Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon was aware that the Penang blueprint had been shelved 'in deference to a joint federal-state plan', says Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong.
GEORGE TOWN: The Pakatan Rakyat state government has hit out at Barisan Nasional for demanding that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng reveal the details of Penang’s industrial blueprint, which had already been shelved in favour of a joint federal-state plan.
At a joint press conference today, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yew and Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Lim had confirmed the arrangement via a joint statement on April 1.
Liew questioned Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon’s sincerity in challenging Lim to unveil the blueprint.
Koh, who is Penang BN chairman, yesterday alleged that Lim had told an international business seminar in Singapore in June last year that Penang had an industrial blueprint of its own.
“Is Koh sabotaging the Greater Penang Transformation Programme (GPTP) as he was not ready to see a joint federal-state plan to be produced?” Chow and Liew asked.
Liew, a DAP MP, said the state government had already prepared a comprehensive blueprint comprising development plans for all sectors, not only the industrial sector.
“We are shocked that of all people, Koh was the one who questioned why the blueprint was not disclosed publicly,” Liew said.
Koh, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department and former chief minister, challenged Lim to stop riding on successes nurtured from programmes carried out by his previous BN administration.
“Until today he (Lim) is yet to produce the master plan that he said was ready.
“I’m urging the state government to officially unveil the blueprint for the sake of Penang and its people,” Koh said at BN state convention in Kompleks Tabung Haji, Bayan Lepas.
Display blueprint
Today, at a separate BN press conference, the state coalition leaders applied more pressure on Lim and company to deliver results and stop all his politicking and showboating.
State BN information chief and PPP chairman M Loga Balan demanded that Lim produce the industrial blueprint irrespective of whether it is absorbed into the GPTP.
He said BN was least concerned about whether the blueprint had been tabled for the perusal of Idris Jala, the chief executive officer of Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu).
He dismissed it as a separate issue altogether.
Loga Balan demanded that the Penang government display the blueprint for local public viewing and feedbacks.
“We, the people of Penang, have the right to know what the blueprint is all about. We want to know whether it would benefit us,” said Loga Balan.
Liew had earlier explained that in April last year, the state government had tasked the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) to prepare a five-year Penang Blueprint for 2011 to 2015.
The SERI committee is chaired by Penang Development Corporation’s founding general manager and former Senator Chet Singh.
Liew said prior to this, a publication entitled “Pilot Studies for a New Penang”, edited by Dr Ooi Kee Beng and Dr Goh Ban Lee, was published in February last year.
Final consent
The content of the publication formed the basis for the blueprint. About 20 roundtable consultations were conducted between April and October 2010.
A final draft version was printed and has been in circulation among policy-makers and key state civil servants since last December.
Liew said discussions among policy-makers and key state civil servants were also held while the draft was sent for international peer reviews.
Based on feedback, amendments were made and the blueprint was ready to go the public for consultation and affirmation.
“We intend to have the widest possible acceptance within the government and by the community to smooth its final implementation,” said Liew.
He said on Feb 19 last year, Jala and Lim agreed in a meeting that a GPTP lab will be held, upon the final consent of the prime minister.
“It was also decided that the Penang Blueprint will be deferred in deference to a joint federal-state plan,” he said, indicating that Koh knew all about it.
He added that the federal government intended to develop a GPTP via a four to six-week lab to be facilitated jointly by Pemandu and Khazanah Nasional BH, with the participation of the Penang government.
Blueprint shelved
The lab will comprise participants from both the public and private sectors at the federal and state levels.
The lab is tasked with creating a detailed programme to unlock the development opportunities within the region as well as to identify and resolve potential hurdles in its execution.
Penang is the third largest urban gross domestic product (GDP) contributor, after Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.
The state has major urban conurbations identified in the National Physical Plan (NPP) and 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).
The state government has fully endorsed the initiative for a greater Penang conurbation, and as an act of commitment, has now shelved its Penang comprehensive blueprint.
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