YOURSAY | BN should give up on wooing Penang

YOURSAY | ‘Penang is not perfect, but the state govt is receptive to complaints.’

COMMENT | Good luck in trying to win Penang, Ismail Sabri!

Coward: I have to admit the speed with which Malaysiakini columnist Fa Abdul’s cousin got the assistance he needs from the Penang Chief Minister's Office is fast by any standard, local and abroad.

This is in no doubt the effort of the state government. We have seen improvements in governance since DAP took over, but there are doubts whether the same would be seen if the government had remained BN.

Two examples: the cleanliness of restaurant toilets and the street lights on the main road are all functioning. Before that, the stinginess of the Penang government meant there was no overlap in the light arc from streetlights on the Lim Chong Eu Expressway and, with poor maintenance, we have patches of light and total darkness.

If it is an effective government you want, you can forget about Perikatan Nasional (PN) or BN.

BN set the standard for states in Malaysia and we all know how good that is. PN in the form of PAS is, in the Malaysian context, the reason for the failed states (Kelantan and Terengganu) or is leading them towards that fate (take note Kedah).

However, other than that, I cannot put my hand on my heart that if Fa Abdul’s cousin was in another state and he wrote to the menteri besar there, he wouldn't have got what he needed, and after a lengthy delay, he had to go to a ceremony to receive the help, of course.

It's a quid pro quo as far as the menteri besars are concerned, even though he is receiving what he can expect and deserves to get from the government in the first place, and the politician is taking credit for failing to provide the expected government function. They are the cause of the failure which they engineered for cheap publicity.

What this also shows is our Welfare Department is failing to catch those in need. With a minister that is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, we are not expecting anything to change. It is left to the failsafe services, such as those offered by the Chief Minister’s Office, to do the job it is supposed to do.

Falcon: Some truths stare right through us and are well put, and this is certainly a fact. But those who are more for saving themselves from charges and convictions and jail terms, despite that, all have their own plans and plots.

Their fear and desperation show when they want elections even when the country is not ready and when we are facing floods and disruptions. If the rights of millions are overridden by the noise, cosmetic propaganda, and political relief assurances stunts by the court cluster puppeteers, then as voters we must create an equal response as we did in the 14th general election to save Malaysia again.

For that, sacrifice and change are needed to motivate voters. What better poster than PKR president Rafizi Ramli as prime minister and Nurul Izzah Anwar as deputy prime minister?

And DAP should do its best to bring this to fruition if it can. Real friends feel no shame sharing truths with coalition friends for the country to have a real future instead of living in the past and its follies. Otherwise, we would be handing the country again over to thieves, robbers and scoundrels.

May the Almighty show us the way forward.

BluePanther4725: This is a good story to remind us of the duty of the government and the MPs, that is, to serve the people. Great job by the Penang state government and DAP.

All those PN and BN politicians do is play dirty political games and indulge in kleptocracy to enrich themselves. Serving the people is not on their agenda. Therefore, we must vote wisely in the 15th general election.

Lionking: This is how our government should be. Malaysia is a rich country but its wealth has been siphoned by corrupt politicians.

Malaysia could have the best hospitals, transportation, education, beautiful parks for the rakyat, and housing for deserving people. What we see are politicians wearing watches costing hundreds of thousands, a fleet of vehicles, and mansions with swimming pools.

The flooding season is here, we have to suffer while they indulge in their palaces and swimming pools. Have you heard of their houses being destroyed by floods? We need a responsible government and the current one does not qualify as such.

Apanama is Back: All Malaysians should recall the general election in 2013 whereby former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak with the help of Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) using 1MDB money organised big parties with lucky draws all over Penang, especially the island side. There was also Psy's show with his K-pop ‘Gangnam-style’.

Najib proceeded by repeatedly asking the crowd "Are you ready for Psy?" and the spectators responded "Yes". However, he next asked "Are you ready for BN?", which was met by a resounding "No!" from the crowd. I was at the Han Chiang School field that day.

I had a good laugh because BN's fate was sealed. The people of Penang enjoyed all the big parties to the maximum, but when it came to voting day, they backed DAP instead. So now it is Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's turn to learn a hard lesson.

BlueMouse0551: The DAP government's heart and soul are in the right place. However, there are those little "black sheep" that cannot resist the temptations of receiving monetary rewards that very likely the leadership may not be aware of.

MBPP (Penang Island City Council), please look into the cleanliness of the state. The cleanliness is appalling. Tourists have commented on this.

BN, Penang people are more astute and they will never want a corrupt government. The majority in Penang, especially those born and raised there, believe in hard work and honesty.

Sun: Yes, Penang is not perfect but the government is receptive to complaints. I have relatives there and they will not trade the current government (with all its warts and moles) for the one that ruled them for over 60 years, or any party that promises a benign rule with some bogus religious head as its leader.

I have visited Penang recently. It is cleaner and the people are happier with the day-to-day running of the state, despite some grouses. More importantly, they sleep peacefully at night knowing full well that no politician in the leadership is stealing their money.

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