By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Nov 16 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) holds the record for being the only administration to have been labelled by Malaysians as a “failed government”, Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei said today in a scathing attack on the state Opposition.
Her remarks come after Selangor PN lawmakers’ incessant criticisms of the state government for supposedly not spending enough on the public.
Debating the 2024 Selangor Budget, Lim criticised their conduct in the State Legislative Assembly, accusing them of only highlighting faults without proposing concrete solutions to issues concerning the economy and rakyat.
[caption id="attachment_315198" align="alignleft" width="427"]
Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lim Yi Wei during an interview with SelangorKini, on April 11, 2023. — Picture by MOHD YUSNI ARIFFIN/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
The Pakatan Harapan lawmaker then pointedly referred to PN’s tenure in the Federal government under the stewardship of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which she said was rife with shortcomings and lacked effective governance.
“They (Selangor PN) called for more government spending, yet they have failed to offer any solution to increase government revenue.
“PN appears to prefer handing out fish instead of teaching people how to fish,” she said, referring to the previous PN administration’s emphasis on immediate cash aid over sustainable strategies for economic and social development while in Federal power.
Lim’s remarks caused an uproar in the state assembly, as several Opposition lawmakers led by Hulu Kelang assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali sought clarification.
However, the assemblyman stood her ground and did not accommodate these requests, citing time constraints.
Amidst the escalating commotion, Speaker Lau Weng San, who struggled to maintain order in the House, urged Lim to wrap up her speech as proceedings approached the 7pm adjournment time.
Lau later adjourned the sitting amid the ongoing shouting match between both benches.
Lim's statement came after a series of comments from Opposition members throughout this week’s proceedings regarding the state government’s purported lack of spending under the 2024 budget.
The PN members frequently urged the administration to use the state's substantial financial reserves for development projects and social assistance.
However, several government backbenchers have questioned how the Opposition intends to replenish the state coffers and what alternative revenue sources could be leveraged if the reserves were depleted.
