GEORGE TOWN – Lim Guan Eng has come to the defence of his political rival, Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau, saying that it was wrong for a state PAS leader to shoo him away from a campaign rally in Sg Dua recently.
The DAP chairman, who is defending the Air Putih state seat in Penang, said that Malaysians live in a multi-racial country and everyone should have an opportunity to contest in any constituency as it is their right as a citizen.
“It is wrong to say that only Malays can contest in the Malay-majority seat,” he said. “But on the other hand, it is wrong for one to contest in a constituency if the candidate had not done any work at all,” he said.
He added that action should be taken against those who had allegedly disrespected the Gerakan leader.
It was reported that Bayan Lepas PAS chief Iszuree Ibrahim had told Lau to “go away” when the latter showed up at a rally organised by PAS.
Iszuree’s supporters were reportedly upset as he was selected to contest the Bayan Lepas seat on behalf of Perikatan Nasional (PN). They claimed that Iszuree’s name had been marked for the constituency in the original list of PN candidates.
Lim also urged the electorate to come out in full force to cast their votes on polling day as every vote counts.
Despite the belief that Pakatan Harapan (PH) can retain the state, Lim said that it is important for every voter to come out in droves to exercise their democratic right.
“Don’t be lulled into a complacency that their vote would not matter as it is a sure win for PH. If many voters think like that, the votes will be greatly reduced,” he said.
Achievements in last three terms
Lim also highlighted that under his watch the Air Putih constituency has witnessed a marked improvement in terms of social amenities and alleviation of traffic jams.
Detailing his achievements as three-term assemblyman for the constituency, Lim said that the opening of the bypass Zoo Road has greatly reduced the traffic congestion.
“If the bypass was not implemented in 2017, there would be traffic congestion caused by the thousands of visitors to Penang Hill as well as the locals heading into Air Itam and the Kek Lok Si areas,” he told a press conference here.
The drainage has also been upgraded so much there has not been any reports of flooding in the constituency.
He said Unesco has also designated Penang Hill as a biosphere reserve, and this is an honour for the constituency.
Lim said that he had also prevented the forcible eviction of over 1,000 local residents, as there were plans by the tainted 1MDB holding company to construct affordable housing in a 234-acre site near Penang Hill. – The Vibes, August 3, 2023
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