December 16, 2011
http://www.khookaypeng.blogspot.com/
DAP’s Extended Honeymoon in Penang
by Khoo Kay Peng (12-14-11)
Susan Loone of Malaysiakini was right to note that DAP had lost an opportunity to address its plan and blueprint for Penang during the party’s recently concluded state annual conference. DAP leadership and members should have used the opportunity to discuss some crucial state centred issues such as strategy to mitigate looming economic slowdown, job creation, curbing inflation, improving local authority services and enhance public transport.
Prior to the 2008 general election, the party was at the forefront in promoting and advocating local council election. What has happened to the pledge? Did the party leadership do anything substantial to prepare the state for local council elections? Leaders who were at the forefront of the campaign such as Sec-Gen Lim Guan Eng, MP Liew Chin Tong and others should help explain why the pledge was not being fulfilled.
A number of us who had helped in the drafting of the Penang Development Blueprint would like to know the status of the report. Surely DAP does not need to take 4 years to come out with it’s own socio-economic development blueprint for Penang.
For voting in a new government, surely we have the right to know how the new government intends to lead us differently from the past ineffective Gerakan leadership under Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
Nevertheless, the DAP state leadership has done well to reduce deficit and strengthened the financial position of the state. It had introduced several measures to reduce the use of plastic bags, no car day for a particular stretch in the city, provided RM100 for elderly citizens and others.
DAP has done remarkably well to sustain the support of the Chinese voters, however the party must take cognizance of a potential erosion in non-Chinese support. Two main problems already emerged among the Malay voters. First, a lack of Malay-centric agenda to help uplift their social and economic status will cause some Malay voters to swing their support back to a Malay patronage leadership under Gerakan or MCA. Second, rapid private housing development on the Penang island, higher inflation and cost of living and a lack of job opportunities are pushing a lot of Malays to the edge of the island.
Lim Guan Eng’s government has been to overly focused on the island as an engine of growth for 
Penang. His administration had proposed a few initiatives such as SPICE, education hub and a theme park – all centred on the island. Both the education hub and theme park are supposed to be located at Balik Pulau, almost the last bastion of Malay hinterland on the island.
A lack of emphasis on the mainland is going to create a distortion of prices and cost of living between the two zones – Penang Island and Seberang Prai – which are separated by just a bridge less than 20KM.
There are several issues confronting Dap and Lim in the immediate term:
1. A lack of new socio-economic model for Penang.
2. Job creation and retention/attraction of young & skilled workers to work in Penang.
3. Escalating housing prices and marginalization of the poor/urban lowly paid worker.
4. Losing Malay support due to a lack of Malay agenda (not NEP but true capacity building programme).
5. Institutionalization and decentralization of power from the CM office by hiring the right talents to assist the government on its programmes and projects.
6. Revitalizing George Town.
7.World Heritage City strategy and plan for sustainable development, restoration and conservation.
DAP has done very well on a number of areas but it may still fall short of evaluation if the party leadership does not start to take on bigger issues and provide a steady leadership. We know that the party can stand up against UMNO and its extreme tendencies but this cannot be the sole selling point.
The party has set up a high-powered panel to resolve the spat between Ramasamy and Karpal Singh, we hope the party will set up a high powered panel to address Penang’s position amidst the weakening global economic climate in 2012.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Overall, Penang has done well under Pakatan–DAP. Of course, more needs to be done as outlined by Mr. Khoo. As Penangite, I am delighted with the Pakatan state government led by CM Lim Guan Eng. The Ex-Co is professional and hardworking and I am sure that after GE13, they will move forward with gusto.
Priority for decent housing & jobs especially for Malays will boost DAP-PR , issues played by Umno-BN paying addicts and hooligans to create chaos will be gone if this concern is addressed, well done PR anyway .
“Losing Malay support due to a lack of Malay agenda ”
If they are doing great governance, why shouldn’t anybody vote for them? I’m not going to NOT vote for DAP because they lack any Malay agenda. It’s sad seeing Malays like this. It’s like they are hooked on some kind of drugs.
Malaysians need to be weaned off from race politics. It is not gonna be easy. No easy fix.
It was never going to be easy for ANY new party to deliver all goodies immediately and DAP seem to be doing well enough. Their problem, however, remains one of fuddy-duddy personalities from a era gone by. If they are not sidelined, the party will remain locked in silly wrangling when they should, as the author points out, be issuing long-term blueprints for public feedback.
