Media Statement by Liew Chin Tong in George Town on Tuesday, 16^th February 2010:

Koh Tsu Koon’s legacies of lackadaisical governance and UMNO's racist politicking threaten the future of Penang

Former Penang Chief Minister and current Minister in Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon has made a statement that the state government of Penang should focus on “governing” and not engage in “politicking all the time”.

Koh’s statement masks an undeniable fact the Pakatan Rakyat state government is still working hard to reverse the misrule and lackadaisical governance during his 18 years in office, not surprisingly, tainted with politicking and bickering among the Barisan Nasional component parties in the state.

During Koh’s reign, he ceded most of the authorities and prerogatives of the office of Chief Minister to vested interest groups in pursuit of their private agenda at the expense of the Penang people as a whole.

For instance, some of the most disturbing land scams in the country's history happened under his watch. There was very little discipline or a sense of purpose in the government or government-linked corporations during this period of time.

What is most telling about Koh’s lackadaisical rule was the fading away of vision, hope and ambition for a better Penang.

The first two years of the state government under the leadership of Lim Guan Eng were mainly devoted to correcting past wrongs and preventing them for recurring.

However, the Pakatan Rakyat government’s effort is not helped by a hostile and vengeful Barisan Nasional federal government all too willing to stop funding for Penang’s development.

The Penang state government's attempt to bring back a sense of law and order in governance is also hampered by UMNO’s vested interest groups fanning racial hatred to stop Penang from progressing.

For instance, the state’s open tender policy or its efforts to remove illegal hawkers operating from public areas such as a tree house which poses danger to the public were turned into a racial issue by UMNO and its mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia, a party organ masquerading as a national newspaper.

It is time for Koh to be statesman-like and put Penang's future above partisan politics. He should stop pontificating about not “politicking” when he is indeed politicking to avoid his legacies of lackadaisical rule from being questioned.

It is not too late for Koh to correct his lackadaisical misrule by speaking out against UMNO’s excesses and Utusan’s racist spins, especially in his capacity as minister responsible for national unity.

Failing to do this would mean Koh and Gerakan support the agenda of certain racist groups aiming to destabilise the state of Penang.

* Liew Chin Tong, International Secretary & Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera