GEORGE TOWN, May 3 — Penang has asked Putrajaya to approve more allocations for various infrastructure and amenities projects in the state as it has been sidelined for the past 11 years.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state was sidelined when Putrajaya was under the previous administration so with a new Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, it should be treated equally now.
“There are many issues that need to be reviewed to ensure the sharing of power between the federal and state governments is just and effective for the long-term development of Penang,” he said in his winding-up speech at the state legislative assembly today.
Chow said he was often told by Putrajaya that Penang is already developed so it does not need more help from the federal government.
“The federal government must cast aside its assumption that Penang is a developed and rich state so we do not need help from the federal government,” he said.
He said the spirit of a New Malaysia under PH meant that all states will be treated equally.
“We hope that the federal government will approve more allocations that we applied for in future,” he said, adding that the state, through its various agencies, had applied for millions in funding for various projects.
Chow said the state was unhappy with the fact that it did not get as much allocation as it deserved.
He hoped that when the proposed Penang South Reclamation and Light Rail Transit projects were approved, the federal government can step in to fund them.
“We want to apply for funding for these projects from the federal government,” he said.
Chow said Penang only received RM216 million or 3.8 per cent from overall allocations by the federal government in 2016.
He said the state had also applied for RM12.56 billion in allocation under the 10th Malaysia Plan and RM13.87 billion under the 11th Malaysia Plan.
“From the sum applied, we only received small sums, if any, and it was through the related ministry to implement federal projects here,” he said.
He called on the federal government to review the methods in the distribution of allocations so that Penang could also receive its equal share in allocations.
