Today, I read a news item that in the present sitting of the Penang State Assembly, the  previous administration was accused of a cover-up.

There are always two sides to the story and I believe it would have been very difficult indeed to come to a proper decision. Damned if you tell the truth and damned if you do not tell the truth.

Yes, telling the truth could have panicked the people, especially the commuters who travel across the bridge daily. Businesses that use the bridge would also have been severely affected, especially those that have to transport their goods to either the Penang International Airport or the North Butterworth Container Terminal. Investor confidence would have been severely affected too.

Weighing against that, not informing the people would mean that the previous government was willing to take a big calculated risk that the Penang Bridge would not collapse. I’m sure they arrived at that decision after consulting the Penang Bridge concessionnaire as well as UEM Builders. I don’t know what was discussed between the three parties so I cannot comment at all on what they considered to be the probability of the bridge collapsing. Most probably, it was a very remote risk but all the same, it was a risk which the government was prepared to accept. If it had really collapsed, it would mark the end of Penang. The disaster will forever be in the conscience of those who made the decision to keep quiet. Would the previous government be prepared to live with that?

He said that any increase in fuel and electricity costs borne by the manufacturers would subsequently be passed on to consumers. “It’s like a price increase tsunami and people will have to brace for tough times ahead. We’re experiencing an earthquake and are in need of a disaster relief fund.

The Star reported that by noon yesterday, Lee was still busy answering numerous calls from FMM members. Lee said that as the major costs for manufacturers were electricity, gas and logistics, companies and manufacturers that were export-oriented might not be able to recover the increase in costs from the international market because of competition.

“We cannot simply increase our prices as the cost in other countries might not be so much. Those that cannot recover the costs will make less money and suffer losses. They will try to recover the costs from the market but if they can’t, they will have to think about cutting costs. This probably means cutting some employees, as they cannot cut on the goods, or migrating to a country with lower costs.”

Also, the increase in costs would be a major factor for new companies coming in to Malaysia. Lee reasoned that many companies had moved out from China because of the increase in costs. “Some were thinking of coming to Malaysia but they may have to rethink their strategy if our costs have gone up so much,” he said, adding that this would affect the nation’s foreign direct investments.

He said the federation, which had about 350 members, would study the impact of the price increase and hoped to come up with a better assessment.

In the meantime, the newspaper also reported that the effects of the fuel and electricity tariff hikes are beginning to assert themselves in other ways:

• Bus and lorry companies have announced that they are increasing charges or will be forced to stop services;
• Hawkers and other food operators will wait and see before raising prices;
• The KLCI closed 29.56 points down, to 1223.56 points. Plantation and banking counters as well as PLUS were the most affected.

Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd wants to have the ban implemented but there’s a lot of opposition from the transporters themselves. They are unhappy with this proposal because they say it is a bad move. I heard that they had a meeting recently and some of the more interesting points they voiced included:

• Exporters could ill afford to miss air cargo flights out of the Bayan Lepas International Airport because flights leave at scheduled times;
• Transporters will lose six to seven hours of transportation time per day due to the ban, and the expenses would eventually be passed back to the consumers;
• Transporters’ concern that due to the long queues at the toll plaza, their vehicles may be barred from entering the bridge even though they may have queued early;
• Transporters’ concern that heavy commercial vehicles may cause stress on the bridge structure should all of them drive onto the bridge at the same time from either direction.

I’ve one comment about Point No. 4. Whether it is true or not is debatable. The transporters brought up a valid concern and it’s best to let the civil engineers worry about this. Let the engineers decide whether the transporters’ concern holds water. After all, they’re paid to do this job.

Let me add just one more comment. Traffic jams will occur at any time of the day or night. It doesn’t take a lorry or trailer to break down during peak hours to cause a jam. Any time will be a bad time, or otherwise I wouldn’t have been caught in a jam on the bridge recently at 6.40am. And it wasn’t even caused by a big commercial vehicle. Just a small, four-wheeled truck.

Well, what are the authorities going to do now? To ban or not to ban the heavy commercial vehicles from the Penang Bridge? Hobson’s choice, I tell you! There’s still no firm decision and it may be back to the drawing board, I suppose!

The first is a Bernama report about the Penang Sentral project that’s supposed to come up in Butterworth. Ever since the old PPC Complex caught fire about at least a decade ago, buses have been forced to use a makeshift terminal beneath the flyovers at the Penang Port Commission. It’s about time a proper building is erected so that passengers do not have to brave the rain or the hot sun.

The Penang Sentral project will continue and the federal government will ensure that it is completed on schedule, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said today.

He described it as a federal government project that is due to be completed in 2010 and stressed: “Penang Sentral is not included in any review of projects and its construction will go on as scheduled.” He was speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the State Action Council at the Federal Building here.

The RM2 billion project is being undertaken by Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) and Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd and is modelled along the lines of Kuala Lumpur Sentral to be a commercial centre as well as a combined terminal for rail, ferry and bus services.

It is part of efforts to establish Penang as the hub of the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) and sprawls over 12.8 ha.

“The Penang Sentral project is receiving good cooperation from the state government, especially in resolving several minor issues,” he added.

Nor Mohamed said the Council’s meeting today also discussed other projects that need to be implemented speedily, especially those of the health and education ministries.

The second is about the second Penang Bridge that’s going to link Batu Maung and Batu Kawan. It’s mired with controversy, especially since there is a foreign third party involved that’s getting more impatient with each subsequent delay. Here is the Bernama report on the bridge’s progress:

Preliminary work on Penang’s second bridge linking Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland is almost completed, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today.

He said there was a lot of preliminary work like surveying, site clearing, soil investigation, designing, testing and dredging to be done before the main construction of the 26-kilometre bridge could take off.

“Most of the preliminary work is near completion. The only one that is not actually completed is the dredging work which is now 34 per cent completed,” he told a news conference here today.

He said the state government hoped that the main construction could take off as soon as possible.

“We hope that the federal government can speed up because investors are also very interested to know about the pace of the construction,” he said.

Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the proposed bridge, initially targeted for completion in 2011 on a RM3 billion budget, was experiencing delays due to escalating costs and problems in the design and land acquisition.

But should the vehicular services be stopped? Right now, Penang Port claims that they are losing money on ferrying cars and motor-cycles across the channel. So they want to concentrate only on the foot passengers by providing a quick hydrofoil service.

In the meantime, here’s now the New Sunday Times reported the news today:

Penang ferry to end once bridge is expanded

BUTTERWORTH: The famous Penang ferry will be history once the Penang Bridge is expanded.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) said it was planning to discontinue its ferry service once the expansion work on the Penang Bridge is completed next year.

“We are not keen to operate the vehicular ferries as the operating costs have gone up tremendously,” said PPSB chief operating officer Mohd Niana Merican Abd Kadir Merican yesterday.

While vehicles will use the expanded Penang Bridge, Niana said speed boats would be introduced to ferry people across the channel.

Besides being cost-effective, the speed boats can reduce the travelling time from 20 minutes to between eight and 10 minutes.

The extension work on the Penang Bridge is expected to be completed in August next year.

“We believe the Penang Bridge will be able to handle the volume of traffic after its expansion project is completed.”

Presently nine ferries ply daily between the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim on the mainland and Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island.

The Opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) is now enjoying the
electoral euphoria that the Gerakan experienced on May 10, 1969, but
the latter was summarily consigned to political oblivion after a
period of slightly less than 39 years.

A succinct difference between the respective Gerakan and DAP victories
of 1969 and 2008 may be this: The Gerakan won on a positive vote while
the DAP won on a negative vote. To elaborate, the vote for the Gerakan
was a vote for the then Dr (now Tun) Lim Chong Eu to be the next Chief
Minister. The vote for the DAP was a vote against Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu
Koon for what he himself termed as his “intangible” successes.

