Penang 2013 New Year Message by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng
Penang will see 2013 as the end of poverty and continue the successes of fighting corruption so that there are no 3rd class economic citizens. Over the last 5 years the PR leadership in Penang has worked hard to reduce income inequality and introduced CAT governance of competency, accountability and transparency to accumulate record budget surpluses to implement social programmes, carry out traffic infrastructure works and build affordable housing.
Under PR’s Agenda Economic Sosial(AES) or Social Economic Agenda, Penang will be the first state in Malaysia to wipe out poverty by ensuring every household/family has an income of at least RM770 per month. The poverty line is RM763 per month for every household/family in Peninsular Malaysia.
Those families with less than RM770 monthly income will have the difference topped up by the state government every month. In other words, a family with RM600 monthly income will receive RM170 monthly under the PR AES programme. AES will cost the Penang state government at least RM20 million yearly and a huge majority of the recipients will be Malays.
At the same time, construction will begin for the first of 18,000 units of affordable housing throughout Penang, including on the island. 2013 will see the selection by open competitive tender of contractors for 5 major roadworks including the proposed third link of a underwater sea tunnel between Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth.
Fighting corruption will be continue to top the agenda as only a clean government can ensure a knowledgeable, fair, progressive and prosperous society. Corruption has turned Malaysians generally into 3rd class economic citizens. The first class economic citizens are BN leaders whereas the 2nd class are BN cronies and followers.
The Malays have become 3rd class economic citizens as a result of financial scandals such as the RM 52 billion bumi share scandal. RM54 billion of shares were allocated to bumis but none of the ordinary Malays or bumis from Sabah and Sarawak received a single share and only RM2 billion remain. To date the BN government has refused to investigate the loss of RM52 billion of bumi shares.
The Chinese have also become 3rd class economic citizens, being forced to finance Chinese schools when MCA Ministers and BN leaders were more interested in the RM13.85 billion Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal. Whereas the Indians have become 3rd class economic citizens with the unresolved and failed MAIKA scandal.
In Sabah and Sarawak, two of the richest states in natural resources in Malaysia, also have the highest poverty levels because the leaders are more interested in enriching themselves or their families. 28 million Malaysians are 3rd class economic citizens following the expose of RM871 billion outflow of illicit funds or “black” money from 2001-2010 by the Washington-based financial watchdog 2012 Global Financial Integrity (GFI) Report.
Penang has succeeded in stemming corruption following strict enforcement of 6 integrity steps of:
Instituting public declaration of assets of the Chief Minister and the EXCO members vetted by an international accounting firm.
Implementing open competitive tenders.
Bar family members from involvement in government contracts.
Protect genuine whistleblowers.
Remove leaders with extravagant lifestyles.
Come clean on political donations.
Establishing integrity will not only bring human dignity but also economic dignity to Penangites that reward hard work and gives equal opportunities to all. Only with economic dignity can Penang develop into an international and intelligent city that is clean, green, safe and healthy.
