10 the raffles conversation

THE BUSINESS TIMES WEEKEND SATURDAY/SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13-14, 2014

the raffles conversation 11

THE BUSINESS TIMES WEEKEND SATURDAY/SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13-14, 2014

Im a victim of sedition. It is fomenting a culture of fear. . .

you are going backwards and against the international trend
of being a freer and open society.
in August 1999 after serving out 12 of the
18 months for good behaviour.
The current blitz of charges by the Malaysian government against activists including lawyers, politicians, preachers and
academics under the Sedition Act a contentious colonial-era law passed in 1948
which the administration recently decided
not to repeal despite its earlier promise
must be unnerving for Mr Lim.
Of course, (it brings back bad memories). Im a victim of sedition, says the Penang lawmaker. It is fomenting a culture of
fear . . . you are going backwards and
against the international trend of being a
freer and open society.
Does he think he may face jail again?
His countenance darkens for a nano-second and he muses stoically: Its something that we hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Sea change

PHOTO: ARTHUR LEE

The chief minister of Penang and one of Malaysias most

popular opposition politicians fuels hope with ground-rule
changes in the state. By Anita Gabriel

Architect of Penangs
transformation

IM Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Malaysias north-western state of

Penang for six years now and one of the countrys most popular
opposition politicians, lunges forward in his seat, elbow jammed
to desk, visibly aghast at the question: Tinkering?. He then collects himself and with spirited solicitousness, remarks Its transformative, what, as he glides back.
The 54-year-old secretary-general of Malaysias Chinese-based opposition party Democratic Action Party and
Penangs fourth chief minister appears chafed when asked whether he agreed with
a pocket of Penangites views that, despite his staunch grassroots backing, what he
has mostly done is tinkering, not in-your-face transformation in the DAP-led
state. We have reinvented government, simplified procedures and all our projects
are done through open tenders. There are two women sitting in the municipal council as presidents where there were all men before. Isnt that transformative? asks
the qualified accountant, former political detainee and eldest son of opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang, gleefully.
Mr Lim, an economics graduate from Australias Monash University, where the
seeds of social consciousness were sown, started his career as the head of the credit
division in Chung Khiaw Bank (the bank was taken over by UOB in the early 1970s).

He ditched the job two years later for politics and now regrets not having stayed
around longer.I wanted more time in the corporate world to learn new stuff but I
just gravitated towards politics. My father was a natural (politician), not me. In life,
you have to make the best of some of your own decisions, shrugs the seasoned politician in his trademark pomade-slicked-back hair and rimless spectacles.
The self-confesssed bookworm began his political journey 28 years ago after his
electoral victory for the Kota Melaka seat in 1986 against Soh Chin Aun, a Malaysian
football icon and captain of the national team at the 1980 Olympic Games.
The early years were treacherous. In 1987, together with some 100 other opposition leaders and social activists including his father, Mr Lim was detained without
trial in a shocking and biggest-ever security crackdown of civil liberties in the country, called Ops Lalang. The crackdown came after a public demonstration, which
was fuelled by discontent among some Malaysian Chinese over the survival of Chinese vernacular schools.
The Johor-Baru-born politician spent 18 harrowing months in lock-up but would
find himself again facing solitary confinement in Kajang prison 10 years later under
a sedition charge. Thats altogether three birthdays and three Christmases spent
in jail, his father, the elder Mr Lim pointed out in a moving speech in 1998 where he
thanked the supporters at a ceramah (public forum). He would walk out a free man

If the countrys 2008 polls marked the

Oppositions startling triumph in Penang,
then the outcome of the 2013 elections
may have sealed the opposition coalition
Pakatan Rakyats conquest PR won a
popular vote of 68 per cent, up 10 per cent,
in the thriving state. Many agree with
Mr Lims own assessment that Penang or
the Pearl of the Orient as it was known
during British colonial times, is in pretty
good shape today. (DAP is one of three
members of Pakatan Rakyat or PR).
There are numbers to prove it, not least
the states flush coffers. Every year since
then up to 2013, the state has enjoyed surpluses which total just less than half a billion ringgit (S$187.6 million); debt at state
level has been chopped by 90 per cent and
reserves are up 50 per cent.
Last year, the state, one of Malaysias
wealthiest with a population of over 1.6
million mostly ethnic Chinese and well
acknowledged for its robust manufacturing (essentially electrical and electronic
products), services and tourism businesses, was the second biggest contributor to
the Malaysian economy.
Thriving fish and shrimp farms dot the
scenic 24-km second Penang bridge,
South-east Asias longest bridge, where
there was none before.
We used to have zero fish farms but
now, we have 300. We went from zero to a
RM700 million aqua industry, mostly for
exports, he says, brimming with enthusiasm. I cant claim credit as what I did was
to simplify government procedures and
give land to owners to operate.
For two years now, state exco members
have been publicly declaring their assets.
Isnt that transformative? asks the political heavyweight again, in obvious
vote-seeking guile.
Around half the states total population
live in the densely populated island with
its laid-back vibes, vintage shops, soothing
sea breeze and charming heritage buildings, sweetened further by its diverse and
sumptuous street food. Penang has
wowed many outsiders, including Singapo-

reans, to set up holiday or retirement

homes there.
But there are cracks. Over-development by private developers threatens its
beaches, hills, forests and parks while traffic-clogged roads have become a huge
bane for the islands dwellers who are rising fast in numbers. In terms of development, they (the opposition) are more of
the same, in a different suit, says a disappointed Penangite and political junkie.
Mr Lim himself admits: I think the
main worry is traffic congestion and so we
are trying to fix it.

