by Lim Guan Eng
All 28 Million Malaysians, Including Malays, Sabahans and Sarawakians, Are 3rd Class Economic Citizens Not Just Chinese And Indians.
The New Straits Times(NST) have once again shown itself not only to be a mouthpiece of BN employed principally to spread lies but also a racist organisation that spews racial hatred against PR leaders with distorted news. Both the NST and Utusan Malaysia are owned by UMNO and the NST is an English carbon copy of the virulent racist Utusan Malaysia. Utusan Malaysia openly advocates the celebration of thousands of non-Malays murdered during the May 13 racial riots in 1969 as a sacred day.
In any country, Utusan Malaysia would be punished for inciting murder but not in 1Malayia, demonstrating that 1Malaysia is a big propaganda tool to deceive voters. So vitriolic are NST and Utusan Malaysia’s lies and so intense their racial hatred, that I dare not send them written press statements to both these papers, much less give verbal answers at press conferences in their presence.
Even though I did not send my 2013 New Year Message to NST, NST in today’s report has still managed to spin lies by not publishing in full the depth of entrenched corruption by BN resulting in 28 million Malaysians becoming 3rd class economic citizens. The first class economic citizens are BN leaders whereas the 2nd class are BN cronies and followers.
It is irresponsible of NST to paint the wrong picture that I had only described Chinese and Indians as 3rd class economic citizens when I had also described Malays, native Sabahan or Sarawakian as 3rd class economic citizens. No mention was made by NST of the poor economic condition of bumis caused by corruption such as the RM52 billion bumi share scandal, where RM52 billion worth of shares disappeared even though no ordinary Malay, native Sabahan or Sarawakian received a single share. I had asked National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said last night whether he ever got a single share and he said no.
Neither was there any report in the NST of my mentioning of Sabah and Sarawak remaining as amongst the poorest states in Malaysia, even though they are the richest in natural resources. The fact remains as Sabah and Sarawak leaders becomes ever wealthier, the poorer the people become. That is why 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.
Not only the whole world knows that corruption is rife in Malaysia, even ordinary Malaysians know that BN is corrupt as demonstrated by the historic rejection of BN in the 2008 general elections. Just as racist mono-ethnic parties like UMNO, MCA and MIC can co-operate together because of their common stand on corruption, there is no reason why Malaysians of different races and backgrounds cannot stand together and unite by opposing corruption.
As my 2013 New Year Message indicates, corruption is not limited to one race but affects all. Poverty will also be addressed under the Penang’s Agenda Ekonomi Sosial(AES) when Penang will be the first step to wipe out poverty by 2013. The Penang state government will top up the income of all poor households every month to ensure that all household receive RM770 a month, which will allow them to escape the poverty line. How then can fighting corruption and poverty be described by NST as instigating hatred, two programmes never done by the previous BN state government?
For the benefit of all, below is my full reprint of my Penang 2013 New Year Message released yesterday.
Penang Will See 2013 As Ending Poverty And Continue The Successes Of Fighting Corruption So That There Are No 3rd Class Ecoomic Citizens.
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:
1. Instituting public declaration of assets of the Chief Minister and the EXCO members vetted by an international accounting firm.
2. Implementing open competitive tenders.
3. Bar family members from involvement in government contracts.
4. Protect genuine whistleblowers.
5. Remove leaders with extravagant lifestyles.
6. 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. – The Rocket
