Don’t blame weather for floods, Lim told

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government should not blame the weather for the massive floods that hit the state recently, said MCA Youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon.

“Pointing fingers or blaming the weather is not the way for a state government to respond to a crisis.

“What the people want to see is how the government would resolve the problem,” he said during Penang MCA Youth’s annual general assembly at the party headquarters here.

Chong said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had previously claimed he could solve flooding woes in one term, a feat which the previous state government had not been able to do in 40 years.

“But the flood issue remains unresolved,” Chong said.

He also chided the state government for offering the Education Ministry a loan of RM50mil to be given out to Chinese schools but told the people that it lacked funds to carry out flood mitigation projects.

Chong also criticised the state government for playing down the severity of the Sept 15 flash floods by saying that the water had receded the following day.

“If that is the capability of a state government, then how could he (Lim) lead a country?” Chong asked.

On another matter, Chong urged MCA members to go to the ground more ahead of the general election.

He said a wind of change in Penang was possible based on the negative public sentiments towards the state government.

“We had witnessed a change of state government in 2008 in Penang and a change of state administration could happen again. We need more representatives to be in the state assembly to keep an eye on the state government,” Chong said.