The 2008 decision was never a vote for the colourful Lim Guan Eng as
the successor to the colourless Tsu Koon. Lim, an accountant trained
in Australia’s prestigious Monash University, showed his formidable
character when he gamely took the fall, was imprisoned for 18 months
on a legal technicality for championing the cause of a Malay girl who
was allegedly raped by a senior politician in Malacca, and was
consequently denied electoral participation for the next five years
according to Malaysian law after being declared guilty.

Last Question

The last question that the Penang electorate posed in the 1969
election was never asked, simply because the Gerakan could not present
a name after putting up incumbent Deputy Information Minister Chia
Kwang Chye as an alternative to Tsu Koon, who was being fielded for
the parliamentary seat of Batu Kawan.

The above observation is drawn from the historical fact that the last
question put to the then Opposition Gerakan before Penangites voted in
1969 was who its Chief Minister would be. When the Gerakan responded
in the then The Straits Echo that it would be the State’s famous son
Chong Eu, the unique Penang swing began. The Straits Echo, billed as
the second oldest English language newspaper east of Suez, has since
closed down as The National Echo.

“From there on, according to insiders, the Gerakan never recovered
from this self-inflicted fracture, but lost its cohesiveness as a
political party.”

It was never lost on Penangites that Chong Eu, himself an
overseas-trained medical doctor, was the scion of a famous Penang
family. Indeed, Penangites take pride in the fact that while the
Gerakan had Chong Eu, the left-leaning Socialist Front had
England-trained lawyer Lim Kean Siew (since deceased) and the previous
Alliance administration led by the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
had England-trained lawyer David Choong Ewe Leong. All three are
scions of landed gentry in the State. David Choong, who was an All
England doubles champion in his time, is now comatose.

Interestingly, this opening gambit of the Gerakan during the heat of
the election was simply outmaneuvered when a so-called Chinese clan
leader was inspired to assert that Kwang Chye was unacceptable to the
Penang Chinese Town Hall because he was not Chinese-educated!
What was conveniently forgotten in the maneuver inspired by the
intense Gerakan infighting was that Chong Eu was never
Chinese-educated when he assumed office as Chief Minister of Penang in
1969. Nonetheless, this episode brought to the fore the reduced
leadership role of the English-educated Chinese not just in Penang,
but also throughout the country. Significantly, the MCA, another
component of the ruling National Front, met reverses after it ignored
the English-educated in its line-up.

Almost reeling from this self-induced shock, Tsu Koon not only bandied
three names – incumbent State Executive Councillors Dr Teng Hock Nan
and Teng Chang Yeow as well as parliamentary secretary Lee Kah Choon
who was being fielded in the blue ribbon Gerakan state seat of Machang
Bubuk – but purportedly left the decision on which of the three to
National Front president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi.

Glaring Failure

This glaring Gerakan failure played right into the hands of the DAP.
It lent credence to the oft-denied DAP view that Tsu Koon never
wielded power. That DAP message boomeranged when it was put in the
clumsy DAP slogan of “CM with power” when Guan Eng’s father,
Opposition icon Lim Kit Siang, made his previous bid for power in the
State. Kit Siang’s bid proved abortive after the National Front then
responded by stating that Kit Siang was “gila pangkat” or power crazy.

That was in the previous election. In the present one, the DAP not
only made political capital out of the Gerakan mis-step on the
“required” Chinese education background for the Penang chief
ministership and what the Penang Hokkiens simply punned on the trio as
the “tua teng, kah seh teng boh lee” or “Big Teng or small Teng, no
play” – a Hokkien saying that also meant a big car and small car, and
lee (Kah Choon’s surname), meaning play – it was able to win the state
chief executive’s job by stealth since it never had to respond to the
last question.

Perhaps unknown even to the DAP leaders, this signal failure that Tsu
Koon committed spelled the end of cooperation between the three
competitors he named for the top job. Worse still, it is understood to
also have led to Tsu Koon, a Hokkien Chinese, being threatened by an
incumbent Teo Chew (or Ching Chow, a dialectic group) leader with a
loss of the significant Teo Chew votes in his Batu Kawan parliamentary
constituency.

