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Thursday, May 31, 2012

PETER JOHN JABAN ABDUCTED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT - BY WHOM- NO ONE KNOWS!!!!

Photo: Excerpts from some Online News Portal : 

He was detained, photographed and had his documents photocopied, before being escorted onto the flight.

He was also informed that Special Branch would be awaiting him on his arrival in Miri.

He had arrived in Miri from Kota Kinabalu in an Air Asia flight at about 10.45 am and as the Miri police had assured YB Alan Ling Sie Kiong that there was no instruction for Jaban’s arrest, Jaban had left the airport for Miri town with the Miri PKR chairman Dr. Michael Teo Yu Keng

On their way to town, three men in a Proton car stopped Dr Teo and Peter, and Peter was taken away. They were "stopped by a brown Proton car in front of Tamu Muhibbah in the city centre.

Dr Michael Teo, who was with Peter when the incident happened, said they were "stopped by a brown Proton car in front of Tamu Muhibbah in the city centre. They were three men in it. They all looked native. One of them came out and Peter came out of the car with all the bags. He spoke with one of the men and then entered the car and left me and my driver without a word..

Peter's counsel, DAP lawyer YB Alan Ling, said he had spoken with the Crime Division Head in Miri and confirmed that the authorities had not received instructions to arrest Peter.or was not in anyway involved in Peter’s arrest or disappearance.

If the plain clothes personnel were a special police task force from Bukit Aman, the standard procedure calls for them to lodge a police report here before arresting Peter, Ling said.

YB Alan Ling, the DAP Piasau State Assemblyman in Miri, and he confirmed that he is completely in the dark as what to has happened to Peter some six hours after he met him at the Miri Airport on his arrival from Kota Kinabalu..

Six hours have passed and nobody knows what has happened to Peter or he is, safe or otherwise – and whether the three men who took Peter away were from the police specially dispatched to Miri to apprehend Peter, and if so, why the Miri police have been kept completely in the dark.

Supporters of Radio Free Sarawak are now anxiously trying to find the DJ. The opposition Assemblyman and human rights lawyer See Chee How has flown to Miri from Kuching this afternoon and is working with other lawyers to identify Peter’s whereabouts and secure his release.

Earlier today he explained that no one can be legally detained without charge for more than 24 hours and Peter should have been properly informed of his rights and given access to a lawyer at the time of his arrest. The police officers (if they were police officers) should have identified themselves, not just called him from his car and taken him away.

Fellow RFS presenter, Christina S. Suntai, whose own brother Numpang Suntai also suffered the indignity of arrest last year during a land grab dispute (which he later won) has also spoken out.

“If anyone is perceived as a threat to the present government, whether they are fighting for their land or the right to speak out, then they use the police against them and find some way to accuse them of a crime”, she said. “However, the people in BN, who are in power, get away with all kinds of crime and no one does anything she said”.

Is Malaysia under rule of law or law of jungle where Radio Free Sarawak presenter Peter John Jaban can disappear for 6 hours after arrival in Miri without anyone in authority claiming knowledge or responsibility?

Malaysians and the world expect them to immediately throw light on the whereabouts of Peter as six hours are definitely enough time for the police authorities to come out with clear statement of Jaban’s whereabouts or an open admission that lawlessness in Malaysia have reached a new level where three persons completely uninvolved with the police or the government have abducted Peter in broad daylight in Miri in Malaysia!

1. What’s Happened To Papa Orang Utan?!

http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/05/what-happened-to-papa-orang-utan/

2. Anti-Taib radio presenter taken away by three men

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/199516

3. Popular RFS deejay John Jaban ‘abducted’

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/05/31/rfs-deejay-peter-john-arrested/

4. Where is Peter John

http://radiofreesarawak.org/2012/05/where-is-peter-john/

5. Radio Free Sarawak DJ reportedly detained

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/31/nation/20120531115847&sec=nation

6. Radio Free Sarawak DJ's disappearance has everyone baffled

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F5%2F31%2Fnation%2F20120531162053&sec=nation

7. Malaysian secret police abduct rebel radio presenter

https://www.facebook.com/notes/bruno-manser-fonds/breaking-news-malaysian-secret-police-abduct-rebel-radio-presenter/398739756832146

8. URGENT APPEAL - RELEASE FREE RADIO SARAWAK DJ - PETER JOHN JABAN NOW!

https://www.facebook.com/notes/suara-rakyat-malaysia-suaram/urgent-appeal-release-free-radio-sarawak-dj-peter-john-jaban-now/419617598072554

9. Is Malaysia under rule of law or law of jungle where Radio Free Sarawak presenter Peter John Jaban can disappear for 6 hours after arrival in Miri without anyone in authority claiming knowledge or responsibility?

