A BN assemblyperson was booed by her opponents in the Penang state assembly when she tried to justify why a fresh mandate for BN is needed to revive the free port status of Penang.

Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Ayer Tawar) said that restoring the status, which was terminated in the 1960s, can only be done if BN recaptures the state in the next election.

“It is part of an economic package drawn up by the BN,” said Jahara, who was a state executive councillor in the previous Gerakan-led administration.

Her statement however was met with protests by the Pakatan Rakyat assemblyperson, who booed her incessantly.

The Penang free port status is a thorny issue as both the BN and Pakatan have made it their election rallying point.

Although state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow says that Prime Minister Najib Razak has agreed to the matter in principle, the Finance Ministry under the latter had issued a written reply in Parliament in the last sitting to say that the free port status is no longer relevant due to the state’s five free trade zones.

Jahara was not the only one caught in a verbal onslaught from her rivals.

NONE Jahara, together with her colleague, acting opposition leader Dr Hilmi Yahya (BN-Teluk Bahang), were engaged in a verbal war with state Islamic Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairperson Abdul Malik Abul Kassim ( right ).

They fought over the performance of the current administration and the previous one under BN, a popular topic often raised in the August house.

Abdul Malik (PKR-Batu Maung) had prodded the BN assemblypersons to lobby the federal government to restore Penang’s free port status.

“You don’t have to wait  for administrative power to be returned to you if they were sincere,” quipped Abdul Malik, who is also state PKR vice-chief.

Later, Abdul Malik reported that 10 companies had invested a total of RM484million in the Halal Industrial Park which started in 2008.

Six of them were now in the process of building their factories.

“A total of 388 businesses, including restaurants, food manufacturers, hotels and abattoirs, had been certified halal as of September this year, up from 55 in 2008,” he noted.