CM trying to ‘derail’ PR1MA to cover up own failures

MCA Penang says Lim Guan Eng has not built even one low-cost housing unit in his seven years as Penang chief minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang Chief Minister’s condition that PR1MA be limited to only low-cost houses, is his attempt to derail the housing development project and instigate public hatred towards the Federal Government, charged MCA Penang’s Tan Chuan Hong.

In a statement today, Tan accused Lim Guan Eng of hoping to derail Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) in order to cover up for his own state government’s failure to deliver its promises of low-cost housing to the people.

“When Lim makes it conditional for PR1MA to build only low-cost houses, his intention is none other than to derail the project so that the BN Federal Government will continue to be made a scapegoat for his very own failure,” said Tan, who is the party’s State Liaison Committee Secretary.

Tan added that the DAP-led Penang government had also failed to build even one low-cost housing unit in their seven years in governing Penang.

He further derided the Penang state government’s practices, saying it had stripped whole parcels of land clean for the sake of development, but not for the purpose of building low-cost housing.

“He (Lim) may claim that the state government is incorruptible but what we see is that it is aggressively selling parcels of land resulting in its land bank fast reducing to a mere 28% from the time Pakatan took over Penang,” said Tan.

“Many green hills have gone botak (bald) but none of the land sold is for the purpose of low-cost housing.”

Tan also said that in spite of his words, Lim was no champion of the people’s rights, as his actions had clearly shown.

He went on to dare Lim to take a tour in Permatang Pauh and to “see for himself” how serious the garbage situation was over there.

“We are tired of his endless excuses. Water tariff was adjusted upward as the people ‘forced’ him to do so; assessment rate was hiked as it was long overdue,” said Tan listing Lim’s many faults.

Asking, “And he dares say he cares for the rakyat?”, Tan listed the RM2 hotel room tax; the 200% mount in hawker’s licensing fees; and a 200% catapult in service charges for property transfers as just some of the examples that showed the people’s welfare was the least of Lim’s concerns.

He also accused Lim of going back on his own word when it came to matters of public interest, questioning his lack of action on the passing of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (II) 1003 (Amended 2015) and his absence during the tabling of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (POTA).

“Stop making excuses, own up to your responsibility and be brave enough to face the people, Lim Guan Eng,” Tan said.