On Friday, the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be presenting the 1997 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
DAP calls on Anwar to present a 1997 budget which promotes social justice by ensuring that quality education up to university level, good healthcare and housing are within the reach of all Malaysians.
The recent spree of privatisation in the education and health sectors, as well as the withdrawal of the government from the housing sector, have combined to make quality education, good healthcare and housing either a luxury or a great financial burden to the ordinary people, which is not conducive to the promotion of social justice.
The 1997 budget should be an instrument to ensure that quality education, good healthcare and housing are affordable and accessible to all Malaysians, regardless of income or race.
This will be the DAP’s focus in the Parliamentary debate on the 1997 budget which will begin on Monday, October 27.
The Lukut DAP Branch 30th anniversary dinner, with the primary aim of raising funds to defend DAP State Assemblyman for Temiang, Lee Yuen Fong, who is being persecuted for championing the rights of squatters, and to save him from being disqualified as an Assemblyman as a result of a civil suit against him, was meant to be held last night.
However, a most unusual and powerful gale which swept through Lukut last night forced the cancellation of the dinner last night. That we can continue with the dinner tonight in a matter of 24 hours signifies two important things:
Firstly, that in the political struggle for freedom, justice and a better life for Malaysians, we must be prepared for all forms of adversity. Just like the powerful gale which swept through Lukut last night, the trials and tribulations which Lee Yuen Fong is going through in fighting is part of the struggle of Malaysians for justice, equality and human dignity in Malaysia, and this is why Lee Yuen Fong deserves the fullest public support.
Secondly, we must have the resilience to continue with the political struggle whatever the odds, obstacles and setbacks.
The DAP suffered its worst electoral setback in the April 1995 general elections, but we have quickly sprung back four months later in the Bagan by-election in September 1995 and most recently, in the Sarawak state general elections last month.
However, we must concede that the Opposition has never been so weak than it is today in Malaysian history.
Parliament reconvened last week with a very weakened opposition, following the return of Parti Melayu Semangat 46 to UMNO. The crossing of the floor by six Semangat 46 MPs has further weakened an emasculated Opposition since the 1995 general elections, which saw the Barisan Nasional winning a landslide victory with an unprecedented five-sixth majority in Parliament.
A survey of a regional magazine about public perceptions about the Opposition in Malaysia even before the defection of the Parti Melayu Semangat 46 from the Opposition to UMNO is most noteworthy.
In the October 10 issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review, an Asian Executives Poll reported that 47.1 per cent of the business leaders in Malaysia polled believed that the Opposition in Malaysia was “too weak”, and no one thought that the Opposition in Malaysia was “too strong”.
Malaysia shares the same category as Indonesia and Singapore where no business leaders in the respective countries polled in the survey was of the view that their opposition could be described as being in a “too strong” position.
This survey was taken before the dissolution of Parti Melayu Semangat 46 and its return to UMNO, and the Opposition position in Malaysia today is in an even more unfavourable and disadvantaged position.
In Malaysia, the danger of a very weak Opposition is manifested in an increasing arrogance of power of the government of the day, ranging from the refusal of the government to be fully accountable and transparent as in the second Perwaja scandal with its RM2.9 billion losses and RM6.9 billion liabilities or in the refusal of the government to give MPs and the public adequate time to study Bills proposing new legislation, although the government has taken years to prepare them, before Parliament debates them.
A good example why a weak Opposition is not good for the people is the 10-day power blackout on the Penang Island in June last year which had been estimated to cause RM 1 billion losses to industry, business and users in Penang.
Last Wednesday, Tenaga Nasional announced that it would make an ex gratia payment of 10 per cent rebate of one month’s electricity bill, to be paid in two months, to all users for the 17-hour nationwide blackout on August 3, with no news about any ex gratia payment for the 10-day Penang Island blackout last year.
I have no doubt that if the 10-day Penang Island blackout had happened before the 1995 general elections when the DAP had 13 State Assemblymen, with the backdrop of DAP’s “Tanjong 3” project to capture the Penang State Government, the Penang claim for ex gratia compensation from Tenaga Nasional for a 10-day power blackout would have been attended to with despatch, with the Cabinet directing Tenaga Nasional to make ex gratia compensation - and not at present, completely ignored by Tenaga Nasional and the Cabinet.
A stronger Opposition, whether in Parliament or the State Assemblies, would not only keep the governments on their toes, act as a check on government deviations and abuses of power, but also strengthen public demands for a more responsive, responsible and people-oriented government.
(21/10/96)