A PAS parliamentarian in Kedah has dared Penang Gerakan to prove that the Penang government under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not practise “clean” governance.

NONE Jerai parliamentarian Mohd Firdaus Jaafar said Gerakan should review all the declassified documents on the controversial hillslope projects before arriving at a conclusion.

Mohd Firdaus said the Penang Municipal Council had released all the documents for public viewing from July 1-Sept 30.

He explained that his challenge is also because he feels that Umno did not dare challenge the former state administration under Gerakan head and chief minister Koh Tsu Koon (left) .

“I believe even former (BN) state executive councillors like Azhar Ibrahim (Penaga) and Dr Hilmi Yahya (Teluk Bahang) were not capable of speaking the truth during their time in the state government,” said Mohd Firdaus.

“Umno leaders only make noise in front of Malays to show that they are the only ones who are fighting for the interests of the Malays, but in fact, they do not appear to be sincere to Penangites.

“The truth is, they do not dare expose the truth. They are not brave enough to voice their real concerns in front of state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow and state Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan.”

NONE He was referring to a news report quoting Penang Gerakan local government bureau chief Teh Leong Meng (left) , accusing the state of not being ‘sincere’ in declassifying the documents.

Teh, who had tried to view the documents in Komtar with other BN leaders, had then criticised the state for not complying with its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles, and for the conditions imposed on viewing the documents.

The documents were opened after NGO activists, residents and state BN leaders complained about the mushrooming of hillslope projects in Penang since Pakatan Rakyat took over in 2008.

Lim has insisted that his administration has never approved projects on slopes higher than 250 feet.

Mohd Firdaus further claimed that Gerakan is trying to ‘cover up’ the fact that it was the BN-led state administration that had approved 37 high-rise hillslope projects beyond the 250-foot high limit from 1985 to March 2008.

The state BN, he said, is also trying to “hide the fact” that 19 projects supposedly approved by the state are actually “renewals” based on the 1996 Structure Plan.

“Umno leaders, please do not lie to yourselves if you are afraid to chide the state Gerakan leaders,” he added.

azlan