Responding to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s challenge for Pakatan Rakyat to show how it would finance its 100-day reform plan, PKR’s strategic director Rafizi Ramli ( below ) has said the issue of whether there would be enough to pay for the programme doesn’t exist.

NONE It’s simply a matter of whether the government wants to exercise the political will to reverse its lopsided preference for crony-companies in favour of subsidies and other forms of direct assistance for the people, said the opposition politician.

“In the past, the kind of massive state assistance now implemented in Selangor and Penang would have been unthinkable under BN, as they claimed the government lacked money.

“Since taking over, the Paktan Rakyat government in Selangor has spent approximately RM150 million per annum giving back to the people, in the form of free water scheme, one off bursary for university students, micro-credit etc.

“The reason why Pakatan could do it and BN never had done (is) because we plugged the leakages caused by rampant corruption,” said Rafizi in an immediate reply to Najib’s challenge issued earlier today.

Najib ( below ) had lambasted today Pakatan’s 100-day reform plan unveiled last month, describing it as populist and irresponsible.

NONE He also said the plan was unrealistic because it did not state the source of funds to finance the undertaking.

Plugging the leaks

Rafizi said the leaks caused and perpetuated by the BN government by themselves provide a significant pool of resources by which Pakatan’s welfare promotion policies can be funded.

He cited the auditor-general’s report estimating the loss of RM28 billion due to “shoddy procurement practices, incomplete projects, massive cost escalations,” and other corrupt practices.

Likewise, putting a stop to “excessive and wasteful spending” such as the RM77 million payment to Apco Worldwide for its public relations services and consultancy works and the RM66 million set-up of the Pemandu unit will also free a significant amount of resources for use by the government.

NONE “BN may argue this amount is small, but it's a reflection of careless and carefree spending culture that ignores the plight of the people.

“These amounts are real, it is the money lost each year to cronies. This amount should go back to the people,”Rafizi added.

He also noted that RM19 billion is forked out by Petronas each year to subsidise the independent power producers (IPPs), while RM4 billion is spent to compensate politically-linked highway concessionaires.

“This amount can easily be reverted to people if the toll system is restructured, as promised in Buku Jingga,” said Rafizi in reference to the Pakatan publication released to outline its reform programme for the management of the country, economy and education.

These include asking government bodies Khazanah Nasional Berhad and the Employees' Provident Fund to facilitate the takeover of highway assets by the government to abolish tolls, revamping the subsidy structure to reduce subsidies for the private sector and shifting it to cover subsidies for the public, increasing teaching allowances to RM500 per month and allowing farms to be managed by Felda's second and third generations.

These subsidies and allowances and the proposal for Khazanah and EPF to take over the assets and operations of Plus highway (totalling RM7.5 billion after taking into account 67.3 percent of Plus is already owned by Khazanah and EPF) comes up to only RM18.7 billion, said Rafizi.

“This amount is a small sum compared to the RM51 billion available from restructuring of subsidies and elimination of corruption,” he added.

“It's clear that the issue of whether we can afford to pay does not exist. It's whether there is a political will, especially when BN is so determined to dismantle fuel subsidy but did not lift a finger on gas subsidies for IPP.”