Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has voiced strong objection against a proposal to turn Penang into a federal territory.

The proposal, which also included Langkawi, was made by Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor in an interview with BFM 89.9 yesterday.

"We are not happy to give up our state. This is unacceptable. We will tell Adnan ‘Tidak, bu yao and mudiathu’,” he reportedly told a press conference in George Town today, using the words for "no" in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil.

"It is strange and inappropriate. Don't even try it. Penangites will never be happy to become an extinct state. This can be considered seditious," he was quoted saying by Free Malaysia Today.

He added that the proposal threatens unity.

"I do not want to be the last chief minister of Penang. There will be other CMs after me. I do not want to be a pembelot dan pengkhianat (traitor)," he said.

'FT gets more funds'

Tengku Adnan, in the interview in conjunction with Federal Territories Day on Feb 1, said he "would like to expand the Federal Territories" so more funds can be allocated to the territories.

"If I can, I would take Langkawi, Penang and certain parts of Malacca," he said.

The federal territories includes Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

Meanwhile, law lecturer Abdul Aziz Bari said Tengku Adnan's proposal was an affront to the spirit of federalism.

"It is also underlined the gross misunderstanding on the part of the minister of the spirit of federalism which has been one of the foundations of Malaysian constitution," he said in a statement today.

Abdul Aziz, a DAP member, said the surrender of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya went against the original nature and essence of the Federation of Malaysia.

"There is no need to create more federal territories; in fact the existing ones that consist of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya should be returned to the states," he said.

Kuala Lumpur was Selangor's capital until 1974 when it was ceded to the federal government. Kuala Lumpur then became the federal capital before the administrative capital was moved to Putrajaya.

Selangor ceded Putrajaya to the federal government in 2000.

Labuan was ceded by Sabah in 1984 and turned into an offshore financial centre.

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