I refer to the spat between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Special Development Officer Nik Ali Yusuf. For us Penang residents, what matters are the issues at hand and when and how to resolve them rather than who is at fault and to be blamed.

Can the authorities, whether federal or state, administrators or politicians just tell us:

i) will the arches at the Botanical Gardens be torn down, or can they be promoted as a tourist attraction like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? When will the project at the gardens be completed so that visitors will be spared the present unsightly mess?

Can the name of the contractor be published, so that the public will know which company to avoid in the future?

ii) when will the Penang Hill railway be operating again? If further breakdowns occur, how quickly can the repairs be undertaken?

Can a plan be drawn up and implemented quickly to improve the transport up Penang Hill and the attractions there?

iii) is the sand mining at Balik Pulau legal? If not, has it been stopped? Can measures be taken to prosecute the offenders and to prevent future similar illegal mining?

All the community wants is to enjoy our beautiful island that has been, and can still be the Pearl of the Orient. If things go well in Penang, both the CM and SDO, administrators and politicians can bask in the gratitude of the people and take personal pride in a job well done.

The more the squabbles and quarrels, the less respect the voting, tax-paying public in Penang will have for politicians and administrators, a situation which will not benefit either Pakatan Rakyat, Barisan Nasional or the civil service ultimately.