In a rare move today, the Penang DAP has thanked state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow for giving the party’s advertisement campaign an impetus by commenting about it in the media.

Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow said Teng has highlighted the party’s ‘I love (the) new Penang’ campaign when he recently said that it was similar to BN’s advertisement in the newspapers.

“Otherwise, perhaps some of our members would not even know that we have started this campaign,” said Chow, tongue in cheek.

NONE “I would like to thank our creative team for being so good that the Penang BN cannot wait to remark about it,” said Chow ( left ) at a press conference today.

“Penang BN’s election advertisement have been in the newspapers for almost a month and I have yet to comment on it,” he added with a laugh.

Chow was referring to the Penang BN’s election campaign which started featuring in the media since early last month.

The advertisement focussed on a framework to transform Penang out of the middle-income group by proposing several areas including the Penang Free Port, tourism and manufacturing.

Chow was speaking at the launch of the party’s first phase of the 100-day campaign dubbed ‘I love (the) new Penang’ series to explain the changes in the state since 2008.

The DAP kicked off its campaign by placing advertisements in the Chinese-language newspapers on Jan 1.

The multi-lingual and multi-media effort urges Penang voters to return the Pakatan government at both state and federal level.

“The changes we did in Penang, we can also do in the country if we are given the mandate in Putrajaya,” said Chow, who is a state executive councillor.

“The new Penang that began in 2008 is just the beginning of a long journey to change Malaysia for the better,” he added.

“There is a lot more work to be done in Penang and in Putrajaya,” he stressed.

“Without changing the federal government, Penang will continue to be stifled by a hostile BN federal government that has no new ideas apart from those that come from the cronies and for the cronies.”

Forward Penang, Towards Putrajaya

During the launch, Chow also distributed flyers with the slogan ‘Penang Pride: In 2008, we voted for change for Penang to lead, again. In 2013, we will change Malaysia for the better’.

NONE The slogan is featured on a copy of Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic’s world famous mural painting on Armenian Street titled ‘Little Chidren on a bicycle’.

This is just the first part of the campaign, said Chow, as the party will highlight other areas of changes in its flyers to be distributed to all Penangites.

In a similar development, Chow announced a fundraising dinner for the state DAP at the Penang International Sports Arena venue on Feb 1.

The 300-table dinner will feature top Pakatan leaders like opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP senior leader Lim Kit Siang, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and the party’s national chairperson Karpal Singh.

Meanwhile, Chow, who is DAP national vice-chairperson, went on to refute Teng by pointing out the differences in the two campaigns.

He said that the DAP’s campaign highlighted changes which are “real and had already happened”, unlike BN’s which is a repetition of “old issues”.

“The BN’s advertisement is based on old and empty promises. if you don’t vote BN, you will not get it. So eventually, it is nothing,” reasoned Chow.

“What we promote are changes which already happened since 2008, under the new Pakatan Rakyat government. We do this to inculcate pride in Penangites,” he added.

“Our I love the new Penang campaign doesn’t stop there. There is also another slogan that says ‘Forward Penang, Towards Putrajaya’,” he stressed.

“How can he say we are in the tracks of BN’s campaign. Does he mean he also endorses our slogan?” asked Chow.