GE14 | DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has come under fire from Penang BN leaders for calling them “copycats” due to apparent similarities in their 14th general election manifesto and the caretaker state government’s policies.

Labelling Lim "totally ignorant, arrogant and atrocious,” state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow said that the 60 initiatives in BN’s manifesto involved “research, deliberations and hard work."

"We thought of wanting to benefit as many Penang people as much as possible," he said in a statement today.

According to Teng, the manifesto covers six core areas – the constant flooding faced by Penangites, lack of affordable housing, severe lack of low-cost housing, as well as the caretaker state government’s inability to manage and solve the traffic congestion in the state.

'Vote-buying'

Lim had claimed on Monday that the Penang BN manifesto was just a copy of the caretaker state government’s policies, adding that it was just a ploy to “buy” votes and thin on actual solutions.

Teng pounced on the statement, saying that the caretaker Penang chief minister was indirectly admitting to Harapan buying votes.

“They are the ones who started to buy votes when they started giving out RM100 each to senior citizen. They were also buying votes even before GE13," he said.

The state Gerakan chief reminded Lim that from 1990 to 1998, the then-BN government had allocated almost RM100 million for various flood mitigation projects in Penang.

He added that it was BN who not only launched the Rapid Penang bus service in 2007, but also established its routes, whereas Lim merely “rode on it.”

"Building three additional floors to the Komtar Tower did not mean that Lim built Komtar. Komtar is part of urban renewal by BN.

"Adding wall art also doesn’t mean Lim made George Town a World Heritage Site, it was a BN 18 year-effort since 1990.

“Where is his development plan called Paradigm? Lim doesn’t have any plan for Penang except riding on BN’s hard work, which was put in place before he came," said Teng.