PERMATANG PAUH: The DAP-led government is seemingly not the best administration for Penang, a federal minister said today, pointing out what he claimed was its failure to resolve issues over the last eight years of its rule.
Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the state government had failed to resolve issues related to traffic congestion, high house prices, environmental pollution, land reclamation and hillslope development.
He said that prior to the 2008 general election when it took over Penang, the DAP had pledged to stop the sale of land, through joint venture with private companies, and land reclamation.
“He (Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng) had criticised Gerakan prior to winning the 2008 election, saying much land was being sold off. He had appealed for the people’s backing by way of votes to stop the sale of land.
“He had also blamed the BN (Barisan Nasional) for undertaking hillslope development. Now that he has been the chief minister, we want to ask him whether the party had kept its pledges,” he told a news conference after opening the Permatang Pauh UMNO Division delegates meeting here.
Abdul Rahman said DAP should explain to the people whether it had resolved the stated issues and fulfilled its pledges made during the general election in 2008.
“If it had yet to do so, then it has failed. I can see for myself and have obtained feedback from the people that these issues remain unresolved ... it (DAP) has failed to fulfil its pledges,” he said.
He claimed that the state government initiative to sell land in joint venture with the private sector was not a good strategy in government administration.
“A state government must be able to generate revenue, not by selling property but through economic investment activities and such,” he said.
Meanwhile, Permatang Pauh UMNO approved without debate a resolution to fully support the leadership of Prime Minister and UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The division also approved other resolutions, including to reject foreign intervention in Malaysian affairs, streamline UMNO membership at all levels, combat terrorism, safeguard women’s dignity, defend the sanctity of religion and address abuse of the social media. --BERNAMA