We refer to the Star 's column on July 31 ‘The Penang Dilemma’ which is not only riddled with factual errors but is unbalanced in only quoting views from pro-BN NGOs biased against the Pakatan Rakyat administration led by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Allow me to state some facts. First the unruly and violent demonstration on July 1 was organised not by NGOs but by Umno senator Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor.

Not only did the Umno demonstrators deliberately block traffic in the middle of the Penang bridge causing a horrendous traffic jam as long as 10 km, but they also beat up reporters covering the event. Senator Ezam even wanted to overthrow Lim as Chief Minister immediately without waiting for elections.

Second, the demographic make-up of Penang based on the 2010 Malaysian Statistics Department is as follows: Chinese 670,400 or 45.6 percent, Malays 636,146 or 43.6 percent and Indians 153,472 or 10.4 percent.

Third it is not true that there are no low-cost housing projects or not enough jobs created. As a people-centric government, the Penang Pakatan government has built and approved 11,596 low and medium-cost housing since taking over in 2008.

Penang now faces a skilled as well as a workers shortage due to its success of drawing in investments, becoming top in Malaysia for the first time in history in 2010 with RM12.24 billion.

We reject as totally false, lies that either Lim or the Pakatan Penang state government is anti-Malay as alleged by Umno or anti-Chinese as alleged by MCA. Our open tender system treats everyone equally and is colour-blind.

Unfortunately views from genuine and independent Malay NGOs were neither canvassed nor reported. If Malay contractors get the majority of the contracts by open tenders, they deserve to and prove that Malay contractors are able to compete with others. There is no dilemma there.

Jeffrey Chew is Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Penang