Category Archives: Buku Jingga

Ambil Alih EDL Buktikan Prinsip Ekonomi Buku Jingga Tepat

KEADILAN mengalu-alukan pengumuman bahawa Kerajaan Persekutuan akan mengambil alih Lebuhraya Penyuraian Timur (Eastern Dispersal Link atau EDL) di Johor Bahru setelah desakan rakyat menentang tol yang membebankan rakyat memuncak.

Tindakan Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak itu benar-benar mengesahkan prinsip asas tata kelola ekonomi yang disyorkan di dalam Buku Jingga iaitu:

1. Kerajaan perlu bersifat pragmatik dalam model pembiayaan projek infrastruktur, dengan membandingkan bebanan kewangan yang ditanggung kerajaan secara keseluruhan (termasuk pampasan yang perlu dibayar setiap tahun) dengan jumlah keuntungan yang diperolehi oleh pemegang konsesi swasta;

2. Kerajaan perlu mengutamakan kebajikan pengguna termasuklah bebanan kepada perbelanjaan harian dalam menentukan perjanjian konsesi bagi projek infrastruktur; dan

3. Secara amnya, adalah lebih baik jika rakyat tidak dikenakan bayaran jika kerajaan mampu menanggung kos pembinaan dan operasi, kerana ini akan meningkatkan pendapatan bolehguna (disposable income) rakyat yang bila dibelanjakan kelak, bakal merancakkan pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.

Tiga prinsip asas inilah yang mendorang KEADILAN dan rakan-rakan Pakatan Rakyat menetapkan pengambilalihan konsesi tol dengan matlamat menghapuskan tol sebagai salah satu daripada 10 program pertama yang akan dilaksanakan Pakatan Rakyat bila berkuasa kelak.

Ini berasaskan fakta bahawa jumlah bebanan yang ditanggung oleh rakyat dan kerajaan (dalam bentuk tol yang dibayar dan pampasan tahunan kepada pemegang konsesi) adalah jauh lebih mahal daripada kos operasi dan kadar pulangan pelaburan yang munasabah (reasonable rate of return for investment) yang ditanggung oleh pemegang konsesi seperti PLUS.

Ketika Buku Jingga mula-mula dilancarkan dan cadangan ini dibawa oleh Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, seluruh kepimpinan Umno/Barisan Nasional mengkritiknya atas alasan ia tidak mampu dilaksanakan dan akan memufliskan negara.

Tindakan Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak mengarahkan pengambil alihan EDL sebenarnya mengesahkan bahawa prinsip asas tata kelola ekonomi yang dibawa Buku Jingga boleh dilaksanakan dan lebih bermanfaat kepada rakyat.

Walau bagaimana pun, saya khuatir jika pengambil alihan ini juga adalah satu helah supaya wang rakyat boleh diseludup keluar kepada syarikat-syarikat yang rapat dengan Umno/Barisan Nasional, terutamanya apabila pemegang konsesi EDL adalah MRCB yang rapat dengan Umno.

Kebelakangan ini, ada satu kegilaan oleh Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk menggunakan dana rakyat dan membeli pelbagai aset dan konsesi kroni yang jumlah urusniaganya mencecah berbilion ringgit. Sebelum ini, dana 1MDB yang dikawal oleh Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak telah menyempurnakan pembelian dua buah syarikat penjana bebas dari kumpulan yang dikawal Genting dan Ananda Krishnan pada harga keseluruhan melampaui RM7 bilion. Kedua-dua tokoh perniagaan ini sering dikaitkan dengan kepimpinan Umno/Barisan Nasional.

Kesemua urusniaga ini, termasuklah yang terbaru pembelian EDL oleh kerajaan Malaysia dibuat dalam suasana penuh kerahsiaan. Nilaian harganya tidak melibatkan tokoh-tokoh lain yang boleh memastikan rakyat tidak ditipu dan tidak ada unsur-unsur penyelewengan.

