Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not have any direction for Penang, said Barisan Nasional coordinator for Machang Bubuk Ooi Suan Hoe.
Ooi Suan Hoe
Penyelaras DUN Mcg Bubok
Ooi said Lim should reveal the Penang Industrial Blueprint 2011-2015 to the public, since the state had claimed that it had a blueprint for the state industry.
He said there was also no plan to show intention to upgrade the state’s infrastructure as well as to install a watchdog system to monitor the various ongoing development projects.
“The plan should be managed by objective and should include the number and amount of foreign direct or local investors targeted,” he said a press conference at the Penang Legislative Assembly Building on Wednesday.
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Ooi said that though Lim had earlier said the state did not want to pre-empt or jeopardise future discussions with the Federal Government on the Greater Penang Master Plan, the public have to know where the state is heading.
“Why shelve the Penang Industrial Blueprint 2011-2015 when it may be good? Let the public view the blueprint to see which is more feasible,” he said.
Ooi claimed there was a communication breakdown between the state government and the small and medium-scale enterprises (SME) in Penang.
“We received feedback from the enterprises that there were fewer activities, workshops and training provided since 2008,” he said.
He said Lim had also made several blunders which tarnished the good name of Penang, for example, refusing an investment worth billions of ringgit due to the company’s demand for 1,000 engineers, which the state said was unable to provide.
The other blunders, according to Ooi, include giving wrong information about Blackberry opening a manufacturing plant in Penang, and his recent ‘bad-mouthing’ of Johor.
Ooi also made comparison of the three chief ministers of Penang, starting with the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu who is known as the founder of the Free Trade Zone and master of Penang development.
Ooi said Dr Lim, who passed away last year, was well known for transforming Penang from an agricultural to an industrial state.
Former CM Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon further expanded Penang from a free trade zone with labour intensive industries to focus more on research and development.
Koh, who is Gerakan president, also brought in the world’s latest high-technology state of the art in manufacturing and designing to Penang, and established thousands of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).
“However, our current CM has yet to find his direction, target and plan… he is still without a blueprint to position Penang into the new era of industrialisation,” said Ooi.
Ooi claimed the state government also paid little attention to development of SMEs, which is very important in promoting local branding, improving and strengthening local know-how and increasing the number of local entrepreneurs.
“The CAT government has totally failed in its very own slogan of competency, accountability and transparency,” he added.
Batu Kawan Barisan coordinator A. Mohan asked the state government to look into the poor maintenance of infrastructure at the Prai industrial zone in Seberang Prai.
He said Jalan Perusahaan and Taman Nagasari in Prai were in darkness during the night because the street lights there were not working.
“There are workers who cycle to the factories when they are on the night shift and with the area in darkness, we fear accidents may happen,” he added.
