Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is lamenting that the state had been "badly neglected" by the federal government over the last 50 years.

"The federal government h NONE as not invested in Penang's public transport infrastructure and in her seaport and airport," said Lim, at the launch of the "Penang Paradigm" at the Town Hall today.

"Our airport runaway is still smaller than Langkawi's and too short to allow the Airbus 308 to take off fully loaded," he added at the event organised by think-tank Penang Institute.

"The iconic Penang has simply been left to decline."

Penang Port, the country's largest in the 50s and 60s has been reduced to being a mere feeder port for Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas in Johor, Lim said.

The Penang channel has yet to be dredged to allow larger ships to call at the port, as was promised under the 9th Malaysian Plan.

The Penang Port Free Commercial Zone in Butterworth is too small to allow the state to develop into a regional logistics hub, he added.

About 200 people attended the event, after which the Penang Paradigm - a framework for creating an international and intelligent state - will be open to public feedback for two weeks.

Plan to be displayed for feedback

The plan will be displayed for feedback at the town halls on the island and in Seberang Perai.

Penang Institute said it will hold consultation sessions on the Penang Paradigm with NGOs and community groups, starting first with the local business community.

Lim was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman and state executive councillors Chow Kon Yeow, Law Choo Kiang, Danny Law Heng Kiang and Lim Hock Seng.

Penang Institute was represented by its chief executive officer Zairil Khir Johari and executive director Woo Wing Thye.

Lim said the Penang government has always been willing to cooperate with the federal government for the good of the state.

"Unfortunately, the federal government has not fulfilled its promises to the state to jointly develop the Greater Penang Master Plan in 2011," he said.

"In order to facilitate the effort, the state government has even shelved its own blueprint for 2011-2015," he added.

Lim said the shelving was done at the request of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala, so as to make way for the Greater Penang Masterplan.

"We regret that despite taking part in the events organised by Idris and completing the report more than a year ago, nothing has been heard of the masterplan since then," Lim added.