Changing The Change Of DAP

(Kwong Wah Daily) – Oh yes, really, there has been a change, DAP has changed.

The explanation for “change” in the dictionary is “the process or the end results of something becoming different”.

When we talk about change, it is with the hope that everything will change to be better. In Malaysia, people hope to have a more transparent, efficient and progressive government in terms of national governance. Therefore, in the 2013 general election, there was a historical voter turnout rate owing to the expectations of change by voters.

At that time, DAP had instilled the spirit of “Ubah” (change) among the masses, calling on our family members, friends, neighbours and colleagues to come out and vote.

Many first time voters had driven back to their hometown to vote; there were also many people returned to the country to fulfill their responsibilities as voters; all of them embraced the hope of change.

In the government, the word “change” can be very subjective and carries different interpretations. Change can be the change of leaders, and also can be the change of government leads by different political party, or can be the political party which won the election governing the country with reforms.

Several events that happened recently causing people to doubt what is the movement of “change” led by DAP? In some cases, DAP is acting in contradiction to what they are fighting for in the Parliament.

Let’s compare the Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia Act 2010 with the 2017 Penang Stadium and Open Area Corporation Enactment 2017 which was passed by the state assembly in May, 2017. The two decrees are very similar, both are intending to improve the management of the sports facilities, the main difference is that one is a federal act while the other is a state law.

When the Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia Act was tabled in Parliament in 2010, the then Seremban Member of Parliament John Fernandez had queried the absolute power of the minister in appointing the chairman of the Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia. But in Penang, the chief minister himself is the chairman of the Penang Stadium and Open Area Corporation.

In the same Parliament motion, Ngeh Koo Ham of DAP had opposed to the immunity from legal action part of the Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia Act; whereas in Penang, the state government led by DAP had passed the similar decree including the exemption from personal responsibility. DAP which had contradicted between its words and deeds, is a double standard political party.

The “Ubah” movement carried out by them is full of irony. They were against the central government, but when they are the government, they follow the central government’s style of doing things.

There’s only one change in the enactment, that is the DAP state government had also classified the “open area” as the responsibility of the corporation, which means that chairman of the corporation who is also the state chief minister has greater power over state land although there have been many disputes over the state land issue.

We have also witnessed in many occasions how DAP opposed to the acts of Barisan Nasional, but when DAP did the same thing, it claimed to be morally better than others.

Freedom of information and freedom of expression is one of the general election manifesto of DAP, and when it came to power it had also widely publicized that it had promulgated the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

However, today in Penang, the FOI seems to be a tool to conceal rather than open documents. Gerakan had applied to inspect more than 20 documents, but none had been provided to be browsed by the party.

When Malaysia introduced a large amount of Chinese capital to the country, the central government was accused of selling state sovereignty to China; but when Penang state government borrowed money from China, Penang state government claimed that it is for the interest of the state.

DAP strongly opposes Umno, therefore they have sworn that they would never award development project of Penang state to any company which is owned by Umno members. But a few weeks ago, Zarul Ahmad, chairman of the Consortium Zenith-BUCG Sdn Bhd who was awarded Penang state undersea tunnel and three high-way projects admitted that he is an Umno member.

Besides, there are many more issues full of irony such as the open tender of Penang state government, car parking charges, resumption of local government elections as well as the “Cleaner Greener Penang” initiative etc.

The above issues are not a question of right or wrong, but this is the “Ubah” that DAP has been pursuing.

Oh yes, really, there has been a change, DAP has changed.

Original Source: 改变行动党的改变