Don’t take credit where it is not due, Soi Lek tells Guan Eng

The Star, Sunday 7 August 2011

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government cannot simply take credit for the number of low-cost housing projects in the state when developers are obligated to build them for the people, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.


He took Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to task for claiming that the state's affordable housing programme was a result of his (Lim's) own effort. “How many low-cost housing schemes has the Penang government launched without taking into account those built by private developers? “In every state, it is an obligation for developers to make provisions for low and low-medium cost housing, so how can Lim take credit for it?

“As far as I know, the current administration has not built a single low-cost unit,” he told reporters after opening the state party convention here yesterday. On Aug 1, Lim announced that to date, the state government had approved the construction of some 11,596 low and low-medium cost houses on the island and the mainland.

On a separate matter, Dr Chua lambasted the Penang government for failing to fulfil many of its 2008 general election promises, including the declaration of state executive councillors' assets and salaries.
“It's not that difficult to do, yet till today, we have heard nothing.

“It seems that the state government's job is very easy hold daily press conferences for publicity, scold people and blame Barisan Nasional or the MCA for its failed projects,” he pointed out.
He said Lim was proud of the RM100 annual Senior Citizens Appreciation Programme, but never acknowledged the Federal Government's RM58mil allocation for poor families here.