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2012/05/31/is-under-malaysia-under-rule-of-law-or-law-of-jungle-where-radio-free-sarawak-presenter-peter-john-jaban-can-disappear-for-six-hours-after-arrival-in-miri-without-anyone-in-authority-claiming-knowledg/

10. THE ILLEGAL ABDUCTION OF PETER JOHN JABAN ON GAWAI EVE

http://www.barubian.net/2012/05/illegal-abduction-of-peter-john-jaban.html

~Anak Sarawak~
Excerpts from some Online News Portal : 

He was detained, photographed and had his documents photocopied, before being escorted onto the flight.

He was also informed that Special Branch would be awaiting him on his arrival in Miri.

He had arrived in Miri from Kota Kinabalu in an Air Asia flight at about 10.45 am and as the Miri police had assured YB Alan Ling Sie Kiong that there was no instruction for Jaban’s arrest, Jaban had left the airport for Miri town with the Miri PKR chairman Dr. Michael Teo Yu Keng Photo: Peter John Jaban (center) with Miri Branch Chairman of the opposition PKR party, Dr Michael Teo & Lawyer also YB Piasau, Alan Ling (DAP).

"[They have] deported me to Miri to be referred to Sarawak Special Branch”, Jaban texted. “Ready to get arrested again in Miri” [Peter John Jaban text 09.20 31/05/12]" 

He was abducted from his car on the way from Miri airport into town at around 11am (today 31-May) by 3 men travelling in another vehicle that had flagged down his driver. 

However, nobody knows if they really were and no one has heard from him since.  The Miri police have denied all knowledge of any arrest.

He had been hoping to spend some time travelling and to enjoy the Gawai season with friends and family.  But, he was detained this morning at Kota Kinabalu airport as he attempted to fly Air Asia to Miri.  He texted colleagues to say he had been arrested and then photographed, his documents copied, before being escorted on to the airplane.

Peter John also known as Papa Orang Utan, Radio DJ from Radio Free Sarawak.

ref:- http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/05/what-happened-to-papa-orang-utan/


p/s: modern Rentap of Sarawak.

~Anak Sarawak~

On their way to town, three men in a Proton car stopped Dr Teo and Peter, and Peter was taken away. They were "stopped by a brown Proton car in front of Tamu Muhibbah in the city centre.

Dr Michael Teo, who was with Peter when the incident happened, said they were "stopped by a brown Proton car in front of Tamu Muhibbah in the city centre. They were three men in it. They all looked native. One of them came out and Peter came out of the car with all the bags. He spoke with one of the men and then entered the car and left me and my driver without a word..

Peter's counsel, DAP lawyer YB Alan Ling, said he had spoken with the Crime Division Head in Miri and confirmed that the authorities had not received instructions to arrest Peter.or was not in anyway involved in Peter’s arrest or disappearance.

If the plain clothes personnel were a special police task force from Bukit Aman, the standard procedure calls for them to lodge a police report here before arresting Peter, Ling said.

YB Alan Ling, the DAP Piasau State Assemblyman in Miri, and he confirmed that he is completely in the dark as what to has happened to Peter some six hours after he met him at the Miri Airport on his arrival from Kota Kinabalu..

Six hours have passed and nobody knows what has happened to Peter or he is, safe or otherwise – and whether the three men who took Peter away were from the police specially dispatched to Miri to apprehend Peter, and if so, why the Miri police have been kept completely in the dark.

Supporters of Radio Free Sarawak are now anxiously trying to find the DJ. The opposition Assemblyman and human rights lawyer See Chee How has flown to Miri from Kuching this afternoon and is working with other lawyers to identify Peter’s whereabouts and secure his release.

Earlier today he explained that no one can be legally detained without charge for more than 24 hours and Peter should have been properly informed of his rights and given access to a lawyer at the time of his arrest. The police officers (if they were police officers) should have identified themselves, not just called him from his car and taken him away.

Fellow RFS presenter, Christina S. Suntai, whose own brother Numpang Suntai also suffered the indignity of arrest last year during a land grab dispute (which he later won) has also spoken out.