Oleh yang demikian, saya mengesyorkan kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat memberi tumpuan untuk menggerakkan rakyat menuntut dua perkara seperti berikut:

1. Bila mana prinsip asas tata kelola ekonomi Buku Jingga diterimapakai oleh Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam pengambil alihan EDL, prinsip itu terbukti boleh dilaksanakan kepada konsesi lebuhraya yang lain. Saya sarankan Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak umumkan secepat mungkin senarai lebuhraya dan konsesi lain yang juga akan diambil alih oleh kerajaan dalam masa terdekat; dan

2. Sebuah Jawatankuasa Parlimen (Parliamentary Select Committee) perlu ditubuhkan dalam sidang dewan akan datang untuk mengkaji, menyemak dan memastikan kesemua urusniaga yang melibatkan pembelian aset besar dari syarikat berkepentingan dibuat secara adil dan tiada unsur penyelewengan.

KEADILAN akan membawa isu ini ke sidang Parlimen akan datang untuk diberikan perhatian utama.

MOHD RAFIZI RAMLI
PENGARAH STRATEGI KEADILAN

31 OGOS 2012

Buku Jingga: A Testament of Political Communion

(This is an article on Buku Jingga that I wrote for Selangor Times)

I have spoken and written on Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga on numerous occasions lately that it feels very trite to repeat it here. When I received a request for a write up on Buku Jingga in Selangor Times, I had to think hard on what to write.

The staying power of Buku Jingga so far is a source of minor pride for the people in Pakatan Rakyat Secretariat, because it did not occur to us that it would stay in the news this long. Policy announcements are a bit of a conundrum to Pakatan Rakyat – it takes a lot of efforts and time to research and develop a new set of policies that can contrast the existing Barisan Nasional policies; yet more often than not such policy announcements come and go without much impact to the public.

There are some of us who after a while become quite wary when asked to develop “policies” for Pakatan. I joined the cogs and wheels of KEADILAN (and by extension Pakatan Rakyat) almost two years ago, armed with idealism to the teeth with the sole aim of contributing to the emergence of a two-party system in Malaysia. The ideal two-party system that comes with a complete set of shadow cabinet and distinctively different policies between one another, so that our fledgling democracy can make its leaps and bounds into the future.

I remember the early days of asking and criticising internally of the supposed policy weaknesses of Pakatan Rakyat. Sometimes I grumbled that we did not unveil new policies; sometimes I whined that we spent too much time engaging in non-productive political rhetoric. “People want to evaluate our policies” so I said over and over again to the younger set of party leaders.

Along the way, as I was given more tasks on policies within the party, I realised that the bigger challenge for Pakatan Rakyat is not really the formulation of policies. Ideas are abound, in fact too many that it takes a while to pick up the well researched ones from the not so well thought of. But we were never short of policy ideas – I guess there are many things to fix after 54-year rule of Umno/Barisan Nasional that each has his/her laundry list of what needs to be done differently.

The most difficult part of the process to promote new policies (so that the public can contrast the policies of the different parties and make informed choices, as how matured democracies are meant to function) is keeping the attention on the new policies long enough for it to be cascaded down to the public, because we operate in a media environment that is ridiculously hostile to Pakatan Rakyat.

I remember working with representatives from DAP (YB Tony Pua and YB Liew Chin Tong) and PAS (YB Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad) on Pakatan’s response to NEM. We spent weeks to produce a thick document that set out our core criticism against NEM. In the end, in spite of its unveiling in Dewan Rakyat, it only lasted in the news for a day and till this day, Pakatan Rakyat is being accused of not responding to NEM.

Given this background, after a while I became quite cynical with the middle class’ assertion that to function as a national opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat must constantly unveil its policies. I took comfort that there are enough people working on voluntary basis behind the scene who are able to focus on policies and provide the right input to the top leadership of Pakatan Rakyat. Until the media in Malaysia is liberated, too much focus on policy developments is akin to training our guns on a wrong target as elections are not won purely on the merits of policies (well, at least in Malaysia).

Buku Jingga was developed with that kind of reality check, knowing that it may not gain enough traction on the ground to last a week. But the team was quite determined to expand the Common Policy Framework into a decent policy document; as a basis for future policy discussions. Articulating the common principles spelt out in Common Policy Framework that was endorsed by Pakatan Rakyat in 2009 was important not just because it would boost up our policy credentials, it was an important test of cohesiveness between the three parties in Pakatan Rakyat.

