"Take over the job of painting the flats and apartments in Penang if you want to claim 100 percent credit for them."

Chief Minister Lim G NONE uan Eng said this in response to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's statement in Balik Pulau last Saturday that the federal government would fully pay for the painting of the flats there if it takes up the job.

Lim, who is also DAP national secretary-general, said the state does not plan to compete with the federal authorities over facilities that benefit Penangites.

"We are small and cannot compete with the federal government, which is a large entity," he told reporters in Komtar today.

"If it wants to take over the job of painting the apartments and flats, for example, in Rifle Range, we are willing to give way for it to pay fully for the painting works.

"If it wants 100 percent credit for this, no problem, we are willing to give way."

najib penang visit kampung melayu However, during his recent visit to the Rifle Range flats later, Najib said the federal government would not interfere as the state has already agreed to paint the buildings.

Lim, who had visited Balik Pulau a day before Najib, said the repainting job for the nine blocks of flats there had not been carried out as the residents owed the state more than RM1.6 million in rental and maintenance fees arrears.

He said the state would bear 80 percent of the estimated cost of the RM2.7 million cost of the painting job, if the residents agreed to pay the remaining 20 percent, since this was the policy of the state for properties under it and the Penang Development Corporation.

Lim also said the federal government had promised to provide electricity and water to certain areas in Penang, but this had not materialised.

'Pledge misunderstood'

Kebun Bunga assemblyperson Jason Ong denied that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has promised to bear the cost of repainting works for state-owned residential buildings if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the state government.

penang pkr jason ong khan lee.jpg Ong (right) , who was at the press conference with Lim, said Anwar had only said that Pakatan would carry out the pledge if the coalition takes over Putrajaya.

On Najib's speech in Balik Pulau that the government is planning to make Penang the third metropolis after Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, Lim said the state is willing to work with the federal government on this.

He said the state is even prepared to shelve its five-year blueprint for Penang and sit together with the federal government to structure a concrete plan for the metropolis.

"This is to show our sincerity. If this happens, it will be something historical... the Penang state and the federal government can work together for the sake of Penangites... this will bring confidence to investors," Lim added.