My Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

DAP Strongly Condemns The Pig’s Head Found At A Mosque

2012-02-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on 1.2.2012

DAP Strongly Condemns The Pig’s Head Found At A Mosque In Rawang As An Insensitive Act Of Cowardice And Provocation Designed To Stoke Racial And Religious Sentiments Ahead Of The General Election

The pig’s head found at the entrance of the Nurul Iman Mosque at Batu 18, Rawang, Selangor is an insensitive act of cowardice and provocation designed to stoke racial and religious sentiments ahead of the upcoming General Election.

The DAP strongly condemns this incident as there is no room in Malaysia for such indiscriminate and disgusting acts that go against the peace-loving and multi-cultural nature of our people.

We urge Malaysians to remain calm and not to overreact as this incident was clearly the doing of certain quarters with despicable intentions. However, the perpetrators will fail to achieve their evil goals because Malaysians have learnt not only to live with but to celebrate the cultural and religious differences in our society. We will not let decades of peace be undone by the cowardly actions of extremists and bigots.

We also call upon all parties to unite in condemning the desecration and defilement of any place of religious worship, be it a mosque or a church or a temple, and hope that the Government will immediately get to the bottom of this.

Lim Guan Eng

CM: State tackling housing and traffic woes

2012-01-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2012
Star

GEORGE TOWN: The state government will not run away from problems faced by the people such as the issues of affordable housing, traffic congestion and civil services, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said the state had allocated RM500mil to ensure affordable homes were made available to Penangites.

“To deal with traffic congestion, we have open tenders on a proposal to construct three bypass highways and a sea tunnel costing around RM8bil,” he said in his speech at the DAP Chinese New Year open house at Penang Chinese Town Hall on Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling yesterday.

On Nov 15, it was reported that the proposed traffic alleviation projects are a 6.5km sea tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to the northern side of Butterworth, a 4.2km road from Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypassing the city centre, a 4.6km road linking Bandar Baru Air Itam to the same expressway and a 12km dual carriage road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang to pair with the existing coastal road.

2012 Chinese New Year Message (National)

2012-01-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Published on January 22, 2012,

DAP 2012 Chinese New Year Message By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng On 22.1.2012 In Kuala Lumpur.

Only Economic Policies That Are Clean, Fair, Competitive And Improves The Well-being Of The People As Well As Attract Back Talented Malaysians Can Help Transform Malaysia Into A High-Income Nation Enjoyed By All.

The time has come to implement economic policies that are clean, fair, competitive and improves the well-being of the people as well as attract back talented Malaysians that can help transform Malaysia into a high-income nation enjoyed by all. What better time than the year of the water dragon to initiate such changes so that the coming general elections marks the new beginning that would be enjoyed by all Malaysians rich and poor by 2020.

Present policies which are corrupt, opaque with no open tenders and benefits only certain cronies would only bring Malaysia backwards. A good comparison is South Korea. In 1970, Malaysia’s Gross National Income(GNI) per capita was USD 380 as compared to South Korea USD 260. But 40 years later in 2010, Malaysia’s GNI per capita was at USD 7,760
while South Korea had exceeded us by almost 3 times at USD19,890 (World Bank)

Malaysia’s failure to compete is compounded by the horde of Malaysians leaving. Even the BN government concedes that 2 million Malaysians have left the country since Merdeka in 1957. Countless Malaysians have PR in foreign countries including present Ministers and former Ministers. No one blames the 2 million Malaysians for leaving when the present policies stresses more on politics of division and hate than results-oriented performance drive our best and brightest away.

A recent example is the unfair, harsh and humiliating treatment of temporary Chinese primary school teachers by reducing their benefits arbitrarily without any consultation. How much will it cost the Federal government to continue maintaining existing benefits or even increasing them to temporary teachers? I doubt that such costs will exceed the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal where money meant for rearing cows is used instead to purchase luxury condos.

Why allow the few cronies to earn extraordinary profits at the expense of 28 million Malaysians. For instance, it took RM 6 billion to build the North-South Highway. But the toll operators have collected RM 24.3 billion as at 31.12.2010 and yet can continue to collect toll till end 2038 and increase toll every year! As the toll operators have already made RM18.3 billion in profits, there is no reason why toll can not be abolished.

Even more talented Malaysians will leave if BN continues to blame the Chinese and minorities for the federal government’s failed policies or use the Chinese threat to frighten the Malays. How can the Chinese be a threat to Malays when critical economic sectors such as banking, insurance, ports, highway toll concessions and infrastructure, transport, automotive industry, IPPs, sugar, rice, flour, plantation products, oil and gas are dominated by Malays?

We must grow up believing in our abilities, trusting each other and have faith that Malays and non-Malays can be world champions. Malays and non-Malay kids must grow up respecting each other as Malaysians and hating only corruption. 2000-9 is the lost decade of corruption where RM1,077 billion of “black money” was illicitly and secretly taken out of Malaysian.

Enough is enough! Let us implement policies that will stop corruption, wipe out poverty, attract back Malaysian talents so that Malaysia can be a high-income nation enjoyed by everyone regardless of race, religion or gender.

Let us welcome the Year of the Dragon by implementing policies that are clean, fair, competitive and improves our standard of living.
Happy Chinese New Year!

Guan Eng: I will not apologise

2012-01-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2012
By CHRISTOPHER TAN
Star

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he will not apologise for describing the Tang Hak Ju land deal as a scandal or land scam.

“If Penang Barisan Nasional working committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan is not happy, he can sue me or the state government but we will not apologise,” he said.

“Teng has said the state government did not lose RM40mil but RM500,000 following the Court of Appeal’s decision which ruled in the state government’s favour.

“But please remember, the court’s decision is not final because there is an appeal to the Federal Court,” Lim said to reporters after opening the newly upgraded Pulau Tikus market yesterday.