The idea to come up with a pocket book that can be easily memorised originated from Khalid Jaafar, who along with Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Tian Chua and Dato’ Chua Jui Meng represented KEADILAN. PAS’ representatives (Salehuddin Ayob, Dr Hatta Ramli, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Dr Mujahid Yusuf) vetted the text word by word and made major changes to the way the case was presented throughout the book. Anthony Loke, Tony Pua, Liew Chin Tong and Theresa Kok from DAP insisted on a summary of programs that the public will remember instantly each time they talk about Buku Jingga.

If there was one memorable achievement of Buku Jingga, it is that the process to produce Buku Jingga has become a living proof that the union of the parties in Pakatan Rakyat has long passed the stage of nascent political cooperation. The ease at which the representatives from all the parties discussed and worked towards a common solution for each issue speaks volume of the political understanding within Pakatan Rakyat.

This to me is a much bigger (and potent) achievement than the ability to present the rakyat a set of alternative policies, though Pakatan Rakyat is often accused of not spending enough efforts and time on policies. Our political enemies may try to drive a wedge and use the full media force at their disposal to break this political union, knowing full well that a united Pakatan Rakyat is the surest sign that Barisan Nasional’s reign will come to an end soon.

But the single-mindedness to undo the damage caused by Barisan Nasional’s 54-year rule has gone beyond mere political expediency. It has bound individual leaders and activists in the three parties in Pakatan Rakyat to stay on this path no matter what challenges lie ahead (this sounds corny, but I lost for words looking at the dark clouds outside ;-).

Buku Jingga is a manifestation of the political maturity in Pakatan Rakyat. The judge is still out there as to whether Buku Jingga has the staying power to capture the public’s imagination and makes a difference in the next general election, but one can only be optimistic. After all, we did not expect it to last one week in the news!

Response to Umno Youth Chief’s Criticism of Buku Jingga: RM28 Billion Lost Is Real!

Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga has been a centre of much debate since its unveiling in December. Ironically, the immediate response on Buku Jingga by Barisan Nasional’s top leadership has added weight to its instant fame, not least when the Prime Minister himself promised to present to the nation a point-by-point rebuttal of the reforms outlined. While the nation is still waiting for the point-by-point rebuttal from the Prime Minister (either in the form of published article or through a live debate with the Leader of Opposition), Umno’s Youth Chief has kindly set out a basis for an exchange of arguments on the merits of Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga.

I must commend him for the efforts, although he only commented on 3 points out of the 10-point reform programs.  There was no response whatsoever on the commitment to restore the independence and integrity of the key national institutions of the nation such as the judiciary, Royal Malaysian Police and AG Chamber. Nor was there any mention of our promise to abolish ISA.

I would understand why he was silent on our commitment to make water a public asset of the rakyat and the pledge to guarantee availability of free wi-fi internet service to all urban and semi-urban areas; because Pakatan states are already striving to achieve this since taking over. Nevertheless, he could at least share with the rakyat why he thought it is not possible to set up a Royal Commission to decidedly resolve the problems of immigration and citizenship in Sabah; or what has been stopping BN’s Federal Government from raising the royalty for hydrocarbon extraction to states to 20%?

Irrespective of my personal feeling of the incompleteness of the response, I shall present Pakatan Rakyat’s arguments on the key issues raised by him last week.

He questioned the accuracy of the RM28 billion estimate of the public monies lost each year due to leakages, corruption and shoddy procurement practices, on the basis that it was not specifically reported in the Auditor General’s Report. My good colleague must understand the nature of audit and how audits are conducted. Having spent a good portion of my professional life as a chartered accountant and an auditor, I must impress on the public that audits are carried out on the basis of sampling. We test samples of transactions to estimate the extent and nature of the financial and operational positions.

The RM28 billion exact figure may not be reported explicitly in the AG’s Report, but the results of the audit clearly point to leakages of that proportion based on the extent of over-pricing and over-spending of individual items; as well as losses due to mismanagement detected during field audits.

One only has to peruse up to the quarter of the AG’s Report to understand the magnitude of the leakages. Let me give a few easy examples.

In the 2008 AG’s Report, it was revealed that the Federal Government had to bear an estimated loss of RM1.14 billion due to the mismanagement of the electrified double-tracking project between Rawang and Ipoh. Another RM500 million of taxpayers’ money was used to set off the accumulated losses of government’s investment in the US-based Columbia Aircarft Manufacturing Corp.

