The Prime Minister should intervene to resolve the severe shortage of cooking oil in several states following the abject failure of Shafie Apdal to forestall the shortage with tighter enforcement against smuggling and earlier increase in production
______________
Press Conference
by Lim Guan Eng
__________________
(Petaling Jaya,
Monday):
DAP
is shocked at Bernama reports
today that supply of
Malaysian cooking oil is
still easily available in
Southern Thailand despite the
severe shortage in several
states such as Penang,
Kelantan, Pahang, Malacca,
Kedah, along with some parts
of the Klang Valley. I have
received angry complaints
from Klang at the
non-availability of cooking
oil. How can the Domestic
Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal
be so irresponsible as to
allow cooking oil to be
exported to a foreign country
when Malaysians do not have
enough supply?
It is ridiculous that
foreigners have ample supply
of Malaysian cooking oil that
is not available to Malaysian
consumers. If Shafie is
incapable of defending
national interest and fulfill
his basic duty as a Minister
to ensure adequate supply of
basic commodities such as
cooking oil to consumers, he
might as well resign or be
reassigned to another
Ministry. DAP calls on Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi to intervene to
resolve the severe shortage
of cooking oil in several
states following the abject
failure of Shafie to
forestall the shortage with
earlier directives to cooking
oil manufacturers to increase
production and tighter
enforcement against
smuggling. Are Ministry
officials and Shafie
sleeping?
Malaysians are still puzzled
how Malaysia can face a
severe shortage of palm oil
when we are the largest
producer and exporter in the
world with 14.4 million
tonnes of palm oil exported
in 2006, just over 50 per
cent of the global trade in
oils and fats. Such failure
is inexcusable when the
government had already
imposed a Cooking Oil Subsidy
Scheme (COSS) upon oil palm
plantation owners to
subsidise cooking oil
manufacturers in the country
in the production of cooking
oil at affordable prices.
Plantation Industry and
Commodities Minister Datuk
Peter Chin Fah Kui had
announced last year that the
government would collect RM
855 million from oil palm
planters as cess under the
COSS to stabilize the price
and ensure the adequate
supply of cooking oil to
consumers. Why has happened
to the RM 855 million that
should be available to
cooking oil manufacturers to
prevent a severe shortage?
Stern action must be taken
against those responsible for
this cooking oil shortage
that has not only caused
inconvenience, hardship but
also losses to consumers and
businessmen. Otherwise the
shortage will only worsen
during the coming festive
Chinese New Year season next
month.
Every individual can make
a difference to help Malaysia
change and move forward to
fulfill the Merdeka promise
of political equality, equal
economic opportunity and
social economic justice- Foo
Yueh Chuan appointed as DAP
the 12th General Elections National Campaign
Director
There is a need for change in
the Malaysian politics after
50 years of failed policies
that have failed to deliver
the Merdeka promise of
national unity, enjoy freedom
and fundamental rights and
allow every one an equal
share in our country economic
prosperity and development.
We need to turn a new page
for the next 50 years to
fulfill the Merdeka promise
of political equality, equal
economic opportunities and
socio-economic justice. We
should be ashamed that
Malaysia suffers the worst
income inequality between the
rich and poor in South-East
Asia with the richest 20% of
the population garnering
51.2% of our nation’s income
with the poorest 40% only
getting 13.5% of the nation’s
income. Despite statistics
showing the average monthly
household income in 2004 is
RM 3,249, this doesn not
reflect the true picture that
the richest 10% of the
population earns 22 times the
average income of the poorest
10%.
Malaysians should dare to
believe that every individual
can make a difference to help
Malaysia change and move
forward to fulfill this
Merdeka promise. We need a
leadership centered on moral
values that believes in
justice, respects the people
whether women or minorities,
listens to the truth, upholds
rule of law and fights
corruption
Ms Foo Yueh Chuan has been
appointed as DAP 12th General
Elections National Campaign
Director. Ms Foo is a
well-qualified party activist
endowed with a string of
qualifications. Well-versed
in three languages, she is an
honours graduate from
Universiti Sains Malaysia, a
qualified lawyer and a
masters degree holder from
the prestigious London School
of Economics.
Ms Foo’s duties will
encompass:-
1.
co-ordinating all the various
departments in the party
machinery including
Organisation, Publicity and
Financial bureaus;
2. overseeing and combining
the methods of conventional
or traditional campaign with
internet campaigns.
3. assisting in the
formulation of strategy and
responsible for the tactical
implementation of the
campaign plan.
4. effective communication of
the party’s message to the
public.
(07/01/2008)
* Lim Guan
Eng,
Secretary-General of DAP |