ETP makes life harder, says DAP

Kuching MP’s new year message speaks of worsening corruption, cronyism and wastage.

KUCHING: The lack of a political will to institute reform makes the much vaunted Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) nothing more than empty propaganda, according Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen.

“ETP does not increase our income, but it has increased and will continue to increase the people’s financial burden,” he said in his Chinese New Year message.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak launched the ETP last September and his administration has been promoting it as a comprehensive plan to raise Malaysia’s per capita income to at least USD15,000 by the year 2020.

“There is no true institutional and economic reform,” Chong said. “The corruption, cronyism and leakages continue and are getting from bad to worse.

“Despite the ETP, the government debt ballooned to RM400 billion at the end of 2010.”

Chong, the MP for Bandar Kuching, said the people of Sarawak would see their lives transformed for the better only if they changed the government.

“We must stop the corruption, cronyism and leakages. We must stop the exploitation of the country’s resources at the expense of the people,” he said.

“For our children’s sake, change now for a new Sarawak,” he said.

He noted a recent report by the Washington-based Global Financial Integrity that illicit money flows out of Malaysia amounted to nearly RM900 billion between 2000 and 2008. He attributed this to poor governance and pervasive corruption.

Indeed, he pointed out, Malaysia had been plagued by severe economic scandals since the 1980s. Noting that Najib recently allocated RM65 million for the renovation of his residence, he said there was little hope that the Barisan Nasional government was about to change its wasteful ways.

“And while allowing the cronies to profiteer from the corrupt system, the BN government turns to tax the people. The recent price hikes are only a start.

“So Najib’s ETP is nothing but slogans and propaganda.” - FMT