Malaysiakini
Jun 12, 11
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has slammed minister Rais Yatim for splurging RM100 million, or half the annual budget for creative projects, on a poorly attended one-day arts event that local artists reportedly dubbed an “instant noodle project”.
Lim said a fraction of that amount, or RM2 million, would have gone a long way in funding the internationally-rated month-long George Town Heritage Festival in Penang.
“Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim must explain the rationale of wasting RM100 million for the 2011 Artistes Day on May 29 that received a lukewarm response from art activists.
“DAP is shocked by a Bernama report that RM100 million was allocated for the event that was criticised by art activists,” said Lim in a statement today.
According to Bernama, Najib had in his 2011 budget speech allocated RM200 million for “purchase of creative products, such as high-quality locally-produced films, dramas and documentaries”.
Lim asked if the Bernama report was accurate in citing the massive amount spent on the allegedly mediocre event.
“DAP suspects that the Bernama report is false and Rais should explain the actual amount spent.
“It is difficult to believe that the government can be so reckless as to allocate RM100 million for the 2011 Artistes Day event when 27 million ordinary Malaysians are hurting from rising prices caused by BN’s subsidy cuts,” said Lim.
‘Hey big spender…’
“If Rais Yatim is sincere about promoting arts, then he need only allocate RM2 million not for a one-day event like Artistes Day but a month-long event in the George Town Heritage Fest beginning in July by international and local artists,” the DAP secretary-general and Bagan MP continued.
After all, he said, the event was significant internationally and was held to commemorate the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status that was granted on July 7, 2008.
Artiste Day was initiated in 2005 and set on May 25 in memory of local film legend P Ramlee.
Arts activists reportedly snubbed the event as an “instant noodle project”.
A perplexed Rais was reported in Star on Jun 1 scratching his head why the country’s “artistes” had not shown support for the event saying they had to step up to “steer” the arts industry.
Star reported the minister advising artists to use up “the remainder of the Creative Industry Funds provided under the 2011 Budget by the end of this year”.
#1 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 12 June 2011 - 10:20 pm
rm100 MILLION FOR WHAT?
hELLO, rAIS YATIM, I have never heard of this Artiste Day event! Nor read about it in the papers? (maybe I missed it in the classifieds or what?) Was there any advertisemnt or publicity binge for that rm!00 million!!!
OMG, Rais, what has got into u? I can’t understand how an x-Deputy Prwesident of Semangat 46 can be so stupid! Just as well u joined UMNO-lah.
#2 by HOHOHO on Sunday, 12 June 2011 - 11:24 pm
This old wolf rais is sick!!! PUKE!!!……lost the internet war n now wanna BAN this n that…..he is very RACIST too…….fuk
#3 by PoliticoKat on Sunday, 12 June 2011 - 11:58 pm
Awesome. Half of the budget for creative cultural and arts Indsutry funds spent in 1 day!
I will go out on a limb and suggest to Najib that he should never appoint Rais Yatim as Malaysia’s Finance Minister, else Malaysia will splurge its entire budget in a day.
I would also follow Rais advice, all artists should use the remainder of the fund, else Rais might decided to have a second 1 day gala with rest of the funds.
#4 by PoliticoKat on Monday, 13 June 2011 - 12:08 am
It more likely that half of the RM200 budget has already gone missing, and Rais needed to explain where all the money had gone, so his organized this event and slapped on this prices tag.
I hope who every has stolen the RM100 million is enjoying his ill gotten gains. Of course I am not questioning the rights of this man to steal Malaysian taxpayers money. “Ketuanan Melayu” and all that jazz.
My only question is will the other half, the other RM100 million follow the same?
#5 by sheriff singh on Monday, 13 June 2011 - 12:29 am
Yes. And Malacca lost the wheels (20 of them) from 5 ancient Portuguese cannons at St John’s Hill recently.
Well done Rais. You have change your mode and mood yet again. You losing any more hair and sleep lately?
#6 by undertaker888 on Monday, 13 June 2011 - 12:04 pm
It is con-artiste day. The day where they spent 100million of rakyats money. NAH!!!
#7 by k1980 on Monday, 13 June 2011 - 12:50 pm
All those who voted bn to power on March 8, 2008 should be arrested for conspiracy to rob the country blind.
#8 by baochingtian on Monday, 13 June 2011 - 1:53 pm
Rais speek no enggerish but he spent millions in a day. Maybe la, may be 1 million was spent, the rest u know i know la.
Why no audit one?
Why our braders and sisters who voted Barang Naik so tupid one ??? Year in year out get cheated, 50 years d, still can’t see, still don’t know ???
#9 by benilman on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 - 11:50 am
Every politicians in the present government thinks that the tax payers money is theirs to spend.and no accountibility to the raayat. WHY???Hey Rais you have no credibility at all,remember what you said when you left Umno to join Ku Li in Semangat 46? “Saya sudah berpatah arang dengan UMno”But where are you now?So how can we trust you with the Raayat`s hard earned money?