From there on, according to insiders, the Gerakan never recovered from
this self-inflicted fracture, but lost its cohesiveness as a political
party.

Lost Vision

From this 2008 general election, the Opposition DAP now has a period
four to five years’ opportunity to translate the stated negative vote
into a positive one. If Guan Eng can provide a stable Government and
perform up to Penang expectations, it should continue to hold power at
the State level.

Of course, the 2008 Malaysian general election has proved that the
Gerakan lost its evangelical drive after nearly 39 years, even with
its opting in 1973 to become part of the ruling National Front
coalition.

It had earlier perceived to have lost the vision of Gerakan founder
Chong Eu of making Georgetown, billed as the first and oldest
Chinatown in the world by a well-known television programme, into a
thriving city. Instead, Georgetown became a ghost city, underscoring
the growing social gap betwen Tsu Koon and his illustrious household
name predecessor.

This ugly spectre of empty reclaimed houses came after the Sir John
Maynard Keynes-inspired post-war rent-control measures were dismantled
in 1999 or thereabouts. The way the policy was implemented – with no
alternative housing for many of the dislocated who were left homeless
– virtually exposed the political dissonance of the Gerakan-led State
Government under the leadership of Tsu Koon.

It is common knowledge that while Penang can provide the maternity
hospital of aspiring political leaders and their parties, it can also
act as a cemetery for them. The Tsu Koon-led Gerakan is Penang’s
latest casualty.

What’s brewing for Penang?

Penang’s new Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng answers queries sent in by readers of The Star.

CHIEF Minister Lim Guan Eng is aware that expectations are high for his newly-elected administration in governing Penang. He has had his share of headlines, sometimes for the wrong reasons, but he is determined to get on with the job.

In this special Cafe Latte Chat, the first one-on-one discussion since this series was started last December, he shares his thoughts with The Star’s Group Chief Editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai while responding to selected e-mail questions sent in by readers.

In just two days, The Star was overwhelmed with over 500 e-mails for the new Chief Minister. The questions came not only from Penangites but from all over the country, as well as a good number from Malaysians abroad.

Although the number was high, the questions posed were roughly along the same lines. Some were concerned about local issues like traffic congestion and even street names. Many, however, wanted the Chief Minister to bring the shine back to Penang, asking him to clean up the beaches, restore the free port status, and focus on tourism.

There were also questions on how to attract foreign direct investment and lure Penangites home to serve the state. A popular question was how the state would deal with the Federal Government.

Online queries: Lim looking at the questions sent in by readers of The Star on Wong’s laptop during the Cafe Latte session at the Chief Minister’s office in Penang yesterday.

ADMINISTRATION

Without any experience working in the state or Federal Cabinet, how do you expect to run the state? Arlene

Lim: When we talk about experience, I always say that I don’t have experience in corruption and misappropriation of funds. So it is with that attitude – that if we are honest and have a sense of integrity, we have the ability and capability to do it. Of course it is a learning curve but if based on good principles, values and governance, I think we can benefit the state and get things done.

How will you ensure that Penang will be better than when it was previously under the Barisan Nasional especially in carrying out projects like the monorail and Second Penang Bridge? Unnamed

Lim: Number one is that there will be no “sweetheart deals”. We want everything to be above board. We want public interest to be paramount. If there is any hanky panky going on, we will immediately identify and take action. The fact is that this government is built on integrity. Don’t try to get your way around through sweetheart deals and don’t expect handouts. We are doing everything clean, everything above board and what we want is your service and your ability to deliver.

We support all federal projects like the monorail and Second Penang Bridge but we are suggesting using money from Petronas so that we don’t have to bear such a high cost. Look at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza. Just because you convert it from a “federal road” to “highway”, you charge a toll. That is ridiculous. How can there be four traffic lights at four intersections? So that is why when we talk about federal projects it must be about the people. Basically, I am saying that profits should not be privatised.

