GENTING HIGHLANDS: Penangites will suffer in the ongoing spat between Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and state development officer Nik Ali Nik Yunus.
“If the politicians keep fighting, they will lose focus on development. In the end, the people of Penang will not benefit,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“I am not trying to show off ... to me, this is a simple problem.”
Dr Chua said Lim, as the state chief, should bring the problems to the state executive council meeting.
Once a decision is made, the state government should inform the Chief Secretary to the Government to remove the officer because of his bad performance, he added.
“Pakatan has been governing a few states for two-and-a-half years. It is time for the people to evaluate whether the state governments under Pakatan have fared better than under Barisan rule,” he said when opening the Pahang MCA annual meeting held here yesterday.
He asked whether the states under Pakatan, such as Penang and Selangor, were up to mark.
Dr Chua said the Chinese community now had higher expectations of good governance.
The party would be gathering the Youth and Wanita wings as well as the main divisions from all states at Wisma MCA on Aug 15 to discuss strategies for the next general election.
Dr Chua said MCA would embark on a high-profile promotion and expose the mistakes made by the opposition parties.
Party deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in order to regain the confidence of the Chinese, party leaders must show political leadership and speak out for the people.
“If not, people will think we (leaders) are only doing charity,” said Liow.
In Klang, when opening the Selangor MCA annual meeting, Dr Chua said MCA would reject all forms of extremism and would not support anything against the 1Malaysia spirit.
He was responding to a question about former Gerakan vice-president Huan Cheng Guan setting up a non-bumiputra rights group called Perjasa.
THE STAR (Monday July 26, 2010)