He claimed the previous Barisan state government caused the scandal which caused losses to Penang.

Lim said the state had deposited about RM15mil with the High Court over the case.

“Can we get back the RM15mil? If we cannot, is Teng going to pay?

On Feb 19, 2009, the High Court ordered the state government to deposit RM14,678,135 with the court.

In 2001, Tang had leased a piece of land in Seberang Prai from the state government which was later found to be privately owned.

On Oct 4, 2005, a High Court decided in favour of Tang, who had sued the Penang Chief Minister, state secretary and state financial officer over a 4.3ha land deal.

Tang was awarded RM29.3mil in damages. With interest, the sum is now over RM40mil.

“It is still a scandal. The only question is whether the state has to pay RM40mil or RM500,000. We do not know the final outcome,” Lim said.

It was reported yesterday that Teng demanded that the Penang Government apologise to the people and withdraw terms such as “land scam” and “scandal” in reference to the Tang Hak Ju land deal as they have criminal connotations.

Teng said the present state government led by Lim should do so following the overturning of the High Court’s ruling by the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya.

On Jan 11, the Court of Appeal set aside a High Court ruling which ordered the state government to pay Tang RM40mil, including interests and instead ordered the state to pay the plaintiff RM500,000 for incidental expenses.

Guan Eng: Stop bullying the Chinese and stop frightening the Malays

2012-01-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

22 January 2012 13:15
Written by Lim Guan Eng
Malaysia Chronicle

The time has come to implement economic policies that are clean, fair, competitive and improves the well-being of the people as well as attract back talented Malaysians that can help transform Malaysia into a high-income nation enjoyed by all. What better time than the year of the water dragon to initiate such changes so that the coming general elections marks the new beginning that would be enjoyed by all Malaysians rich and poor by 2020.

Present policies which are corrupt, opaque with no open tenders and benefits only certain cronies would only bring Malaysia backwards. A good comparison is South Korea. In 1970, Malaysia’s Gross National Income(GNI) per capita was USD 380 as compared to South Korea USD 260. But 40 years later in 2010, Malaysia’s GNI per capita was at USD 7,760 while South Korea had exceeded us by almost 3 times at USD19,890 (World Bank)

Malaysia’s failure to compete is compounded by the horde of Malaysians leaving. Even the BN government concedes that 2 million Malaysians have left the country since Merdeka in 1957. Countless Malaysians have PR in foreign countries including present Ministers and former Ministers. No one blames the 2 million Malaysians for leaving when the present policies stresses more on politics of division and hate than results-oriented performance drive our best and brightest away.

A recent example is the unfair, harsh and humiliating treatment of temporary Chinese primary school teachers by reducing their benefits arbitrarily without any consultation. How much will it cost the Federal government to continue maintaining existing benefits or even increasing them to temporary teachers? I doubt that such costs will exceed the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal where money meant for rearing cows is used instead to purchase luxury condos.

Why allow the few cronies to earn extraordinary profits at the expense of 28 million Malaysians. For instance, it took RM 6 billion to build the North-South Highway. But the toll operators have collected RM 24.3 billion as at 31.12.2010 and yet can continue to collect toll till end 2038 and increase toll every year! As the toll operators have already made RM18.3 billion in profits, there is no reason why toll can not be abolished.

Even more talented Malaysians will leave if BN continues to blame the Chinese and minorities for the federal government’s failed policies or use the Chinese threat to frighten the Malays. How can the Chinese be a threat to Malays when critical economic sectors such as banking, insurance, ports, highway toll concessions and infrastructure, transport, automotive industry, IPPs, sugar, rice, flour, plantation products, oil and gas are dominated by Malays?

We must grow up believing in our abilities, trusting each other and have faith that Malays and non-Malays can be world champions. Malays and non-Malay kids must grow up respecting each other as Malaysians and hating only corruption. 2000-9 is the lost decade of corruption where RM1,077 billion of “black money” was illicitly and secretly taken out of Malaysia.

Enough is enough! Let us implement policies that will stop corruption, wipe out poverty, attract back Malaysian talents so that Malaysia can be a high-income nation enjoyed by everyone regardless of race, religion or gender.

Let us welcome the Year of the Dragon by implementing policies that are clean, fair, competitive and improves our standard of living. Happy Chinese New Year!

Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary-general and the Penang Chief Minister

Project to widen highway bottleneck starts this month

2012-01-21T23:17:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2012
Star

THE Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Penang is finally set to have three lanes on both sides of its entire stretch.

A bottleneck near the Batu Uban marine police base which reduces the three lanes (on each side) to two is undergoing a road-widening project that began this month.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the RM3.7mil project was undertaken as a corporate social responsibility initiative by IJM Corporation Berhad.

“This expansion and upgrade essentially resolves a 10-year-old problem of a 2km traffic jam caused by the road narrowing from three to two lanes.

“By widening a 400m stretch on each bound, the state hopes to reduce this traffic congestion problem that has haunted motorists, especially the industrialists and workers at (the Free Industrial Zone in) Bayan Lepas,” he said.
Tight squeeze: A traffic jam caused by a bottleneck on the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway

He was speaking during a symbolic ground breaking of the project yesterday.

Lim added that the project was announced in August last year, but plans at that time included only the widening of one side of the road which was not satisfactory to the state.

“We felt both sides should have three lanes each and went back to the drawing board.”

IJM Land general manager (northern region) Toh Chin Leong said the upgraded project would also include the rebuilding of an overhead pedestrian bridge along the 400m stretch and the building of a U-turn at Persimpangan Bertingkat Gelugor.

“The existing pedestrian bridge will be demolished and a new one with a higher clearance of 5.4m will be built.”

On the new U-turn, he said a new acceleration/deceleration lane would be built to ensure road users could make the turn safely.

