DAP wants Perak MB Zambry Abd Kadir to explain the sudden drop of RM247.5 million in state reserves in less than 2 months if a report in New Sunday Times is to be believed, and come clean on the financial health of the silver state.

dap pc on keshvinder quit party 160610 ngeh koo ham Party state chief Ngeh Koo Ham ( left ) says various conflicting public statements by the BN state government is confusing the rakyat.

Ngeh said on Aug 3 Zambry told the state assembly that the state had RM847.5 million (book value) in reserve, or RM928.36 million if based on current market value.

The MB had at the time been quoted as saying that it represented an increase in revenue of RM117.26 million for the January to July period.

Ngeh says New Sunday Times on Sept 26, however, reported that the Perak state reserve stood at RM600 million.

“Why a sudden drop of RM247.5 million in less than 2 months?” asked the DAP leader in a media statement.

Ngeh recollected that Zambry had boasted that the additional income of RM117.26 million came from "land premium payments".

“What has happened to this additional amount? The state reserve should have increased in view of this...” he said

‘Why deficit budget?’

Ngeh, who is Beruas MP, complained that he was unable to verify the claimed increase because Zambry, in insisting that the state assembly can only sit for one day, deprived elected representatives the opportunity to question the government on numerous issues.

NONE “Income from land premiums can only mean that the BN government has been approving many pieces of land to cronies at prices much below the market value,” he alleged.

“The increase in income was not due to good governance, competence, thrift or creation of wealth through effective development programmes,” he said.

Ngeh said state financial officer Jamalludin Al Amini Ahmad’s statement in the New Sunday Times report that the state treasury is recommending a RM50 million deficit budget for 2011 further muddles the picture of Perak’s financial standing.

“Why further deficit when there is so much additional income?”

 

Ngeh said in contrast, that under Pakatan Rakyat’s 10-month rule, state revenue had been boosted by RM103 million or about 17 percent, and that this was achieved without any rise in taxes and despite giving free water, study grants and other assistance to the poor.

“We also collected only nominal premium and quit rent for conversion of agricultural land to building category for non-profit organisations like schools, religious organisation and dialysis centres, which amount to millions of ringgit,” he said.

The DAP leader asked if Zambry had “lied to the state assembly” on the actual figures, adding, “the people demand transparency and accountability from BN Perak government, but many

people remind me not to expect too much from robbers.”