BELIEVES IN SHARING WEALTH WITH THE RAKYAT - AZMIN

 KEPAYAN, June 20, 2009: The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Government believes in managing the resources of a State and sharing the wealth for all the rakyat.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice-President Azmin Ali said Thursday, this was reflected in states like Penang, Selangor and Kedah which Pakatan Rakyat won in the last general election.

He said this was possible because leaders in the PR Government like Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng did not focus on managing bini, anak dan menantu (wife, children and daughter or son-in-law) but thought of ways and means to help rakyat susah (masses in difficulty) after their electoral victory.

"Selangor is a rich state and we are happy to use its wealth for the benefit of the people. We really look after the people. Similarly, in Penang.

Although Lim is from DAP, he does not only care for the Chinese but Melayu, India, semua kaum (Malays, Indians, all races) in the State," he told a meet-the-people session at Kepayan Ridge here. Also present were PKR Sabah deputy chairpersons Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Christina Liew, and former Luyang PKR candidate Alexander Wong.

Saying Sabah is also rich in resources like petroleum, gas and timber, Azmin, who is State PKR Liaison Committee Chairman, said: "Tapi orang Sabah susah, Menteri Sabah senang (Sabahans are in difficulty, but Sabah Ministers are comfortable)."

He said the people of Selangor now enjoy free clean water supply, but "In Sabah, don't talk of free water, you don't even have enough water."

According to Azmin, the Selangor Government provides cash assistance of RM1,000 to anyone aged 60 and above in the event of illness and needing treatment and another RM2,500 in the event of death.

"When your child enters university, he or she is eligible to receive RM1,000. For any newborn child, the State Government would invest RM100 in the child until he or she reaches the age of 18.

"Which means by the time the child is 18, you have some savings for education and to go into university," he said.

Azmin said where Sabah is concerned, one change would be raising Sabah's oil royalty from five to 20 per cent. "All this must go back to the rakyat in the form of roads, drainage, bridges and electricity supply in sharing the wealth of the State for everybody."

Meanwhile, Azmin said the party's organisational chart at State-level will be restructured to include some big names and personalities in Sabah.

He said the decision was made during a meeting he held with senior party leaders and divisional heads at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, Friday.

"We are also going to have a council of advisers to include the most influential figures in Sabah. They may not be from the mainstream or branch level but key people in Sabah who will assist, give some refreshing ideas about Sabah politics and help reach out to the people," he said.

He also said the State Leadership Council now will not only be moving in Kota Kinabalu alone but "from one district to another so the next meeting may be held in Sandakan, Tawau or some other districts, so that they have full programmes with the rakyat."

On the unity government issue involving Barisan Nasional and PAS, Azmin said that was not the position of PAS.

"If you read the Muktamar of PAS which was held last week it was clear that the delegates of that particular Muktamar have given a very strong signal to the PAS leadership - No Go.

"I am not talking about the interest of one or two personalities of PAS. So the issue of unity government is a non-issue to Pakatan Rakyat. We will make clear this position during the Pakatan meeting on Monday.

"Keadilan is very clear, the same as DAP, and so now we will come up with the position of Pakatan to say 'no go' to a unity government," he said.

"And I think the statement and remark by Nik Aziz is a very strong message to certain personalities in PAS. I think Nik Aziz has a basis to come up with the statement in order to protect the interest of the Pakatan Rakyat," he added.