Go home to Malacca, protestors tell Guan Eng
Group of 40 youths demand that chief minister hand over the job to state party chief Chow Kon Yeow.
(Free Malaysia Today) – A group of some 40 youths held a brief demonstration against Lim Guan Eng at Komtar this morning, demanding that he return to his former base of Malacca and hand over the chief ministership to senior executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow.
The demonstration comes a day ahead of tomorrow’s Penang DAP elections and a week after Lim faced a humiliating revolt in the state assembly on a motion calling for public hearings on land reclamations, a controversial issue in the state.
Chow is expected to be re-elected as state DAP chairman at tomorrow’s elections. Party members allied to Chow and another local warlord, executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, are expected to dominate the central committee.
Today’s demonstration was the first open public protest by Penangites against Lim, a Johor-born Malacca politician who “parachuted” into Penang in 2008 and took power when the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS won a major majority in the general election.
The rally began at about noon and dispersed peacefully just before 12.30pm. Protestors held anti-Lim and pro-Chow placards and banners in Malay, English and Mandarin.
It was not clear who was behind the demonstration, and the protesters remained silent when asked.
They made clear their stand that they wanted Chow, a Selangorean who has been a naturalised Penangite since 1986, to take over the leadership of the state government.
Among the placards and banners were those that read: “Children of Penang Support Chow Kon Yeow as Penang Chief Minister”, “Chow Kon Yeow Chief Minister of Penang We Want You” and “Lim Guan Eng Balik Melaka” (Lim Guan Eng go back to Malacca).
They claimed that under Lim’s rule, Penangites were seeing more high-density high-rise residential and commercial buildings mushrooming everywhere for the benefit of the rich, especially foreigners and outsiders.
They also said they were worried about the state government’s sale of state land, which they alleged was “uncontrolled.”
They complained that Penang was now choked with increasing traffic congestion, more flooding, more environmental destruction and more unscrupulous hill cuttings, and little was being done on housing for needy, low-income Penangites.
“Many Penangites are moving to other states. We are worried because the current Pakatan Harapan government is selling away state lands like nobody’s business,” said a protestor who declined to be named.
“Lim has yet to do anything worthy for Penangites simply because he was never a Penangite. He should quit and go back to Malacca, and let Chow take over,” said the protestor.