“If anyone is perceived as a threat to the present government, whether they are fighting for their land or the right to speak out, then they use the police against them and find some way to accuse them of a crime”, she said. “However, the people in BN, who are in power, get away with all kinds of crime and no one does anything she said”.

Is Malaysia under rule of law or law of jungle where Radio Free Sarawak presenter Peter John Jaban can disappear for 6 hours after arrival in Miri without anyone in authority claiming knowledge or responsibility?

Malaysians and the world expect them to immediately throw light on the whereabouts of Peter as six hours are definitely enough time for the police authorities to come out with clear statement of Jaban’s whereabouts or an open admission that lawlessness in Malaysia have reached a new level where three persons completely uninvolved with the police or the government have abducted Peter in broad daylight in Miri in Malaysia! [Curi]

NALLA'S PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY - Hear what Nalla got to say.....why did not Nalla bring this matter earlier...WHY NOW? Nalla is now a SENATOR appointed by UMNO. So what do you think...can we believe him?








Legal Abduction


BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL / SWITZERLAND
31st May 2012
Radio Free Sarawak anchorman, Peter John Jaban, abducted by Malaysian security forces – Police deny knowledge on the whereabouts of the popular indigenous radio presenter
(MIRI, MALAYSIA) Peter John Jaban, a presenter of Radio Free Sarawak, an independent radio station broadasting news for Sarawak’s indigenous communities, has today been abducted by unidentified Malaysian security forces who are believed to be members of the Special Branch, Malaysia’s secret political police.
According to a statement by Radio Free Sarawak, the radio presenter was on his way home to spend the Gawai harvest festival with his family when he was detained and photographed prior to boarding a flight from Kota Kinabalu to Miri in Sarawak, Malaysia. Malaysian police officers told him that he would be arrested upon arrival in Sarawak. But when he reached Miri, despite heavy police presence, a lawyer and a local politician awaiting Peter John Jaban managed to bring him out of the airport as the police did not have immediate arrest orders.
Several minutes after leaving the airport, Peter John Jaban’s car was stopped and the radio presenter was forced out of the car by plainclothes security forces who refused to identify themselves.
"To say we are worried is an understatement" Clare Rewcastle Brown, Founder of Radio Free Sarawak, has said today. We are desperately trying to find where Peter is and why he was pulled from a car without any proper reason by unidentified people."
London-based Radio Free Sarawak broadcasts a daily two-hour-show on local news in Malay and Iban, a native language spoken by longhouse communities in Sarawak’s interior. The radio station aims at breaking the information monopoly held by the authoritarian Sarawak government under Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Recently, politicians from Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional coalition had called on the government to clamp down on the rebel radio.
The Bruno Manser strongly condemns the Malaysian authorities' attack on press freedom and calls on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to immediately order Peter John Jaban’s release.
For updated information on this case, please check the Radio Free Sarawak website under: www.radiofreesarawak.org
Please call the police in Sarawak to protest against Peter John Jaban's abduction and ask about his whereabouts:
Sarawak Police Commissioner:             +60 82 247204      
Sarawak Police Headquarters Hotline:             +60 82 240 800      
Miri Police Station:             +60 85 432 222      
For more information, please contact us:
Bruno Manser Fund
Socinstrasse 37
4051 Basel, Switzerland
Tel.             +41 61 261 94 74      
www.bmf.ch
www.twitter.com/bmfonds
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bruno-Manser-Fonds/171047506268040
*****************************
The latest abduction of Peter John Jaban by Special Branch is nothing new when it comes to cases involving top leaders in UMNO, Sarawak and Sabah who fear they will lose power.

This kind of happening is very common in Malaysia Bolehland. For example Altantuya, Bruno Manser, Tun Fuad Stephens and Canny Ong were abducted and killed except for Fuad who was C4 in the plane.  These four existence pose a threat to the top leaders in UMNO, Sarawak and Sabah.  There is rumour going round town lately that Sosilawati was killed because  Rosmah wanted the land and Pathmanaban was the middleman. So again  a murderer will be set free just like Razak Baginda.

So will we see justice before the end of the world,  21-12-2012?

LITTLE NAPOLEONS AT LAND & SURVEY DEPARTMENT



SIPITANG: Approval or rejections of land applications are based on how connected ones are with the officers in charged or is it?

