‘Don’t be politically enslaved by Umno’
JOHOR BARU (Oct 6, 2012): PKR
vice-president Chua Jui Meng says Malays must stop allowing themselves to be politically
enslaved by Umno.
“Given
Malaysia’s vast and rich natural resources, including oil and gas, and after 55
years of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) rule, shouldn’t we all be reasonably
comfortable financially?
“Why
must there be so many Malaysians, especially the Malays, living in poverty in rural
and urban societies? Clearly, it is the result of BN-Umno leaders’ misrule,
mismanagement and self-serving interests.
“Sebagai pemimpin-pemimpin rakyat, kita patut
berhamba rakyat. Tetapi, BN-Umno telah memperbodohkan rakyat dan orang-orang
Melayu selama 55 tahun (As leaders, we should slave for the people. But
BN-Umno has made a fool of the people and Malays for 55 years),” he said.
Chua,
who is also Johor PKR (People’s Justice Party) chairman, said: “If not for the
oil and gas, Malaysia would be in the same league as Greece today. We are,
however, heading towards that direction if we allow BN and Umno to continue to
plunder the country’s wealth after the next general election.”
He
said the people just could not accept the high retail price of petrol and
diesel “when Malaysia is a net exporter of oil”.
“Why
are our retail prices higher than all other oil producing nations in the
world?” he asked in his ceramah in
Taman Saujana, Plentong, tonight.
Chua … articulating his views at the
ceramah.
Chua
said: “Isn’t it ironic that no one has seen Petronas’ accounts for 38 years,
except for the six prime ministers. Even Anwar, as deputy prime minister and
finance minister, had not seen the accounts. Not even Parliament and its 221
Parliamentarians.
“The
powers vested on the prime minister are just too excessive and subject to
abuse. He can just tell Petronas to write out a cheque for, say RM1 billion to
a company, and not even the board can question what the money is for.”
“This
is why Anwar has said that when PR is given the mandate to rule after the next
general election, there will be transparency and accountability in the federal
government administration and that Petronas would be made accountable to
Parliament,” he said.
Chua
said Petronas was set up under the premiership of the trustworthy Hussein Onn
in 1974.
“What
has happened to Petronas’ billions and billions of ringgit in revenue under
Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and now Najib Abdul Razak?
“There
is absolutely no accountability in the financial management of Petronas,” he
added.
With
hundreds of financial scandals, costing the country hundreds of billions of
ringgit, in BN’s 55-year-rule, Chua said the Chinese and Indians had realised
the need to change and reform.
“The
Malays must now seize the opportunity to join all Malaysians to heal the
economic ills brought about by the corrupt BN government.
“The
next general election may be the only chance for change and reform. We miss it,
we may regret the sufferings that will befall us as a bankrupt nation,” Chua
said.
He
said Umno was clearly a party for business cronies, evil and cruel, and “it is
time for the Malays to rise for their future before it is too late”.
