Speech By DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng During The DAP Economic Forum "NEP vs VISION 2020: WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?" In The Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall On 26.9.2006

"The United Nations Human Development Report consistently list Malaysians as suffering the worst income inequality between the rich and poor in South-East Asia. This is conceded by the 9MP which showed the share of income of the bottom 40% of the population declined from 14.5% in 1990 to 13.5% in 2004 whilst the share of the top 20% of the population increased from 50% in 1990 to 51.2% in 2004.

The income inequality within the Chinese community worsened in the period 1999 to 2004 from 0.434 to 0.446 whilst for Indians from 0.413 to 0.425. The income inequality amongst bumis was even worse from 0.433 in 1999 to 0.452 in 2004. Marginalization of Malaysians generally can be seen with the Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP) showing the Gini Coefficient nationally worsening from 0.452 in 1999 to 0.462 in 2004.

How come UMNO does not talk of reducing the widening income disparity between rich Malay millionaires like him and poor Malays but continue to hit out at Chinese as if there are no poor Chinese and all Chinese are millionaires like him? If UMNO is sincere about helping poor Malays and Malaysians who are marginalized he should be asking the government to abolish the 5% bumi housing discounts given to million ringgit homes (as if Malay millionaires need a discount) and distribute Petronas RM70 billion ringgit profits to the people."


Someone should sue him for defamation.