COMMENT | I am disappointed with the statement from caretaker Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng that they cannot afford BN to win one single state seat in the Penang state assembly.

The arrogance of Lim is clear to see when he said that he wants to win every single seat in Penang - which will mean zero opposition to act as a check and balance to him and the Penang government. 

Zero opposition is certainly bad for democracy. In fact, it is not even democracy or good governance.

This will be dangerous as it will allow more scandals such as the direct sale without tender of hundreds of millions of Penang state land in Green Avenue, or the RM20 billion scandal Penang tunnel where the company had admitted it had paid RM22mil in a failed effort to stop corruption investigations.

It will also mean that the Penang government can continue to double or triple property development charges, engage in hillside or dangerous hill-top development property project approvals, or continue to increase water rates repeatedly - all moves which will hurt the Penang people in their pockets or endangered their lives.

Having opposition and check and balances in the Penang state government also means that there will be no one to question the state development policies that have led to the Penang government increasing their yearly operational government spending by 500 percent, and Penang falling behind Johor and Malacca in median household income since DAP took over in 2008.

For this reason of Lim not wanting any opposition in the Penang government alone, the Penang people must ensure that enough BN candidates are elected into the Penang state government and in Penang parliamentary seats to ensure your interests are protected, should DAP retain power in Penang.

Remember that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

ERIC SEE-TO is BN strategic communication department deputy director.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.