“With this U-turn, motorists from George Town who are heading in the direction of Bayan Lepas will no longer need to drive all the way to the Bayan Mutiara Interchange or use the narrow Jalan Hajjah Rehmah in Jelutong.

“This will save motorists about 3.5km each way if they are headed to places like Tesco, E-Gate and Green Lane,” he said.

Toh said preparation works had already begun on the project and construction would kick into high gear after the Chinese New Year, adding that the whole project was targeted for completion by Sept 1.

Free Industrial Zone Penang Companies’ Association (Frepenca) president Horst Rosenmueller, who was also present, lauded the project, saying that it would benefit thousands of people working in Bayan Lepas.

“There are many workers travelling daily from the island to the mainland and back so it’s very important to open up this bottleneck.

“I am happy because it (the traffic congestion) was a pain for our employees in the FIZ who are stuck in jams every morning and evening,” he said.

Guan Eng takes up the cudgels for rape victim: Why give the accused 6-yr delay?

2012-01-19T03:06:00.000-08:00

By Lim Guan Eng

The Royal Malaysia Police should explain why it did not contact the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to apprehend the fugitive suspect in the brutal rape and murder case of Chee Gaip Yap, 25, who was found murdered in Sungai Petani in January 2006, but instead took six years to bring him to justice.

The case of Chee Gaip Yap in 2006 was one of several brutal sexual assaults against women that highlighted the failure of the Police to reduce crime in Malaysia.

It is reported that the suspect was placed on police bail in 2006, but absconded and fled to Australia before DNA tests, which confirmed his link to material found on the victim, were completed. The suspect was finally apprehended at KL International Airport upon his return from Perth on Tuesday night.

Could have extradited the accused but did not, why?

While we are all grateful that the fugitive suspect has now eventually been apprehended by the Police, this six-year delay in the apprehension of the suspect has naturally caused increased suffering to the victim's family and friends, and may even make the prosecution of the case more difficult.

The Royal Malaysia Police should explain why they waited so long for the suspect to return voluntarily to Malaysia, and why they have not previously pursued the extradition of the suspect to Malaysia through INTERPOL under the provisions of the Australia-Malaysia Extradition Treaty.

Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister

Guan Eng calls Soi Lek's bluff

2012-01-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

19 January 2012 00:25
Guan Eng calls Soi Lek's bluff: Tell me where you are contesting and I'll be there!
Written by David Anandarajoo, Wong Choon Mei,
Malaysia Chronicle

In a challenge that may make Chua Soi Lek go wobbly at the knees, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has demanded that he announce where he will be contesting in the 13th general election so that the DAP secretary-general himself can take on the MCA president.

"Will Chua Soi Lek dare to announce which seat he is contesting, then let me go to that constitutency and repeat Liow’s remarks that we are confident of defeating Chua then see how Chua will respond?" Guan Eng said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The DAP leaderl was responding to a cross-fire between his party and the MCA, which began with a boast by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai that the BN component party could “unseat any DAP candidate in Bagan”, the constituency now being held by Lim.

"Unlike MCA, DAP has not engaged in political games by boasting we will win or beat Liow in Bentong or Ng Yen Yen in Raub. Only MCA is making all these boasts. We therefore hope that Chua Soi Lek will stop deceiving the public on this matter," said Guan Eng.

MCA has lost the ear of the Chinese

Guan Eng is able to throw down the gauntlet with style. His DAP party is riding high and expected to help the Pakatan Rakyat opposition sweep the Chinese-dominated seats in GE-13.

By contrast, Soi Lek's MCA is regarded as the 'sick old man' of the BN, and may even be wiped out in GE-13 - a fate not dissimilar to the SUPP's in the recent Sarawak state elections.

Malaysians of all races are becoming increasingly frustrated at the BN's corrupt and government-knows-best politics.

In the 2008 election, they gave the Pakatan coalition led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim control of 5 of the country's 13 states, and are expected to further endorse the PKR-PAS-DAP combine in GE-13, which must be held by April 2013.

All eyes on Soi Lek

All eyes are now on how Soi Lek will respond to the challenge.

Already reviled for a sex scandal, Soi Lek faces further loss of 'face' and standing for himself and his party, with most pundits already saying that he may not even be able to announce any constituency to contest in if Prime Minister Najib Razak has his way and fielded only 'winnable' candidates.

A former Health minister, Soi Lek gave up his Labis parliamentary seat to his son Tee Yong. He has signaled that he wants a new seat for himself and is likely to ask Najib for a safe Umno seat, where he can rely on Malay support to win, having lost the confidence of his own community.

Umno-linked Malay rights group Perkasa has however vowed to ask the Malay electorate to not to vote for MCA, although founder Ibrahim Ali is unlikely to be able to influence his own community by much either despite the fiery sabre rattling that epitomizes BN politics.

MCA full of deception

Guan Eng also said that Chua is guilty of beguiling the public with deception when he alleged that the DAP and its partners in the Pakatan Rakyat had mismanaged the island state’s finances that resulted in so called budget deficits.

“Penang has no budget deficits but had recorded budget surpluses every year for the four years we are in power, certified by the Auditor-General Report. This is typical of MCA’s deceptive politics where black becomes white and white become black," Guan Eng added for good measure.

He added that Penang remains the only state throughout the country that has been praised by the world graft watchdog Transparency International for enforcing an open tender system to fight corruption.

Malaysia Chronicle

On Abolishing Tol - LGE challenged Nor Md

2012-01-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

Malaysia Will Go Bankrupt By 2019?

2012-01-18T02:29:00.000-08:00

As a matter of facts and from the budget 2012, everyone who are money wise will be able to see that there is no high income capital but very high expenditure/expense.

Spending Rakyat's money just like drinking water for ther own benefit. It is very clear cut. You can definitely re-call and see for yourself whereby no one can dely except themselves.

Consider properly and give your votes to the Right Party Concern For Our Future Generation Regardless of Race and Religion.
We want Genuine and Trusted People to Head The Future Generation.

Thus what is predicted below is and will not be a surprise and as they have better inner knowledge and hearts of the rakyats.

Read this before but a reminder of the grim future of this country under present rule....
Massively throwing around rakyat's money now to buy votes via various fruitless dubious 1schemes, at the expense of our future generations....
Malaysia bankrupt .... Malaysian maids en-route to India , Indonesia and China , sooner than we think !

Confirmation By Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) That Malaysia Will Go Bankrupt By 2019
Press Statement Lim Guan Eng on 11 Jan 2012

Malaysia will become a fully indebted nation before the end of the decade at the current rate of massive borrowing and irresponsible spending by the BN Government.

The Federal government debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio has increased yearly from 53.1% in 2010, 53.8% in 2011 and 54.8% in 2012. This is extremely alarming and nearly touching the national debt ceiling of 55%.

According to Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) fellow Mohd Ariff Abdul Kareem, if the Federal Government continues to borrow at the current rate, our debt to GDP ratio will be 100% of GDP by 2019!

In absolute terms, Federal Government debt rose by 71% in 4 years to RM456 billion at end 2011 from RM266 billion at end 2007. At the same rate of expansion, our national debt will be RM780 billion by 2016, and RM1.3 trillion by 2020.

Mohd Ariff also noted that what is more worrying is that our rate of borrowing is far outpacing our economic growth, so much so that he was quoted as saying, “If nothing is done to reverse the current trends in government expenditures and revenues, extrapolation suggests that Malaysia’s national debt will explode to 100 per cent of GDP by 2019.”

This is extremely dangerous, and even more disastrous when coupled with statistics from Bank Negara’s Annual Report 2010, which revealed that Malaysia’s household debt at the end of 2010 was RM 581 billion or 76% of GDP, thus giving us the dubious honour of having the second-highest level of household debt in Asia, after South Korea. In addition, the Malaysian household debt service ratio stood at 47.8 per cent in 2010, meaning that nearly half of the average family’s income goes to repaying debts.

Not only are Malaysians debt-laden, cost of goods are also skyrocketing while income and salaries have stagnated. While infant milk powder has risen by nearly 50% in recent times, other basic commodities have also gone up by leaps and bounds, such as:

1. Sugar: RM1.45/kg (Jan 2010) to RM2.30 (May 2011) – 58% in 18 months.
2. Eggs: B grade RM9/30eggs (sept 2010) RM10/30eggs (now).
3. Electricity tariff: average increase of 7.12% in June 2011.
4. The tarik and kopi susu: increase RM0.10 to RM0.20 (9.1% to 18.2%.
5. Gardenia bread: 5%-14% hike (2011).
6. Service tax increase 1%: additional RM720 million in taxes to Federal Government.
7. Onions: price up 17% (Dec 2010).
8. Milo: up 5% 1st half 2011; 4% 2nd half 2011.
9. Nescafe: price went up further 6% in 2nd half 2011, when price is already RM20 per 300gm
10. Favorite food items like roti canai, char koay teow and nasi kandar have become smaller even portions at the same price.

In contrast, Pakatan Rakyat-managed states have successfully managed their finances and not overburdened the people with debts. In fact, Penang managed to reduce state debt from RM630 million at 8 March 2008 to only RM30 million as at end of October 2011. This represents a debt reduction of 95% or RM600 million, which is the highest debt reduction of any state in Malaysia’s history!

Clearly, Malaysians who wish to have a better life for themselves and their future generations must make a choice between a government that is spendthrift and that borrows irresponsibly without being able to make the pie grow bigger, or a government that is prudent and transparent that will put the concerns of the rakyat first.

Confirmation By Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) That Malaysia Will Go Bankrupt By 2019 With Debt To GDP Ratio Of 100% Demonstrates The Importance Of Change Of Government At The Next General Elections For PR To Save Malaysia From Bankruptcy.

Penang to go ahead with issuing gazette notification over local govt elections

2012-01-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday January 18, 2012 MYT 5:39:25 PM
Star

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government will go ahead with issuing a gazette notification exempting local authorities in the state from Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1976.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state had instructed the state legal advisor to issue the gazette notification exempting local authorities in Penang from Section 15, which "nullified all local government elections".

"This is a precursor to seeking a court declaration to compel the Election Commission (EC) to conduct local government elections," he said in a press statement Wednesday.

Section 15 of the Act states: "Not withstanding anything to the contrary contained in any written law, all provisions relating to local government elections shall cease to have force or effect."

On Tuesday, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung had advised Lim to discuss first with the National Council for Local Government (MNKT) before attempting to hold local elections in Penang.

In reply, Lim said Penang Government had attempted to consult with the MNKT on the issue of restoring local government elections.

"On July 14, 2009, state Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow wrote to the Housing and Local Government Ministry, as the secretariat to the MNKT, on this matter, but was informed on Aug 3, 2009 that the Federal Government had no plans to reinstate local government elections.

"On Aug 11, 2009, the Penang State Assembly passed a resolution calling upon the Federal authorities to take action to reinstate local government elections. Chow again wrote to the ministry on Aug 24, 2009, communicating the resolution of the state assembly and asking for the matter to be tabled and discussed at the 62nd meeting of the MNKT.

"However, by its letter dated Sept 14, 2009, the ministry again refused to list the topic for discussion," he said.

He added that a three-man legal panel, comprising Penang's independent legal panel head Datuk Yeo Yang Poh, lawyers Tommy Thomas and Malik Imtiaz, was retained by the state government and they advised that the reintroduction of local government elections was within the powers of the state, in accordance with the Local Government Elections Act 1960, which was revised in 1991.

