By YL Chong
SEREMBAN: Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today acknowledged that the Barisan Nasional government was making changes but said these were being delivered in doses that were too small considering the “big scale corruption and leakages” that were continuing.
The government would implement programmes which bring only small benefits to the people and the local mainstream media would highlight these projects, but ignoring the wayward spending by the government ministers and the huge losses due to corruption, leakages and malpractices, he added.
“The BN-controlled media like Utusan Malaysia and RTM would play up the weaknesses of the Pakatan-Rakyat governments, especially in Selangor, as well as controversies involving PKR and its leaders,” Anwar said in his keynote address at the one-day PKR NS State Convention held at the Chung Hwa High School here.
Anwar stated that the party is committed to change the whole corrupt system represented by the BN throughout the nation. When he and other opposition leaders tried highlight to the people the present government’s wrongdoings and excesses, the mainstream press would completely black out their statements or continue to distort the messages.
Another big omission by the MSM is they would give scant or no coverage at all on the high-profile corruption cases like Port Klang Free Zone, wrongful or illegal acts by investigative agencies like the Police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, including the lack of follow-up actions on the VK Lingam judicial scandal.
On the PKFZ, the MSM would report on action being taken against the lesser officials, but they don’t question why no action is being taken against ex-Transport Ministers like Dr Ling Liong Sik and other big guns, Anwar noted.
So the corruption and malpractices continue under the BN government, as indicated by its owned government agency Auditor-General’s annual reports the recent years. Putrajaya continue to plunder the public coffer, and the state’s riches as reaped by the national oil corporation, hence the many “multi-milliion-ringgit” leakages in government spendings as highlighted by the 2008 Auditor-General’s Report.
It’s because of the BN government’s systemic corruption including abusing Petronas’ huge muliti-billion dollar annual profits in bailing out non-performing government-linked companies (GLCs) that has led to the country’s decline achieving gross domestic product (GDP) growth, falling behind neighbouring countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, in the recent years.
One of the factors contributing to this worrying state of affairs is the lack of confidence of foreigners in Malaysia’s government leadership, leading to the fall in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Malaysia.
Anwar pointed out that the Goverrnment leaders could not even be consistent in giving out facts with regard to official GDP figure, with the Prime Minister citing GDP growth next year projected at 9.0 percent at one stage, amending it to 6.0 percent later, while Minister in the PM’s department Mohamed Nor Yaacob stating it as 4.0-5.0 percent, and yet another deputy minister putting it at 2.0-3.0 percent.
Anwar later spoke to reporters on his impending role in Selangor as economic adviser to the state government, and he promised he would go in to ensure party leaders concentrate their efforts on delivering a clean, accountable and responsible government.
On reservations about Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s leadership expressed by many bloggers recently, including Raja Petra Kamarudin’s call that the MB be sacked for poor performance, Anwar said to be fair, the Auditor-General’s Report had given the highest rating to Selangor and Penang in terms of good governance since March 2008, scoring the highest level of four, which compared favourably against other states under BN control.
On the removal of civil servants alleged to be sabotaging the Selangor state government as encouraged by certain quarters including several bloggers, Anwar said to be fair, such measures could be taken only after thorough investigation, based on facts.
He agreed there could be “categorical instructions” by certain UMNO leaders to civil servants to sabotage the Selangor state government, but citing an example, if the State Secretary were to be “sacked”, Anwar asked: “What good would it do if the BN government continued to replace him with another federal officer of UMNO’s choice without PR input?”
“When I start there as economic adviser next week, I will ensure we embark on reforms as we are committed to cleaning up any weaknesses,. We will work out poverty eradication programmes to help the poor and needy, regardless of ethnicity, and expand on education and agriculture facilities to uplift the people’s standard of living in Selangor,” Anwar added
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