Pakatan states urged to emulate Selangor on FOI

  By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim has called on all Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states to emulate Selangor’s Freedom of Information Enactment (FOI) to demonstrate that the coalition was a political block with a difference.

He said Penang, Kedah and Kelantan governments should legislate the FOI to show Pakatan’s commitment to reforms to the people.

He said the enactment would, not only, make state administrations more transparent but would also illustrate that Pakatan governments were prepared for public scrutiny of all their deeds and actions.

He hinted that such enactment would also streamline the operations of the four Pakatan state governments.

By enacting the FOI, he pointed out that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had shown that he is prepared to be scrutinised by the people for his government’s actions.

“I hope other states would emulate Selangor and enact the legislation soon.

“It will underline Pakatan as different from Barisan Nasional,” Zaid said while addressing a PKR dinner organised by Bayan Baru division in Pesta Site on Sunday night.

Local council polls
He also called on Pakatan states to restore the third vote democratic process to emphasise Pakatan’s divergence from political governance a'la BN.

He pointed out that Pakatan states were duty bound to re-introduce the local government elections given that it was an election promise.

He said that the people voted in Pakatan in 2008 because they yearned for a change in the style of governance.

Zaid, who was a former federal minister, said the people have indicated their desire to move away from BN’s race-based politics.

Thus, he said it was only ideal that Pakatan states implemented different policies and action plans to fulfil public demands based on multi-racial politics.

However, he cautioned Pakatan against merely sloganeering of the multi-racial catchphrase for political mileage.

He said Pakatan should actualise its multi-racial political struggle with actions to win over the people.

He said Pakatan can reach Putrajaya in the next election through hard work and unity.

He claimed that the public illusion of BN strongholds, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, was now a thing of the past.

“Pakatan strength is growing everywhere, including in Sabah and Sarawak.

“We can capture the federal government if we can maintain and strengthen our unity and public confidence,” he said.

Umno under fire

Earlier, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim told the dinner that history has proven from time to time that governments practising racism and fascism have always failed to succeed.

Hitting at Umno, he pointed out that governments that neglected justice, rule of law and integrity have also eventually collapsed.

He called on non-Malays to shred their delusion that all Malays were benefitting from the federal government economic policies.
The Permatang Pauh MP alleged that the truth was Umno had been squandering the country’s wealth to enrich its cronies in the name of Malay supremacy.

He said there was a vast difference of income between the few rich Malays and majority poor Malays.

He alleged in the name of safeguarding the Malay rights and privileges, Umno had only been creating Malay billionaires among its cronies.

“But it’s not the government’s business to produce billionaires.

“The government’s main task is to provide adequate, equal and fair opportunities to all to succeed in the nation building,” said Anwar, who is also parliamentary Opposition Leader.