"On March 4, 2010, I wrote to the EC asking it to conduct local government elections to the Penang Municipal Council and Seberang Prai Municipal Council, but the commission also refused.

"On March 12, 2010, I also wrote to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak offering to meet him to discuss the state's position but again received no response," he said.

Guan Eng urges PM Najib : Declare assets

2012-01-15T05:42:00.000-08:00

Penang Excos asset declaration posted online

2012-01-12T23:43:00.000-08:00

January 13, 2012
Star

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has uploaded the asset declarations of its 11 executive councillors online for public scrutiny.

The declarations can be access at www.penang.gov.my

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the information was uploaded Thursday.

He said the state exco members, who hold positions of public trust, believed that the rakyat has a right to demand accountability from them.

“The public declaration of assets fulfils the personal obligation of Pakatan Rakyat leaders and political commitment of the Penang Pakatan government towards reinforcing leadership with integrity in line with the principles of Competency, Accountability, Transparency.

“For the first time in Malaysian history, the public declaration of assets was conducted not by the state government but by an independent audit company,” Lim said Thursday.

He said the Penang exco members wished to stress that they have no other sources of income, except from their public allowances as public officials and state assemblymen.

“Their allowances can be obtained from the Enakmen Anggota Pentadbiran dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri(Saraan) 1980,” he added.

Guan Eng moves to compel EC into holding local govt elections

2012-01-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

13 January 2012
by Lim Guan Eng

In 1956, George Town became the first local council in the country to have a fully elected council with the president elected from among the councillors. In 1965, local government elections in Malaysia were suspended. The official reasons given was that the country was facing the threat of Confrontation initiated by Indonesia.

The Local Government Act passed in 1976 , provided for only appointed councillors and presidents (Section 10) and was adopted by the Penang State Government. All councillors, including the presidents were appointed by the state government of the day. One of DAP’s key agenda is the restoration of local government elections.

The Penang PR state government has pressed for local government elections to enable councillors and mayors to be directly elected ever since we took power in 2008. Amongst some of the efforts taken by the Penang State Government to restore the third vote(after vote for parliament and state seats) are as follows:-

1. On 11/8/2009 The Penang State Government moved a resolution in the State Assembly calling on the Federal Government to bring back local government elections. This was passed by the Penang state assembly.

2. The State Government also engaged a 3 panel lawyer Dato Yeo Yang Poh, Mr Tommy Thomas and Malik Imtiaz and to provide legal opinion to the Penang State Government or our rights and powers to compel local government elections to be held.

3. The Penang State Government wrote a letter to National Council of Local Government (NCLG) under Article 95A of the Federal Constitution NCLG date on 13/7/2009 and requested bring up the topic of local government elections in this council. However the NCLG, rejected the State's request.

4. Based on the advice of the 3 panel lawyers, I wrote to the Election Commission on behalf of Penang State Government on 4/3/2010 requesting the Election Commission to conduct local government elections. Under Article 113 (4) Federal Constitution, it is explicitly state that Federal or State law may authorise the Election Commission to conduct elections other than those referred to in Clause (1).

As Clause 1 refers to parliamentary and state seats, clearly the state government has jurisdiction over whether to hold election for municipal seats since local government is under the State list. The Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution of powers within the State List explicitly states that the state government decides over local government elections.

5. The reply by Election Commission dated 23 March 2010 to the Penang State Government rejecting the Penang State government’s request to restore Local Government Elections is disappointing. The Penang state government has no choice but to institute legal proceedings to compel the Election Commission to comply wth the state government’s directive to conduct local government elections.

As a first step, the Penang State Government has been advised by Tommy Thomas, at a meeting with Tommy Thomas and some EXCO members yesterday, to first negate Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1976. Section 15 states: "Not withstanding anything to the contrary contained in any written law, all provisions relating to local government elections shall cease to have force or effect." In other words section 15 nullified all local government elections.

Tommy Thomas has also advised that the State government issue a Gazette notification exempting all the local authorities within Penang from applying Section 15 of the Local Government Act. This would result in section 15 not being applicable in Penang and is the first step towards seeking a court declaration to compel the Election Commission to conduct local government elections.

I will be proposing at the next EXCO meeting next week directing the State Legal Advisor to issue this gazette notification. This is a necessary precursor to take the issue to court to seek a declaration, which will be conducted by Tommy Thomas.

Guan Eng undoes the locks of trouble

2012-01-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Thursday January 12, 2012

Star

BEFORE & AFTER (Photo source: Star)

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng attracted attention last October when he sported a lighter brown hairdo with bangs but the new-look seemed to coincide with a spate of bad luck for the DAP secretary-general.

So last week, Lim went back to his trademark Brylcreem-look and things seem to have improved for him.

During the new hairdo phase, Lim had to contend with continuous barbs over a failed car park (dubbed the Kancil car park) near Penang Hill and also found himself in the centre of DAP's “godfather-warlord” spat, which pitted his deputy Dr P. Ramasamy against party chairman Karpal Singh.
AFTER: Things seem to have improved with his trademark Brylcreem-look.

It should be noted that Lim does appear to be having a good week since the return of the old look.

On Sunday, he welcomed former Umno veterans-turned-bloggers Datuk Mohd Sabri Ariff Abdul Aziz and Aspan Alias to DAP.

A day later, Pakatan Rakyat celebrated the acquittal of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges.

And with a “hair-raising” general election said to be just around the corner, Lim may think it best not to take any more chances with his hairdo.

Guan Eng says national debt ‘dangerous’, potentially disastrous

2012-01-11T04:03:00.000-08:00

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 11, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Massive borrowing and irresponsible spending by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will result in Malaysia becoming a fully indebted nation before the end of the decade, Lim Guan Eng said today.

The Penang chief minister said that Putrajaya’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio has increased yearly from 53.1 per cent in 2010 to 53.8 per cent last year and is expected to hit 54.8 per cent this year.

