MCA in the dark during Idris Jala's briefing
Nigel AwPublished: Apr 15, 2010 6:51 PM | Updated: Apr 15, 2010 7:18 PM
MCA top guns and representatives from Chinese associations were literally left in the dark during a Government Transformation Programme (GTP) briefing by Minister from the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala.
The briefing at the party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and hosted by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, plunged into darkness barely 30 minutes after it began.
It was the second blackout here since Chua's first central committee meeting last week which was forced to move to a nearby hotel.
An amused Idris (right) quipped, "Let there be light!", but nothing happened. But the window curtains were then pulled back, letting in enough light for the briefing to go on.
He then left the podium and continued to brief the audience without audio and visual aids.
Idris explained that the government's practice of providing heavy subsidies is no longer sustainable.
According to him, last year the government spent RM73 billion on subsidies and incurred a debt of RM362 billion.
"As a result of this, we have had fiscal deficits for the last 10 years. We cannot continue like that... At some point we have to rationalise our subsidy." he said.
"This government is a realistic government, it wants to do what is good for the rakyat but sometimes what we have to do for the rakyat will require some pain for the moment," he added.
He also justified the need for Goods and Services Tax (GST) to improve the country's revenue, pointing out that only 1 million of the 28 million Malaysians pay income tax.
Needs-based policy
Elaborating on the New Economic Model, Idris reiterated that the policy will be need based, prompting MCA Youth central committee member Chong Sin Woon to ask if the five percent properties discount for Bumiputeras will be phased out.
Idris explained that it would be inappropriate for the rich to ask for the government's assistance but stressed that any changes will only be done over time.
"...These things we (will) gradually take them out because the principle is that we must migrate to a society where action is taken based on needs," he said.
Earlier, Idris had stressed that the 1Malaysia slogan was more than just about race and religion.
"A lot of people relate 1Malaysia to the question of race and religion. It is (actually) about many polarities," he said.
He explained that polarities (the possession or manifestation of two opposing attributes, tendencies, or principles) should be something to be managed and not solved, that the rich and poor, the educated and uneducated, should be embraced.
"If you try to solve a polarity then you become like Hitler because Hitler thought he could solve (racial) polarity by creating one race," he added.
On a question regarding minimum wages directed by Chua (left), Idris said that he personally agreed with it. However it had to be studied before the cabinet could come to a decision.
NKRA producing results
Stressing the importance of communicating to the rakyat on what the government has achieved thus far, Idris elaborated at length on the status of the six National Key Results Areas (NKRA).
On crime, Idris said that up to March this year, the crime rate had reduced by 33 percent as a result of the deployment of police in crime hotspots. However he conceded that there had not been progress on organised crime.
Idris also pointed out in the area of corruption, 61 people have been arrested since January. While he acknowledged that people wanted to see the big fish face the music, he drew parallels to Hong Kong's fight on corruption in which anyone involved in graft was fair game.
Touching on education, he said that more than 900 preschools have been set up since last year - more than 10 percent of the total 8000 pre-schools set up since independence.
On combating poverty, he said that around 44,600 hardcore poor have been identified. On top of getting funds from the government, they are also being trained to take up skills in fishing and farming.
He also pointed out that on the front to improve rural basic infrastructure, the number of road, water and electricity projects until 2012 will increase by two to tenfold.
Meanwhile, on urban transportation, Idris who described Pudu Raya bus terminal as ‘hell on earth' told the audience that two new bus terminals in Bandar Tasik Selatan and Gombak will be constructed.
An additional fleet of 30 trains will also be added to KTM's services.
The briefing was meant to enlighten MCA members and Chinese associations on the implementation of the GTP.
Among those in attendance were several high-powered MCA leaders including party deputy president Liow Tiong Lai (above, left) and vice presidents Ng Yen Yen, Chor Chee Heung and Gan Ping Sieu.
It was the second blackout here since Chua's first central committee meeting last week which was forced to move to a nearby hotel.
An amused Idris (right) quipped, "Let there be light!", but nothing happened. But the window curtains were then pulled back, letting in enough light for the briefing to go on.He then left the podium and continued to brief the audience without audio and visual aids.
Idris explained that the government's practice of providing heavy subsidies is no longer sustainable.
According to him, last year the government spent RM73 billion on subsidies and incurred a debt of RM362 billion.
"As a result of this, we have had fiscal deficits for the last 10 years. We cannot continue like that... At some point we have to rationalise our subsidy." he said.
"This government is a realistic government, it wants to do what is good for the rakyat but sometimes what we have to do for the rakyat will require some pain for the moment," he added.
He also justified the need for Goods and Services Tax (GST) to improve the country's revenue, pointing out that only 1 million of the 28 million Malaysians pay income tax.
Needs-based policy
Elaborating on the New Economic Model, Idris reiterated that the policy will be need based, prompting MCA Youth central committee member Chong Sin Woon to ask if the five percent properties discount for Bumiputeras will be phased out.
Idris explained that it would be inappropriate for the rich to ask for the government's assistance but stressed that any changes will only be done over time.
"...These things we (will) gradually take them out because the principle is that we must migrate to a society where action is taken based on needs," he said.
Earlier, Idris had stressed that the 1Malaysia slogan was more than just about race and religion.
"A lot of people relate 1Malaysia to the question of race and religion. It is (actually) about many polarities," he said.
He explained that polarities (the possession or manifestation of two opposing attributes, tendencies, or principles) should be something to be managed and not solved, that the rich and poor, the educated and uneducated, should be embraced.
"If you try to solve a polarity then you become like Hitler because Hitler thought he could solve (racial) polarity by creating one race," he added.
On a question regarding minimum wages directed by Chua (left), Idris said that he personally agreed with it. However it had to be studied before the cabinet could come to a decision.NKRA producing results
Stressing the importance of communicating to the rakyat on what the government has achieved thus far, Idris elaborated at length on the status of the six National Key Results Areas (NKRA).
On crime, Idris said that up to March this year, the crime rate had reduced by 33 percent as a result of the deployment of police in crime hotspots. However he conceded that there had not been progress on organised crime.
Idris also pointed out in the area of corruption, 61 people have been arrested since January. While he acknowledged that people wanted to see the big fish face the music, he drew parallels to Hong Kong's fight on corruption in which anyone involved in graft was fair game.
Touching on education, he said that more than 900 preschools have been set up since last year - more than 10 percent of the total 8000 pre-schools set up since independence.
On combating poverty, he said that around 44,600 hardcore poor have been identified. On top of getting funds from the government, they are also being trained to take up skills in fishing and farming.
He also pointed out that on the front to improve rural basic infrastructure, the number of road, water and electricity projects until 2012 will increase by two to tenfold.
Meanwhile, on urban transportation, Idris who described Pudu Raya bus terminal as ‘hell on earth' told the audience that two new bus terminals in Bandar Tasik Selatan and Gombak will be constructed.
An additional fleet of 30 trains will also be added to KTM's services.The briefing was meant to enlighten MCA members and Chinese associations on the implementation of the GTP.
Among those in attendance were several high-powered MCA leaders including party deputy president Liow Tiong Lai (above, left) and vice presidents Ng Yen Yen, Chor Chee Heung and Gan Ping Sieu.
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