KeADILan Hold Weekly Press Conference every Thursday

Last 28th June 2007, KeADILan announced their weekly media conference. On that day, was a small refreshments prepared to the members of the media. The turn-up was really good. I suppose they want to listen to the reply explanation to the quittal of ex-Youth leader, Ezam Mohd Nor and also Dato Nallakarupan's allegation in Malaysian Nanban recently rather that to hear about the party's stance on more serious issues New Malaysia Economic Agenda and the Rationale of Implementing Minimum Wage.

Below are the statements released by some of the leaders during the press conference:



1) THIERRY ROMMEL'S COMMENTS AND THE NEED FOR A NEW MALAYSIAN ECONOMIC AGENDA (WILLIAM LEONG, Treasurer General)

Thierry Rommel, the Ambassador of the European Commission in Malaysia has given a frank disclosure of Europe's concerns in investing and trading in Malaysia. He has pointed out the effects of the New Economic Policy.

The NEP affects not only local but also foreign investment. If the Government is serious in its efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment, then, there is a need to address the concerns referred to by Mr. Rommel. If Mr. Rommel is not correct, then, the Government should refute his comments by providing the people with facts and figures to show that Malaysia remains competitive and is a location of choice for FDI. If Mr.Rommel is correct, then, there is a need to review the causes of the weaknesses and take measures to address and rectify them.

It must be noted that according to the figures released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in its World Investment Report 2006 that FDI into Malaysia dipped to US$3.97 billion in 2005 compared to US$4.62 billion in 2004. Indonesia for the first time since 1990 had overtaken Malaysia in FDIs. Inflows to Indonesia surged by 177% to US$5.26 billion in 2005. As a whole, FDI to South, East and South-East Asia reached a new height of US$165 billion in 2005 which was a 19% increase over 2004. China,
Hong Kong and Singapore were the largest recipients of FDIs in 2005.

The goals and objectives of the NEP are laudable and proper. There is cause for concern that after more than 30 years, the goals and objectives have not been attained. It is therefore, necessary to review the methods and implementation of the NEP.

Ineffective methods must be changed. Programmes must be constantly reviewed and adjusted to meet the challenges of a changing and dynamic world. We must not be afraid of changes. Otherwise, we will be left behind and we will never achieve the goals and objectives of the NEP.

It is time for a change. A New Malaysian Economic Agenda that is effective, relevant and meet the aspirations of the people is required.(END)



2) PARTI DAN PERJUANGAN TERUS BERKEMBANG (DR SYED HUSIN ALI, Deputy President)

Parti Keadilan Rakyat mengucap terima kasih kepada sesiapa saja yang pernah memberi khidmat kepada Parti pada masa lalu, sungguhpun mereka kini mengisytiharkan keluar Parti. Kepada yang keluar, kami ucapkan Selamat Jalan dan berharap mereka mendapat apa yang mereka cari.

Kami tidak akan menyekat atau memujuk sesiapa yang memilih untuk keluar Parti. Tetapi dalam berbuat demikian mereka hendaklah ikhlas kepada diri sendiri.

Janganlah cuba memberi alasan-alasan yang mereka sendiri ketahui mengandungi unsur tidak benar bahkan dusta.

Sejarah menunjukkan dalam mana-mana parti dan perjuangan, pemimpin datang dan pemimpin pergi, akan tetapi parti dan perjuangan terus berkembang. Saya yakin keADILan akan hidup dan berkembang selagi ia berjuang teguh menegakkan cita-cita dan tujuannya,
seperti ditentukan sejarah dan dimetraikan dalam Perlembagaan Parti.

keADILan terus berpegang kepada perjuangan murni untuk menegakkan keadilan, demokrasi, kebenaran, ketelusan, pemerintahan bersih, perpaduan negara serta
kesejahteraan rakyat, dan menentang kezaliman, korupsi, kronisme, diskriminasi, dasar pecahbelah dan perintah, peningkatan jenayah serta keruntuhan moral.

Secara pribadi saya percaya penuh kepada pucuk pimpinan parti yang mulai tegas dan berpuas hati dengan urusan parti yang saya lihat tambah demokratik.

Kekurangan memang ada dan kami berusaha dengan tekad kuat untuk memperbaikinya, berasaskan semangat musyawarah, setiakawan dan perubahan. Kami berazam untuk memperkuat serta mengembangkan prinsip serta amalan kepedulian rakyat di kalangan ahli-ahli.(TAMAT)



3) The Rationale of the Impletentation of Minimum Wage (TAN SRI DATO ABDUL KHALID IBRAHIM, Secereaty General)

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (keADILan) supports the recent nationwide picket organized by Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) which demands for the implementation of minimum wage RM900 and cost of living allowance RM300.

KeADILan feels that with the rising of Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the cost of living, the setting of minimum wage would solve problems including clashes due to lower quality of foods, high cost of food and had to go into debt to pay for basic living.

Minimum wage has long being implemented in many countries. Results showed that countries that have minimum wage laws had increased the workers' productivity and the profit of the company.

From the figures found from Department of Statistics, The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January to May 2007 increased by 2.2 per cent to 105.1 compared with that of 102.8 in the same period last year. Compared with that of the same month in 2006, the CPI increased by 1.4 per cent from 103.6 to 105.1 and when compared with the previous month, the CPI increased by 0.1 per cent.

Reasons to Support Minimum Wage:

- Minimum wage can be an effective tool for poverty alleviation.
- Minimum wage can be an important instrument against working poverty.
- The growth outcomes of minimum wage are also ambiguous.
- Proactively creating jobs.
- Increases the average living standard.
- Creates incentive to work. (Contrast with welfare transfer payments.)
- Does not have budget consequence on government. "Neither taxes nor public sector borrowing requirements rise."
- Minimum wage is administratively simple; workers only need to report violations of wages less than minimum, minimizing a need for a large enforcement agency.
- Stimulates consumption, by putting more money in the hands of low-income people who spend their entire paychecks.
- Increases the work ethic of those who earn very little, as employers demand more return from the higher cost of hiring these employees.
- Decreases the cost of government social welfare programs by increasing incomes for the lowest-paid.
- Prevents in-work benefits (e.g. the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Working tax credit) from causing a reduction in gross wages which would otherwise occur if labour supply is not perfectly inelastic.
- Can increase the economic efficiency of the economy where labour markets exhibit a high degree of market power on the part of employers.
- Provides a "shock" which forces employers to use a high productivity strategy rather than a high labour turnover strategy, therefore improving the stock of human capital in an economy.
- Instigates technological employment and innovation. e.g. replacing workers in labor-intensive jobs with automation such as robots.
- Stimulates economic growth by discouraging labor-intensive industries, thereby encouraging more investment in capital and training.

We demand that the Government should implement the minimum wage as per suggested by MTUC's memorandum to the Prime Minister.

Head of Women's Wing; Zuraida Kamarudin and Youth representative, AMir Shari also were present at the press conference.

Anonymous merepek ... permalink ... 7/01/2007 02:09:00 pm ...