INVESTMENT/ECONOMY

How would you handle the delicate balance between the need for development and economic growth of Penang, the Federal Government and DAP objectives? Keith Saw (Melbourne, Australia)

Lim: This is a symbiotic relationship. You cannot fulfil the equity aspect without growth. You have to have growth to deal with the equity requirements. Just like a ship. If a ship wants to turn, it cannot do so immediately, it must move forward first and then turn. So when you talk about the equity aspect, you must grow first, then you can move. We must grow together and I believe we can have shared prosperity.

Since you may face many difficulties in getting financial resources to develop Penang, would you consider going out to the community residing abroad, namely in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan to get their support to invest in Penang? WM Mak

Lim: I do not want to talk about the Chinese, Indian or Malay diasporas. What we are talking about is the Penang diaspora. We should not just look at one country or a particular group. We will be more resilient if we do not limit ourselves.

There is talk about bringing Penangites home. How do you propose to do that? And what are the areas where you feel they can contribute? Jelutong Boy

Lim: They can invest in the state or adopt old buildings. Even if you adopt a small wing it will be good. Help make Penang a place where tourists want to come. Tourists are interested in greenery like the Botanic Gardens. This should be enhanced but needs heavy investment so the only way is to draw foreign investment.

I am a Penangite currently studying in the UK. I would like to find out what is the way forward for Penang? What will be the emphasis? Jason Goh Wei Hsiung (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Lim: ‘I don’t boycott newspapers’

Lim: The aim is to make Penang dynamic again. We have said that many times in our campaign. We are not just talking about physical development but we are also making sure that the people’s needs are being taken care of. We want a kinder, caring government that listens to complaints. We must make sure that basic services are provided for. We have taken the lead in democracy and must continue to do so in socio-economic justice and equal economic opportunity so when we talk about development, it must benefit Penangites and not just a few people.

I am a Malaysian residing in Bahrain – the hub of financial movements in the Gulf Region and Middle East. I have been promoting bilateral links between the business community of Malaysia and the Middle East. Before the general election, we established the Malaysia Gulf Co-operation Countries Business Council and were promoting Malaysia as the preferred location for investment and business manufacturing operations. However, the key investment locations like Perak, Selangor and Penang have fallen to the Opposition. How strongly will the government of Penang and Selangor assist potential investors and provide positive assistance through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry? B. Norman Nathan (Secretary-general, Malaysia Gulf Co-operation Countries Business Council)

Lim: If they are a proven outfit that can draw in quality business, we will lend support. We have no qualms. We want quality investment. Our main priority is for Penang to prosper but we want quality investment that lets us move up the value chain and makes us a premier tourist destination. For that we need infrastructure and hotels that are up to mark. We need high standards and the Penang state government will take the lead together with the private sector.

POLITICS

You have been on the other side for quite sometime. What is the difference, being on the powerful side now? Mohamad Khairulnizam Bakeri (Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia)

Lim: Of course, it’s an eye-opening experience; the fact that the destiny and fate of 1.5 million Penangites are on my shoulders. You feel it heavily. At night you cannot sleep. You think about the many things you haven’t done and need to do.

But at the same time it is easier to get information and hopefully, the information is correct. I want to ensure that public interest is protected.

For example, planning approvals. I want to introduce in the state exco meeting that planning approvals also be required for non-Muslim places of worship.

Is there a formalised blueprint on the new state government’s pledge to help bumiputras in Penang so that they are not marginalised? Ahmad Faizal Abdul Aziz (Gelugor, Penang)

Lim: When you talk about helping Penangites, you cannot just limit it to one community. It is not just the bumiputras who have been left out. The non-Malays have also been left out. We should help every Penangite in need. We should be colour-blind and if the Malays are the ones marginalised, there is no question about our commitment to helping them. Also, bear in mind that we were not the ones to marginalise the Malays. So if they say that the Malays are marginalised, are they saying that they marginalised the Malays? I am not going to play the racial game. I don’t want to compartmentalise and say that I only want to help Chinese, Indians or Malays. We want to help all Malaysians in need.