“This is extremely dangerous, and even more disastrous when coupled with statistics from Bank Negara’s Annual Report 2010, which revealed that Malaysia’s household debt at the end of 2010 was RM581 billion, or 76 per cent of GDP, thus giving us the dubious honour of having the second-highest level of household debt in Asia, after South Korea.

“In absolute terms, federal government debt rose by 71 per cent in four years to RM456 billion at (the) end (of) 2011 from RM266 billion at end (of) 2007,” said Lim in a statement today.

The DAP secretary-general said by following the same expansion rate, national debt would be a projected RM780 million by 2016 and RM1.3 trillion by 2020.

Lim’s remarks are in response to a statement by Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) distinguished fellow Mohd Ariff Abdul Kareem, who warned that federal government revenue was growing too slowly to keep up with its borrowings which hit 53.1 per cent of GDP in 2010.

Mohd Ariff told The Malaysian Insider recently that Malaysia’s national debt will hit 100 per cent of the GDP by 2019 should Putrajaya continue to borrow more than it earns. He said while the current size of government debt relative to GDP was not troubling, the pace of its growth in recent years was cause for concern.

Debt-to-GDP ratio jumped from 41.4 per cent in 2008 to 53.1 per cent in 2010 while government debt grew 14.6 per cent in 2008 and 18.3 per cent in 2009, far outpacing the country’s GDP growth, Ariff had said.

Lim added that a stagnation in salaries, coupled with increased prices for basic commodities such as sugar, eggs, and bread, will further result in Malaysians becoming even more debt-laden.

The Bagan MP said that MIER’s projections that Malaysia could end up becoming bankrupt by 2019 showed the need for new federal government, one that should be led by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

He said that PR has successfully “managed” finances in states such as Penang.

“Penang managed to reduce (its) state debt from RM630 million in March 8, 2008 to only RM30 million as at end of October 2011. This represents a debt reduction of 95 per cent, or RM600 million, which is the highest debt reduction of any state in Malaysia’s history.

“Clearly, Malaysians who wish to have a better life for themselves and their future generations must make a choice between a government that is spendthrift and that borrows irresponsibly without being able to make the pie grow bigger, or a government that is prudent and transparent that will put the concerns of the rakyat first,” Lim added.

Speakers Corner in Mak Mandin is ready

2012-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday January 8, 2012
Star

BUTTERWORTH: Penangites, especially those staying on the mainland, will have their own platform to express their feelings and views with the state’s second Speakers Corner at the new Taman Tugu Demokrasi in Mak Mandin here.

The 0.6-hectare park will also house a children playground, exercise area and several gazebos.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said an anonymous private company had sponsored RM600,000 to develop the park under their corporate social responsibility programme.

“I am here today to inspect the final touches before it is officially open tomorrow at 8pm,’’ Lim who is also the Bagan MP told reporters after visiting the park yesterday.

Also present were Public Works, Utilities, Transport Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng who is also the Bagan Jermal assemblyman and well-known businessman Datuk Chin Poh Chye and Seberang Prai Municipal councilor Francis Ong.

Lim urged residents to make use of the park and “take good care of it as well”.

“We will look into having a similar park for Bukit Mertajam,’’ he said.

2012 New Year Message

2012-01-06T01:45:00.000-08:00

2012 New Year Message By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 31 December 2011.

Let Us Embrace A Future Of A Cleaner, Greener & Safer Penang That Rewards Those Who Works Hard, Works Honestly And Works Smart.

For nearly 225 years since Penang first appeared on the world map, the fortunes of Penang has risen and fallen. Penang has prospered when we realise that for a state without any natural resources, we need to rely our human resources and develop human talent. Penang has declined when we forget that it is the energy, expertise and entrepreneurship of our people that makes Penang so unique.

Despite the divergent paths taken by different governments over these 225 years, Penang has managed to survive because our ties to each other were bonded by blood, tested by time and driven by shared values of respect for diversity that endured till this day. This tradition of harmony and mutual respect amongst the different ethnic groups and cultures, symbolised by mosques, churches, Indian temples and Chinese temples built near to each other, was recognised by UNESCO when George Town was awarded World Heritage City status on 7.7.2008.

For this reason, there is confience that Penang can defeat the extremists who appeal to beastly emotions and overcome the racists who play up to our worst fears that it is either to dominate or be discriminated. Let us not be stuck in the past of neglect, indifference or even intolerance.

Penang is willing to embrace the future. For this reason Penang aspires to transform ourselves into an international and intelligent state as this is the only route to survival in the globalised world.

As a state without any natural resources, we need to build up our human capital by training, retraining, retaining and attracting new human talents.

Penang must embrace a sustainable future with affordable housing and more green spaces. We must embrace green technology of the future, especially renewable and solar energy. Whilst green initiatives will continue to ensure that resources used today will still be available tomorrow, this must include affordable housing. The Penang state government has allocated the largest amount for affordable housing amongst all state governments in Malaysia, a RM500 million Affordable Housing Fund to ensure that we can bring up our children with dignity.

We must embrace a future without poverty. Penang is the first state to wipe out hard-core poverty in Malaysia in 2009 and implement social cash handouts. Penang will ensure that all households receive a minimum of RM600 monthly next year. Penang intends to also be the first state in Malaysia to wipe out poverty by 2015.

We must embrace a future of safe neighbourhoods where crime is low and the city safe for women and children. Whilst the police in Penang has done their share to keep crime low, the state government has done its part by installing CCTVs and start community policing to make Penang the safest state in Malaysia.

We need to rekindle our memory and renew our ties to the values of working hard, working honestly and working smart. Only by establishing institutions and creating conditions can we succeed in inspiring innovation especially centered on high technology, high-value added and knowledge intensive economy.

