IPOH, 16 Apr — The people of Perak shall earn a monthly income from RM4,000 to RM5,000 if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is given the chance to govern the resource-rich state for two terms.

Perak DAP Chairman, Ngeh Koo Ham said, Perak, being already blessed with various natural resources, bears a huge potential to be become a developed state.

The goal to turn the people of Perak as high-income earners, however, found a sudden halt as investors — initially agreeing to invest under the democratically installed PR state government — withdrew their intentions after the event of the unconstitutional power seizure in 2009, not confident with Barisan Nasional’s track record of mismanagement and corruption.

“We are confident that, with investments coming in, more employment opportunities shall be opened, therefore raising the income of the people. When BN wrested Perak, investors delayed their intentions since they are not willing to face the risks of loss under BN,” Ngeh said, in a ceramah here on 15 April.

Ngeh, who is also the incumbent parliamentarian for Beruas, said that as an early precaution, the desire to strengthen the economy of the people of Perak could be seen in the Perak PR Manifesto, launched on 15 April.

The manifesto, among others, shows the high dedication to eradicate hardcore poverty in Perak. The PR coalition aims to facilitate households earning lower than RM760 per month, emulating the efforts executed by the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government. The coalition also aims to make the year 2013 as a zero hardcore poverty year.

“It is all about income. We can imagine how strangled the Perak folks are when a research has shown that at least 90 percent of the state citizens are not able to buy a house based on the amount of income they have earned.

“What is BN doing all this while?” Ngeh said.

The Perak State Assembly has 59 seats, of which PR is confident to win at least 36 to 40 seats to form the state government.

The coalition of DAP, PAS and PKR won 31 state seats in Perak to BN’s 28 in the 2008 elections. 3 reps defected the opposition coalition later in 2009, causing the downfall of the people-elected PR government in Perak. — The Rocket