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Gerakan slams RM6m gift to Penang football
Published:  Jun 19, 2015 5:52 PM
Updated: 10:45 AM

The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAH) has been slammed for donating RM6 million to the state football team.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ( photo ), who is also PBAH chairman, handed a cheque of RM2 million to Football Association of Penang (FAP) president Nazir Ariff in Komtar yesterday.

This brings the total sponsorship to RM6 million, as PBAH had previously donated a total of RM4 million to the football association since 2008.

State Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said PBAH was willing to give the association RM6 million but refused to spend RM1 million to subsidise those who pay their water bills in the post office.

Oh also questioned if cronyism was involved as Nazir is a well-known developer in Penang.

“The Penang government needs to explain this to the people,” Oh said in a statement today.

“If this RM6 million can be used for the people, consumers do not need to bear the 90 sen service fees (paid to the post office) for six years,” Oh added.

“If the RM6 million can be used to give discounts for low-cost housing and water tariff, then more people will benefit,” he added.

Oh said the cost of paying water bills at the post office has burdened the people when PBAH stopped subsidising the cost in February.

Be generous to the people too

He recalled that Bagan Dalam assemblyman Lim Hock Seng, who is also a PBAH board of director, defended the subsidy cut, saying it can help PBAH save RM1 million annually.

“Now we see that the water supply authority had generously sponsored FAP another RM2 million.

“Since PBAH can treat FAP in such a generous manner, why not be generous to the people also?” Oh queried.

He added that if Penang does not even want to spend RM1 million to take care of the people, but give RM6 million to FAP, then the state government should not claim it is people-centric anymore.

“We want to remind the state government, place the public interest as priority, don't deprive their interests for the sake of your political interest and don't rob the poor for the rich,” Oh ( photo ) said.

Lim has continued to support the Penang football team as it currently sits at fourth place of the Super League.

The FAP has scored 19 points, just four points shy of top place T-Team with 23 points.

The team have played 10 matches to date, winning five, and drawing four, while losing only once with 12 matches left in the season.

Nazir said he is confident that the team would do better now as it is more settled, and has a new coach in Brazilian Jacksen F Tiago to help them race to number one spot this year.

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