LETTER | Terence Netto had a field day in his article criticising Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng recently.

His linking of many unrelated events, together with the issue regarding PKR Kebun Bunga assemblyperson Cheah Kah Peng seems to be constructed in a way to paint a rather biased picture of the CM, especially in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters to hit Penang in recent history.

While the right to criticise is the inalienable right of all Malaysians, the right to clarify and respond is also an equally inalienable right.

The author needs to get his facts right, no one is stopping the Kebun Bunga state assemblyperson's office nor his JKKKs from helping the victims of the Nov 5 floods.

As mentioned, the internal administrative procedures are the only difference for Cheah in terms of the final approvals of the RM 700 one-off monetary aid.

Though many people were quick to speculate on the issue, the focus on the administration's minds are on the victims of the Nov 5 floods, and finding the quickest way for the aid to reach the people of Kebun Bunga without any potential delay.

Disasters are definitely not the time for potential personal differences to get in the way of aiding the people.

When the CM, Pulau Tikus assemblyperson Yap Soo Huey (photo) and myself visited the Hong Seng Estate, which is under the Kebun Bunga state constituency on Nov 25, the negative reactions of the villagers towards their elected assemblyperson were evident and can even be viewed on the Buletin Mutiara Facebook page.

These negative reactions were not planted, as these were genuine residents of the village who were badly affected by the floods.

The procedures were decided even before the visit, to ensure that genuine victims could be correctly pointed out as fast as possible.

The visit merely acknowledged and reinforced the perception that urgent attention needed to be paid towards the Kebun Bunga Constituency. Quick reaction is a must.

No politician can ever control how the electorate would react to incidents, but Pakatan Harapan being a coalition that wants to be an alternative to the failed BN government system for the overall survival of Malaysia, must respond to their grouses and unhappiness quickly and as efficiently as possible.

If unhappiness reaches a boiling point, it will not just be their assemblypersons that people will be taking their frustrations out on, but the entire Pakatan Harapan Penang state government. The administration has a huge responsibility to carry in the aftermath of Nov 5.

With the 14th General Election looming over the horizon, we are within the final lap before the finish line. BN are ever waiting for political opportunity to break Harapan's coalition once and for all to ensure that no opposition coalition will ever come close enough to unseat them ever again.

We need to be as strong as ever to face the onslaught that will be coming our way in less than six months' time. That includes fighting and keeping all existing seats that the coalition has won in previous election from BN.

Every seat counts and the administration as a whole needs to ensure that every single constituency is serviced to their absolute best, especially in times of disasters.

So to the author of the article, here is my observation.

I would like to ask that you stop all the speculation, and concentrate on what we can do to ensure that Malaysia will not go back to the dark ages of absolute BN rule. Failure is no longer an option for us now.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.