We should not forget too easily the shock that the nation had to endure when we discovered that taxpayers’ money paid for a RM42,320 laptop; perhaps the most expensive in the world. Or the gasp when we realised government departments paid RM262,256 maintenance cost of a Perdana over a 4 year period, when a market estimate is only RM15,000.

It feels only yesterday that the AG rapped the Youth & Sports Ministry for a series of out-of-this-world purchases; including  a RM224 screw-driver set, a RM5,700 car jack or a RM8,254 digital camera – when the market price per piece was RM40, RM50 and RM2,990 respectively.

My good friend can argue on technical ground that the RM28 billion was never reported per se in the AG’s Report, but his argument is out of touch with the reality on the ground. The excesses and huge leakages due to the mismanagement and BN’s lackadaisical attitude in combating corruption are real.

The examples cited in the AG’s Report are reflected annually in the overall financial position of the government. The financial indiscipline due to the lack of political will to impose good governance; has caused over-spending each year beyond what was approved for the annual spending budget.

Take the 2009 AG’s Report for example, released in June 2010 (the latest report available). In 2009, the Federal Government over spent by a whopping amount of RM4.83 billion above what was approved for its operational expenses. More alarming was the fact that this malpractice of financial indiscipline has persisted over the years – in between 2005 and 2009; the Federal Government’s cumulative overspending on operational expenses was RM19.41 billion.

Over the same period, the Federal Government’s development expenditure had also exceeded the approved budget for RMK9 by 34%. 42 projects listed as RMK9 projects exceeded the approved budget by a total amount of RM3.74 billion; topped by the defence procurement by a ministry previously helmed by the Prime Minister.

I can go on and list other numbers especially the amount of loans guaranteed or given to GLCs and government bodies; which forms a significant financial risk and liability to the Federal Government. By the end of 2009, the Federal Government guaranteed a total of RM84 billion in loans to 20 GLCs and 2 government bodies. If my good friend finds it difficult to comprehend the magnitude of this, we have to refresh our memories on the PKFZ loan guarantee fiasco which saddled the Federal Government with billions worth of debts.

Or he can visit my hometown of Kemaman to grapple with the magnitude of public funds that Perwaja has sucked over the years from the rakyat. As at 31 December 2008, Perwaja owed an amount of RM3 billion worth of debts that fell due on that date to the Federal Government. It was not able to pay; in fact it couldn’t even pay the RM319 million instalment due in 2009 that the loan had to be restructured and paid over a longer term. Such was an instance of a series of financial imprudence when public funds are used to subsidise the corporate companies. In 2009, 45.7% out of the 70 loans worth billions of ringgit given to corporate companies could not be serviced on time.

I listed all these examples published in the AG’s Report to provide a glimpse of the extent of leakages, over spending, financial indiscipline and corruption that are rampant in this country. The figures cited are bona fide audited figures presented to Dewan Rakyat by the Auditor General. These figures on their own, without the need to extrapolate and estimate as alleged by my good friend; already amount to billions of ringgit each year.

So, our basis for estimating that there is a potential saving of RM28 billion if we fix the leakages, mismanagement and corruption has its merits; corroborated by years’ worth of AG’s Reports. In fact, some quarters even believe that the estimate is conservative.

When Pakatan Rakyat takes over, with a single-mindedness for political and economic reforms, there is a room to return the RM28 billion back to the people in the form of the programs outlined in Buku Jingga.

I have an equally long explanation backed by facts and figures for the other 3 points raised by the good gentleman on gas subsidies/IPP, GLC and affordability of the RM500 teaching allowance; but it will have to be in different instalments of my column as the space does not allow it.

But I hope, this “point-of-information” (POI, as we often refer to interjections in debating tournaments) is enough to enlighten the public for today. I trust there will be more such debates in the press (through various writings) after this since my good friend has not responded to a debate challenge, so I shall keep the other points for the future!

This response was published in The Edge

Pakatan Hanya Perlukan RM19 Bilion Untuk Janji 100 Hari

Kenyataan Perdana Menteri kononnya Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rayat tidak dapat dilaksanakan atas alasan negara tidak berkemampuan membuktikan lagi UMNO/BN berselindung di sebalik penguasaan media untuk memadamkan fakta. Maka memandangkan isu ini mendesak dan menyentuh kepentingan rakyat dan negara, kami syorkan diadakan satu debat terbuka.

