COMMENT Only several years ago, the Penang government’s bold move in launching a Speakers Square to honour freedom of speech at the Esplanade earned the Pakatan Rakyat coalition mega praise.

Until today, the yellow plaque which displays the contents of Article 10 – UN’s Declaration on Human Rights on Freedom of Expression – still stands proud.

However, at the state legislative assembly (Dewan Negeri) last Friday, the DAP, which leads the Pakatan Harapan administration, showed that it frowns on dissenting voices.

When the time came to vote for a motion to keep a tight lid on sea reclamation projects, DAP was horrified with the voting results.

Granted that the motion was filed by Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong), the issue is hotly debated, and activists have claimed that ongoing reclamation would destroy Penang’s environment and livelihood of many fisherfolks.

Aliran’s Anil Netto said: “Personally, I would support the motion on a matter of principle” since it asked for comprehensive studies and public consultation to be carried out before approval, urging that projects which are not beneficial to the people be cancelled.

Should it then be a surprise that Teh Yee Cheu (DAP-Tanjung Bungah) – popular with his green initiatives – voted for the motion, while five PKR representatives abstained?

Their act stunned everyone, though, especially Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who viewed it as “anti-government”.

'Why not one on environment?'

An emergency meeting of all DAP assemblypersons were called and in just 30 minutes, Teh, known for his stubborn views, had flipped-flopped by apologising for his “mistake”.

Why all the drama and fuss? After all, the motion was rejected because it failed to get enough votes, of at least 21 out of 40 assemblypersons.

Teh ( photo ) said the state government was willing to allow a transgender committee to be supported by Pakatan and Umno representatives, “so, why not one on the environment?”

In Selangor, Gan Pei Nei (PKR-Rawang ) said both sides of the political divide supported Umno’s motion on dengue as it outlined some good measures to prevent the fatal disease.

In Parliament, the DAP was prepared to support a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, mooted by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

So the matter should have ceased with Teh’s apology, but Lim went on to accuse the five PKR representatives of standing with Umno, going as far as hinting there is a coup within the state PKR for the deputy chief minister’s post.

Umno was reprimanded too for its "sinister motive" to bankrupt the state as cancelling approved projects would cost Penang close to RM1 billion.

Lim could have scored big political points by allowing the democratic process to proceed instead of rebuking the voices of dissent.

To us, the voting showed some semblance of independent thought on the part of the assemblypersons.

Hard-hitting views

Teh and the PKR Five should be lauded, not condemned, for willing to stick their necks out and vote with their conscience even if it meant “there will be a high price to pay”.

They displayed the kind of courage that voters today admire, hoping an opposition-led future government will not be crowded by “yes men”.

This is not to say that those who voted against the motion seeking for more transparency in the state’s reclamation projects did so without conscience.

Lim and many other representatives who voted against the motion, including Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus), Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota), Wong Hon Wai (DAP-Air Itam), RSN Rayer (DAP-Sri Delima), and Abdul Malik (PKR-Batu Maung), offered their hard-hitting views during the debate session.

“People should not assume that we were forced to vote according to party line," said Yap.

“My vote was based on my careful consideration of the facts and my actions are based on my conscience,” she said in her Facebook account, prompting commentators to review the debate from 7pm to 10pm on Nov 20 at www.sidangdunpenang.com before passing judgement.

The incident, however, has allowed BN to gloat over its "achievement".

“The DAP-led Pakatan Harapan government has been boasting of a CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) administration but it is obvious that CAT has long died,” said state BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow.

Teng, who is also state Gerakan chief, went on to ask the state government to publicise all the agreements and conduct a full public consultation on ongoing reclamation projects.

The former state exco must be reminded that BN had approved 3,241 acres for reclamation, while Pakatan only 60 since 2008, a stark contrast, only known to the public after Lim had revealed the facts.

The 10 Umno assemblypersons, including state opposition leader Jahara Hamid, who was a state exco during BN’s rule, would have done themselves a great favour by heeding Lim’s call to apologise for approving such massive areas for reclamation.

Penangites are feeling the brunt of their decision now.

But they too had lost a golden opportunity to redeem themselves and thus, show some sincerity in filing the motion, to grab some moral ground while at it, so that their demand for more transparency on reclamation projects had more clout.