Sultan expresses concern over host of issues
SHAH ALAM: Immediate action must be taken to check corruption,
bureaucratic red tape, race problems, religious intolerance, the brain
drain and crime, the Sultan of Selangor said. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris
Shah said Malaysia had achieved tremendous progress over the last 50
years. Describing Malaysia as a blessed country, he said the people
certainly had much to be thankful for but should not rest on their
laurels as Malaysians also needed to take stock of what the country
needed to do in the next 50 years. "Corruption is still a problem,
which the people are very concerned about, and more effective action
needs to be taken," he said. Describing corruption as a cancerous
cell, the Sultan said if graft could not be wiped out, it should be
checked effectively. He also took to task government agencies that
continued to slow down approvals for foreign investors, saying the
lackadaisical attitude of some government servants had affected the
investment momentum.
"They must change their mindset because delays mean escalating costs and
lost job opportunities, which may even lead to corrupt practices," he
said. The Sultan said he was upset because the mindset of some people
had not changed, saying he feared investors may move to neighbouring
countries which were very competitive in attracting investors.
Selangor, he said, was one of the country's most important states and he
needed to emphasise this. In a strongly worded interview, the Sultan
said he had given Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo a deadline
for applications after the end of an investment promotion trip. He
acknowledged the Federal Government had set up the Special Task Force to
Facilitate Business (Pemudah) to fast-track procedures and transactions
between the Government and private sector. "That is good but more
needs to be done because the feedback from investors is that there is a
greater need for a bigger push. Time waits for no one. We do
not want investors to be discouraged from investing in Malaysia, as our
neighbouring countries would also be willing to accept them." The
Sultan also expressed his concern over the country's brain drain, saying
talented young people were leaving the country. "No one, irrespective
of his race, should be denied any opportunities. I am sad to see good
people being lost to other countries," he said. He said Singapore was
the greatest benefactor and that even the Singapore National Library was
designed by a Malaysian. In another case, he said, a highly qualified
Malaysian academic was not accepted by local universities but was invited
by the National University of Singapore to head a department. The
Sultan feared talent from the tourism and hospitality sectors would be
affected when the island republic's integrated entertainment resorts
opened. On race relations, he called for the young to have friends
from other races, saying this was important. He said
Tunku Abdul Rahman was very particular about national unity and as the
nation celebrated Merdeka, no one should forget his legacy of insisting
on racial harmony. The Sultan urged the people in Selangor to reject
any form of racial and religious intolerance. "Islam respects other
religions and other religions must also respect Islam," he said, adding
multiracialism must be instilled at primary school level. "If there is
a need to re-evaluate our school system, then our authorities must do so
to promote better racial harmony," he said. On crime, he said the
police needed support from the people as they lacked manpower and
facilities to fight crime. The Sultan said he had asked the Selangor
state government to install more CCTVs as a way to check crime. He
said he was aware Selangor had the highest crime rate because of the
influx of people from other states and foreigners to work in the state.
On the environment, he said the state had planted over a
million trees while the palace had committed itself to planting 5,000
trees on its grounds. "The environment is our concern and will remain
so. Tree replanting is essential," he said, adding that tree-planting
efforts in Bukit Jelutong were commendable. The Sultan said he was
also upset with the use of his name by unscrupulous people for securing
state awards or low-cost houses. "I am disheartened by such people
because Selangor does not sell state awards, that is clear, even to the
people. "But I am glad that the people in Selangor have taken the
trouble to call the palace to verify claims from such dishonest people,"
he said. The Sultan said the people could call his private secretary
Datuk Mohamed Munir Bani at 03-5519 4242 or e-mail
istanamastika@yahoo.com to check. He said the palace believed in
transparency and would be pleased to get feedback from the rakyat on
developments in Selangor.
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