Lower salaries in Penang show state is failing, Umno rep claims

GEORGE TOWN, June 15 — Average monthly salaries here that are only seventh-highest nationwide support claims that Penang was becoming a failed state, according to an Umno assemblyman.

Pulau Betong representative Datuk Muhamad Farid Saad was citing data released by the Statistics Department on May 8 that showed the average monthly salary in Penang to be RM2,434.

“If we look at the statistics, Penang placed seventh out of 16, and in 2012, the average monthly income for Johor surpassed Penang while Negri Sembilan surpassed Penang in 2013,” he said.

States such as Terengganu, Kelantan and Perak also have higher average incomes, he added.

According to the same data, average salaries in Penang rose by just 35.81 per cent from 2010 to 2016.

In comparison, Terengganu experienced a 43.2-per cent increase, Kelantan 47.34 per cent,  and Perak 45.26 per cent increase.

“The national average of increase in average monthly salaries is 39 per cent, which means Penang’s increase is lower than the national average,” he said in a statement issued today.

Muhamad Farid said that based on these statistics, it was clear Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has used the state’s low unemployment rate of 1.6 per cent to present a false impression of the state’s economic development.

He then demanded Lim state the current joblessness level in the state following the closure of several factories.

“So, is Penang under DAP heading towards becoming a failed state? Only those in Penang will know the truth,” he said.

Earlier today, Lim again rejected that Penang was  becoming a failed state, and cited the state’s annual budget surpluses.

“We have been recording annual surpluses since 2008 despite increasing expenditure,” he said.

He also stressed that the state announced a 0.75-month bonus for its civil servants or a minimum of RM1,000, which is higher than the RM500 bonus announced by Putrajaya for the civil service.

Lim also said Penang has the lowest debt, at RM64.72 million, compared to other states, with Pahang being RM3.1 billion in debt.

Barisan Nasional last week challenged Lim to confirm or deny that his administration sold RM37 billion in state land since 2008 and if the Penang Transport Masterplan project went from costing RM27 billion to RM46 billion in a year, and said failure to do so would indicate that the state was headed for failure and bankruptcy.