The Barisan Nasional (BN) and its Chinese-based component party MCA have been taken to task over an election promise made during the 1999 general election.

In his debate on the 2005 budget today at the Dewan Rakyat, Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras) pointed out that MCA promised to build six new Chinese schools during the 1999 general election.

However, out of the six, only one - SRJK (C) Puay Chai - has been completed to date.

"If the government could build the Petronas Twin Towers within five years, why not primary schools?" he asked, while waving a copy of a full-page advertisement published by MCA in a vernacular paper regarding this in 1999.

The opposition parliamentarian questioned the sincerity of BN's election promise, claiming that it was merely used to "fish votes".

"BN and MCA were lying," he said, adding that the 2005 budget revealed the "discrimination" against Chinese and Indians in terms of allocation to the development of schools.

Citing an example, he said out of the RM276.8 million allocated to 11 primary schools in the Federal Territory, only 1.17 percent of this sum was given to vernacular schools.

Transparency needed

In another matter, Tan urged the government to continuing bearing the RM10.7 billion fuel subsidies to reduce the burden of the rakyat.

On the same note, he also called for transparency in the state-owned petroleum giant Petronas' account.

"It is not right that the Petronas account is classified as confidential. The government should increase its accountability and not hide the truth. Let the public know the oil company's exact financial situation," he said