Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Komtar, George Town on Friday, 24^th June 2011: 

What is the extraordinary investment for a global center from an American company which Dr Koh Tsu Koon claimed on 16 May 2011 that he had a role to play in bringing to Penang? 

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon should prove that he has the courage to own up to his own mistake of a false investment announcement by an American company instead of trying to cover up his failure with another lie. Dr Koh must fully account to Malaysians what is the extraordinary investment for a global center from an American company which he claimed on 16 May 2011 that he had a role to play in bringing to Penang.

Dr Koh claims that he had never announced that Motorola was investing RM4 billion in Penang. However Koh is not being honest. Reports in all main newspapers, such as the Star and the Sun on 17 May 2011 had reported Koh as saying that the Prime Minister will announce an extraordinary investment to set up a global center by a United States firm during his visit to the US.

Koh even boasted in The Sun on 17 May 2011 that he had played a role as an adviser to the US company in coming to its decision, which is to be announced by Najib in New York. True enough, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced on 19 May 2011 of a new RM4 billion investment by a Motorola to set up a global excellence center. This new RM4 billion announcement was widely reported in all newspapers including Bernama, Star, Sun, Utusan, Berita Harian and in MIDA websites.(see chronology of press reports below)

Koh now claims that this new RM4 billion investment was a mistake by Reuters. If so then why was this mistake not corrected by all the mainstream news media including Bernama? No one in Malaysia was aware that Najib and Reuters had made a mistake as not a single correction was reported in Malaysian news media. Were the official Malaysian media accompanying Najib so incompetent that they did not correct the RM 4 billion mistake? This can not be so.

Najib's announcement of a RM 4 billion investment had delighted Penangites and Malaysians. The Penang state government was willing to thank Koh for helping to bring the RM4 billion new investment to Penang. But this empty boast by Koh had not only deeply disappointed Malaysians and Penangites but also shamed the Prime Minister for making a false announcement in front of the foreign audience in the United States.

If Motorola is not the extraordinary investment of a US company in Penang, then Koh should explain what is the amount and from which American company is that extraordinary investment coming to Penang? Many Penangites are shaking their heads that Koh despite 18 years of experience as Penang Chief Minister can make such a shameful mistake.

Can Koh Tsu Koon please stand up and own up to your mistake so that you can learn from it and improve your performance in your new job as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department?

*Chronology of Koh Tsu Koon's Announcement Of An Extraordinary Investment By A US Firm From 16 May 2011

'Extraordinary' investment by US firm soon
Himanshu Bhatt The Sun

GEORGE TOWN (May 16, 2011): Penangites can look forward to an "extraordinary" invesment initiative by an American multi-national giant during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's current working visit to New York.

In dropping the hint, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the move by the unidentified company was due to the tireless effort of the federal government, in particular the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA).

"The company has been in Penang since the 70s and expanded here in the 90s. They are now going to set up a global centre in Penang," Koh, who is also the Penang Barian Nasional (BN) chairman, said at a press conference here today.

Without revealing details, Koh, who is also the former Penang chief minister, said he had played a role as an adviser to the company in coming to its decision, which is to be announced by Najib in New York.

Dr Koh: PM to announce 'extraordinary' investment for Penang
By CHRISTINA CHIN

GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will announce an "extraordinary" investment for Penang soon.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Najib, who is currently abroad, is expected to reveal the details of a new initiative by a Penang-based multi-national company (MNC).

"The MNC has been in the state since the 1970s, and in the 1990s, was growing rapidly. It's now ready to scale greater heights by establishing a global centre in Penang."

On 19 May 2011, in 1malaysia official website headline "Firma AS Labur US$5-US$6 Bilion Di Malaysia, Kata Najib"- Perdana Menteri berkata Motorola, yang telah beroperasi di Malaysia sejak 37 tahun lepas dengan 7,000 pekerja, akan melabur kira-kira RM4 bilion bagi menubuhkan Pusat Kecemerlangan Global di kilangnya di Pulau Pinang bagi menyediakan sokongan perkhidmatan kepada pelanggan di seluruh Asia Pasifik.

On 19 May 2011, in The Malaysian Insider portal with headline "Najib: US firms eyeing RM18b investments here" - Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said Malaysia can expect up to US$6 billion (RM18 billion) in investments by US firms over the next three years.

Major US telecommunications firm Motorola is also setting aside RM4 billion for its centre of excellence to be based in Penang, the prime minister said, adding that the company has been a long-time partner in the Malaysian economy.

On 20 May 2011, in Utusan portal with headline "Firma multinasional AS berminat" – Perdana Menteri berkata, Motorola yang telah beroperasi di Malaysia sejak 37 tahun lepas dengan 7,000 pekerja, akan melabur kira-kira RM4 bilion bagi menubuhkan Pusat Kecemerlangan Global di kilangnya di Pulau Pinang bagi menyediakan sokongan perkhidmatan kepada pelanggan di seluruh Asia Pasifik.

On 23 May 2011, in MIDA website with headline "AS komited labor RM6 bilion" - Najib juga menemui beberapa tokoh perniagaan termasuk Presiden dan Ketua Pegawai Operasi (CE0) Forbes, Steve Forbes. Dalam pertemuan dengan beberapa syarikat multinasional, Motorola yang beroperasi di Malaysia sejak 37 tahun lalu dengan pelaburan RM4 billion, kedua-dua pihak bekerjasama dengan MIDA untuk menubuhkan Pusat Kecemerlangan Global di Pulau Pinang. Berita Harian

*Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister