Speaking to 749 delegates at Dewan Jubli Perak, DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng said: “How can politics mix with business as the former seeks to uphold public interests whereas the latter is to pursue private benefit and profit?”
He also called for an open tender system to check on crony capitalism.
“An open tender system will avoid unjust tenders such as the Independent Power Producers and the toll concessions allowing a few to earn tens of billions of ringgit in extraordinary profits at the expense of the 27 million citizens.
The severity of losses due to crony capitalism, he said, is mirrored in the estimates of Washington-based financial watchdog Global Financial Integrity (GFI) that estimated Malaysia’s loss at RM 1,077 billion.
He cited the infamous RM250 million ‘cows and condos’ scandal as an example of such crony capitalism.
Lim also called for the Election Commission to be punished in order to save Malaysia.
“The Elections Commission must be punished for failure to act or even failure to press for action by the relevant authorities on election bribery especially on the expenditure limit for candidates,” Lim said.
His other calls were for the Freedom of Information Act for transparency and public disclosure of government contracts.
He also called for a declaration of personal assets by public officials holding positions of public trust and the full and unconditional implementation of the 125 recommendations proposed by the 2005 Royal Commission on the Enhancement of the Management and Operation of PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police).
DAP supports Anwar for PM
Lim also spoke about PKR de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim and the impending general election.
“The DAP stands behind Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
He also dismissed rumours that DAP was aiming for the prime minister position.
“DAP has never offered candidate as Prime Minister. No DAP leader has the ambition to be one,” Lim said adding in jest that if he didn’t get to be a chief minister, he’d have become a cook .
He also said that regardless of the judgment in Anwar’s sodomy trial, DAP would still back Anwar as prime minister and would use the Erdogan way.
“I and the rest of the leadership would attend the 901 assembly.”
Anwar’s sodomy trial judgment would be heard tomorrow.
The Erdogan way refers to the method Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, was elected to the post after being disqualified due to a nine month imprisonment.
Seat issues with PKR
During a press conference after his speech Lim was asked about seat allocations.
“We have no issues with PAS but we do have issues with PKR. Negotiations are ongoing.”
He also said negotiations with non-Pakatan ally parties would be conducted after negotiations within Pakatan components are completed.
Lim also introduced two new Malay members who joined the party – Negri Sembilan Umno veteran Aspan Alias and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s former Pekan Umno division information chief, Ariff Sabri Aziz. Both bloggers have been highly critical of Umno and BN’s excesses.
Aspan, an Umno veteran of 40 years, said he quit Umno due to several factors.
His reasons, he said, were corruption within Umno, racial issues, and because “DAP is most disciplined”.
As for their role, Aspan said he would work towards removing traitors who are fleecing the nation’s coffers.
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