The Penang Chief Minister must lead the people from the front and not from behind UMNO

BN Penang Chairman Teng Chang Yeow’s determination to run away from his own seat of Padang Kota is as clear as day following his refusal to follow up on his own challenge to face-off with me in the coming general elections. By setting new ridiculous conditions before contesting against me, Teng is clearly eating back his words of “you must pick up from where you fall” and avoid a direct contest in Padang Kota.

Such promise of “you must pick up where you fall” is meaningless if Teng refuses to show courage and ‘leadership by example’ by recontesting in his old seat of Padang Kota but instead follow UMNO’s dictates of where he can or can not go. Everyone knows that Teng as Penang BN Chairman is not Gerakan’s first choice as he is neither Gerakan President nor Penang Gerakan Chairman, but UMNO’s and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s choice.

I fail to understand how my standing in a parliament seat will affect the contest between both of us in a state seat. Neither do the people understand why Teng can not go back to his old seat of Padang Kota, which should be advantageous to Teng as I am not asking him to come to my seat in Air Putih. Penang DAP Chair and Padang Kota Assemblyman Chow Kon Yeow has kindly agreed to exchange Padang Kota with Air Putih to allow this contest between top PR and BN Penang leaders to proceed.

This contest is offering the people clear choices – whether to revert back to UMNO and BN’s choice of a government led by cronies or choose a people-centric government for the people by the people and of the people. This is also about two governing policies between one that condones corruption and another that believes that a clean government based on Competency, Accountability and Transparency can outperform a corrupt one.

Teng’s setting ridiculous conditions such as I can not contest a parliamentary seat but only a state seat, appears to be a trap to prevent me from playing my national role as the DAP national leader to lead my party and all Malaysians outside Penang. Teng has also quickly forgotten or is trying to distort the fact that it was he himself that had thrown down the gauntlet to challenge me.

I do not see how my contesting in both a parliament or state seat will make any difference to both of us contesting in Padang Kota. However to show my sincerity in wanting to let this contest happen in Padang Kota and not permit Teng to weasel out of his own challenge to me, I am making one final concession to him.

I will contest only one state seat if Teng Chang Yeow does not run away but recontest Padang Kota, which he previously held for 3 terms from 1995-2008. If Teng agrees to stand in his old seat of Padang Kota, I will convey to the DAP top leadership that I will not stand for Parliament, as is required of me as DAP Secretary-General.

This general elections is crucial because it is about letting the people make clear choices. Therefore let this contest is about which party can provide better ideas and superior policies as well as the idealism, principles and values that can prepare a better future for Penang.

I always believe that a leader must lead from the front and not from behind. The choice is very clear whether the people of Penang wants a Chief Minister to lead the people from the front or one who leads from behind UMNO.

Should Teng refuse to stand in Padang Kota then I would not waste any more time with him because he has been exposed as a puppet of UMNO who is more interested in playing childish political games.

The next general elections is about what type of future of Penang do we want our young to live in. PR believes in a Penang that is cleaner, greener, safer and healthier. Let the people of Penang decide whether PR has the policies and principles as well as possess the courage and the idealism to prepare the future for our young and the young for the future.