Kepong representative rubbishes Penang CM’s claim
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP’s Kepong member of parliament Dr Tan Seng Giaw has hit back at Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who claims that the former has been incommunicado since early this year.
Dr Tan, when contacted by the New Straits Times yesterday, rubbished the claim, saying he could be contacted at any time of the day unless he was talking on his mobile phone.
“How long did it take you to call me? It was less than one minute right? I picked up your call after my phone rang two or three times.
“So, how is it that I have been incommunicado? What’s your problem? If my phone is engaged, then I cannot help. If it is not, then I will usually reply,” said the veteran DAP leader.
Tan, in a Facebook post on Sunday, had lamented that the coast of Penang was changing and it was becoming “less green”, adding that the state government should focus on preserving the forest and the environment.
When pressed by the media regarding Tan’s remark, Lim in a press conference at Komtar, Penang, yesterday said the former was unreachable and that he would deal with the issue internally.
“When the population increases, it means people need jobs. When you build new houses, it means you would have to chop down the trees.
“But does (the state government) ever make any attempt to replace those trees?” Dr Tan asked.
Dr Tan said he was merely expressing his observations during his drive in Balik Pulau, and that he was not making any insinuations.
“The situation may have been exploited... Read my statement carefully. Don’t tell me I can’t say anything in this 21st century.”