Press Statement By Caretaker Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 17.4.2018.
BN Penang is not only short of ideas by adopting a manifesto that is a copycat of Penang state government policies but is cruel in allowing Penangites to choke to death in traffic congestion. The lack of ideas, ideals and principles in BN was the reason why Penang was in decline when BN was in power under Dr Koh Tsu Koon as Penang Chief Minister.
Even Koh admitted this indirectly when Koh bemoaned the fact that Penang lost a great leader like Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, who could have led Penang to greater heights for 2 more terms as Chief Minister, if only Chong Eu was not defeated by Lim Kit Siang in the 1990 general elections. Koh took over as Penang Chief Minister after Chong Eu lost in the 1990 general elections. Is Koh not clearly conceding that Penang without Chong Eu, suffered a decline under his weak and indecisive leadership?
All the promises made by BN Penang’s manifesto can not be trusted because BN has not delivered, when even the promises by the Prime Minister are not fulfilled. What happened to the three promises by the Prime Minister to build the LRT but never fulfilled? What about the Prime Minister’s promise to build 9,999 units of public and affordable housing in my constituency Air Putih in the 2013 general elections? And yet when the Penang state government wants to build a Light Rail Transit (LRT), that BN refuses to do as promised, BN openly sabotages it.
Copycat BN
When the Penang Pakatan state government first launched the RM100 senior citizens appreciation programme in 2010, BN had strongly opposed it. UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican even labelled giving RM100 as “haram’ and sinful to senior citizens because gambling money is used, even though gambling licenses are issued not by the state government but by the BN federal government. Now BN Penang has turned copycat by supporting this senior citizens programme.
The Penang Pakatan state government had initiated the institutionalised annual funding of religious and vernacular schools which was never done by the previous BN state government. RM16 million was allocated annually by the Penang Pakatan state government. Now BN has turned copycat with their manifesto promising to give RM15 million, which is even less than the RM16 million that Penang Pakatan state government offers now.
Penang state government has exempted the payment of assessment rates for low-cost, low-medium cost and kampong houses with the other property owners enjoying a 10% discount. BN Penang has also turned copycat by proposing the same exemptions, but not the 10% discount for other properties.
Similarly Pakatan Manifesto has proposed that highway tolls be abolished in phases, especially those highways where the toll collections have exceeded their combined capital investment (construction expenditure, maintenance and operating costs). The First Penang Bridge and the North-South Highway are such examples, where toll should be first abolished for all vehicles. BN Penang has turned copycat again by suggesting that only motorcycle tolls be abolished, but not for all vehicles.
Teng should stop lying about our Pakatan manifesto on abolishing tolls but must explain why has BN not abolished toll collection on the First Penang Bridge? This is a classic case of the “guilty party accusing others of the wrongdoing” or “the thief shouting thief”.
BN turning copycat is not as dangerous to the people’s interests as shamelessly sabotaging efforts by the Penang Pakatan state government to alleviate traffic congestion with a public transport system combining LRT, trams, buses and infrastructure works such as highways and an under-sea tunnel. BN has no shame in openly admitting that the reclamation projects financing the LRT project, the under-sea tunnel and highway projects will be cancelled.
Worse, BN has offered no alternatives to building a public transport system to alleviate traffic congestion except to sabotage our proposed LRT and under-sea tunnel projects. The LRT would connect the island to Seberang Perai in Sebarang Jaya, Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan. The LRT should benefit not just residents on the island but also in Seberang Perai because Seberang Perai is also Penang.
Clearly BN wants Penangites to choke to death in traffic congestion. The choice is very clear. Only by replacing the BN Federal government with Pakatan Harapan, can the people of Penang survive and build our own public transport system!