One of the major reasons the people rejected the previous government was because of the lavish lifestyle of the leaders. Can you eliminate this and focus on being down-to-earth leaders? Rizal H Ruslan (Tasek Gelugor, Penang)

Lim: Let me give you an example. For safety reasons, I was requested to move into the chief minister’s official residence. The CPO said that my personal safety was his top priority.

I was making plans to do so but then I found out – typical Malaysian problem – bumbung bocor. But they just did the renovations. It will cost RM300,000 to repair but I did not want to come into my first term and spend so much money, so I am staying at my dad’s place temporarily.

This is the message I want to convey – we do not want to splurge unnecessarily except for the office where you need the latest equipment.

Land alienation is another big problem. We want to make it public and do it on an auction basis. That way we can get the highest price.

The past practices were riddled with corruption and cronyism. The only way to get rid of this is through transparency and open tender and public disclosure. If we have it on the Internet, everyone in the country will have access to it.

We cannot completely eliminate abuse but we can reduce it. I believe that everyone in Penang will support it. Some people question why the same faces are always getting it but with transparency, at least even if they don’t get it, they will be satisfied.

Do you think the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition will measure up and deliver in five years or less? Chooi Kah Mun (Bayan Lepas, Penang)

Lim: We have no choice; otherwise, we will be thrown out. So we have to measure up. We have to meet the expectations of the people but we hope that the people will give us the opportunity. We are under tremendous pressure from the Federal Government and certain parties that want us to fail. We cannot fail. That is not an option.

Since the rakyat has given the opportunity for the Opposition to rule five states, will the DAP, PKR and PAS change its name to Barisan Rakyat? Kelvin Chan

Lim: That is definitely on the table. We would prefer that the state governments we form with the support of all the three parties would be a push towards creating a framework for cooperation but that is still a long way down the line. Let us allow the state governments to function before we talk about the future. This is something that is definitely on the table although it wasn’t in the past. This is something even the people realise. As long as some fundamental issues like freedom of religion, Islamic state, or hudud laws are not principle struggles of PAS and they want to talk about democracy, that is a positive step.

Can you comment on the fairness of mainstream media? Ng Mok Huat

Lim: Let me give you an example: A newspaper asked me what I was going to do. I said we would still go ahead with the open tender. What was reported was that Guan Eng would continue to go against the NEP. This is completely false reporting.

We have complained to Bernama and they apologised. They take responsibility and hopefully will improve on this. What we want is factual reporting. This newspaper, however, is still caught in a time warp. They are in the dinosaur age.

Can you comment on calls to boycott the mainstream media because of unfair reporting? Ng Mok Huat

Lim: I don’t boycott newspapers.

LOCAL GOVT

What is the state government’s commitment to preserving the heritage buildings in the state? Lim Sue Lin (Penangite in Kuala Lumpur)

Lim: What we are committed to is that in the planning process, we will not give blanket approval. But refurbishment and restoration is expensive. I am willing to go abroad not only to get investment but also to get funds for restoration but we must sort out the legal aspects.

If we cannot sort out these legal problems, we must see whether we can get the owners to restore the buildings.

If they cannot afford it, they should give us a lease or sell it to the government or international bodies who are interested in conservation. The question is whether this government is interested in development or conservation.

The public parking lots are full of unwanted rusty vehicles – mostly cars with flat tyres in the Sungai Dua, Gelugor and Relau areas. These have become an eyesore in Penang. Thomas Wong

Lim: We have to get enforcement officers to do it. If we can sell it to the besi karat people, we can make quite a lot of money. We will get the council to act on it.

Parking fees are not standardised and are too high in Penang. Some use meters and some issue tickets. Parking fees even stretch through 10pm during Sunday/public holidays. This system only applies in Penang. Ng Mok Huat

Lim: This also happens in other states, even in Kuala Lumpur. We haven’t made an analysis but I was made to understand that this was because some areas have high demand.

