GEORGE TOWN, Nov 22 – Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Teng Chang Yeow urged the State Government to make public all agreements and conduct a full public consultation on ongoing reclamation projects if their terms are far better than the ones agreed upon by the previous administration.
“It had been expected that the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan Government would reject the BN’s motion on reclamation projects in the state legislative assembly Friday. However, we are glad that one DAP lawmaker had decided to vote for the welfare of the people, while five PKR lawmakers decided to abstain, showing their conscience is clearly for the people,” Teng said in a statement here Saturday.
Teng said when BN tabled the motion, it was prepared to allow whatever decision taken in the past to be scrutinised by the public. He said the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan Government has been boasting of a Competent, Accountable and Transparent administration but it is obvious that CAT has long died.
“The refusal to allow the concession agreements on reclamation projects of the past and present be made public, and full public consultation on all ongoing reclamation projects be carried out, clearly showed CAT is dead! Although the motion had been defeated, the fact that 16 lawmakers had reservation on all reclamation projects in the State, indicated that the DAP-led State Government must heed the concerns of the people,” he said.
The Penang legislative assembly rejected a motion from a BN assemblyman proposing for all sea reclamation for development to be subjected to a prior public hearing. Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang rejected the motion tabled by Muhamad Farid Saad after 23 assemblymen voted against the motion, 10 voted for and five abstained. The motion was also voted for by DAP assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu. However, Teh apologised for voting for the motion in a press conference after the state assembly sitting.
