Teng will take on Guan Eng, but on his terms

Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow has picked up Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's guantlet to face up in the coming general election, but on two conditions.
The contest is to take place in a seat of BN’s choice, and Lim must only contest at state level and forgo a parliamentary seat.
"I accept Lim's challenge to contest against me. I wish to thank him for suggesting Padang Kota. In other words, he is open to any seat, of which I will decide.

"In the past four elections, DAP had set the terms. This time, BN shall set them," said (left) Teng at a press conference today.

"This election too is about policies and not personalities and should be based on seats that reflect the situation in Penang, and those who are voted in must show commitment to the issues and policies.".

"Therefore Lim must only contest in a state seat. I challenge him to accept my simple terms and then I will announce the seat for him to agree (on)," he said.

He did not confirm whether the seat would be Padang Kota, saying, "It is open."
He was responding to Lim's willingness to challenge him in Padang Kota, the state seat that Teng had held for three terms until toppled in 2008 by DAP state chairman Chow Kon Yeo.
In saying so, the DAP secretary-general added that Chow was willing to replace him in his Air Puteh constituency.
Chow, a state executive councillor, is the Padang Kota incumbent.
No boxing match?
On March 27, Teng said in a Malaysiakini report that he was willing to face off with the DAP secretary-general.

"It is up to him (to contest against me). This is not about challenging an individual, this is not about a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner," Lim had said in reply,

"This is about the policies for the state of Penang," he had added in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini.
Teng said if Lim announced that he will contest only a state seat, the Gerakan secretary-general will then declare which one he will go for.

"If he is also contesting a Parliament seat, he will know where I am contesting on nomination day," he warned.

Teng had also said that a Chinese daily had quoted sources saying that Gerakan had approached 'Rainbow' to contest in the polls.

Neither confirming nor denying it, Teng said "we will accept any winnable candidate".

'Rainbow' is the moniker for Lim's former staff, who he had been romantically linked with, but the latter had vehemently denied it.
Teng said in the last four crucial election BN had with DAP leaders, the latter had was always determined the terms.

In 1986, DAP's Lim Kit Siang took on Koh Tsu Koon in Tanjung, while in 1990, he battled it out with the former Penang CM the late Dr Lim Chong Eu in Padang Kota, Teng said.

In 1999, Kit Siang vied with Chia Kwang Chye for Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat and Teng Hock Nan for the Kebun Bunga state seat.

"It is only fair that in this contest, BN decides the terms. It will be a 4-1 decision".