusal of the government to find a solution to the problems that arose due to the Constitutional amendment in 1988 where Clause 1A was added to Article 121 of the Federal Constitution where non Muslims are deprived of legal remedy whenever there is a conversion to or out of Islam, the cow heads and pig heads incidences and the 11 churches being fire bombed and vandalized over the Allah issue. The formation of Pakatan Rakyat was a great step forward towards the coming together of the people of Malaysia. We must ensure that PR wins in this coming General Election so that the PR policies on social justice and religion as contained in the 19th December 2009 Pakatan Rakyat Policies can be implemented. Affirmative action will be based on needs not race or religion. Universal values of the various religions will be our foundation. Pakatan Rakyat Government will establish a comprehensive mechanism to fairly settle all cases where there is a conflict between the civil and syariah judicial systems.
2. A better Malaysia under a 2-party system
The people of Malaysia were treated so much better by the Government after the 2008 General Election. Never before the people obtained so much attention, benefits, respect and hand outs from the Government. The PR States treated the people so well that the BN federal government has no other option but to do likewise. However, there is a great difference. The PR States gave out money and other benefits out of their surplus while BN Federal Government through its deficit budgets. Many of the benefits given out by the PR States were bonuses from the lack of corruption. Corruption under the BN government continues with the Transparency International Corruption Index on Malaysia dropped to 4.3 points and the 60th place out of 183 countries in 2011, the worst in Malaysian history. The people will obtain so much more benefits if PR were to rule the Federal Government especially from the money that are saved from corruption.
3. Caring for the rakyat and creation of wealth
The DAP together with its Pakatan Rakyat partners promise that if given a chance to rule again in Perak, we will continue our pro people policies where the needs of the Perakians will be well taken care of. We will give land to the landless unlike BN to their cronies and help the poor through various welfare and assistance schemes. We will not lie to the people like BN did. BN promised the Indians 2000 acres of land to support the Tamil Schools but gave the land to Yayasan Perak, a state government agency. BN also announced 5000 acres of land to support Sekolah Agama Rakyat. Until today none of the Tamil Schools and Sekolah Agama Rakyat have benefitted from BN Perak Government's announcements. Under PR, we approved 2,500 acres of land to Chinese Independent schools (SUWA) because there was already a Board to administer the land. The Chinese Independent schools are now getting RM1.1 million a year and after the 5th year will get more that RM3.6 Million a year (under a scheme where the schools will get an average of RM3.6 Million a year). PR Government never neglected the Tamil and Sekolah Agama Rakyat. We were in the process of forming governing bodies to help administer these lands for the benefit of the Tamil Schools and Sekolah Agama Rakyat but unfortunately our rule was cut short by BN's grab of power on 6/2/2009. More than 3 ? years have lapsed yet the BN Government has done nothing to ensure that the Tamil Schools and Sekolah Agama Rakyat benefit from these lands, showing us that they do not genuinely care for these schools.
BN Perak Government has announced the increase of assessment rates early this year but withheld it after Pakatan Rakyat objected to it. I have also been informed by Developers that land conversion premium for their housing and commercial schemes have increased by as much as 3 times thereby causing them to pass these additional costs to the buyers. The people must see the difference between BN and PR Perak Governments. The PR Perak Government had announced in 2008 that there will be no increase in any form of tax or payment with regard to all matters under the jurisdiction of the Perak Government in the next 5 years.
The Perak PR Government encouraged and will encourage entrepreneurs, businessmen and investors to generate the economy in the State of Perak. We believe with the creation of wealth the people will benefit by having higher incomes. We only ask that these entrepreneurs, businessmen and investors protect the environment and give just and fair salaries to the workers. The PR Perak State Government had wanted to see RM5,000-00 per month jobs easily available in Perak after 2 terms in government but this was not to be because of BN's grab of power.
The people are looking at PR with high hopes and expectations. We do not want to disappoint them. Therefore, I call on all members of the DAP and PR to work extra hard to ensure a big win in this coming 13th General Election.
