If Guan Eng jailed, no more Chinese CM - BN campaign turns racial

Penang BN's election campaign shifted from environmental issuesto race when its state chief Teng Chang Yeow raised the prospect of Penang no longer having a Chinese chief minister.

He also said there is a need for more BN Chinese assemblypersons in the state legislative assembly following Gerakan and MCA's wipeout in the previous election. Umno, however, has 10 seats.

Teng said if caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng is imprisoned over corruption charges, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution would collaborate with Umno to form a unity government in Penang.

"Saifuddin would then become CM and there would be no more Chinese CM in Penang," the Tanjung Bungah candidate told a ceramah over the weekend.

Teng also claimed that Lim had urged Chinese voters to vote for Pakatan Harapan to secure a Chinese CM. The latter had denied this.

He also alleged that Lim's real concern is that Saifuddin would join hands with Umno after the polls.

Following this remark, there were advertisements in the Chinese media promoting a similar idea although there was no mention of BN.

Saifuddin dismissed Teng's allegation as baseless and stressed that PKR would not climb aboard a sinking Umno vessel.

"We are committed to the consensus that the post of CM will be DAP's, just as the post of Selangor menteri besar is PKR's," he added.

Describing Teng as "narrow-minded", Saifuddin said the BN leader's racist remarks were aimed at creating discord among the different races in Penang.

"Teng made such racist statements in an attempt to disunite Malaysians who have lived in harmony for so long in Penang," he added.

Commenting on Saifuddin's rebuttal, Teng pointed out that PKR has been inconsistent with regard to their stand.

He said this was proven when PKR went from hating Dr Mahathir Mohamad to allowing the latter to contest in the election under their logo.

Teng also claimed that DAP wants to eradicate Gerakan and MCA by fielding its heavyweights against theirs.

Since nomination on April 28, Penang Gerakan chief has been harping on Harapan's policies on allowing hillslope development which led to hill clearing - 'Botak Hill', landslides in Tanjung Bungah and flood.

However, his opponents responded with posters about him approving 23 hillslope projects when he was state executive councillor for environment and tourism under Gerakan.

In another poster, it was revealed that Bukit Relau also known as Botak Hill was subdivided for residential homes in 2007, when Teng was the state exco.

Teng denied the claims, saying that only four hillslope projects were approved during his tenure.

As for the subdivision of Bukit Relau, he said it was approved by the local council and not the state exco, while rezoning of the hill to allow residential development took place in 2012. -Mkini