Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP For Bagan, Lim Guan Eng in Penang On 10 January 2021:
Can MCA And Wee Ka Siong Prove A Single Benefit The PN Government Have Done For Penang Or Are The Toll Reductions On The 1st And 2nd Penang Bridge Next In Line To Be Scrapped After PN Terminated 4 Major Development Projects Approved By The Previous PH Government?
MCA and Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong continues to deny the truth that Perikatan Nasional (PN) Federal government is responsible for terminating 4 major development projects in Penang and instead blame me for sidelining Penang. In less than one year after the treacherous events in February 2020, the unelected PN federal government canceled FOUR important infrastructure projects in Penang.
The four projects terminated is estimated to cost Penangites billions of ringgit in financial losses, as well as inflict adverse socioeconomic impact, namely:
- RM100 million Penang Hill cable car project;
- RM800 million Penang International Airport expansion project;
- Federal government loan guarantee for the construction of the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system to ease chronic traffic congestion and improve connectivity between the island and the mainland in Seberang Perai;
- The iconic Penang ferry.
For MCA and Wee to deny the fact these four infrastructure projects were approved by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is the kind of dishonesty that caused MCA to lose every state and Parliamentary seat they contested in Penang since the 2008 general elections. How can Wee claim that the Penang International Airport expansion project that was supposed to begin in 2020 is not terminated, when Wee announced in Parliament on 18 August 2020 that the expansion project announced in PH Budget 2020, has been stopped pending the National Airport Strategic Plan (NASP) study due for completion in 2023?
Similarly, the PH Federal government had given a written commitment to Penang guaranteeing loans by the Penang state government to finance the LRT project, which was subsequently withdrawn by the unelected PN government. Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz did not deny this withdrawal of the written loan guarantee commitment in Parliament but stated that his Ministry was willing to consider proposals.
As for the iconic ferry service, it was Tengku Zafrul who promised in Parliament on 17 December 2020 to continue the iconic ferry service. However, this promise was rejected and repudiated by Wee who insisted on terminating the ferry-carrying cars. After the iconic ferry service was terminated on 1 January 2021, Wee now claims that the iconic service will continue and blames me for terminating the ferry service.
Who is Wee trying to bluff? Every Penangite knows that the iconic ferry service no longer carries cars. The iconic ferry will cease operation completely by the middle of next year. Wee claims that former Transport Minister Anthony Loke and my sister Senator Lim Hui Ying supports the termination of the ferry service when they have never done so.
Instead, both have consistently supported the position of the PH government when I was Finance Minister, that the ferry service be continued as a stipulated condition for RM30 million grant given to the operator, Penang Port Sdn Bhd. DAP is only insisting that the existing 3 ferries be allowed to continue operating in parallel with the modern water buses or catamarans. What is wrong with mixing modernity and heritage as done with the ferry services in Canada and Hong Kong.
Bolehkah MCA dan Wee Ka Siong buktikan satu kebaikan yang telah dilakukan Kerajaan Perikatan Nasional untuk Pulau Pinang…
Posted by Lim Guan Eng on Sunday, 10 January 2021
Penang DAP has launched a signature campaign to reinstate these four development projects approved by PH for Penang.(see http://www.dappg.org/4projects). Unlike PN that has done nothing for Penang, PH has given an additional benefit to Penangites by reducing the toll rate across the Penang 2nd Bridge from RM8.50 to RM5.74, and for the 1st Penang Bridge from RM7 to RM5.74 or for those enjoying the special Touch n Go 20% discount cards from RM5.60 to RM4.59.
Can MCA and Wee Ka Siong prove a single benefit that PN have done for Penang, or are the toll reductions on the First and 2nd Penang Bridge next in line to be scrapped, after PN terminated 4 major development projects approved by the previous PH government?
Lim Guan Eng
DAP Secretary-General
MP for Bagan
