KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang told Barisan Nasional (BN) today to ask Penang residents if the state was indeed becoming a “failed state” with mounting debts as the ruling coalition claimed.
In a statement today, the DAP parliamentary leader said that if Penangites were polled with the question, the answer received would be a “categorical no”.
“Are the Penang BN leaders seriously suggesting that Penang is becoming a failed and bankrupt state? That Penang is worse than Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah, Pahang, Malacca, Negri Sembilan or Johor?” Lim asked in a statement today.
“Ask the people all over the Penang state whether Penang is becoming a failed and bankrupt state, and the answer is a categorical ‘No’ among the overwhelming majority of Penangites, including Barisan Nasional members, except for the few Penang Barisan Nasional leaders who have eyes that see not and ears that hear not,” he added.
Instead, Lim said that it is Malaysia that is seemingly heading to becoming a failed state.
“Ask the people all over Malaysia, whether Malaysia is in danger of being trapped in the trajectory heading towards a failed and bankrupt state, and the answer will be a categorical ‘Yes’ among the overwhelming majority of informed Malaysians including Barisan Nasional members,” he said.
Lim also warned that if Malaysia does become a failed state, Penang must “break ranks” to become a “successful dynamo of justice”.
“Three decades ago, I called on Penang to be the frontline state for change and progress in Malaysia.” he said.
“Today, we are striving to make Johor another front-line state for change and progress so that with Penang and Johor in the political lead in peninsular Malaysia, we hope to bring about major political changes in the forthcoming 14th general elections,” he added.
Lim was responding to the BN strategic communications team that claimed that Penang’s operating expenses have gradually increased by 500 per cent since the DAP took over the state in 2008.
