MCA’s attempt to scrutinise Selangor’s attempt to recover a RM392 million debt of Talam Corp Bhd provides the public a look at how public funds are properly managed by Pakatan Rakyat states, said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua.

Pua said that the public should contrast this with how the BN-controlled federal government chose to write off RM589.15 million in debt owed by former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairperson Tajudin Ramli.

azlan “(Khalid Ibrahim)... recouped every sen of the RM392 million debt from Talam Corp. The state government was able to recover RM676 million of property assets.

“(But) instead of collecting in full the court-ordered judgement of RM589.15 million from Tajudin, the BN administration chose to write off the debt in its entirety, causing massive losses to the rakyat of Malaysia,” he said in a press release today.

As a result of such bailouts and debt write-offs, the federal government’s debt leapt 88.4 percent in just four years to RM456 billion, said Pua.

Meanwhile, despite hundreds of millions of ringgit more in welfare spending in Selangor, the state’s financial reserves increased from RM733 million in 2008 to RM1.9 billion in 2012, said Pua.

“This stands in stark contrast with the BN government which continues to fund itself with debt and deficit.

“Pakatan Rakyat will stop bailouts of political cronies and ensure that brakes are applied to the runaway debt train,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.

NONE Chua Tee Yong last week alleged that the Selangor state government used more than RM260 in state funds to bail out construction firm Talam Corporation Bhd through complicated accounting.

DAP dismissed Chua’s claims as a “ mega blunder ”, while the Selangor government indicated it would sue Chua over his allegations.

“(The past few days) have proven that Chua not only could not tell the difference between debit and credit columns on a balance sheet, he has the uncanny subtraction ability of ‘two minues one equals three’,” said Pua today.