Penangs big plans

The solution for the traffic woes rest
squarely on a massive 15-year and RM27
billion public transportation masterplan
which aims to improve Penangs highway
network, light rail transit, bus rapid transit, trams and new ferry services.
That project was one of two reasons for
Mr Lims recent visit to Singapore in October. The other involves a landmark tie-up
between the Penang state and Singapores
Temasek Holdings and Economic Development Innovations Singapore Pte Ltd
(EDIS) to build an international park and
outsourcing centre in the state worth a
gross development value of some RM11.3
billion.
Mr Lim conducted the first roadshow
for the public transportation project outside Penang right here in Singapore to
court firms to bid for the mammoth
project, a big-bang approach to resolve
our transport challenges once and for all.
Its a novel approach; the firm that
snags the job as project delivery partner
(PDP) is also tasked with securing the respective licences from the federal government.
We were stuck for a long time as we
had applied directly to the government
but failed to secure a licence. So, what
weve done here is tell the PDP if you win
the tender, its your job to secure the licence; if you fail, then bear the losses.
So, its no longer us (state government) applying directly to the (federal) government. Its an innovative approach that
has never been done before.

The Singapore bogey

Penangs ties with Singapore frequently
turn up as political fodder for politicians
in Umno, the ruling Barisan Nasionals
dominant Malay party, and members of
the Malay right-wing group Perkasa, to
whip up anti-opposition sentiments.
One of the vociferous voices include
former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad who last year, as the
country prepared for what was deemed
the toughest fight ever at the ballot booth,
had likened DAPs stance on issues with
those of Singapores PAP.
Any relationship we have is a government-to-government one. Between the political parties, it (the relationship) is non-existent, says Mr Lim. The only context is
after we got the power (to rule) in Penang,

LIM GUAN ENG

Fourth Chief Minister of Penang,
Malaysia and secretary-general of
Malaysias opposition party Democratic
Action Party (DAP)
Son of prominent DAP leader Lim Kit
Siang. Married to Betty Chew Gek
Cheng, a former state assemblywoman.
They have four children
Dec 8, 1960 Born in Johor Bahru
1983 Graduated with a Bachelor of
Economics at Australias Monash
University and became qualified
accountant
1986 First elected as Member of
Parliament for Kota Melaka, Malacca,
after defeating ex-Malaysian football
captain Soh Chin Aun
October 1987 Detained under the
Internal Security Act in Ops Lalang
for 18 months
1990 & 1995 Re-elected as Kota Melaka
MP for two straight terms
1998 Sentenced to 18 months
imprisonment under sedition charge
filed in 1995 and released in August
1999 (after 12 months) due to good
behaviour
2004 Elected as DAP sec-gen and has
been holding the position since
March 2008 Sworn in as Penang
Chief Minister after winning Bagan
seat in 2008 polls
May 2013 Penang Chief Minister for
another term following win of Bagan
seat in 2013 polls

they (Singapore) saw us as a state government and we saw them as government.

Even this deal (between Penang state
and Temasek) is taking place after so
many years. Its a completely commercial
exercise between the two governments.
This would be good for Penang but we had
to explain to Penangites, given the animosity among our political opponents who will
use every issue to bring up the Singapore
bogey.
The Singapore bogey was also played
up when the state government hired
Singapores township development firm
Surbana to provide consultancy services
for its huge public housing project in the
state.
We attracted lots of criticisms for picking Surbana. We are not selling out to Singapore. We want the best public housing
developer in the world to do our public
housing so everyone can enjoy decent living conditions. Whats wrong with that?,
he asks. Malaysias federal structure is
highly centralised which leaves little room
for states to make big decisions on its own
ranging from education, transport, infra-

structure and health care, among others.

This could also mean that federal needs
generally take precedence over those of
the state, which leaves room for disgruntlement, particularly among opposition-led
states such as Penang.
The recent spirited spat between
Mr Lim and the countrys International
Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed is just one clear example. Mr Lim
had bemoaned the reduced referrals to
Penang in terms of private investment, alluding that the state is being sidelined, an
inference that was quashed by Mr Mustapa as preposterous .
When referrals drop as investment figures rise, its a big concern. Im puzzled,
says Mr Lim.
Another common gripe is that the state
has paid out some RM26 billion in revenue
between 2001 and 2008 but only received
returns of 3 per cent. Of course, we are unhappy. Other states get more. We get the
second lowest (next to Selangor, also led
by the opposition party).

Moving forward
He then reveals the deep-seated nagging
suspicion: Is Penang losing out because
of other extraneous factors? Im just going
to leave it at that.
Patchy ties aside, its not to say there
have been no areas where Penang has received cooperation from the federal government such as in tourism and funding
for the Penang second bridge and highspeed broadband projects to name a few.
Mr Lim concedes: In terms of tourism,
they (federal government) have been very
helpful. But he is quick to qualify. So,
their collaboration is very spotty some areas, they are first-class while in other areas, we are like a step-child.
On its part, the Malaysian government
has rubbished his assertions that Penang
is being discriminated against as a cheap
publicity stunt.
I dont want to get into personal attacks. I just want to state the facts, says
Mr Lim.
But thats not to say all is well with the
opposition alliance led by heavyweight Anwar Ibrahim. The tripartite grouping has
evidently not got their act together as a cohesive unit as evinced by the recent Selangor menteri besar crisis when the conservative Islamic faction PAS was on the brink
of tearing away from its two partners, DAP
and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
The spat, largely between PKR and PAS,
has triggered speculation over whether the
coalition will be able to survive till the
countrys next general election.
I think its healthy, albeit painful for
our supporters, to articulate our (differing)
views openly. If we were to present a united front that is false, then are we not engaging in self-delusion? asks Mr Lim, with
aplomb.
One can almost hear his accompanying
words even before they are uttered: Isnt
that transformative?

anitag@sph.com.sg
@AnitaGabrielBT