Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 8.4.2018.
BN Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has spelled out clearly that there is no solution in sight by BN to overcome Penang’s increasing traffic congestion. This is not surprising considering that Najib had promised 3 times to construct the LRT that was promised earlier by his predecessor Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and yet the promise to build a LRT in Penang remained an empty one.
The only offer to Penangites is the empty promise of 65,000 units of affordable housing. This is an empty promise because BN had claimed they had built more than 10,000 units under PR1MA when there is not even a single unit in Penang. The price of affordable housing under BN is capped at a higher price of RM400,000 as compared to Pakatan’s RM300,000.
BN has also increased the price of low-cost housing from RM42,000 to RM60,000 and the price of low-medium cost housing from RM72,500 to RM100,000! Only the Pakatan Penang state government has opposed such an increase because applicants cannot even get their housing loans approved under the existing lower prices. Should Pakatan win power in Putrajaya, we will revert to the original lower cost pricing.
Instead of offering traffic solutions, Najib has chosen instead to gloat that there is no light at the end of the under-sea tunnel project proposed by the Penang state government to provide a third link connecting Seberang Perai Utara(SPU) at Bagan Ajam to Gurney Drive. By clearly undermining one of our infrastructure projects, BN has shown that it has no solution for Penang’s traffic congestion and public transport plans except to sabotage the Penang state government’s initiatives to alleviate traffic congestion.
The under-sea tunnel would bring in developement to the people of SPU. Why should SPU residents be denied a link when Seberang Perai Tengah has the first bridge and Seberang Perai Selatan has the Second Bridge? If BN is sincere about helping the people of Penang, what is their alternative solution apart from sabotaging this project, that also include 3 other main highways, contracted out by open competitive tender at a price of RM 6.3 billion?
Nothing is also mentioned about BN’s proposed LRT only on the island. Pakatan Harapan has a better proposal then BN’s LRT not just on the island, but also connecting to the mainland in Sebarang Jaya, Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan. The LRT should benefit not just those on the island but also at Seberang Perai because Seberang Perai is also Penang.
Clearly BN wants Penangites to choke to death in traffic congestion. The people of Penang has no choice but to replace the BN Federal government with Pakatan Harapan if we want to survive and have our own public transport!
Lim Guan Eng
——BM Version —-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2018年4月8日在乔治市发表声明：
国阵对槟城的交通阻塞和公共交通计划没有任何解决方案，他们只会破坏槟州政府用以缓解交通阻塞的基建计划。
国阵主席拿督斯里纳吉清楚说明，国阵没有任何解决方案，来应付槟城的交通阻塞问题。我们一点也不感到意外，纳吉已经承诺三次，要兴建前任首相敦阿都拉巴达威所承诺的轻快铁，但是这个承诺还是空口说白话。
他们唯一承诺兴建6万5000个可负担房屋，也是空口说白话，因为国阵曾经说过他们在PR1MA一马房屋计划下，在槟城兴建了1万个单位，但是连影子也没看到。国阵兴建的可负担房屋最高顶限为40万令吉，但是希盟的顶限是30万令吉。
国阵也提高了廉价屋的价格，从4万2000令吉，提高到6万令吉，中廉价屋从7万2500令吉提高到10万令吉！只是槟城希盟政府反对他们提高价格，因为申请者在现有的屋价下已经连贷款都申请不到。如果希望联盟执政，我们将把屋价调低回原本的价格。
纳吉不但没有提出交通方案，他针对槟城的海底隧道工程不明朗还幸灾乐祸，槟州政府原意是要两岸三通，通过海底隧道将威北峇眼阿占和关仔角链接起来。很明显地，他们破坏我们其中一项基础建设，国阵押明对槟城的交通阻塞和公共交通计划没有任何解决方案，他们只会破坏槟州政府用以缓解交通阻塞的基建计划。
海底隧道将为威北人民带来发展。当威中有槟城大桥，威南有二桥，为什么威北人民不能有一条通道直达槟岛？如果国阵是真心想要协助槟城人民，那么他们破坏了我们通过公开招标颁布、价值63亿令吉的海底隧道及三条高速公路后，有什么替代方案？
国阵也没有提及他们所建议的槟岛轻快铁。希望联盟政府的建议比国阵更好，我们不只想在槟岛兴建轻快铁，也要把轻快铁连接到诗布朗再也、北海、大山脚及峇都加湾。轻快铁不应该只是让槟岛受益，也应该惠及威省，因为威省也是槟城。
很明显地，国阵要槟城人民继续饱受塞车之苦，槟城人民别无选择，唯有改朝换代，我们才能走出困境，并拥有属于自己的公共交通！
林冠英