2007 budget:eradicate all forms of wanton waste

Eradicate wanton wastage to achieve the National Mission contained in the 2007 Budget

National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw urges the Government to step up the mechanism to prevent all forms of wastage including corruption as one of the steps to ‘implement National Mission towards achieving National Vision’.

Summary of the speech by Dr Tan during the debate on the 2007 Supply Bill (Budget) in the Dewan Rakyat on 7.9.2006.

I rise to speak in this debate with anxiety because this is the most expansionary budget in the history of the House. The Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi showed his prudence in the 2005 and 2006 budgets. Now, in the RM159.4 billion allocation of the 2007 Budget, RM112.9 is for operating expenditure and RM46.5 billion for development. This the biggest development expenditure compared with that in the previous budgets. Previously the PM was prudent and there was criticism about slow development projects and contractors were unhappy. In 2007, many projects will be opened for tender and implemented.

Datuk Seri Abdullah says that the economic growth is forecast to be 5.8% (not 6% as originally stated), private sector investment increases by 10.1%, private investment is expected to increase by 10.1%, the current account in the balance of payments is estimated to record a surplus of16.7% of Gross National Product (GNP), revenues will increase by 11.8% to RM134.8 billion and budget deficit is 3.4% of Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in 2007 compared with 3.5% in 2006. Although these are positive signs, we are very worried because the budget is the most expansionary in the history of this House. Without this expansionary budget, will the GDP grow by at least 5%? Various problems such as the lack of integrity and wanton waste raise anxiety.

Will the Government be able to stimulate people of all races to work hard to make the National Mission a success? This Mission is to move the economy up the value chain, raise the capacity for knowledge, address socio-economic inequalities, improve quality of life and strengthen implementation capacity.

Practise ethics and integrity

In the past two years, the Government has formed Integrity Management Committee in all ministries, departments and Federal Government and State Government agencies. It has formulated National Integrity Plan(NIP) and set up Malaysia Integrity Institute (MII).The Prime Minister says that the launching of PIN and the institute will be a catalyst for the attainment of the objective of enhancing integrity. All these will enable Malaysia to forge ahead towardsbecoming a developed nation in its own mould, as well as to emerge as a nation of excellence, glory and distinction.

NIP presents Target 2008 to reduce corruption, increase efficiency, enhance governance, strengthen family and improve life. We hope that all members of parliament will lead other sectors in embracing and practising Target 2008. Members of parliament must help promote NIP by creating a comprehensive mechanism to involve all sectors such as the private sector, political parties, non-government organization, religions, media, women, youths and students, in the campaign to enhance integrity in an integrated manner.

In the last two years, MII has sponsored about 800 programmes in the whole country. We propose that these programmes are also introduced in schools and teachers' institutes. According to MII, it is setting up branches at state level, publish reading materials in various languages, involve world bodies such as United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (U.N.D.P.) and create National Integrity Index, starting withPerak. These are preventive. Jeremy Pope from U.N.D.P. is helping the institute to produce Malaysian Integrity Source Book.

Professor Datuk Dr Syed Hussein Alatas, an intelectual, does not take this index seriously. He says:"If a leader truly wants to attempt to fight against corruption, he or she must be prepared to be a political martyr. If he or she is not prepared to do so, how can he or she try to eradicate corruption."

The MII report must be tabled for debate in the House every year. (to be continued)