DAP’s Charles Santiago pointed out that Malaysia’s deals with China were criticised because of the government’s lack of transparency in its awarding of lucrative contracts.
“The awarding of contracts to Chinese investors has been a non-transparent process.
“For example, the RM200 billion Carey Island Port project for which Klang port authorities have already identified a Chinese company that can do the job.
“Is China the only country that has shown interest in developing Carey Island?” he told FMT.
Santiago said for a foreign investment to positively impact a country, it must create job opportunities for the people and offer work via contracts to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“This is something that the government hasn’t been clear on.”
Santiago, who is Klang MP, pointed out that Sri Lanka and Zambia had protested against Chinese investment because it had failed to have a multiplier effect on the local economy.
“China is known to source its own workers and its own raw materials for almost three-quarters of its projects. How will this benefit the country?”
Malaysians must not be naive in thinking Chinese investment would benefit the country, Santiago warned.
“As you know, China’s game is different. China won’t invade you, but it will use money to buy your sovereignty as it has done in Cambodia and Laos.”
Santiago was responding to a report which quoted Universiti Malaya political analyst Ngeow Chow Bing as saying the opposition would use the “China card” to incite dissatisfaction among rural Malay voters.
The opposition, Ngeow claimed, had portrayed recent Chinese investments in Malaysia to be facilitating the political survival of Prime Minister Najib Razak and the BN-led government.
Previously, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had been criticised for creating fear and using race to fulfill political motives, in an attempt to drive away mainland China investments.
DAP’s Ong Kian Ming denies the idea that the opposition are trying to scare voters.
“The opposition’s analyses of Chinese investments in Malaysia are not to spark fear among voters.
“It’s not that we want to make the rural Malay voters fearful but because these are economic and political issues that concern the country’s development.”
The government must exercise caution when agreeing to any form of foreign investment in the country, he said.
“It is well known that Chinese companies do not create local jobs because they bring in their own workforce and raw materials. This is why we must be selective.
“We must evaluate all foreign investments to see whether they will bring about long-term benefit to the country.”