Call on Abdullah to present a Prime Ministerial statement when Parliament reconvenes on Monday to list out his achievements in his three years as Prime Minister – political, economic, educational, social, national unit, inter-religious understanding, human rights, fight against corruption and an efficient and people-oriented public service 

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Wednesday) :  Bernama reported from Nanning, China yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was  surprised when he was reminded at the press conference before departing to Kuala Lumpur that yesterday was the third anniversary of his premiership.

Abdullah said there was much he still had to do.

He said: "Three years is not enough to do work as there are still much to be done. The Ninth Malaysia Plan has just been implemented and several projects under the Eighth Malaysia Plan have not been completed yet."

I do not know how genuine was  Abdullah’s surprise when reminded that yesterday was the third anniversary of his premiership. While I agree that “there are still much to be done”, Malaysians are surprised that he has nothing to say as to what he had achieved in his three years as Prime Minister.

In the modern era, political  leaders live by yardstick of  “the First Hundred Days” when they ascend to the highest office of the land to demonstrate their leadership qualities and the new policies and programmes they want to initiate.

Can it be  that after three years or 1,095 days, Abdullah has nothing to say or to show about his premiership, and in particular  the differences he  had brought to the nation as compared to the previous administration under Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for 22 years?

Criticisms and attacks from Dr. Mahathir aside, Abdullah should be aware that even his strongest supporters when he became Prime Minister are very frustrated and  disillusioned by his failures in the past three years to “walk the talk” and  make any significant headway to deliver on his reform pledges to head a clean, incorruptible, efficient, accountable, trustworthy, people-oriented administration which is prepared to hear the truth from the rakyat.

I am very surprised by the Prime Minister’s  keynote address at the third China-Asean Business and Investment Summit in Nanning yesterday, where he held up Malaysia’s economic and industrial development plans as the  model of openness and transparency for China and other Asean countries to emulate to attract foreign investors.

This might be an appropriate pitch to make two weeks ago, but not after the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) World Investment Report 2006 which was released on 16^th October 2006 which inter alia stated:

• Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Malaysia dipped to US$3.97 billion last year from US$4.62 billion in 2004;

• For the first time since 1990, Indonesia managed to overtake Malaysia in drawing FDIs. Inflows to Indonesia surged by 177% to US$5.26 billion last year.

• As a whole, FDIs to South, East and South-East Asia reached a new high of US$165 billion last year, a 19% increase over 2004,  with China (US$72 billion), Hong Kong (US$36 billion)  and Singapore (US$20 billion)  as the biggest receipients of FDIs in 2005.

• Malaysia,  placed seventh position in South, East and South-East Asia among the top 10 recipients of FDI inflows, is facing serious challenge from Thailand which registered an increase from US$1.95 billion in 2003 to US$3.69 billion last year as compared to Malaysia’s US$2.47 billion to RM3.97 billion for the same period.

With such a poor FDI showing from the Unctad  World Investment Report 2006, Abdullah keynote address  for the third China-Asean Business and Investment Summit though drafted more than a fortnight ago had  clearly become inappropriate and should have been rewritten.

Clearly, Abdullah needs advisers and speechwriters who are more nimble and agile to latest local and international developments so as not to expose him to avoidable adverse comments and criticisms.

Be that as it may, I call on Abdullah to present a Prime  Ministerial statement when Parliament reconvenes on Monday to list out his achievements in his three years as Prime Minister – political, economic, educational, social, national unity,  inter-religious understanding, human rights, fight against corruption and an efficient and people-oriented public service.

This Prime  Ministerial statement will form  the basis for the 24-day committee stage debate on the  RM160 billion 2007 Budget – the first budget and action plan to spearhead the implementation of the RM220 billion Ninth Malaysia Plan and the 15-year National Mission towards realizing Vision 2020 – beginning on November 6.

(01/11/2006)