10th Malaysia Plan: where is the actual plan?

Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak must explain why the actual 10th Malaysia plan is still not available.

In the PM’s speech to Dewan Rakyat on 10th June, he said:

“Beginning with the Tenth Plan, the implementation of programmes and projects on a rolling plan basis will be introduced. With this approach, allocation for programmes and projects will be provided on a two-year basis beginning 2011-2012. This allows commitment to be made based on the financial position of the Government and provides flexibility to respond to new priorities and changes in the global and domestic economic environment. The detailed list of the programmes and projects for the first rolling plan will be ready by the end of August 2010.”

The 10th Malaysia Plan departs from the previous practices of detailing allocations for states and ministries.

Dewan Rakyat spent a day listening to the PM’s speech on the 10th Malaysia Plan, six days debating it and four days hearing replies from ministers, while Dewan Negara spent a total of six days on the Plan. In essence, the Parliament was debating on thin air, having not been provided with any details. The Plan was a document of statements which sounded good, but not accompanied by any actual plan.

It was strange that the Government rushed to present the Plan without a definitive programme for the next five years. Was it, as alleged, because of PM’s superstitious concerns? Or, was there an effort to hide the actual programme from Parliament, especially the issue of allocations to Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states?

The Government is supposed to have released the detailed list of programmes and projects for the first rolling plan for 2011-2012 by the end of August 2010, but I have been made to understand that it is still nowhere near completion.

The Prime Minister must explain to Malaysians:

First, if the departure from previous practices of listing allocations to states has been done maliciously;

Second, why the first rolling plan for 2011-2012 has not been disclosed in August as pledged; and

Third, will Parliament be given the opportunity to debate the rolling plan, which is essentially the actual plan?

Liew Chin Tong