Shah Alam, Dec 16 – The Pakatan Rakyat coalition government in Selangor should not continue with populist policies going into its second term to administer the state, said state DAP vice-chairman Datuk Teng Chang Khim.
He said a responsible state government should be far-sighted in looking after the people’s welfare and not merely introducing populist policies such as giving free water.
“The (state) government should teach the rakyat how to fish so that they can eat fish every day, instead of only giving them fish to eat,” he said when delivering his winding-up speech at the 17th Selangor DAP Convention, here Sunday.
Teng, who is also the Chairman of the State Committee on Local Government Studies and Research, said after having administered the state for five years, only between four and 10 per cent of the budget for all the 12 Local Authorities (PBT) in Selangor had been utilised for development purposes.
Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Utara Member of Parliament (MP) Tony Pua Kiam Wee was elected the new Selangor DAP chairman at the party convention, while Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo was chosen as his deputy.
State assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan joined Teng as vice-chairmen.
Only 699 of 1,221 party delegates turned up at the convention. A total of 687 delegates voted in the election for Selangor DAP office bearers.
Thirty-five candidates vied for 15 committee member posts at the biennial convention.
The debate sessions focused mainly on criticising the federal government and the Registrar of Societies.
– Bernama