Sometimes standardisation may not be possible but we will do a study. The more important issue is simply issuing summonses. That is why we cancelled all those parking summonses. I am sure many reporters were very happy because they have been victims where they pay but are still issued summonses because the number was written wrongly. We have asked MPPP to improve. We must have a review with common guidelines implemented. We don’t want to create chaos unless it is creative chaos.

What are the plans to improve Komtar to its previous state? Khoo Keng Cheang (Tanjung Bunga, Penang)

Lim: The previous administration wanted this to be the shining crown of the Pearl of the Orient but as you can see, Komtar is run down and might probably be outshone by the Penang Times Square.

We have asked the PDC to come up with a plan to redevelop Komtar and probably we will have some input but Komtar is important to rejuvenate George Town. You cannot expect Penang to prosper without George Town prospering. Komtar must shine again but it must not be at the expense of the local traders. It must be a win-win situation. Our main offices are also here and we do not want to move. We should just set up branches of administration.

TOURISM

What’s your plan to improve Penang tourism, to the next level? William Cheah

Lim: I was meeting with Matta the other day and we were looking at macro plans. There are certain aspects that we can improve. We need more tourist attractions.

Whether aquarium or aqua tourism projects, we will consider. We want to develop more tourism attractions not so that private companies can profit but to enhance and make the places easier for people to enjoy. For example Bukit Bendera – we must improve access. Fundamental problems like cleanliness, traffic congestion and inaccessibility, and creating basic infrastructure must be addressed.

You talk about inviting tourists but you must also focus on inbound tourists. We do not understand why Penang is treated like a stepchild. We are not included in the main itinerary for tourists when the three main destinations in Peninsular Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur-Genting, Langkawi and Malacca. What about Penang, which was supposed to be the Pearl of the Orient?

We hope that with Unesco listing, we can attract more people to come here. Penang has her own natural brand name. We must build on that because this will also benefit the neighbouring states as well as Malaysia.

Penang airport is very dirty, giving tourists a bad impression. Thomas Wong (visitor to Penang)

Lim: Sometimes I also find that it is not up to mark but this is beyond my control because it does not come under my purview.

I was recently talking to Datuk Syed Mohd Aidid – he is an Umno man but he gets things done. When the Penang Port was under him, the ferry system was making money; so why not find people who are able to make money for Penang run the show again?

Now they are making losses. But I can’t do anything because it is under federal.

What I am saying is appoint the right people for the job. The main criteria are that they are honest, and have a track record of getting things done.

ENVIRONMENT

What are the top environmental priorities that your state government will address this year? Yeo Bee Hong (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah)

Lim: We have to deal with cleanliness. It is a fundamental environmental issue. There is a long-term need to see how we can make Sungai Pinang and Sungai Juru not the dirtiest rivers in Malaysia and South-East Asia. These are considered level-five toxic.

One of my assemblymen plunged into one of these rivers and came out with swollen feet even though he only immersed himself for 15 minutes – you can imagine the toxic levels. It is not an open sewer – it is a toxic dump. Cleanliness and cleaning up – how can we achieve this? We definitely cannot do it in a year – no way – but we need to make some improvements to the cleanliness of these two rivers.

Gurney Drive needs your immediate attention. Could you please let us know if you have any plans to clean up Gurney Drive? Tan Phaik Chee (Persiaran Gurney, Penang)

Lim: I think this has to do with the land reclamation projects like PORR. Now the only way out is to reclaim Gurney Drive. The water current and contour changes with the tide so that is the danger of messing around with nature. Nature always has a way of getting back. So when you talk about the dirty water and the physical changes along Gurney Drive, it is not something we can change. The whole character has changed.

What we can do is to think of other methods like reclaiming an island outside to prevent silt from coming in.

We have to see the impact of the Tanjung Tokong reclamation first. We have planning approval powers so we will ask the developers to look into this.

