Ramasamy: Who asked not to hold PIL1 dialogue?

GEORGE TOWN: The “external forces” who were against Universiti Sains Malaysia holding a dialogue on Pan Island Link (PIL) 1 should come clean about their objection, says Dr P. Ramasamy.

“Not only does the state government welcome criticisms on the project, we even put all the reports on public display more than once,” the Deputy Chief Minister II said.

“There is no need to worry about anything sinister happening. We are not going to prevent people from expressing themselves,” he said.

On Tuesday, Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) director Assoc Prof Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk claimed at a press conference that there was “pressure from outside” to prevent Penang Forum from holding the discussion on PIL1.

But he declined to reveal who had tried to compel USM to cancel the talk.

He said the campus vice-chancellor gave the go-ahead and the event went on as planned on Tuesday.

Penang Forum, which is a loose coalition of about 40 NGOs, has a number of members who are USM past and present lecturers.

Dr Ramasamy said public forums on the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) were “not something new”.

“NGOs have held so many talks in so many venues and the one in USM is just one of many.

“What is so scary about a PTMP forum that ‘external forces’ would want to stop it? Please tell me who they are,” Dr Ramasamy said.

He said freedom and openness were critical to universities, adding that USM officials should not be intimidated into withholding functions that were of public interest.

PIL1 is a toll-free six-lane highway that will meander across and through the foothills of Penang island’s hill range from Gurney Drive and Bayan Lepas.

For months, several NGOs have held dialogues and public protests against it.