Even the best honeymoon has a time limit and DAP better beware.
We have lots of disenchanted critics, hi-browed social activists and wannabe political commentators each looking at their microscopic agendas. Penang is in the throes of revitalization and i think LGE and Co are doing pretty well dodging the shit that’s being thrown at them. Given a second term, i’m sure DAP and their cohorts will pick up their socks and do the needful – that is if they don’t Oppose themselves for the sake of opposing.
It’s easy to criticize about this and that, but who says governance is easy. PR has to prioritize and that means getting each state under Opposition rule back on their feet – in terms of fiscal and fiduciary competence while battling the Feds. Only then, can they pursue the broader agenda. The cardinal rule of emergency treatment is Resuscitation and Stabilization, not treating the sniffles!
Susan Loone has even complained about her expensive hypertensive medication being unavailable at Penang’s Hosp outpatient’s dept, as if she cannot buy it in a private pharmacy, if she insists on the best of the best. We have all sort of Entitlement flurs who demand this and that, while the log before their eyes loom large and ‘inexplicable’: Racism and Self Interests. What is the use of voting local councilors, when each and everyone of them behave either like lil’ Hitlers or even worse, Nerds?
Criticism for the sake of criticism is easy, but the False Self shows when one keeps harping on achievements, acquisitions and expressions of will that have nothing to do with the Reality at hand.
Makchik suka Guan Eng. Tapi kenalah juga jaga orang Melayu miskin di Tanjung. Kita tengok kat Tv ada saja orang Melayu berdemo setiap hari marahkan dia tak adil kepada mereka.Ada yang hantar kek najis kepadanya. Nampaknya kurang undi DAP kali ni kerana Karpal pun dah bergaduh dengan Timbalan CM.
________________
Makcik
Sedangkan lidah tergigit, apa pula rakan seperjuangan dalam parti. Saya difahamkan bahawa hal Karpal-Ramasamy sudahpun diselesaikan secara aman. Orang Melayu patut menunjuk contoh yang baik. Hantar kek najis kepada KM yang dipilih oleh rakyat bukan budaya kita.–Din Merican
LGE has done well for Penang. He is a very hardworking and dedicated CM, the best so far to have governed the state. His predecessor was a disaster.–Din Merican
Tapi kenalah juga jaga orang Melayu miskin di Tanjung;-Mak Cik
Berapa lama dah orang melayu di Tanjung tu jadi miskin, baru dua tahun sudah atau dah dari dulu kala? Kerajaan negeri boleh membantu tapi orang melayu sendiri mesti mahu perubahan dan membangunkan diri sendiri. Kalau baru 2 tahun jadi miskin bolehlah marah kat kerajaan PR tapi kalau dah bergenerasi miskin, marahlah kat kerajaan Bnyang dahulu mentadbir Penang.
Di TV to betul ke orang dari Tanjung atau upahan? Demo sini demo sana, buatlah janji jumpa dengan ADUN di Tanjung, bentangkan masaalah dan bincang bagaimana boleh selesaikan. Kalau tak ada aksi jumpa Ketua Menteri.
Saya setuju dengan Din Merican. Hantar kek najis tu bukan budaya Melayu. Amat menjijikan. jBuat malu Melayu saje. Nanti bangkit kemarahan orang lain.
“Makcik
Sedangkan lidah tergigit, apa pula …. ” Din Merican
Tak pa. Tok Cik pun selalu gigit lidah Sharizat.
LGE sues to recover damages to his reputation. The matter goes to court. The court finds malice a necessary ingredient to defamation.
What is there to keep Sharizat from doing the same?? She has now earned the title of UMNO’s lembu with enough teats to allow as many UMNO hands to make a grab for them. This lembu has allowed bucketfuls of her milk valued at some RM90 million to be siphoned from her cholesterol ridden body.
First you set up the cash cow and then you milk it dry. Hey, what’s new??
Scarlett, now you are getting Mak Cik all hot over this tongue biting thing. Next thing you know she will unhook her size 34C in Rose Chan fashion.
Makcik wanna do Tok Cik? Why not? There is room for one more in Tok Cik’s Cooper S. Can do altogether. No need to wait.
My God !! Thought it is was all tongue in cheek. Is this for real??
Makchik tak mainlah Mini Cooper. Mak chik kan orang UMNO suka BMW atau Mercedes.
YAB Ketua Menteri,
By all means do allow this success to go to your head, but please, please do not allow it to go to your mouth.
Thank You