Retain Penang so we can retake Putrajaya, state DAP told

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Hundreds of DAP members were at the launch of the party’s Penang election machinery today at Komtar in George Town.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang DAP has been told to work hard to retain its hold on the state government for a fourth term and convince voters to help the party and its coalition allies to regain power in Putrajaya.

Speaking at the launch of the party’s state election machinery today, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook urged party members to highlight the progress made by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government in its three terms.

“(We need to tell the Penangites) how we transformed Penang from a “darul sampah” (a rubbish-ridden state) into an authentic “Pulau Mutiara,” said Loke.

“Our state government is among the cleanest in the country and has received recognition from the auditor-general every year.”

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He also spoke about DAP and PH’s successes in revitalising the Komtar office and commercial complex which he said used to be “old, obsolete and lifeless”, and how Penang is now among the top recipients of foreign investment.

Loke said Penangites should be reminded about how the PH federal government had reduced the toll rates on the North-South Expressway and had started the MySalam B40 insurance scheme which benefited one million Malaysians.

Penang voters should be convinced that the votes cast in the 2018 general election were not a mistake.

“If it wasn’t because of (votes cast on) May 9th, it is impossible that Najib Razak would be imprisoned. We toppled a corrupt government and its corrupt leaders,” he said in reference to former prime minister Najib, who is serving a jail sentence on corruption charges.

“We need to tell the Penangites to continue to lead the change so that we can take over Putrajaya,” he added.

DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng urged voters to choose DAP and PH to retake Putrajaya so that the state can get its deserved amount of federal allocations.

He said allocations to Penang were lower than the RM7 billion that the federal government receives in tax and revenue from the state.

Lim also urged Penang DAP divisions to work hard to help PKR and Amanah to retain the parliamentary and state seats won in previous elections.

Penang DAP is the first state chapter to have launched its election machinery, which is led by Lim Hui Ying.

Putrajaya must take charge on citizenship amendment

On a separate matter, Loke said that the onus is on Putrajaya to come up with an amendment to the Federal Constitution to provide citizenship rights for overseas-born children of Malaysian mothers.

“The amendment bill must come from the government,” he told FMT. “You can come up with a private members bill, but it will not go anywhere, because a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority and that will only happen when it is a government bill supported by the opposition.”

Loke was asked whether DAP and PH MPs have come up with private members’ bills on the issue. - FMT