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Guan Eng: Penang’s feats due to mutual trust
By Yow Hong Chieh February 02, 2011
Lim said Penang’s success has given it the confidence to strive for greater achievements. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — Lim Guan Eng today said Penang’s “amazing” achievements under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) were due to the faith the public and the state government have in each other.
The chief minister said Penang’s list of “number one” achievements in developing the economy, boosting tourism, fighting crime, increasing living standards and preserving cultural heritage were the result of two-way engagement between the state government and the people of Penang.
“Penang can be a portrait of progress when both Penangites regains their trust in their state government and the government has faith in the wisdom of the people,” he said in his Chinese New Year greetings today.
Lim pointed out that Penang topped the investment table in 2010 with RM12.24 billion, or 26 per cent of Malaysia’s total investment that year — the largest in the state’s history.
He said Penang was the only state in Malaysia commended by Transparency International (TI) for its open tenders and governance based on competency, accountability and transparency, adding that Penang was praised for good financial management in 2008 and 2009.
The Bagan MP also said Penang came in tops in medical tourism, with two-thirds of all medical receipts originating in the state, and boasted the highest domestic and foreign air passenger growth for 2010.
Penang managed to reduce crime by 27 per cent last year, the greatest improvement of any state and was now on par with Kuala Lumpur as the most liveable city in Malaysia, he added.
Lim said Penang managed to overcome public distrust of the state government as an institution that “harms” people by ending what he termed patronage politics, cronyism and corruption prevalent under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
He said PR has instead “shown faith” in the people by stressing that good government must do three things: listen to the people, do the people’s work and give hope to the people.
Lim added that PR has adopted a people-centric government focusing on the 3Es — enabling the people with skills and education; empowering them with rights or opportunities; and enriching the people by ensuring that the fruits of economic success can be shared.
He nonetheless cautioned that there was still much to do to combat inflation and petrol price hikes which he said unfairly burden the people, as well as “racists and extremists” who undermine public welfare by preaching hatred and violence.
“However, the successes by Penang... have given both the government and the people the self-confidence to move forward,” he said.
“Penangites can be better and succeed not because of the colour of our skin or our background or our ancestry, but through hard work and intelligence.”
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