Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has been told to suggest Kelantan and Terengganu as future federal territories.

This, said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, is if the idea of turning Penang into a federal territory, as the minister has proposed, was truly to help the Malays.

"If Tengku Adnan's agenda is to 'help the Malays', he has chosen the wrong state.

"He should instead (consult the royalty) to hold a referendum in Kelantan and Terengganu for the two states to be turned into federal territories under the governance of Tengku Adnan himself," said Lip Eng in a statement today.

"This is because the two Malay-majority states are among the poorest in the country.

"In fact, Tengku Adnan should first make efforts to return Kelatan's oil royalties to its people, so that the state can stop its extensive logging activities," said the DAP lawmaker.

Tengku Adnan in an interview with BFM 89.9 last Wednesday said Penang should be federalised, along with Langkawi and parts of Malacca.

Following outrage from Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, the minister justified himself yesterday saying, “We know what is happening in Penang. They (the state government) do not care about the Malays."

Desperate to reclaim Penang?

Lip Eng said Tengku Adnan could easily help not just the Malays, but all suffering Malaysians by reducing their tax burden.

"If Tengku Adnan (Ku Nan) and the BN government is truly serious about relieving the burden of the people in dire need, he should be aware not only the Malays in Penang are in hardship.

"Many more are suffering, including the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed and vagrants throughout Malaysia, many of whom in fact are centred in Kuala Lumpur, which is 'ruled' by Ku Nan.

"They should in fact be helped so they can buy groceries without being charged the Goods & Services Tax (GST), for example.

"When the BN government burdened the people with GST, Ku Nan did not think of helping the Malays who are similarly burdened.

"If he cannot do even such a simple task, then whatever suggestion BN makes to 'help the Malays' is nothing but an election gimmick," said Lip Eng.

The MP said Tengku Adnan should come up with a better excuse.

"Or at least tell Penangites that Umno would be willing to do anything to prevent Pakatan Harapan from continuing to govern the state, including making it a federal territory."

Ramkarpal: Show proof

Meanwhile Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh in a separate statement today called the minister's allegations "baseless", and challenged him to provide concrete evidence to back claims that Penang has allegedly neglected the Malays.

The DAP lawmaker said the reason given "is absurd and clearly an afterthought in response to the outrage his initial statement had caused on the matter".

"It is pertinent to note that nowhere in his interview […] did he cite such reason behind the idea.

"The allegation that the Penang government has been neglecting the Malays is a most serious one and if there was an iota of truth in this allegation, then surely Tengku Adnan would have cited it as the main reason for turning Penang into a federal territory during the said show itself, and not days later, making it clear that same is utterly baseless," said Ramkarpal.

He said there is absolutely no reason to federalise the state, and most Penangites would certainly be "completely against the idea" and challenged the minister to hold a referendum in the state.

"If Tengku Adnan persists with the said proposal, rest assured the state government will tirelessly exhaust all avenues in opposing the same," he added.