Abdullah should revamp his time-management to ensure that his frequent trips abroad does not result in his neglecting his duties as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister and in particular his 2004 general election pledge to head a clean, incorruptible, efficient, just, democratic, people-oriented administration prepared to hear the truth from the rakyat

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Media Conference           
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Thursday): In a written answer to the DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan yesterday, the Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar revealed that in his 3 years 8 months as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had made 83 official visits overseas (including his most recent visits to Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy)  –  

2004 -  22

2005 -  25

2006 -  20

2007 -  16

One message from the answer is that Abdullah has not only three portfolios of Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister, he has a fourth portfolio as the traveling de facto Foreign Minister. 

Malaysians do not begrudge Abdullah making overseas visits but it must not at the expense of neglecting his duties as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister and in particular his 2004 general election pledge to head a clean, incorruptible, efficient, just, democratic, people-oriented administration prepared to hear the truth from the rakyat. 

Abdullah should revamp his time-management to ensure that his frequent trips abroad does not result in his neglecting his duties as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister as there are more and more disturbing evidence of this happening, viz:

• The most important agenda of the Abdullah administration to wipe out corruption fizzling out, highlighted by the ignominous dismissal of the Eric Chia corruption case without defence being called because of the failure of the prosecution to establish a prima facie case but also by the relentless drop of Malaysia’s ranking in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index from 37^th to 44^th placing from 2003 to 2006 and which is likely to plunge further this year;

• The failure to launch a new public service delivery system which is efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable – an important pillar in enhancing Malaysia’s international competitiveness.

• “First-World Infrastructure, Third-World Mentality” being replaced by “Third-World Infrastructure, Fourth-class Mentality, Ninth-rate Maintenance” instead of “First-World Infrastructure, First-World Mentality” – illustrated by the latest mishap at the RM290 million world’s second largest court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, the sagging ceiling at the Commercial Division High Court.

• The worst parliamentary answer given in the name of the Prime Minister in the 50-year history of the nation where the second half of the question on the implementation of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and in particular the IPCMC proposal was completely ignored. Overall, the Prime Minister has not set the best example to all Cabinet Ministers in giving proper respect and recognition to Parliament as the highest legislative chamber in the land on Ministerial responsibility  and accountability.

• Malaysians feeling even more unsafe in the streets, public places and even in the privacy of their homes with rampant crime and lawlessness as compared to before Abdullah’s premiership.

• The failure of the Prime Minister to meet even once with the MTUC leaders in 44 months despite repeated MTUC requests.

Such a list of failures of the Abdullah premiership from the hopes and expectations that he had raised when he became Prime Minister and which was responsible for the unprecedented Barisan Nasional landslide 2004 general election victory winning over 91 per cent of the parliamentary seats will be quite a long one. 

It will include setbacks to nation-building process arising from worsening religious polarization because of the lack of political will and leadership to restore inter-religious dialogue as in the first three decades of nationhood particularly under the premiership of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn. 

Abdullah should seriously consider cutting down his overseas trips until he has done justice to his responsibilities as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister – especially when the country urgently needs a Minister who is fully hands-on 24 hours a day on the important and critical portfolios of Internal Security and Finance.

(28/6/2007)