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Media Statement  
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Petaling Jaya, Sunday) : In an exclusive interview with New Sunday Times, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said:

“I have to do what I need to do. I know there are people who are trying their best to ridicule me. They make a mountain out of a molehill. They just want to rubbish me.

“All this is expected in politics. No politician is liked by everyone. The most important thing is that I have the support of the majority.”

The question is whether Abdullah had done what he needed to do to  honour his pledges as Prime Minister to lead an administration which is clean, incorruptible, efficient, open, accountable, transparent, democratic, just and prepared to listen the truth from the people?

Just three examples:

Firstly, why are there still no signs for the establishment of the  Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the key proposal of the Royal Police Commission he set up to restore public confidence in the police by creating an efficient, professional, incorruptible  and human rights-sensitive world-class police service?  Is it because Abdullah has the power to set up the Royal Police Commission but no power to implement its key proposals?

Secondly, why is there no response from him to the seven-point drop in Malaysia’s standing in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI) during his  three year tenure as Prime Minister, from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 for 2006, when he had announced in early 2004  that TI CPI ranking for Malaysia would be improved from 37^th to at least No. 30 by next year?

Thirdly, he had promised a more open and accountable government, promising to create a conducive environment for whistleblowing with a whistleblower protection programme and legislation to check  public misconduct and abuses of power.  Why is his Cabinet doing the opposite, directing the Attorney-General to initiate prosecution under the Official Secrets Act for public disclosure of the Lebuhraya Puchong Damansara (LPD) concession on the unfair and unreasonable periodic hike in  tolls? 

Why is his government perpetuating the cult of secrecy in refusing to make public all the privatization concessions, whether highway, water, health  or transport  to satisfy Malaysians that they are not “piratisation” schemes at the people’s expense?

Abdullah has not lived up to the test of doing what he needed to do as Prime Minister to be true  and faithful to his general election pledge for which he won the mandate of  91 per cent parliamentary seats.

The unprecedented majority of 91 per cent parliamentary seats, though the Barisan Nasional only secured 63.9 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2004 general election, is a mandate to honour his election pledge as the fifth Prime Minister and not a mandate to break and violate them.

(28/1/2007)