Tuesday March 11, 2008
Sack bad advisers, PM urged
By SIM LEOI LEOI and RAPHAEL WONG
PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik let rip on the last day of his office in Government by issuing the strongest advice to the Prime Minister.
Change the advisers because they are giving the wrong advice, which partly led to major losses for Barisan Nasional in the general election, the Gerakan adviser said.Dr Lim, who retired from active politics last year, said although he still had confidence in Abdullah’s leadership, Abdullah had got to think a lot and much deeper on issues of the day and “do something.”
“There is no leadership issue. The advice given to him has been wrong. If his advisers have been giving the wrong advice, remove them all. If it’s been the right advice, why should we be here now?
Dr Lim was talking to reporters after handing over his Energy, Water and Communications Ministry tag at his office here yesterday.
Other reasons contributing to the losses included the arrogant attitude of some Barisan politicians, the lack of cyber campaigning and the discriminatory implementation of government policies by certain civil servants, he pointed out.
“The arrogance of the party in power must stop, such as the wielding of the keris and comments uttered during the Umno general assembly and in Parliament. All this must not be repeated.
“Gerakan, MCA and MIC know how to discipline their own members. Umno must do the same,” he said, adding that the “cowboys” were spoiling the name of the party.
The coalition’s members, added Dr Lim, should also conduct some soul-searching and clean up money politics: they should work for their party and not “suck” it.
The Barisan government, said Dr Lim, should have supervised the civil servants to ensure that the implementation of federal policies remained fair to all.
“Giving the excuse that our policies are good but not our implementation is not enough. It’s better for such civil servants to be thrown out.
“You cannot say that it’s the civil servants who are doing such things because as the ruling party, we have to take responsibility,” he said.
“And I will also take responsibility because I was part of the former Government,” stressed Dr Lim.
The Chinese and Indian voters, he added, were angry at the Government for such arrogant and discriminatory attitudes but both the Malays and non-Malays were also frustrated at the lack of transparency and the extent of corruption.
“Or else, the urban belt will not have fallen. We need to reassess our attitude and requirements must be taken to appease the Chinese and Indians. Maybe we need a new New Economic Policy,” he said.
MCA and Gerakan, Dr Lim also pointed out, had been working quietly and in camera on sensitive issues with Umno but “maybe this is not enough any more”.
“Over these issues, we must have our say or else the Chinese will run away from us,” he said.
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