Jahara tears into Penang gov't as DAP reps absent at post-landslide dialogue

DAP elected representatives were slammed for being “too busy” to attend Penang Forum’s talk on ‘Floods: a call to action, and hillslope development’, which was attended by some 200 people today.

The forum, aimed to address the massive flood that occurred on Sept 15, and the Tanjung Bungah landslide on Oct 21 that killed 11 workers, on which Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has called for detailed probe by the State Commission of Inquiry.

State Opposition Leader Jahara Hamid (photo) said their absence was probably due to Lim’s stand that the Tanjung Bungah landslide was a “worksite accident” and the developer’s alleged “professional negligence”.

Penang Island City Council mayor Maimunah Sharif has also declared that the 980 units of affordable housing project, affected by the landslide, had followed safety guidelines.

“However, what is presented in this forum is that the issue involves lack of enforcement. We cannot accept it as just a worksite accident, as many factors contribute to it, so the state must take these concerns seriously,” Jahara told reporters after the forum at Penang Teochew Association on Chulia Street.

BN leaders accompanying Jahara at the forum were Umno assemblypersons - Muhammad Farid Saad (Pulau Betong) and Shah Headan Ayoob Hussein Shah (Teluk Bahang), and state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow.

Pulau Tikus assemblyperson Yap Soo Huey was the sole DAP elected representative at the forum, while PKR was represented by Norlela Arifin (Penanti), Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga), Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk) and Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin.

DAP members too busy?

Tanjung Court Condominium residents’ association ad hoc committee member K Suthakar singled out DAP Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh and Paya Terubong assemblyperson Yeoh Soo Hin for not attending the forum.

“Perhaps, they are too busy to attend,” he said, while a member of the crowd said sarcastically, “Attending Deepavali open house”, and another said “Bullshit”.

Suthakar said the politicians would appear when they wanted votes but would disappear after the elections, and reappear again with their drama when the elections come around.

“We need people’s representatives to fight for us here, and speak to us. We don’t need you just to be in the state assembly to fight one another,” said Suthakar, who is also The Star’s northern regional editor.

“The federal government should give the state whatever remaining allocations for floods. Perhaps they want to punish the people who voted for another party.

“But the state must also do its part. How much does it cost to deepen the retention ponds so that we can address the flood problems? It has not been done inspite of several complaints,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, Tanjung Bungah residents association spokesperson Meenakshi Raman said she had sent a memorandum on the landslide to all the state assemblypersons and MPs but has not received any response.

At this juncture, the crowd booed and a member of the audience blurted out. “And yet you want our votes!”

“We hope the elected representatives will read our demands and raise it in the coming state assembly,” Meenaskshi said, referring to the last state legislative assembly sitting this year that will commence on Nov 2.

-Mkini