Gerakan defends its Penang record

Party statement attributes Penang’s economic success to Chong Eu’s and Tsu Koon’s work

GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan today defended its track record in Penang amid mounting criticism of its leadership and bleak assessments of its political future.

The party’s deputy president, Chan Ko Youn, released an official statement decrying calls for the ouster of party president Koh Tsu Koon and the chairman of Penang Gerakan, Dr Teng Hock Nan.

The call for Koh’s removal was made recently by Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng, who said the ouster would be necessary if Gerakan hoped to regain “any semblance” of a political presence in Penang.

Tan used to be deputy head of Penang Gerakan Youth, but he won the Nibong Tebal seat on a PKR ticket. He has since quit PKR and is now a member of Parti Kita.

His statement about Koh was followed up with a call for the removal of Teng, made by former Gerakan vice president Huan Cheng Guan, who is now a Parti Cinta Malaysia vice president.

Chang’s statement rubbished claims by both critics that Gerakan lost badly in the 2008 election because it had performed poorly when it was in power in Penang.

He said Penang would have been in a great depression if there had been no progress at all in the 18 years that Koh led Penang.

“Just imagine the impact of 18 months of economic recession, not to mention 18 years of no progress. Any logical person can see this!”

Chong Eu’s work

He also lambasted Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Tan Kok Pin for alleging that Koh “did not do anything in the past 18 years.”

Chang described the allegation as “misleading, malicious and unfair to Koh and Penangites”.

“Both Tans have become emotional and irrational. How can Koh be a Chief Minister of Penang for four terms or 18 years if he has not delivered the goods for Penangites? Are they suggesting that the Penang folks are stupid?”

He added: “We must understand that sustaining and scaling new heights is harder than starting up, so says a Chinese proverb. Over 40 years ago, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu developed Penang from a sleepy hollow which had 17% unemployment into a bustling and thriving economy.”

He said Koh continued on this good work.

He said Penang’s economy was already growing rapidly before the Pakatan takeover in 2008 and neither Pakatan Rakyat nor Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng could claim credit for the state’s achievements.

“Yet, we have Lim showing off his beautiful report card, claiming even within a year of taking over that Penang is taking the lead in so many areas.”