Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, at the Penerok DAP Branch anniversary dinner held at Kukup, Pontian on Saturday, October 15, 1994 at 7 pm
DAP calls on Mahathir to introduce new anticorruption legislation on Monday’s Parliament to ensure that top political and government leaders are whiter than white’ as making unusual and extraordinary wealth an automatic corruption offence
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed said yesterday that UMNO leaders should be ‘whiter than white’ and be transparent.
DAP therefore calls on Mahathir to introduce new anti- corruption legislation on Monday’s Parliament to ensure that top political and government leaders are ‘whiter than white’ as making unusual and extraordinary wealth an automatic corruption offence, as well as requiring Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chief Ministers and Mentris Besar to publicly declare their assets.
If Mahathir is sincere in wanting political leaders to be ‘whiter than white’, then the Government should endorse the DAP’s Fourth Declaration on Nation-Building Policies on ‘A Clean and Accountable Government’ which was made public on October 6, and in particular the following four specific proposals:
DECLARE corruption as the country’s Public Enemy Number One;
ELEVATE the Anti -Corruption Agency into an Anti-Corruption Commission which is completely autonomous of ‘the government and answerable only to Parliament;
LEGISLATE a completely new Anti-Corruption with expanded powers and increased penalties to stamp out corruption, including powers to confiscate ill-gotten gains and unusual wealth accumulated by political leaders and government officials which are completely disproportionate to their known sources of income;
ENACTMENT of a ‘sunshine law’ requiring political leaders, elected representatives and top civil servants to publicly declare their family assets.
Call on Anwar Ibrahim to promise in his 1995 Budget presentation on October 28 that the Govern¬ment would declare uncompromising war against corruption in high political places
In New York last week, the Deputy Prime Miniter, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government would not, under any circumstances, condone corruption because if left unchecked, it would lead to the destruction of society.
Although Anwar is also the chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Corruption and Malpractices, the government has a long way to go to prove that it is really committed to the war against corruption – especially corruption in high political places.
So far, the government has shown that the Anti- Corruption Agency is free to deal with ‘ikan bills’ corruption, but is completely hamstrung when it comes to investigation and action against influential or highly-placed political leaders in government.
I call on Anwar Ibrahim to promise in his 1995 Budget which he would table in the Dewar Rakyat on October 28 that the Government would declare an uncompromising war against corruption and all forms of abuses of power and malpractices in government.
Fong Chan Onn should explain why the Chinese primary schools get only RM50 million when they should get at least RM125 million from the RM800 million schools ‘maintenance fund’ for this year
MCA Deputy Education Mlinister, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, has been compelled by DAP pressures to give more and more information about the allocation and distribution of the RM800 million schools ‘maintenance fund’ for this year, which is motivated purely by the forthcoming general elections.
Yesterday, he said that the government had allocated RM49.7 million to the Chinese primary schools in the country for schools ‘maintenance fund’ for this year. This is most unsatis¬factory.
Chan Onn should explain why the Chinese primary schools get only RM50 million allocation when they should get at least RM125 million from the RM800 million schools maintenance fund’ for this year.
The Chinese primary school students comprise 25 per cent of the total primary school population and they should therefore be entitled to 25 per cent of total maintenance fund allocation to all primary schools.
As primary school students constitute some 65 per cent of the total primary and secondary school population, it is fair to estimate that out of the RM800 million school maintenance ‘special project’, some RM500 million would be allocated to the primary schools out of which the Chinese primary schools should be entitled to RM125 million.
DAP demands the strictest monitoring and account ability of the RM800 million schools maintenance special project’ to ensure it is not misused to become a source of campaign funds for Barisan Nasional in next general elections
I have said that the RM800 million schools ‘mainte¬nance fund’ special project is motivated purely by the forthcom¬ing general elections to win votes, because I know of schools which do not need the ‘maintenance fund’ allocation for this year but which suddenly get a ‘bonanza’.
The question that must be asked is whether every sen of the RM800 million meant for ‘school maintenance’ special project this year will be received by the schools in the country, or whether it is just an opportunity for certain selected people to rake ‘windfall’ profits from the allocation – which would also be useful as sources for the Barisan Nasional election campaign funds.
DAP will demand at the Parliamentary meeting next Monday the strictest monitoring and accountability of the manner of expenditure of this RM800 million ‘special projects’ school ‘maintenance fund’ to ensure that there is no hanky-panky in its management, distribution and expenditure
DAP to contest in Johore Bahru parliamentary and Skudai and Stulang state seats in next general elections
In the next general elections, the DAP will be retur¬ing to the Johore Bahru electoral arena after an absence of over a decade.
The DAP will be contesting in the Johore Bahru parliamentary constituency and the state assembly constituencies of Skudai, Stulang and Tanjong Petri, and one of my hopes for the next general elections is a DAP breakthrough in Johore Bahru where the DAP can represent the people of Johore Bahru in the Johore State Assembly and Parliament.