Guan Eng wearing too many hats?

The DAP secretary-general is a MP, state assemblyman and also the Penang CM. His rivals ask if there is too much on his plate?

GEORGE TOWN: With the 13th general election looming, Gerakan is now wondering aloud if Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should continue to defend his parliament and state seats, or opt to solely focus on Penang.

It is a distingushed question posed to Lim, said the second echelon leaders of Gerakan here, who add that politically it does not matter to them whether he stands in one, two or three seats.

If one likes to bet, Lim is an odds-on favourite to win any seat he contests, as he is regarded as a populist, who is only strong just as long as the opponent is weak, the Gerakan leaders said.

What is important is if Lim can handle the rigours of playing the triple roles of a parliamentarian, state assemblyman and chief minister, Bukit Bendera Gerakan’s seat coordinator Hng Chee Wey said.

“It is a question about effective administration, not whether Gerakan benefits if Lim contests in one or many seats,” he added.

Hng said Lim has taken upon himself to perform everything in Penang but at the same time, his reputation has become flawed as rumours have emerged that he is highly demanding with a flair of becoming dictatorial whenever he deals in pressure-cooker situations.

“This shows he feels the mounting pressure. If he continues on this hectic pace, mistakes may happen,” he added.

So can he handle becoming a MP and chief minister at the same time or should he be willing to delegate his duties to the much touted younger group of DAP leaders, Hng questioned.

He said Lim should be transparent about it as the voters deserve a clarification with the election dawning near.

Hng also appealed to Lim to disclose how many days he spends in parliament and how many days he devotes to Penangites in his capacity as the chief minister, as the people have a right to know.

Not to mention, Lim is also the DAP secretary-general as well as chairman to the Penang Development Corporation and Penang Water Authority.

There are also other top positions which he holds and the responsibilities are demanding and time consuming, Hng claimed.

Too many duties can backfire

Batu Lanchang Gerakan seat coordinator Lee Boon Ten said it does not matter if Lim is a MP, an assemblyman as well as chief minister.

What matters is whether he has sound time management.

For now, people are willing to give his administation the benefit of doubt since Pakatan Rakyat is relatively new in Penang.

“But Lim’s conscience should be pricking on whether is it right to hold both posts. Daytime in parliament and at night in Penang. It is this effective for the state with a demanding electorate?” Lee asked.

What about the travel expenses incurred in trying to discharge many duties, Lee said, adding that Lim should make it a point to clarify doubts among his critics by rebutting directly.

Lim also holds other posts and just attending the board meetings in itself is already time consuming, he claimed.

Sungai Pinang Gerakan seat coordinator Dr Thor Teong Gee said in this age of globalisation, leaders must be hands on and having to assume too many duties can backfire on the bottom-line.

The bottom-line is whether the administration has improved, he said, adding that it is pointless to announce that the state has made strong profits but its inhabitants remain relatively poor.

“We read reports that Penang secures this and that project, but if you calculate the quality of life, how many local residents here are enjoying quality housing and healthcare benefits. Are there any quality jobs created for the young and senior citizens since 2008?

“Why must the average people here dread that whenever a new housing project is announced, the prices are beyond their wallets,” he added.

If he is concerned, Thor said, Lim should also be commissioning a study on the suicide rates among the young here.