Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim pointed out that Penang had consistently contributed 30 per cent of its national trade balance since Pakatan took power in 2008. ― Picture by KE Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 ― Penang and Selangor had contributed the most tax per capita, but received only less than 1 per cent of allocations from Putrajaya in 2013, a DAP lawmaker said today.

In a press statement today, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim pointed out that Penang had consistently contributed 30 per cent of its national trade balance since Pakatan took power in 2008.

“According to statistics, in 2013, the two Pakatan Harapan states, Penang and Selangor, paid the most tax per capita (both direct and indirect taxes) compared to other states in Malaysia.

“However, in the same year, Penang only received 0.07 per cent and Selangor 0.31 per cent of the federal budget from Putrajaya,” he said.

Sim accused Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar of starving the two state governments in an effort to prevent the federal Opposition from fulfilling its duties to the people.

“Starving the state power is as good as grabbing state power. This tactic prevents state governments from fulfilling its democratic duties to the people in the state, and instead will have to submit to the Umno federal overlords.”

Sim took a shot at Barisan Nasional (BN), reminding the people to express their disagreement towards the ruling party in the upcoming polls.

“The next election is a crucial referendum on whether Penangites and Malaysians in general agree to Umno-BN’s power grab and bullying of state governments.

“A vote for BN is a vote for undemocratic power grab,” the Penang lawmaker said.

Earlier this week, Local Government Department director-general Datuk Abu Bakar Johar had reportedly issued a directive dated March 17 to halt all funding to for BP1 projects in constituencies outside BN control.

BP1 refers to small-scale infrastructure projects at the local council level, according to the ministry’s website, such as the construction of roads, drains, public toilets and multi-purpose halls.

Noh, however, denied yesterday allegations of discrimination, pointing out for example that his ministry had approved an allocation of RM900,000 to replace the roof of a market in Taiping, whose MP is from the DAP.