Speech By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng During The DAP Selangor State Ordinary Convention On 1.11.2015
Malaysia can only achieve developed nation status with an income per capita of USD 15,000 (RM63,000) as an entrepreneurial state with inclusive growth without corruption. Malaysia has paid a heavy price by adopting a crony state with mercenary capitalism of monopolies and rent-seeking that leads to unbalanced growth, income inequality and finally bankruptcy.
This crony state has led to the GST, increased federal government debts, stubborn and continuous budget deficits, price hikes in petrol and highway tolls despite the drop in world oil prices or that the construction cost of highways have been fully paid, as well as the precipitous drop in the value of the ringgit. There is no doubt that GST is the principal cause of the economic downturn and the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal as well as the RM2.6 billion donation scandal the cause of the depreciation in the Ringgit.
To salvage Malaysia’s economy as a first step we need to abolish the GST, reduce petrol price, freeze toll hike and outline concrete measures to restore the value of the ringgit. Then we need to adopt an entrepreneurial state approach to move towards a high-income state that is transparent and accountable to combat corruption.
Why should we, our children and grandchildren continue to even pay toll for the North-South Highway until 2038, when the construction cost has been fully paid up? The Pakatan Harapan government that wins power in Putrajaya will do more by abolishing toll for the North-South Highway.
The Federal government has admitted that the RM39 billion to be collected from GST for 2016 saved the government from bankruptcy and even of not having enough money to pay civil servants, caused by reduced revenue following low global commodity and petroleum prices. We can see how desperate the Federal government finances have been with its debt increasing from RM266 billion at end 2007 to RM to RM627.5 billion as at June 2015.
If we include contingent liabilities of RM176 billion, the federal government debt obligation would be RM804 billion, which would mean that Federal government debt has risen by more than 3 times in 9 years! This means that each of the 30 million Malaysian owes RM 26,800 per person.
How does the Federal government intend to lessen the burden of the rakyat when toll hikes are announced and petrol prices is increased despite the drop in international oil prices? Will the Budget 2016 help to restore the value of the ringgit? Will BN admit that the Budget 2016 is a failure if the ringgit value does not bounce back to RM3.70-3.80 to 1US$ from the present RM4.30?
Budget 2016 also does not address the issue of how Malaysia is going to escape the middle-income trap and achieve fully developed status with GDP per capita of US$15,000 when we have only reached US$10,830 last year. We would need an annual growth rate of more than 6% until 2020 to reach USD15,000 GDP per capita as well as our ringgit to recover from the present RM4.20 to 1US$ to RM3.67-3.70. For the immediate future, such economic growth and recovery of the value of the ringgit is impossible, which means developed country status will be pushed back by at least 5 years from 2020 to 2025.
The time has come for Malaysia to seek inclusive growth that is not only sustainable but also free from corruption that encompasses all segments of society. There should be a progressive economic policy with a wealth-creating agenda based on collaboration amongst “wealth-creators” involving not just business but also workers, public institutions, and civil-society organizations.
A progressive economic policy that is not only inclusive, private investment-led and sustainable to create wealth through a public-private partnership that drives long-term growth and productivity but also benefits all, especially the lower income groups. The best way to solve the problems of “bad capitalism” (monopolies and cronyism) is to unleash the virtues of “good capitalism” (competition and innovation). Just as it is employability that matters, not employment.
Merdeka and Malaysia was established by leaders who believed they were doing something exceptional for the country with rights and freedoms as set out in our Federal Constitution. Unfortunately whilst we should be expanding our future, our present leaders want us to live in the past. BN is characterized by resentments and grievances, by distress and dismay, by the belief that America is irredeemably corrupt and past the point of no return. Let Malaysia not be defined by our past but by the opportunities of the future.
—-Mandarin Version —–
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2015年11月1日在雪兰莪州行动党党员代表大会上发表声明：
马来西亚只能在成为包容性成长、无贪污的企业国（entrepreneurial state）之后，才能以人均收入1万5000美元（6万3000令吉）晋身先进国。
马来西亚只能在成为包容性成长、无贪污的企业国之后，才能以人均收入1万5000美元（6万3000令吉）晋身先进国。马来西亚已经因为沦为朋党国付出惨痛的代价，这个国家朋党以垄断、寻租这种唯利是图资本主义的方式 ，导致我国发展不均、贫富悬殊、甚至最终破产。
正当世界石油价格下滑、高速公路的建筑费已经缴清、这个朋党国已经导致消费税、联邦政府债台高筑、固执及持续的财政赤字、汽油高涨及过路费高涨，马币贬值。无疑的是，消费税是经济低迷的主因，但是，一马机构420亿丑闻及26亿令吉捐款丑闻也直接导致马币贬值。
要抢救我国经济的第一步就是要废除消费税、降低汽油价格、冻结过路费及列出具体让马币增值的措施。之后，我们需要采用企业国的方式，迈向对付贪污的透明、问责的高收入国。
在大道的建筑费已经缴清后，为什么我们、我们的孩子及我们的孙子要继续缴付南北大道过路费至2038年？希望联盟政府在改朝换代后，将废除南北大道收费站。
联邦政在2016年财政预算案中承认，政府预计明年可在消费税取得390亿令吉的收入，消费税解救了由全球原产品及石油价格走势低迷所导致的联邦政府破产危机、当局原本甚至可能没有办法支付公务员薪水。我们可以看到联邦政府财务如何陷入危机，政府债务从2007年底的2660亿令吉，增加至2015年6月的6275亿令吉。
如果把或有负债1760亿令吉算进去，到了2016年，联邦政府的债务将高达8040亿令吉，这意味着联邦政府的债务在9年内上升了3倍！这笔债务意味着每个马来西亚国民欠债2万6800令吉。
大道过路费上调、汽油价格上涨（尽管全球油价走势下调），联邦政府要怎样减轻人民负担？2016年财政预算案有没有办法上马币价格回升？如果马币价格没有从目前的一美元兑4.30令吉，回升至3.70-80的情况，国阵会不会承认2016年预算案是一个失败的预算案?
2016年财政预算案并没有谈及马来西亚要如何逃离中等收入陷阱，达到1万5000美元的人均国内生产总值，去年我国人均国内生产总值只有1万830美元。今年到2020年，马来西亚的年成长率需要多过6%、人均国内生产总值达1万5000令吉、一美元兑4.20令吉上升至3令吉67仙-3令吉70仙。在未来几年，这种经济成长及马币复苏的情况近乎不可能，也意味着我国在2020年晋身发达国家的议程将推迟至少5年至2025年。
是时候马来西亚探索包容性增长，而不只是可持续，还必须免于贪污、并涵盖社会各界。我们必须有一个进步的经济政策，让财富创造议程立基于“财富创造者”的合作，不只是生意人，也包括工人、公共机构及公民社会组织。
一个进步的经济政策，不仅仅是包容性、以投资为主导及可持续以创造财富，通过公私合作主导长期的增长及生产，也能够惠及全民，包括低收入群体。解决“劣质资本主义（垄断及朋党）” 的最好办法是发扬“优良资本主义（竞争及革新）”的长处。正如就业能力才重要，而不是就业率。
马来亚独立以及马来西亚的成立是我们的领袖相信，他们为一个拥有权利及自由的国家做出一番不平凡事业，正如联邦宪法所阐明的。不幸的是，当我们必须迈向未来的时候，我国当今领袖却要我们继续活在从前。国阵的特点已经变成忿恨及抱怨、苦恼及灰心、无可救药的腐败以及走上不归路。让马来西亚不再被我们的过去捆绑，而是取决于我们未来的机会。
林冠英