2016 New Year Message By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 31.12.2015
2016 A Transformational Year For Penang
Penang is emerging as a national and regional hub for tourism, services and high-tech manufacturing. The continued investment by global companies into services and manufacturing shows the success of the state government’s emphasis on quality that focuses on high-value, high-tech and capital intensive rather than quantity that relies on labour-intensive that only results in foreign workers. Our focus continues to be on breeding innovation and entrepreneurship as catalysts for economic growth.
The influx of tourists during this holiday season is best epitomised by crowds at Penang Hill which broke the previous record of 1.36 million tourists last year and is expected to reach 1.5 million this year. Tourism in Penang may be a transformational year for 2016 with the completion of renewal projects worth hundreds of millions of ringgit on Komtar and Penang Hill. Many hotels have recorded an occupancy this year as good as last year despite the poor economic conditions and the tragic triple airline disasters involving MAS and Air Asia planes last year.
2016 holds out hope for a more promising year. However success bring its own problems with traffic congestion being the critical challenge. When the present Pakatan Harapan government won power in 2008, we identified 3 major challenges – cleanliness, crime and traffic congestion. We have succeeded against all odds in making Penang clean again and together with the police brought down the crime rate. However we need to work harder to make Penang the cleanest and safest state in Malaysia.
However traffic congestion can only be overcome if Penang is allowed to implement our RM27 billion Transport Master Plan(TMP), a five-in-one public transport solution involving LRT/monorail, ferry/water taxis, taxis, buses and cable cars. The TMP was undertaken at the Penang state government’s initiative following the failure of the BN federal government to fulfil its promises made 3 times in 8 years to build the LRT, but was never implemented.
Penang will be heading for a transformational year that will either help to resolve our traffic congestion problems or else proves whether the Federal government acts on national or the people’s interest but instead practices the politics of vengeance. The Penang state government regrets the political vengeance by some national federal agencies against the proposed land reclamation to finance the TMP, when they had previously made no similar objections against land reclamation approved by the previous BN Penang state governments or the tens of thousands of acres of land reclamation by other BN-controlled state governments.
Why do these federal agencies suddently express concern about affected fishermen when they have shown no such interest in the fate of fishermen when much more land reclamation was approved by the previous BN state government or other BN state governments? In fact the Penang fishermen received higher compensation under the present Penang state government compared to that offered by the BN state governments. Such hypocrisy is not only double-standards but also cruel and oppressive because it serves to deny and deprive the rakyat.
Penang will fight against those who seek to deny and deprive the poor from their fundamental economic rights to food, shelter, education and work. In seeking these fundamental economic rights, development must be sustainable and inclusive in an environment that is clean, green, safe and healthy.
LIM GUAN ENG
—- Mandarin Version —
槟州首席部长林冠英于2015年12月31日在光大乔治市发表2016年元旦献词：
2016年是槟城的转型年
槟城是国家及区域的旅游、服务及高科技制造业中心。全球各地不断有投资者前来投资服务业及制造业，证明州政府强调素质、重视高价值、高科技及密集资本行业的成功，而不是依赖劳工密集导致大量外劳引进的行业 。我们的焦点将是继续孕育革新及企业精神做为经济发展的催化剂。
去年游览升旗山的人数约136万人，今年已破记录并可能上达150万人。由此可以得知这个假日涌入槟城的游客人数。随着光大及升旗山数项价值数千万令吉的提升项目陆续竣工，槟城的旅游业在2016年可能是个转型年。今年很多酒店的入住率也与去年一样火红，尽管经济不景及去年三起涉及马航及亚航的严重航空灾难。
2016年也希望是为令人鼓舞的一年。但是，无论有什么成就，交通阻塞的问题始终是一项严竣的考验。当希望联盟在2008年赢得大选时，我们列出的三大挑战：清洁、罪案和交通阻塞。我们成功地让槟城更加清洁，也与警方携手降低罪案。但是，我们还需更加努力，让槟城成为全马最清洁及最安全的州属。
但是，要解决交通阻塞问题，槟城必须能够执行270亿令吉交通大蓝图，这是一个五合一的公共交通方案，涵盖轻快铁或轻轨、渡轮或水上德士、巴士及缆车。交通大蓝图是槟城政府的主动措施，国阵联邦政府违背自己在八年内许下的三次承诺，从来没有兴建轻快铁。
槟城也将朝向一个转型年，我们或者能解决交通阻塞问题，或者证明联邦政府是为国家或人民利益着想还是进行政治报复。槟州政府对于一个联邦机构对槟州政府填海融资推行交通大蓝图采取政治报复手段感到遗憾，他们不反对之前槟州国阵政府批准的填海地段，也不反对其它国阵州属数万英亩的填海计划。
为什么这些联邦机构突然那么关心受影响的渔民，在前朝国阵政府或其它国阵州属批准更多填海地段时，他们并没有关心这些渔民的命运。事实上，槟州渔民获得的赔偿比前朝政府给的更多。这些联邦机构假惺惺不只双重标准，也很残忍及压迫，因为它否认及剥夺人民的权利。
槟城会继续反对那些否认及剥夺穷人衣、食、住、行基本经济权利的人。在追求这些基本经济权利的同时，发展必须是可持续及包含净、绿、安、康的环境。
林冠英