I refer to the letter Penang government not people-centric.

The Pakatan Rakyat government comprising of DAP, PKR and PAS was voted in on March 8, with the clear intention of providing good governance that is democratic, people-centric and with an ethical leadership centered on the five values of freedom, justice, welfare for all as well as respect for rule of law and the universal moral precepts.

In line with this, the Penang PR government led by Lim Guan Eng welcomes dissenting views and even fierce criticism but hopes that they are based on fact not falsehood, reason not emotion and principles not prejudices. Unfortunately, the writer's remarks are littered with falsehoods, emotions and prejudices.

The new Penang government believes that the CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) policy institutionalised within its administration will help drive Penang to achieve its vision of transforming into an international city of choice for investors, tourists and local alike. Since March 8, I am not sure if the writer is aware that the Penang government has implemented more than 30 new policies that are people-centric, based upon the philosophy underlying the CAT policy.

For a start, maybe it is good to enlighten the writer about the CAT Policy which can help shed some light on his unfounded remarks. A key component of the CAT policy is transparency. This component ensures access to a free flow of information to the public.

With the introduction of Wireless@Penang initiative, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy the Internet anywhere, at anyplace and at anytime. I am not sure if the writer is fully aware that the two vendors have stepped up their own efforts to participate in this initiative. In fact, I hope the writer can also check on the fact about providing Wireless@Penang services for free.

In fact, one of the service providers will be charging for their services. So what is this about the chief minister’s fixation on focusing on things that are free?

The other question is about the chief minister citing the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) as the authoritative body for reference for decision-making. I am surprised that the writer did not mention about the Wireless@Penang forum held recently. In fact, the Wireless@Penang forum was so widely publicised but no such comments were made openly during the forum.

I am wondering whether the writer was actually there himself with the other members of the public? During that forum, the chief minister actually cited the World Health Organization and the Independent Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (Icnirp) as the authorities that helped the state in making its decision in implementing the Wireless@Penang initiative.

Both bodies clearly pointed out that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that Wi-Fi and Wimax can cause adverse health effects.

Competency is the other aspect of the CAT policy. Transparency drives accountability and in turn begets competency of the delivery system. The Penang gvernment wants greater accountability and transparency and we believe public servants would be compelled to perform or face the risk of dismissal. The CAT policy is about looking forward - not backwards.

It is only by learning about the past can the CAT policy work well and ensure that we do not repeat the same mistakes the previous government has made. The ‘time bomb’ that the writer referred to in his letter was clearly one that was defused on March 8 and not the present.

In fact, change is good for everyone as more federal policies that mimic the CAT policy implemented in Penang are emerging throughout the country. It is only my hope that the writer will give more credit to the present state government for its efforts to promote competency, accountability and transparency.

If the writer has any constructive suggestions, we are ever more willing to meet up with him for the betterment of Penang. Seriously, there are many hardworking people who are helping the state achieve its objectives and the writer’s letter has done no justice to many of them, including myself.

That is why if the writer can solve the state’s flood problems with a mitigation project costing only RM100 million for the whole island, please come by and see us at the chief minister’s office Level 28 and we will hear you out.

If so, we are more than willing to implement any project that is less than 10% of the cost calculated by JPS engineers and flood mitigation experts. We hope that the writer can prove these experts wrong and save public funds.

Or is he filled just with hot air? We are waiting in anticipation.

The writer is Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Penang (Investment/Manufacturing).