‘PKR Five’ hints at turnaround

(The Star) – One of the ‘PKR Five’ backbenchers has indicated his support for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) after they abstained on Umno’s land reclamation motion last year.

Kebun Bunga rep Cheah Kah Pheng said the PKR Five initially abstained from voting because of concerns over transparency.

“We actually supported the PTMP as it would reduce traffic congestion. We’ve always supported the PTMP. We do not wish for others to allege that we do not support it when we abstained from voting on it in the last sitting.

“Our only demand was to have more public consultation and for the project to be implemented in stages to prevent it from burdening the state government,” he said in his debate of motion of thanks on the Yang di-Pertua Negri’s speech yesterday.

This is the first time that one of the PKR Five backbenchers had voiced support for the state government on the issue after they abstained from voting on the land reclamation motion tabled by Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad

The other four who abstained were Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah), Dr Norela Ariffin (Penanti), Dr T. Jayabalan (Batu Uban) and Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubok).

Cheah added that they would be happy if external auditors would review the RM27bil PTMP and this prompted Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) to stand up and said auditors were appointed from day one.

Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus) who also interrupted Cheah’s speech, labelled the act of abstaining from voting before the debate on the issue, as undemocratic.

Cheah responded by saying that Yap had no idea what was on the five’s minds as she was not among them.

Deputy Speaker Maktar Shapee then called for dinner break at 6.30pm. The sitting continues tomorrow.