Pakatan Rakyat Can Do No Wrong, BN Can Do No Right

The political scenario is such that a lot of the younger generation thinks all is good with PR – in other words, it can do no wrong. What BN does is all wrong!

People are getting more critical of BN and forgiving of Pakatan. Even if its YBs do not serve its constituents well, there are less rumblings among the voters. PR is enjoying its political honeymoon.

Since coming to state power, some of the Pakatan policies are good and deserved our support e.g. freehold land for new villages.

However, its impact on the long term needs to be look at.

Since state revenue is very dependent on the land premium (on conversion of land usage or renewal of land lease), once it is freehold, the one off payment of land premium will be high but there will be no further payment since there is no renewal of land lease and no recurrent revenue.

This will have an impact on further generation in term of land revenue to the state bearing land premium is the primary source of state revenue. It will also have impact on long term planning and development within the state when land becomes freehold.

There is a need for BN to monitor the performance of the PR. We have to point out its shortcoming, in the same way PR scrutinize BN policy through a fine combination.

BN has not been able to play the role of an opposition member in the Pakatan controlled state effectively. That is the problem being in the government for too long!

We should monitor how PR govern its state:

1) Have PR fulfill its election pledges as contained in its manifesto – or it is just empty slogans e.g. free interest loan to government servants, grant to all kindergarten schools, cash aid to family whose children are going to university, land for Chinese schools, reduce land premium as promised in its manifesto.

2) Election for local councilors

Have Pakatan initiated policy changes to enable this to be implemented? Have Pakatan appointed NGOs to be councilors?

3) Are the local authorities more effective in PR states, e.g. the performance of the local authority?

Have they improved, less corruption and abuse of power, or it is business as usual. Have the towns (city in PR state) been cleaned up? What about garbage disposal problem?

4) What about the security problem?

At the state level, Menteri Besar or Chief Minister is chairman of the state security and is entitled to call for briefing on state security matters by either the State Chief Police on State Special Branch officers. Have Pakatan MB or CM done this briefing so that the necessary security measures can be undertaken on the request of the state government.

5) Transportation problem is with the state.

Is there any proposal to overcome the horrendous traffic system in Penang city?

If Pakatan wants to be the viable alternative government, it has to show that it can do its work better than BN. Short term pronouncement to curry favour the voters will not do.

I do not expect Pakatan to be perfect but they must show us better leadership and understanding of the rakyat aspiration. Hitting out the previous administration without remedial and better alternative is not long term planning for development.

BN leaders should be more alert about the shortcoming of the Pakatan administration.

Let there be healthy competition and it is the rakyat that calls the final shot. Then the 2 party system will see healthy competition and good political development. The rakyat gets nothing from political gamesmanship and political dramas enacted by PR and BN leaders.

当前的政治现实是，很多年轻人认为民联是最好的；换句话说，民联做任何事都错不了，国阵做的全是错。

人们对国阵越来越苛求，相反的对民联却很宽容，即使后者的代议士没有做好选区的服务工作，但选民也没有什么抱怨。民联迄今还沉醉在政治蜜月期。

无可否认，自取得州政权，民联确实推行了一些利民政策，值得我们支持。为新村居民争取永久地契就是一个例子。

无论如何，它对长远的影响还有待观察。

土地转换、征用或地契续期所收取的地税是州政府主要的收入。一旦土地获颁永久地契，当局只能收取一次性的高付费，不再有持续性的地税收入。

长期下去，将影响州内未来的土地收入，也对州内长远的策划及发展构成影响。

国阵必须监督民联的表现。监督之余，我们要指出对方施政的缺点。其实，这是一个很好的互相监督机制。

因为执政党太久，我们无法在民联执政的州属有效地发挥反对党角色。

其实，我们应该监督民联如何管治它的州，包括：

民联是否兑现其竞选宣言里的承诺 ？或只沦为空谈；如公务员可获得免息贷款、幼儿园可获资助金、孩子考进大学可获得现金援助、拨校地给华小、降低地税等。

地方议会选举。民联是否已推行相关政策，落实让地方议会选举？民联已经委任非政府组织代表出任地方议员吗？

在民联执政的州属，其地方政府是否比较有效率，例如地方政府的表现，是否大有改善？贪污和滥权是否减少？城市的清洁有提高吗？垃圾问题是否或妥善处理

治安如何?在州内，州务大臣或首席部长有权召见州警察总长或政治部官员，向他汇报州内的治安状况。民联的州务大臣或首席部长是否有这么做，以针对州内的情况采取应对措施？

州内的交通问题。民联州政府是否已有助纾缓槟城交通系统问题的建议？

民联要取代国阵，那它必须证明能比国阵做得更好。若只有一些讨好选民的话，而没有持续性的良好政策，是无济于事的。

我不指望民联的表现十全十美，但它至少得证明具有领导能力，及了解人民的期许。一昧的抨击或揭前朝政府疮疤，却没有更好的改善政策，绝非长远的发展策略。

另一方面，国阵领袖则须要更注意民联的施政缺点。

让国阵和民联进行良性的竞争，然后交由人民定夺。这是人民期望的两线制，也是促成国内健康政治发展的基石。若民联及国阵的领袖还一味耍弄政治把戏，吃亏的将是我国人民。