Penang DAP head Chow Kon Yeow has invited state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow to support its ‘Return the port to Penang’ campaign.

NONE Chow (left) said it appears that Teng has voiced his stand on the matter and that his position is similar to that of the DAP.

Like Teng, the DAP is against privatisation of the port by an individual who may not have the best interests of Penang at heart, noted Chow.

"We are against the selling out of Penang’s economic potential and future direction," he told a press conference today to launch the second phase of the campaign.

"We are against this decision that was made without consultation with Penangites or even the people’s elected government of Penang.”

If the Penang BN is indeed against the privatisation plan, he said, it should have no problems crossing the political divide to support a matter that concerns the future of the state’s economy.

NONE He also said he had urged Teng (right) on May 28 to join the DAP in opposing the privatisation of the port to tycoon Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary's Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn Bhd.

Teng's "erstwhile view" was that the port was not within his purview but he appears to have since had a "change of heart" , said Chow.

Teng, who is Gerakan secretary-general, had said the state BN would urge the federal government to return the issue of port privatisation to the national economic council since the deal with Syed Mokhtar has yet to be inked.

"Yet, we are of the view that to ‘whisper’ his objections on the privatisation to the prime minister and BN chief is not enough if the port is left undredged," added Chow.  

The RM353-million dredging works on the channel were promised in both the 9th and the 10th Malaysia Plans.

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