Ninth Malaysian Plan not impressive

Friday June 27, 2008

Opposition not impressed

LIM Kit Siang (DAP – Ipoh Timor) said the Ninth Malaysia Plan should have been drafted to re-inspire Malaysians after the March 8 political tsunami.

“The Government is supposed to understand the needs of the people and lead them towards new economic heights but I don’t think it has been able to fulfil that,” he said.

Opposition leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR - Permatang Pauh) said the mid-term review was nothing new because the Barisan Nasional government was contradicting itself when implementing its policies.

“The Prime Minister said he had to raise the prices of fuel and gas, but that it would not burden the lower income group.

“This is just not possible,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah said she understood that the subsidy system was not sustainable in the long term but there were other ways of cutting the subsidy.

“It can be carried out in stages. We are an oil-exporting country and therefore, we can manage it better,” she said.

Tan Seng Giaw (DAP - Kepong) said the Government should carry on with projects such as the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) in its move to improve the public transportation system.

“I don’t understand why the PORR project has been delayed when the Government keeps emphasising that it wants to upgrade the public transportation system whereby RM30bil has already been allocated for that purpose,” he said.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat) said the mid-term review was far below expectations.

“We expect the Prime Minister to come out with concrete and new proposals to solve the pressing economic problems and hardships the rakyat is facing, stemming from the rising costs of food and other stuff.

“This had been made worse by the Government’s decision to raise petrol and diesel prices to record levels - at 41% and 63% respectively,” he said.