Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng has demanded that Penang Institute chief executive officer Lim Kim Hwa answers questions on Penang's gross domestic product (GDP), which is being debated heatedly between Gerakan and DAP.

At the press conference called by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday, Kim Hwa rebutted and slammed Gerakan for making accusations based on outdated GDP statistics.

Guan Eng had argued that the state's economic growth performance was better under the current administration.

"Based on Guan Eng's figures, Penang is the third worst among 15 states and territories for GDP per capita growth between 2008 and 2015.

"Alternatively, Penang is the fourth worst if you consider the period 2009 to 2016, as released by Guan Eng himself," Liang said.

"I do not wish to argue about outdated figures or forecast figures… I am sure Guan Eng is happier to be either third worst or fourth worst, instead of being the worst. Whatever makes him (Guan Eng) happy."

Liang then called on Kim Hwa (photo), to answer his questions on the doubts of Penangites as a true professional, without fear of any possible reprisal and political consideration.

The 10 issues Liang wants Kim Hwa to answer are:

(1) What is the cumulative growth in Penang's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita between 2008 and 2015 and the state's ranking in the country?;

(2) What is the average GDP growth for Penang and Malaysia, 2008 to 2015, and did Penang under-perform or over-perform during this period?;

(3) Is it true that KL's GDP per capita was RM18,306 and RM49,875 higher than Penang’s by the end of 2007 (two months before DAP took over the Penang government) and at the end of 2015, respectively?;

Similarly, was Selangor's GDP per capita at RM5,022 and RM2,236 less than Penang’s at the end of 2007 and end of 2015, respectively?

(4) Confirm the state's GDP growth according to statistics provided by the Department of Statistics: 2006 (10.8 percent), 2007 (6.5 percent), 2014 (8 percent) and 2015 (5.5 percent);

Meaning, the GDP growth in the last two years under BN was higher than that of the last two years of 2014 and 2015?

(5) Confirm the state's GDP per capita growth according to statistics provided by the Department of Statistics: 2006 (10.4 percent), 2007 (5.93 percent), 2014 (9.5 percent) and 2015 (6.5 percent);

Taking an average of the two-year period, the state’s GDP per capita for 2006 and 2007 (under Gerakan) was higher than that of 2014 and 2015 under DAP.

(6) Guan Eng said on July 19, 2016, that one of the top reasons for Penang's better growth for 2015 was due to the ringgit’s depreciation against the US dollar;

Is it true that Guan Eng and DAP criticised the weaker ringgit, but took credit for a higher GDP growth for 2015 in Penang - which was only due to the same weaker ringgit that they criticised?

(7) State the operating expenses of Penang in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015, based on the auditor-general's official audit of the accounts;

(8) Provide the source of increased revenue to fund the big inrease in the state's operating expenses;

(9) Penang's position on the Malaysian Investment Development Authority's (Mida) manufacturing investment figures from 2012 to 2015; and

(10) Detail out Guan Eng’s boast that he had reduced the state debt by 95 percent, or RM655 million, since 2011;

Was the debt reduction due to surpluses from the operating budget of the state government or the result of the federal government taking over Penang state water assets and converting the outstanding RM655 million loan to a 45-year annual lease payment of RM14.56 million per year?

Guan Eng had argued that Gerakan used old forecast figures of the state's GDP to compare with the national GDP for 2014 and 2015.

Both Liang and Penang BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow had claimed that between 2008 and 2015, Penang's economic performance was the poorest of all states.

The chief minister also questioned if Teng and Liang were qualified to make such allegations when they were not trained in economics, while Kim Hwa and Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming were.

Guan Eng also told BN to stop “dishonest Donald Trump-like behaviour”.

At the press conference yesterday, Kim Hwa, who possesses a doctorate in economics from Cambridge University, echoed Guan Eng's claim during the press conference.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Ong Kian Ming in an article yesterday.

Liang slammed Guan Eng for being unprofessional in using Trump's name in his attack against BN.

"Mr Trump has no relevance in Malaysian politics and there is no need to use his name," he said.