2013 Merdeka Day Message By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 30.8.2013.
Rules Based Institutions, Celebrating Diversity And Outcome-Based Administration Can Help To Establish National Unity, Integrity And Economic Prosperity For All.
56 years after Merdeka, the promise of our founders’ ideals have not matched with the realities of our present generation. Malaysia continue to be beset by an extremist and racist divide, overshadowing and even condoning the entrenchment of cronyism, abuse of power and even corruption.
The poor performance of Malaysian Airline System(MAS) despite the huge amounts of public funds invested as compared to Air Asia Bhd is puzzling. Despite not getting a single cent in public funds, Air Asia has consistently outperformed MAS with cheaper fares and is now larger than MAS in market capitalisation, planes and share price. The public has a right to ask the value of money for some RM19 billion spent by the Federal government since 1998 to keep MAS solvent, including guaranteeing RM12.3 billion of MAS’ borrowings.
Adhering to a system of open, transparent and accountable rules-based institutions will ensure that only those who are clean, diligent and competent will be entrusted with jobs involving public trust. Celebrating diversity openly would help to restore our schools as centres fostering national unity instead of centres causing controversy and racial division.
An outcome-based system would ensure delivery to the public and good performances would definitely lead to economic growth and prosperity for all. The revision of Malaysia credit outlook from “stable” to “negative” by Fitch Ratings indicates the seriousness of the Malaysian government’s budget deficit of 4% of GDP and debt position which nears 70% if contingent liabilities are included.
Worse is the household debt to GDP Ratio which is 83.5%, and where half of the household income of the poor are used for debt repayments. If the Federal government wants to reduce household debt, it must lead the way by taking steps to fight corruption so as to reduce Federal government debt and the budget deficit.
Malaysians need to return to the ideals of democracy freedom and fairplay that inspired our founders if our aspirations to achieve that which is true, just and good are to be realised. Rules-based institution, celebrating diversity and outcome-based administration can help to establish national unity, integrity and economic prosperity for all. Let us show that Malaysians can be the best they can be and not the worst that some politicians tells us that we actually are.
Lim Guan Eng
—-BM version —-
on the way
—-Mandarin Version —
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2013年8月30日在吉隆发表国庆日献词：
依法行事机制、表彰多元及成果型施政可以促进国民团结、廉洁及全民经济繁荣
独立56年后，我国立国先贤的理想，来到我们这个时代并还没有实现。马来西亚继续被极端主义、种族分裂、对朋党的纵容及袒护、滥权甚至贪污困扰。
尽管已经注入巨额公款，但是比起亚航，马航的营运表现依然不济，这让人百思不解。亚航从未获得任何政府的资金，但是它不停地超越马航，提供廉价机票，在市场资金占有率、飞机数量及股价都已经超越马航。公众有权知道，联邦政府自1998年花费了190亿令吉来保住连年亏损的马航，包括担保马航一笔123亿令吉贷款，这些支出是否值得。
当局应该秉持公开、透明及公信制度原则，确保只有廉洁、勤劳及能干的人能够胜任涉及公众信心的工作。表彰多元则能够让我们的学校成为抚育国民团结的场所，而不是引发争议及种族分裂的场所。
成效型施政能够确保公共传递及良好表现，这必定能促进全民经济成长及繁荣。马来西亚的贷款信誉已经被Fitch Ratings从“稳定”退步到“负面”，显示我国政府占国民生产总值4%的财政赤字问题多么严重，而债务情况若包括或有债务（contingent liabilities）也将近70%。
最糟糕的是家庭债务已经达到国内生产总值的83.5%，贫穷家庭一半的家庭收入要用来偿还债务。如果联邦政府要减少家庭债务，就必须大胆跨步打击贪污，如此才能减少联邦政府的债务及赤字预算。
马来西亚需要回归到当初开国者追求民主、自由与公平之理想，实现我们追求真理、正义与良善。依法行事机制、表彰多元及成果型施政，可以协助国家全民团结、廉洁及经济繁荣。让我们一起展示马来西亚人可以登峰造极，而不是听信一些政治人物告诉我们有多糟糕。
林冠英