We must embrace a future of integrity and no corruption. Malaysia has endured a lost decade from 2000-9 of losses of 1,007 billion in illicit funds according to the Washington-based Global Financial Integrity Report, including corruption money, secretly taken out of Malaysia. In contrast Penang has achieved record budget surpluses every year including rescuing the Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai from bankruptcy ever since the PR state government implemented CAT governance of competency, accountability and transparency that has won praise from Transparency International.

Let us embrace a future of a cleaner, greener and safer Penang that rewards those who work hard, work honestly and work smart. Happy New Year 2012!

LIM GUAN ENG

Payout for Golden Child starts

2012-01-02T00:28:00.000-08:00

January 2, 2012
Star

GEORGE TOWN: Parents of 648 babies born between Jan 1 and June 30 last year were the first batch of recipients of the state’s Golden Child programme.

The parents, who were from three districts in the state, received a RM200 cheque each during an appreciation ceremony.

A total of 194 babies from the Southwest district, 271 from the north Seberang Prai district and 183 from south Seberang Prai, were entitled to receive the aid.

Parents of another 700 babies from the Northeast district and central Seberang Prai will receive the payout today.

Among those present at the ceremony yesterday were sales executive Cheow Say Wei, 33, and his wife Tan Chaw Keat, 35, an administrative executive, who came all the way from Bukit Mertajam.

“We are happy for this contri-bution and we will put it to good use to buy clothing for our baby for the Chinese New Year celebrations.

“Although the amount is not much, we are thankful because it is not the money that counts but the thought,” Cheow said when met at the ceremony held at Dewan Balora Mastika in Balik Pulau.

The couple brought along their 11-month-old baby boy Cheow Der Xie.

Another recipient — Norhaida Ishak, 34, a housewife from Bukit Mertajam, said the gift was timely as she would use it to celebrate her baby girl’s one-year-old birthday on Jan 17.

Factory operator Farah Emy Marlina Hamzah, 23, said she would use the money to buy necessities for her seven-month-old baby girl, Nur Qaisara Afrina Mohd Ridzuan.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state expect to give out RM5mil under the programme annually.

State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Com-mittee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the next batch of recipients will receive the contribution on Jan 14 and 15.

Guan Eng's Christmas Message

2011-12-23T22:23:00.000-08:00

Guan Eng's Christmas Message
By Lim Guan Eng

Christians celebrate not just the birth of Jesus Christ but also hope on Christmas Day. We pray for peace, joy and goodwill to all. Penang also celebrates hope by establishing a people-centric government based on integrity, good governance and letting the people realise their full potential.

Penang has benefited from a clean government. It is not just praise for good financial management from the Auditor-General or from Transparency International for implementing open tenders and fighting corruption. Penang has recorded budget surpluses for the state government, MPPP and MPSP since 2008.

This has enabled social programmes and cash handouts to the elderly, disabled, single mother, new-born babies and students. P

Penang became the first state in Malaysia to wipe out hard core poverty by 2009. For 2012 the minimum income has been increased to RM600 monthly per household, where the state government will top up any difference to ensure that each family receives at least RM600 monthly. Penang intends to also be the first state in Malaysia to wipe out poverty by 2015.

Penang has also benefited from good governance through building institutions based on freedom, justice, truth and democracy. Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is observed in Penang with the first Speakers’ Square in Malaysia and weekly protests held in the streets.

There is a Freedom of Information Act and implementation of open tenders to ensure the best price, quality and management. CAT governance of competency accountability and transparency has ensured a more responsive, accessible and effective government delivery system.

There is also freedom of worship where respect not tolerance is encouraged. As Penang has no natural resources, building and developing human talent is the only way forward for Penang’s success and prosperity.

Schools are given annual allocation to assist in their development needs. The establishment of a Penang Science Council(PSC) Is an important critical step to transform Penang into a center of excellence of science and technology. The astounding success of the Penang International Science Fair at PISA, the first science event held in a stadium in Malaysia, has not just inspired innovation but also inspired many young students to consider science as their career choice.

Integrity and good governance are key to building, retraining, retaining and attracting new human talent. Penang may be withoutnatural resources of land, timber, gas and oil but there is no corruption driving away our human talent. The highest investment in Penang’s history last year when Penang topped the investment charts for the first time ever with RM 12.24 billion shows the confidence of not just foreign but also local investors with this approach.

Let us remain united, respect our freedom of worship and stay focused on preparing our children to face the challenges of the future.

Guan Eng to sue 'evil' NST

2011-12-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

16 December 2011

KUALA LUMPUR — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today he is planning to sue the New Straits Times (NST) over claims that he had leaked national secrets after the newspaper omitted him from an apology to two other personalities over an article it admitted was without any foundation or basis.

The NST, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia apologised to Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan on October 23 for alleging that he had leaked state secrets at a dinner with leaders of Singapore’s ruling PAP party .

All three acknowledged that the claim, made by Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kassim, was without any foundation or basis.

The weekend papers also promised not to publish further allegations of this nature involving the ECM Libra Financial Group Bhd chairman without prior verification.

On October 2, the NST, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia, quoting Ruslan, alleged that Kalimullah had leaked national secrets during the dinner in Singapore.

The next day Lim publicly demanded an apology from the NST and Mingguan Malaysia for also alleging that he had leaked national secrets at the same dinner.

The English daily reported that Perkasa had claimed that there was a dinner arranged for three Malaysian personalities, including the Penang chief minister, and top Singapore politicians in August.

Ruslan had questioned the motive behind the dinner that was allegedly attended by Malaysia Airlines board member Datuk Mohamad Azman Yahya, businessman Kalimullah and Lim with PAP leaders.

“The weird thing is that the paper apologised to Datuk Seri Kalimullah and Datuk Azman over this false report, but it didn’t want to apologise to me. This shows how NST has ill intentions and I will ask my lawyer to take legal action,” Lim told reporters at the Penang Skills Development Centre today.

