There ARE cracks on Penang Bridge!

Should I be disappointed with the Penang state government? I was, initially, and it was because of this news item:

Penang Bridge cracks

A week after Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon denied at the State Assembly that there were serious cracks on the Penang Bridge, State Exco member Koay Kar Huah admitted in the same House today that there were cracks after all, although minor!

At first, I felt incredulous that the government had lied to me. I was wondering why the Penang government – or any government for that matter – could not immediately admit to the fact that something was wrong and must always go into a denial mode first, only to come out later to say that, yes, there was such-and-such a problem but it has been resolved.

But when I was reflecting on this about-turn with my wife, it dawned on me that the Penang government – and the Chief Minister – could’ve been right to deny the cracks. They were on top of the situation. The Penang Bridge is at the heart of Penang’s economic well-being and the state government acted to ensure that nothing was wrong with it and life should continue as normal.

Was it a gamble? I don’t know, but the denial was necessary to allay the people’s fears and avert a panic. The cracks were reportedly not that serious enough to affect the bridge (even Works Minister S Samy Vellu was roped in to issue a statement himself a day after Dr Koh mentioned it in the House).

It was best to let the bridge contractors sort it out quickly without causing any repercussions to the state’s economy. They did.

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