Kit Siang labels Budget as ‘Mahathirish’ policy

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Lim Kit Siang claimed today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Budget 2011 was not a child of his New Economic Model (NEM) but instead “bore the marks of old, discredited Mahathirish policies”.

Addressing Parliament today, the veteran DAP lawmaker argued that it was exactly the policies of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad which had landed Malaysia in the middle-income trap it now finds itself in.

Lim (picture) contended that the Budget proposals was a throwback to the previous Mahathir Administration’s obsession with mega projects.

He said that the Najib Administration’s efforts in reforming the economy had been severely halted by three main setbacks — the release of the Auditor-General’s report on Monday, Transparency

International’s (TI) release of its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in which Malaysia performed poorly, as well as the release of the 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index which ranked Malaysia the 43rd most prosperous out of 110 countries.

“Despite all its bombast and pyrotechnics, Najib’s 2011 budget is not a child of the New Economic Model but bears all the marks of old discredited Mahathirish policies which have landed Malaysia in the middle-income trap for more than a decade, setting the country towards a failed and bankrupt nation come 2019.

“The symbol of the 2011 Budget and the ETP is the proposed RM5 billion 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower, and is a throwback to the era of Mahathirish obsession with mega projects.

“If Najib is seriously committed to a New Economic Model, based on economic, social and government transformation, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Malaysia to achieve targets as being ranked among the first twenty if not first ten of the least corrupt nations in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index or having at least 10 universities which are ranked among the Top 100

Universities in the world?” the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader told Parliament.

The 2009 Auditor-General’s report, tabled in Parliament on Monday, has revealed various discrepancies on ministries and government agencies.

Among the discrepancies and wastages identified by the report includes a sharp increase in the federal government’s collective debt for the past 5 years, Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTMB)’s RM1.45 million debt,

PTPTN’s RM46 million deficit, and misuse of economic stimulus for chandeliers and home theatre systems.

“The Auditor-General’s Reports, which were completed in June/July this year, were deliberately held back when they should have been tabled on the first day of the budget meeting of Parliament on October 11, clearly to avoid the “annual horror stories” from stealing the thunder from Najib’s 2011 Budget speech on October 15 and his Umno Presidential Address on October 21,” said Lim.

The Ipoh Timur MP also said that Malaysia’s CPI drop “highlighted” the failure of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) in fighting corruption, which was targeted to increase the CPI score from the new low of 4.5 in 2009 to 4.9 by 2010.

“In actual fact, Malaysia’s CPI score in 2010 sunk to the lowest in 16 years. In his 18 months as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak presided over the worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking and score, i.e. a nine-placing fall from No. 47 in 2008 to No. 56 in 2009, with the score plunging to the lowest ever of 4.5 last year. For 2010, Malaysia’s ranking is still at the worst spot of No. 56 while the CPI score fell further to 4.4

“Abdullah’s National Integrity Plan, launched in 2004 with the five-year target to improve Malaysia’s TI CPI from 37th place in 2003 to at least 30th position in 2008 and the 5.2 CPI score for Malaysia in 2003 to at least 6.5 by 2008 was an utter failure but Najib’s 18 months have seen both Malaysia’s TI CPI rank and score plumbed to new depths despite all the fanfare and hulaballoo of GTP, NKRAs and national transformation,” said the Ipoh Timur MP.

Lim said that the “third blow” to the governtment transformation programme was the today’s release of 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index ranking Malaysia 43rd out of 110 countries, behind Singapore — 17, Japan — 18, Hong Kong — 20, Taiwan — 22, South Korea — 27 though ahead of Thailand — 52, China — 58, Vietnam — 61, Philippines — 64 and Indonesia — 70.

It is understood that the Legatum Prosperity Index sub-index on “safety and security” ranked Malaysia as No. 52 out of 110, something which Lim said “warrants” serious attention on the Home Ministry’s ability to safeguard the country from crime.

Lim also echoed his other PR colleagues’ remarks attacking Prime Minister Datuk Seri najib Razak for wanting to go ahead with the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka skyscraper despite widespread public opposition.

An anti-Warisan Merdeka Facebook campaign which started as soon as Najib announced the plans for building the tower is fast gaining fans towards its cause — with nearly 200,000 Facebook fans who are against the tower’s construction.

“The Prime Minister has asked the government to give priority to the social media and to respect the views of ordinary Malaysians, especially the young generation of all races.

“The majority using the facebook are young Malaysians and the Prime Minister should seriously cancel the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka Tower project as it will not only end up as a white elephant which will be worst possible symbol for any national transformation in the country.

“It has been estimated that the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka Tower with 3 million sq ft will add to the glut of office space in Kuala Lumpur which will be equivalent to 7.8 years of office space supply in Kuala

Lumpur based on the average annual take up of 1.72 million sq ft in 1985-2009, even without taking into account massive projects announced recently,” said Lim.

Analysts have warned that by dismissing the opposition towards the construction of the tower, Barisan Nasional (BN) risks losing major support among voters.