Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin wants Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to be fair to the people in the state, regardless of their race, by giving them opportunities to do business in the interest of the people's economic development.

He said this was because everyone in the state had the right to be given an opportunity to venture into business.

"Serve the people of Penang, (whether they are) Malays or Chinese or Indians. (If) the Malays do business, they have problems, give them an opportunity to do business including anyone at all who want to earn a living by themselves," he said in his speech at the Penang BN Chinese New Year open house in George Town today.

He said the state government should provide opportunities and encouragement to entrepreneurs to earn a living instead of preventing them.

muhyiddin pc 280910 01 "I know that Penang is under the opposition pact government, but that's all right. What is important is that the opposition pact has a commitment to help (the people) just like the BN which has a commitment to bring progress to the people without bias," he said.

Muhyiddin ( left ) also refuted Lim's allegation that Penang did not get any benefit from development programmes drawn up by the federal government.

"Penang had benefited from before. The federal government implemented programmes for all states, and Penang was not excluded.

"The BN developed Penang not because Lim is the chief minister but for everyone in the state," he said.

Muhyiddin said cooperation between the state and federal governments was important for the economic development of the states.

"I know that the chief minister also knows about this (cooperation)," he said.

The DPM said the people of Penang did not want to listen to the empty promises made by the state government, but instead wanted to see the impact of what had been implemented.

Also present at the function attended by about 5,000 people were the Penang BN chairman, Dr Koh Tsu Koon as well as state BN leaders.

Lim and several State Exco members were also present at the function.

- Bernama

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