Lim had denied the report was true and had demanded that the NST fully retract its claims, apologise and pay damages, threatening a lawsuit if the paper failed to do so.

“They are evil and have ill intentions to ruin my reputation for political reasons, because it is controlled by Umno,” Lim said today.

The NST published a story a week after the initial report on October 9, saying that Ruslan had apologised to Mohamad Azman over a statement he had made about the dinner.

The apology was issued in the form of a statement on October 6 and published by Utusan Malaysia.

Following that came the apology to Kalimullah by the NST, Berita Minggu and Mingguan Malaysia on October 23.

Lim’s decision to sue comes on the heels of the Penang High Court’s ruling on Wednesday, which found Utusan Malaysia guilty of making “malicious”, defamatory and untruthful statements against him. The widely read Malay daily was ordered to pay RM200,00 in damages and RM25,000 in costs.

The Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman had filed a suit against Utusan for publishing allegedly defamatory words in an article titled “Kebiadapan Guan Eng”.

In his statement of claim, the Penang chief minister said the words used, among others, were meant to portray him as a racist who objected to anything related to Malays.

-themalaysianinsider

Time for UMNO to stop lies against Penang CM

2011-12-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

16 December 2011

Penang PAS said it was time that UMNO and Barisan Nasional stopped its campaign against chief minister Lim Guan Eng with accusations of him being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Its information chief Bukhori Ghazali said yesterday's court victory by Lim in his libel suit against right-wing Malay daily Utusan Malaysia was further proof that the accusations were lies.

"The accusations against Lim Guan Eng are all lies. The court has decided (that he is not anti-Islam and anti-Malay)," said Bukhori.

The Penang High Court ordered Utusan Malaysia to pay RM200,000 in damages and RM25,000 in costs to Lim for making defamatory statements suggesting that Lim and the DAP were foreign tools to undermine Islam.

Lim had earlier promised to donate money won from the suit to poverty eradication programmes.

The suit against the paper was filed on January 6 this year over its article titled “Kebiadapan Guan Eng”, in which the paper accused him and the DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam. Lim's letter of demand was ignored by the paper, who had been dedicating its pages to attack the DAP-led state government.

“Utusan should take heed of this incident and avoid slanderous reporting in the future,” Lim said in his immediate response.

-Harakahdaily

Guan Eng wins suit against Utusan

2011-12-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

Guan Eng wins suit against Utusan
Star
14 December 2011

GEORGE TOWN- Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has won his defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia.

The Malay daily has been ordered to pay a total of RM200,000 in general and aggravated damages and cost of proceedings at RM25,000 to Lim.

Lim, who is also Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, had filed the suit against Utusan Malaysia for publishing alleged defamatory words in an article published on Dec 20 last year.

In his statement of claim, Lim said the words used, among others, were meant to protray him as a racist who objected to anything related to the Malays.

American economist at the helm

2011-12-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

December 14, 2011
Star,

PENANG-BORN US economist Dr Woo Wing Thye, 57, will helm Penang Institute formerly known as the Socio-Economic & Environmental Research Institute (SERI) in March next year.

Dr Woo will replace Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong who has held the executive director’s post for two years.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made the announcement during the inauguration of Penang Institute at the Town Hall on Friday.

Liew said the move was timely since he was holding the post in a transitional role.

“I’m a politician and it’s better that the position is filled by an economist.

“Penang Institution is fortunate as Dr Woo comes with an impressive resume,” he said.
Think tank's new name: (from left) Liew, Dr Woo, Prof Mirrlees and Dr Ramasamy attending the inauguration of Penang Institute at the Town Hall

Dr Woo is currently Professor at the University of California at Davis and Senior Fellow of the renowned Brookings Institute.

His research focuses on economic issues of East Asia, international financial architecture, state enterprise restructuring, fiscal management and exchange rate economics.

Between 1997 and 1998, he served as a special advisor to the United States Treasury, and from 2002 to 2005, he was special advisor for East Asian Economies in the Millennium Project of the United Nations.

In July 2005, he was appointed a member of the International Advisory Panel which was convened by the then Prime Minister (Tun) Abdullah Badawi to assist Malaysia.

He was appointed chairman of the International Economic Advisory Panel to the Penang Chief Minister in April 2009.

Dr Woo said Penang Institute would continue SERI’s tradition of excellence in research.

SERI was formed in 1997. It was renamed Penang Institute on Aug 1 this year as part of its transformation process.

Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman, Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa as well as some exco members, assemblymen and academicians also witnessed the inauguration.

During the event, Professor Sir James Mirrlees, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in economics, gave a lecture on global finance.

Water bill rebate for places of worship to continue next year

2011-12-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

December 14, 2011
Star

GEORGE TOWN: All houses of worship in Penang will continue to enjoy water subsidy next year.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said those which paid RM50 or less per water billing cycle (every two months) would receive RM5 while those that paid more than RM50 per cycle would receive RM10.

He said the subsidy, which had been given out since 2009, would cost the state government RM67,860 next year.

Lim, who is Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) chairman, said there were 1,675 houses of worship registered as water consumers with PBAPP.

He said they comprised 617 surau, 452 Chinese temples, 274 mosques, 177 Hindu temples, 130 churches, 20 Buddhist temples and five Sikh temples.

“PBAPP statistics indicate that more than 60% houses of worship pay RM50 or less for water supply every two months while the remaining pay more than RM50.

“There are those which only pay the minimum charge of RM5 per cycle while others that are more active pay more than RM1,000,” Lim said in a press statement yesterday.

He said PBAPP had been chosen by the state to implement this programme and that there was no need for any application.

“All houses of worship that are currently registered with PBAPP will automatically be credited accordingly in their water bill,” he added.

Those with queries can call PBAPP at 04-2634200.