Sabah Progressive Party–(SAPP) feels new approach and new culture must to be instilled to administrators and managers of State Government Departments like State Land and Survey Department and other State Agencies alike, Hj Amde Sidik, Deputy President of SAPP said last night at Kg Banting meet about 13km from Sipitang town.
“I think if the procedures are adhered to strictly would surely less complaints and suspicions from public. We can see a few individuals get too much land while a great many do not even owned an inch,” he said.

One common reasoning if not standard answer that received by the land applicants, where they failed is, that the land they applied for has been overlapped with another applicants. In a case, which is genuine, that should be a problem but sometimes this is where bribery at works.

Even at the district level little napoleons behave worse than their bosses at the headquarters Hj Amdee Sidik said, who is also Chairman for SAPP Constituency Liaison Committee for Sindumin, N28.

“In Sipitang District alone we already experienced land scandal, for example, via forgeries of signatures, land were sold via dubious power of attorneys, native lands were sold to non-natives, and not forgetting there are people ever ready to exploit the situation”, he said

A few years ago the building of Sipitang District Office was burnt down mysteriously, this was still a highly suspected incident, some say burning down the building was a way of destroying the existing records.

Present at the gathering were Sarudin Maidin SAPP CLC Sindumin Treasurer, and some CLC committee members. - Sabahkini

Hayek vs Keynes


Here are my responses to the excellent article written by Pirates of PuteraJaya in response to the Greek Tragedy. That article must never be treated as endorsements of Mahathirnomics.






Posted by sakmongkol AK47

Stop the theatrics and tell us actual debt, Najib told


Stop the theatrics and tell us actual debt, Najib told
Taking prime minister Najib Razak to task over his assurance that the national debt would not breach the critical 55% threshold of the country's gross domestic product, PAS's Dzulkefly Ahmad has challenged him to state the actual amount of the debt.
"So how much is the national debt if it has yet to breach 55% of the GDP?" asked the Kuala Selangor member of parliament in his response to Najib's speech yesterday.
Addressing the "Invest Malaysia 2012" conference, Najib said the government had taken steps to reduce fiscal deficit to ensure economic growth, adding that the country's fiscal deficit now stood at 4.8 per cent of GDP versus 5.0 per cent.
But Dzulkefly said it was not the first time such claims were made by the Finance minister.
He recalled a parliamentary answer to him earlier this year which stated that apart from fiscal debts of RM456.1 billion, the country was saddled with RM116.76 billion in debt by statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs), guaranteed by the government as public debt and off-shore loans.
"In the event they fail to pay, all these debts will be Federal debt, and ultimately a contingent liability," warned Dzulkefly.
He demanded Najib to state how much of these debts had been declared as Federal debt as a result of defaulting by its borrowers, namely the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and Syarikat Perumahan Nasional Berhad, whose loans of RM17 billion and RM9.1 billion respectively are guaranteed by the government.
Dzulkefly (left) questioned the RM3 billion which the government was believed to have paid bondholders in the scandal-ridden Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and the RM6.4 billion to Selangor's water concessionaire.
He also warned the government against "reckless gigantic investments", saying big projects were not necessarily good, especially when a project such as the Mass Rapit Transport which cost some RM70 billion amounted to 10% of the country's GDP.
'Crooked management'
He pointed out that it was now customary for the government to publicise a project as 'private sector investment' but in the end bailed out using public funds.
"This is called deception! Even so-called private financial initiative projects were financed by the government. And this has been the case with MAS which was injected some RM3 billion in three installments. So is the case with Sime Darby and many others.
"This is Najib and BN's crooked management, under which something not stated at the tabling of the Budget and not counted as fiscal deficit would ultimately form part of the fiscal deficit," said Dzulkefly, adding that Najib's claim that fiscal deficit had been reduced to 4.8 from 5.0 per cent of GDP was a lie.
Dzulkefly said Najib had the tendency of linking government subsidies to national income, and said his policy of protecting crony businesses was why much more in subsidies were channeled to these interests.
"Who are given the biggest chunks of government subsidies for rice, sugar or power? The ordinary people or crony corporations?" he asked.
-Harakahdaily

MACC probed as if they were 'trying to find a reason to let Shahrizat go' - Rafizi


