Thesun 2009-03-10 Page07 Transparency Tops Agenda For Penang

theSun

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| TUESDAY MARCH 10 2009

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Transparency tops agenda for Penang by Himanshu Bhatt [email protected]

GEORGE TOWN: A year into power, Penang’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration has vouched to continue making the government’s machinery transparent while working to achieve significant savings for the state. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state is looking at formalising procedures to have personal assets of all state executive councillors declared. He said the administration is discussing with PR-controlled states for a set of uniform guidelines in which the assets can be made public. The move would complement other initiatives towards transparency, such as a computerised open tender system. Speaking at a press conference on the Pakatan Rakyat’s

first anniversary in power at his office in Komtar recently, Lim said the government’s cost-saving exercise has had a positive impact on the state’s financial situation. Attributing it to the state’s no-nonsense approach, he cited as an example, the case of MMC-Gamuda JV paying up RM7.4 million in fines and fees for its double-track rail project cutting through Seberang Perai. The state also managed to get Umno to pay its assessment fees for its buildings in the state, he added. Lim also cited the sourcing of replacements for Penang Hill’s faulty funicular rail cables at a cost of less than RM700,000 after bidders had quoted as much as RM1.73 million. The state was forced to get its own temporary cables after the RM40 million funding from the federal government

for funicular repairs failed to materialise. “And in spite of the financial crisis, Penang still managed to draw investments worth RM10.2 billion which is a record,” Lim added. Lim also assured equitability in the way the state services the various communities, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds. The poverty eradication plan, for example, is processing applications from people of all races. This includes RM100 rebates on water bills for low-income families, regardless of race. Lim, however, admitted that the state has had its hands tied in many matters, such as in implementing election for municipal councils, explaining that Section 15 of the Local Government Act effectively placed conduct of elections under the federal government.

Suaram slams Penang state administration GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government has come under fire for increasing the number of politicians from its own coalition parties, in the state’s two municipal councils, calling it a “distressing” step backward for democracy. Penang Suaram has accused PR of adopting the practice of the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) state government, in distributing more seats in the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) to party members, at the expense of NGOs and independents. “Suaram was hoping that the PR government would increase, not reduce, the participation of local independent people and would implement a transparent system of appointment of

councillors, until we get local elections again,” state Suaram co-ordinator Lau Shu Shi said when commenting on the appointment of new councillors to the two local authorities. “This list has once again missed the opportunity to widen democracy, and even shows sign of backward movement,” she added. The Penang government recently removed district officers from its lists of councillors for MPP and MPSP for 2009, while increasing the number of PR politicians. MPPP now has 20 PR politicians while MPSP has 21. Each body had 18 PR councillors last year following the March 8 general elections. MPPP has two councillors from the chambers of com-

merce and two more from NGOs, while MPSP has three representatives from the chambers and none from NGOs. Lau noted that state PKR chairman Zahrain Mohd Hashim had earlier urged the state government to appoint PR members as councillors, partly because he felt the district officers were too busy to perform tasks as councillors. She questioned the appointment of DAP’s Yeoh Soon Hin as a MPPP councillor when he was already the Paya Terubong assemblyman. “Isn’t there a contradiction here?” she asked. “His crossover of roles means there is too great a possibility of conflicts of interest, raising the possibility of corruption.”

Gerakan launches CAT Watch to monitor state govt GEORGE TOWN: Marking the end of what it called the Pakatan Rakyat state government’s “honeymoon year”, Gerakan yesterday launched its CAT Watch campaign to monitor the state government, now dubbed the CAT government in line with its slogan – competency, accountability and transparency. State Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said the state opposition had given the new state government a whole year to settle down, and it is time the PR-led government fulfils the promises it made to Penangites. “As we know, the state government runs on an absolute majority which means the absolute power is centralised in the chief minister and the DAP, so we need a good monitoring system to ensure the state government stays on the right path,” he said. “This CAT Watch will review all the DAP’s manifestos and promises made to the people before and after the general elections last year, and we will provide constructive criticisms against the state government when they fail to deliver,” he said. Teng called on the public to join in CAT Watch. The public can call 04-2292724 between 3pm to 5pm or email [email protected] to voice out any grievances or issues they feel the state government has failed to resolve.

Teng after launching the CAT Watch programme

MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN