In the wake of the multi-billion dollar Penang Outer Road Ring (Porr) and monorail system being shelved , former Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon has advised his successor to be less fickle and work closely with the federal government.

“Two years ago, the previous BN state government agreed on the alignment of the Penang Outer Ring Road.

“We’ve always been in active discussion with the federal government on the alignment and the system for the monorail,” the Gerakan acting president said in a statement today.

koh tsu koon and penang pulau pinang 100907 Certain allocations for the purposes of land acquisition and other preliminary costs of both projects were already provided for under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, said Koh.

“However, from press reports in the past three months, it seems that the Penang state government under Pakatan Rakyat may have different ideas about the projects. Firstly, they seem to be listening more to non governmental organisations which object to the Porr.”

Secondly, the new state government seems to have conflicting ideas about the type of rapid transit system suitable for Penang, said Koh.

“Earlier, the new chief minister Lim Guan Eng mentioned that he would prefer an underground system which could also resolve flood problems.”

Further to that, at a joint press conference with one of the bidding companies for the overhead monorail system, Lim gave the impression he endorsed a particular bid, said Koh.

“This was done even when the federal government was in the process of evaluating several bids.”

As such, Lim inadvertently sent confusing signals to the federal government, the statement suggested.

“Therefore, it is important that the Penang government must first make up its mind about the two projects. Then, they must be prepared to work closely with the federal government.”

Koh claims he made an appeal to the prime minister during yesterday’s BN supreme council to reconsider the deferment and initiate land acquisition processes for the projects.

In support

Meanwhile, State Gerakan committee member and former Pantai Jerejak state assemblymen Wong Mun Hoe shared the views of his party leaders and suggested that Lim should have been more “subtle and milder in his approach, attitude and words” since coming to power, if he wanted to access federal funds.

penang outer ring road project 250608 He said every responsible Penangites would like to see the present state government succeed in its policies and schemes, otherwise “the people would suffer.”

But he doubts Lim’s current ‘hostile attitude’ helps the interests of his government and the people of Penang.

“If only the chief minister has acted and reacted like a responsible government, not as an opposition leader, the federal government may not have shelved the projects.

“I am not blaming him entirely, but definitely his macho style did not help. Naturally one will stop helping if you continuously criticise,” Wong told Malaysiakini today.

Wong - who was tipped to become a state executive councillor had BN retained the state government in the last general election - lost his seat as did every Gerakan candidate in Penang.

During the tabling of the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, plans for the Penang Outer Ring Road and monorail system were shelved.

According to Economic Planning Unit director-general Sulaiman Mahbob, the projects were deferred to make way for people-centric programmes. The federal government has denied it was a political decision to punish Penangites for booting out the previous BN state government.

Fuming Lim

The decision was decribed by Lim as "a fallible, irrational and irresponsible decision based on political vendetta and malice."

He accused the federal government of forsaking public interests, rights and economic benefits to replete its desire to punish Penang voters for the March 8 political tsunami.

lim guan eng and penang Today, he called on the federal government to restore the projects promised under the 9MP for otherwise “it could choke future growth.”

Porr was planned as a vital traffic dispersal highway for the proposed RM4.5 billion second Penang Bridge while the monorail was to improve public transportation in George Town.

Since the funds were already allotted to the previous state government to carry out the projects, he could see no reason why the federal government should withdraw it now and “treat Penang like a stepchild.”

“Scrapping Porr especially would do more harm than good especially once the second bridge was operational.

“The federal government should have been more considerate before making the decision,” he told newsmen after opening a new Chinese crematorium in Bukit Mertajam.

On civil society’s reservation over the projects, Lim assured that the state government would listen to views and suggestions from all quarters to reshape the projects to meet local demands.

Public interests groups described the federal decision to shelve the projects as a “blessing in disguise” and called on the state government to come up with a master plan to upgrade public transportation and smoothen traffic flow.

The controversial Porr is a 17-kilometre expressway that stretches from Tanjung Tokong to Gelugor in the island, while the monorail was proposed two years ago to help overcome worsening traffic jams in the city.