HIGH ON VIAGRA OR NOT, Tee Yong shot at the WRONG MAN - Tze Tzin

I refer to news report titled “Tee Yong blames Anwar for awry highway concessions”

In YB Chua Tee Yong’s winding up speech, after winning MCA vice presidency, he said “I have done some research. According to my sources, most of the concessions need to be approved by the Finance Ministry. Most of the highway concessions - 10 to 12 of them - were approved between 1991 and 1998. During this time, who was our finance minister? Anwar.”

“Therefore the one who signed it and burdening us is not a BN leader. He is now the opposition leader. We should investigate whatever the opposition claims, because often what they claim is not accurate,” he said.

It seemed that YB Chua Tee Yong had gotten the “political Viagra pill” and spirit was high, thanks to good advise from the Prime Minister.

However, his first salvo, after winning MCA VP, was shot at the wrong target. Instead of speaking up for the struggling Malaysians to stop toll hike, he joined a chorus of UMNO leaders to “blame Anwar” on all BN’s failed policies.

Drafted, evaluated & approved by PM's department i.e. Dr Mahathir

I would like to remind YB Chua that all toll concession agreements are under privatization act, therefore they were drafted, evaluated and finally approved by powerful Economic Planning Unit (EPU), which fell directly under the Prime Minister.

Works Minister was usually tasked to sign toll concession agreements representing government of Malaysia.

The role of finance minister was to administer the contract. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, no doubt from 1991 to 1998 was finance minister of BN government, but he was representing the policy agendas set by BN and his ex-boss Tun Dr Mahathir.

Anwar resisted toll hikes even then

Often untold was that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim played important roles to reject highway toll hikes during his tenure as finance minister. He used his power to freeze toll hikes a few times.

After he was sacked from the government, toll hike took effect on October 1998 and since then become yearly affairs, and eventually led to massive toll hike demonstrations in 1999-2000.

It is disappointing that YB Chua Tee Yong has no more new ideas to resolve the woes of the people and resorted to political spin.

To blame all the policy failures on Anwar is irresponsible.

Is he trying to blame Anwar and apple polish Prime Minister Najib in order to be appointed as minister? Rakyat would expect more from the newly minted VP of MCA.

Does MCA dare to join protest against toll hike?

Pakatan Selangor State Government has successfully exercised shareholders’ rights to stop toll hike in KESAS highway. What have MCA done? Will new leadership of MCA take a principle stand to stop toll hikes defending the vast struggling Malaysians against powerful toll companies?

MCA new leadership should demand government to release the entire toll concession agreement in the spirit of transparency, accountability and good governance.

They should join the rakyat on December 31st at Dataran Merdeka to rally against toll hike and rising cost of living.

If they failed to speak up for Malaysians interests, it only reaffirms the public perception that MCA is powerless in BN, with or without political viagra.

Sim Tze Tzin, MP for Bayan Baru