Tuduhan beliau bahawa Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat akan menjadikan negara muflis adalah dangkal kerana hakikatnya, UMNO/BN yang berhutang setiap tahun sehingga hutang negara menggunung. Laporan Ketua Audit Negara yang dikeluarkan pada 25 Oktober 2010 memberi amaran bahawa nisbah hutang negara kepada KDNK telah melepasi paras 50% buat kali pertama dalam sejarah negara.

Hutang kerajaan Malaysia bagi tahun 2009 meningkat kepada RM362.39 billion atau 53.7% dari KDNK. Malapetaka ekonomi ini berlaku di bawah pentadbiran Perdana Menteri sekarang sebagai Menteri Kewangan. Dalam tahun 2010, kerajaan melancarkan 19 program menjual bon yang membabitkan hutang tambahan bernilai RM58.1 bilion.

Tabiat berhutang UMNO/BN akan diperhebatkan tahun ini. Pada 14 Disember 2010, Bank Negara Malaysia mengumumkan kerajaan akan menjual 29 bon tambahan dalam tahun 2011. Menurut anggaran Institut Penyelidikan RHB, penjualan 29 bon ini akan membabitkan hutang baru kerajaan persekutuan berjumlah RM83 bilion.

Makanya, alasan Perdana Menteri untuk menolak Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat perlu dikaji dengan berlatar belakangkan perkara-perkara ini. Malaysia sememangnya sedang menuju ke gerbang kemuflisan jika UMNO/BN terus berhutang sewenangnya seperti sekarang – tetapi ia bukanlah disebabkan oleh Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat. Malaysia akan muflis akibat ketagihan UMNO/BN kepada pembaziran dan rasuah yang berleluasa, demi mempertahankan sistem kroni kapitalisme yang didokong UMNO/BN.

Contoh-contoh pembaziran UMNO/BN sudah diketahui rakyat. Perdana Menteri terlampau taksub dengan bangunan 100 tingkat yang menelan belanja RM5 bilion, sedangkan isu perumahan mampu milik meruntun golongan berpendapatan rendah dan orang muda. Kerajaan UMNO/BN akan mengugut bahawa negara akan muflis setiap kali Pakatan Rakyat memperjuangkan imbuhan tambahan para guru, tetapi ia tidak rasa bersalah apabila meluluskan kontrak RM77 juta kepada APCO. Senarainya terlalu panjang untuk dihuraikan disini.

Oleh itu, tindakan pertama Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat adalah melancarkan perang habis-habisan menentang rasuah di setiap peringkat, bermula dengan pemimpin-pemimpin kanan politik. Ini akan menyelamatkan RM28 bilion yang tiris dari Perbendaharaan setiap tahun akibat rasuah, seperti yang dianggarkan oleh Ketua Audit Negara.

Selepas itu, Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat akan menstrukturkan semula sistem subsidi untuk memansuhkan subsidi korporat yang hanya mengkayakan beberapa kerat kroni. Jumlah RM19 bilion subsidi korporat yang ditanggung oleh PETRONAS untuk membayar IPP milik kroni akan dipulangkan kepada Perbendaharaan. Kita juga akan menyemak semula sistem konsesi toll untuk memansuhkan bayaran pampasan RM4 bilion setiap tahun yang kini ditanggung kerajaan.

Dua tindakan yang mudah ini akan memulangkan RM51 bilion kepada rakyat – lebih dari cukup untuk melaksanakan Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat yang jumlahnya hanyalah satu pertiga dari jumlah yang diselamatkan:

1.Imbuhan khas perguruan berjumlah RM500 sebulan menelan belanja RM3.2 bilion setahun.

2.Jaminan Pakatan Rakyat bahawa subsidi minyak akan dikekalkan untuk golongan berpendapatan rendah akan melibatkan penstrukturan semula sistem subsidi, supaya hanya golongan yang berkelayakan menikmati subsidi minyak. Kos subsidi di bawah sistem sebegini dianggarkan berjumlah RM4 bilion setiap tahun.

3.Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat akan meneruskan subsidi gas memasak, berjumlah RM4 bilion setiap tahun.