As Chief Minister of Penang, I invite you to clean up the beach of Batu Ferringhi. Anthony Fowke (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia)

Lim: That we will try to do but I have been informed by the municipal council president that they do conduct regular checks and the beach is quite good. So to those who have complaints, please let us know or call the council. If they do not act, we will act.

Penang tap water contains too much chlorine. Thomas Wong (visitor to Penang)

Lim: The quality is not as good as before and we need to have a check with the PBA to see how we can improve. Five to 10 years ago, it was much better and I find that sad.

CRIME

How would you make Penang a safer place to live where residents do not have to worry about crimes just like in the 70s and 80s. Koay LK (Jelutong Road, Penang)

Lim: We are putting in more CCTVs but the most effective way would be to increase police patrols and cut down red tape and abuses. We need more personnel.

I feel that patrolling is more effective than having more police stations. Some police stations only have one girl taking down reports at midnight. She is in danger because people can just come in and hurt her.

That’s why I am saying that we need more police personnel. Instead of patrolling the streets, the police are doing administrative work. We will continue to press for this at the federal level.

According to Heritage commissioner Prof Emeritus Datuk Zuraina Majid, Unesco had evaluated the findings submitted by the Heritage Department and would announce the results at the World Heritage Meeting in Quebec, Canada.

“We have a few streets and areas in George Town, Penang, and areas in Kota Melaka, identified as the core sites that will be able to depict the history and heritage unique to the states and the country at large,” she said.

Chief Minister: Lim Guan Eng (DAP)
Deputy Chief Minister (I): Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin (PKR)
Deputy Chief Minister (II): Dr P Ramasamy (DAP)

The Exco line-up and their respective portfolios:
Lim Guan Eng (DAP): International Trade and Industry Development, Land Affairs and Land Development
Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin (PKR): Religious Affairs, Co-operative and Entrepreneur Development, Community Relations
Dr P Ramasamy (DAP): State Economic Planning, Education and Human Resources, Science, Technology and Innovation
Chow Kon Yeow (DAP): Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment
Lim Hock Seng (DAP): Public Works, Utilities (Energy, Water and Telecommunication), Transportation (Air, Sea and Rail Services)
Law Heng Kiang (DAP): Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Abdul Malik Abul Kassim (PKR): Domestic Trade and Consumer Affair
Phee Boon Poh (DAP): Health and Welfare, Caring Society
Wong Hon Wai (DAP): Town and County Planning, Housing
Law Choo Kiang (PKR): Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Rural Development, Flood Mitigation
Ong Kok Fooi (DAP): Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development

State Legislative Assembly Speaker: Abdul Halim Hussein (PKR)
State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker: Tan Hock Leong (PKR)

Malaysia has had a policy of favouring ethnic Malays in jobs and education for almost four decades.

The large Chinese and Indian minorities have become increasingly angry.

Correspondents say it was largely this anger that led to the dramatic election results over the weekend.

Equal opportunities

Lim Guan Eng was sworn into office as head of state in Penang, after his Democratic Action Party (DAP) won a convincing election victory.

As soon as he was appointed, he immediately targeted the central government’s long-standing New Economic Policy favouring ethnic Malays.

“We want to run the state government administration free from the New Economic Policy that only breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency,” he told reporters.

“This is also a government that believes in equal opportunity and social economic justice. We are here to build a dynamic Penang for all,” he said.

The policy was started in the early 1970s, to increase opportunities for the often poverty-stricken ethnic Malays – giving them preference in jobs, university seats and access to services.

But many Malaysians – even some Malays – say that it has only benefited an elite few.

Election upheaval

The country’s large Chinese and Indian minorities – who make up more than a third of the population – have become increasingly critical of what they regard as blatant racial discrimination.

Ethnic Indians held a large protest rally in November which attracted more than 80,000 people.

Mr Abdullah’s National Front coalition suffered its worst election result in five decades in Saturday’s elections.

It won more than half of all seats in parliament, but still suffered unprecedented losses.

An alliance of opposition parties won seats in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) retained control of Kelantan, leaving the governing coalition in control of just eight states.