Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has likened Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to fable character Rip Van Winkle for taking so long to address problems involving bureaucratic red tape and high business costs which is causing Malaysia to lose out in FDIs and international competitiveness.

In a statement, he expressed disappointment in the time taken by Abdullah to fix these long standing issues that were reported by the World Bank four years ago.
Lim observed that 'this deplorable state of affairs remained unchanged' in the four annual World Bank Doing Business Index for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

"Is Abdullah aware that the World Bank Report of the red tape and high costs of doing business in Malaysia is four years old?"

"He should have set up a special task force to cut red tape to reduce the cost of doing business in his first 100 days and not after 1,100 days"

Rip Van Winkle's character depicts a person who sleeps for a long period of time or one who is unaware of current events.

Lim was referring to Abdullah recent vow to slash away red tape to help along business deals after a World Bank report said the country's bureaucracy is deterring investors.

According to the World Bank report on competitiveness, starting a business in Malaysia required nine procedures which were completed in a minimum of 30 days, whereas Singapore only required six procedures which could be completed in six days, and Australia, two steps done in two days.

Task force poser

Providing statistics, Lim noted that businessmen had to go through 25 procedures which took at least 281 days to complete just to set up a warehouse or factory in Malaysia.

"This was far behind Vietnam, where businessmen had to go through only 14 steps in 133 days, 11 steps in 129 days in Singapore, and nine steps in 127," Lim said.

The political veteran also raised questions relating to Abdullah's recent announcement that Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan and a yet-to-be-named corporate leader will head a special task force aimed to improve the public sector's delivery system to enhance the nation's competitiveness.

"The very fact that the private sector member of the task force could not yet be announced raises the question whether this initiative is motivated primary by public relations or a political commitment to ensure efficient public service delivery."

"Bureaucratic red tape, inefficiency and incompetence afflict the whole civil service.

Why is there is no proposal or political will to revamp the entire civil service to make it once again a world-class public service in efficiency, competence and quality?" asked Lim.