BN came under the hammer at the Penang DAP convention in George Town today.

In his speech DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng condemned BN for its ability to continue to stay in power despite "scandalous and shameful behaviour".

"The secret of BN's success is that they manage to appear confident despite being corrupt and incompetent. In politics, perception is everything," said Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister.

"BN projects the confidence that they manage the country better than Pakatan Rakyat, even though BN's record of making Malaysia as the world champion of corruption," he added.

"(With this confidence), they will still retain a significant level of support from Malaysian voters," he added.

B DAP convention The state's convention also includes the party election for the state committee.

689 out of 1,112 delegates will vote for leaders to fill the 15 state positions. Five will be appointed, to make up 20 in the state committee.

Eighteen state assemblypersons and four MPs are part of the 46 contesting for the 15 posts, while three have withdrawn.

Lim said Pakatan has shown in five years in Penang, that even though without any experience, it could govern better than BN which has over 50 years as the ruling party.

"We have shown that we can wipe out poverty in five years that BN cannot do in 50.

"We have shown that a clean government can perform better than a corrupt government.

"We have shown that a Pakatan government can inspire confidence from investors and the business community with the highest involvement from them in Penang history," he stressed.

He added that the Penang government under Pakatan can spend RM100 million yearly on welfare assistance without going bankrupt.

"We have also shown that we can make Penang cleaner in a state that BN had condemned as the dirtiest in the country," he said.

He added they had shown that they could make Penang safer, and as well as come alive as the cultural and heritage capital of Malaysia."

'Safeguard against complacency and arrogance'

Meanwhile, Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow warned that while the party and Pakatan continues to enjoy strong support from the people, this comfortable political environment may lead to "complacency and arrogance".

NONE "This we must safeguard. The absence and incompetence of our political foes in posing challenges to us may result inter-party problems between the three Pakatan component parties or even intra-party problems, as played out recently in the mass media," said Chow ( left ).

Chow said this year's theme 'Staying ahead, embracing the future' as the party's eminent leader Lim Kit Siang had touched on in his articles, articulate the important challenges for Pakatan as it faces the 14th general elections.

Chow said this would be the party's guiding principles and a reminder to be united in its resolve to win the people's support.

He added that while the battleground is in Sabah and Sarawak, the party must not forget that it must protect and win in its own backyard.

"Lim rightly pointed out that the states with Pakatan governments must perform well and let the rest of Malaysians see our ability and achievements as the government," he said.