Najib wants reform, but is he brave enough to....

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is to announce a “raft of reforms” centred on security and press laws tonight, in a bid to jump-start his 29-month administration that critics say has been stalling lately.

The prime minister is to address the nation in a special live telecast at 8.45pm in conjunction with Malaysia Day tomorrow after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday decided that he must tell Malaysians about reforms for the Internal Security Act (ISA) and several laws related to the media.

In light of the upcoming announcement by Premier Najib Abdul Razak tonight purportedly about reforms, Pakatan MPs said he should follow their lead if he is serious about it.

“If the PM wants to make a meaningful change for the people of Malaysia, then he should take our suggestions,” said Subang MP R Sivarasa. He was speaking at the Pakatan Budget Preparation Committee press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

Sivarasa stressed that the only meaningful reforms would be the total repeal of preventive detention laws like the Internal Security Act, Emergency Ordinance and the Dangerous Drugs Act. Nothing short of this would be acceptable, he said.

While if the PM is looking for reforms to media related laws, Sivarasa added that the premier should then dismantle the Sedition Act and Official Secrets Act as these draconian laws are fetters that bind the media.

The PKR leader further said that as for the Printing Presses and Publication Act, the law - which can still be maintained as some of its clauses may still be relevant - should be amended to do away with the annual publication licence which puts media organisations at the mercy of the Home Minister who has discretionary and arbitrary powers over renewals.

Meanwhile, PAS' Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, who also joined Sivarasa in the press conference, expressed the opposition's “disappointment” with Najib's performance as finance minister thus far. He said that it is time for a full-time finance minister to be appointed as we cannot have a PM that also moonlights as the finance minister.

“The job of being PM is burden enough for him to also want to be finance minister,” said Dzulkefly. The Kuala Selangor MP also added that the Pakatan alternative budget shall be announced on Oct 4, three days before Najib tables BN's budget in Parliament on Oct 7.

Guarantee of 20 percent petroleum royalties

Among matters their budget will address is the guarantee of 20 percent petroleum royalties to all oil producing states and other recommendations of the opposition coalition's Buku Jingga which promised sweeping changes in the first 100 days of their rule, should they make it to Putrajaya.

Fellow committee member Liew Chin Tong, who is also Bukit Bendera MP, then added that their alternative budget shall also outlines ways to reduce the bureaucracy and clout of the Prime Minister's Department to save budget and unlock the potential of other ministries.

The Pakatan alternative budget is an annual opposition agenda to portray how they can better serve Malaysia. However this year, instead of dissecting ther government budget after it was tabled and make their recommendations, they aim to come up with their own budget beforehand.

This year also saw a special tripartite committee set up from all Pakatan components as opposed to individual parties speaking out on specific sections of the budget. The oil royalty denied to states and the bloated financing of the large-staffed Prime Minister's Department are some of the grouses often aired over the federal goverment budget.

source:malaysiakini

‘Najib, ikut cadangan Buku Jingga’

cheers.