LIM GUAN ENG
==========================================================
槟城州看守首席部长林冠英于2018年4月17日在乔治市光大发表的文告
槟州国阵不只词穷缺点子抄袭槟城州政府的政策当文抄公，更残忍的竟然是要置槟城人于塞车的死地之中。
槟州国阵不只词穷缺点子抄袭槟城州政府的政策当文抄公，更残忍的竟然是要置槟城人于塞车的死地之中。国阵缺乏点子、理想及原则就是当年许子根掌权时槟城落后的主要原因。
许子根最近一直慨叹要不是林吉祥于1990年大选打败敦林苍祐，敦林苍祐还可以带领槟城多两届迈向高峰。许子根的慨叹间接承认许子根自己掌权后让槟城落后的事实。许子根在敦林苍祐于1990年大选落败后取而代之成为槟首席部长，难道许子根不承认在失去林苍祐之下，在自己软弱及优柔寡断的领导下，槟城落后得江河日下？
所有国阵宣言里的承诺根本不能相信，因为国阵的承诺一直不能兑现，即便是首相的各种承诺也一直跳票。首相三次承诺要兴建轻快铁但都食言没有兑现，到底是怎么一回事？还有首相于2013年大选要在我阿逸布爹州选区兴建9999间公屋及可负担房屋的承诺去了哪里？既然国阵拒绝兑现轻快铁的承诺，那么槟州政府挺身而出要自行兴建轻快铁，但却被国阵公然破坏。
国阵文抄公
当槟希盟州政府在2010年推出乐龄人士100令吉回馈金的时候，遭到国阵强烈反对。巫统最高理事拿督斯里理查梅里根当时甚至说这些回馈金“不洁净”充满罪恶，因为是来自赌博所获得。但事实却是赌博执照是联邦政府的权限，非州政府的权限。如今，槟国阵却倒回来抄袭乐龄回馈金计划，变相支持希盟的创举。
是槟州政府先开始制度化拨款给州内的各源流学校，而这是前朝的国阵政府从未做过的。槟州希盟政府每年拨出1600万令吉给州内的各源流学校，现在，国阵在他们的竞选宣言内抄袭我们的政策，说承诺要拨1500万令吉的制度化拨款给各源流学校，甚至比我们现在已经年年拨款的1600万令吉还要少。
槟州政府早已豁免廉价屋、中廉价屋及甘榜屋的门牌税，而其他产业拥有人的门牌税也获得10%的折扣。槟州国阵也同样地抄袭希盟豁免门牌税之承诺，但他们却没有给予10%折扣。
同样的，在希盟的竞选宣言内，我们承诺 ，所有的大道过路费将会逐步废除，特别是那些早已经透过征收过路费回本的大道（就是所征收的过路费已远远超越了当年注入的合并资本投资，这包括建筑费、维修费及运作费）。槟城第一大桥及南北大道就是当中最好的例子，所以我们认为这些大道的过路费应该全免。槟州国阵抄袭了希盟这个概念，但是他们却建议只有摩托车的过路费获得豁免，而不是所有的交通工具。
邓章耀不应该再针对希盟宣言里废除过路费的建议继续撒谎，反之，他应该出来解释，为什么国阵并没有废除所有交通工具在第一大桥的过路费。这就是典型的“做错事的人指控他人的错”或“做贼喊贼”。
国阵的抄袭行为，并没有比典当人民利益来得更危险。国阵无耻地破坏槟州希盟政府欲透过结合轻快铁、单轨火车、巴士、基础建设工程如高速大道及海底隧道工程以舒缓交通阻塞的努力。国阵甚至无耻地公开承认，他们将会取消用以支付轻快铁及三条大道和海底隧道的填海计划。
更糟糕的是，国阵完全没有就建设一个完善的的交通系统以舒缓交通阻塞提供任何的替代方案，他们只是一味地破坏我们所建议中的轻快铁及海底隧道计划。我们所建议中的轻快铁计划，将会衔接槟岛与威省的诗不郎再也、北海、大山脚及峇都交湾。我们认为，轻快铁不应只让槟岛人民受惠，威省人民也应该在这项利民计划下受惠，因为大家同样的都是槟城子民。
很明显的，国阵要槟城人被交通阻塞堵死。现在的选择很明确，只有换掉联邦政府，由希盟成为你们的联邦政府，才能够协助槟州子民继续生存，并建立属于我们自己的公共交通系统！
林冠英