Where is the 10MP?, DAP rep asks PM

Liew, quizzes if the prime minister is being superstitious about the 10MP

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — A DAP MP has demanded the Prime Minister explain why he had failed to fulfil his promise to release the 10th Malaysia Plan’s first list of projects last month.

Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today of his pledge in Parliament on June 10 when he said that the implementation of the 10MP would be on a two-year rolling plan basis and that the first plan for the 2011 to 2012 period would be ready by the end of August this year.

In his speech, Najib had reportedly said that the approach would allow commitment to be made based on the government’s financial position and provide flexibility to respond to new priorities and changes in the global and domestic economic environment.

“The government was supposed to have released a detailed list of programmes and projects for the first rolling plan for 2011-2012 by the end of August but I have been made to understand that it is still nowhere near completion,” Liew said in a statement today.

He pointed out that the Dewan Rakyat had spent a day listening to Najib’s speech on the 10MP, six days debating it and four days hearing replies from ministers while the Senate had spent six days on it.

“In essence, the Parliament was debating on thin air, having not been provided with any details. The plan was a document of statements which sounded good, but not accompanied by any actual plan,” he said.

Liew added that it was strange that the government had rushed to present the plan without actually preparing a definitive programme for the next five years if its implementation.

“Was it, as alleged, because of the Prime Minister’s superstitious concerns? Or was there an effort to hide the actual programme from Parliament, especially the issue of allocations to Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states?” he said.

Liew also claimed that unlike the previous plans, the 10MP had departed from the practice of detailing allocations for states and ministries.

Najib, he said, must explain to all Malaysians if this had been done “maliciously”.

“Secondly, he should also explain why the first rolling plan for 2011-2012 had not been disclosed in August as pledged and third, will Parliament be given the opportunity to debate the rolling plan, which is essentially the actual plan?” said Liew.