Incompetent state government must change, says Wan Saiful

GEORGETOWN - The Penang government is seen as incompetent as the central government had to intervene in changing the decision made by the state government in the Penang South Islands (PSI) project.

Former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan said he and Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders have voiced out the people’s concern over the project.

However, he said the government was too arrogant and did not want to hear the views.

“Today the Prime Minister issued a statement setting aside the state government and ordered for the PSI project to be reviewed to ensure its scope could be reduced.

“This meant that our views were right since the beginning. If we are not strict and consistent in voicing it out, I think the state will continue to be arrogant and ignore the people’s voices,” he said in a statement, today.

The Tasek Gelugor MP said the state government was continuously becoming more and more arrogant as they have governed for far too long and they did not realise their incompetency to govern.

He said it was time for the Penang people to give a chance to PN to govern.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday had instructed for the PSI project to be reviewed and to reduce its scope.

He said this after listening to the complaints regarding the coastal reclamation project.

“Us, the Chief Minister and the state government have taken every step and guaranteed the position of fishermen, corrosion problems, the re-development of some Malay village issue in several areas and Indian minority areas and Gertak Sanggul with the Chinese majority.

“However, the rational reason given is that the unity government in the past years have not been given enough funds especially in the infrastructure development for Penang.

“I have carefully observed it with the Cabinet ministers and I take this opportunity to make an announcement to ease this issue so that the coastal reclamation project could be reviewed and have its scope reduced,” he said.

Anwar previously announced that the central government will provide additonal funds in a big scheme to allow the Light Railway Transit (LRT) service in Penang to be implemented.

Anwar said he will hold a meeting with the state government to discuss the matter within these two weeks.

“The central government will add funds in a large scheme to enable the state government to immediately implement LRT services in Penang,” he said.