Anwar challenges Najib to debate on the economy

In order to resolve the differences of economical ideas between the Pakatan and BN, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today challenge the government led by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to a debate.

Anwar made this statement in a press conference today at PKR headquarters in response to Najib's comment that the Pakatan Rakyat's 100 day program would bankrupt the country.

"What actually can bankrupt the country is poor management, corruption and waste," said Anwar, calling the Najib administration irresponsible for borrowing excessively, even when the national debt has breached 50 percent of the GDP.

He said that cost required to fund Pakatan Rakyat’s 100-day program is only RM19.2 billion, which is much much lower compared to the various programs by the government including the amount fed to IPPs each year which costs RM51 billion.
Anwar said the RM51 billion has been stolen from our national economy to keep the cronies afloat and fat.

““I suggest an open debate with the government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib, so that the figures can be revealed to the public, and so that the people can decide based on facts and not by lies and attempts to play with numbers, said Anwar.

He also said that it is a bit presumptuous for the prime minister to claim that Pakatan’s 100-day reform program will cause the country to go bankrupt since it is Umno BN-led government that had borrowed excessively each year.

He said that Bank Negara had recently announced that the government would launch 29 additional bond programmes in 2011, which would involve RM83 billion of new debts to be undertaken by the federal government.

Anwar also claimed that the level of national debt has worsened under the leadership of Najib where the government undertook 19 bond programmes with a combined value of RM58.1 billion in 2010.

In addition, Anwar told the media that the PM's critism of Pakatan Rakyat's 100 day program should be viewed in a perspective that Malaysia is on its way to bankruptcy based on the rate that it is raising debt to fund Umno and Barisan's addiction to wasteful spending and corruption.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday blasted the Opposition's 100-day reform plan, deeming it a populist and irresponsible approach to garner the rakyat's support.

Among the reforms promised by the PR coalition, within the first 100 days of taking over Putrajaya, is to increase the incentives for teachers by RM500 a month, repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), abolishing the toll system by instructing Khazanah Berhad, Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and other government bodies to take over highway assets from the concessionaires, as well as offering free wireless Internet access to those in urban and semi-urban areas.

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