KUALA LUMPUR, 24 DEC: A people-centric government like Pakatan Rakyat can bring peace and prosperity based on the principles of truth, freedom, justice, democracy and integrity.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that although principles and idealism has been dismissed by some irresponsible quarters as incompatible with running a government, a people-centric government can be both principled but practical, idealistic and yet realistic.
“For example, implementing open competitive tenders is not only idealistic but now a realistic component that contributed towards some of Penang’s achievements,” he said in his Christmas message here today.
Guan Eng who is also Penang Chief Minister added that such a lack of faithfulness to principles has shown how impractical it was to the public as highlighted by three recent major issues of public interest:
* The threat of Lynas rare earth plant on the health and safety of the rakyat;
* The privatisation of enforcement by allowing private companies to profit from the Automated Enforcement System (AES) traffic summons issued; and
* The RM 871 billion illicit outflow of dirty money scandal over the last 10 years.
The Bagan MP said a people-centric government would never allow those projects that put profits over people.
Further, he added, those projects would never pass the integrity test, as accountability and transparency would quickly expose the lies, injustice and cronies who benefit most at the expense of public interest.
“Let us advance efforts to establish a people-centric government based on integrity that gives preference to people over profits to put a stop to any future Lynas rare earth plant, AES and RM871 billion illicit outflow of dirty money scandals,” Guan Eng said.
In the spirit of Christmas that celebrates the blessings of peace, prosperity, forgiveness and salvation, he believed that a people-centric government can also bring peace and prosperity based on good principles.
For this reason, DAP secretary-general urged the Barisan Nasional federal government to allow the use of the word Allah on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible as has been allowed in Sabah and Sarawak for the last 50 years and practiced in the Middle East for more than a thousand years.
“Further, BN should stop using the fear tactics of a Christian state to frighten Malay voters to support BN when Christians have never sought a Christian state but instead pledged loyalty to the Federal Constitution that Islam is the religion of Malaysia,” he added. – The Rocket
