Salak: Penang

Showing posts with label Penang. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Penang to Sabah : More change in the making

Pitas, Sabah - Pastor Ontu, Melvin and Ondon

Being substantially a Muslim country and upheaving to the crest of political change, Malaysia is making waves in inter-faith relations.

Last few weeks, a component of the PR, PAS the Islamic Party members quietly but publicly took a bold step with a courtesy call when Sebastian Francis, became Bishop of the Penang Catholic Diocese . True to their call for political reforms and ethnic and religious understanding, PAS is making gestures at this early stage for reapproachment for socio-cultural appreciation.

On the heels of the Penang visit, a more positive event developed in Sabah where household incomes and illegal immigrants voting plague the political debate. A Christian Pastor, Otou @ Francis Singoron is set to move and work for the PAS candidate potential Puan Dausieh Queck for a challenge in the forthcoming GE 13, to be held any time between December and April 2013. He has canvassed around him helpers, Christians and surely others too in the locality of Pitas, Sabah to clinch a seat for PAS.

Sabah being dubbed as the poorest State of Malaysia with average bumiputera household income at RM2,800 (National avg RM4,025) is stirred and in debates for its future in greater justice and fairness and fundamental rights.

And it seems from Penang to Sabah, the debate is no longer skewed to narrow ethnic superiority or heritage. Its about life and living now and, here or thereafter.

As should be expected this is not without some hiccup as an committee outed senior PAS leader, Nasharuddin, chipped in with an outrageous accusation that DAP, PAS' own counterpart in the PR Coalition, had prayed in communion publicly for Malaysia to be a Christian country. The accusation speaks more of the accuser than the accused.

Malaysian Muslims should flatter themselves on this overal latest development. They are said to rise to the clamor that man should face life as if they would live forever and prepare for the thereafter as if death comes on the morrow. Enculturating though rhetorical but more lively and reasonable than the spunk churned out by Utusan and NST, the Spittoon Times.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

We wanna Policy State, not a Police State

CSL:
We hear populist policies, giving RM100, abolish this, abolish that... Can you, on this stage, tell us what is the community development and economic model of Pakatan Rakyat so that Malaysia can escape the low-income trap and achieve high-income status, including implementing the promises in the Buku Jingga?

LGE:
I believe this is the difference between myself and Chua. He is not anxiously concerned about corruption, while I am very anxiously concerned about corruption. We need to have a framework for administrating the country’s affairs. What is the plan to bring economic development? I wish to use the Penang model as an example.

This is the result of the Penang Pakatan Rakyat state government’s practice of “money makes money”. This system stresses four key aspects.

First, “money raise money” through co-operation between the private and public sectors (Public Private Partnerships) in executing development projects.
Secondly is “money earns money” through an open tender system, the state government can cut costs.
Third is “money creates money” through innovation and creativity.
Finally, “money saves money”. If we don’t take money, for sure there will always be money to be saved.

Therefore, the Penang state government has enjoyed a budget surplus every year for four years, and is able to give back to the people through our Senior Citizens Programme with RM 100 every year, and RM1,000 one-off to beneficiaries of senior citizens who pass away. Even newborn babies get RM200 under our Golden Child Programme. When Barisan Nasional was ruling Penang, not a single sen was given, but with the principle of “money makes money”, we have given benefits to the people of Penang, and this is actually an anti-corruption dividend!

In addition to that, in Malaysia, I believe that if we abolish corruption, we will be able to save a lot of money and give back to the people. This is our promise, Penang is the best proof! If we dare to fight corruption, we will definitely have money. Thank you.

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