By CHRISTINA TAN
BATU PAHAT: Malaysia cannot achieve economic growth simply by changing the Government or shouting slogans, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said economic growth was dependent on the whole package that drove the financial system, including attracting foreign investors to the country.
Dr Chua said Pakatan Rakyat's projection of an economic growth of 7% if it took over the Government was merely a lie.
“You can't fix growth without an economic model to fund the promises. If it is as easy as talking, then there will not be bankruptcy,” he said after a ground-breaking ceremony for a three-storey school building at SJK (C) Hwa Jin in Taman Mutiara here yesterday.
Dr Chua said even China, as the world's fastest developing economy, felt that its 10% economic growth target by its previous leadership was no longer achievable and had reviewed it to between 7% and 9%, while Singapore was targeting between 3% and 5% growth.
He said Pakatan's manifesto only looked good without showing the people its economic model to fund the promises.
Dr Chua also said that the Malay and Indian voters generally did not wish to change the Government.
This was based on feedback received during closed-door meetings recently with representatives of religious bodies, non-governmental organisations and community leaders in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Gelang Patah.
“They said they will not support the DAP's call for ubah (change) simply because they feel that Barisan Nasional has made a lot of changes since the last general election.
“They feel that the Prime Minister has tried his best to improve the country's economy despite difficult times and pushing for transformation,” he said.
At an MCA ceramah at Taman Kota in Yong Peng, near here, on Thursday, Dr Chua said if Chinese voters responded to DAP's call for ubah, it would be as good as voting themselves out of the Government.
He added that this was not a threat to the Chinese but a choice and reality that the voters would have to face.
He reiterated that the MCA would not hold any post in the Government, be it at village, council, state or ministerial level, if there was no improvement in the party's result.
“It is to respect the people's choice of not supporting the MCA,” he said.
Dr Chua said strengthening DAP meant paving the road for PAS, giving the example of Perak, where it won 18 seats (of the 59 at stake in the state assembly) in 2008 but the mentri besar's post was given to PAS (which held only six seats).
He said of the five states won by the opposition, three states were headed by PAS leaders.
Dr Chua reminded the people that Pakatan had also stated that should it win Johor in the general election, the mentri besar's post would go to a PAS candidate.
Taken from:The Star's GE13 site
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