4.Penstrukturan semula sistem tol di bawah PLUS dianggarkan menelan belanja RM23 bilion, berdasarkan harga pasaran yang ditawarkan oleh Khazanah dan KWSP. Kos tambahan yang perlu ditanggung kerajaan untuk mengambil alih operasi dari pemegang saham minoriti dianggarkan berjumlah RM8 bilion.

Justeru, jumlah dana yang diperlukan untuk melaksanakan Janji 100 Pakatan Rakyat hanyalah RM19.2 bilion; yakni sama dengan subsidi korporat yang diberikan kepada IPP milik kroni setiap tahun. Jumlah ini adalah terlampau sedikit berbanding RM51 bilion yang hilang setiap tahun akibat ketirisan dan rasuah demi memastikan kroni gembira dan bersenang-lenang.

Janji-janji lain seperti skim air percuma dan skim wi-fi percuma telah pun dilaksanakan di negeri-negeri Pakatan Rakyat. Kami telah membuktikan ia mampu dilaksanakan.

Oleh yang demikian, Perdana Menteri tidak boleh berdolak dalih lagi kenapa UMNO/BN tidak mahu melaksanakan Janji 100 Hari Pakatan Rakyat apabila rakyat tahu bahawa ia mampu dilaksanakan. Tabiat berhutang UMNO/BN yang membebankan generasi akan datang adalah sangat tidak bertanggungjawab, apatah lagi apabila wang yang dipinjam tidak dibelanjakan untuk rakyat.

DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM
KETUA PEMBANGKANG
11 JANUARI 2011

PAKATAN ONLY NEEDS RM19 BILLION TO IMPLEMENT 100-DAY REFORM PROGRAMS

Prime Minister’s repudiation of Pakatan’s 100-day reform programs on financial ground will further highlight UMNO/BN’s reluctance to spend the national wealth for the people.

It is a bit presumptious for the Prime Minister to claim that Pakatan’s 100-day reform program will bankrupt the country, since it is UMNO/BN-led government that had borrowed excessively each year. The Auditor General’s Report released on 25 October 2010 cautioned Putrajaya that the national debt to GDP ratio has breached the 50% mark for the first time in our history.

Malaysia government’s debt for 2009 rose to RM362.39 billion or 53.7% of GDP. The level of national debt in fact worsens under the stewardship of the current Prime Minister. The government undertook 19 bond programmes with a combined value of RM58.1 billion in 2010.

On 14th December 2010 Bank Negara Malaysia announced that the government will launch 29 additional bond programmes in 2011. RHB Research Institute estimates that this will involve a combined value of RM83 billion of new debts to be undertaken by the Federal Government.

Therefore, the Prime Minister’s criticism in rejecting Pakatan’s 100-day reform program should be viewed in this perspective. Malaysia is en route to bankruptcy at the rate that it is raising debts to fund UMNO/BN’s addiction to wasteful spending and corruption that is endemic in the crony capitalism structure that it props.

The public is generally privy to such examples of excesses are well known to the people. Instead of providing homes to the poor and young people, the Prime Minister is more obsessed with his 100-storey tower costing RM5 billion. The UMNO leadership will scream bankruptcy each time Pakatan fights for better pay for the teachers, yet it has no qualms to pay RM77 million for a one year contract to APCO. The list is endless.

Thus, the first action of a Pakatan Federal government is to announce an all out war against corruption at all levels in the government, starting with the political leadership. This will save an amount of RM28 billion for the national treasury as estimated by the Auditor General, believed to have been lost each year due to corruption and leakages.

Next, a Pakatan Federal Government will restructure the national subsidy system to abolish corporate subsidies that had bled the people and enriched only a few cronies. The RM19 billion of subsidy to IPP borne by PETRONAS each year will be reverted to the national treasury. Similarly, we will undertake an overhaul of the toll concession system to return the RM4 billion’s worth of compensation paid to concessionaires back to the national treasury.

