The nine-month old economic crisis, NEAC and EPF would be among the leading issues to be raised in Parliament by DAP MPs in next week's Parliament

(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The nine-month-old economic crisis, the National Economic Action Council and the Employees' Provident Fund would be among the leading issues to be raised in Parliament by DAP MPs in next week's Parliament.

On Monday, the Yang di Pertuan Agong would deliver the Royal Address after officially opening the fourth session of the ninth Parliament.

On Tuesday, during question time, I have tabled a question to the Prime Minister to report to the Dewan Rakyat on "the constitutional and legal powers/jurisdiction of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) vis-à-vis the Cabinet and Parliament, the modus operandi and staffing of NEAC and the remuneration paid to NEAC members".

My two other questions for next week's Parliament are:

• To ask the Prime Minister to name Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries who have sold their properties overseas whether in their names or that of their spouses and next-of-kin - giving dates and worth of the sales - and brought home the proceeds to put them in local banks to strengthen the country's foreign reserves and those Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries who have such properties overseas who have not done so and whether there is a deadline for them to comply.
• To ask Finance Minister to list out the shares bought by EPF since July 1997, giving date of purchase, purchase price per unit, total price, amount bought, and losses incurred at the end of the year and to state the changes of rules with regard to EPF investment in the stockmarket during the period, particularly with regard to Executive interference with EPF investment policy decisions.

My other questions for oral answer for the forthcoming Parliamentary meeting include:

• To ask the Prime Minister how much the Sultan of Brunei or the Brunei Investment Agency and the Egyptian tycoon Al Fayed have invested in Malaysia this year, giving details, and whether the National Economic Action Council has set up a special bureau with the specific task of persuading the 450 billionaires in Forbe's List of billionaires to invest in Malaysia.
• To ask the Finance Minister the total deposits which had been transferred by Malaysians from local banks to foreign banks between July and December 1997, and why the government had not taken any concrete action to arrest such transfer of funds from local banks to foreign banks.
• To ask the Prime Minister what has been the effect on the new Anti-Corruption Act 1998 on the war against corruption in the country, and the outcome of the various ACA investigations into high-profile personalities, whether it be the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Muhammad Taib; the RM1.2 billion corporate acquisitions of Ling Hee Leong, the 27-year-old son of MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik as to whether there had been improper use and influence of his father's political and Ministerial position or the long-standing Perwaja financial scandal.
• To ask the Prime Minister how many (I) political leaders and (ii) government officials had been investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency since the coming into force of the new Anti-Corruption Act for having properties or assets incommensurate with their known sources of income and the outcome of such investigations.
• To ask the Finance Minister the latest position on the Bakun hydro-electric dam project, particularly with regard to compensation claims by Tan Sri Ting Pik Khiing and Ekran Bhd., the costs and construction that have been completed on the project to date, whether the government proposes to abandon the Bakun dam project altogether and allow the indigenous people in the affected areas to return to them as their natural habitat.
• To ask the Prime Minister whether the government would adhere to the constitutional criteria for the appointment of Senators "who have achieved distinction in the professions, commerce, industry, agriculture, cultural activities or social service" and to stop making political appointments to the Dewan Negara so as to restore public confidence in the State as a second legislative chamber and to upgrade its representation and quality of debate.
• To ask the Education Minister the number government scholars studying overseas who have been recalled home to continue their studies in local universities because of the economic crisis, the number of government scholars overseas pursuing tertiary courses overseas which are available locally and whether there is a policy to recall all such government scholars overseas home to save on foreign currency.
• To ask the Health Minister the latest position on the privatisation of health care services and the status of the the Economic Planning Unit's proposal that the Social Security Scheme (SOCSO) be the basis for a National Health Financing Scheme which would ensure equal accessibility of health care for all.
• To ask the Human Resources Minister the number of workers retrenched in each state/industry since May 1997, the total number of retrenchments expected for this year, and what is the government's monitoring mechanism to prevent mass retrenchments.
• To ask the Minister for Science, Technology and Environment how many Malaysian firemen had succumbed adversely as a result of being despatched to Indonesia last year to help fight and contain the raging fires which caused the regional haze catastrophe last year and what steps have been taken to ensure that there would be no recurrence of the regional haze catastrophe as a result of forest fires in Indonesia this year.
• To ask the Minister for Social Development and National Unity why an Orang Asli has not been appointed to head the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) 44 years after its establishment, why the number of Orang Aslis in the JHEOA staff had fallen from 58.9% in 1993 to 30 per cent, and whether the government would ensure that the next head of JHEOA would be an Orang Asli.
• To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government will give full support, including financial, for the holding of a Peoples' Summit in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Leaders' Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November this year and provide an international lead for the first time in the nine-year history of the organisation in ensuring that APEC broaden its deliberations from economic and trade issues to larger peoples' concerns such as social issues of sustainable human development.
• To ask the Minister for Science, Technology and Environment what steps have been taken to develop a national strategy to protect the critical infrastructures of the country - such as like electric power system, gas and oil (storage and transportation), telecommunications, banking and finance, transportation, water supply systems, emergency services (including medical, police, fire and rescue) and continuity of government services - from information warfare covering a whole spectrum of threats and attacks as well as assuring their continued operation.
• To ask the Minister for Science, Technology and Environment to give a detailed report on the problem of Millennium Bug'' or ''Y2K'' in Malaysia, both in the public and private sectors, and the measures and costs involved to resolve it.
• To ask the Minister for Science, Technology and Environment the latest number of Internet subscribers on (I) Jaring and (ii) Tmnet; when more Internet Service Providers would be appointed; and what are the government plans to great expand the percentage of Malaysians with access to Internet in keeping with the goal to position Malaysia in the very forefront of information technology.
• To ask the Education Minister the number of schools without electricity supply which had been supplied with power in 1997, giving a state-by-state breakdown of the figures; as well as the number of schools in each state, stating whether primary or secondary, which are still without electricity supply or limited supply, and whether all schools could be provided with power by the end of next year to make use of information technology.
• To ask the Home Minister the number of printing permits which had been issued for comic periodicals which originate from Hong Kong/Taiwan, whether in Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese, giving separate figures for each year since 1990.

(20/3/98)