GE13: ‘Guan Eng contradicting himself’
(The Star) – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has contradicted himself by saying that the state government would allow toll at the planned undersea tunnel and the second bridge; and yet criticised the Barisan Nasional Government over the same thing, Datuk Chua Tee Yong said.
The MCA Young Professionals Bureau chairman said it was “hypocritical” of the Pakatan Rakyat-led Penang Government to implement two new tolls for the tunnel and the bridge.
“When the Barisan Government decided to listen to the people and abolish certain tolls by paying compensation to the highway concessionaries, Pakatan then criticised Barisan for paying the companies too much.
“However, when Pakatan became the state government of Penang, they, too, decided to implement tolls for the tunnel and the second bridge.”
Chua pointed out that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier said that once Pakatan took over the Government, they would do away with tolls.
“Yet, here we see the Penang Government intending to have tolls. So, in the end what is Pakatan’s real stand? To have or to abolish tolls?”
He said Lim not only failed to abolish the Sungai Nyior toll but instead added more in the state.
Lim had reportedly said during a debate with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that the Penang Government had built an alternative road for motorists to avoid paying the 50sen toll at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza.
Referring to a February 2007 posting on the DAP website that quoted Penang DAP secretary Ng Wei Aik as saying that the Sungai Nyior toll would be abolished if Pakatan took a parliamentary seat and four state seats in the 2008 general election, Bagan MCA Youth chief David Chua said DAP had failed to keep that pledge.
The Penang Government has come under fire for its proposed RM6.3bil undersea tunnel and road projects.
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S.M. Mohd Idris had slammed the state for pushing through the projects, saying it was not a long-term solution to traffic woes, but would make Penang “unhealthy and unliveable”.
In Labis, Chua said DAP’s strategy to parachute its heavyweights to Johor showed it had no confidence in its state leadership to face the Barisan Nasional in the general election.
He said DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, party strategist Liew Chin Tong and other party heavyweights could contest in Johor, where Barisan was ready for them.
“But the question is, doesn’t it show clearly that the DAP leadership is not confident with its state leadership in Johor?
“They do not have any local leaders here that they can promote or to take up the challenge here?” asked the Labis MP.
On DAP’s Hew Kuan Yau, the “Superman” who is said to have been offered to contest in Labis, Chua said he welcomed Hew.
“Don’t be a coward, don’t keep on criticising by using vulgarity. If you want to stand, then do it,” he said.