MACC probed as if they were 'trying to find a reason to let Shahrizat go' -  Rafizi
The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) was accused today of whitewashing Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil's National Feedlot Centre (NFC) graft investigation , with PKR's Rafiz Ramli pointing out that he had not even been questioned by investigators despite being responsible for most of the allegations against the minister and her family.
Rafizi, the man who led a relentless campaign to expose alleged misappropriation of public funds in the management of NFC, pointed out that he had been the one leading the series of exposes on the NFC since the RM250 million federally-funded cattle funding project hit media headlines late last year.
"Seeing as I was the one who exposed all these issues in the NFC, one has to wonder - why have I not been called in to see the MACC when I have been the loudest in this issue?" he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted this afternoon.
Rafizi (picture) said that to completely clear Shahrizat's name, the MACC must now explain why the RM250 million project had been awarded to a company owned by the Wanita Umno chief's family members, even though it has zero experience in farming.
He said it was too simplistic to clear Shahrizat just because she had not been directly involved in awarding the contract, saying it was obvious that the former minister would not have been "so stupid" to sit on the tender committee that decided on the award.
"The way they investigated it is as if they were merely trying to find a reason to let Shahrizat go.
"What the MACC needs to prove is that there was no influence whatsoever from Shahrizat that allowed her family to get the contract although they had absolutely zero experience in cattle-farming," he said.
Earlier today, MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (PPO) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil revealed that Shahrizat has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the RM250 million NFC scandal, which has been dominating media headlines for months since last year.
Hadenen told reporters the MACC has declared investigations into Shahrizat's involvement closed after finding that the former minister had not been directly involved in the process of awarding the loan to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), a company where her husband and children sit as directors.
"The decision to award the contract to the company and to award the loan does not involve her," he had said.
With the MACC's decision on Shahrizat, Rafizi said the onus was now on the agency to explain to the public its reason for not taking any further action against the tender committee that had selected the NFCorp to lead the federally-funded cattle farming project.
The committee, pointed out Rafizi, had been chaired by Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the time, and had included then Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is currently deputy prime minister.
"There were six bidders for the project and of all, only one had some experience in farming. The NFCorp, was clearly only set up recently and was not fit to run the project," he said.
"So the fact that the tender committee chaired by Najib went ahead to award the project to Shahrizat's family clearly indicates an element of corruption... otherwise, it would be quite difficult to fathom why Najib and the committee was so stupid as to award the project of this magnitude to a company with no experience," he added.
As such, said Rafizi, it was only "logical" to find the link between the committee and the company in question in order to determine if any corruption was involved in the contract award.
"And the only link between the selected company and Najib, Muhyiddin was Shahrizat," he said.
Shahrizat, who is the wife of NFCorp chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, had been linked to the scandal by PKR because of her husband’s position, and their three children’s directorships in the same firm.
The former women, family and community development minister had been questioned by the graft watchdog earlier in February after returning to her ministerial duties.
She had earlier taken three weeks’ leave to allow authorities to investigate claims of abuse of power against both her and her family.
Shahrizat stepped down as minister after her double-term as senator expired on April 8.
The RM250 million publicly-funded cattle-raising scheme was first coined a “mess” in an article in English daily The Star after it made it into the pages of the Attorney-General’s 2010 Report for failing to meet production targets.
The term was later repeated by other media organisations to describe NFCorp after PKR launched a series of exposés to show that the project’s funds had been allegedly abused.
The company’s assets were frozen after investigations were launched by the police and the national anti-graft body following the revelations.
Shahrizat's husband, Mohamed Salleh Ismail was charged with criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to NFCorp last March 12.
The 64-year-old was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code relating to CBT for misappropriating RM9,758,140 from NFCorp’s funds to purchase two condominium units at the One Menerung complex in Bangsar for the National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) on December 1 and December 4, 2009.
He was also charged under the same section for transferring RM40 million of NFCorp’s funds to the NMLC between May 6 and November 16, 2009.
He was further charged in both cases for using the said funds without any approval from company’s annual general meeting, which is an offence under Section 132 of the Companies Act 1965.
If found guilty, he faces between two and 20 years’ imprisonment, whipping, and a fine for the offences under the Penal Code.
Mohamad Salleh also faces a five-year jail term or RM30,000 fine for the charges proffered under the Companies Act.
He pleaded not guilty to the CBT charge as well as two counts under the Companies Act in the scandal that has opened Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to damaging attacks ahead of elections that must be called by March next year.
Malaysian Insider

RM2.5bil MAS sukuk: BN's success in covering up the 3Ds - Deficit, Debt and Deceit