These two quick actions will yield an additional RM51 billion financial muscle for a Pakatan Federal Government to implement our 100-day reform programs, whose cost is only a third of the amount:

1. The new RM500 a month teaching allowance for teachers and educational officers will cost RM3.2 billion annually

2. Our guarantee that fuel subsidies will be maintained for lower income group will involve a restructuring of the subsidy system, so that only the lower income group enjoys fuel subsidy. The cost estimate for maintaining fuel subsidy under a restructured subsidy system is RM4 billion annually

3. Pakatan Federal Government will continue to subsidise LPG, at an estimated cost of RM4 billion annually

4. The restructuring of the toll system under PLUS is expected to cost RM23 billion, based on the current offer made by Khazanah and EPF. The additional cost to acquire minority shareholders is approximately RM8 billion.

The additional cost required to fund Pakatan’s 100-day programs is only RM19.2 billion, an amount equivalent to the existing corporate subsidies fed to IPPs each year. This is a pittance compared to the RM51 billion stolen from our national economy to keep the cronies afloat and fat.

The other people-centric programs such as free water and free wi-fi schemes have been implemented in Pakatan states. This has been proven to be viable and sustainable.

The onus is for the Prime Minister to come up with a complete explanation of his reluctance to implement these programs, when rakyat knows that we can afford it. It is utterly irresponsible to continue piling debts for future generations to bear but refuses to utilise the money for the welfare of the people.

DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM
LEADER OF OPPOSITION
11 JANUARY 2011

Jawapan Awal: Pakatan Ada Jalan Laksanakan Program Buku Jingga

Saya memberikan cadangan secara kasar supaya rakyat dapat meneliti sendiri angka yang diberikan dan menilai sebanyak mana wang yang ‘bocor’ dari kantung negara setiap tahun. Hanya dengan dua langkah mudah, kita mempunyai lebihan wang sebanyak 3 kali ganda berbanding apa yang dijanjikan dalam Buku Jingga. Bukan itu sahaja, bahkan kita memiliki wang lebih untuk membayar benda lain seperti penjara-penjara baru untuk ahli politik kaki rasuah yang suka suki membuncitkan perut sendiri dan kroni dengan cara merampas hak rakyat terbanyak selama ini.

Ini hanyalah perkiraan kasar kerana tidak cukup masa, tapi angka kasar ini sudah cukup menjelaskan segalanya. Sebarang komen balas dialu-alukan.

1) BN selalu berkata bahawa banyak perkara yang kita tidak mampu, kononnya ia akan memufliskan negara, terutamanya pada perkara yang melibatkan bantuan langsung pada rakyat terbanyak. Pada masa lalu, bantuan kewangan yang signifikan yang sedang dilaksanakan di Selangor dan Pulau Pinang adalah sesuatu yang mustahil di bawah BN, kerana dakwa mereka, kononnya kerajaan kekurangan dana.

Semenjak mengambil alih, PR di Selangor telah memulangkan sekitar RM150 juta setahun kepada rakyat terbanyak dalam bentuk air percuma, bantuan kemasukan ke universiti, skim mikrokredit dan sebagainya. Sebab musabab kenapa PR mampu dan BN sentiasa berdolak dalih sambil memberi alasan adalah kerana PR sentiasa berusaha untuk meminimakan ketirisan dana awam yang berpunca dari korupsi dan rasuah.

2) Laporan Ketua Audit  Negara menganggarkan bahawa negara kehilangan RM28 billion ( 28, 000 juta ringgit) setiap tahun akibat korupsi dan rasuah seperti kaedah pemerolehan yang tidak telus, projek kerajaan yang tidak selesai, peningkatan harga kos sewaktu fasa pembinaan dan sebagainya.

Kita tidak perlu mewujudkan sebarang skim pembiayaan kebangsaan yang hanya sekadar gah pada nama dan slogan, cukup hanya dengan mengatasi masalah korupsi dan rasuah sahaja, kita mampu menjimatkan RM28 billion yang boleh disalurkan untuk kepentingan rakyat terbanyak.

Jumlah yang tiris ini adalah fakta, dan PR komited untuk memulangkan jumlah yang besar ini kepada rakyat terbanyak.

Selain itu, menghentikan perbelanjaan yang membazir, tidak perlu dan keterlaluan oleh kerajaan juga akan mewujudkan budaya berhemat dalam berbelanja. Contohnya, menghentikan perjalanan PM ke luar negara yang terlalu kerap sehinggakan tempoh masa beliau di luar negara adalah sama dengan tempoh masa beliau di dalam Malaysia. Begitu juga jumlah bayaran untuk mendapatkan kepakaran pemutar belit APCO (RM77 juta) atau penubuhan PEMANDU (RM66 juta) – BN mungkin akan menghujahkan bahawa jumlah ini kecil, tapi ini merupakan gambaran bahawa kerajaan sekarang mengamalkan budaya membazir dan wewenang dalam membelanjakan wang rakyat.

3) Setiap tahun, PETRONAS terpaksa membelanjakan RM19 billion (19,000 juta ringgit) untuk membayar subsidi gas kepada IPP (Penjanakuasa Bebas – dimiliki oleh kroni) yang mendapat keuntungan lumayan kerana mereka dilindungi dari naik turun harga tenaga asli di pasaran.

PETRONAS terpaksa membeli gas dari Natuna (Indonesia) dan JDA (Thailand) pada harga yang jauh lebih tinggi, kemudian menjual semula kepada IPP pada satu pertiga dari harga asal, semuanya berjumlah RM19 billion.

Sekiranya perjanjian ini dibatalkan, kita akan mempunyai keuntungan RM19 billion setahun yang boleh dibayar semula oleh PETRONAS pada kerajaan, sekaligus dipulangkan semula pada rakyat.

Setiap tahun juga, kerajaan membelanjakan RM4 billion setahun sebagai pampasan kepada syarikat konsesi lebuhraya. Jumlah sebanyak ini dapat dikembalikan kepada rakyat jika struktur tol dibetulkan semula, seperti yang dijanjikan dalam Buku Jingga.

4) Hanya dengan mengatasi ketirisan yang berlaku akibat korupsi, menghapuskan subsidi korporat kepada IPP dan pampasan tol kepada syarikat konsesi, kita ada sejumlah (RM28 billion + RM19 billion + RM4 billion = RM51 billion) RM51,000 juta setiap tahun.

Jumlah ini lebih dari mencukupi untuk melunaskan segala janji yang terkandung dalam Buku Jingga.

5) Berapa jumlah yang diperlukan untuk laksanakan janji-janji dalam Buku Jingga?

Elaun khas guru – RM3.2 billion setahun.

Subsidi diesel dan petrol kepada golongan yang memerlukan (di bawah pendapatan tertentu), selepas penstrukturan semula subsidi supaya hanya yang dari golongan bawahan akan beroleh manfaat: anggaran RM4 billion setahun.

Subsidi gas memasak (LPG): Anggaran RM4 billion setahun.

Maka, jumlah bayaran subsidi dan elaun khas yang dijanjikan dalam Buku Jingga: RM11.2 billion.

Harga yang ditawarkan oleh KWSP dan Khazanah untuk ambilalih keseluruhan aset dan operasi lebuhraya PLUS adalah RM23 billion. Sayap pelaburan kerajaan dan agensi kerajaan pada masa ini (melalui Khazanah dan KWSP) sudahpun memiliki 67.3% PLUS, maka tambahan kos untuk memulangkan keseluruhan aset dan operasi kepada kerajaan (beli dari pemegang saham minoriti) hanyalah RM7.5 billion.

6) Makanya, Jumlah keseluruhan adalah RM3.2 bilion (elaun khas guru) + RM4 bilion (subsidi bahan api) + RM4 bilion (gas memasak) + RM7.5 bilion (pembelian saham minoriti PLUS) = RM18.7 bilion.

Jumlah ini adalah begitu kerdil untuk dibandingkan dengan RM51 b yang boleh diperoleh melalui penstrukturan semula subsidi dan penghapusan korupsi/rasuah.

Adalah jelas bahawa isunya bukanlah sama ada kita mampu atau tidak, kerana angka membuktikan bahawa kita memang mampu.

Ia hanya memerlukan kesungguhan politik, terutamanya apabila BN begitu bersungguh-sungguh untuk menghapuskan subsidi minyak tetapi tidak langsung memikirkan tentang subsidi yang diberikan pada IPP.

Apa kata anda? Masih tidak mampukah kita? Atau BN-UMNO masih mahu berdolak dalih kerana tidak mahu hilang sokongan taikoon besar? Keh keh keh!

(Terjemahan oleh Sdr Juwaini)