Steady as she goes in Penang

 

It is important to note that compared with the voters of other states, Penangites have been the most adventurous in terms of changing their elected representatives. 

Goh Ban Lee, The Sun Daily

   

THE general election is the hottest topic these days in offices, markets, even at funerals. The general prevailing feeling is that there is not going to be a drastic change. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) continues to be the government after the election.

The composition of the members of parliament from Penang is not likely to change drastically.

But it cannot be taken for granted that this will be come May 5. Election campaigns have not been formally launched yet. At the start of the 2008 election campaign, there was no expectation of a change of the Penang state government until Anwar made his first speech at the Han Chiang College a few days before the election.

Besides, it is important to note that compared with the voters of other states, Penangites have been the most adventurous in terms of changing their elected representatives. In December 1957, voters of George Town changed the government in the George Town City Council from the Alliance to the Labour Party.

In 1969, they voted for Gerakan under the leadership of Tun Lim Chong Eu and rejected the Alliance led by Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee. It was not only a change of the state government; it was a humiliating defeat for the Alliance when it won only four seats out of 24 contested. Gerakan won 16 seats whereas Parti Rakyat Malaysia won one and DAP three.

In 2008, Penangites humiliated both Gerakan and MCA by rejecting all their candidates. Even in their wildest dreams, the DAP leaders could not have expected to win all the 19 seats contested.

It may be useful to recall that in the 2004 general election, the DAP won only one state seat while PAS won another. Gerakan won all 13 seats it contested while the MCA lost only one seat out of 10 contested and Umno won 14 out of 15 seats contested.

Going back even further, it is interesting to note that the MCA won all the state seats in the 1995 and 1999 elections after losing all its seats in 1990. The voters in Padang Kota even rejected Chong Eu in 1990 and voted for Lim Kit Siang.

Fifteen days can be a very long time during election campaigns.

The PR government under Lim Guan Eng seems to be on a roll. Even his proposal to build the tunnel from Butterworth to Penang Island is not likely to have drastic negative effects on the voting pattern although it is clearly opposed by many non-governmental organisations. It is an unnecessary agenda in this election campaign. Even if it materialises, it will not be built in the next decade or so.

So far, the accusation of negligence of affordable housing on the part of PR state government has not posed a threat to the popularity of Guan Eng and the PR state government.

Affordable housing is certainly an important agenda. It has been an important issue for the last three years or so when the price of double-storey terrace houses began to climb from about RM500,000 to above RM650,000. Today, the selling price is above RM900,000. It was clear that houses built to cater to the needs and affordability of the middle income group have become out of reach, unless one has parents who are willing to cut deeply into their retirement savings.

There is no doubt that Penang, especially George Town and Bayan Lepas, is having serious traffic jams.

The building of new roads only temporarily eases the problems. The long-term solution is an efficient public transport system. Although mass rapid transit or monorail is good suggestion, it will take time and huge amounts of money.

For the time being, a good public bus system is adequate. But Rapid Penang is not under the control of the state government, but the federal government. It is surprising that the PR has not used this topic to urge the voters to support its march to Putrajaya.

Traffic jams can be mitigated if the police and municipal councils enforce the law strictly.

There is little doubt that more issues will be brought up to damage the popularity of PR, especially Guan Eng. But it is clear that the demonstrations in Komtar after Friday prayers only spur ordinary Penangites of all races to support him more.

Indeed, the tokong image of Guan Eng, thanks to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mansor Othman, is not likely to damage his or the PR government’s image. People expect their leaders to be a bit dictatorial. What they do not like is quarrelsome responses.

What is worrisome in Penang is the absence of official development plans to show clearly the direction and steps that will be taken to ensure that the state remains competitive, prosperous and sustainable. Existing official development plans are obsolete. Some draft plans have not been officially adopted and are probably dated. The Penang Paradigm is still in its rudimentary stage. Everyone wants a good life. How to achieve this is still obscure.

There is certainly a good agenda for the parties to state clearly their views and solutions. Childish and racist accusations are not going to win votes.

Datuk Dr Goh Ban Lee is a columnist for theSun.