RM2.5bil MAS sukuk: BN's success in covering up the 3Ds - Deficit, Debt and Deceit
MAS RM2.5 Billion Raising Of Capital Guaranteed By The Federal Government Proves The Success Of BN’s Successful Cover-up Of 3Ds Of Deficit, Debt And Deceit.
Last month, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) announced a Sukuk programme of up to RM2.5 billion to address its working capital following record losses of RM2.52 billion in 2011. One little-noticed aspect is that this raising of capital will be guaranteed by the Federal government, increasing the amount of contingent liabilities on top of already incurred debt by the Federal government of RM456 billion as at 2011.
MAS RM2.5 billion raising of capital guaranteed by the Federal Government proves the success of BN’s successful cover-up of 3Ds Of Deficit, Debt and Deceit. BN knows that the critical issue in the coming general elections is its handling of the economy and how the people’s cost of living can be reduced and their economic livelihood increased. Tied to whether BN can help the people’s economically is its management of the Federal government’s debt and budget deficit, which some has traced to its failure to address the menace of corruption.
With the RM250 million National Feedlot ”cows and condos” scandal involving the family of the UMNO Wanita chief as well as the decline in the anti-corruption rankings of Transparency International from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 60 last year, BN has given up on trying to persuade the public that it is serious about fighting corruption. However BN is more successful in deceiving the public that the menace of corruption has not adversely affected the economy, especially the Federal government’s debt and deficit.
BN’s claims that the Federal Government Budget Deficit was RM 43 billion, RM 45.5 billion(estimate) and RM 43 billion(estimate) in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. In % of GDP, it is 5.6%, 5.4% (estimate) and 4.7%(estimate) for 2010, 2011 and 2012. These budget deficit figures are way too low as the country’s projection of economic growth is too high and our operating expenditures too low.
The budget deficit as a % of GDP in 2012 will be higher than the announced 4.7% to rise to more than 5.5% as a result of BN’s determined efforts to buy votes with government cash handouts, civil servants' pay increase and big projects such as the roll out of broadband to all schools. Unlike PR state governments that provide social assistance from budget surpluses achieved for the every 4 years PR is in power, BN is giving cash handouts from budget deficits which has been incurred for the last 15 years.
As a result of budget surpluses, PR need not borrow to spend on social programs for the people. However BN Federal government has to borrow to spend, following its 15 years of continuous deficits. This can be seen by Federal government debt increasing by 71% from end 2007 of RM266 billion to RM456 billion by end 2011. Unfortunately this is not the full Federal government debt as contingent liabilities of loans taken by private companies or government agencies are not included.
If contingent liabilities are included, our government debt exposure will increase by RM97 billion in 2010.(Contingent liabilities for 2011 are still not available). Malaysians must remember that there is a day of reckoning for debts borrowed to be repaid. Ultimately, the ordinary people are the ones to pay for all these debts particularly when Malaysia goes bankrupt.
In 2010, the "off-balance sheet" financing activities has hit a record high of RM96.9 billion in 2010, a 14.9% increase from RM84.3 billion in 2009. These are loans which have been taken with a Government guarantee i.e., the Government is obligated to pay should the borrowers fail to settle the debts. As an example, if the Federal Territories Foundation is unable to repay the proposed RM300 million loan from EPF to provide financing for the low-cost housing purchasers, then the Government will have to step in to make the RM300 million payment to EPF.
Federal Government loan guarantees are expected to increase dramatically with loan guarantees for the West Coast Highway of RM 2.24 billion, at least RM20 billion to fund the first phase of the RM53 billion Klang Valley MRT mega-project, the construction of 74 police headquarters with government-guaranteed RM10 billion debt by MoF-owned Pembinaan BLT Sdn Bhd, or the proposed RM20 billion sukuk plan by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) to restructure the country's water assets. These loan guarantees are debt exposures to the Federal government that must be included in our total debt figures.
In contrast, the state government debts of PR state of dropped dramatically just as the BN Federal government debt as soared. In Penang, state government debt was cut by 95% from RM630 million in 8.3.2008 to RM30 million by end of 2011. BN’s deceit in a poorer financial performance as compared to PR state governments can be seen by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recent claims that PR are populist who can not deliver. For this reason, PR has to do a better job to expose BN’s 3Ds of Debt, Deficit and Deceit or else lose badly in the next general elections.
Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister