Lim Kit Siang

The bottomless pit

— Nawawi Mohamad
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 25, 2011

OCT 25 — The headlines in the news are crying foul over the extravagance, abusive and utter lunacy in the way the government and its machineries have spent our money. Nine ministries and government departments over spent the allocations, 50 per cent failures under poverty eradication projects, procedures were breached, the Bukit Jalil stadium is not save and too many others that need not be mentioned here.

In short the vast preponderance of funds for the ministries, departments and government agencies could become a “bottomless pit” for the taxpayers. Please be aware that in the 2010 budget allocation 73 per cent was for operating and 27 per cent for development expenditures; a skewed proportion.

That is why there was a delay in announcing the audit report done by the PAC. The whole debacle reflects how irresponsible the government is. This is bad governance.

Unfortunately there is no indication that the government is trying to improve its performance. The government still holds back and distort the process of development and will continue to disproportionate the poorer and weaker of society. The government will continue to withhold critical budgetary operational information to the public.

Ministers and other public officials will continue to be unaccountable or not answerable for their actions. The government will continue appointing the wrong people for the job resulting in lack of vision and no clear direction resulting in failures; double handling and wasted effort. The interface between the public and private sectors will be hampers with red tapes.

Contracts are still being awarded through negotiations. The government will continue to spend money on unnecessary expenditures. There will be more money-making schemes. There will be more borrowings and depletion of our funds. There are no “wastage”, “leakage” and “corruption” in the Umno/BN government’s dictionary.

In short the government will continue with what Umno wants, without acknowledging what the rakyat wants. Excuses, justifications and cover ups will still be the norm.

While many have strongly urged the government to practice “good governance” it will never be carried out.

Malaysians please wake up before disaster befalls us.