Media statement by Liew Chin Tong in Penang on Monday, 21^st May 2012:

Teng Chang Yeow must state position on Penang Port's privatisation

When pressed by the media yesterday, Teng Chang Yeow, Penang Barisan Nasional's new chairman, refused to state his position on Penang Port's privatisation as, according to Teng, "the port is not within his purview".

According to Teng, the press should instead clarify with the Penang Port Commission and the Federal Government.

This is a laughable and untenable position taken by Teng, seeing as when assuming the mantle of BN Penang Chairman, he made "restoring free port status" his main "shock and awe" campaign agenda. His other electoral promise was to turn Seberang Prai into an international financial hub.

Both of these require massive changes to the existing Federal laws and regulations on finance and taxation.

Teng should not "cherry pick" in his representation of nice sounding federal policies while refusing to answer questions concerning federal policies Penang which are of fundamental importance, such as the privatisation of the Penang Port.

It is utterly inconsistent if on the one hand one talks about a free port while refusing to answer the question if the port is free from the hands of private vested interests like Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar.

It is well known that Tan Syed Mokhtar intends to turn Penang Port into a mere feeder port for his other ports in Johor, which would effectively spell the end of Penang Port.

How is Teng able to champion these two electoral promises if he is unable to even state his position on Penang Port? Or does he have other reasons for this weak response?

* Liew Chin Tong, DAP International Secretary & MP for Bukit Bendera