Penang Chief Minister 2011 Chinese New Year Message (in KL)

Let us embrace the future by embracing every Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan and Iban as Malaysian brothers and sisters, Malaysian sons and daughters.

In the Chinese New Year Of the Rabbit, DAP wishes all Malaysians a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous new year. DAP also expresses our condolences and sympathies to those who lost loved ones and suffered losses in the massive floods affecting Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

To attain peace Malaysians must stand united and reject those who wish to divide us by preaching racial and religious hatred. If we want to benefit from equal opportunities and realize our human potential we must stop extremists from continually degrading others as inferiors so as to uplift ourselves.

We can only achieve harmony together. Despite our differences and diversity, Malaysians can make our common aspirations of freedom, justice, democracy and truth come true if we remember key values.

That it is not who we are that is important, but what we are that is important; not the colour of our skin that is important but the content of our character; and not our past ancestry that is important but how we connect with the present and with each other to face the future.

We can only be prosperous together. The time has come to focus on the economy, in employment, education and business opportunities as the conditions for prosperity. We must build human talent and be performance-based.

The time has come for Malaysians to choose carefully. Only a two-party system can ensure peace, harmony and that Malaysia’s rich natural resources benefit 27 million Malaysians. A two-party system requires a strong opposition which can not only deny BN its customary two-thirds majority but also able to form the government.

For those who say that PR do not know how to govern, the 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have proven our ability by beating the other 10 BN states by attracting RM25 billion in investments comprising 53% of Malaysia’s total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010. For the first time in history, Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia, coming out top in 2010 with RM 12.2 billion.

Malaysians can not compromise on corruption. Too much have been lost. The shocking revelations by the US-based financial watchdog Global Financial integrity of RM 888 billion illicit capital flight from Malaysia between 2000-2008 cost is shocking. This means that every Malaysian man, woman and child have lost RM 33,000 each over 9 years! Whilst our Royal Malaysian Navy commandos are heroes for their successful capture of Somali pirates in international waters recently, DAP regrets that land “pirates” are allowed to roam freely in Malaysia.

There is no reason why under the Economic Transformation Program, 19 entry point projects require RM 67 billion in investments to generate 35,000 jobs. In other words, almost RM2 million is required to create a job!

This is ridiculous and only shows the extent of leakages in the economy in the form of inefficiency, wastage and even corruption. Contrast this to the number of jobs created from total private investments for Malaysia in 2010. From a total investments of RM47,177 million in 2010 will help to generate 97,310 jobs or RM 485,000 for each job.

Only an economy free from corruption can we ensure that the people prosper and benefit. Let us embrace a future free from fear and cronyism. Let us embrace the future by embracing every Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan and Iban, as Malaysian brothers and sisters, Malaysian sons and daughters.

Then only can we grow together, learn together and enjoy the success together.